by Daniel Robert Epstein

Joss Whedon’s television series Firefly was cancelled before it’s time by the FOX network. Now the company that’ owns NBC, Universal Studios, is continuing the adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and his band of outlaws in the movie, Serenity. It has all the elements that made Whedon’s television works great, such as hot asskicking females, humor with a sly wink, and well thought out scripts, but now it’’s backed by a $40 million budget.

Read our exclusive interview with Joss Whedon on SuicideGirls.com.

by A.J. Focht

The Avengers is just over a week away, and the last batch of promotional material has hit. A new scene from the movie was released, as well as a behind the scenes video. Director Joss Whedon gave more insight to the movie and why you should see it during an interview with some collegiate newspapers this past week.

During an MTV interview with Samuel L. Jackson, the actor described his vision of a S.H.I.E.L.D movie. His casting leaves out Agent Coulson which has again given rise to the rumor that he will die in The Avengers, and even possibly be recreated as Vision. Whedon previously went as far to say they would change his background so he was created by Tony Stark. Could Coulson become Vision? Could Vision be Marvel’s secret unnamed movie for 2013? Guess we have to wait till May 4 to know for sure.

The Dark Knight Rises has been all but forgotten in the wake of excitement for The Avengers. Now, they plan to capitalize on that by releasing their trailer before The Avengers. Christopher Nolan is really pushing the IMAX release with over an hour of IMAX footage. A ‘reliable source’ at Cosmic Booknews who saw the first showing says it is better than The Dark Knight. In a similar vein, Tom Hardy recently compared Bane to the Joker to show why he was worthy to come after the Clown Prince.

While the superhero movies are fighting it out for the summer box office crown, Peter Jackson is using The Hobbit to advance film production everywhere. Jackson has shot the first half of The Hobbit: An Enexpected Journey at 48 fps (frames per second). Current industry standard is 24 fps. Because Hobbit is looking to be such a major movie event, many theaters will be forced to upgrade their equipment to show the film. This paves the way for other filmmakers, who will be able to shoot movies at 48 fps without fear of the theatres not having the equipment to show them.

Before Watchmen will hit comic stands everywhere in June. You don’t have to wait till then to get an idea of what’s in store however. Twenty-one illustrations and concept art pieces were leaked this past week. The leaked images include costume designs for most of the characters, including some you wouldn’t expect like Hooded Justice. There are also a few full page sketches.

Premiering on April 27th on EPIX is With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story. Just before its release, a sneak peek was let out to show fans what’s in store. The documentary covers the life of comic book legend, Generalissimo Stan Lee.

New photos have landed on the Ender’s Game production blog. The pics now include: Ender’s room, the neck implants, and a simulator. The Ender’s Game movie is scheduled for release in November 2013.

Would you like a new Star Trek series? Well whether you get one is apparently up to J.J. Abrams. The creator of Pushing Daisies, Brain Fuller, was really gung-ho about pitching the idea. Now Fuller says that if a Star Trek series were to happen, it would be after the next movie and Abrams would be in command. J.J. Abrams has apparently become ‘the guardian of Trek’ and nothing will happen without his input.

by Damon Martin

The Walking Dead will begin principle photography again this May in Georgia, with Season 3 set to debut most likely in October 2012, but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t already clamoring for more information. The Season 2 finale left a lot of jaws hitting the floor after Herschel’s farm and house were stormed by walkers, and the group fled for cover hoping to stay together and find refuge from the zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead‘s executive producer and show runner Glen Mazzara has let a few secrets out of the bag surrounding the next season of the popular AMC drama. One of the most anticipated aspects will be the continuation of the close of the final episode of last season in which a cloaked and hooded figure carrying a sword and two armless, jawless zombies came out from nowhere to lop the head off an attacker, and save Andrea, who was left behind amidst the madness at the farm.

Fans of the comic book realized pretty quickly that this katana wielding badass was Michonne, a pivotal character in creator Robert Kirkman’s zombie opus. Now Mazzara, who revealed the casting behind Michonne just after the season finale, lets a little bit more information slip about a character that he says will be extremely important to The Walking Dead:

“Michonne is one of the lead characters in the graphic novel, so we’re excited to finally introduce her. She is a loner. She’s a kick ass character. She’s very dynamic and we really see her as a very, very important addition to the cast. She’s a significant character and she’ll be carrying a lot of story, so we’re excited about her…

“We’re also excited about (Denai Guerrera) who is the young actress who is going to play this role, so we’re lucky to have her and look forward to seeing what she does with it.”

