GREEN LANTERN

Actor Peter Sarsgaard is in talks to play Dr. Hector Hammond, one of the villains in director Martin Campbell’s forthcoming Green Lantern movie. The DC Comics adaptation also stars Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and is due to hit cinemas in June 2011. But where’s Sinestro?

THE MIGHTY THOR

Kenneth Brannagh’s adaptation of the Asgardian Thunder God’s comic adventures is now in full swing. The Mighty Thor movie has now started production, with names like Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo and Natalie Portman appearing alongside Chris Hemsworth, who is playing Thor himself. Stuart Townsend has been replaced in the role of Fandral by Joshua Dallas.

SPIDER-MAN 4/SPIDER-MAN REBOOT

More details are emerging surrounding the proposed reboot of the Spider-Man franchise following on from the recent news of Sam Raimi and Co leaving Spider-Man 4. The new film is said to be following on in the footsteps of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics series, in which we will see a young Peter Parker become Spider-man (again…*sigh*) while dealing with modern issues. Rumours are also emerging regarding the integration of this new Spider-Man franchise into the Marvel Movies universe, which of course would then lead into the Avengers movie.

WOLVERINE 2

The second Wolverine solo film, set to take place in Japan, is slated to go into production next year with an eye on a mid 2012 release date. Hugh Jackman is returning for his fifth film in the role. Hopefully this next film, following on from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, will also feature a plot, a script, and some finished effects…

Breaking news? Possibly! The saga of the troubled next Spider-Man movie has taken a sharp turn- the fourth film has been cancelled altogether and the studio is intending to reboot the franchise! This should all be confirmed shortly.

The trouble with the film was being well documented online, with news of trouble between Sam Raimi, the writers and the studio over the direction that the new Spider-man movies should take and the villains that should appear.

While in the last day there had been the ‘confirmation’ that John Malkovich was to play the Vulture in the new movie, now it seems that new movie is off altogether and a new series will begin, possibly from the start once again.

Of course, many of you will remember the furore around Spider-Man 3, and now it seems that the studio are going to go with a new cast, crew and direction. We’ll bring you more news on this as we find it!

The best Spider-Man Graphic Novels

Come on, everyone loves Lego, and there are some brilliant ideas for Lego based gifts as we get nearer to Christmas. Kids and geeks alike love movie and TV related Lego toys and model sets, as proven by the huge popularity of many of these ranges, along with the various spin-off items like the famous Lego video games based on Star Wars and Batman.

So what’s available for the movie and TV fan who wants to get something different in the way of gifts this year? The range has some old favourites along with a few surprises too. As well as the regular Lego and Duplo sets, plus the Bionicle toys and other stuff like the Lego racers and so on, the company has famously produced some of the most ingenious tie-in toys around.

The biggest example of licensed Lego toys by far is their huge range of Star Wars Lego toys and play sets. Covering all of the movies and the TV versions of George Lucas’ legendary science fiction epic, there is sure to be a Star wars Lego set the Jedi and Sith fans in your life will love. There are individual ship sets, dioramas of famous scenes, and all manner of Lego shaped Star wars fun to be had.

Other biggies in the field of movie and TV Lego toys include Batman Lego toys, Spongebob Squarepants Lego, play sets and kits of Indiana Jones Lego and even Harry Potter Lego toys and play sets. It’s a great idea for children with an interest in the heroes of the big and small screen, as well as something that bit different for older fans. Made up, the kits make great show-pieces for memorabilia collections, and for younger fans they are great to build and rebuild. So when thinking of unique gifts at Christmas, think; Lights, Camera, Lego!

Something has really rather annoyed me. I’m an avid listener of a podcast called Slice of Sci-Fi, which is usually awesome. The most recent episode features a tirade against Russell T Davies following comments he made about Torchwood: Children of Earth being made for UK audiences, and the format was changed in order to keep the show fresh. Davies made a comment about the various US shows running for years on end with no changes, which the presenters (all American) then went on to rant about.

