NEWS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2016

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016

The third film in the franchise that launched with The Da Vinci Code in 2006, which brought in over $758 million at the worldwide box office, and continued with Angels & Demons in 2009, Inferno has Hanks reprising his role as Langdon opposite Oscar nominee Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) as Dr. Sienna Brooks, Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi) as Harry Sims (also known as The Provost), Omar Sy (The Intouchables) as Christoph Bruder, and Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Borgen”) as Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey, the head of the World Health Organization. Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) is also slated to star as the film’s chief villain.

“Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon is back, and ‘Inferno’ is his most thrilling adventure yet with the patented Dan Brown twists and turns,” says Rory Bruer, president of Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures. “We’ve had an extraordinary response to the film from audiences – it’s testing extremely well. Ron Howard has made Inferno the most visually stylistic film in the series so far, with intense action sequences and cryptic dream sequences that will have audiences wanting to experience this film in IMAX.”

“Beginning with the very first IMAX DMR release — ‘Apollo 13’ — IMAX and Ron Howard, along with the support of our partners at Imagine Entertainment, have created a longstanding and successful tradition of bringing awe-inspiring entertainment to movie-goers around the globe,” adds Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “Together with our friends and colleagues at Sony, we are excited to continue that legacy with Dan Brown’s latest franchise installment Inferno, which is sure to thrill audiences when it launches this fall in IMAX theatres worldwide.”

The Inferno IMAX release will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of the IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that aims to make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

The Imagine Entertainment production features a screenplay by David Koepp based on the book by Dan Brown. Inferno’s executive producers include Dan Brown, Anna Culp, Bill Connor, and David Householter.

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS MOVIE
Things are moving forward for the new Dungeons & Dragons movie. According to Deadline, Divergent actor Ansel Elgort is in early talks to star in the fantasy movie.

We’re told Dungeons & Dragons, directed by Goosebumps helmer Rob Letterman, is a top priority for Warner Bros., currently on the hunt for new franchises to give the studio a much-needed shot in the arm.

David Leslie Johnson (The Conjuring 2) is penning the movie, with Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis, Sweetpea Entertainment’s Courtney Solomon (who directed the first Dungeons & Dragons movie) and Allan Zeman, as well as Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee on producing duties. Here’s a description of the movie:

Dungeons And Dragons is a fantasy adventure centering on a warrior and his band of mystical creatures as they embark on a dangerous journey to find a mythical treasure.

A few months ago, Warner Bros. exec Greg Silverman said Dungeons & Dragons would be like Guardians of the Galaxy meets Tolkien's Middle-earth.

“This new Dungeons & Dragons will be a Guardians of the Galaxy-tone movie in a Tolkien-like universe. Because when you think of all the Hobbit movies and The Lord of the Rings, they have an earnestness to them, and to see something fun, a Raiders romp inside that world, I feel is something the audience has not seen before.”

Speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vin Diesel (the voice of Groot in the Marvel film) has expressed a lot of interest to star in the movie, having played the game for more than 20 years. Whether Diesel will have a role remains to be seen, but he'd bring in the star power needed to attract the casual moviegoer who wouldn’t necessarily go for that type of movie.

As for Elgort, the actor is a rising star in Hollywood who would attract the YA crowd, and a solid actor to boot. He’s been part of the Divergent series since the first movie was released in 2014, and he has starred in the Carrie reboot and The Fault in Our Stars. He'll soon star in Billionaire Boys Club alongside Taron Egerton, Emma Roberts and Kevin Spacey.

There’s no news as to which role Elgort is in talks for, but I’m guessing he’ll play the young lead.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Ahead of the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in November, J.K. Rowling has released a short story revealing the origins of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry featured in the Harry Potter movie prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, set in the Roaring '20s, decades before the story of the Boy Who Lived.

The new tale is also accompanied by a quiz that will sort out Harry Potter fans into the school’s houses (Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Tunderbird and Wampus -- such fun!) and by this gorgeous animated trailer that tells the tale of Ilvermorny’s founding by a young Irish woman named Isolt Sayre back in the 17th century.

Following the death of her parents, and after much suffering at the hands of her evil aunt, Isolt stole her magic wand and fled to the New World aboard the Mayflower disguised as a Muggle boy named Elias Story. While there, she discovers a whole new magical world and fantastical creatures.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will open in movie theaters on Nov. 18.

HBO'S WESTWORLD
It’s gone through its fair share of delays, but HBO’s Westworld is over the hump and set to debut this fall — and it sounds like it’ll be one heck of a trip into the dark places between AI and humanity.

Producer Jonathan Nolan chatted with Entertainment Weekly about what viewers should expect from the series, and if you’re looking to the 1973 film for inspiration, that’s only half the story. Nolan said they wanted to use the basic concept — a Wild West playground with robots and thriller elements — as a jumping-off point to ask even bigger questions. He said it’ll be hard to figure out who the “good” guys are (if there even are any), as they look at what comes next for the “human story.” Ambitious much?

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“We wanted to go flat out, full scope, sleeves-rolled-up plunge into the next chapter of the human story, in which we stop being the protagonists, and our creations start taking over that role. We were fascinated by the tectonic plates that seem to be shifting into place right now – the argument over the creation of AI and what form it will take; VR finally coming online and our consciousness going ‘broadband,’ allowing us to lose ourselves in an acid bath of experience that will be indistinguishable from reality (and only because reality will be the most boring level); and that, despite all of that, we remain, as a species, frustratingly broken, seemingly barreling towards disaster. So, yeah – that’s what we wanted the show to be about…

[T]he show should turn the original movie inside-out, with the ‘hosts’ as the protagonists. When it comes to the question of consciousness, we always start with ourselves as the answer. As the be-all-end-all. It’s understandable – we’re the only consciousness we’re familiar with. But we wanted to challenge that assumption. The ‘hosts’ are discovering that they’ve been created in our image, but beginning to question if ‘humanness’ is really what they want to aspire to. And given their circumstances, it’s easy to understand why they start to question whether they want to be like us at all.”

Westworld is set to premiere this October, after being delayed more than a year to allow additional time for retooling and script-writing.

ROADSIDE PICNIC
The network hasn’t exactly found an original ratings hit as of yet, but WGN America is quickly becoming a home for excellent shows — and now they’re prepping a fascinating new sci-fi project.

Deadline reports Watchmen alum Matthew Goode has signed on to star in a pilot based on the 1971 novella Roadside Picnic, written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The story is set in a near future where aliens have long since left as mankind tries to make sense of the mysteries they’ve left behind. It will follow a man named Red (played by Goode), a “stalker” who makes a living scavenging through the abandoned alien cities.

His character is described as an “enigmatic, blue-collar contradiction,” capable of both quiet intelligence and ruthlessness from one moment to the next. Rounding out the supporting cast, Red has a wife and daughter (both yet to be cast) — though his daughter, Marie, is shunned in their society because she was on the site of a alien visitation. It’s an interesting pitch, and Goode certainly seems like an interesting choice for the role.

The pilot was written Jack Paglen (Transcendence), with Game of Thrones alum Alan Taylor signed on to direct. Veteran producer Neal Moritz (I Am Legend, Furious 7) is also involved behind the scenes.

The series is in development now, with a pilot commissioned.

STAR TREK BEYOND
The latest trailer for Star Trek: Beyond has arrived, and finds Kirk abandoning ship after a brutal attack on the Enterprise.

The new preview includes some fresh footage as the crew face an attack from the new Big Bad, played by Idris Elba, and have to take refuge on an alien world. You can continue to feel the influence of new director Justin Lin (Fast and Furious), which isn’t really a bad thing. It feels like a swashbuckling alien action adventure, which, after the GRIMDARK of Into Darkness, could be a welcome change of pace, almost like a super-sized episode of the original series — just with more wild action and stunts, of course.

This trailer also features the new tune “Sledgehammer,” by Rihanna, which will be included on the soundtrack. It isn’t a terrible fit for the action, so hey, there you go. The sequel stars Idris Elba, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban and the dearly departed Anton Yelchin.

Star Trek Beyond opens July 22.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Good news –– I have your fix.

Variety has a first look at the opening three minutes of the premiere and it's everything you love about Killjoys on steroids.

There's a lot going on in a very short amount of time, but it's pretty obvious that showrunner Michelle Lovretta's promise that this season wouldn't be pulling punches is in full force.

Killjoys has also gotten a new opening credits sequence. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure what I think about it, but this show has never really done what I've expected, so why should it start now?

If you're not caught up on season one yet, may I suggest you head over to Syfy and watch it?

Killjoys season 2 premieres July 1 on Syfy.

THE STRAIN
Guillermo del Toro’s horror TV series The Strain (based on his own series of novels) is returning for a third season near the end of summer, and FX has finally unleashed the very first trailer ahead of the season premiere.

Set to premiere on Aug. 28, The Strain picks up 23 days after the world as-we-know-it has ceased to exist. We’re told that “fear and confusion reign supreme” as full-on paranoia has now spread to the rest of the globe. I mean, yeah, I totally get it. I’d be freaking out big time if I had those things coming after me.

