Articles Collected and Edited by Octavio Soto
Manga Creators Oppose Bill, While PTA andTokyo Governor Support ItOn November 29,three manga creator groups — the Japan Cartoonists Association, the CopyrightNetwork for Comic Authors in the 21st Century, and Manga Japan — announced their opposition to the bill. Intheir joint statements, the groups said that there is an extremely high riskthat the bill would infringe on the freedom of expression due to the expansivescope of the proposed regulations. In particular, the groups assert that therestrictions against content that "unjustifiably glorify orexaggerate" are vague and unclear; the groups added that these regulationswould deprive manga and anime of the diverse and versatile methods ofexpression that they currently have.
Tokyo GovernorShintaro Ishihara advocated the previous and current versions of the bill.After manga creators who opposed the bill held a November 29 press conference,the broadcaster TV Asahi reported that Ishihara responded by saying,"Anyone who claims it's not harmful to children to draw manga thatfeatures the sex life of married couples and the such are idiots. Tell them,'You need to go cool your heads.'" Ishihara responded to the Tokyo ParentTeacher Association's December 3 petition in support of the bill by saying,“It's not just about children. We've got homosexuals casually appearing even ontelevision. Japan has become far too untamed. I'll go forward with [this bill] with asense of mission in heart.”
News: Voice Actor Mark Dailey PassesAway at 57 posted on 2010-12-06 18:13 EST
News: Voice Actor Mark Dailey PassesAway at 57 posted on 2010-12-06 18:13 EST
Beyblade actor, Toronto news anchor loses battle to kidney cancer
News: Kadokawa Shoten Cancels Its TokyoAnime Fair Display (Update 3) posted on 2010-12-08 04:09 EST
President ShinichiroInoue cites Tokyo's stance towards manga, anime creators
Shinichiro Inoue,the president of the Japanese media company Kadokawa Shoten, revealed on hisTwitter account on Wednesday that his company has decided to cancel its displayat next year's Tokyo International Anime Fair. Inoue said that his companycannot accept the stance that Tokyo has taken towards manga creators and peoplein the anime industry.
The TokyoMetropolitan Government submitted a revised bill to amend the Youth HealthyDevelopment Ordinance at the end of last month. The current ordinance alreadyprevents the sale and renting of "harmful publications" — materialsthat are "sexually stimulating, encourages cruelty, and/or may compelsuicide or criminal behavior" — to people under the age of 18. The proposedBill 156 would require the industry to also self-regulate the sale and rentingof "manga, anime, and other images (except for real-lifephotography)" that "unjustifiably glorify or exaggerate" certainsexual or pseudo sexual acts. Another section of the revised bill would allowthe government to directly restrict the sale and renting of the above images ifthe depicted acts are also "considered to be excessively disrupting ofsocial order" such as rape.
On November 29,three manga creator groups — the Japan Cartoonists Association, the CopyrightNetwork for Comic Authors in the 21st Century, and Manga Japan — announced their opposition to the bill.
Update: A half hour after Inoue made the Twitter post above, he thanked themany people who offered their words of support.
Update 2: Translator Dan Kanemitsu notes that the Tokyo Metropolitan Governmentis part of TAF's executive committee, and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara alsoserves as the chairperson of that committee. Ishihara was a leading advocate ofthe previous amendment bill that was rejected in June, and he has been pushingthe current revised bill.
Update: Motoki Watase, the editor-publisher of the magazine Manga Hihyō,reported on Thursday that another major publishing company besides Kadokawa hasdecided not to display at TAF. According to Watase, this second company is alsopart of TAF's executive committee.
News: Adult Swim to Run More FMA: Brotherhoodon January 9 posted on 2010-12-17 19:53 EST
U.S. TV programmingblock schedules at least 5 episodes in January-February
The online scheduleof the Adult Swim programming block on America's Cartoon Network lists new FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood episodes starting at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 9, 2011. The first new episode will be #27,"Interlude Party." The series will continue every Sunday morning inthe same timeslot, and the online schedule lists up to episode 31, "The520 Cens Promise," on February 6. The first 26 episodes of FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood premiered on Adult Swim on February 14 of this year.Episodes 27 to 39 are already available on Apple's iTunes Store in the United States.
News: Ad Parodies Japan onClimate Change with Spirited Away posted on 2010-12-10 13:00 EST
On Friday, theAmerican citizen's group Avaaz published an ad in the Financial Timesnewspaper's international editions that uses images from the anime SpiritedAway to criticize the Japanese government's stance in the ongoing climate summit.In particular, the ad incorporates a photograph of Japanese Prime MinisterNaoto Kan into a key image from the anime film'sEnglish promotional campaign. The ad from Avaaz and another climate changeorganization called TckTckTck reads as follows:
Japan Presents
A Threatening toAbandon Kyoto Film
Climate treaty:
Washed Away?
Japanese PrimeMinister Naoto Kan is living in a
fantasy–imagining hecan refuse a new Kyoto Protocol
commitment periodwithout wrecking hopes for a global
climate treaty. AsUN talks in Mexico bog down, the
world needs Kan to wake up: if he abandons Kyoto, the
climate treaty willbe washed away!
The 2010 UnitedNations Climate Change Conference began at the Mexican city of Cancún on November 29, and it will end on Friday. Japan revealed at the conference that it will notaccept future carbon emission targets; a consensus between the nations onfuture targets would be necessary to extend the current Kyoto Protocolagreement past its 2012 expiration date.
According to the publicrelations department of Studio Ghibli (the anime company behind Spirited Away),the studio did not receive a request from Avaaz to use images from its film.The current Japanese Copyright Law requires permission from the copyrightholders for any kind of copying or use, except for personal, library, oracademic purposes. Japan does not have the same fair-use clauses thatthe United States and other countries have.
News: Tokyo'sYouth Ordinance Bill Approved by Committee (Updated) posted on 2010-12-13 03:21 EST
News: Tokyo'sYouth Ordinance Bill Approved by Committee (Updated) posted on 2010-12-13 03:21 EST
Formal vote by fullassembly on Wednesday
The general affairscommittee of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly has approved the government'srevised bill to amend the Youth Healthy Development Ordinance on Mondayafternoon. Bill 156 will then go before the full assembly for a vote onWednesday. The current ordinance already prevents the sale and renting of"harmful publications" — materials that are "sexuallystimulating, encourages cruelty, and/or may compel suicide or criminal behavior"to people under the age of 18. Bill 156 would require the industry to alsoregulate "manga, anime, and other images (except for real-lifephotography)" that "unjustifiably glorify or exaggerate" certainsexual or pseudo sexual acts. Another section of the revised bill would allowthe government to directly regulate the above images if the depicted acts arealso "considered to be excessively disrupting of social order" suchas rape.
Update: The bill hasa non-binding supplemental resolution urging newly designated harmfulpublications to be “carefully regulated, with the work's merits based onartistic, social, educational, and satirical criticism criteria to be takeninto account in the evaluation process.” The government's Tokyo Youth HealthyDevelopment Evaluation Panel is also urged to respect “the intent of therevision and take necessary steps, such as increasing the time involved in theevaluation process.”