Right then. I have to side with Russell T Davies on this. Y’know, the man with decades of TV experience under his belt and the man who brought Doctor Who back and made it massive again, as well as creating Torchwood and indeed the new series, Torchwood: Children of Earth. I think he knows what he’s talking about, guys. American shows DO drag on. They DO draw things out endlessly, and a 13 episode series (Doctor Who or the first 2 seasons of Torchwood), or a five part miniseries event are much more interesting than a huge drawn-out series due to the simple fact that they are not padded to anywhere near the same extent.

Take Heroes, LOST, Battlestar Galactica, for example. These things run way too long, which is why there are weak episodes, filler material and such a reliance on making things as complicated as possible to meet the running time. Without the padding, you’re left with a story that doesn’t get lost in its own twists.

As for the show being made for a British audience, what’s wrong with him saying that? Your shows are clearly aimed squarely at a US audience, despite the inclusion of characters from other countries,. They still tend to be very US-centric. Torchwood, aside from John Barrowman, has a British cast, takes place in Britain and involves very British themes, situations and characters.

What’s wrong with saying it is made for a British audience? We have a ton of shows on import that we enjoy, but we feel very little connection to. What’s so bad about us having a science fiction show for ourselves? Torchwood appeals to people all over the globe, but it *is* made for a UK audience. On a brighter note, Torchwood: Children of Earth is a fantastic example of what can be done with science fiction TV.

I still love your podcast though guys
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So then, Futurama is coming back for 26 brand spanking new episodes, which are to play as two seasons of 13. This is quite frankly awesome. If there was a show that had potential to continue, then it was Futurama.

Granted, the ratings were down when the show was originally taken off the air, but isn’t that how things usually go for franchises that start off huge? There tends to be a lull before the series picks up a regular, larger audience, just as the Futurama series was doing..

This was proved when the Futurama DVD movies started coming out. They may not have been quite as good as getting a new series, but they did meet the needs of a rapidly growing fanbase that was just getting into Futurama, and also showed the network that there was certainly call for more.

The original voice cast are said to be returning, along with many of the original writers. Futurama is back- Bite my shiny metal ass!

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A live action movie adaptation of Blood – The Last Vampire is on the way this summer, and there are a lot of people out there interested in checking it out. For those of you that haven’t heard of the name, Blood The Last Vampire was a 48 minute animated movie from 2000, originally intended to be little more than a testing ground for a number of new animation techniques involving the blending of traditional cel animation with CG elements. Upon its release it was something of a hit amongst anime fans and since then it has become a cult classic in its own right. In its first week of release, Blood The Last Vampire sold 100,000 copies in the US alone.

Trailer for the original animated movie:

That animated feature spawned a manga book sequel and also a fifty episode anime series that dealt with an alternate timeline, but was still well received by fans of the original film. Now, we have a full on movie adaptation of the classic anime to look forward to. Featuring Gianna Jun as lead character Saya, the film follows an expanded version of the original’s premise. The idea of a character who appears to be little more than a teenager actually being a vampire secret agent with incredible abilities and a hell of a skill with a sword is something that hit a nerve with anime fans, and the movie is looking absolutely spectacular. Check out the full trailer below:

Trailer for the live action movie:

From the new poster and the official trailers for this anime movie adaptation, it seems to me that Blood – The Last Vampire is about to get a heck of a lot more fans all over the world once the movie hits. While it may stray from the anime’s original plot in order to provide a more coherent story for moviegoers, this asian-produced action flick may well be the best anime adaptation ever. The effects look fantastic, the cinematography looks very promising, and the action looks top notch, but will it hit a similar nerve with fans? I think so, and I do believe this will be one of the surprise cult hits of 2009.

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Hey all, time for a roundup of some of today’s big stories from the world of geekery. While I’m excited at all four of these stories, I must say that it does kinda say something about the state of the entertainment industry that most of the big stories of late all relate to old or reimagined franchises and ideas. Still, with such talented people behind them, we should at least be in for some quality entertainment.

GHOSTBUSTERS 3
More confirmation from Harold Ramis surrounding GB3. He has stated that the film will indeed feature all of the original Ghostbusters stars (Including Bill Murray) as they train up the next generation of Ghostbusters to take over from them in the spook-snatching trade. What pleases me greatly is the fact that the script, which is being written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, is being overseen by Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and original Ghostbusters director, Ivan Reitman.

