by A.J. Focht

Another batch of photos from the Amazing Spider-Man have been released. Unlike the previous photos that have focused on Andrew Garfield and the Spider-Man suit, these photos include shots of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy as well.

Despite all the drama surrounding Patty Jenkins’ departure from Thor 2, Marvel studios is pushing forward and has announced that Game of Thrones director Helmer Alan Taylor will now be directing the film. Assuming there are no other delays, the film should be set to meet the previously scheduled November 15, 2013 release date.

Walt Disney, parent company of Marvel, is getting their greedy hands into the comic giant’s upcoming projects. Despite all of the calls not to, Disney will be releasing The Avengers in 3D. The film was not shot in 3D, and the 3D will all be added in postproduction. The good news is Joss Whedon has come out and said that the film will not be “obnoxiously 3D.”

Speaking of Disney messing with the Marvel movies, they have also announced that an unnamed Marvel project has been bumped up from June 2014 to April 2014. With one other unnamed project scheduled for May 2014, there are rumors that it is because the films will be related in some way. As the two movies are still unannounced though, speculation is rife as to what they might be.

There is confirmation that Watchmen 2 is underway. Bleeding Cool published the cover art to Watchemen 2, but was then contacted by DC and asked to remove it. Most of the reposts have also been taken down, but we can tell you they featured Nite Owl by Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert.

The cast of Ender’s Game has just gained some true star power. Harrison Ford has officially signed on to play Colonel Hyram Graff. And in case Ford doesn’t provide enough box office oomph, they have also landed Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) to portray Petra Arkanian. This cast of the film is really giving me high hopes that it will end up a sci-fi classic rather than a dud.

On the day the Prometheus trailer was to release, it was leaked. Just hours after, the official trailer was “debuted” by the studio. It finally sheds some light on what the movie is about. Simply put: as humans search for their beginning, they may find their end.

More news from Middle-earth; To help celebrate the holidays, Peter Jackson posted his fifth production blog. This video focused on the location of the shooting, and includes some reasoning for filming in New Zealand.

It’s always fun to see the power of the internet in action. It’s even more fun to see the power of fanboys and fangirls – especially when they’re angry that their favorite sci-fi show has been cancelled unduly early. A few months ago, University of Wisconsin-Stout theater professor James Miller, who was also such a fanboy, posted an infamous Firefly quote outside his office to protest against the show’s untimely demise at the hands of Fox.

You don’t know me, son, so let me explain this to you once: If I ever kill you, you’ll be awake. You’ll be facing me. And you’ll be armed.

The campus police failed to appreciate the geeky reference, or the irony – that the quote isn’t about killing but about playing fair – and removed the “offending” quotation. But it didn’t end there. The school authorities threatened Miller with criminal charges, and fearing for his job, he contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to defend his right to free speech. After the school refused to back down, the case was taken to the internet jury. This video explains how the online massive – and Neil Gaiman – helped Miller defeat the close-minded educational institution.

A final cheerful clip to brighten the last of the holidays, for those who didn’t catch it, Stan Lee had an amazing cameo in Chuck’s holiday special.

by A.J. Focht

Attached to the Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol IMAX screenings is a new six minute prologue for Dark Knight Rises. Many bootlegged copies were spread around online after its release, but Warner Bros. has done a good job of shutting them all down. For those not able to visit an IMAX theater and see the prologue, the first official trailer has been released. While Christian Bale’s voice in The Dark Knight was a running joke, it looks like Bane’s voice may be worse. Even though Warner Bros. is nervous about the fan response to the voice, Nolan refuses to change it.

Reports that Patty Jenkins left her position directing Thor 2 of her own accord may have been fabricated. Recently, sources reveal that she may have been terminated without any proper cause. Natalie Portman is said to be very upset over these changes, as she signed onto the film specifically because Jenkins was supposed to be directing it. While it’s unclear which story is correct, there is clearly drama brewing among the cast that could affect the movie’s deadline.

