'Captain America' Filming in June 2010

Joe Johnston, the director of Marvel Studios’ Captain America has revealed that he is working toward a June start for filming the The First Avenger: Captain America, which is slated for a July 22, 2011 debut.

In an article in Fangoria about Johnston’s remake of The Wolfman, Johnston told the interviewers that he was speaking from the Marvel Studios’ art department where he was readying the Captain America film for a June start. So far none of the cast of the Cap movie has been announced, though if the film is to begin principal photography in June, casting announcements will likely be made over the next few months.

Lupin the 3rd Episode 0 : the First Contact

Amazon currently has a listing for Lupin the 3rd Episode 0: First Contact, which is slated for release on March 20th, 2010. The 92-minute TV Special, which aired in Japan in 2002, will be available from Discotek Media for $24.95. This is the first Lupin DVD out in North America since Geneon stopped the release of the Lupin the 3rd TV show (many episodes of which were directed by Miyazaki), and Funimation finished with the eight TV specials that it licensed in 2002. Unlike the Geneon and Funimation releases, the Discotek DVD won’t have an English dub track, just English subtitles.

Based on the seinen manga created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the 3rd is the saga of a team of super thieves led by Arsene Lupin III, the grandson of the fictional French cat burglar created by Maurice LeBlanc. Hundreds of episodes of various Lupin the 3rd anime series were produced in the 1970s and 1980s along with six theatrical films including a certified classic, Miyazaki’s Castle of Cagliostro, as well as 21 movie-length TV specials that have remained a fixture on Japanese TV right up to the present day.

"300" tie-in is 'Xerxes'

Frank Miller has plotted a new graphic novel tied to "300" titled Xerxes, the comics auteur told Geoff Boucher of the LA Times, and is beginning to work on the art. The book will tell the story of the Battle of Marathon, which takes place prior to the events in 300.

Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson told ICv2, “We hope so,” when asked whether he thought he would get a new Miller project in 2010

"The Borrowers" from Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli will release a new animated feature based on The Borrowers, the award-winning 1952 children’s fantasy novel (plus sequels) about small beings that borrow things from full-sized humans and keep their existence hidden, next summer. The film, Karigurashi no Arrietty (Arrietty Borrows Everything), will be directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi with uber-director Hayao Miyazaki writing and overseeing the production.

Bryan Singer on 'X-men: First Class"

Bryan Singer has signed to direct X-Men: First Class for Fox, returning to the franchise he started by directing X-Men and X2, according to the Heat Vision blog. The characters will be younger than in the other movies, and the movie will tell the story of Xavier and Magneto’s first meeting and the founding of the Xavier Institute.

A new writer, Jamie Moss, has been hired to produce a script. Josh Schwartz did an earlier version.

Blake's 7 Audio CDs'

Created by Terry Nation, the writer who brought The Daleks to Doctor Who, Blake’s 7 is a legendary BBC science fiction series that aired in the U.K. from 1978-1981. Noted for its dark pessimistic tone this Robin Hood-like space opera has earned a devoted following over the years. In 2006 B7 Productions began creating a series of Blake’s 7 audio narratives written by Ben Aaronovitch, Marc Platt, and James Swallow that were produced in association with the Sci-Fi Channel. Described as a “radical new re-interpretation of Terry Nation’s original series,” the radio plays featured Derek Riddell as Roj Blake, Colin Salmon as the tech-savvy con man Kerr Avon, and Daniela Nardini as megalomaniacal Terran Commander Servalan.

The B7 Productions audio dramas have been collected in a series of 3 CDs. CD #1 Rebel and CD #2 Traitor have an MSRP of $15.98, while CD#3 Liberator, a 2-CD set is $27.98. All three are available in a slip-cased set for an MSRP of $59.98. The Blake’s 7 CDs are available from Davis Marketing Services and will be offered in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributor’s Previews.

Another audio series from B7 Productions, Blake’s 7: The Early Years takes listeners back to the early years when the seeds of the rebellion were sown. The Early Years series, which provides the backstories for the key characters in the series, was also written by Aaronovitch, Platt & Swallow. The Early Years CDs feature vocal work from original Blake 7 cast members Michael Keating and Jan Chappell as well as from some of the actors from the B7 productions. The first five of the Blake’s 7: The Early Years CDs will also be listed in the January Previews.

Justice League : Crisis on Two Earths - New DC DVD

'Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'
Plus a Spectre Short

Warner Premiere, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Animation will release Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the seventh in the DC Universe Animated series of direct-to-DVD features, on February 23rd. The story by Dwayne McDuffie will be exec-produced by Bruce Timm and co-directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. It will kick off when a good Lex Luthor arrives from an alternate universe to get help from the Justice League in saving his Earth from a team of villains with identical powers to the Justice League.

