by A.J. Focht

Critics across the UK have taken a swing at the web swinger. Amazing Spider-Man is meeting mixed reviews across the pond. While some are calling it good, but not up to the standards of The Avengers, others are saying it was boring and underwhelming. The first review out of Belgium raved about how great Andrew Garfield was as Peter Parker. The others don’t quite agree, many saying he’s lost the classic Peter Parker sarcasm and wit.

A new television spot for The Dark Knight Rises has been released. There are some new clips in the trailer, but the high point is definitely the footage featuring the BatJet. The Dark Knight Rises is the last big superhero movie release of the summer. It hits theaters on July 20, but presale tickets are available now.

Early last week, gossip about Josh Hartnet being cast as Matt Murdock in the Daredevil reboot swarmed the internet. Director David Slade quickly squashed these rumors. He tweeted that not only was Hartnet not taking the part, but that they aren’t at the casting phase for the movie. During his tweets, he also announced that there are no intentions for the movie to be in 3D.

Nerds everywhere can relax. Paramount Pictures has pulled the plug on Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles. It looks like there will be no alien turtles from space, nor worries that the turtles won’t be teenagers. Although, another source says the movie has only been pushed back ten weeks.

Can the Time Lord live forever? Matt Smith hopes so. In a recent interview, he said he’d be interested in playing the part of the Eleventh Doctor forever, or as long as possible. No one knows when the Doctor number twelve’s time will come, but Smith hopes to stay in the TARDIS until the end of time.

During recent interviews, Chris Pine and Alex Kurtzman talked more about the upcoming Star Trek 2. Kurtzman spoke about the villain in the film, assuring fans that he was a scary badass that threatens to steal the show. Where the first Star Trek was about the crew’s relationships, Star Trek 2 will focus on the villain and how the crew has to work together to defeat him. It was also confirmed the film is being shot in IMAX.

If you can’t wait for Star Trek 2 for your fix of Enterprise-bourne action, you can look forward to the new Star Trek: The Next Generation comic. Entitled Hive, it will debut in September 2012 and will feature Picard and his crew fighting against the Borg who have assimilated the entire galaxy.

by A.J. Focht

The Avengers has steadily been slipping in the box office, but Marvel has one last trick up their sleeves to try and capture the box office crown from James Cameron. It intends to rerelease The Avengers Director’s Cut at the end of the summer with over 30 minutes of new footage. Avengers is currently $200 million short of Avatar’s record, and the release of the director’s cut might be enough to help The Avengers close the gap.

With three weeks until the Amazing Spider-Man swings into theaters, Sony has released three new television spot trailers. There isn’t much new footage to be seen. In fact, these trailers are more like teaser trailers compared to the most recent previews. The Amazing Spider-Man premiers on July 3rd on IMAX 3D, 3D, and 2D.

Avi Arad and Mathew Tolmach, the producers of the upcoming Venom movie, intend to tie Venom into the Amazing Spider-Man. Aspiring to go even further, they hope to take steps to crossover the Spider-Man properties owned by Sony and the movie properties owned by Disney, such as The Avengers. Despite the movie rights being owned by different companies, Tolmach said he hopes all of the movie worlds can live together in peace one day. Chronicle director, Josh Trank, is currently rumored to be directing the Venom project.

The leaks from the Iron Man 3 set of pictures of the Iron Patriot suit are causing even more rumors online this week. The newest theory is that we are not seeing Iron Patriot, but a patriotic painted version of the War Machine suit. For everyone already getting in a huff about the Caucasian actor in the pictures that was clearly not Don Cheadle who plays the War Machine pilot Rhodey, the claim is that he was the stunt double. For now this is just further speculation on what the red, white, and blue Iron Man suit was.

There may be a new addition to the cast of Thor 2. Josh Dallas, who played Fandral in Thor, can’t return for the sequel due to commitments on Once Upon a Time. Marvel Studios is now looking to fill the part with Chuck actor, Zachary Levi. Thor 2 is currently scheduled for release in 2013.

Superman’s suits from Man of Steel have finally been revealed. There are multiple different suits shown, but only one that looks like the traditional Superman suit. Two of the other suits are assumed to be worn by Jor-El and Faora. Man of Steel is set to release June 14, 2013.

Another new trailer has been released for the television series Arrow. The trailer explores Arrow’s (he officially doesn’t call himself Green Arrow in the show) vendetta and the forces working against him. The most interesting thing is a shot that lasts less than a second that resembles Deathstrokes mask. Could the trailer be hinting at the series main villain?