MONTY PYTHON REUNITE FOR DOCUMENTARY
The remaining Monty Python members are to reunite for a new documentary series that chronicles the whole of the Monty Python story. The legendary akternative comedy pioneers will be back onscreen together in Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyer’s Cut), a new six- part documentary series that Terry Jones describes as “Something so complete and faithful to the truth that I don’t need to watch it.” High praise indeed.

STAR TREK XII SCRIPT ON THE STARTING BLOCK
The next Star Trek film is already being prepped and plotted, according to JJ Abrams. The first movie in the new era of Trek isn’t even out yet, and execs are eager to get the first sequel underway as soon as possible. The new franchise, essentially an alternate universe retelling of the Star Trek franchise (depending on who you talk to- but it does seem to ring true). Abrams will be writing the script alongside the scribes of the first film, and also producing, but not directing.

THE WORLD’S END FOR PEGG AND WRIGHT
Every British wannabe filmmaker’s heroes, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz/Spaced) are gearing up to get stuck into the script for THE WORLD’S END, their next project together. Pegg will be seen on screen as Scotty in the new Star Trek movie soon, and Edgar Wright has (as of today) started production on the Scott Pilgrim movie. Good to know these heroes of film geek underdogs everywhere are doing so well

The new aliens to feature in the forthcoming Doctor Who special Planet of the Dead have been revealed. The Tritovore! The creatures are humanoid in shape with a huge fly head and insectoid claws. And, erm, overalls. While the BBC have stated that these new villains will be on a par with the Daleks and the Cybermen, I must disagree already.

The photos appear to have been taken down from several places, so I’m not posting them here as I respect the BBC. Plus, they’re not really in context. I’m interested to know if these will be added to the range of Doctor Who action figures as I’d like to see if they stand up!

No, I haven’t seen them in action yet, but to be fair, the things are basically blokes in overalls with a rubber mask on. While that was adequate in the classic series, things have moved on a bit now! I’m decidedly underwhelmed, but then again, I was underwhelmed when Michelle Ryan was announced as the companion for the episode, one of the final few to feature David Tennant as the much-loved tenth Doctor.

Speaking of which, that rumour about Billie, Freema and Catherine coming back alongside David for his Doctor Who finale seems a bit much- I mean, that’s just Journey’s End again isn’t it? Although, I like the bit about his final enemy being a resurrected Master, once again played by John Simm…

Once the Twilight franchise either loses steam or runs out of books to adapt, what will be there to fill its shoes? There’s a million and one urban fantasy series out there, both in the YA and adult areas of the bookshops, so which ones would make good candidates to take on the mantle of the Next Big Thing? The shelves have been bulging with paranormal titles these past few years, with many bookstore chains even adding an Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance section to their shops.

Specialist shops have seen an influx of new readers come through their doors for another fix of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches and so on, as long as they can find material full of one-liners, romance and characters to fall for.

The choice is staggering, but there are some outstanding urban fantasy series that would make excellent film franchises, series that have been fascinating and enthralling readers for years now. All of these feature the prerequisite paranormal elements as well as strong storylines and powerfully written characters. While they aren’t the pinnacle of literature, they are a damn sight more fun than your average slab of supposed genius.

Kelley Armstrong’s books would be fantastic as films, with novels such as The Summoning, Bitten, Industrial Magic and Dime Store magic all strong contenders for a great film adaptation. She is one of the leading lights in the Urban Fantasy genre, one of its most prolific writers and one of the best selling examples of the genre under Stephanie Meyer herself.

Rachel Vincent’s Werecats novels would be great as films if done right. ‘Stray’ and ‘Rogue’ are both strong sellers and would be engaging films with likeable characters and a very different paranormal edge to that of the regular vampire and ghoul variety. Laurel K Hamilton’s name always comes up with Urban Fantasy, but the Anita Blake books, while they do bear all the hallmarks of Urban Fantasy, might be a little too graphic to recreate on screen without them being edited away to nothing.