Japanese PrimeMinister Naoto Kan wrote in his blog on Monday:
There is anothertopic I would like to talk about concerning [the strength of] the Japanesebrand. Currently, there are concerns over the possibility that the TokyoInternational Animation Fair could be cancelled due to controversies related tothe healthy development of youth issues. Healthy development of youth is animportant issue. At the same time, it is important that Japanese animation isbroadcast to a global audience. I urge all parties involved to try to worktoward preventing a situation where an international animation fair cannot be heldwithin Tokyo.
Shueisha seniormanaging director and editor Kazuhiko Torishima said at the New Manga CreatorsAwards ceremony on Monday: “I want new manga authors to produce manga thatwould blow away [Tokyo Governor] Shintaro Ishihara.” Masahiko Ibaraki, theeditor-in-chief of Shueisha's third editorial department, added to the newmanga creators, "Don't let the chilling effect [of increased regulation]stop you from doing material you want to do. Jump will feature anything [wefeel] that is exciting [to read].“
Update 2: The MobileContent Forum, an industry group that includes the social networking companyDeNA and Nico Nico Douga's Dwango, announced its opposition to the bill onMonday. A group of female creators, including boys-love genre authors, alsoannounced their opposition to the bill on Sunday.
News: Full Tokyo Assembly Passes YouthOrdinance Bill posted on 2010-12-15 00:36EST
Self-regulationclauses go into effect on April 1; restrictions on sales on July 1
The full TokyoMetropolitan Assembly approved the government's revised bill to amend the YouthHealthy Development Ordinance on Wednesday afternoon. The current ordinancealready prevents the sale and renting of "harmful publications" —materials that are "sexually stimulating, encourages cruelty, and/or maycompel suicide or criminal behavior" to people under the age of 18. Bill156 would require the industry to also regulate "manga, anime, and otherimages (except for real-life photography)" that "unjustifiably glorifyor exaggerate" certain sexual or pseudo sexual acts. Another section ofthe revised bill would allow the government to directly regulate the aboveimages if the depicted acts are also "considered to be excessivelydisrupting of social order" such as rape. The assembly also approved anon-binding supplemental resolution urging newly designated harmfulpublications to be carefully regulated, with the work's merits based onartistic, social, and other criteria to be taken into account in the evaluationprocess. The voluntary self-regulation clauses will go into effect on April 1of next year, and the restrictions on sales and renting will go into effect onJuly 1.
News: U.S.Supreme Court Deadlocks on 1st-Sale Doctrine Case posted on 2010-12-13 19:45 EST
Circuit court's decisionon imported goods stands after 4-4 deadlock
On Monday, theSupreme Court of the United States issued its affirmation (PDF) by deadlock onCostco Wholesale Corporation v. Omega, S.A., a court case about the application of thefirst-sale doctrine to imported goods. At least for domestic goods, thedoctrine allows the purchaser of a copyrighted work to sell or give away thework without its creator's permission after the first transaction or sale ismade. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had decided (PDF) that thedoctrine does not apply to imported goods, and thus a copyright holder canrestrict the sale of imported goods. The Supreme Court affirmed this decision.
A lower districtcourt had previously ruled in favor of Costco by virtue of the first-saledoctrine, but Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's decision after Omegaappealed. The Ninth Circuit ruled that Costco did not have the right of thefirst-sale because the works in question — watches by Omega and displayingOmega's logo — had been made outside of the United States and had not originally been sold into thecountry with Omega's permission.
The Supreme Court'saffirmation of the Ninth Circuit decision was split 4-4, with recentlyconfirmed Justice Elena Kagan recused and thus not contributing a vote. As aresult of the tie vote, the Supreme Court will not hear the case, and theprevious decision made by the Ninth Circuit stands. However, since the SupremeCourt affirmed the Ninth Circuit's ruling by deadlock instead of actuallyhearing the case, no legal precedent has been made that is binding to futurecases outside the Ninth Circuit (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands). While the original case involved watches, the Association ofAmerican Publishers issued a brief this past September in favor of upholdingthe Ninth Circuit ruling, and the association said that the ruling is animportant one for all publishers. A decision on first-sale doctrine's applicationto imports could affect imported items into the United States, including Japanese manga and anime goods.The Berne Convention grants foreign copyrighted materials the same copyrightrecognition in the United States as American copyrighted materials. A U.S.District Court had ruled in 2008 that the first-sale doctrine did not apply toimported textbooks.
News: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal TV Anime's PromoVideo Streamed posted on 2010-12-17 21:27 EST
The Japanesebroadcaster TV Tokyo has launched a website for the new Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal animeseries with a one-minute promotional video. The anime will premiere next springin "Golden Time" — the popular evening timeslots — on TV Tokyo andits network affiliates nationwide. The video features Yūma Tugumo, the new13-year-old main character in middle school, and Astral, the mysteriouslifeform from a parallel world who suddenly appears before Yūma. The new series will be the fourth one in thefranchise to air on TV Tokyo after Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! DuelMonster GX, and the current Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. The manga version is alreadylaunching in the expanded February issue of Shueisha's V Jump magazine onSaturday.
News: Satoshi Kon's Short Manga Storiesto be Published (Updated) posted on 2010-12-22 11:52 EST
Kodansha to alsoreprint the late Paprika director's 1st manga series, Kaikisen
The official websiteof the late director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Paprika)announced on Monday that Kodansha will publish Kon's first manga series and acomplete collection of his short manga stories next year. The publisher willfirst reprint Kon's Kaikisen series (pictured at right) on January 21, 2011. As Kon'sfirst manga series, Kaikisen ran for 11 installments in Kodansha's Weekly YoungMagazine from March to June of 1990. Kodansha had previously published theseries in one compiled book volume in 1990 and again in a new edition in 1999.
Kodansha will thenpublish Yume no Kaseki Kon Satoshi Zen-Tanpen (Fossils of Dreams: Satoshi Kon'sComplete Short Story Collection) on February 17. The 400-page book will containthe first collection of all 15 short manga stories that Kon created. Thecollection begins with "Toriko," Kon's 1984 manga debut that won theTetsuya Chiba Award for new artists, but never ran in a magazine. (Kon's storyhas no relation to the later manga by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro.) The last storyin the upcoming book is "Bashō-Ō no Bōken" ("The Adventures ofthe Venerable Bashō," 1988). 11 of the stories have never been compiled inbook form before, and one of the stories, "Picnic," will bereproduced entirely in color as it was first published.
Tokuma Shoten'sAnimage magazine reprinted part of Kon and Mamoru Oshii's Seraphim: 2-Oku6661-Man 3336 no Tsubasa (Seraphim: 266,613,336 Wings) manga series earlierthis year. Kodansha then reprinted the entire Seraphim series on December 4, aswell as Kon's Opus manga on December 13. Madhouse announced last month that itresumed production on Yume-Miru Kikai, Kon's unfinished last feature film.