Most of the main characters are back for Season 3 (Eph, Dutch, Gus, Fet, Setrakian, Mr. Quinlan), except for Dr. Nora Martinez, who was sadly killed off at the end of a pretty uneven Season 2, with the characters reaching an unprecedented level of stupid and the awesome Mr. Quinlan being criminally underused. Crossing my fingers Season 3 gets better.

This is an official synopsis for the show, although it's obviously from Season 2. Question is: Why wasn't it changed?

The transformation has begun.

It can no longer be denied — New York City is rapidly falling to an evil epidemic, and no one is coming to its rescue. Its citizens must fight or die.

Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his unlikely allies tried to take down the embodiment of this evil — the Master — and failed. Now Eph and Dr. Nora Martinez concentrate on creating a biological weapon to wipe out the creatures, while Abraham Setrakian searches for an ancient book he hopes will reveal the strigoi's entire history...and possibly a way to kill them. Meanwhile, the Master is out for revenge, unleashing new and even more terrifying breeds of bloodthirsty creatures. They need to find a way to defeat him before the infection spreads too far and becomes irreparable...before they become monsters themselves.

The Strain will return to FX on Aug. 28.

POWER RANGERS
While we await the first official poster for the Power Rangers movie tomorrow, “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston has revealed via Twitter that he will be playing the Rangers’ mentor Zordon!

Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.

The Power Rangers cast includes Dacre Montgomery (A Few Less Men) as Jason the Red Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, Becky G (Empire) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, and Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games franchise) as Rita Repulsa.

Directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac), Power Rangers is written by John Gatins (Kong: Skull Island, Real Steel), Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Dracula Untold), Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor), and Max Landis (Chronicle). Producers are Power Rangers creator Haim Saban, Brian Casentini, Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner franchise).

Now shooting in Vancouver, the new Power Rangers hits the big screen March 24, 2017.

WONDER WOMAN COMING TO SUPERGIRL
Back in March, Supergirl executive producer Greg Berlanti revealed that they wanted to have former Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, play a role on the series. Today, Warner Bros. and The CW confirmed that Carter has been cast on Supergirl in a recurring role as the President of the United States.

Carter is set to appear in multiple episodes and will first appear in the third episode of the show’s second season.

Best known for her role as the iconic hero, Lynda Carter is also an accomplished singer who has performed to rave reviews before sell-out crowds from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC to Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. She’s also recently leant her voice to many popular video games, including this year’s Fallout 4.

Melissa Benoist leads the cast of Supergirl as the title character alongside Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen, Laura Benanti as Alura Zor-El, Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant, Chyler Leigh as Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Jeremy Jordan as Winslow “Winn” Schott, Jenna Dewan Tatum as Lucy Lane (sister of Lois), David Harewood as Hank Henshaw, Peter Facinelli as Maxwell Lord, with Dean Cain and Helen Slater.

Supergirl airs at 8/7c p.m. Mondays on The CW. The second season premieres on October 10th.

NEW VILLAIN FOR ARROW
IGN brings word that former The Walking Dead star Chad L. Coleman has been cast in the recurring villain role of Tobias Church for the upcoming fifth season of Arrow. The character is reportedly described as “an imposing gangster looking to unite the various criminal enterprises in Star City under his own singular command.” The outlet notes that the character will be making his debut in the Season 5 premiere of the series.

Fans may know Colemon mostly for his role in The Walking Dead as Tyreese, though he previously gained notoriety as Dennis “Cutty” Wise on HBO’s The Wire.

He joins an ever-growing cast for Arrow Season 5, which also features Rick Gonzalez (Rush, Mr. Robot) as Wild Dog, Josh Segarra as Vigilante, Madison McLaughli as Evelyn Sharp, and the previously-seen Black Canary impersonator Evelyn Sharp as the vigilante Artemis.

Arrow stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak, John Barrowman as Malcom Merlyn, with Paul Blackthorne as Detective Lance. The series is executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Sarah Schechter.

If you missed an episode of Arrow or just need a refresher on what happened you can read our weekly recaps to catch up. Arrow season 5 will premiere on Wednesday, October 5.

ARCHER RENEWED FOR TWO MORE SEASONS
The hit animated comedy series Archer has been renewed for three more seasons, it was announced today by Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, Presidents of Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. Archer will return for an eight-episode season 8 in early 2017, followed by two additional eight-episode seasons. FX Networks has also reached a new overall production deal with Floyd County Productions.

“We can’t say enough about what Adam, Matt and the entire Archer team at Floyd County have done to keep this series so insanely funny and vital through seven seasons,” said Grad. “The move to Los Angeles this past season as private detectives was just the latest twist in Archer’s legendary exploits and the next three seasons will to be just as amazing and unpredictable. We are thrilled to continue making great TV with our friends and colleagues at Floyd County.”

Archer is an animated, half-hour comedy that revolves around a former spy agency turned private investigation firm and the lives of its employees. The Figgis Agency presented all new challenges for the former spies in Season 7, the most difficult of which might have been the move to Los Angeles. Every seedy surveillance of a suspected adulterer or investigation into insurance fraud was actually just another excuse for the staff to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gain.

The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the highly skilled and incredibly vain private eye “Sterling Archer;” Aisha Tyler as Archer’s fellow detective and on-again-off-again girlfriend, “Lana Kane;” Jessica Walter as Archer’s domineering mother and former spy agency director, “Malory Archer;” Chris Parnell as the agency owner and lead investigator “Cyril Figgis;” Judy Greer as the agency’s loquacious, dingbat secretary, “Cheryl;” Amber Nash as the gruff but lovable muscle, “Pam Poovey;” Adam Reed as the gay voice of reason, “Ray Gillette;” and Lucky Yates as the firm’s possibly mad scientist/possible clone of himself, “Krieger.”

Archer was created by Adam Reed and Floyd County Productions and is executive produced by Reed and Matt Thompson. The show is produced by FX Productions.

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
Warner Bros. Pictures UK has released a new trailer for the zombie movie The Girl With All the Gifts, directed by Colm McCarthy (“Peaky Blinders”) and starring Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine.

The near future; humanity has been all but destroyed by a mutated fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh-eating “hungries”. Only a small group of children seem immune to its effects. At an army base in rural England, this group of unique children are being studied, subjected to cruel experiments by biologist Dr. Caldwell. Despite having been infected with the zombie pathogen that has decimated the world, these children retain normal thoughts and emotions. And while still being subject to the craving for human flesh that marks the disease these second- generation “hungries” are able to think and feel making them a vital resource in the search for a cure.

The children attend school lessons daily, guarded by the ever watchful Sergeant Parks. But one little girl, Melanie, stands out from the rest. Melanie is special. She excels in the classroom, is inquisitive, imaginative and loves her favourite teacher Miss Justineau.When the base falls, Melanie escapes along with Miss Justineau, Sergeant Parks and Dr. Caldwell. Against the backdrop of a blighted Britain, Melanie must discover what she is and ultimately decide both her own future and that of the human race.

The Girl With All the Gifts opens in the UK on September 23.

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2016

TMZ was the first to report Yelchin’s death, saying the actor was found by friends pinned between his card and a brick mailbox pillar. Police say the car was found in neutral and that foul play is not suspected. At this time, it’s unclear how the accident happened.

Yelchin was born in Leningrad, Russia but moved to the United States with his parents while still a baby. His acting career began at the age of 11 with a guest star role on the medical series “ER” and things quickly took off for him after nabbing the starring titular role in the teen film, “Charlie Bartlett.”

While best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the “Star Trek” films, he also voiced Clumsy in the “Smurfs” series, worked alongside Jennifer Lawrence in both 2011’s “The Beaver” and “Like Crazy” that same year, co-starred with Ed Harris and Ethan Hawke in “Cymbeline,” and had a slew of films currently in production at the time of his death.

Yelchin was an only child and is survived by his parents Irina and Victor Yelchin. Police are currently investigating the car crash. No foul play is suspected at this time.

The too-soon death of one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars was instantly recognized by his friends and former co-stars.

MAC GYVER REBOOT
CBS is still keen to put a new version of MacGyver on the small screen, but it’ll apparently look a good bit different than the trailer released a few weeks ago.

The network has hired the uber-versatile James Wan (The Conjuring, Furious 7) to take a crack at a new version of the pilot, which will reportedly include some major course corrections compared to the existing version, shot by David Von Ancken. Wan was actually attached to direct the pilot in the first place but dropped out due to scheduling concerns. But now, with the network making it a priority, they've lured Wan back to take another crack at it.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, stars Lucas Till (MacGyver) and George Eads (CIA agent Jack Dalton) are still attached, though Wan is leading some new casting initiatives for supporting roles that will heavily change the direction of the pilot episode (and the series itself, one would imagine). It’ll be interesting to see what Wan does with the franchise, and he certainly has the action chops to blow it out of the water.