The voice cast will include Mark Harmon as Superman, James Woods as Owlman, Chris Noth as Lex Luthor, William Baldwin as Batman, Gina Torres as Superwoman and Bruce Davison as the President.

The film will be released in three versions: single-disc version for $19.98; two-disc Special Edition for $24.98, and Blu-ray for $29.99.

Both the Special Edition and Blu-ray versions will include the first in a new series of animated shorts, DC Showcase: The Spectre. The Spectre will be written by Steve Niles; the voice cast will include Gary Cole and Alyssa Milano. Both will also include The New World, a documentary featurette about Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis narrated by Michael Uslan; a sneak peak at the next DC Universe Animated feature; and two episodes of Justice League Unlimited hand-picked by Bruce Timm.

In addition to those extras, the Blu-ray version will include two additional episodes of Justice League Unlimited, plus TV pilots for the live action shows Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

The most recent DC Universe Animated feature, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was released in September.

Three Cast for Thor Movie

Marvel has announced that actors have been chosen to play the Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg) in the upcoming Thor movie. Stuart Townsend will play Fandral; Tadanobu Asano will play Hogun; and Ray Stevenson will play Volstagg.

Anthony Hopkins also recently joined the cast as Odin for the rest of the cast. The Kenneth Branagh film will premiere on May 20, 2011.

"V" Ratings Drop in 2nd and 3rd Weeks

Ratings on the new series of "V" have dropped significantly since the highly successful premiere episode . Viewership dropped a third between the first and third episodes.

After 13.9 million viewers tuned in to the first episode, 10.7 million viewers watched the second, and 9.3 million viewers watched this week’s episode.

One more episode will air in this initial grouping, followed by a long break before the season resumes.

"Chipmunks", "Tinker Bell" are Surprises Up for Oscars

Twenty films have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category at next year's Oscars. Under rules for the category, a max of five will actually be nominated.
According to the Associated Press, 20 is a record number of submissions in the category. The previous best was 17 in 2002.

The list includes some clear favorites including Up, Coraline, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. The inclusion of the upcoming animated/live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a surprise since the film is mainly live-action like the first one.

Another surprise is Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. The movie is considered a direct-to-video release by most but must have had the necessary theatrical release shortly before its Oct. 27 DVD/Blu-ray street.

Here are the 20 films up for consideration:

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Astro Boy
Battle for Terra
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Mary and Max
The Missing Lynx
Monsters vs. Aliens
9
Planet 51
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
A Town Called Panic
Up

No indication of quality is inferred in these submissions. They simply have been submitted by each film's producers and meet the necessary requirements. Obviously if they were submitted, the studio thinks the movie is good enough to at least be nominated.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The awards will be given out on Sunday, Mar. 7.

Source: AMPAS

"Dollhouse Canceled"

Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, which premiered to weak ratings this season , has been canceled by Fox, according to the Hollywood Reporter . It’s expected to finish its thirteen episode season, but it’s not clear when the episodes will air. It has been off the air during sweeps month and was slated to resume airing new episodes in December .

The fact that the series has been canceled does not necessarily mean the property is dead. Whedon took the ideas from his canceled series Firefly and turned them into the theatrical release Serenity, after the devotion of fans showed that there would be a market for the film.

Sony Preps "Men in Black III"

Sony has put Men in Black III on the fast track for development and could begin filming as early as next spring. The first Men in Black film, which was based on the comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, earned nearly $600 million in 1997 and spawned a Saturday morning cartoon (Men in Black: The Series), which ran from 1997-2001, as well as a 2002 sequel, Men in Black II.

Sony has hired the red hot scribe Etan Cohen to write the screenplay for the new MIB film, and Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two MIB features, is attached (though not signed) to direct. Cohen, who wrote the very funny Tropic Thunder as well as Madagascar 2 and the new Sherlock Holmes film, is already “deep into his draft” of the script for MIB III.

THR also reports that MIB star Will Smith “is interested in returning” to the franchise that helped make a worldwide box office heavyweight. According to The Reporter, “Smith does not have a go movie lined up.”

"John Carter of Mars" to Film in Early 2010

James Purefoy, Mark Strong, and Thomas Haden Church have joined the cast of Andrew Stanton’s adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars. Taylor Kitsch and Lynne Collins are starring in the science fiction/fantasy adventure about a Civil War veteran who suddenly finds himself on Mars in the midst of a major conflict between the planet’s warring kingdoms.

