Welcome to Hero Express, your one-stop shop through the news filled world of superhero’s in Film, TV, Video Games and whatever else floats your boat.
This is the Hero Express for September 13, 2011:
More on The Departed Screenwriter & Sin City 2 – (/Film)
We already told you about William Monahan writing, but now there are some more details. Usually I’m the first to criticize a movie or video game for rushing the sequel. But now I have to see let’s get this movie going already! Sin City came out 6 years ago, I think it’s time to give us a little bit more.
The long-rumored sequel to Sin City sounds like it’s finally coming together, six years after the first film’s opening. The last time we checked on the film, titled Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For, director Robert Rodriguez said that he and his team were “just waiting for the script” to start shooting. Now they’ve brought in additional help to complete that final piece. William Monahan, the Oscar-winning writer of The Departed, has been hired to work on the script. Read more after the jump.
Monahan’s work will supplement Frank Miller‘s most recent draft. Rodriguez revealed at Comic-Con that the story for the film would consist of an adaptation of Miller’s limited series A Dame to Kill For, as well as two new tales created just for the movie. Though Rodriguez wouldn’t give away any plot details of the new storylines, he did reveal that one of them would be titled “The Long Bad Night.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rodriguez has said that actors whose characters survived the first film are expected to return for the sequel.
Red Hulk Rumored Villain in Del Toro’s Hulk TV Show – (CBM)
At first I was like “Wha…?” but it doesn’t seem to be that far fetched of a rumor. Especially with some of the ‘evidence’ in the article. Red Hulk has been a huge part of the Marvel Universe for a while now, and was responsible for a huge sales boost in all the Hulk comics. Plus with Jeph Loeb on board for the series, who created Red Hulk, it seems kind of plausible. More at the link.
Why is this rumor possible? Well, Guillermo del Toro who is producing the new television show has already said that the show will not follow the templates of the films, but in fact be based more so on the comics. Let’s look at his comments in an interview with MTV. He said, “Jeph Loeb is in the project. Pak’s Hulk is great. Loeb’s Hulk is great. There’s so many things in the Hulk universe that are powerful strands of narrative, that they know are being faithful to those strands, and the movies have their own continuity.”
The Wolverine Delayed; Deadpool Set For Redemption – (/Film)
We’ve heard of the plans to distance both The Wolverine and Deadpool from the crap factory that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but frankly until I see it I won’t believe it. We are now hearing that filming for James Mangold‘s The Wolverine has been pushed back to 2012, so we won’t be seeing it for a bit.
[We want] to distinguish it from the other one… It’s much more of a standalone [movie]… I’m not sure when we’ll start. Maybe summer 2012 we’ll start shooting. It’s based on Hugh’s schedule, frankly. When he’s available, we’ll film. …He’s doing ‘Les Miserables’, and then he has to come and train for us. So it’s all dependent on him.
This news comes from X-Producer Lauren Schuler Donner, who also had a bit to say about Deadpool.
“We’re working on getting it ready, and presenting some things to the studio, cause we’re gonna give it a little bit of a different look… It’s a different kind of movie. If you know ‘Deadpool’…it’s true to ‘Deadpool’. So you know, it’ll be violent, and outrageous, and funny, and all that.”
And to Total Film she said,
“We have a few more things to do. And then it’s up to the studio to decide whether we’re going to go forward or not… But I’m pretty excited. We have a good script and a good director [Tim Miller].”
Asked about whether Deadpool’s appearance in Wolverine was seen as a misstep, Donner said:
“Yes he was treated totally wrong in the Wolverine film and yes we will redeem him.“
Well, if your at all afraid of rabid Canadian fans storming the multiplex if another sin as great as that version of Deadpool is committed to film, then yes, redeem the hell out of him.
The Wolverine Script Gets A Rewrite – (Splashpage)
And Speaking of Wolvy, it looks like the script is getting a polish from Total Recall writer Mark Bomback. The script was previously written by Christopher McQuarrie, and according to Jackman was supposedly great. Not great enough to avoid a rewrite though.
Variety is reporting that the “Jack the Giant Killer” and “Total Recall” scribe is being brought on to bring his vision to the project. The story so far finds Wolverine suffering from amnesia, trying to find answers about his past in Japan’s criminal underworld.