To celebrate the success of the New 52, DC comics is releasing #0 issues for all of the New 52 still running this September. Each comic is getting a #0 issue for their one year anniversary. The comics picked up in May are also getting #0 issues, as well as a few new comics. Of the new comics, the most intriguing is Talon which starts on issue #0.

World War Z has finished shooting, but now they are talking rewrites. Damon Lindelof has been called in to try and save the movie. The new shooting is set to take place in September and October so the clock is ticking.

Speaking of Lindelof, in a recent interview with Trekmovie.com, Damon Lindelof talked about Star Trek 2 and the future of the series. He announced plans for the film to be shot in IMAX 3D. Lindelof also mentioned that the production team is already thinking about a third movie in the series.

Wreck-It Ralph is an upcoming Disney animated movie about a video game villain. While you have to wait until November 2nd to catch the film in theaters, you can play the game now. To help make everyone familiar with Ralph, the studio has released a playable 8-bit game.

Stephen King’s novel It has been picked up by Warner Bros. The studio has decided two split It into two movies to capture the entire story. Although, I doubt they are intending to bring Tim Curry back to reprise to roll of Pennywise from the ‘90s miniseries.

by A.J. Focht

Microsoft kicked off the major E3 conferences on Monday morning. They started the show off with a bang, introducing the next game in the Xbox flagship series Halo 4. It focuses once again on Master Chief and is full of your favorite past enemies as well as an exciting new threat. Following the Halo 4 debut, was news of the next game in the Splinter Cell series, Blacklist. A handful of other sequels were featured, including: Resident Evil 6, Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Gears of War: Judgment, and a new addition to the Tomb Raider series. There were a few new titles showcased as well, the most impressive of which was the new South Park game where the player creates a character and joins the gang in an episode.

Microsoft also showed off the new Microsoft Smart Glass, which is an application that will work with Windows 8, and Windows Phones and tablets. The smart glass can link with the Xbox to enhance the in game experience. Smart Glass has multiple applications, among other things, it allows the wireless device to double as a controller or an interface to look up outside information on the game without having to exit it.

Two game developers had large press conferences that were streamed live, EA Games and Ubisoft. EA showed several expected follow-ups including: FIFA 13, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and a new Sim City. E3 also announced they acquired the rights to future UFC games. Ubisoft took things in a different direction. They introduced one new IP called Watch Dogs. They also touched on Assassin’s Creed III and future games for the Wii U.

Sony had several announcements at this year’s E3. The electronics giant displayed the latest addition to the PS3 lineup, Beyond Two Souls, the enticing tale of a girl who speaks to ghosts. They also introduced another new IP called All-Stars Battle Royale, Sony’s version of Super Smash Bros. All-Stars will feature characters such as Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, and Big Daddy. After talking about the future of the Vita and the new Play Station Plus subscription service that will offer members discounts and other perks, Sony closed with their two most keenly awaited titles: God of War Ascension and The Last of Us.

Nintendo held two separate press conferences. The main one was used to show off the Nintendo Wii U. There are several new game properties making their way to the device such as Pikmin 3 and New Super Mario Bros U. The new Nintendo IP for the Wii U is Nintendo Land, a theme park based game that offers mini-games based on your favorite Nintendo characters. A few third party games were revealed as well including Mass Effect 3 and Ninja Gaiden 3.

The second conference Nintendo held was focused on the 3DS. There were many games featured, starting with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate. Many new games for classic Nintendo titles were displayed as well, including: Luigi’s Mansion 2, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, Paper Mario Sticker Star, and more information about Pokemon Black and White 2 was also divulged.

Many other games were showed off during the conference as well. One of the most talked about games at E3 has been Injustice: Gods Among Us, which pits DC heroes against each other in an all-out fighting game. Bethesda also released the first teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online.

by A.J. Focht

Men In Black III topped the box office for Memorial Day weekend, knocking The Avengers down a peg. It pulled in $73.4 million over the four day weekend. It’s currently rated at 77% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Warner Bros. is pushing the advertisements for The Dark Knight Rises at full force, with dozens of poster releases and a new television spot. Christian Bale also gave an interview in June’s Rolling Stone Magazine.

The Amazing Spider-Man is not rushing their ad campaign, instead they are maintaining a steady approach Most recently, a new Australian trailer has surfaced that includes new footage. Not too much new footage, but it’s more of the steady stream of bait we’ve been seeing.

Kevin Fiege spoke with Empire Magazine, giving information on both Thor 2 and Iron Man 3. Fiege revealed they would be featuring a new major villain in Thor 2. When it was announced Mads Mikkelson was cast in the film, many assumed he was the villain. If he is, he likely won’t be the major villain, unless he can pull off a blonde female wig. A reliable source has told Bleeding Cool the major villain will be Enchantress.

