Comic-Con '07: That's a Wrap!

This year's Comic-Con is history and let me tell you, if all the geeks who dressed up looked like this Spartan 300 dude, then the joint would have been even more crowded. (No offense to geeks, of course ... the whole pot/kettle/black thing.)

To wrap things up, some odds and ends from around the web:
- For a lot of blood, a little skin and a few choice four-letter words, check out the R-rated trailers for 30 Days of Night, Beowulf and Shoot 'Em Up. That last one looks like a hoot and a half, with a badass Clive Owen, a homicidally wacky Paul Giamatti, a baby and a carrot.

- On the G-rated front, WALL·E was not the only Pixar-related news: a collection of their award-winning shorts will hit DVDthis November 6 (which will reportedly also see the release of Ratatouille). In addition to such favorites as Geri's Game, For the Birds and Boundin', a documentary on the creation of the animation powerhouse, The Pixar Story, will also be included on the disc, which will be released both in standard and Blu-Ray formats.

I expect there will also be some kind of sneak preview of WALL·E as well; in the meantime, take a look-see at the collectable WALL·E postcards that were handed out at the Con.

- As for the superhero franchises (this was Comic-Con, after all): Check out the super-cool Hellboy 2 poster; Sam Raimi talks Spider-Man 4 (you knew that was coming); Seth Green talks Green Hornet (not a comedy); and get this - Edward Norton wrote the script for The Incredible Hulk.

Hope you caught that Iron Man footage on YouTube earlier this week, 'cause it ain't there no more. In addition, Jon Favreau discusses the possibility of a whole mess of heroes hitting the big screen in a Marvel Universe movie ... and that sound you heard was millions of fanboys' heads exploding in anticipation.

And sure, Tony Stark may have an awesome ride, but he uses the john just like the rest of us.

- My sources say that J.J. Abrams' mystery project (a.ka. 01.18.08 and/or Cloverfield) will be titled ... Monstrous. Or it could be Furious or Overnight depending on who you talk to ...

- Bond 22 does not have a title yet either, but it may have a new Bond girl.

- And finally, in all things Indiana Jones: Frank Darabont talks about his script (that wasn't used); co-star John Hurt doesn't say much about his secret role; and take a look at the Con exclusive poster ... and a plot synopsis. Turns out Marion is not the only aspect of the Raiders of the Lost Ark to return for the fourth film after all.

Links via Cinematical.com, ComingSoon.net, ObsessedWithFilm.com, UpcomingPixar.blogspot.com, Amazon.com, Variety.com, KungFuRodeo.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com and IGN.com.

Comic-Con '07: Bumps in the Night

Don't be scared, it's only a bunch of horror movies ...

- Trick 'r Treat (pictured) looks like good scary fun ... so why isn't it opening this Halloween?

- Apparently, all former metal heads take the natural career progression from rock music to slasher flicks. Following in the footsteps of Rob Zombie, Twisted Sister Dee Snider directs his own splatterfest, Hatchet.

- For more gore for your buck, check out the R-rated trailer for Resident Evil: Extinction, via the good folks at Cinematical.

- Don't miss Clive Barker's explanation how he came up with the title for Midnight Meat Train, courtesy of The Movie Blog.

- First The Shawshank Redemption, then The Green Mile, then The Mist, due out later this year; Frank Darabont sure has a thing for Stephen King. Darabont will next tackle The Long Walk, an adaptation of one of King's Richard Bachman books.

- Underworld 3, any one?

- Question: what would happen if a horde of vampires descended on a town without sunlight for a whole month? 30 Days of Night is the answer.

- In more vamp news, Fox 2000 pays a pretty penny for the rights to The Passage, a trilogy of terror set in an apocalyptic future.

- Looks like Jessica Alba inherited Sigourney Weaver's Ghostbuster kitchen appliances in The Eye.

- And whoever designed the international poster art for Saw IV sure knows how to get ... ahead.

Links via MovieWeb.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, MoviesBlogMTV.com, Cinematical.com, TheMovieBlog.com, Bloody-Disgusting.com and Variety.com.

Comic-Con '07: Fantastic Films

Even more news from the 'Con of Wrath' (and elsewhere), this time focusing on the science fiction and fantasy genres:

- Michelle Pfeiffer, who looks absolutely fetching in her goat-drawn chariot (pictured), stars in Stardust as a witch who will go to any extreme to retain her eternal youth (not unlike some people I know). Robert De Niro co-stars as a pirate who may-or-may-not be gay.

- If you, like me, were a little nonplussed by the original trailer for The Golden Compass, then do yourself a favor: watch this. This extended footage (first seen at the Con) ditches the trailer's stretching to connect it to The Lord of the Rings (way to set yourself up for failure, New Line) and instead focuses on what appears to be the film's strongest asset, the story. Whatever doubts I had are gone; this looks like a must-see. Plus, with a fierce Nicole Kidman and a scruffy Daniel Craig, how could you go wrong?