While the show has deviated from Kirkman’s source material on several occasions, as well as introduced new characters that were never actually in the comic books, Mazzara looks at Michonne as a piece that comes from the page straight to the screen. From her shadowy entrance cloaked in darkness to what they have planned for her in season three, Michonne will be a pivotal part of the group when they pick up later this year. Mazzara explains:

“She comes from the comic book. She feels like she stepped off those pages into the show. I think that’s exciting. That’s a challenge for us but, you know, knowing me as a writer, I think I’m going to keep it real, keep it grounded because if it doesn’t feel real I think the audience will not be able to put themselves in the immediate circumstances of the story…

“I think our show is successful because people watching say, oh, I’d be dead now or I’d kill that guy or I’d shoot him in the leg and get away. I think that’s what’s fun about the show. We’re very consciously trying not to keep the show too serialized, not have an overdeveloped mythology so that it’s accessible to people in the way that a good horror movie is. I find the best horror movies to be very simple and that’s something that’s important and so I think overall my entire intention of the show is to keep the show grounded, real and Michonne is going to be a great challenge.”

Another major character that will be introduced in Season 3 is the brutal villain known only The Governor. Portrayed by veteran British actor David Morrissey, The Governor is the leader of the town of Woodbury in the comic books, and was rated No. 86 by IGN in the greatest villains in comic book history. Mazzara says that The Governor and his town of Woodbury will be a big part of Season 3, but the prison that was introduced in the closing scenes of Season 2 will also be a major player this year and it will roll into Season 4 as well. Mazzara said:

“I do see that prison as a significant storyline for Season 3 and Season 4. I do think that’s a major story line. I know we were on the farm for longer than perhaps people wanted. There were reasons for that. I think what we want to do is make sure that that prison does not become claustrophobic. I think the farm played a little claustrophobic for people. The farm — now that the entire landscape has fallen to the zombie apocalypse and zombies are literally at the gate of the prison — if you see the graphic novel, that prison is really, you know, a very, very small, safe corner and there’s a lot of danger around. So it won’t feel like we are bottled up in the same way that we were in — on the farm in Season 3 let’s say…

“So I do think that prison is a significant storyline. But we’re interested also in opening up the world. You know, the governor has a world of (Woodbury). There are other factors out there in the world, other groups. So I think that Rick’s group is really stumbling into a much larger world.”

As a whole, The Walking Dead has tackled some tough subjects head on thus far through two seasons, but readers of the comic books know that The Governor gets his wickedly evil reputation through his deeds and heinous self-serving behavior. There are some extremely brutal scenes therefore played out in the comic book, but would the show runners at The Walking Dead on AMC be able to work those particular aspects into the show, or are some things just taboo?

“I know what you’re referring to and we have to put our own spin…I would say this, there’s no place we won’t go…Everything is on the table. This is a cutting edge cable drama. I’m comfortable with that material and we answered a lot of these questions on The Shield when I worked there, so I’m comfortable dealing with very, very edgy material.”

Some other interesting plot points that Mazzara revealed about possible Season 3 moments include the introduction of more characters from the comic books such as Tyrese. We’re also likely to discover what happened to Morgan and Duane (the characters introduced in the first episode that helped to save Rick). The re-introduction of Michael Rooker’s character Merle Dixon (Rooker also confirmed his role previously for Season 3) is also much anticipated.

Season 3 may still be a month out from shooting, and several months away from debuting on AMC, but it looks like there are plenty of surprises in store for fans when the show returns later this year.

Related Posts:

NEW SG Interview: The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker – Merle Is Back
NEW SG Interview: The Walking Dead’s Irone Singleton aka T-Dog
The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale Recap: And Hell Followed Them

by Damon Martin

“Now I can say yes, T-Dog is back!”
– Irone Singleton

Surviving two seasons on AMC’s The Walking Dead is no easy task. But for veteran actor Irone Singleton, it’s a pleasure picking up a script each week, although he admits it’s better once he finds out that his character T-Dog survives.

Singleton has been a part of both seasons of the record breaking cable series, and he recently sat down and talked about the Season 2 finale, what’s coming up for T-Dog in Season 3, and answers the most important question ever about The Walking Dead.