Church, Purefoy, and Strong have been added to a strong cast that also includes Willem Dafoe ,Samantha Morton, Dominic West, and Polly Walker. Production on the film is slated to begin in early 2010.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Purefoy, who was brilliant as Marc Anthony in HBO’s Rome, will portray Kantos Kan, the captain of the Kingdom of Helium’s flagship, the Xavarian. Strong, who plays the villain in the new Sherlock Holmes movie, will be Matai Shang, the godlike ruler of the Thems in John Carter, while Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3) takes on the key role of the ambitious Thark warrior Tal Hajus

"Primeval" Returns

Three months after Britain’s ITV network announced the cancellation of Primeval, the dinosaur drama has been rescued from extinction via an innovative deal that includes financial backing from the UK digital channel Watch, BBC Worldwide, and Germany’s Pro7. The new agreement calls for the production of 13 episodes spread over two seasons. ITV will premiere the fourth Primeval series in early 2011, with reruns following quickly on Watch, which airs reruns of a number of science fiction series such as Doctor Who and Torchwood.

Later in 2011 Watch will get to air the fifth season of Primeval first with reruns following shortly on ITV. BBC Worldwide will continue to handle distribution of the new episodes of Primeval to the U.S.

According to The Guardian, the original cast of Primeval including Hannah Spearritt, Andrew Lee-Potts, and Jason Flemyng will return. Adrian Hodges will also be back as showrunner to oversee production along with Tim Haines, the creative director of Impossible Pictures, the production company behind Primeval. Haines and Hodges previously produced the critically acclaimed Walking With Dinosaurs science fact series.

In Primeval a group of scientists have to deal with prehistoric (and sometimes futuristic) beasts that have been transported through time and appear in the contemporary U.K.

More Inuyasha Coming

Reports from numerous Inuyasha fansites, both in the U.S. and Japan indicate that the Inuyasha anime series will resume this fall with Inuyasha: Konketsuhen (Inuyasha: The Final Chapters) airing on Japan’s YTV network starting in October. The original 167-episode Inuyasha anime series, which ran from 2000 to 2004 in Japan, covers events in Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha manga series up through the middle of Volume #36.

The Inuyasha manga concluded in Japan last June with Volume #56, so the Final Chapters anime will likely attempt to adapt the final 20 plus volumes of the manga. If the new series covers the manga narrative at the same rate as the original, it would indicate that the Final Chapters anime would require more than 90 episodes to tell the entire story. Reports indicate that the original voice cast is returning for the new series.

The final episodes of the original Inuyasha anime series premiered on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in October of 2006. Since then the Cartoon Network has rerun the entire 167-episode series, which is currently airing between 5 and 6am (ET, PT) on weekdays.

Viz Media, which has released both Inuyasha manga and anime series here in the States, just announced that it would be making the first 32 episodes of Inuyasha (with English subtitles) available on Hulu starting today along with the first 11 episodes of Nana and the first 12 episodes of Honey & Clover.

SciFi Rebooting "Alien Nation"

The SciFi Channel is developing a new television series based on Alien Nation, a 1988 science fiction movie that spawned a TV series and a handful of made-for-TV movies. Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon, the Alien Nation movie was a dark police procedural with a science fiction twist. Aliens known as “Newcomers” who crashed in the California desert formed a colony of sorts in the Los Angeles area, and a human policeman (Matthew Sykes) teams up with an alien cop (Sam, later “George” Francisco) to investigate a number of crimes in the Newcomer community.

According to Variety, the cable channel sees Alien Nation, with its prominent police procedural elements, as being more than just hard sci-fi, and thus a perfect choice for the network, which is trying to “widen its footprint” as it prepares to re-brand itself as the SyFy Channel starting next week in what has become a controversial marketing maneuver.

Tim Minnear, who has worked on Angel, The X-Files, and Firefly, is creating the backstory and mythology for the new Alien Nation. The series is likely to take its cue more from the Alien Nation TV series, which was essentially a series of morality plays about the evils of racism with the Newcomers standing in for racial, ethnic, and even gender minorities, than from the original feature film.

The TV series only lasted on year on Fox before it was cancelled (along with all the other dramatic series on the fledgling network because of a cash crunch), but it made a definite impression. It developed a cult following and inspired a number of spin-offs including a series of novels, a comic book from Malibu’s Adventure Comics imprint that was published from 1990-1992, and five made-for-TV-movies, which Fox began airing in 1994.

The ratings success of the updated Battlestar Galactica is behind the cable network’s desire to reboot Alien Nation for 21st Century audiences. The new version of Alien Nation will take place in the Pacific Northwest in the 2020s after the Newcomers have grown to a minority of over 3 million living in ghettoized communities. Like the original TV show, the new Alien Nation will be a “buddy cop” series that takes on the issues of racism, immigration, assimilation, and the clash of cultures, and like the original it will also include some satire and humor.

Final Tennant Doctor Who's to America

BBC America will air the five Doctor Who specials that wrap up David Tennant’s tenure on the show, according to Variety. The Next Doctor (the Christmas special) will air on June 27th; and Planet of the Dead will air in July. The remaining three specials have not been scheduled.