In the same interview, Fiege talked Iron Man 3. He confirmed they will not be doing the Demon in a Bottle storyline that tackles Tony’s alcoholism. Fiege says, Iron Man 3 will be the most personal journey Tony Stark has taken since Afghanistan and will be the most spectacular of the Iron Man movies. He also teased that they will be introducing a new hero outside of the Avengers. Ashley Hamilton is also in talks to play the villain, Firepower.

Two new clips from Prometheus have been released. There is both behind-the-scenes footage and new scenes from the movie included. Director Ridley Scott is also thinking about the future, and he wants Harrison Ford in the Blade Runner sequel.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been pushed back. The additional time is going to be used to film new scenes in 3D. There is also talk of other ulterior motives, such as bringing in Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander.

After firing Community creator Dan Harmon, NBC released a memo which gives detailed answers that the cast is supposed to use to avoid any interview questions about Dan Harmon’s release. Below are examples of the stock answers NBC has asked the cast to give:

Why did Dan get let go from the show?

We’re not made aware of why staffing changes take place, but I will always be grateful to Dan for his great work on the show and wish him only the best. We’re also excited that we’ll be back on NBC’s schedule in the fall and are looking forward to working on those episodes.

Were you aware that Dan was going to be let go?

No, that’s not something we’re consulted on. I’m sad to see him go, but I am looking forward to starting our next 13 episodes of “Community.”

Did the studio or network consult with you about these changes?

No they didn’t, but we’re looking forward to working with David Guarascio & Moses Port on a new season of “Community.”

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith has been given the honor of running the Olympic Torch. He was the lead runner on Saturday May 26. The Time Lord ran from the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay to the National Assembly building.

by A.J. Focht

The Avengers has continued breaking daily records. In just three weeks, it has become the fourth highest grossing movie of all time. The people at Marvel have been so pleased by the fan response that they have released a special ‘thank you’ video to fans.

Amidst all The Avengers success, Warner Bros. has kicked up its ad campaign for The Dark Knight Rises. Six new promotional character posters have been released. Two posters of each Batman, Catwoman, and Bane. A new theatrical poster was released as well.

Playing off the triumph of The Avengers, ABC has ditched AKA Jessice Jones for a new television series based on The Hulk. As ABC is owned by Disney, the series is likely to have tie-ins to The Avengers. To top things off, the series is being developed by Guillermo del Toro. It will not be ready for the coming season, but they are shooting for the following one.

Edgar Right has been pushing for an Ant Man movie for a long time. He tweeted a picture a few weeks ago that simply displayed: Ant + Man=Antman. The image created some buzz, and then he confirmed his intentions to Empire Magazine, saying he hopes to be shooting by the end of the year.

The Wolverine movie will begin shooting in August. Hugh Jackman confirmed this in a recent tweet. The new film is scheduled to hit theatres on July 26, 2013.

Two trailers for the CW’s Arrow have been released in the last week. A shorter trailer catches the idea of the series and has an awesome scene with Green Arrow shooting tennis balls. The longer trailer goes into the story a bit more, revealing that Green Arrow is going after a list of corrupt people given to him by his father. The series will air on Wednesday at 8:00 PM.

Ridley Scott has been working on a sequel to Blade Runner. Now it looks like they have a screenwriter as Hapton Fancher, the original Blade Runner scribe is in talks to come on for the sequel. More than thirty years after the original, the sequel is bringing the members of Blade Runner back together.

The Star Wars television series is still on the horizon. In a recent interview, Producer Rick McCallum gave an update on the long awaited television series. McCallum said that the series currently has over fifty scripts, the problem is each hour long script has more visual effects than any of the Star Wars movies. Lucas wants to wait on making the show till he can find a way to make it for less than $5 million an episode.

In response to Marvel having a same sex wedding in an upcoming issue of Astonishing X-Men, DC has announced that a ‘major’ and ‘iconic’ male character will be coming out as gay. In a tweet, Scott Snyder confirmed it will be a character that was not introduced in the New 52 relaunch. The big speculations right now are Wally West (a version of Flash) or Beast Boy.

Finally, Scotty has finally been beamed up. The ashes of James Doohan who played Scotty on Star Trek have taken for space amongst the unmanned Dragon spacecraft. They are expected to dock at the international space station in the next few days.

by A.J. Focht

In its second week in theatres, The Avengers broke over a dozen records, including tying with Avatar and Deathly Hallows Part 2 for fastest to a billion dollars. Considering in just two weeks it became the twelfth highest grossing movie ever, it should be no surprise that Disney has confirmed Avengers 2.