- Fans of Korean giant dragon movies, take note: Dragon Wars is coming.

- A fantasy movie based on a series of popular children's books that "center on a group of young children as they’re introduced to a magical world"? ... I don't know, David Strathairn, The Spiderwick Chronicles sure sounds like Harry Potter to me.

- For the upcoming remake of Death Race 2000, tough guys Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson take on the roles originally played by David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone in Roger Corman's original. And who is their ultimate nemesis? Joan Allen. Seriously.

- Hey, fanboy, wanna be in Fanboys?

- If you were as impressed with The Descent as I was, then director Neil Marshall's next film Doomsday should spike your radar ... even if it does sound like 28 Weeks Later.

- "Booed at Cannes". There is just no way Richard Kelly's Southland Tales can ever get away from that fact. But it sure as hell sounds interesting.

Links via StyleScenes.LATime.com, AfterElton.com, AfterEllen.com, YouTube.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com and Cinematical.com.

Comic-Con '07: Toon Up

The latest crop of animation ranges from the "wow" to the "whatever":

- The new teaser for Blue Sky's Horton Hears a Who starts out impressive ... until the elephant opens his mouth and out comes Jim Carrey. And it just goes further downhill once you hear the Who, and it's Steve Carell. I swear, what happened to the good old days when the most famous person in an animated film was Thurl Ravenscroft? And aren't Dr. Seuss characters supposed to speak in rhyme?

- I'm still not sold on this whole mo-cap thing. Tell me, what is the point of making animation so photo-realistic, as in the Beowulf trailer, instead of just doing it in live action?

- In the paw steps of Garfield and Underdog comes Alvin and the Chipmunks ... and they don't look much better.

- The Weinsteins are trying to get their feet wet in animation with Igor, a computer animated comedy that sounds like warmed-over Shrek leftovers. And, yes, it will have a star-studded cast (sigh), including the recently added Eddie Izzard, replacing Jeremy Piven as a mad scientist.

- And the film that will likely be more entertaining then these other four combined, Pixar's WALL·E, was presented at Comic-Con by its director, Andrew Stanton (who won the Oscar for Finding Nemo). Hopes are high for this one, and from what has been said about it, it looks to be another winner. Plus, the title character doesn't speak like a famous person.

Links via Video.aol.com, Members.aol.com, Apple.com, Movies.aol.com, Cinematical.com and YouTube.com.

Comic-Con '07: Continuing Adventures

Further news from this weekend's Comic-Con and elsewhere, focusing on sequels and other continuing series.

- The big news this past week was the confirmation that Zachary Quinto (Heroes' nasty Sylar) has been cast as the younger Spock in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot. More surprising is that Leonard Nimoy has been coaxed out of retirement to don once more his famous Vulcan ears for the new film (likely in some form of framing device). The film's first poster art (above), charmingly retro, was also revealed.

- We, like Cinamatical and The Guardian, like our Bond "more gritty, less quippy". Eon Productions, please take note. In related news, Daniel Craig is now the highest paid actor in England. And he still won't return my calls.

- Rachel Weisz (who nabbed her Oscar and ran) is out; Maria Bello is in as Brendan Fraser's ladylove for the third Mummy movie, rather clumsily titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Here's some more casting news for the flick, courtesy Obsessed With Film.

- Per our sources, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian looks like "more of the same". And from this peek at the concept art, we would have to agree. This second chapter, which is currently filming in Prague, will be released next May, with subsequent chapters to follow suit.

- Cars 2, any one? Can't say that I blame them; the merchandise is doing alarmingly well.

- More from the Mouse House: To wet your appetite (or possibly quench it) for another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Disney may turn to TV for the next adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow.

- From the "Nope, Nothing to See Here" file: Borat 2. As one of the few people who loathed the first movie, I say "thank goodness".

- From the "Don't Count on it Anytime Soon" file, Robert Rodriguez sub-file: Sin City 2 and Grindhouse 2. Hey Robert, maybe the following quote has something to do with the delays "due to issues apparently involving the Weinsteins": "we [would] kill Harvey Weinstein in the movie". Ya think?

- And from the "Who Asked for That?" file: Meatballs 5. I had no idea there was more then two ...

Links via HollywoodReporter.com, Cinematical.com, Guardian.co.uk, UltimateJamesBond.wordpress.com, StarPulse.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, NarniaWeb.com, ComingSoon.net, JVPixarNews.blogspot.com, Hollywood.com, SuperHeroHype.com and FilmWad.com.

Poster Post: 01.18.08/Cloverfield

Chances are you have already seen the voyeuristically scary teaser trailer for producer J.J. Abrams' next film project. Still untitled (what, is this a trend?), the vague advance marketing for the film, codenamed either 01.18.08 or Cloverfield (depending on which day of the week it is), will either pay off big time come January or fizzle out, Snakes on a Plane-style, from too much fanboy over-expectations.