Tennant’s star power is also being used on spinoff show The Sarah Jane Adventures, according to a BBC announcement. He’ll appear in two episodes of the new 12-part season.

The Sarah Jane Adventures tells stories starring investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, a former Doctor’s companion. Smith’s role is played by Elisabeth Sladen. Tennant’s appearance is promised as a significant role, and not a cameo.

13 Episodes of "V"

ABC announced today that it has ordered 13 episodes of the 80s reboot V, with plans for a four-season series with a beginning, middle and end. Seasons are expected to be 13 to 22 episodes each.

Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) will star as an FBI agent whose son is involved with the aliens, with Joel Gretsch, Scott Wolf, Logan Huffman, Morris Chestnut, Morena Baccarin, and Lourdes Benedicto rounding out the cast.

Viz Confirms 'Shojo Beat' Cancellation

Viz Media has confirmed that the July 2009 issue of Shojo Beat, its monthly shojo anthology magazine, will be the last. The final issue hits newsstands June 16th.

Subscribers will receive a free copy of the August issue of Shonen Jump with information on their subscription or refund options.

“We are very proud of the past issues of Shojo Beat magazine and the efforts of the entire team,” a Viz spokesperson said. “The magazine developed quite a fan base but unfortunately in today’s difficult economic climate we felt the need to place our resources elsewhere at this time.”

The Shojo Beat graphic novel imprint and Website will remain active, and “all of our great shojo manga titles previously serialized in Shojo Beat magazine will still be published and available as graphic novels under the Shojo Beat imprint from Viz Media," according to the spokesperson.

The Shojo Beat magazine launched in 2005, but never achieved anything near the sales levels of Shonen Jump.

'Primeval' Movie Planned

Warner Bros. has picked up the movie rights to the British science fiction TV series Primeval, according to Variety. The show, which has aired in the U.S. on BBC America, tells stories of wormholes through which fierce futuristic and prehistoric creatures appear. The TV series is set in the UK; the movie will be set in the U.S.

Zits Motion Comics

Zits Motion Comics will be featured on Comics Kingdom, King Features’ online comic distribution platform for local newspapers. The roughly 30 second episodes will be displayed on the sites of the participating newspapers, and on YouTube. Each will feature voice talent, music, and the characters’ movement in and out of the panels. Zits is one of the most popular daily strips in history, and runs in over 1600 newspapers worldwide.

King Features has also expanded the newspapers participating in Comics Kingdom, adding New York Daily News, Denver Post, San Antonio Express-News, Toronto Star, Las Vegas Review Journal, Santa Fe New Mexican, Spokesman Review, Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Tulsa World.

The Comics Kingdom site is being updated, with enhanced landing page, promotions, and a favorites feature that allows visitors to view their selected comics four at a time.

Five Viz Anime on FUNimation Channel

Five Viz anime series will launch on the FUNimation Channel in the next few months, marking a significant expansion of Viz’ presence on the channel. The series are Buso Renkin, Hunter X Hunter, Monster, Honey and Clover and Nana.

The series are slated to launch in the “late spring and summer” months.

Transformers and G I Joe DVD Sets Coming

Shout! Factory will release the Transformers and GI Joe TV series from the 80s on DVD, along with the My Little Pony direct-to-video features, according to Hollywood Reporter. Shout Factory plans to release improved versions of the episodes that were previously released on DVD by Rhino, and to complete the GI Joe run, which was only partially completed by Rhino.

The first Shout Factory release will be a three disc set of The Transformers: The Complete First Season—25th Anniversary Edition, which will street June 16th (leading into the theatrical release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on the 24th). The episodes will have remastered video and a new stereo soundtrack created from the original audio. Extras will include a printable script, rare PSAs, toy commercials, concept art, a limited edition Autobot magnet, and the featurette “Triplechanger: From Toy to Comic to Screen: The Origins of the Transformers.”

Complete series sets of both Transformers and GI Joe are planned for later in the summer.

After 33 years, Starlog magazine has ceased publication, according to an announcement on its Website. Issue #374 will be the final issue. “It is also at this time that we announce the temporary cessation of the current run of Starlog as a print magazine,” the announcement said. “After 33 years, and considering the present state of the economy, we feel it’s time for a major revamp and will be temporarily discontinuing publication while the model and redesign of the magazine are contemplated and executed.”

The Starlog Website will continue, and Fangoria will continue to be published. The company has also announced that it will soon begin offering digital editions of the entire run of Starlog magazine. It has been unable to offer back issues since a Kable News warehouse fire in 2007 destroyed its entire inventory of back issues.

Starlog was founded in August 1976 by Kerry O’Quinn and Norm Jacobs, who ran the magazine for decades (along with EVP Rita Eisenstein). Starlog, Fangoria, and other assets were acquired by Creative Group in 2005. Creative Group filed bankruptcy last year, and Starlog and Fangoria ended up in the hands of The Brooklyn Company, run by longtime Fangoria President Thomas DeFeo.