No more waiting for bits and pieces of information on the Amazing Spider-Man. Sony has launched the official website for the film. The site includes photos, trailers, information and more goodies. Any information on the movie that you’ve been wanting will likely be found there.

Following the release of a batch of posters last week, the producers of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance have released a new official trailer. It definitely captures the dark tone that the new film was going for while keeping the black humor that fans expect.

That’s it for the superhero movies, but there is one other big superhero project on the horizon. Marvel Comics will be making a novel adaptation of their classic Civil War storyline. Civil War was one of the most groundbreaking events in comics, and the novel, to be written by Stuart Moore, is set to hit shelves in June 2012.

Ridley Scott released a series of posters for his upcoming project Prometheus earlier this week, and has followed them up with teaser trailer footage. The first official full trailer will release this Thursday. While the project is not related to the Aliens universe, the posters and footage give it a very similar feeling.

First he’s in Oz, then he’s not, and now he is again. The roller coaster that is Bruce Campbell’s role in the upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful has kept the rumor mill turning. Most recently, we hear he’s back in and they have shot footage. While we still don’t know exactly what role he is playing, he did mention he will have a confrontation with Oz (played by James Franco).

For the manga lovers out there, there is some great news regarding Rurouni Kenshin. The first trailer of the live action movie has hit the internet. The film looks extremely well done, and the character casting appears to be spot on. It’s currently slated to hit Japanese theaters on August 25, 2012.

A full synopsis of The Hobbit has been released. No real surprises here, but a good chance to familiarize yourself with the story and what you can expect from the movie, if you don’t know already that is. To go along with that, the official trailer has been released. It’s looking to be just as epic as any of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Who is the best vampire slayer of all-time? If you answered Blade or Buffy, you’re wrong. The correct answer is, Abraham Lincoln. New posters for Tim Burton’s imagining of the Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter book have been released. The official plot synopsis tells us that the film will explore the secret life of our greatest president, an untold story that shaped our nation. Amongst the wave of Twilight-inspired vampire trash, it will be nice to have a quality, dark, and likely humorous vampire story told in a way that only Tim Burton can.

On a final note, Doctor Who: Worlds In Time will preview this week. The new game based on the popular BBC sci-fi series is a free-to-play, browser based MMO game. Players choose their avatars and interact in a game environment with a traditional ‘Flash-based’ art style. While it’s not a big budget MMO, it should be a nice treat for those whole like to spend quality time with Time Lords.

by Bob Suicide

Bob Suicide’s Top 10 Gadgets For The Naughty N’ Nice Nerd In Your Life.

1. The Star Wars Wampa Rug ($99.99) or Taun Taun Sleeping Bag ($99.99)

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but inside a TaunTaun it’s SO delightful. Cozy up and get your geek on with some of the greatest plush reproductions from the best movie in the series.

2. Star Trek Enterprise Pizza Cutter ($19.99)

Take your cooking where it’s never been before. It’s a great stocking stuffer. And, made with the same level of quality that Starfleet expects from all of its ships.

3. Lego Death Star Tree Ornament (Approx $18-28.00)

Order the parts from Lego and let the force be with you as you build a superweapon capable of destroying all other Xmas ornament competition.

4. Uncharted 3 CE for PlayStation 3 ($74.99)

You can never go wrong with a quality collector’s edition and the Uncharted 3 CE was one of the best of the season. It’s like 4 gifts in one!

5. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Xbox 360 ($49.99)

And, speaking of video games, your loveable nerd’s holiday isn’t complete without Spike’s Game of the Year: Skyrim. You may never see them again after the holiday. But, you’ll know they’re happy wherever they are — battling dragons. EFFING DRAGONS!!!

6. Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 ($264.95)

What programmer doesn’t want a robot butler? Or a robot alligator to guard the house? Give your geek a Mindstorm and they’ll build you something better, faster, stronger – but beware, this is how Skynet starts. Hey, it may be the end of the world, but it’s the thought that counts!