News: Kyojin no Hoshi's KawasakiRefuses TokyoAnime Award posted on 2010-12-29 03:56 EST
Champion RED editorreports that Noboru Kawasaki cites Tokyo youth bill as reason
Jun Itō, theeditor-in-chief of Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine, told manga creatorTakeshi Nogami that fellow creator Noboru Kawasaki (Kyojin no Hoshi baseballmanga) is refusing an award that would have been given at next year's TokyoInternational Anime Fair (TAF). According to the editor-in-chief, Tokyo contacted Kawasaki about attending the event to receive theaward. Kawasaki then contacted Machiko Satonaka, the mangacreator of Lady Ann and the executive director of the Japan CartoonistsAssociation. Satonaka told Kawasaki that it was ultimately his decision, but she also gave him the detailsabout the recently passed amendment to the Tokyo Youth Healthy DevelopmentOrdinance. (The amendment will expand the number of manga and anime that fallunder "harmful publications," the legal category of works that mustnot be sold or rented to people under the age of 18.) As a result, Kawasaki decided to refuse the award. The people fromTokyo then suggested that Kawasaki can receive the award on any other daybesides TAF, but he refused again. Kawasaki is best known for creating the classicbaseball manga and anime Kyojin no Hoshi, which will mark its 45th anniversarynext year. Nogami is collaborating with anime writer and setting advisorTakaaki Suzuki (Strike Witches, Last Exile) and translator Dan Kanemitsu (newEvangelion films, Love Hina) on a dōjinshi (self-published work) about therecently passed amendment.
The JapanCartoonists Association is one of several organizations that opposed theamendment, and Akita Shoten joined the nine other manga publishers in Comic10-Shakai in boycotting TAF because of the amendment. Eight media companies areholding a new event called Anime Contents Expo on the same March weekend thatTAF scheduled its two public days.
News: Gonzo Anime Studio Returns toProfitability This Year posted on 2010-12-29 12:33 EST
Restructured studioreported 47 million yen in net profit in 1st half of fiscal year
The anime studioGonzo revealed on Monday that it earned 74 million yen (about US$900,000) inoperating profit or 28 million yen (US$340,000) in ordinary profit during thefirst half of the fiscal year ending in March 2011. The first half ran fromMarch to September of 2010. Gonzo's reported net profit did drop from 82million yen (US$1 million) in the same period last year to 47 million yen(US$570,000). However, Gonzo was only able to report a net profit in thatperiod last year because 339 million yen (US$4.12 million) in debt wasforgiven, so the actual profit was greater this year. In the past year, Gonzowas involved in several animated sequences for games, such as Crackdown 2 (RiotAct 2) and Arcadia Saga. Gonzo told ANN during March's Tokyo InternationalAnime Fair (TAF) that it was developing a potential Spring 2011 project thatwould take advantage of the new stereoscopic 3D televisions now entering themarketplace. Gonzo then confirmed in September that Range Murata (BlueSubmarine No. 6, Last Exile, Solty Rei, Shangri-La) worked on character designsfor a new anime scheduled to air next year. Gonzo announced in August that itwas recruiting new animation staff members. Gonzo is working with the Malaysiananimation studio Funcel and Malaysia's National Film Development Corporation toproduce an adventure animation series called Satria - The Warriors of the 7Elements for Fall 2012. Hiroyuki Kitakubo (Blood: The Last Vampire) isinvolved, although he states that he is only an advisor. Gonzo is also lookingto work on a collaborative project with a major Chinese media firm. Gonzo wasestablished in 1992 when anime producer Shouji Murahama left Gainax to starthis own company. Gonzo merged with Shinichiro Ishikawa's Digimation company in2000 and a new parent company was formed, GDH (Gonzo Digimation Holdings). TheNihon Keizai Shimbun paper reported last year that GDH was restructuring itsanime production operations after GDH asked 20% of its workforce to"voluntarily retire" in 2008. GDH has since absorbed Gonzo andadopted the Gonzo name for itself.
News: Comic Market to Stay at Tokyo BigSight Next Summer (Update 3) posted on 2010-12-30 07:40 EST
Comiket 80 on August12-14 after Tokyo's youth ordinance amendment takes effect
The Mainichi Shimbunpaper's Mantan Web site reports that the Tokyo Big Sight event center willagain host Comic Market (Comiket), the world's largest dōjinshi convention,next summer. Comic Market 80 will take place August 12-14, after the recentlypassed amendment to the Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance goes intoeffect. The current Comic Market 79 event is running from Wednesday to Friday,and 160,000 came on the first day.
The amendment willexpand the number of manga and anime that fall under "harmfulpublications," the legal category of works that must not be sold or rentedto people under the age of 18. 10 manga
publishers announced earlier this month thatthey would boycott next year's Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF), which isalso slated to be held in Tokyo Big Sight, because of the amendment. Eightmedia companies are holding a new event called Anime Contents Expo on the sameMarch weekend that TAF scheduled its two public days.
Comic Market firstran in 1975, and it moved to its current Tokyo Big Sight home in 1996. ComicMarket reported a turnstile attendance of 560,000 during its last two summerevents. 510,000 are expected at the ongoing Comic Market 80. 35,000 circlessell works that they published themselves over the three days of the event.
One of ComicMarket's several previous homes was Makuhari Messe, the complex just east of Tokyo that will host Anime Contents Expo in March.Besides Comic Market, Tokyo Big Sight also hosts the Tokyo Toy Show and otherevents. Makuhari Messe hosts the Tokyo Game Show and Shueisha's Jump Festa.
Update: Mantan Web reports that the Comic Market organizers is distributing apamphlet detailing the important points of the amended ordinance to thedōjinshi circle sellers. The staff members will take other steps to ensure thatthey can run the event after the amendment takes effect.
Update 2: 160,000 people also came on the second day of Comic Market 79, whichwas Thursday.
Update 3: Dan Kanemitsu notes that Comic Market is already distributing thepamphlet: "The Comic Market Committee publishes the Comiket Appeal, aninformation booklet regarding how the event is run, how circles are expectedoperate, what are the rules, what are the changes, maps, history of the ComicMarket, etc. It has a section in it that informs circles what the laws theyneed to keep in mind."
News: Saiyuki Creator Kazuya Minekura Returnsfrom Surgery posted on 2010-12-31 03:25 EST
Part of her jawbonewith noncancerous growth removed; manga still on hiatus
Saiyuki mangacreator Kazuya Minekura reported on her blog on Tuesday that she returned fromthe hospital without incident. She had placed her manga on hiatus and had undergonesurgery for ameloblastoma, a noncancerous tumor on her right upper jawbone. Shenoted that she received thousands of paper cranes to wish her well, and evenher doctors and nurses remarked that they have never seen so many before. Shethanked everyone who supported her. While she is returning to life at home, sheis still on hiatus from her manga work. She already had a previous operation,but the latest surgery removed the right half of her upper jawbone. The teethon that part of her jawbone and the bone between her nose and mouth were alsoremoved. As a result, she cannot eat food well, and she also cannot pronouncewords properly. While the surgery spared the bone around her left eye, she didlose part of the bone around her right eye. Also as a result of the surgery,she lost the sense of touch on the skin on the right side of her face for therest of her life, although her facial muscles can move normally. Minekura isbeing fitted with artificial prosthetics to reconstruct the area around the lostbone.
Saiyuki mangacreator Kazuya Minekura reported on her blog on Tuesday that she returned fromthe hospital without incident. She had placed her manga on hiatus and had undergonesurgery for ameloblastoma, a noncancerous tumor on her right upper jawbone. Shenoted that she received thousands of paper cranes to wish her well, and evenher doctors and nurses remarked that they have never seen so many before. Shethanked everyone who supported her. While she is returning to life at home, sheis still on hiatus from her manga work. She already had a previous operation,but the latest surgery removed the right half of her upper jawbone. The teethon that part of her jawbone and the bone between her nose and mouth were alsoremoved. As a result, she cannot eat food well, and she also cannot pronouncewords properly. While the surgery spared the bone around her left eye, she didlose part of the bone around her right eye. Also as a result of the surgery,she lost the sense of touch on the skin on the right side of her face for therest of her life, although her facial muscles can move normally. Minekura isbeing fitted with artificial prosthetics to reconstruct the area around the lostbone.
