Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction Films
DC Entertainment chief has interesting choices for film adaptation… Latino PARANORMAL ACTIVITY gets delayed… FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY is on the march, we wish we could show it to you…
From the luxurious Cinefantastique Online studios in NYC, Dan Persons brings you up-to-date on what’s happening in fantastic film & TV.
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USA TODAY reports that in the aftermath of its current Flashpoint multi-comic “event”, DC Comics will be re-vamping it’s entire line yet again.
Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC Comics, is quoted as saying:
“We really want to inject new life in our characters and line. This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today’s audience.”
As can be seen by the artwork, artist and co-publisher Jim Lee has redesigned the Justice League heroes appearances to various degrees, Superman and Wonder Woman most noticeably. Superman’s been given a high collar that does not work well at all with the arrangement of the cape (and the idea that he wear the suit undernear his Clark Kent street clothes), and seems to have lost his trademark red shorts. The ‘S’ Symbol is also somewhat squared off. Wonder Woman’s costume appears to be a combination of her recent and controversial mini-series redesign and the similar costume made for the failed TV pilot.
Interestingly, Green Lantern’s costume seems influenced by the new movie’s ‘peeled flesh’ look. As Geoff Johns, creative head of Warner Brothers’ DC Entertainment is involved in the re-vamping, including writing the Justice League opening story arc, I would not be surprised if the whole venture was undertaken in part with modern and simplified (in terms of looks and continuity) movie and television adaptations in mind.
In a nod to changing times for the comic book publishing business, all of the re-numbered comics will be available digitally as downloadable apps and through a DC website, timed to be accessible the same day they are supposed to arrive in comic book stores.
Jim Lee told the site: “We’re allowing people who have never bought a comic book in their lives to download them on portable media devices and take a look. To give people access to these comics with one button click means we’re going to get a lot of new readers.”
That remains to be seen. Personally, all of these every few years total re-launches and make-overs have left me with less and less desire to keep up with the comics at all, and concentrate only on the film and TV output.
According to Deadline.com, NBC has picked up the fantasy/fairytale-touched police drama GRIMM for the fall season. Created by David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf (ANGEL), it’s from Universal Media Studios.
GRIMM stars David Giuntoli as police detective Nick Burckhardt, who discovers he can see the fantastical nature of otherwise human-appearing beings, and a “legacy” of having to protect people against them.
Also green-lit was producer Kyle Killen’s (LONE STAR) AKAKE (formerly R.E.M.), about police detective for who the dream world and reality intermingle following a car crash. Wilmer Valderrama (THAT 70’s SHOW) and Cherry Jones co-star in the 20th Century Fox Television production.
By all indications, it seems the network has decided to pass on David E. Kelley’s (ALLY McBEAL) and Warner Brother’s Televisions’s re-imaging of DC Comics WONDER WOMAN.
SFX broke this picture shows that Warner Brothers Television has revised Adrianne Palicki’s Wonder Woman costume for their NBC pilot.
I’ve got to say it’s a big improvement. Gone are the blue high-helled boots and the shiny, baby blue 80’s pants. A little more practical, and surprisingly less tacky.
via Topless Robot
The L.A. Times featured an interview with Warner Brothers Pictures honcho Jeff Robinov, who they say told them a new JUSTICE LEAGUE feature film script is being worked on, with a desire to bring it to the screen in 2013.
As the article reminds us, a JUSTICE LEAGUE feature was well into pre-production in 2008, with leads cast and costumes being fitted, when it was felled by a combo of the WGA strike, Austrailian tax credit problems, and some worry about a different version of Batman affecting the success of the Christopher Nolan / Christian Bale series.
Robinov seems determined that the end of that trilogy will not be an ending of the character’s movie career, just of that specific phase.
“We have the third BATMAN, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman…Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is.”
Jeff Rubinov aslso said that FLASH and WONDER WOMAN scripts are being worked on, and he sees no conflict with the WONDER WOMAN TV pilot and potential new series.
“Wonder Woman could be a film as well, the same way that SUPERMAN RETURNS came out while SMALLVILLE was on.”
Via OMG.yahoo comes this first picture of Adrianne Palicki in costume as WONDER WOMAN for the NBC pilot by David E. Kelley (ALLY MCBEAL).
Looks a little more early 80’s Trailer Park Queen than timeless Themysciran Princess to me. Though the outfit shows off Palicki’s substantial charms nicely, it might actually look better in with the dark leather jacket the venerable DC character is sporting in a current comic book arc.
Photo credit: Justin Lubin/NBC/TV Guide
On her Twitter Account, actress/model Elizabeth Hurley (AUSTIN POWERS) revealed she’s joined the cast of NBC’s WONDER WOMAN pilot.