In any event, the teasing continues with this poster image, released this weekend at Comic-Con, showing the other end of the carnage seen in the trailer. My opinion on the beastie that beheaded Lady Liberty? I say it's ol' Smokey ...

Links via YouTube.com, Imdb.com and Wikipedia.org.

Comic-Con '07: Four Color Fun

The 38th Annual San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing this weekend, and the makers of all the remotely genre-related movies lined up for the next year or so are making announcements faster then the Millennium Falcon in warp speed ... or something like that. This first batch of items will cover various comic book and superhero franchises, so get your geek on.

- The Dark Knight just keeps us wanting more. If you're itching for more of Heath Ledger's Joker then just the picture above, you can also hear him in the newly released teaser trailer (tease is right; there are no actual scenes in this trailer, just dialogue). And yes, that is Maggie Gyllenhaal above, taking over for Katie Holmes as Batman's damsel Rachel Dawes. To read how Gyllenhaal feels about her predecessor, visit Cinematical.

- The eagerly awaited film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary graphic novel Watchmen just got closer to reality. Major casting has been announced, and a few of our favorites will soon be donning the ol' cape and cowl for 300 director Zach Snyder's next epic. As previously rumored, Billy Crudup will be the big blue Dr. Manhattan (although reportedly via Davy Jones-like motion capture CGI). Patrick Wilson is Night Owl, the Superfriendly Batman-type, and his Little Children co-star Jackie Earle Haley is Rorschach, the "dark and broody" Batman-type. Grey's Anatomy's Denny Duquette, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, will play "The Comedian", although something tells me he won't be funny. Rounding out the cast are Matthew Goode as the "glamorous Ozymandias" and Malin Akerman as the token female do-gooder, Silk Spectre. If this all sounds a bit confusing, head over to Obsessed With Film for the official plot synopsis as well as a look at the Con-exclusive poster. You'll have plenty of time to soak up the back-story: the announced opening date: March 6, 2009.

- Other DC Comics-to-films possibly in the works are the Justice League of America, the Teen Titans, Captain Marvel (Shazam!) and Jonah Hex.

- A slimmed-down Jon Favreau introduced some Iron Man clips at the Con that haven't made their way online yet. Samuel L. Jackson (as Nicky Fury) and Hilary Swank (as Black Widow possibly) will reportedly appear in cameo roles in this film, setting them up for possible spin-offs.

UPDATE: Watch it while you can: the Iron Man footage seen at the Con, courtesy of Obsessed With Film. If the actual footage is officially released, I'll post it ASAP; this is a phone cam job via YouTube.

- The Incredible Hulk, the sequel-that-is-not-really-a-sequel, is currently filming, with Edward Norton filling the purple pants of Eric Bana (yeah, I don't see it either). Tim Blake Nelson has been cast as the villainous Leader, a green-skinned baddie with a GIANT BRAIN (yeah, I don't see it either).

- Elsewhere around the Marvel Universe, the Silver Surfer and the Black Panther may have directors, while the Punisher has a new actor.

- Seth Rogan wants Kung Fu Hustle star Stephen Chow to be Kato to his Green Hornet.

- Meet Doug Jones, the unseen star of Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the upcoming Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

- Who knew Rosario Dawson and Guy Ritchie had their own comic books? Which will be made into movies, of course.

- The team behind Disturbia will next take on Vertigo Comics' Y: The Last Man for New Line.

- And finally, Todd McFarlane wants a do-over for his Spawn.

Links via Comic-Con.org, YouTube.com, Cinematical.com, Variety.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, TheMovieBlog.com, BlackFilm.com, LATimes.com, Premiere.com, Imdb.com and HollywoodReporter.com.

Indiana Jones and the Return of Marion

One of the things I loved so much about Raiders of the Lost Ark was that the heroine wasn't your typical damsel-in-distress. She was feisty and headstrong, a perfect romantic foil for our hero.

I think that is why I was never too crazy about the two other Indiana Jones movies. Temple of Doom's Kate Capshaw was everything Raiders' leading lady was not - whiny, grating, blonde. And I don't even remember the actress in The Last Crusade. (OK, I looked it up, Alison Doody. Yawn.) Neither character had half the spunk and personality, let alone the chemistry with Harrison Ford, as Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood.

So imagine my excitement in learning that Karen Allen will, after 27 years, return as Marion in next year's (still untitled) Indy 4. And this isn't a rumor; Steven Spielberg announced it himself at the San Diego Comic-Con yesterday.

Naturally, any further details are scarce, such as the size of the role (hopefully not a mere cameo) or her relationship to the character played by Shia LaBeouf, who may be the long lost son of Dr. Jones. One thing is certain though; it will sure be nice to see Marion at Indy's side once more.

UPDATE: Visit IndianaJones.com for video footage of the announcement.

Links via ETOnline.com and IndianaJones.com.