Warner Bros. Names Director for 'Robotech'

Warner Bros. has tapped Nick Mathieu to helm the big budget, big screen adaptation of the venerable Robotech anime/cartoon franchise.  Put together by the late Carl Macek from three different anime series, Robotech was instrumental in stimulating American interest in anime, and in particular in developing a taste here for mecha-heavy science fiction sagas that feature piloted transforming robots and planes.

Warner Bros. has been developing a big screen, live-action adaptation of Robotech since 2007.  A number of writers have had a hand in trying to fashion a Robotech screenplay including Lawrence Kasdan.

As The Hollywood Reporter points out, "many writers have had a crack at Robotech, but this is the first time Warner Bros. has named a director."  Mathieu has yet to helm a feature film, but he has done lots of commercial work involving special effects and is currently attached to a couple of science fiction projects.  Noted screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is among the movie’s producers, so it is possible that he has licked the project’s script problems.

The news of progress in the big screen adaptation of Robotech is certainly good news for Palladium Games, which just announced the fall 2013 release of the box set game, Robotech RPG Tactics: The Defense of Macross Island, which will come with dozens of Robotech mecha miniatures.

Anna Paquin, Ellen Page and Shawn Ashmore Return to the X-Fold

Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, and Shawn Ashmore who starred as Rogue, Kitty Pride, and Iceman in Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006 will reprise their roles in the new X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is expected to begin shooting later this month. It now appears that Bryan Singer, who directed the first two successful X-Men films, is returning for Days of Future Past, which is slated to debut on July 18th, 2014.

According to Deadline, Paquin, Page, and Ashmore will join an X-Men: Days of Future Past cast that also includes a number of veterans from Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class such as James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult.

 In addition Hugh Jackman, who had a cameo as Wolverine in First Class, will have a much larger role this time around, and first X-Men trilogy principals Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will also reprise their roles as an older Professor Xavier and Magneto in Days of Future Past..

'Doctor Strange' Movie Confirmed  Marvel Studio’s Kevin Feige has confirmed that a Doctor Strange movie will be part of Marvel’s Phase 3.  Phase 2 will include Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, in 2013, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, and culminates in The Avengers 2 in 2015.   The only film in Phase 3 that has an announced debut date is Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which is slated for November 5th, 2015    But in talking with MTV Splash Page Feige, when asked about other films in Phase 3, stated "Doctor Strange, which I have been talking about for years, is definitely one of them."  Feige claims that Doctor Strange meets the criteria that Marvel Studios has for its maturing line of films,  "He’s a great original character, and he checks the box off this criteria I have: he’s totally different from anything else we have, just like Guardians of the Galaxy.  He’s totally different from anything we’ve done before, as is Ant-Man

A Writer for 'Star Wars Episode 7'

A screenwriter has already produced a 40- to 50-page treatment for Star Wars Episode 7, the first of the new trilogy that was announced in connection with the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, according to Vulture.  

Michael Arndt, who won an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine and was nominated for Toy Story 3, has 
completed his treatment and is the leading candidate to pen the full script, according to the report.

The treatment is going to be pitched to top directors including Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams.

The studio hopes to get the three central stars from the first film to play the characters much older: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill.   

The Vulture story is based on information from "informed sources," with no direct comment from any of the people involved, so should probably be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed, although Vulture is usually reliable.

Elizabeth Henstridge Joins ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Cast

Elizabeth Henstridge, who acted in J.J. Abrams and Mark Schwahn’s Shelter pilot, will play the science-savvy Agent Gemma Simmons in the pilot for Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series. 

She will join the previous announced Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) and Ming-Na as well as Iain De Caestecker, who will play the technology whiz Agent Leo Fitz, who will often be at loggerheads with Henstridge’s Agent Simmons. De Caestecker has played the lead in two very well received BBC series, The Fades and Young James Herriot.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news of the addition of Henstridge and De Caestecker to the pilot, Joss Whedon is slated to write the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot along with his brother Jed and Maurissa Tancharoen, and he “will direct the pilot if his schedule permits.”

New 'G.I. Joe' Trailer with Channing Tatum

A new trailer for the delayed G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been released, and it displays a more prominent role for Channing Tatum.   Tatum’s early demise in the original version of the film was the reason for the reshoots; he’d become a star since the first film and it was determined that audiences wanted to see more of him.   It looks like the revamped film, which is now set to release March 29th, accomplishes that goal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=46SycbqzGyA

Jamie Foxx in 'Spider-Man 2' As Electro

Jamie Foxx is in negotiations to play Electro in Amazing Spider-Man 2, according to Variety.  Foxx tweeted an indication that the negotiations are far along Thursday when he said, "Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night. Costume fits well."

The storyline appears to revolve around the death of Gwen Stacy.  

Marc Webb is directing and Andrew Garfield will play Peter Parker; 
Shailene Woodley will play Mary Jane Watson. The film will 
premiere May 2nd, 2014.