Though a full reshoot is somewhat rare, it’s important to remember the MacGyver reboot has already gone through its fair share of development shakeups. The first pilot was written by R. Scott Gemmill (NCIS: L.A.), though it wasn’t picked up to series until Paul Downs Colaizzo and Brett Mahoney (Code Black) took a crack at it. Peter Leskov (Hawaii Five-0) has now joined the series as a writer and will apparently play a role in shaping up the script Wan is using.

Despite the reshoots, the series is still set to debut this fall.

CBS must think a lot of this project (it ain’t cheap to completely reshoot a pilot), and it seems they’re heavily committed to trying to make this reboot a hit.

BATMAN BEYOND
There’s been a different Bat in the title role of DC Comics’ ongoing Batman Beyond series, but all that’s going to change with Rebirth.

The current run of Batman Beyond has largely stood off on its own, spun out of the 2014-2015 Futures End event and set 20+ years in an alternate future. But, along with reconfiguring just about everything else with Rebirth, DC is also getting Batman Beyond back to the spirit of the original series. Namely: Terry McGinnis will be taking back the title role from Tim Drake, who took up the mantle when Terry was killed in the conclusion of Futures End.

DC has unveiled the solicitations for the finale issue of the current run, as well as the Rebirth issue that will set the stage for the relaunched series in October. Judging by the intel here, it seems the new series won’t be a full-on reboot but will instead jump ahead in time with a “soft reset” approach, taking place in a rebuilt Gotham that’s getting back on track after Brother Eye’s siege.

Check it out via ComicBook.com:

BATMAN BEYOND #16
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by BERNARD CHANG

With the threat of Spellbinder behind them, Tim Drake and Terry McGinnis face an uncertain future. It’s time to rebuild New Gotham, but who will wear the mantle of the city’s defender? This is the biggest turning point in the series to date and sets the stage for BATMAN BEYOND: REBIRTH #1, also solicited this month.
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • FINAL ISSUE

BATMAN BEYOND: REBIRTH #1
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by RYAN SOOK
Variant cover by MARTIN ANSIN

Six months have passed since the events of BATMAN BEYOND #16. While areas of destruction remain in the outside world, Gotham City has made great strides toward reclaiming its bright future. But new threats arise and old adversaries may be coming back. And the question still remains: whatever happened to Bruce Wayne?
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Nothing against Tim Drake, but it’s been a weird transition to have him in the role of Batman Beyond. Plus, the lingering focus on Brother Eye is starting to get stale. Terry McGinnis was a big part of what made the animated series (and scattered comic runs) so great, and getting him back into the fold (hopefully along with more of his rogues gallery) could really set up a great new series.

WESTWORLD
HBO tonight aired the new Westworld trailer which you can watch below! The trailer for the upcoming 10-episode drama series aired just prior to the Game of Thrones Episode 6.09.

The one-hour drama series Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

The cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth and Clifton Collins, Jr.

Inspired by the motion picture Westworld, written and directed by Michael Crichton. Westworld is produced by Bad Robot Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions and Kilter Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced, written and directed by Jonathan Nolan, executive produced and written by Lisa Joy, and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, Bryan Burk.

GHOSTBUSTERS
The new Ghostbusters team is nearly ready for their big screen debut as a variety of tie-in products herald the Paul Feig film’s theatrical debut. That above image offers an adorably illustrated look at the Ghostbusters team from the kid friendly Little Golden Books tie-in (the original Ghostbusters team gets their own version, too) and, in the player below, you can take a look at a new TV spot for Sony Pictures‘ July 15 release.

The new Ghostbusters team begins with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as scientists Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, respectively. Gilbert is a particle physicist while Yates, Gilbert’s close friend, is an expert in the paranormal. As ghost sightings ramp up, they team with Kate McKinnon‘s Jillian Holtzmann, a nuclear engineer who winds up creating the team’s tech. Leslie Jones‘ Patty Tolan, then, is the Ghostbusters team’s everyman character who winds up playing an important role connected to an early supernatural encounter.

The new Ghostbusters also stars Chris Hemsworth as the team’s new secretary, Andy Garcia as the Mayor of New York City, Michael K. Williams as a character named “Hawkins,” Matt Walsh as a character named “Rourke,” and Neil Casey as the film’s villain. New York City’s NY1 news anchor Pat Kiernan is also set to appear as news anchor in the film.

The Ghostbusters movie is directed by Paul Feig from a script he co-wrote with Katie Dippold.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Disney•Pixar‘s Finding Dory has set a new Thursday previews record for an animated film! The sequel opened with an impressive $9.2 million for the evening ahead of the previous biggest animated starts from Minions ($6.2 million), Despicable Me 2 ($4.7 million), Toy Story 3 ($4.0 million) and Inside Out ($3.7 million), and it’s more than double Disney’s recent success, The Jungle Book ($4.2 million). It’s also looking like Finding Dory is well on its way to breaking the opening record for an animated film, which is still held by 2007’s Shrek the Third ($121.6 million).

Finding Dory features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life, such as her parents. Findng Nemo helmer Andrew Stanton returned to the directors chair for the animated film, which features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Michael Sheen, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.

New Line‘s Central Intelligence, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, also opened to $1.84 million from Thursday previews.

Central Intelligence follows a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent (Johnson), coming home for his high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former “big man on campus” (Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days. But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he’s getting into it’s too late to get out, as his increasingly unpredictable new friend drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than he can count.

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2016

Segarra will play the role of Adrian Chase, a new district attorney who happens to be an ally of everyone’s favorite mayor Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). With Oliver holding public office now, it’s only natural that his fighting for good is no longer limited to wearing a green hoodie and shooting arrows at people.

What’s interesting about Chase isn’t his connection to Oliver, though. Rather, he has a storied history in the comics that goes far beyond being a district attorney.

Chase was first introduced in a 1983 issue of “New Teen Titans” as a man whose family was killed by the mob. As a form of retaliation, he took on the alter ego of Vigilante to seek out his own brand of justice. His role as Vigilante is one Chase battled with himself with quite often over the years, town between doing the noble thing and seeking any justice he could find.

If this is the road Chase goes down — and it’s one Oliver doesn’t know about — it presents an interesting situation.

For years, Oliver was the vigilante justice in Star City, with little regard for what elected officials thought of him. Now he’s that elected official and there’s a new Vigilante in town. That will be a fun wrinkle to see play out in Season 5.

“Arrow” returns in October on The CW.

SUPERGIRL ADDS A SUPERMAN
The CW’s Supergirl has found its Man of Steel! Warner Bros. has announced that Tyler Hoechlin has been cast as Superman. The Teen Wolf star will don the red cape and make his eagerly anticipated debut at the beginning of the superhero series’ second season when the show moves from CBS to The CW in the fall.

Details of Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) cousin Kal-El’s involvement on the show are still being kept under wraps. The only thing that’s been revealed so far is that Clark would be “visiting” his cousin at the beginning of the season and that he would appear in the first two episodes. The character’s appearances had so far been limited to some fleeting obscure appearances on the show.

Here’s what Supergirl executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said in the casting announcement:

“Greg [Berlanti] and I have wanted to work with Tyler for ages, so this worked out perfectly because Tyler is Superman. We are so thrilled and humbled to add another amazing actor to the legacy of this iconic character.”

Most fans here will know that Tyler Hoechlin played werewolf Alpha pack leader Derek Hale in the first four seasons of MTV’s supernatural series Teen Wolf. Personally, I think the casting rather spot-on, and I can’t wait to see what Hoechlin will bring to the table when Supergirl returns on Mondays in the fall on The CW. I'm sure he's going to rock the role.

GHOST TEAM
The first trailer (and poster) for upcoming supernatural investigation comedy movie Ghost Team has been released.

Directed by Oliver Irving (How to Be) and penned by Irving and Peter Warren (The History of Us), the movie stars Jon Heder, Justin Long, David Krumholtz, Melonie Diaz, Joel Marsh Garland, Paul W. Downs, Tom Schiller and Amy Sedaris and pokes a bit of fun at all those supernatural investigation teams like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. But, being a comedy, it's actually giving me more of a Ghostfacers vibe. The Ghostfacers are Supernatural's fictional team of ghost hunters.

Set to debut exclusively on Google Play on July 21 before it opens in movie theaters on Aug. 12, Ghost Team centers on a ragtag group of ghost hunters teaming up to do their own paranormal investigation in a potentially haunted barn. When they end up getting separated, ghostly mayhem ensues.

Here’s an official synopsis:

Determined to catch some ghosts on film, a paranormal-obsessed man mounts his own investigation into the beyond along with his depressed best friend, his misfit nephew, a cable access medium and an overeager security guy by his side.

ORPHAN BLACK - FINAL SEASON
It never became the ratings juggernaut the network (and fans) would’ve preferred, but BBC America’s Orphan Black will at least get a chance to go out on its own terms.

The network has announced the cult hit sci-fi series will return for a fifth and final 10-episode season in 2017, aimed at wrapping up the twisty clone drama that has kept a small contingent of fans and critics entertained the past few years. The show has done an excellent job of expanding its mythology the past few seasons, all without losing sight of the great characters that made it so interesting in the first place. It’s comforting to know we’ll get a true ending to the story.