Damon Martin: Let’s start with the very morbid nature of the show in the sense that anybody can go at any time. As an actor, when you get your script every week, are you reading through to check you’re still there? Cause this is a show where there are no guarantees

Irone Singleton: I know right? Kind of like The Sopranos, and somebody else mentioned 24, although I never really watched 24 – I heard it’s a phenomenal show. But we’re always looking over our back like ‘am I the one that’s going to get it today?’ It’s like that. Especially early on it was like that. When I received the script and I read through the part where T-Dog slices his arm, I’m like, ‘how big is this slice?’ He’s bleeding profusely, so I was like, ‘let me jump to the back of the script.’ So I jumped to the back of the script cause I wanted to see if T-Dog was still alive at the end. He was still alive, so I wiped the sweat bubbles from my forehead, and then I jumped back to the beginning so I could read for sheer entertainment value as opposed to reading for my life.

DM: When you work on a show you become close with the people you’re cast with; how tough was it when you read that script or you got that call sheet and found out Jon Bernthal (Shane) was leaving. How tough is that as an actor to see?

IS: I considered them my extended family, my second family away from home and we did get very close. I have special relationships with all of them and it was in it’s own unique way. To see them go, there were very wet eyes. Tearful moments. We had those moments with Jon Bernthal and I, and Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), and we’d look at each other and be like ‘wow, this is the end of the road for us on this journey right here.’ It was a nice moment, but sad to see them go.

DM: Now you’ve survived through Season 2 and we’re on our way to Season 3 so everybody wants to know are we going to see more of T-Dog?

IS: I’m hoping so. I’m glad that T-Dog survived. Doing interviews before the season finale, I had to keep people wondering whether or not he survived, so now I can say, ‘yes, T-Dog is back!’

DM: So we know that Michael Rooker will be back as Merle Dixon for Season 3. The character interaction you guys had during the first season really kicked things off for this show, so I have to imagine things are going to get interesting when you cross paths again.

IS: It is going to be interesting. Actually T-Dog and Merle did meet up 2 weeks ago in Cherry Hills, New Jersey and there was a bit of a stand off, and Merle got a bit of his edge. We were there with the zombie survival crew at Monster Mania, and he served T-Dog octopus sashimi, and that is something that T-Dog does not like at all, but he forced it to him with chopsticks. You’ll probably stumble across that picture on Twitter or Facebook or something like that, so I think that’s a pre-cursor to what Merle has coming. It may not be good

DM: When you become a part of a series like The Walking Dead, you really become synonymous with that series and with comic book, science fiction and horror fans. If you walked into San Diego Comic Con you’d get mobbed by 50,000 fans. How much has your life changed since doing The Walking Dead? I mean 50 years from now people are still going to remember your performance from this show.

IS: That’s a big statement and it feels good. My life has gone from one extreme to the other. A line I use in my one-man show, I say, ‘I feel my life is going from the abyss to the utopia of the spiritual spectrum.’ I’ve come from an environment where I was spiritually dead, my conscience was for the most part dormant, so I am now at a point in my life where I have acknowledged a responsibility to be a role model. That’s where I am now. God has put me in a position where I have a platform to where many people hear me, and respect my message when I speak it, so that is exactly where I am, from one extreme to the other. It’s such a great feeling to be a part of such a distinguished group.

DM: There’s so much to talk about the Season 2 finale, but I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead comic book, so I want to talk to you about the dark hooded swordsman that saved Andrea’s life at the end of the episode. For comic book fans, and as Robert Kirkman announced after the show, that is the famous character Michonne, who has now been cast with actress Danai Gurira. What did you think of that appearance; Were you a fan of the comics? Did you see that coming?

IS: I read the comics and I dipped around and read the part with Michonne, but I haven’t gotten through it. I think she may prove to be an excellent choice. (Danai Gurira) is beautiful, and I think this could work out here. I’m looking forward to that experience. I had no idea she was even in the running. They were talking about somebody from True Blood, and a couple of other names came up, but they announced her and I started to do a bit of research, and I was like, ‘wow okay, this might work out!’ I’m happy.

DM: One of the best parts of The Walking Dead is the fact that there are comics out there, and some of the iconic things that happened in the Season 2 finale are already building for Season 3. Michonne showing up, we saw the last shot of the prison to close the episode, we know they cast The Governor already, who is a major character in the comics. Is it cool that they set things up so well to get fans already excited about what’s coming next, and the show doesn’t start again for several months?