7. Portal 2: Light Up PotatOS ($29.99)

Remember when you were a kid and you did the potato-as-a-conductor-for-light experiment. Well, now, kids (big and small) can not only make a potato give light, you can make it insult you too — just what you’ve always wanted!

8. Munchkin Quest the Board Game. ($37.11)

Remember when you used to play D&D with your friends for hours, I mean days, on end? Well, add witty cards (and sometimes lots of Cuthulu), grab some friends, and relive the magic! And, while your at it, get the iPhone/Android app for extra perks!!!

9. 8-bit Glasses ($390.00)

They’re super-pricey and hipsters might adopt them ironically, but the geek with cash and class can admire the retro- grooviness of these 8 bit specs.

10. Star Wars Motorcycle Suits ($1,150.00)

I don’t really have to sell you on this one. The Dark Side sells itself. 😛

[..]

by A.J. Focht

The first official teaser posters for The Dark Knight Rises have been released. The posters feature Batman’s shattered helmet and Bane walking away. This would be a good time to remember that Bane is known as ‘the man who broke the bat,’ however, Bane supposedly isn’t the only villain at play in the film…

The first teaser poster for The Amazing Spider-Man has also been released. The film will be released on July 3, 2012, and the poster more than hints that it will tell ‘the untold story.’ With Gwen Stacy cast in the film, I really hope that this film sets up for the famous “Death of the Stacy’s” storyline.

Upping the movie posters ante, the producers of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance released several posters to promote their film which will hit screens in February 2012. Designs vary from the artistic to the simplistic, with one notable one being based on the classic cult movie poster.

At the rate Hollywood is producing superhero movies, it’s very likely there could be a Black Widow movie on the way. Especially in light of the fact that Scarlett Johansson has come out saying she would be interested in signing on for a movie primarily featuring the heroine. There is nothing in the works at the moment, but Johansson has made it clear she’s up for a return to the roll.

“I love playing the Widow. I think she’s got a very interesting past, a lot of storylines to explore, and certainly Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios’ president] loves that character … I think that Marvel has a very personal relationship with their fans, and I think if the fans want it, and the audience wants it, nothing’s impossible. I would love to explore that option as well. Like I said, I love the character and it would be nice to see something nice and gritty.”

Plans to move forward with Thor 2 are progressing swiftly. The Hollywood Reporter has released the names of two potential directors looking to fill the void left by Patty Jenkins. Alan Taylor and Daniel Minahan are both being considered for the position. Marvel has also shortened the list of potential script writers; the new list includes Robert Rodat and Roger Avary.

If you thought the Transformers series was over, you thought wrong. For better or worse, Michael Bay is back at it and in final negotiations to direct a fourth film in the series. Bay has been assembling a cast for the project and it looks like formal details will be announced shortly.

Following the Men in Black 3 teaser poster which was released last week, a trailer has also hit the YouTubes. Seems, in order to fight the alien menace this time, Agent J is going to have to go to back to the past and enlist K’s help.

Despite all of the talk about Khan appearing in Star Trek 2, Simon Pegg has gone on record as saying he has heard no talk of Khan in the film. As far as Scotty is concerned, there is no Khan in the movie, and he even thinks it might be a little tacky for them to do Khan as he has been done in previous films.

Spike TV held the 2011 Video Game Awards (VGA) this last week. Amongst a flurry of trailers for upcoming games and comic award presenters, twenty-five awards were given for to the best games of 2011. Batman: Arkham City took four of the awards including Best Xbox 360 Game and Character of the Year for the Joker. The big winner of Game of the Year was The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Their studio, Bethesda Games, also took Studio of the Year. Blizzard also used the VGAs to premiere the opening cinematic for the much anticipated Diablo 3.