Here’s what co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson had to say about the decision in a statement:

“We are excited to deliver an epic conclusion to the tale of Sarah and her clone sisters. The past four seasons have been a phenomenal adventure and we are eternally grateful to our loyal fans who have loved the twists and thrills of our weird little show. We are thankful to our partners at Temple Street, and to BBC America and Space for their support and giving us the opportunity to end on a high.”

Despite low ratings, the show has thrived online and created a fervent fanbase. It also brought some much-needed credibility to BBC America’s upstart slate of originals, winning a Peabody Award in 2014 and earning star Tatiana Maslany a (well-deserved) Emmy nomination in 2015.

The Season 4 finale of Orphan Black airs tonight on BBC America.

STARGATE SG-1 REBOOT
With a big-screen reboot of Stargate in the works from the same team that made the original film, fans are still processing the fact that it’ll essentially wipe out the 10+ years of continuity from Stargate SG-1 and its spinoffs. Well, SG-1 might be gone, but its spirit will apparently live on.

Director Roland Emmerich, who is taking charge of the reboot, told Empire they plan to retain some “elements” from the beloved television series — specifically the ensemble team element that was a major part of the show’s success. It still won't be in the show's continuity (a decision we've already discussed at length), though. He also says they'll be going with a younger team, though Kurt Russell and James Spader could cameo (likely as different characters, we'd guess).

Here’s an excerpt from his comments:

“Elements of it will flow into the reboot, definitely. The amount of characters, for instance. It's not a two-hander like the first one with James Spader and Kurt Russell, this time it's a bigger group. Yes, there's still the James Spader character and the Kurt Russell character, but other people are equally important. James and Kurt won't come back – maybe as cameos – it'll be a younger cast.”

Though Stargate will obviously aim to be a blockbuster in its own right, it still has to do some heavy lifting to appeal to the massive fan contingent out there that loved the various TV shows. Considering Emmerich was never much of a fan of the series (he’d conceived a film trilogy, and the show was made with a different creative team), it’s great to see he’s at least willing to incorporate some pieces of the formula that worked. Jaffa kree! Err, sorry.

The director also shot down a decades-old “myth” that Independence Day began as a sequel to Stargate. Though they both deal with aliens, Emmerich said that was never true, and there was never any “overlap” between the two worlds. So, there you go.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT REBOOT
A Tales From the Crypt reboot is currently winding through development at TNT, and now the network is taking a fairly unique approach to generating stories — they’re looking online.

The Wall Street Journal reports the network has teamed up with online fiction community Wattpad, a free fiction site that claims 45 million active users. Here’s how it works: The producers will be using the data from Wattpad to track which horror subgenres and subjects are hot these days, and if they run across any great stories, they might also reach out and use it as a launching pad for a script. So, if you have a killer horror concept kicking around your brain, this is the time to unleash it.

Though this is certainly a unique approach to developing a television series, it also begs a few questions. Yes, it’s a great way to get fresh writers and ideas involved. That’s awesome. Also, crowdsourcing themes and data to see what’s hot is also a progressive move. But exactly how will these amateur writers be compensated? That’s the big question. The network says anyone who has an idea that is used will be compensated in some way, but details are scarce.

The Crypt reboot is a 10-episode season produced by M. Night Shyamalan, which is part of an even bigger push into introducing a horror programming block by TNT.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

Deadline reports MGM has optioned Straczynski’s comic series Rising Stars for film development, with Straczynski writing the script. Alex Gartner and Richard Suckle are signed on to produce for Atlas Entertainment.

if you’re unfamiliar, the comic follows a group of people who are linked by an extraordinary event and go on to change the world. The world soon learns that 113 children who were in utero when a meteor hit their Illinois hometown were left with special powers. But, some of these super-powered people are being murdered, and when that happens, their abilities jump to the remaining “specials,” some of whom aren’t that interested in the superhero lifestyle.

Considering Straczynski is one of the minds behind Netflix’s ambitious Sense8 series (a collaboration with the Wachowskis), it sounds like familiar territory to mine — and Straczynski has shown he’s up to the ambitious challenge. Along with Sense8, his biggest claim to fame is almost certainly creating the seminal sci-fi series Babylon 5. He also scripted World War Z, Thor and Ninja Assassin.

NEW SOUTH PARK
During yesterday’s E3 presentation, Ubisoft unveiled a brand new trailer and gameplay showcase for their upcoming RPG game South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Ha ha! Get it?).

The trailer sees the South Park superhero characters of Coon and Friends hilariously spoof the comic book movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (you know, all those Marvel Studios Phase 1, 2 and Phase 3 movies – including the most recent: Civil War) and those of Warner Bros.’ more recent DCEU, with every character wanting their own solo movie. Here's the plan:

The game, a sequel to South Park: The Stick of Truth, will allow you to create your one-of-a-kind superhero costume, craft your personal origin story and build your own unique superpowers. Pretty cool! It will also feature more than twice the amount of content the first South Park video game, The Stick of Truth, boasted. Have a look at the trailer and gameplay showcase below, and let us know what you guys think.

Created, written, voiced and directed by South Park and Team America: World Police (F*** yeah!) creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park: The Fractured But Whole is currently available for pre-order on Xbox One, PS4 and PC and will hit store shelves on Dec. 6.

STAR TREK: BRIDGE CREW TRAILER
Ubisoft’s Red Storm division has unveiled a first official look at the upcoming virtual-reality game Star Trek: Bridge Crew during last night’s E3 panel.

The video features Star Trek alums LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) and Karl Urban (2009’s Star Trek) getting immersed in a mission by using the Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch controllers -- and obviously having a ton of fun while doing so. The upcoming title sees you and three of your friends playing as members of a new Federation starship crew, where you’ll have to work together to pilot the ship by assuming different bridge positions in the multiplayer game, including captain, engineer and tactical.

The new Star Trek game will be set in J.J. Abrams’ rebooted, alternate-timeline movie universe kicked off in 2009. Here's an official description of the game:

Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts you and your friends in the heart of a starship, where – as officers of the Federation – every action and decision you make together will determine the fate of your ship and crew. Developed specifically for VR, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is the only game to offer a true-to-life level of immersion in the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the Federation dispatches you and your crew to command a new vessel U.S.S. Aegis as part of a critical initiative. Your mission: explore a largely uncharted sector of space known as The Trench, in hopes of locating a suitable new home world for the decimated Vulcan populace. The Trench contains stunning beauty and undiscovered wonders, but also strange anomalies and dangers yet unknown. The Klingon Empire is also active in the region, and their purpose is undoubtedly a threat to the Federation’s plans. It’s up to you and your crew to chart the sector to determine the Klingon’s aims, and to secure a peaceful Federation presence.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be available on all VR platforms in the fall of 2016.

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA
Well, it was about darn time since the last time Electronic Arts hit us with a Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer was during last year's E3. But now, they have unleashed a brand-new -- visually stunning, I might add -- trailer for BioWare’s next entry into their Mass Effect video game franchise.

The game, which'll use the Frostbite engine that powered Star Wars: Battlefront, Battlefield 1 and the new Mirror's Edge, just to name a few, is said to allow more freedom for the players than BioWare’s previous video games.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will boast a new origin story of sorts where you’ll leave the galaxy in order to help find a new home for humanity and, from the looks of things, it’ll also see the return of the Krogan and Asari alien species.

Have a look at the new trailer below (which also doubles as a featurette of sorts) and prepare to be blown away as you gaze upon new glorious alien vistas and creatures.

Here’s a short synopsis:

A whole new galaxy awaits for you to explore. Mass Effect: Andromeda pushes the boundaries of known space into the next generation, delivering distant star systems with remote and hostile planets ripe for discovery.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in early 2017.

LEGO STAR WARS: THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES
The first official trailer for Disney XD’s upcoming Star Wars series set in a galaxy far, far away, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, has been unleashed.

Premiering on Monday, June 20, the action adventure comedy series is set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and follows a family of sibling scavengers who run a salvage and repair shop in space. The series will feature characters -- heroes and villains -- from across the Star Wars saga.

Set between the events of "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," the series will feature all-new heroes and villains in action-packed, comedic adventures with familiar characters and locations from the filmed "Star Wars" saga. The series stars the Freemaker family, three sibling scavengers who build and sell starships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn throughout the galaxy. When their youngest discovers a natural connection with the Force through an ancient artifact - the Kyber Saber – his world is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy. Throughout their adventures, the Freemakers explore new worlds, meet new and familiar characters, and learn the true value of what it means to be a family.

Looks like a lot of fun! I've always been a huge fan of what LEGO has done over the years with its video game franchises based on existing properties (including Warner Bros.' The LEGO Movie), and it looks like the same sense of fun has been imbued in LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.