News: 2011 Fullmetal Alchemist Film Opens July 2, 2011After Festival posted on 2011-01-01 01:40 EST
Aniplex's officialemail newsletter and website for Fullmetal Alchemist revealed on Saturday thatthe Fullmetal Alchemist: Milos noSei-Naru Hoshi film will open in Japan on July 2. Aniplex also announced that therewill be a Fullmetal Alchemist Festival 2011 event on May 22 in Tokyo. The voice cast and the musical artistsbehind the theme songs are slated to appear.
News: T.M. Revolution on Hiatus Due toInflamed Vocal Cords posted on 2011-01-04 08:48 EST
SengokuBasara/Gundam Seed singer ordered to rest vocal cords for at least a week
Takanori Nishikawa,the singer better known as T.M. Revolution, revealed on Tuesday afternoon thathe has to stop singing for at least a week due to acute inflammation of hisvocal cords. According to the doctor's orders (pictured below) that Nishikawaposted online, the doctor discovered a polyp on the singer's left vocal cord.As a result, the doctor prescribed a week of silence during which Nishikawacannot use his voice except for daily conversation.
Nishikawa noted thathe had been overextending himself from the end of last year through Japan's New Year's holidays. He performed asrecently as Monday during the "Sengoku Basara 5th Anniversary Festival~Budōkan Party~" event. The singer assured his fans that he will return toperforming as soon as he can. Besides Sengoku Basara Two, Nishikawa sang themesongs for Bleach: Jigoku-hen, D.Gray-man, Darker than BLACK, Mobile Suit GundamSeed, Rurouni Kenshin, and Soul Eater.
News: Borders Delays Payments as Execs Departposted on 2011-01-04 18:23 EST
Two executives atthe media store chain Borders have resigned; Executive Vice President GeneralCounsel Thomas Carney and Senior Vice President Chief Information Officer D.Scott Laverty resigned on Sunday and Monday, respectively. The PublishersMarketplace and The New York Times newspaper reported that Borders informedmajor publishers last week that it would be delaying payments which thebookstore chain owes to them. Company representatives will meet with publishersthis week to discuss the company's plans. Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis alsodenied rumors that Borders is suffering from a liquidity crisis. This pastAugust, the company laid off 128 workers from its Michigan headquarters.
News: 3 More Executives at Borders StoreChain Resign posted on 2011-01-05 22:15 EST
Three more topexecutives of national media store chain Borders left the company this week: SeniorVice President Business Development Larry Norton, Vice President Real EstateTony Grant, and Senior Vice President of Marketing Bill Dandy. They join formerExecutive Vice President/General Counsel Thomas Carney and former Senior VicePresident/Chief Information Officer D. Scott Laverty, who all left Bordersearlier in the week. This string of resignations are happening in parallel withthe financial troubles that the bookstore chain is having with its publishers.Borders representatives are meeting with major New York publishers this week to negotiate new terms.The Wall Street Journal newspaper explains that Borders is asking thesepublishers to push back due dates of bills, giving the company time torefinance.
News: Weinstein Buys 25% of Manga Ent.Parent Starz Media posted on 2011-01-05 21:03 EST
Manga Entertainment's British arm revealed onits Twitter account on Wednesday that the Los Angeles-based Weinstein Companyhas acquired a 25% minority stake in Starz Media, the parent company of Manga Entertainmentand Anchor Bay. According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, the deal alsoincludes a five-year distribution deal under which Starz Media will handle DVDand digital distribution for the film company. The Weinstein Company paid anundisclosed amount for the stake. In North America,Manga Entertainment holds the license to a variety of anime titles such asGhost in the Shell, and it handles digital releases and other forms ofdistribution for a variety of titles, including Bandai Entertainment's GurrenLagann. Sibling company and distributor Anchor Bay has also listed such licenses as First Squad- The Moment Of Truth and Redline.
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Cate Blanchett And More Join The HobbitPosted December 8, 2010 -By Joseph Baxter
Cate Blanchett And More Join The HobbitPosted December 8, 2010 -By Joseph Baxter
The already hugecast of the 3D two-part epic The Hobbit only continues to grow with the latestannouncement from Warner and MGM of the next acquisitions. At the front of thisgroup, is none other than Cate Blanchett, who will be reprising her role ofGaladriel from the Lord of the Rings films. The addition of the Galadrielcharacter, who is not in the original book, actually confirms rumors that havebeen swirling for years that Peter Jackson and the creative team will be takingplenty of liberties in order to stretch this single novel into two whole films.(Which, for the record, is a good thing.) ...And just to name more of thoseconfirmed liberties, the rumors of former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy joiningthe cast as wizard Radagast the Brown, another character not in this book, hasalso been legitimized. Additionally, an actor has been cast for the (again, notin the book) role of Drogo Baggins, father of the future-ring-bearing Frodo.However, there is some news for purists of the book, as we now have faces to gowith character favorite from the book in shape-shifter Beorn and members ofBilbo's Dwarf companion party in Balin, Bifur, and Nori. We're keeping closetabs on The Hobbit cast, so let's take a further look at where things stand.
I don't think weneed to cover Cate Blanchett, but let's take a look at the othernewly-confirmed cast who will be joining star Martin Freeman and company:
Sylvester McCoy: "Radagast theBrown"
Best known to Whofans as the Seventh Doctor, McCoy has been a mainstay in British TV before andafter his long tenure in the TARDIS. His role as Radagast, the brown-cladwizard who is somewhat of a bumbling couterpart to Gandalf, is known for hiscommunion with nature and beasts. According to imdb (for what it's worth,) he'slisted as being set for The Hobbit: Part 2 in 2013. This would seem consistentwith the idea of having characters anachronistic to the book, since, pacingbeing critical with Smaug the Dragon dominating the first film, the second filmwill need all the help it can get content-wise.
Ken Stott: "Balin"
The Scottish actor,besides roles in British TV, has appeared in films like Charlie Wilson's War,King Arthur (you know, the one with Keira Knightley's tight bod on display,)and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Of course, it would hardly be aspoiler to reveal that this Dwarf Lord would be destined for death at the handsof goblins deep in the Mines of Moria, as it was in his tomb, with a weepyGimli, in The Fellowship of the Rings, where the group had that epic battlewith the goblins and their cave troll.
Mikael Persbrandt: "Beorn"
With a long resumeon TV in his home country, the Sweedish actor will get internationalbreakthrough with the role of the beloved shape-shifter. Unceremoniouslyignored in the famous 1977 animated TV movie of The Hobbit, Beorn will finallyget his props on the big screen and kick some goblin ass, likely in hisfavorite form, a giant black bear. It's time to bite off the faces of some badguys!
Ryan Gage: "Drogo Baggins"
Known primarily fromhis work on the UK stage and some British TV, notably the recent version of Hamletstarring former Doctor Who (and rumored Hobbit cast member) David Tennant, thisyoung Brit will find himself playing the would-be father of thebearer/destroyer of the One Ring. In all likelihood, this will be a minor role,relegated to the bookend scenes of the films beginning and ending in the Shire.If anything, this news might squelch the old rumors implying that Elijah Woodwould have returned to play the role of his own character's father.