Recognizing that its fortune was tied to finding the hardcore fans that wanted its content, Starlog was one of the first publishers to sell to the then nascent comic store distribution network in the 70s, and supported its growth through the late 70s and the following decades.

Green Lantern: First Flight Coming to DVD in June 2009

From Warner Homer Video, Inc.! In the illuminated hero’s first-ever full-length animated film, Green Lantern: First Flight finds Hal Jordan recruited to join the Green Lantern Corps and placed under the supervision of respected senior Lantern Sinestro. The earthling soon discovers his mentor is actually the central figure in a secret conspiracy that threatens the philosophies, traditions, and hierarchy of the entire Green Lantern Corps.

Hal must quickly hone his newfound powers and combat the treasonous Lanterns within the ranks to maintain order in the universe! Produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), directed by Lauren Montgomery (Superman: Doomsday, Wonder Woman), and written by Alan Burnett (The Batman), Green Lantern: First Flight Features the voice-acting talents of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan and Alias' Victor Garber as Sinestro.

G. I. Joe Footage Wows ShoWest

ShoWest, Hollywood’s chance to impress theater owners with its summer wares, came to an impressive conclusion as Paramount showed off footage from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which debuts on August 7th. Sienna Miller, who plays The Baroness, introduced the footage, a pulse-pounding action sequence involving the destruction of the Eiffel Tower.

Though some of the footage was included in a previously released teaser trailer and in the Super Bowl spot, the sequence shown at ShoWest appeared to be complete and had the experienced audience riveted to the screen. USA Today put G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra first in a list of films that got positive buzz from their ShoWest presentations, noting that exhibitors were comparing the Eiffel Tower sequence to the destruction of the White House in Independence Day, which became a major hit in the summer of 1996.

G.I. Joe is the anchor of Tinseltown’s late summer offerings, and its performance could have major effect on what sort of blockbusters that Hollywood studios will be producing for 2010 and the years ahead. While the Transformers is now a proven performer at the box office, G.I. Joe has yet to prove its mettle as a big screen property. The success of the Eiffel Tower sequence at ShoWest is an indication that this property might be up to the task, something that could have a big influence on sales of related toys and comics.

Wolverine Invades 7-Elevens

C-Store chain 7-Eleven has announced a major store-wide promotion in conjunction with the May 1st release of Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The wide-ranging promotion, which debuts in April, has been designed by the FreshWorks agency, the same unit responsible for turning 7-Elevens into Kwikee Marts for the premiere of Fox’s The Simpsons Movie. In addition to lots of in-store signage, the promotion includes lenticular superhero Slurpee cubs featuring the images of Sabretooth, Wolverine and Gambit, a new Slurpee flavor, “Mutant Berry,” four Collectible Slurpee Straws ($1.69 each), a special silver Big Gulp cup, and a refillable stainless steel Wolverine Coffee Mug.

The Collectible Slurpee Straws come with a removable figure and a base on which to display it, while the refillable Wolverine Coffee Mug features Wolverine’s trademark triple claw slash mark. The 7-Eleven stores are also promoting the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game, which debuts on May 1st, the same day the movie opens. 7-Eleven customers can pre-book either Xbox 360 or PS3 versions of the game with just a $5 deposit.

IFC Preps "Anita Blake" Movie

,According to The Hollywood Reporter, cable network IFC in conjunction with Lionsgate is producing a feature length movie based on Laurell K. Hamilton’s series of Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels and plans to broadcast the film in 2010. Glenn Morgan (The X-Files) is writing the screenplay for the first Anita Blake movie.

Given the success of True Blood on HBO, the development of similar programming based on Hamilton’s 16 Anita Blake novels (#17 is due out in June) seems like a no-brainer, and cable, rather than network TV, would appear to be the right small screen destination for this sexy sleuth of the supernatural. According to THR IFC and Lionsgate are hoping that this will be the first in a series of Anita Blake movies.

Marvel Comics has adapted the first two Anita Blake novels, Guilty Pleasures and The Laughing Corpse, into the comic book/graphic novel format (the first graphic novel collection of The Laughing Corpse is due out in late May), so any further exposure of character should only help increase sales of Anita Blake novels and comics in both the direct and bookstore markets.

Superman/Batman Next DC Animated Feature

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, based on the Jeff Loeb and Ed McGuinness comic series, will be the next DC direct-to-DVD animated feature, according to Ain’t It Cool News. The new feature will follow Green Lantern: First Flight, the fifth feature in the series, which is due out in July.

SciFi Becomes Syfy

SciFi Channel will change its name to Syfy Channel on July 7th, when it launches the new series Warehouse 13, according to TV Week. The network believes that the new name more accurately reflects content on the channel, which is broader than traditional science fiction. Warehouse 13, about a secret government facility where mysterious relics are stored, exemplifies this broader content.