Jim Butcher’s ‘Dresden Files’ have made their way to TV with strong results, and with shows such as Buffy, Angel and Charmed all done with, their is a great deal of scope for the genre to expand further on TV. Kim Harrison’s books, such as Dead Witch Walking or For A Few Demons More, would make great films or TV miniseries, with their strong female protagonist kicking all kinds of supernatural backside. It is a genre both sexes can enjoy pretty equally for many reasons, be it romance, action, intrigue or the fantasy elements.

But the Urban Fantasy tag doesn’t just refer to romantic books with vampires or werewolves in them. The term means exactly that- fantasy in an urban setting. Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Stephen King and James Herbert can also be counted as writing Urban fantasy in that case, as can many, many science fiction authors too. How about Un Lun Dun, the incredible novel by China Mieville, set in an alternate London? Genius. It would make one hell of a movie. The same goes for the Weather Warden books, Darkling, Witchling and lots of other titles currently available.

The term may have been linked to a ton of properties that echo Buffy the vampire Slayer, but there’s much more to it than just that. Urban Fantasy is a genre that sets extraordinary events in ordinary settings, and thus provides readers and viewers with a much deeper sense of enjoyment, as they can relate to surroundings and events in greater detail. It is a genre that is ripe for adaptation, in all its guises.

Sitting in a cinema packed with long-time Watchmen fans and new converts was a strange thing. The sense of palpable anticipation was noticeable. After two decades, all the hype about the book and now all the hype about the film itself, would it live up to all the praise? Lights dimmed, half an hour of trailers passed without many people noticing, and then the screen went yellow. As the brilliant opening title sequence played, it became something rather surreal. Seeing the WATCHMEN logo rise up during that sequence cemented it. At long last, here we all were, watching the Watchmen movie.

Few films have been scrutinized and talked about so much. The benchmark by which pretty much all graphic novels are measured was finally on the big screen in live action, and I must admit that I was hoping Zack Snyder would have pulled off at least a half decent adaptation. I never suspected he would surpass all of my expectations by such a wide margin. Ladies and gentlemen, Watchmen isn’t just a good film, it is a great film. An incredible film. The most incredible comic book film of all time. Easily. Over Superman 2. Over The Dark Knight. Over X-Men, Spider-man and Iron Man. Everything honestly pales in comparison to this twisted, complicated, multi-layered masterpiece.

In almost every sense the Watchmen movie is a literal interpretation of the graphic novel, with a few things missing, a few things changed, but those changes are justified and make narrative sense. The extended cut with put some of these elements back, but this theatrical cut is as perfect as I could have possibly hoped it would be. It captures the characters, the story, the feel of the graphic novel to an extent that I found rather incredible. The script is sublime, poetic, and in scenes such as those involving Dr Manhattan’s origins, so poignant that it becomes something more than a film. Am I going too far here? No. Watch it and understand. This is a work of art.

The film is extremely violent, brutal, harrowing, just as expected, but it is within its context. It has its place. This is not a throwaway comic book film, or a bloated piece of pseudo-intellectual melodrama like The Dark Knight (IMHO). This is a pretty damn close interpretation of the book geeks like me have been hyping up to people for so many years.

Visually, the Watchmen movie is one hell of an achievement. While a couple of effects sequences aren’t 100 percent perfect, these are very small instances. The cinematography is beautiful- very much in keeping with the style of the graphic novel, and also very in keeping with the visual style that Zack Snyder is known for, but melded together it becomes something else entirely. I bet Dave Gibbons (Watchmen’s original artist) must have a grin the size of Dr Manhattan’s, erm, you get the idea.

Is it perfect? No. The thing is, no watchmen movie could be completely perfect, but this is about as close as we will see to the graphic novel in its purest form. As a feature film it works beautifully. I barely noticed the huge running time. Packed with so much story, the whole audience seemed to be hooked from start to finish. The cast are incredible – Big shoutout to Jackie Earle Hayley and Billy Crudup, hell, everyone involved. Watchmen is the best comic book movie I have seen in my entire life, and believe me, I don’t say that lightly. This is an event film, and the impact it brings with it will be felt for a long time to come. Utterly, utterly wonderful.

Andrew Hawnt