Jed Brophy: "Nori"
With this Kiwiactor, we're actually getting an alumnus of Peter Jackson's Tolkien films. Youmay remember him from The Two Towers as Sharku, the captain of the warg-ridingorcs who, in his dying act, tied Aragorn's hand to the saddle of his beast andsent him over a cliff. Brophy has also been seen in other Jackson films like Heavenly Creatures, King Kong, asanother orc in Return of the King, and in the Jackson-produced District 9. Hisdwarf character Nori, like his brother in Ori (Adam Brown), are known as fluteplayers. (Which hopefully will be kept to a minimum in the film.)
William Kircher: "Bifur"
One look at thisKiwi actor and you can't help but think for brief second that, to the elationof fans, Peter Jackson has cast Bruce Campbell in The Hobbit. -- Not so.However, as cool it would be to see the monstrous primitive screwheadsthreatening Middle Earth to meet the wrong end of a boomstick, I'm sure he'llbe able to entertain. Last seen on TV's Legend of the Seeker, Kircher will playBifur, one of a trio of dwarf cousins along with Bombur (Stephen Hunter) andBofur (James Nesbitt.)
DC's Raven Set For TV Series On The CW:Thoughts? Posted December 6, 2010 - By Joseph Baxter
It seems that theTeen Titans' leggy, psionic-powered half-demon Raven will be the next DC Comicproperty to grace the small screen. According to the report from Variety overthe weekend, the CW, set at the end of this season to send-off its longtimesuperhero drama Smallville, will look to adapt the powerful demoniac temptressas its genre-similar replacement. Set to serve as Writer and ExecutiveProducer, is Diego Gutierrez, who will be bringing loads of experience from histime as Co-Exec Producer on ABC's revival of V, as well as serving in variouscapacities on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. While the CWnetwork has recently reinvented itself to focus on "teen" type showslike Gossip Girl, it's also managed to maintain shows with a bit of an edgelike Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, as well as this season's new showNikita. While Raven may seem like an odd DC property to use, taking thenetwork's lineup of shows consisting of teen drama, monsters, and femmefatale's into consideration, it's actually a perfect fit. The question is, howwill they approach her story?
Raven was thedaughter of DC's notorious outer-dimensional demon Trigon, who mated with ahuman female to produce an offspring for the purpose of being his living portalto our dimension. So...yeah, it will definitely be interesting to see how theyhandle not only Raven's story, but exactly what she's going to do in eachepisode. (Assuming that the Teen Titans will not be a part of the storyline.)However, even if the show follows a standalone canon, the idea of Raven'sconstant struggle with the overwhelming powers from her demon half, and perhapsan ongoing quest to foil Trigon's arrival on Earth, just might be enough toserve as workable plot. Regardless, on paper, it seems to have present all thetools that make a show that would be on the CW in the post-Twilight era ofdrama surrounding the "tortured, but beautiful."
With David E. Kellyshopping his Wonder Woman project for a network, loose rumors of a Batman TVseries possibly set to hit sometime after the last Christopher Nolan Bat-filmin 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, and a boat-load of Marvel TV projects on thehorizon, Raven would be joining a growing group of comic heroes set to enjoythe spotlight on TV. Likely, the CW is going to inject it with its brand ofsuperficial, self-pitying teen issues and plenty of gratuitous slow-motion bodshots. However, the same could have been said on paper many years ago aboutBuffy the Vampire Slayer, and, of course, Joss Whedon managed to turn aquestionable TV adaptation of a movie comedy into one of the most compellingand beloved TV universes ever. So, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Raven justyet.
Marvel Studios Head Drops Answers AboutUpcoming Films Posted December 13, 2010 - By Joseph Baxter
Marvel StudiosPresident Kevin Feige recently sat down for a chat Q&A with LA Times' HeroComplex. Answering a barrage of questions submitted by rabid fans whichspit-balled several subjects related to the plethora of Marvel movie propertiesboth within and outside the studio, Marvel's head movie honcho was actuallyquite candid on some of the Internet community's most pressing questions.What's the status of Deadpool? What's going on with those rumored ten-minuteshort films? Will Iron Man be sporting new armor in 2012's The Avengers? Theresult of questions just like that, was an overwhelming flow of information,which, thanks to a recap from Collider, have been reduced to clear bulletpoints. There's just SO much stuff to cover here, but we're going to take aquick look at some of the revelations we were able to take away and what theymean.
Avengers-Related News: (Recapped fromCollider)
Iron Man will havenew armor in The Avengers
Says the next 3years he’s working on Iron Man 3, The Runaways, Ant-Man and The Avengers
Don Blake is somehowreferenced in Thor
Edgar Wright isstill working on the screenplay for Ant-Man
We should be seeingthe Captain America trailer early next year
Wants to bringfemale heroes to the big screen
Claims Natalie andChris have amazing chemistry in Thor
Nick Fury will stayin the modern era
No Invaders inCaptain America but there will be Howling Commandoes [sic]
The Avengers stuffobviously contains some of the juicier tidbits from the chat. With Thor, havingjust come off last weekend's big trailer debut, fan enthusiasm has never beenhigher for this film. We've actually known for some time that the comic originof the Asgardian Avenger would be altered to omit the depiction of the essenceof the exiled Thor inhabiting the body of disabled Med Student Donald Blake.However, the inclusion of a Blake reference, (perhaps in a "secretidentity" type context) is welcome news. Also, Iron Man sporting brand newarmor in The Avengers was kind of expected, but nevertheless, is still bignews. It will be interesting to see if we get a version of the armor that'smore of a homage to Iron Man's classic comic looks.
The other stuff iskind of a "wait and see" thing, but it was noteworthy that Feigepointed out that Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury would stay in the modern era.It's a distinction that may have confirmed that he would not be leading theHowling Commandos when they appear in the World War II-set Captain America: The First Avenger. We can also take the blurbabout more female heroes as being Avengers news, since the original questionmade reference to the need for more female Avengers team members like Ms.Marvel and Mockingbird. It's also good to know that Edgar Wright's Ant-Man isstill moving along. Hank Pym is one of Marvel's most underrated heroes, it'sabout time he gets his moment in the spotlight.
Other Marvel Movie News: (Recapped fromCollider)
Mentions his love ofDr. Strange, Black Panther, and Luke Cage
They are working onThe Punisher. No word if it’s TV or live-action
A very talentedwriter is currently working on a draft of Iron Fist right now
Open to an R-RatedMarvel movie
Says some of theupcoming Marvel movies will have after the credit scenes
The ten-minuteshorts before the features was just a rumor.
Says Fox is stillworking on a Deadpool movie
The debunking of therumored ten-minute short films is kind of disappointing. While from alogistical standpoint, lower-budget shorts would have worked well, I guessthere was the danger of diluting the Marvel brand. (Even more than currentlevels.) Nevertheless, some of these "fringe" projects that were oncepegged for those short films like Dr. Strange, Black Panther (which may tieinto the Avengers films,) Luke Cage (aka: Power Man,) and even The Punisher(now thankfully back in the hands of Marvel) still seem to have signs of life.The most notable of that bunch, is Iron Fist, who it was already reported lastsummer would feature a script from Rich Wilkes (xXx,) who we can assume was the"talented writer" Feige mentions. And lastly, while Feige may not bein a position to give an official answer about Fox's Deadpool film, hisposition must keep him in the loop to know that the project, prospectivelystarring Ryan Reynolds, is still alive and likely R-rated with all the foullanguage and gore that quite frankly, is obligatory with the character.It'sclear that Marvel has no plans to slow down the barrage of film properties ithas lined-up. From a fan's perspective, it appears we could be on the brink ofsome exciting times. However, one could also see it as the moment where a fadreaches its climax in a very messy way. Is Marvel keeping tabs on the sheervolume of content that's set for the next few years? Given that there are quitea few major Marvel movie properties that are scattered outside of theirinfluence over at Sony and Fox (Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men,) there'salways the possibility that someone else could jump that shark before they evengot the chance.