The new name may make it easier to attract audiences not traditionally attracted to science fiction, particularly female viewers.

Scar-Jo is the Black Widow in Iron Man 2

Scarlett Johansson signed to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 on Wednesday, according to Mark Malkin’s blog on E! Online. The signing confirms rumors that began last month when Emily Blunt, who was originally signed for the role, ran into a scheduling conflict.

The cast also includes Mickey Rourke and Samuel Jackson, in addition to Robert Downey Jr.

Marvel Retools Movie Schedule

Marvel announced Thursday morning that it is rescheduling three of its upcoming films to allow a longer run-up to its Avengers film, which was moved back from July 15 of 2011 to May 4, 2012. Thor was moved back from July 16, 2010 to June 17, 2011. The First Avenger: Captain America was moved back to July 22, 2011 from May 6, 2011.

Iron Man 2’s release date remains unchanged: May 7, 2010.

And Marvel confirmed that Spider-Man 4 will release May 6, 2011.

The changes give Marvel the first weekend in May for the next four years (X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens May 1st of this year).

New Death Note Theatrical Event

Viz Pictures has announced that it will partner with NCM Fathom to present the Death Note movie spin-off Death Note: L, change the WorLd in a two night event in multiple cities on April 29th and 30th. The subtitled version will be screened on April 29th, and a dubbed version on April 30th, with L’s voice played by Alessandro Juliani from the anime series.

L, change the WorLd tells the story of the final 23 days of L’s life, and shows what happened before and after the two earlier Death Note events. It stars Kenichi Matsuyama, who also appeared in Death Note.

Wonder Woman comes to Animated Life

It's been a long time coming, but DC Comics' most famous female super-hero finally comes to (small) screens in her own movie today. Some folks might try to dismiss Wonder Woman without a closer look, since it's an animated film, and it's direct-to-DVD, but they'd be fools to do so.

This updated take on the classic warrior-in-a-strange-land tale is an enjoyable mix of butt-kicking and empowered romantic comedy that will satisfy geek guys, gals, and kids alike.
The action starts (and starts big) millenia in the past, where the Amazons are fighting for the fate of all humanity against the armies of Ares, god of war (voiced by Alfred Molina), whose very proximity inspires chaos and conflict. Pegasi and Amazons battle gargoyles, Minotaurs, and every other dark member of classical mythology while Ares watches it all, literally feeding on the death and destruction. But Queen Hippolyta (Oscar nominee Virgina Madsen) isn't afraid to bring the battle, and a bit of tragic vengeance, straight to the gods.

To draw Ares out, and to make him angry and careless, she kills his son on the battlefield. The anti-Oedipal nature of the act is that this is Ares' son from an act of rape he committed on Hippolyta.

No, this isn't your average Saturday-morning super-hero cartoon. Wonder Woman is a PG-13 movie, and doesn't shy from it. Indeed, in interviews producer Bruce Timm has admitted that the first cut of the movie sent to the MPAA received an R rating. Parents may want to screen the movie before showing it to younger kids, but on the scale of other DC animated super-hero movies, Wonder Woman is much more palatable for younger kids than, say, Superman: Doomsday.

Ares is defeated, at least for the time being, but the gods intervene to keep Hippolyta from exacting ultimate justice. Ares' dad Zeus (David McCallum of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and NCIS) can't bear to see his son killed, but at least mom Hera (Marg Helgenberger- China Beach and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) understands things from a woman's point of view. Ares will be imprisoned under the Amazonians' care, and his powers capped via a pair of magic wristbands. And to assuage Hippolyta's outrage at justice denied, Hera gives the Amazon women the hidden isle of Themescera and extended lifespans so they can perfect their manless paradise. And she grants Hippolyta one more gift - the chance to have a daughter without needing one of

those horrible, nasty, and brutish men to plant the seed.]
That's the setup that brings the story into the modern day. Fighter pilot Colonel Steve Trevor (the always hilarious Nathan Fillion - Firefly, Dr. Horrible) gets shot down over the Meditteranean by nasty middle-easterns with black jet planes, and through a chance of fate, crash lands on Themescera, only to be found by the now grown-up Princess Diana (Keri Russell - Felicity, Mission Impossible III). Trevor is something of a charming rogue, intriguing Diana while confirming most of her monther's negative images of the male of the species. Hippolyta is ready to execute him and be done with it when Ares escapes, and the fate of the world once again comes into peril. Now they need to send Trevor back to the world of men to warn them of the danger Ares poses, and one Amazonian must go with him as the ambassador from the hidden isle. If you remember anything of your Wonder Woman origin story, you'll easily guess who gets the job.