Finally, George Takei, better known as Sulu, has a message for everyone re. the current Star Trek vs. Star Wars war. To recap, the recent battle was started by William Shatner, who proclaimed that Star Trek was superior to Star Wars in a video that did the rounds on YouTube. Carry Fisher then posted a few rebuttals in response. Now Takei is calling for an alliance. Instead of focusing our frustrations at our other ‘star-brothers,’ he asks that we work together to defeat the evil that is Twilight.

by A.J. Focht

The first official character bios for the Avengers movie have been released. No big surprises here, just most of what is already known about the movie’s all-star superhero cast. Regardless, it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with any characters you might not be completely sure about, like Hawkeye.

Continuing the trend of rebooting superhero movies, David Slade has given an update on his upcoming Daredevil flick. Slade announced that Brad Caleb Kane has finished the first draft of the script and that more news would come in the new year. The original Daredevil film was better than some superhero movies, but it was by no means up to standards that superhero movies try to uphold these days. Hopefully the reboot will fix that.

While DC comics are still successfully pushing their New 52, Marvel has plans to move forward with another one of their giant world events. Raising the stakes — which is difficult since comic book events normally are quite apocalyptic — Marvel is waging an all-out war between the Avengers and the X-Men. After Phoenix Force return to Earth to seek a new host, Hope Summer (Cyclops and Jean Grey’s daughter), the Avengers want to quarantine her, and the X-Men refuse to let them without a fight – gripping stuff!

While there is no word on the upcoming Metropolis project, it looks like there will be more Smallville, kind of. Bryan Q Miller is writing a new novel that tells the story of what happens to the cast afterwards. While there is no official word on this, it seems an awful lot like this novel could be the means of transitioning into the upcoming Metropolis project.

Lots of news coming from the starship Enterprise. First off, rumors of Benicio Del Toro playing Khan have been put to rest. But in light of this news, it’s been revealed that Peter Weller (RoboCop) has officially joined the cast of Star Trek 2. His role is currently unknown, but this sci-fi legend is a welcome addition to the cast. That’s not it either. Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League & Entourage) has also joined the cast, and will play a new character in the canon. Despite all the news about Star Trek 2, producers are apparently going to great lengths to keep details of the production secret, with prominent cast members such as Chekov and Sulu, being denied access to the script.

On to the Ender’s Game movie. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is in negotiations for the female lead. This is the second major cast announcement in as many weeks. It’s fair to assume there will be plenty more where those came from as Ender’s Game is set to release on March 15, 2013.

Iron Man screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby have completed the script for the next Tomb Raider film. The original portrayal of Lara Croft by Angelina Jolie is being tossed aside. “For me it’s re-inventing the wheel a bit, it’s a reboot. We’re going back before she was Lara Croft,” said producer Graham King, talking to Digital Spy about the nature of the origins-style screenplay.

Anyone else getting sick of the reboots yet? ‘Cause another prominent sci-fi classic, Starship Troopers is also getting a reboot – just 15 years out from the original!

The iconic Jaws ride at Universal Studios is being removed and replaced with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The attraction will be build along the same lines as the original in Orlando, which has proved to be so successful that Universal Studios and Warner Bros. have decided that it will be augmented with a large expansion.

Finally, 2012 looks like it’ll be a big year for Joss Whedon. With the release of the Avengers already on the books, Whedon recently revealed he has completed another project, Much Ado About Nothing. Now there’s a third movie in the lineup. A poster for a Whedon project called Cabin in the Woods has just surfaced, and was followed up by the release of an official trailer. The film is looking like it could be a fantastic sci-fi/horror movie, and will premiere on April 13, 2012.

by A.J. Focht

Possible SPOILERS from the Dark Knight Rises have hit the web. The spoilers revolve around the films prologue. If they are correct, there may be some major changes to Bane’s background story. The leak is unconfirmed and, therefore, it’s best to file this one under rumors.

Adding on to the series of disastrous events to befall The Wolverine, the film is being delayed again, and this time there is no speculation to when it may release. Maybe this should be a sign to scrap the project and let the series rest for a while.