Is Jon Favreau Leaving The Iron Man Series? PostedDecember 14, 2010 -By Joseph Baxter
Could Jon Favreau befinished calling the shots with the Iron Man series? According to a report fromNew York Magazine's Vulture, this may be the case. While nothing has beenconfirmed (*see update below) and the exact reason for his apparent exit wasnot made clear, speculation has been abound that the relationship betweenFavreau and Marvel has been fizzling out. According to the report, the searchfor a new director for Iron Man 3 has already begun. Indeed, it would be quitea blow to the series to lose the director who, doubling on screen as TonyStark's friend Happy Hogan, did such a tremendous job giving the series a nicebalance between pure action, comedy, and character development. It's anadmirable feat to get such well-rounded films, considering that the series isessentially about a billionaire who creates a suit of armor to burn terroristsand beat the crap out of evil industrialists. So, what's the reasoning behindthis parting of the ways? There are some theories.
One theory centers on a creative conflict. When looking at a project with suchan ambitious scope as Joss Whedon's The Avengers in 2012, the future of theIron Man series is not only at the mercy of the mega-movie's productionschedule, but exactly what it will do with its main character. The film inquestion, Iron Man 3 was recently announced for 2013 after the upcoming trilogyof crossover films, culminating in The Avengers. Therein lies a supposeddisconnect between Favreau and the still non-existent expectations Marvel hasfor this third film. With no script, continued pressure to include a variety ofcharacters from the Marvel Universe, Favreau has openly expressed his confusionand frustration about the increasingly complex movie continuity. The othertheory for his exit, is financial. Coming off a $10 million payday for Iron Man2, it seems that the success of the Iron-films, along with auspicious numbersfor his upcoming projects Cowboys & Aliens and Disney's Magic Kingdom (yes,they're making a movie about Disneyland,) have driven-up the price tag for theactor-turned-director to a level that may be too high for the studio's comfort.The report speculates that his asking price this time might be as high as $15 million,with 15% of the film's gross. Keeping in mind that Iron Man grossed about $585million and Iron Man 2 grossed almost $622 million, we're looking at quite ahefty payday for part three. With star Robert Downey Jr. also having a portionof the till allocated for him, as well, you do get the impression that Disney,who have already spent $4 billion to acquire Marvel last year, are starting tosee Favreau as replaceable. However, with the contract of star Robert DowneyJr. giving him a say in who directs the film, it will be interesting to see ifthings get messy if he decides to stand behind Favreau.
Could Jon Favreau befinished calling the shots with the Iron Man series? According to a report fromNew York Magazine's Vulture, this may be the case. While nothing has beenconfirmed (*see update below) and the exact reason for his apparent exit wasnot made clear, speculation has been abound that the relationship betweenFavreau and Marvel has been fizzling out. According to the report, the searchfor a new director for Iron Man 3 has already begun. Indeed, it would be quitea blow to the series to lose the director who, doubling on screen as TonyStark's friend Happy Hogan, did such a tremendous job giving the series a nicebalance between pure action, comedy, and character development. It's anadmirable feat to get such well-rounded films, considering that the series isessentially about a billionaire who creates a suit of armor to burn terroristsand beat the crap out of evil industrialists. So, what's the reasoning behindthis parting of the ways? There are some theories.
One theory centers on a creative conflict. When looking at a project with suchan ambitious scope as Joss Whedon's The Avengers in 2012, the future of theIron Man series is not only at the mercy of the mega-movie's productionschedule, but exactly what it will do with its main character. The film inquestion, Iron Man 3 was recently announced for 2013 after the upcoming trilogyof crossover films, culminating in The Avengers. Therein lies a supposeddisconnect between Favreau and the still non-existent expectations Marvel hasfor this third film. With no script, continued pressure to include a variety ofcharacters from the Marvel Universe, Favreau has openly expressed his confusionand frustration about the increasingly complex movie continuity. The othertheory for his exit, is financial. Coming off a $10 million payday for Iron Man2, it seems that the success of the Iron-films, along with auspicious numbersfor his upcoming projects Cowboys & Aliens and Disney's Magic Kingdom (yes,they're making a movie about Disneyland,) have driven-up the price tag for theactor-turned-director to a level that may be too high for the studio's comfort.The report speculates that his asking price this time might be as high as $15 million,with 15% of the film's gross. Keeping in mind that Iron Man grossed about $585million and Iron Man 2 grossed almost $622 million, we're looking at quite ahefty payday for part three. With star Robert Downey Jr. also having a portionof the till allocated for him, as well, you do get the impression that Disney,who have already spent $4 billion to acquire Marvel last year, are starting tosee Favreau as replaceable. However, with the contract of star Robert DowneyJr. giving him a say in who directs the film, it will be interesting to see ifthings get messy if he decides to stand behind Favreau.
Iron Man 3 wasrecently given a release date of May 3, 2013, which actually came as quitesurprise considering what Marvel already has on its plate. That's still quite awhile away, so I can't imagine that a potential scramble for a new directorwould change that. How it will affect the film itself, is an entirely differentquestion. Some argue that even without these issues, the Favreau-directed IronMan 2 was inferior to its predecessor because it was too far reaching in whatit tried to do, which threw off the pacing. Would a change in directors havemade things different?
ABC To Bring Marvel's Jessica Jones To TV PostedDecember 17, 2010 -By Joseph Baxter
It appears that yetanother Marvel Comics property is making its way to the small screen to joinGuillermo del Toro and David Eick's Incredible Hulk on ABC. While asking mostpeople if they know the character of Jessica Jones might evoke a response like"you mean that chick from Mad Men?", your more informed comic bookfanatic would know her as the main character of the title from Marvel's mature"Max" label, Alias. (No relation to the JJ Abrams she-spy show, whichcoincidentally enough, aired on ABC.) Going by the title AKA Jessica Jones, theproject is being head by writer and exec-producer Melissa Rosenberg who,besides screenwriting credits on the Twilight movies, had a hand in shows likeDexter, The O.C., and even some comic book cred with the short-lived Birds ofPrey, which featured on DC heroine, Huntress. (The version from an alternatefuture that was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman.) Set for Fall of 2011,Jessica Jones will be the first show to be released under Rosenberg's Tall Girls production banner which willfocus on shows with "large, complex female roles." So, what will webe getting? Will superpowers and some comic book connections bring somethingnew to the table of the growing femme fatale genre? Created by Brian Michael Bendis and MichaelGaydos, the character was introduced in 2001 as super-powered privateinvestigator with a retconned origin loosely connected to Spider-Man's, as awoman who gains super strength, durability, and flight after a car accidentthat killed her family exposed her to radioactive material. However, after aless than successful stint as a costumed hero called Jewel, her present wasshown as a gritty career in street clothes as owner of Alias PrivateInvestigations. With a relationship to Marvel hero Luke Cage (who is rumored tobe in the running for a movie,) that results in their marriage, as well as astint with the New Avengers, Jessica's ran quite a gamut in just under decade.As the report describes her TV character: "Jessica, now in her early 30s, decides to keep far away fromothers gifted with superpowers and to open her own detective agency. But onceshe settles down, she realizes she still has a drive to help people -- andfinds herself assisting other superheroes." We could possibly be in storefor a show with a bad-ass female who, unlike the others we see on TV andmovies, isn't all that self-assured and carries an ambivalence with whichaudiences might identify. While she'll undoubtedly be gorgeous and sexual, andher superpowers may be larger than life, her day-to-day problems may notnecessarily be the hybrid of the plot of some Bond film and a Penthouse forumletter. In fact, Rosenberg describes her new show's character as "deeply flawed but with abiting sense of humor." With creators Brian Michael Bendis and MichaelGaydos on board as consultants, the show will also have Marvel TV head JephLeob, and Marvel exec Joe Quesada watching over things. With the showdesignated for a Fall 2011, it will likely beat the Del Toro/Eick Hulk projectto the punch as the first of what's looking to be several comic book propertiesmaking their way to TV by both Marvel and DC.