Here’s a character rundown:

ROWAN FREEMAKER (voiced by Nicolas Cantu) is a spunky, Force-sensitive 12-year-old with a thirst for adventure and a clear sense of right and wrong. When the Freemakers need a moral beacon, Rowan is the one to light the way. Through the Force, he discovers the existence of the Kyber Saber, an ancient artifact with enormous power. The quest to find the missing pieces of the Kyber Saber throws Rowan and the Freemakers into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy.

KORDI FREEMAKER (voiced by Vanessa Lengies) is the brains of Freemaker Salvage and Repair. She picks their targets and charts their courses. Sixteen-year-old Kordi is smart, capable, quick-witted and can talk her way out of just about any jam the Freemakers get into. She’s always on the lookout for new business opportunities so that the Freemakers will have enough money to pay the rent on time.

ZANDER FREEMAKER (voiced by Eugene Byrd) is the oldest brother that every kid wants. He's an 18-year-old ace pilot and charming rogue, and he brings the Freemakers to all the galaxy's hot spots. His encyclopedic knowledge of starships allows him to identify just about any craft he sees. He's a self-taught starship builder who rarely follows instructions but comes up with some ingenious creations. He tends to leap without looking, which often gets him and his siblings into trouble.

RO-GR a.k.a. Roger (voiced by Matthew Wood) is a rusty battle droid and veteran of the Clone Wars that the Freemaker family found sitting on top of a garbage heap. With a little re- programming, they turned him into a butler droid, which would be ideal if Roger were a better butler. He's well-meaning but a self- contained chaos generator. Still, he's genuinely useful and his firsthand experience dealing with the Jedi comes in handy as Rowan learns the ways the Force.

LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is the first TV series created in partnership with the LEGO Group, Disney and Lucasfilm and was developed for television by executive producers Bill Motz and Bob Roth (Penguins of Madagascar). Torsten Jacobson (LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales) and Jill Wilfert (The LEGO Movie) also serve as executive producers along with producers Carrie Beck (Star Wars Rebels), Jason Cosler (LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled!), Jake Blais and John McCormack.

LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures will premiere on Disney XD Monday, June 20 at 10:00am.

DOCTOR STRANGE
Actor Mads Mikkelsen has hinted that Doctor Strange will be very different from the other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If there's one consistent criticism that has been lobbed at the movies made by Marvel Studios, it's that they all seem kind of similar in terms of tone, visual style and narrative structure. While I don't necessarily buy that theory, one of the upcoming films that has been hyped as being a different kind of experience is Doctor Strange, with its emphasis on magic and mysticism, the supernatural movie pedigree of director Scott Derrickson (Sinister), and its roots in the character's original psychedelic comics from the 1960s.

One of the cast members appears to agree. Mads Mikkelsen, who will play the movie's yet-to-be-fully-identified main villain, told Yahoo Movies UK:

“If you look at the comic books, the comic books are quite different [to other Marvel stories]. I think that the film will be different from the other [Marvel] films that we’ve seen, but not as different as the books are, because that was basically the ‘60s and ‘70s –- it was more like an acid trip."

That goes with what I was saying above about the comics, and it's understandable that the movie couldn't go as all-out surreal and trippy as the books. But Mikkelsen added that the DNA of the comics is in the movie for sure:

"We’ve taken that fascination of the time into something we can relate to today...So you still have the energy, you still have the colors, you still have the madness, but you also have something you can identify with. I think that was a necessity –- if not, you would just make a crazy film. But you still have it there –- you have all the action, all the good ingredients you get in a Marvel film, but it will have a different flavor, that’s for sure."

This jibes with what Marvel president Kevin Feige has been saying about Doctor Strange all along, and raises my anticipation for this movie even more. As for Marvel films all being the same, I don't think Captain America: Civil War has the same feel as Guardians of the Galaxy, which doesn't have the same vibe as Ant-Man, just to name three recent examples. Yes, there are aspects they all share as part of a larger universe, but if all goes right, Doctor Strange is going to take those elements and shake them up again in what promises to be Marvel's weirdest movie yet (just take another look at the trailer as well).

Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme, opens in theaters on Nov. 6.

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016

Legendary composer John Williams will be back to score Star Wars: Episode VIII and Indiana Jones 5. This rather excellent revelation was confirmed in two separate items, with Access Hollywood reporter Scott Mantz first revealing on Twitter that Steven Spielberg gave him the good news about Indy 5:

Breaking! At the @AmericanFilm Tribute, #StevenSpielberg confirmed that #JohnWilliams will score #IndianaJones 5!

Mantz put Spielberg on the spot last night (June 9) at an American Film Institute event honoring Williams with a lifetime achievement award, which was probably as good a place as any to drop the news about the fifth Indy movie. As for Star Wars, Williams himself told Variety that he's willing to come back:

"If I can do it, I certainly will. I told Kathy Kennedy I’m happy to do it, but the real reason is, I didn’t want anybody else writing music for Daisy Ridley."

Okay, so that's not a 100 percent confirmation of his involvement with Star Wars, but barring any health or age issues (the man is, after all, 84 years old, bless his heart), we can't imagine that director Rian Johnson doesn't want Williams coming back to the franchise for the eighth time.

Williams seems to show no signs of slowing down at the moment, with Spielberg's upcoming The BFG slated to be his 28th collaboration with the director (Ready Player One will be Number 29). How long can he go? Let's hope as long as possible. The thought of a Star Wars or Indiana Jones film without a Williams score -- which is, at some point, probably inevitable -- is not something we want to ponder for now.

By the way, the AFI tribute to Williams airs on TNT on July 15, while Star Wars: Episode VIII opens on Dec. 15, 2017, and Indiana Jones 5 is scheduled to arrive on July 19, 2019.

TRANSFORMERS - THE MOVIE
If you’ve been anxious to re-watch the 1986 animated classic Transformers – The Movie, we have good news to report.

Just in time for the movie’s 30th anniversary, Shout! Factory announced today it struck a deal with Hasbro Studios for North American distribution rights to the animated action-adventure, which has been out of print for some time. Transformers – The Movie: 30th Anniversary Edition will debut on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13th.

Of particular interest to Transformers fans is that this special edition will be the high-definition debut of the picture, and it will be a completely restored version. The company is transferring the original 35MM film to HD, and as is usual for Shout! Factory home entertainment releases, will also feature several bonus features created especially for this anniversary edition. Oh, and expect the discs to be enclosed in collectible packaging, much like previous Transformers DVD sets the company has produced.

Transformers – The Movie marked the motion picture debut of Hasbro’s blockbuster property. It was made for a then-sizable $6 million budget and featured an all-star voice cast including Leonard Nimoy, Orson Welles (in his last performance), Robert Stack, Eric Idle and Judd Nelson. The film was much more intense than the TV series and was a veritable bloodbath, as a number of autobots and decepticons were killed off.

So if you’re only just getting over the anger you felt as a kid when Optimus Prime was killed in his big-screen debut, well … get ready to experience it all over again this fall.

Rollout!

Here’s the full press release:
Multi-Year Agreement Grants Shout! Factory Distribution Rights to

Renowned Classic Animated Movie Adventure

TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE

Los Angeles, California – June 9, 2016 – Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, and Hasbro Studios announced a strategic distribution collaboration to bring the iconic animated feature,TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This full-length animated adventure boasts the voice talent of Orson Welles in his final role and an all-star voice cast that includes Peter Cullen, Eric Idle, Casey Kasem, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Frank Welker. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Hasbro’s Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Stephen Davis.

The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory with exclusive home entertainment packaged media (Blu-ray and DVD) and select digital rights to Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE for home entertainment releases in North America. In honor of the 30th anniversary of TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE, this beloved animated feature will be newly remastered and transferred in HD from the original 35mm elements. A full-range of bonus content and collectible packaging are currently in development. Shout! Factory plans an aggressive rollout of TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE 30thAnniversary Edition on September 13, 2016.

“The Transformers franchise has been part of American popular culture for more than 30 years, developing into one of the most recognizable brands around the globe,” said Stephen Davis, Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President of Hasbro. “TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE played a huge role in the brand’s early success, laying the foundation for major motion pictures, several successful TV series, clothing and apparel, toys and much more. We are thrilled to work with Shout! Factory to deliver the original movie to fans in a completely remastered HD experience.”

“TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE is a highly sought-after animated feature, boasting a large fan following and consumer interest. On its 30th anniversary, we look forward to celebrating this film by bringing it to North America on Blu-ray for the first time. Having worked closely with Hasbro Studios on top brands like animated series TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO, TRANSFORMERS PRIME, MY LITTLE PONY, MY LITTLE PONY EQUESTRIA GIRLS movies and more, this is incredibly exciting and important news for us,” said Melissa Boag, Senior Vice President of Kids & Family Entertainment at Shout! Factory. “We look forward to bringingTRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE, featuring all-new HD transfer with stunning packaging and great extras to fans and on family home entertainment shelves.”

Action-packed animated feature TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE chronicles the heroic efforts of the AUTOBOTS as they defend their native planet CYBERTRON from the evil DECEPTICONS and UNICRON.