Green Lantern Cover Art & Details – (Daily Blam)
The release EVERYONE is waiting for… or not. Regardless of my feelings toward the movie, I still have to purchase it to cope with my nerdism. So it helps that it comes complete with a swagload of extras. It hits stores on October 14th, which on my calendar says ‘4 Days til ARKHAM CITY’.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack:
Theatrical Film (3D & 2D)
Extended Cut (2D only)
Maximum Movie Mode with Picture in Picture Pods
The Universe According to Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds Becomes Green Lantern
Justice League #1 Digital Comic
Additional Scenes
Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series
BD-Live
Blu-ray Combo Pack:
Extended Cut*
Theatrical Film
Maximum Movie Mode with Picture in Picture Pods
The Universe According to Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds Becomes Green Lantern
Justice League #1 Digital Comic
Additional Scenes
Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series
BD-Live
DVD:
Preview of the Justice League #1 Digital Comic
Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series
*Extended Cut included only on 2D Blu-ray Disc
Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash Headed to AMC – (/Film)
AMC keeps hitting it out of the park with their newest series getting the green light. Secret Stash is a reality show set in Kevin Smith‘s comic shop; Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, New Jersey.
The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and more simultaneously reported on AMC’s news, which also included an extended premiere of The Walking Dead and another new show called JJK Security which revolves around a private security company in Georgia.
Smith talks a little about his thoughts on the project:
Draper. Meth. Zombies. This show couldn’t be on a better network. AMC is to television what Miramax was to cinema back when I first got in the game: they’re the premier destination for any story-teller looking to spin an offbeat yarn that no other outlet has the stones to touch. And as if I didn’t love them enough, now they’re putting my friends on TV! I’m ecstatic, proud, and extremely lucky to be in bed with a network I watch religiously anyway. And if they’d pushed just a little harder in the negotiations, I’d have done this show for no payment beyond early access to every episode of MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, and WALKING DEAD.
Here’s the description of the show from the press release:
The Secret Stash is a one hour series that captures the world of the local comic book store. Way before comic book culture went mainstream, the comic store has not only been a place for people to buy, sell, or trade for cool stuff; but also to hang out and be part of a community that just loves comics. Secret Stash will capture both of these aspects of comic store life. It will document the daily banter of The Secret Stash and it’s employees and devoted customers; and it will capture the fun and emotion of buying and selling collectibles and comic memorabilia that happens in comic book stores all across the country and in mega-venues like Comic-Con.
Yea, I’ll watch that. A TV show about people like me? Cheers at the comic shop? Hells yes. Unfortunately it has the potential to be an early cancellation, as while Geek Culture is cool right now, I can bet the general public doesn’t want to sit through a half hour discussion on Star Wars alien genitals.
Deadman Being Adapted for The CW – (/Film)
More than likely looking to fill the huge hole left after Smallville ended, it looks like another DC hero might be getting the Primetime treatment. The series is being adapted by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke.
Deadman is an interesting crossover between the supernatural side of the DC Universe and the more worldly superheroes. Boston Brand was a circus performer who used the working name Deadman, and wore a red costume and white face paint while doing daredevil stunts. Murdered by an unknown man, Brand finds himself incarnated as a ghost. As such, he’s intangible, and can be invisible; he can fly and possess any living sentient creature. Brand has had a hand in some of DC’s big supernatural stories and also taken part in some of the big stories involving Green Lantern and other top-tier DC heroes.
Deadline quotes CW president Mark Pedowitz from last month’s TCA presentation, “We’re looking next year to do a superhero show if the right superhero comes to be.”
This could be awesome. Or the CW could turn it into some sort of Vampire Diaries bullshit. I’m hoping for awesome.
Locke & Key Picked Up By MTV? – (/Film)
Fans rejoiced when they heard that Joe Hill’s Locke & Key was getting a pilot and optioned by Fox. Unfortunately Fox passed on the pilot, which fans were able to see at Comic-Con before it presumably disappeared forever. Now a report has come out saying that MTV might be interested in picking it up. Might is the key word here.
Deadline says that the head of MTV programming took a look at the show, and is reportedly interested. The site’s report is actually pretty speculative, as it basically boils down to “we think the guy watched and liked the pilot.” So it’s probably a stretch to generate any real hopes that MTV is going to pick up the show. Would the network bite on something that is this far outside its typical realm, especially given that the cast options have expired, which means that any version that got off the ground now might only partially resemble the pilot? (Sure, there’s the new Teen Wolf as an example of MTV offering something vaguely similar, but even that seems like a stretch.) But for those who really held out hope for the show this is a tiny outcropping on which to find a foothold. Let’s see if it leads anywhere.
Hold out hope, fans. Although the reference to Teen Wolf is NOT a selling point.
And that’s it for this edition of Hero Express! I’ll have a look at some videos to get you psyched for The Avengers later, followed by another Hero Express on Wednesday where we’ll take a look at The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and Man of Steel.
Grizzly Bomb 