Inception Actor Pete Postlethwaite DiesPosted 5 days ago - By Stephen Johnson
Inception and Clashof the Titans star Pete Postlethwaite has died over the weekend after a longbattle with cancer. He was 64.
Although not exactlya household name, the British character actor's credits date back to 1975, andinclude some of the greatest films made since then. Check out these films: TheUsual Suspects, Jurassic Park, The Duelist, Mel Gibson's Hamlet, Amistad,Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and many other great films.
There aren't manyactors who engender a universally positive response, but it's hard to think ofanyone who sees Postlethwait's distinctive face and doesn't think "Oh,that guy! I love him!" Including Steven Spielberg, who once calledPostlethwaite "the best actor in the world."
Postlethwait'sresponse speaks volumes about his self-deprecating personality. "I'm surewhat Spielberg actually said was, 'The thing about Pete is that he thinks he'sthe best actor in the world," Postlethwaite reportedly replied.
Postlethwait's lastfilm, Killing Bono, is awaiting a release date. He is survived by his wifeJacqueline and son William and daughter Mary.
Does Harrison Ford Want IndianaJones To Die? (Updated) Posted December 20, 2010 - By Joseph Baxter
After getting thebetter of countless enemies ranging from hordes of Nazis, Egyptian assassins,blood-drinking cultists who rip still-beating hearts from peoples' chests, andthe relentless, E.T.-chasing forces of Mother Russia, it seems that the one andonly Indiana Jones could soon encounter the intractable force he cannot defeat:Harrison Ford. According to a report from ShowBizSpy, not even the mostlead-lined kitchen appliance ever made would save him, since it seems that theactor who gave Indy life now wants to take it away. With loose talk goingaround about him taking up another entry in the Indiana Jones film series,apparently the actor is saying that he'd prefer the upcoming film to be thelast, with Indy finally meeting his end. (*See update below.) The report is farfrom confirmed, but seems to have legs, due to it being rooted in somereasonable truths: Mainly that Harrison Ford obviously cannot do many more Indyfilms, and that in the past, he actually did request the death of his othericonic character in Han Solo.
According toShowBizSpy's report: “Harrison thinks it would be good for Indy to die andpass on his hat to his son in the next one,” reveals an insider. George [Lucas]especially is resisting the notion but Steven [Spielberg] is considering it.”
Of course, duringthe filming of Return of the Jedi, Ford actually tangled with George Lucasregarding the fate of the newly-carbonite-thawed smuggler. Ford unequivocallywanted Han to die, since he felt that his arc in the story had pretty muchplayed out and that there was no more use for his character. Wanting thatdramatic bookend to the Star Wars saga, Ford thought that a martyred Han wouldserve the film much better -- Lucas disagreed. -- Lucas was the boss. -- Lucaswon.
This time, however,Steven Spielberg, not Lucas, is calling the shots and is apparently morereceptive to the idea of Indy meeting his maker. (The one besides Lucas.)However, while Ford may possibly have visions of Indy going out like a champ,some may remember the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, whichdepicted Indy as an elderly man (played by George Hall) telling flashbackstories of his youth (where he's played by Sean Patrick Flanery.) While it maybe unrealistic to think that a major movie production is strictly beholden tothe canon of a short-lived TV show from the early 90's, I think that as a fan,I like the notion of Indy living to a ripe old age, telling stories of all hisoutrageous exploits, and maybe even slapping around the occasional smart-asswhippersnappers who think they can have fun at his expense. So, personally, Ihope that Spielberg can retire Indy with dignity and not with some dramaticdevice of a death used to propel Shia LaBeouf's potential run with the whip andfedora.
Update: Reps for Harrison Ford are denying that he wants to kill off Indy.
Mark Millar's Superior Lands "HighProfile" Star? Posted December 23, 2010 - By Joseph Baxter
Comic book legendMark Millar has sort of a "reputation," if you will, for stirring thepot of rumors for upcoming projects. With a recent tweet, it seems that he'sshowing no signs of stopping. Talks of a movie project for his still-new title Superior with Marvel's creator-owned Icon label havealready been swirling. However, if we were to take the word of the quirkyScotsman, then said project is set for what he is describing as "the mosthigh profile actor of 2010." From that quote, general speculation seems tobe pointed to Leonardo DiCaprio. However, those are just opinions and we willapparently get the official word in January. Without even specifying which rolethe actor in question would be taking, this is one of those news tidbits thatessentially serves only to tell you what you don't know. However, anothercritical question one might have is: What is Superior?
As Millar tweeted:
"Huge News: Superior movie just locked down most high profileactor of 2010. Official release in January. PS Issue 3 is out today. GETSOME!!"
With its first issuehaving hit just this fall, the title focuses on Simon Pooni, a young boy whoonce had it all as a popular basketball player in school, but was struck downwith multiple sclerosis and confined to a wheelchair. His imagination becamehis only escape, specifically with a superhero movie centered on a charactercalled Superior. However, fate would soon have plans forSimon that would exceed merely living vicariously through fiction when he wasvisited by a powerful alien. Told that he was chosen out of all the people onEarth, he was give one magical wish. The result, was his transformation intothe very superhero he idolized. As the living embodiment of Superior, he fights crime, while dealing with thefallout with his parents from his alleged "disappearance" after his transformation.
So, this isessentially a take on the old Billy Batson/Captain Marvel story, but with sometouching elements that make the character's rise to greatness even more poignant.Though unlike Millar's other recently film-adapted Kick-Ass, this is a storythat focuses on a protagonist that understands each side of the coin betweenadulation and humility. If the "high profile" actor Millar mentionedis to be for the role of Superior himself, then judging by looks alone, is either Sam Worthington, JoshBrolin, or Jon Hamm. Surely, there would be some comic elements, in which case,Hamm may be the better choice. But who knows?It's all rumors, thus far.