The AUTOBOTS, led by the heroic OPTIMUS PRIME, prepare to make a daring attempt to retake their planet from the evil forces of MEGATRON and the DECEPTICONS. Unknown to both sides, a menacing force is heading their way – UNICRON. The only hope of stopping UNICRON lies within the Matrix of Leadership and the AUTOBOT who can rise up and use its power to light their darkest hour. Will the AUTOBOTS be able to save their native planet from destruction or will the DECEPTICONS reign supreme?

TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE is co-produced and directed by Nelson Shin; produced by Joel Bacal and Tom Griffin; supervising producer, Jay Bacal; executive producers, Margaret Loesch and Lee Gunther; music score by Vince DiCola.

GOTHAM
In its first two seasons on Fox, Gotham has never shied away from embracing as much of Batman’s DC Comics lore as legally possible. Now we can confirm it’ll be adding another one in Season 3.

TV Line confirms DC Comics journalist Vicki Vale will be showing up next season, and she is described as an “ambitious young journalist” in her late 20s. As Batman fans likely noticed, that would make Bruce Wayne’s sometime love interest a good bit older than this version of the future Dark Knight. We don’t know much about how she’ll fit into Gotham, but she’s supposedly going to be a series regular, so the role should be solid.

Going back to the comic canon, Vicki Vale was first introduced in 1948. Her character has often reported on Batman along the way and is typically portrayed as an ambitious reporter always looking to chase the big scoop. She was played by Kim Basinger in 1989's Batman, and also played a role in the Arkham games. Considering all the supervillains and conspiracies sure to be on display next season, there should be more than enough stories to keep her busy.

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: HERO OF THE YEAR
DC Entertainment’s new initiative designed to showcase strong female heroes is paying off in the form of their animated shorts DC Superhero Girls. The series follows teen versions of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy and Katana (yep! we got villains aiming at being heroes too) as they realize their potential to become heroes while being students at Super Hero High.

With a second season that just kicked off in May, the fun little series has also spawned a multiple of product lines including toys, DC Comics graphic novels and an extended special on Boomerang this past March. And now the series is getting a movie.

Titled DC Superhero Girls: Hero of the Year, the story follows our young female superheroes as they face a new threat in the form of Eclipso.

Here’s the movie synopsis:

Where can you find the most powerful and prominent Super Teens in the galaxy? Super Hero High of course! Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy and Katana band together to navigate the twists and turns of high school in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) this summer.

These young Super Heroes discover unique abilities, develop powers, and combat an abundance of overwhelming, exciting and awkward moments to master the fundamentals of being a hero – one day at a time! Together, these seven fearless Super Heroes prove that we all have the power to make the world a better place - even while school is in session!  

DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year features some of the top voice actors in the industry. Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman), Anais Fairweather (Supergirl), Mae Whitman (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon), Tara Strong (Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy) Teala Dunn (Bumblebee), and Stephanie Sheh (Katana) join forces to portray some of the newest students to attend Super Hero High.

SUICIDE SQUAD
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Pictures aired the first TV spots for Suicide Squad during the NBA Finals and now the studios has brought online high-quality versions of the spots.

From director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch) comes Suicide Squad, starring Oscar nominee Will Smith (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness), Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus), Joel Kinnaman (Netflix’s “House of Cards”) and Oscar nominee Viola Davis (The Help, Doubt).

It feels good to be bad… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

Written and directed by Ayer based on the characters from DC Comics, the film also stars Jai Courtney (Insurgent), Jay Hernandez (Takers), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors), Scott Eastwood (Fury), Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns), Adam Beach (Cowboys & Aliens), and Karen Fukuhara in her feature film debut. It is produced by Charles Roven and Richard Suckle, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

Suicide Squad opens worldwide in 3D, and in 2D, and in select IMAX 3D theaters beginning August 5, 2016.

THIS WEEK'S BOX OFFICE
ames Wan’s The Conjuring 2 dominated the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $40.4 million from 3,343 theaters, for an average of $12,070 per location. That is nearly as high as the first film, which opened to $41.9 million in 2013, and marks the largest horror debut since The Conjuring (which went on to earn $318 million at the worldwide box office). It’s also the largest opening ever in June for a horror film. Again starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, The New Line release earned an impressive $50 million from 44 international markets this weekend on about 10,400 screens for a global weekend of $90.4 million. Made for just $40 million before marketing expenses, the sequel received an A- CinemaScore from audiences.

Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures‘ Warcraft opened domestically in second place with an estimated $24.4 million from 3,400 theaters, an average of $7,164 per theater. Costing $160 million to make before marketing, the Duncan Jones-directed video game adaptation is performing much better overseas, especially in China. In that country, Warcraft has already earned $156 million in five days through Sunday. Overall, the overseas total is $261.7 million and worldwide total is up to $286.1 million. Warcraft has earned $32.4 million from IMAX theaters, with $22.9 million coming this weekend from 506 screens. $20 million of that total came from IMAX screens in China, where the film averaged an impressive $68,000 per IMAX screen. Warcraft received a B+ CinemaScore and stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu.

Third place in North America belonged to Lionsgate sequel Now You See Me 2, which collected $23 million from 3,232 theaters, for an average of $7,124 per location. Internationally, the Jon M. Chu-directed film has grossed $22.8 million for a global total of $45.8 million. The first film opened to $29.4 million in 2013 and went on to earn $117. 7 million domestically and $234 million internationally for a worldwide total of $351.7 million. Now You See Me 2 cost about $90 million to make and received an A- CinemaScore. It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chou, Sanaa Lathan, David Washofsky, Tsai Chin, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows dropped to fourth place with $14.8 million its second weekend to take its total to $61 million. Made for $135 million, the sequel stars Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Tyler Perry, Sheamus, Gary Anthony Williams, Brittany Ishibashi, Stephen Amell, and Brian Tee.

Rounding out the top five was 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse with $10 million. The Bryan Singer film, which cost $178 million to make, has earned $136.4 million after three weeks in North America. Internationally, the film added $25 million for an overseas total of $342 million and worldwide sum of $478.4 million. The last film, X-Men: Days of Future Past, grossed $747.8 million worldwide in 2014. X-Men: Apocalypse stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor and Ben Hardy.

The Warner Bros. drama Me Before You added $9.2 million its second weekend for a total of $36.8 million. Made for $20 million, the adaptation of the Jojo Moyes novel stars Sam Claflin, Emilia Clarke, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Matthew Lewis, Vanessa Kirby, Stephen Peacocke, Brendan Coyle and Janet McTeer. Internationally, the film has earned $18.4 million.

In the seventh spot, The Angry Birds Movie earned $6.7 million its fourth weekend for a total of $98 million in North America. The Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation adaptation cost about $73 million to make before marketing. The film features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader and Peter Dinklage.

Dropping another four spots to eighth was Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, which added just $5.5 million for a total of $62.4 million after three weeks. Internationally, the follow-up brought in $14.6 million for a global weekend of $20.1 million. Made for $170 million, the James Bobin film has earned $151 million overseas and sits at $213.4 million worldwide. In 2010, Alice in Wonderland grossed $334.2 million domestically, $691.3 million internationally, and $1.025 billion worldwide. Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall star in Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Also, Disney and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War added $4.3 million domestically in ninth place and $1.2 million internationally for a global weekend of $5.5 million. The film has now earned $396.9 million in North America and $745.5 million overseas to take its worldwide total to $1.142 billion. Captain America: Civil War stands as the 12th highest-grossing movie of all-time. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film cost $250 million to make.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016

The series is described as a “love letter” to the supernatural classics, and focuses on a young boy who basically vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl. The footage has a major E.T. vibe, but with some undertones of creepiness a la Poltergeist (probably all those darn kids).

The series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Cara Buono, Charlie Heaton and Matthew Modine.

The first season of Stranger Things drops July 15.

DIMENSION 404
Hulu is getting into the anthology series game. Variety reports the streaming site is working on a sci-fi fantasy anthology series titled Dimension 404 and has even begun casting.

Lea Michele (Glee, Scream Queens), Robert Buckley (iZombie) and Ryan Lee (Super 8, Goosebumps) will star in the upcoming six-part project featuring hour-long standalone episodes. Michele and Buckley will co-star together as love interests in one of the episodes, while Lee will star in another.

The series is created by Dez Dolly and Will Campos with co-creators Dan Johnson and David Welch and hails from digital studio RocketJump. Dimension 404 will be executive-produced by Freddie Wong, Matthew Arnold and Dolly, who will also serve as showrunner. Here's the gist of the anthology series:

Inspired by the internet’s “404” error code, “Dimension 404” aims to evoke that 3 a.m. feeling of wandering onto the weird side of the web, stumbling upon stories that cannot be explained in the world that we know. Each episode will explore a different bizarre mystery, including an obscure cartoon that may hold the secret to time travel or energy drinks perhaps causing a global apocalypse.