After the phenomenal success of The Avengers, Joss Whedon took some time to thank his longtime fans. Posting a letter on his personal site, Whedon thanked those that have stuck with him. After his heartfelt missive, he posted an interview with ‘Rutherford D. Actualperson’ covering some FAQ for his fans.

The Amazing Spider-Man is kicking up its advertising campaign. Now they have released a four minute preview of the film. It includes a scene where Spider-Man saves a child, but reveals his identity. Moments like this show the clear differences between this Spider-Man and the Spider-Man from the previous movies.

The newest news from The Dark Knight Rises is that Marion Cotillard has confirmed she is not playing Talia Al’Ghul. In a recent interview, the actress revealed that her character was a good throughout. This does not mean Talia Al’Ghul is not in the movie, but Marion Cotillard will not be playing the part.

The CW is moving forward with their new superhero television series, Arrow. Now there is an official synopsis of Arrow available. Some of it follows the traditional Green Arrow story, but there have been some changes, including the city, which has been switched from Star City to Starling City.

NBC’s Community has been green lit for another season, but they moved the show time to Friday nights. The series might be coming back, but it’s not clear if the whole study group will return. Both Chevy Chase and Community creator Dan Harmon have not signed on for the new season.

Jumping on the post-apocalyptic bandwagon, NBC is airing a new show next season called Revolution. The series follows the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic event where all electricity is shut off across the world. It clearly builds off the popularity of Hunger Games, and even includes a bow toting heroine.

In the video game world, Blizzard launched Diablo III at midnight on the 15th. Videogame developers at Bethesda are also looking to move in on Blizzards massively multiplayer online game territory. They have announced they are working on an Elder Scrolls MMO.

by A.J. Focht

The Avengers has done more than just live up to the extremely high expectations it set forth, it did better than anyone imagined. It’s broken several records already, being the fastest movie to gross $100 million and $200 million as well as smashing the opening weekend record. One of the only records it left intact was the one set by Deathly Hallow Part 2 for a midnight release. Perhaps more importantly, fans and critics everywhere are raving about it.

Critics who didn’t enjoy the movie might be better off just keeping their opinions to themselves or they risk summoning the wrath of S.H.I.E.L.D. After A.O. Scott of the New York Times gave The Avengers a mediocre review, Samuel L. Jackson sent out a call to action to his fans on Twitter to find Scott a new job he could actually do. While many did rally behind Jackson, his remarks made something of a martyr out of Scott and his review, and the small group not pleased with The Avengers jumped to Scott’s aid.

Anyone who hasn’t seen The Avengers might want to jump ahead as there are some major SPOILERS coming….First, let’s talk about our favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. member, Agent Phil Coulson. We all watched him “die” bravely at the hands of Loki, but is that really the end of our hero? In a recent interview, actor Clark Gregg mentioned he is still signed on for two more movies. He doesn’t say what movie, but does say he has a meeting with the director of Thor 2. Could Nick Fury have just been pulling one over on the Avengers to get them to work as a team?

A new trailer for Amazing Spider-Man was released with The Avengers this last week. It sheds more light on the story of Peter’s search into his parent’s past. The trailer is fairly good, but was ultimately forgettable after seeing The Avengers.

Illustrator of Kick-Ass comics, John Romita Jr. has shed some light on the future of the Kick-Ass 2 movie. The film is starting production this summer. It is currently unclear if Chloe Moretz will return as Hit Girl as she has a full filming schedule. Either way, the movie is set to release in May 2013.

Michael Arndt, writer of Toy Story 3, is in talks to rewrite the Catching Fire script. Francis Lawrence has taken over as director on the film, and now they are looking at reworking the script. All of this has to be done fast as the movie is scheduled to release in November 2013.

James Cameron has closed down the development arm of his production studios and doesn’t want to think about doing any new projects. For the foreseeable future, Cameron’s mind is stuck on Avatar and only Avatar. In a recent interview, Cameron said his mind is set on making Avatar 2, Avatar 3, and maybe Avatar 4 and that is all.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus comes out next month, and it now has a rating of R. The film decided to take the hit and not adjust to make the film PG-13. While this might narrow their audience base, it will hopefully help ensure the film is accepted by fans.

What would you say to Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt acting in a big screen production of Little Shop of Horrors? Well, that is just what Levitt and Warner Bros. are working towards. Levitt is currently one of the producers on the project and would also like an on-screen role.