IS: I know, I’m excited too. I feel the same way. I think those shots are so epic. My wife and I were trying to figure out which shot was most epic. Was it the one with Michonne at the end with that cloak over her head? Or was it the prison shot, the overhead shot? Was it the barn burning at the end? So many epic shots and all of them kind of just have me waiting on next season. We should just petition for a year round Walking Dead show.

DM: The great thing about The Walking Dead is that while obviously they are living in a zombie apocalypse, the story really revolves around these characters and building their stories. It seems the way the storytelling is done on this show, both in the dramatic dialogue scenes and in the action scenes, it’s just really excellent.

IS: You’re getting me excited, stop it. This thing is so brilliant, it’s brilliantly written and mapped out. The folks at AMC that have to do all of this, they have to walk that tight rope. I mean you have to satisfy at least two demographics; You have to satisfy the one that want the guts and the gore, and then you have the other side, they love the story and the drama. Then you have the group like me, I’m right in the middle. I love them both. I thought it was brilliant, where you’re on the farm, but then you have zombies through there. You want it to count when you have zombies, you don’t want to have zombies on every episode. It gets old. So it’s brilliant.

DM: This is my last question before I let you go. Because you are a big part of The Walking Dead, you’re part of the family there, and I know you know all the inside information. Can you tell me, does Carl ever stay in the house?

IS: [Laughing] Great question. Carl does not, but Chandler does. Chandler Riggs stays in the house. Carl doesn’t. I don’t know what’s going on with Carl.

Related Posts:
Interview with The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker – Merle Is Back
The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale Recap: And Hell Followed Them

by Fred Topel

When you hear Jason Segal and Ed Helms star in Jeff, Who Lives At Home, you might think of some wacky screwball comedy. It is a comedy, but not like you’d expect. Segal plays Jeff, and he has yet to move out, but he is a philosophical loser. He has embraced the movie Signs for its message that everything happens for a reason, and he looks for signs to guide him through life. Indeed the events of the movie lead him to a spectacular conclusion.

Jeff is the fourth film written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass. The indie filmmakers let their actors improvise, and they frequently mix tones. Their Puffy Chair and Cyrus also had family drama like Jeff, while Baghead was a horror movie. Besides Jeff’s spiritual awakening, the film also deals with the breakup of his brother (Helms)’ marriage.

Mark Duplass may have a face you recognize too. He appears in many movies and on TV’s The League. He is also a retired musician. When he heard a reporter from Suicide Girls was interviewing him it reminded him of his rock n’ roll days.

Read our exclusive interview with Jay and Mark Duplass on SuicideGirls.com.

by Blogbot

The first episode of Wil Wheaton’s board game show, TableTop, is now live (see above). The series is part of Felica Day’s newly launched Geek & Sundry premium YouTube channel lineup. In this installment, Wil and guests Sean Plott (Day9TV and Starcraft II), Grant Imahara (Mythbusters), and Jenna Busch (geek writer and host) play Small World – a fantasy race board-based adventure which received the Best New Game Award from Games magazine in 2010.

Read our interview with Wil Wheaton re. TableTop on SuicideGirls.com, and join SG’s Board Game Group to talk about your favorite board games, ask about ones you’re curious about, and find gamers in your area.

by Nicole Powers

As a beloved (and much missed) former Newswire editor, Wil Wheaton needs little by way of introduction within the SuicideGirls community. A revered Star Trek: Next Generation alumni, after his role on the show came to an end, Wheaton turned to writing, carving a significant niche for himself as a geek’s geek in the early blogosphere. He was also one of the first power users on Twitter, and is a prolific poster on G+ and now Facebook (a platform he’d deliberately avoided until recently). Wheaton has also been working as an actor with increasing regularity of late, thanks to reoccurring roles in Eureka, Leverage, The Big Bang Theory, and Felicia Day’s hugely popular web-based show The Guild.

For his latest project, TableTop, Wheaton and Day have joined forces again. The new web series will be broadcast on Day’s Google-funded premium YouTube channel Geek & Sundry. This time Wheaton is also wearing the executive producer’s hat, as well as appearing on camera as the show’s host. TableTop aims to combine the aesthetic of celebrity poker with Wheaton’s passion for tabletop games – something he hopes to instill in even the most reluctant of gamers via the show.

We caught up with Wheaton by phone to talk TableTop. Read our exclusive interview with Wil Wheaton on SuicideGirls.com.

Join SG’s Board Game Group to talk about your favorite board game with like minded people, look for gamers in your area, and ask about games you’re curious about.