In one episode, Michele will play Amanda, an attractive, witty, ambitious and type-A girl with a good heart who turns to a matchmaking service in order to fulfill her rebound dating needs following a bad breakup. Buckley will play Adam, an emotionally vulnerable and a tad naïve guy who falls pretty hard for Amanda, his online date from a matchmaking service. When Adam drops an “I love you” too soon (ouch!), prompting Amanda to “swipe left” on him, their breakup forces him to face a whole bunch of truths about his life.

Ryan Lee's episode will take place in 1984, where the young actor will play Andrew, a teenage introvert and video game addict who is secretly gay. Bullied by his classmates, he finds comfort and courage at Ernie’s Arcade, where he discovers a mysterious and never-played arcade game called Polybius and sets out to investigate its dark and bloody provenance. [Insert Sounds of Doom]

SEVENEVES
Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves is heading to the big screen, and the project has signed one heck of a heavy hitter to make it happen.

Variety reports Ron Howard will reunite with Apollo 13 writer Bill Broyles to bring Seveneves to life. The story focuses on a catastrophic event that turns Earth into a time bomb, so nations team up to try and push humanity into the stars for survival. Fast-forward 5,000 years, and a new race of humans decide to come back and explore their mythical home world that has been transformed in the millennia since.

The project has the makings of a truly ambitious sci-fi event, and considering it’s based on Stephenson’s (Snow Crash) stellar novel, they’re working from an excellent jumping-off point as far as scripting is concerned. Here’s hoping with Howard attached (along with Broyles), the project might actually make it through development relatively quickly.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
There's a new Commissioner Gordon in town ... and he's looking a bit like a superhero himself.

Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons is playing the role of Commissioner Jim Gordon in director Zack Snyder's upcoming Justice League, and it certainly appears that his take on the character is somewhat different from Gary Oldman's excellent portrayal of Batman's staunch and morally upright ally in the Dark Knight trilogy (not to mention Ben McKenzie's younger, more compromised version on Gotham).

With his work on the film scheduled to begin this month, the 61-year-old Simmons has embarked on a workout regimen that is getting him in shape enough that he could arguably fight alongside the members of the League themselves. Working with celebrity fitness trainer (and former U.S. Marine) Aaron Williamson, who posted several photos of the actor on Instagram, Simmons is getting positively ripped for the role.

Although Oldman got into the action in his three turns as Gordon, the Commissioner has not always looked or acted like a man who could inflict real damage on a supervillain. In his other previous superhero movie stint, as Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Simmons was almost entirely desk-bound. We don't know what Snyder has in store for him in Justice League, but it seems as if he's preparing for real battle.

Aside from his newfound physical prowess, Simmons is a world-class character actor, and his appearance in Justice League (and, we assume, future DC movies) is more than welcome.

Check out his pictures on Instagram.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MOVIE
After languishing in development since 2009, Universal Pictures' Battlestar Galactica movie is finally moving forward in the right direction. We reported last month that the studio has brought on Michael De Luca, Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark to produce this sci-fi reboot, but now even more progress is being made. Today we have word that HBO's Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy has signed on to write the screenplay, with Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) circling the project as a director.

This new report from Deadline doesn't reveal if Francis Lawrence is in negotiations, or if he's just interested in taking on this coveted directorial gig. Much like the original 1978 TV series, and the critically-acclaimed 2003 TV reboot, this project will follow the longstanding battle between humans and the Cylons, although no specific plot details were given. We reported back in 2014 that this project will be a full reboot that is more cloesly related to the original 1978 TV version.

Universal first started developing this Battlestar Galactica movie back in 2009, shortly after the Syfy TV series completed its run. Bryan Singer was attached to direct at one point before dropping out. In 2011, John Orloff (Anonymous) signed on to write the script, which was said, at the time, to be based on the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica TV series, and not the 2003 Battlestar Galactica remake series, but it isn't known if that is still the plan, with a new writer coming aboard.

Before the producers came aboard in February, the last we heard on this project was in 2014, when Transcendence writer Jack Paglen was brought on to work on the script. The 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica ran for just one season, starring Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Lorne Greene, centering on humans from the Twelve Colonies engaged in a war with the Cylon robots. The 2003 series starred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff, airing over four seasons on the Syfy Channel. The remake also spawned the prequel series Caprica and the web series Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome.

Francis Lawrence most recently directed the Hunger Games franchise finale Mockingjay Part 2, which hit theaters in November. He is next set to reunite with star Jennifer Lawrence with the spy thriller Red Sparrow, with Battlestar Galactica set to come after his work on that project. Lisa Joy started her writing career on ABC's Pushing Daisies, before serving as a writer and producer on USA's Burn Notice. She co-created the upcoming Westworld with her husband, Jonathan Nolan, which is set to debut this fall on HBO.

SUICIDE SQUAD AND COMIC-CON
DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures are going to be pushing Suicide Squad hard at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, with the announcement Thursday that the movie will have a "major presence" at the annual pop culture saturnalia, including appearances by the cast and a fan-friendly re-creation of the movie's onscreen prison.

While details of who will be part of Warner Bros.' Hall H presentation remain under wraps, DC Entertainment has revealed that the cast will also take part in a special taping of Conan O'Brien's TBS show on Saturday, July 23, to be broadcast later that evening, as well as make an appearance at the DC Entertainment booth on the convention floor that day to sign for fans.

Additionally, part of the Hard Rock Hotel in the city's Gaslamp Quarter will be transformed into the Belle Reve Penitentiary, the fictional prison that houses the supervillains who make up the Squad, featuring another Harley Quinn tattoo parlor (The first appeared at the SXSW festival in March) and a virtual reality experience that allows fans to fight alongside the Squad themselves in a scene from the movie.

DC also launched a fan contest called Squad Up! Thursday that invites fans to create cosplay based on the movie's protagonists, with 11 different winners — one for each member of the team, as well as the Joker — being given an all-expenses-paid trip to Comic-Con next month.

San Diego Comic-Con runs July 21-24, with the traditional Preview Night on July 20, at the San Diego Convention Center. Suicide Squad is released Aug. 5.

June 8, 2016

Carnival Row -- which’ll be an Amazon Studios and Legendary TV co-production -- is the product of a major development deal Amazon Studios signed back in early 2015 for the TV series version of Beacham’s 11-year-old supernatural feature spec script titled A Killing on Carnival Row. At the time, Amazon had ordered not one but three scripts for the project, to be co-written by Echeverria, del Toro, Beacham and Peter Cameron.

The project was originally sold as a movie script to New Line and Kopelson Entertainment back in 2005. Guillermo del Toro and Neil Jordan both played in the project’s sandbox while it was still at New Line. In the wake of the studio being absorbed by Warner Bros., Arnold and Anne Kopelson tried to shop it around to other studios, with director Tarsem Singh (Immortals) attached to the project. A Killing on Carnival Row was ultimately shelved in 2011, stuck in development hell.

Here's the gist of the story for the dark, noir series.

A Killing on Carnival Row is set in the future in a city called the Burgue, which looks a lot like 18th Century London. It is inhabited by humans and other creatures, and a serial killer is on the loose.

Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? The original script followed a detective who investigated the serial killing of mystical creatures and who eventually becomes the prime suspect.

Echevarria not only penned the pilot screenplay that's going into production, but he’ll also serve as showrunner. Del Toro, Beacham and Echevarria will executive-produce the pilot alongside Gary Ungar.

VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER
Netflix is all set to unleash the new Voltron: Legendary Defender animated series on June 10, and the streaming site has released a new clip and a bunch of images to whet our appetite for the new series.

To be released all at once so we can all sit back and relax binge-watch, the 13-episode series follows the crazy adventures of five teenagers who end up getting embroiled in a giant intergalactic war by piloting five robot lions, who become one larger robot known as the legendary Voltron.

The clip released centers on the discovery of the Blue Lion, with Lance (Jeremy Shada) feeling an eerie connection with the majestic robot: “Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them? Yeah, the eyes are totally following me.” From the clip below, it looks like it'll be a fun series I'm sure fans of the original 1980s cartoon (like I was) will love.

Here’s the official series synopsis:

The Netflix original series DreamWorks’ Voltron: Legendary Defender reimagines one of the most popular fan-favorite shows of all time in this all-new comedic action-packed show from executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender) and co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery (The Legend of Korra).

Five unsuspecting teenagers, transported from Earth into the middle of a sprawling intergalactic war, become pilots for five robotic lions in the battle to protect the universe from evil. Only through the true power of teamwork can they unite to form the mighty warrior known as Voltron.

Also starring in Voltron: Legendary Defender are Kimberly Brooks as Princess Allura, Rhys Darby as Coran, Josh Keaton as Shiro, Tyler Labine as Hunk, Jeremy Shada as Lance, Bex Taylor-Klaus as Pidge, Steven Yeun as Keith, Neil Kaplan as Emperor Zarkon and Cree Summer as Haggar. The series will stream on June 10.

LEGEND OF TARZAN
With all the Hollywood sci-fi superheroes zooming around the globe vanquishing evil, it's been easy to overlook this new Tarzan action adventure based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' hunky jungle hero.