That's enough of the plot spoilerage, but suffice to say both action and a healthy dose of romantic comedy ensue. The crowd in the preview screening at Wondercon spent most of the movie straying between laughter and "boo-yah" style cheers.

Bruce Timm has been at Warner's for 20 years now, and continues to crank out the superior super-hero fare. What started with the gritty noir of Batman: The Animated Series continues with a serious, funny, action-filled look at one of the greatest super-heroes ever drawn, and all signs show he's perfectly happy to keep playing with the characters DC has given him (a Green Lantern animated movie is on track to be released this summer).

Director Lauren Montgomery demonstrates a well-balanced eye towards mixing the fun and serious aspects of the material, and Michael Jalenic's screenplay, from a story by him and well-respected comics writer Gail Simone, interjects great geeky moments of humor and action. And an all-star cast of voice actors, deftly handled by iconic voice director Andrea Romano brings it all to life. While Marvel seems to have hit upon the formula for turning its comics properties into successful live-action movies, Warner Animation has the market tied up when it comes to keeping the comics looking like comics while treating its audience like grown-ups.

Warner Bros./$13 Single DVD, $21 Two-disc Special Edition with Digital Copy, $22 Blu-ray DVD.

Green Lantern 'Direct-to-DVD Feature Set

Green Lantern: First Flight, the fifth direct-to-DVD feature in the series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies, is slated for release on July 28th, 2009. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation in conjunction with DC Comics and Warner Premiere, the first ever feature film starring the "illuminated hero" will be available in a Special Edition 2-Disc Version as well as in a Hi-Def Blu-ray Edition.

Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) will voice the role of Hal Jordan, while Victor Garber (Milk, Alias) will do the same for Sinestro with Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Boodikka and Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) as Kilowog.

Animation veteran Bruce Timm is producing and Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Superman Doomsday) is directing with four-time Emmy Award-winner Alan Burnett (The Batman) scripting.

The 2-Disc Special Edition will contain over three hours of extra content including two featurettes, a digital download copy, and two episodes of Justice League selected by Bruce Timm. The Blu-ray Version will contain all those extras plus two additional episodes of the Justice League animated series.

Marvel Studios Updates It's Pipeline

Marvel Studios Updates Its Pipeline: 'Iron Man 2' Starts Shooting in April; Kenneth Branagh To Direct 'Thor'

Below is an updated look at the Marvel Studios' product pipeline. The company also announced today that Kenneth Branagh is set to direct Thor which Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide. It will be released domestically on July 16, 2010. And Iron Man 2 begins principal photography in early April.

Marvel Studios Entertainment Pipeline(According to its 4th quarter earnings report. Scheduled release dates are subject to change)

Self-Produced Feature Film Line-Up: Iron Man 2 (Marvel), scheduled for May 7, 2010 release, starts principal photography in April directed by Jon Favreau, stars Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle ;Thor (Marvel), scheduled for July 16, 2010 release, directed by Kenneth Branagh ;The First Avenger: Captain America (Marvel), Scheduled for May 6, 2011 release ;The Avengers (Marvel), scheduled for July 15, 2011 release

Licensed Feature Film Line-Up: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox), scheduled for May 1, 2009 release

Self-Produced Animated TV Series Line-Up: Super Hero Squad (Marvel Animation) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production with Film Roman, scheduled for Q3 2009 release on Cartoon Network ;The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Marvel Animation) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production with Film Roman; scheduled for Q3 2011 release.

Licensed Animated TV Series Line-Up; Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes (Moonscoop SAS - France), 26 thirty-minute episodes airing internationally and on Marvel.com and Marvelkids.com ; Spectacular Spider-Man (Culver Studios - U.S.) Will air on Disney XD in the U.S. beginning in March and currently airing on various networks internationally ;Wolverine and the X-Men (Marvel Animation / First Serve Toonz - India), 52 thirty-minute episodes. Episodes 1-26 are currently airing on Nicktoons in the U.S. and are on air internationally, Episodes 27-52 are currently in pre-production ; Black Panther (Marvel Animation / BET) 8 thirty-minute episodes in production, scheduled for Q2 2009 release on BET ; Iron Man: Armored Adventures (Marvel Animation / Method Films - France) 26 thirty-minute episodes in production, scheduled for Q2 2009 release in the U.S. on Nicktoons and various networks internationally

Licensed Animated Direct-to-DVD Projects : Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate), released September 2, 2008 ;Hulk Vs. (Lionsgate), released January 13, 2009 ;Thor: Son of Asgard (Lionsgate), scheduled for September 2009 release

Licensed Broadway Stage Project: Spider-Man, the Musical, Julie Taymor director; music & lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge(Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment/David Maisel, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Jeremiah Harris)Slated for a February 2010 opening

Warners Comic Movie Dates

Warner Bros. updated some movie release dates yesterday for their films planned for release in the coming years. Warners announced that its new Sherlock Holmes film, based on a comic and starring Robert Downey Jr. will open Christmas 2009, later than originally scheduled.