Some big news for Ender’s Game fans, Asa Butterfield, star of the new box office hit Hugo, confirmed via Twitter that he will be playing the role of Ender. There had been reports he was offered the role, and he is very excited to take it. The movie is being directed by Wolverine Origins director Gavin Hood, and is scheduled to release in March of 2013.

Men in Black III is officially a go. The first teaser posters for the film have been released. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have returned as Agents ‘J’ and ‘K’. The posters don’t tell us much more than the fact the project has hit the marketing stage.

Star Trek 2 has received a new release date for May 2013. But that’s not all. Oscar winning composer, Michael Giacchino, is back on for the second film. And finally, it is confirmed the film will be shooting in 3D.

One last note about the movies, if you didn’t already think Twilight is hazardous to your health, it’s now been confirmed. Cases have been reported of viewers going into epileptic seizures during the birthing scene. Anyone susceptible to seizures should therefore avoid seeing Breaking Dawn.

Some great news for Bluntman & Chronic, Neil Gaiman has confirmed he’s agreed to voice Alfred in the cartoon via Twitter. The news of a cartoon is exciting enough, but to know that Neil Gaiman is on the project is just fantastic.

MTV Geek has released their Top 10 Comic Book Writers of 2011. It’s no surprise that many of the DC New 52 writers have made the list as well as a handful of independent comics. Deservingly, Animal Man writer Jeff Lemire has taken the top spot.

Before you go, enjoy David Tennant reading a bedtime story with penguins on CBeebies, courtesy of Geek Mom.

by A.J. Focht

Man of Steel is set to hit theatres on June 14, 2012, but the studio is already looking forward to the next film. A short list of writers has been drawn up. While some big names have made the list, Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer is not on it, indicating that the next Superman movie will be in fresh hands.

The cast and crew of The Amazing Spider-Man returned to New York to shoot a few additional scenes. Dozens of photos and a movie clip from the shoot have surfaced online. The Amazing Spider-Man is currently set to release in theatres on July 3, 2012.

J.J. Abrams has started location scouting for Star Trek 2. Most recently, he has been checking out Hawaii to serve as a jungle planet. Filming is currently set to start on January 15, 2012 with an expected 2013 release.

Writer of Juno and the upcoming Evil Dead, Diablo Cody, has spoken up about working on the Evil Dead project. She started off hesitant about taking the job until she realized Raimi and Campbell were behind it. Now she assures everyone that it will be scary and true to the original. It’s good to hear that the writer has many of the same concerns as the longtime fans.

In no surprising move, PBS will once again be airing BBC’s Sherlock. The first three mini-movie episodes were critically acclaimed, and brought PBS a ton of ratings. The next three mini-movie episodes will be airing, starting on May 6 at 9 PM.

Possibly the biggest news of the week is that Arrested Development has found a home for its final season. The good news is it won’t be on FOX. The better news? The rights to the show were bought by Netflix, making it the third series to air directly to the streaming service. This means you will need a Netflix account to watch Arrested Development’s last season, but you can always get a month for free.

Is there any idea worse than the Spider-Man musical? What about a Rocky musical? Well it may be happening. Sylvester Stallone is teaming up with world champion boxing brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko to produce Rocky: The Musical. All I can think of is a final seen with an opera singer version of Rocky screaming, ‘ADRIAN!”

Darth Vader has landed and is looking to dock in the Ukrain. A Ukraine citizen showed up to the mayor’s office in full Star War regalia to collect his 1,000 square meters of land that all citizens are granted. He claimed he needed the sea side land to park his space cruiser.

As 2011 starts coming to a close, there are going to be hundreds of ‘Best of 2011’ posts. A few of the geek ones have already started including several from MTV Geek. There are a few you might want to check out: Best Geek Moments of 2011, Best Comic Book Artists of 2011, and finally, the Best Video Games of 2011. This is one of the first best of video game posts, and I’ve calling the top two contenders for the last few weeks.