Hurley wrote: “Thrilled to be doing the NBC pilot Wonder Woman. I’ll be playing the evil villain. Can’t wait.”
Already cast is Adrianne Palicki as the lead character in David E. Kelley (ALLY MCBEAL) and Warner Brothers Television’s re-imagining of the venerable comic book character.
Via SuperheroHype
Adrianne Palicki (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) has been signed to star as WONDER WOMAN in the new NBC pilot by David E. Kelley (BOSTON LEGAL).
This is a kind of reboot of the character, with Diana Price reimagined as a corporate executive who is also a crime-fighting vigilante.
Adrianne Palicki has also appeared as the recurring character Jessica Moore on SUPERNATURAL, and played the “fake” Kara on SMALLVILLE back in 2004. She voices Clare on the Cartoon Networks’ stop-motion TITAN MAXIMUM.
The DC Comics-based show is being made by Warner Brothers Television.
Here’s the casting sheet break-down for the (hopefully) recurring characters for David E. Kelly’s WONDER WOMAN pilot for Wanerenr Brothers Television, greenlit by NBC.
WONDER WOMAN Pilot SAG
DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Television/ NBC
Draft: 12/16/10
Exec. Producers: David E. Kelley, Bill D’Elia
Producers: TBD
Director: TBD
Casting Director: David Rapaport
Casting Associate: Lyndsey Baldasare
NY Casting Directors: Beth Bowling & Kim Miscia
NY Casting Assistant: Michael Rios
Start Date: March 15, 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY
NO SCRIPT AVAILABLE
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, race, age, colour, national origin, ethnic origin or any other basis prohibited by law unless otherwise specifically indicated.
[WONDER WOMAN / DIANA THEMYSCIRA / DIANA PRINCE] Female, late 20s to 30s. A kick-ass Superhero / Powerful C.E.O. / A vulnerable woman. Long flowing black hair, blue eyes. Amazon-like, muscular, an Olympian. The charismatic stage presence of a rock star. A crime fighter. Also, a real woman who yearns to live a normal life. She is accessible and appealing to all people, men and women alike…SERIES LEAD. ASP.
[MYNDI MAYER] Female, open ethnicity, 30s. Publicist, Press Secretary and Wonder Woman’s confidant and nurturing best friend. Worldy and edgy. Sexy and persuasive, her appearance is part of her strength. She is beautiful and put together – dressed expensively in the latest fashions, plus she’s got a bit of bite, clever wit and sass. She’s the prodder of Diana’s social life…SERIES REGULAR. ASP.
[ETTA] Female, open ethnicity, 30s. Diana Themyscira’s always cheerful personal assistant. A bit charactery, but real, pretty and effervescent. She is blindly devoted to Diana. She’s her unrelenting cheerleader, with unwavering, unabated support. On the vulnerable side, she sees the humble and sympathetic sides in everyone, including Diana…SERIES REGULAR. ASP.
[CEO HENRY DEMETER] Male, open ethnicity, 40s. Acting CEO of Themyscira Industries. Grounded, intelligent and deeply devoted to Diana. He runs the day to day operations of the company and acts like an Uncle to Diana although he could be a possible love interest down the line…SERIES REGULAR. ASP.
[STEVE TREVOR] Male, open ethnicity, 30s. A leading man Diana can’t look past. Good looking but a real man. An Army vet, he now works in the Justice dept…SERIES REGULAR, ASP.
[ED INDELICATO] Male, late 30s to early 40s. Stoic and tough, he is a liaison to the police department. Devoted and loyal to Diana, he’s blue collar, a no nonsense kind of guy. A chiseled man who subscribes to the old fashion rules of relationships – men don’t talk much. His job comes first and he wouldn’t make room for the possibility that there is potential romantic relationship with Diana…SERIES REGULAR, 10/13.
Ahh… Sounds very much like a LOT of time will be spent in the office, not an encouraging sign for comic book/action fans. It’s top-heavy with regulars, in my view.
And why would a business have a “police liasion”? Does Themyscira Industries do security work or defense contracting? Odd.
This week’s Cinefantastique Round Table offers a black hole full of news, as Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski discuss the wisdom of casting Henry Cavill as the new Superman in Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot and the retooling of WONDER WOMAN for a proposed television series as a modern woman balancing career and work. Also on the agenda: a capsule review of KA-BOOM, writer-director Gregg Araki’s new science fiction film, and a trio of opinions on the Academy Awards nominations – has horror, fantasy, and science fiction been well represented this year by INCEPTION and BLACK SWAN, or have worthy films once again been overlooked because of their genre connection? Listen in and find out.
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