Stan Lee Gets Star On HollywoodWalk Of Fame Posted 3 days ago - By Joseph Baxter
Yesterday, a manwhose creations were responsible for putting billions into Hollywood revenue circles has been finally given hisdue respects. Introduced in a ceremony by Gill Champion, COO and co-founder ofhis production company Pow! Entertainment, and legend in his own right, Spawncreator Todd McFarlane, Stan Lee was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. The iconic Marvel guru'slist of creations reads like an almost surreal roll-call of the most popularcharacters conceived in the last 50 years such as Spider-Man, Hulk, FantasticFour, X-Men, and many more. Among the other 2,427 names who grace the walkwaybetween Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, Lee's contribution to pop culture and the imaginations of millionsaround the world are massively undeniable, and frankly, long overdue.
As the officialpress release explains his accolade:
In 1981 Stan Leetransformed his Spider-Man and Hulk creations into Saturday morning andsyndicated television cartoons. When Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions wereacquired by New World Entertainment in 1986, Stan’s horizons expanded evenfurther, giving him the opportunity to become more deeply involved in thecreation and development of filmed projects for both the big and small screen.He supervised such diverse animated series as X-Men, Spider-Man and The Hulk.To date, Stan’s characters have populated over 24 separate television series,all of which continue in syndication around the world.
Accepting thehonors, a humble, yet sharp-witted 88 year-old Lee quipped:
"I want tothank the men who are responsible for putting that star there, but I can't,because I don't know their names."
Recalling advice(real or not) given to him by the legendary suspense director Alfred Hitchcock,who, like Lee, was known for managing to squeeze himself into cameo roles inhis films, Lee recounts:
"I remember asa young man when he dangled me on his knee and Alfred said to me: 'Stan, don'twaste time trying to be a screen star, there's too much competition. Get intocameos!'"
Congratulations toStan "The Man!" We look forward to every single one of your cameosfor years to come.
No Shared Universe For The Dark Knight RisesAnd Superman Reboot? Posted 3 days ago - By Joseph Baxter
Producer CharlesRoven has credits attributed to him in a vast array of big movies, includingsome of the biggest comic book film adaptations. Two of those happen to be theupcoming third film in Christopher Nolan's Batman series, The Dark Knight Risesand Zack Snyder's upcoming reboot of Superman. In a recent interview discussinghis current project, Nicolas Cage vehicle Season of the Witch, he answers a fewquestions about the two highly-anticipated films. While both movies are slatedfor the second half of 2012, they've been the subject of speculation for fewyears, at this point. One major point of speculation, which was re-stoked lastmonth with another rumor, surrounded whether or not DC and Warner would takethe reboot of Superman as an opportunity to link together the movie universesof its two signature heroes. Well, Roven would not only address this issue, butalso discusses the process that both directors Nolan and Snyder will undergo,with the shooting of these films likely to begin real soon.When asked theimportant question of whether or not the upcoming Batman and Superman filmswould share a single universe, Roven, (to his credit as a straight-shooter,)answered emphatically "no." Adding:
"That may be insomebody's mind but right now the Batman lives in his world and the Supermanlives in his world. Those stories are those stories and we haven't thoughtbeyond each individual picture."
Roven now findshimself balancing a huge workload, bouncing back and forth between the Batmanand Superman projects. The focus right now, is to make sure that each film willbe good in its own right, not on any crossover potential.
"Right now DarkKnight Rises is coming out in the summer of 2012 and Superman is coming out inthe winter of 2012. So hopefully -- and we're just at the beginning phases ofboth of them. We haven't even entered official pre-production on either one ofthem -- there will be a little bit of room. They're both going to be longshoots. I'm sure there's going to be some overlap, but hopefully there'll be aslittle overlap as possible."
He also assuresthat, although it will be his last Bat-film, The Dark Knight Rises will receivethe full undistracted attention of Christopher Nolan's talents.
"I've said thisabout Chris before: I've never known Chris to do anything but focus on themovie he's making. He gets completely immersed in the movie he's doing and Iknow that all he's thinking about right now when it comes to Batman, the DarkKnight Rises, is making it the best movie he can. He's not thinking, "willthere be another one?"
However, withNolan's impending exit, you do get the sense that DC/Warner are also quietlywatching how things progress over at Marvel with the string of comic book filmsbuilding-up to 2012 mega-event, The Avengers. If indeed, that franchise becomesa box-office golden goose, then regardless of the state of things right now, Iwouldn't expect to see Batman warm the bench with his kevlar butt-huggers fortoo long after Nolan's departure. With this summer's Green Lantern also animportant test for the idea of a broader stable of heroes, talk of a string ofJustice League films would undoubtedly start to swirl and I could easily see DCattempt to create a similar momentum buildup with a (...gulp) new Batmanseries, one that will be crossover-friendly.
Elijah Wood To Return As Frodo In The Hobbit?Posted Yesterday 12:02 PM -By Joseph Baxter
We last saw ElijahWood's Frodo in a tear-inducing, bittersweet goodbye as his ticket was punchedon Middle Earth's Love Boat for a one-way trip to the Undying Lands. (Cancún.)However, it turns out that may not be the last time we see him. While thecasting news we've been getting over the last few months have confirmed someminor anachronistic straying from the book, the latest may blow all of thataway. Fan site TheOneRing (a fairly reliable source,) is reporting that ElijahWood will reprise his role as Frodo in the upcoming films. Indeed, we alwaysknew that Peter Jackson and company would need to utilize some unorthodoxstrategy in order to adapt the relatively short novel of The Hobbit into atwo-part 3D epic for the big screen. (And for the record, that's a good thing!)So, you may ask yourself : "Doesn't The Hobbit take place like 80 yearsbefore The Lord of the Rings?" Well, once you hear the explanation, itwill make sense. However, it's also kind of spoileriffic, so I would adviseonly clicking the read more link if you don't mind being privy to that sort ofthing. Rest assured, it won't involve time-traveling DeLoreans, Skynet, or theschlepping of humpback whales.
Apparently, TheHobbit will open in a time period during or after the events of The Lord of theRings. The key to Woods' appearance, seems to be the red book that we've seenBilbo and later Frodo himself use to document their adventures. (Which waseventually given to Sam at the very end.) Its role in the Tolkien universewould go on further in the continuing Middle Earth history, known as the"Red Book of Westmarch." It is believed that Frodo, possiblyaccompanied by Hobbit companions Sam (Sean Astin,) Merry (Dominic Monaghan,)and Pippin (Billy Boyd) will sit down in a mellow moment and recite Bilbo'sentry into the holy Hobbit book entitled "There And Back Again." Isuppose it's comparable to the wraparound story of The NeverEnding Story, in whichyoung outcast Bastian hides away to read the book, which then illustrates thestory of hero Atreyu in the fantasy world to the audience. (Or The PrincessBride as another example of that type of device.)
In theirconfirmation of Wood's involvement in the film, TOR also makes note that thescript will not be changed to accommodate him. We can take that to mean thatthis flash-forward sequence has been in the works all along. While the returnsof other Hobbits Astin, Monaghan, and Boyd are not confirmed, it does seemlikely, given not only the need for people with which Frodo would interact, butwhat a reunion would mean to this cast, who did become so close over the yearsfilming the trilogy. Yet, with Cate Blanchett also confirmed to reprise herLOTR role as Galadriel and Orlando Bloom looking very likely to return asLegolas for the main story (remember, Elves have very long lives,) we stillawait the official confirmation of the extremely necessary returns of IanMcKellen as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and Hugo Weaving as Elrond.
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