2010 releases for Warners include Jonah Hex on August 6, 2010, and Green Lantern, December 17th.

Fury in Nine Marvel Films

Samuel L. Jackson has been signed to play Nick Fury in up to nine Marvel films, according to the Hollywood trades. At one point, negotiations had “broken down,” according to Jackson, but the longer deal apparently made things work for both sides.

The films will include Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, Avengers, and potentially a starring role in a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie.

Brett Ratner to Helm "Youngblood"

Variety is reporting that Brett Ratner, director of the Rush Hour movies and X-Men: The Last Stand, has been tapped to helm the big screen adaptation of Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood comic book series. Reliance Big Entertainment, a Mumbai-based company which signed a $1.2 billion deal with Dreamworks last September, has acquired the rights to Youngblood for a mid-six figures price. The Indian media conglomerate has signed nine deals with the development companies of various Hollywood figures including George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Ratner. Reliance has also nabbed the rights to the French graphic novel Fly Wires for Ratner’s Rat Entertainment.

Youngblood, which was first published on its own in 1992 as the flagship release of the newly-formed Image Comics, is the saga of a team of superheroes working for the U.S. government. Ratner told Variety: "Most of the great graphic novels are gone, and Youngblood is one of the few comic books left with tent-pole potential. It was a real personal passion project for me, and a lot of people wanted Youngblood, but the amazing thing about the guys at Reliance is the speed with which they’re able to move.”

According to Variety the project is being fast-tracked along with Fly Wires, which Ratner is producing with Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) directing.

Spike TV to Debut Afro Samurai: Resurrection

The Spike TV network has announced that it will premiere the Afro Samurai anime sequel, Afro Samurai: Resurrection as a two-hour movie on Sunday, January 25th at 10 pm (ET, PT). Encore airings of Afro Samurai: Resurrection will air as a series of four half-hour episodes starting on Friday, January 30th at 1:30 am (ET, PT).

Afro Samurai: Resurrection features the vocal talents of producer Samuel L. Jackson, who once again provides the voice of the series’ protagonist. Jackson is joined in Resurrection by Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill. Hip hop artist RZA (Wu Tang Clan) has created the soundtrack for the sequel as he did for the original series. For a review of Afro Samurai: Resurrection.

The original Afro Samurai series was a major hit for Funimation on DVD in 2007. Funimation plans to release Afro Samurai: Resurrection on DVD on Feb.3rd, just nine days after it debuts on TV, in Director’s Cut (MSRP $34.98), Spike TV ($29.98) and Blu-ray ($39.98) versions.

'Afro Samurai: Resurrection'
Debuts on Spike on January 25th
Published: 01/03/2009, Last Updated: 01/05/2009 01:04am

The Spike TV network has announced that it will premiere the Afro Samurai anime sequel, Afro Samurai: Resurrection as a two-hour movie on Sunday, January 25th at 10 pm (ET, PT). Encore airings of Afro Samurai: Resurrection will air as a series of four half-hour episodes starting on Friday, January 30th at 1:30 am (ET, PT).

Afro Samurai: Resurrection features the vocal talents of producer Samuel L. Jackson, who once again provides the voice of the series’ protagonist. Jackson is joined in Resurrection by Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill (see “Afro Samurai Sequel—A Movie”). Hip hop artist RZA (Wu Tang Clan) has created the soundtrack for the sequel as he did for the original series. For a review of Afro Samurai: Resurrection, see “Review of Afro Samurai: Resurrection.”

The original Afro Samurai series was a major hit for Funimation on DVD in 2007 (see “Afro Samurai Hits ‘TV on DVD’ Charts”). Funimation plans to release Afro Samurai: Resurrection on DVD on Feb.3rd, just nine days after it debuts on TV, in Director’s Cut (MSRP $34.98), Spike TV ($29.98) and Blu-ray ($39.98) versions.
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Matt Smith is New Doctor Who

The BBC announced on Saturday that BBC TV actor Matt Smith will take over as the new Doctor Who for the fifth series, which will begin airing in 2010. Smith takes over from David Tennant, who is leaving the show after completing a series of interim specials to be aired between the fourth and fifth series (see “The Doctor Is Out”). The first of those specials, a Christmas special, was the #2 show in the UK on Christmas day (see “Wallace and Gromit Biggest”). Smith will be the eleventh actor to star as Doctor Who.

Smith first had a major role in a BBC telemovie, Ruby in the Smoke, in 2006. Since then he’s appeared in BBC series Party Animals, Moses Jones, and others.

Steven Moffat will be the lead writer and Executive Producer of the fifth season; Piers Wenger will be the Exective Producer for BBC Wales on the show.