Directed by Harry Potter's David Yates and starring Alexander Skarsgard as the ripped vine-swinger and Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad) as Jane, The Legend of Tarzan is a refreshing return to classic literary tales sadly absent from the big screen of late.

Here's the official synopsis:

It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.

Get lost in the new extended IMAX trailer recounting the Lord of the Apes' absorbing origin story and displaying the same sort of lush locations and CGI mastery over animals as Disney's The Jungle Book. Trek into this tempting new Tarzan preview and tell us if you're planning a cinematic safari soon.

Also starring Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou and Jim Broadbent, The Legend of Tarzan leaps into theaters in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D on July 1.

REBORN
Mark Millar is one busy man. The super-prolific writer is going to release yet another comic book series that has him teaming up with DC Comics Batman artist Greg Capullo! Titled Reborn, the new monthly series will run over six months and will be launched in October from Millarworld.

So, what’s Reborn about? According to Deadline, the series will follow an 80-year-old woman named Bonnie Black, who’s afraid to die (who isn't?). When she does, she’s shocked to find there is a world beyond our own. Here’s the synopsis:

It’s not Heaven. It’s not Hell. It’s as real and hard as where we live now, but filled with the most amazing fantasy landscapes, jaw-dropping creatures and a battle raging between good and evil. The people she loved in this world — her father and her childhood dog — but oddly, not her husband who had passed over 14 years before. So she sets out to find him. She realizes that she has been reborn as a 25-year-old woman with a sword in her hand and gun of her hip and embarks on an adventure as she searches for the lost love of her life.

The property also has the potential of becoming a movie or a TV series. Here’s what Millar said of his new project:

“The idea is always to create the project and then find the right producer for it. We have an idea of who would be good for this one. It must be someone who will understand the story and is passionate about bringing our vision to the screen.”

Millar has quite the rap sheet regarding his many comic book series that have been turned into movies. There was Captain America: Civil War (most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is inspired by The Ultimates, on which Millar worked), Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kick-Ass and Wanted. Superior, Chrononauts, Empress (with producer Joe Roth), Huck, MPH, and Starlight are all in development for either film or television. Whew!!

Reborn definitely sounds like an intriguing story worth picking up come October, if only for Millar and Capullo working together.

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN
In 2012, Warner Bros. Pictures announced plans to bring comic strip character Mandrake the Magician to the big screen, and now The Tracking Board is reporting that comedic actor Sacha Baron Cohen (The Brothers Grimsby, Borat, Alice Through the Looking Glass) is slated to play the title hero, with Get Hard writer-director Etan Cohen (no relation) set to helm the film for the studio.

Created in 1934 by Lee Falk (who would go on to create “The Phantom”), Mandrake is a specialist in hypnosis and illusion who uses his magical abilities to fight crime alongside Lothar, an African Prince and one of the strongest men in the world. Mandrake the Magician has been adapted before, originally as a theatrical serial in 1939 with Warren Hull as Mandrake and Al Kikume as Lothar.

In recent years, Mandrake has made its way around Hollywood, with stars like Jonathan Rhys Meyers mooted for the role. The new take on the material is planned as a contemporary adventure, with the most recent drafts of the script by David and Janet Peoples (12 Monkeys) and scribe Tom Wheeler (Puss In Boots). Charles Roven (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and Andy Horowtiz will produce through Atlas Entertainment, with Alan Glazer and Rocky Shepard executive producing.

DEAD RISING: ENDGAME
Sony’s streaming network Crackle has provided ComingSoon.net with the exclusive first Dead Rising: Endgame clip! Check out the tense scene in the player below, and look for the film to premiere exclusively on Crackle June 20. The Dead Rising video game franchise, created by Capcom, is hugely successful, having sold over 9.1 million copies worldwide.

Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives,” “Dallas”) returns to Dead Rising: Endgame as Chase Carter, the well-known television journalist who goes back underground to stop the military’s rogue operation and break the ultimate story. Keegan Connor Tracy (“Once Upon a Time,” “Bates Motel”) returns as camera operator and producer, Jordan Blair. Attempting to thwart their plans is Dennis Haysbert (“24,” Sin City: A Dame to Kill for, Wreck-It Ralph) reprising his role as General Lyons, a crooked Military Intelligence Officer. Patrick Sabongui (“The Art of More”) returns in a new role, playing a skilled zombie killer and video game aficionado who talks a big and crude game to mask his gentle side.

The film also features new cast members, including Billy Zane (Zoolander 2, Titanic) as Rand, a handsome, cruel scientist who was hired by the government to find a cure for the raging zombie infection, but is instead conducting horrendous experiments on the infected. Marie Avgeropoulos (“The 100″) plays Sandra Lowe, a skilled computer hacker and Chase’s on-and-off girlfriend who joins him in his quest to battle the zombie-infested underground and stop General Lyons’ plan. Ian Tracey (“Bates Motel,” Man of Steel) portrays George Hancock, the courageous whistleblower who compels Chase and his team to enter a zombie-infested city on a rescue mission. Jessica Harmon (“iZombie,” If I Had Wings) plays Jill, a news producer who joins Chase and his intrepid crew to infiltrate a secret laboratory and stop the carnage. Victor Webster (“Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” “Continuum”) is Chuck Greene, the reluctant hero and protagonist of the Dead Rising 2 video game. Additionally, Camille Sullivan (“The Man in the High Castle”) portrays the role of Susan Ingot, the CEO of Phenotrans, the manufacturer of Zombrex, the vaccine that keeps the zombie infection at bay.

Dead Rising: Endgame is directed by Pat Williams (Continuum) and written by Michael Ferris (Terminator Salvation). Dead Rising: Endgame is presented by Legendary Digital Media and produced by Tim Carter with Tomas Harlan as the executive producer under their Contradiction Films banner.

GHOSTBUSTERS
Sony Pictures has released a new international Ghostbusters trailer.

The new Ghostbusters film sees Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as scientists Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, respectively. Gilbert is a particle physicist while Yates, Gilbert’s close friend, is an expert in the paranormal. As ghost sightings ramp up, they team with Kate McKinnon‘s Jillian Holtzmann, a nuclear engineer who winds up creating the team’s tech. Leslie Jones‘ Patty Tolan, then, is the team’s everyman character who winds up playing an important role connected to an early supernatural encounter.

It also stars Chris Hemsworth as the new secretary, Andy Garcia as the Mayor of New York City, Michael K. Williams as a character named “Hawkins,” Matt Walsh as a character named “Rourke,” and Neil Casey as the film’s villain. New York City’s NY1 news anchor Pat Kiernan is also set to appear as news anchor in the film.

The Ghostbusters movie is directed by Paul Feig from a script he co-wrote with Katie Dippold. It will debut in theaters on July 15.

CLOWN MONSTER
Dimension Films and Anchor Bay Entertainment have today released eleven Clown movie stills, some of which offer a nice look at the Clown monster makeup. The horror feature arrives in select theaters and via On Demand June 17 and hails from producer Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever). It also marks the feature film directorial debut of Jon Watts who, as comic book movie fans are well aware, followed Clown with Cop Car and was then selected by Marvel Studios to direct next summer’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Written by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, Clown tells the story of a loving father who dons a clown outfit and makeup to perform at his son’s sixth birthday, only to later discover that the costume – red nose and wig included– will not come off and his own personality changes in a horrific fashion. To break the curse of the evil outfit, the father must make grim choices with his own family facing danger.

The Clown movie cast includes Peter Stormare (Fargo, The Big Lebowski), Laura Allen (Terriers, Awake), Andy Powers (In Her Shoes, Sweets) and Elizabeth Whitmere (The Last Hitman, UnREAL).

Spider-Man: Homecoming, meanwhile, today added 14 year old Michael Barbieri to its cast in a mystery role. He joins Tom Holland as Peter Parker, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Michael Keaton as a mystery villain (believed to be the Vulture) and Zendaya as a character by the name of Michelle. There’s also mystery roles for Laura Harrier and Tony Revolori. The Marvel Studios film should begin production shortly with a planned release date of July 7, 2017.

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2016

The site cautioned fans to take the story with the appropriate dose of salt, but it made its way up to Geoff Johns, the new co-head of Warner Bros.' DC Films division who decided to set the record straight.

Johns took to Twitter over the weekend to dispel the rumor and reveal the official title, saying that “The Justice League movie is called 'Justice League'”.

Um. Yeah. Pretty straightforward, I guess. Looks like Warner Bros. and DC have chosen to keep the title as simple as possible for the Justice League's first movie, just like Marvel did with The Avengers.

Which is kinda alright I suppose, but I would have been totally partial to Justice League: Gods Among Us because of the awesomeness of that video game. How about you? Did you guys prefer the other titles over the simple Justice League?

Filming on the superhero movie is currently underway in England and stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller and J.K. Simmons.

Justice League is slated for a Nov. 17, 2017 release.

DEAD RISING: ENGAME
Sony’s streaming network Crackle has released the first trailer and a very cool poster for video game live-action adaptation Dead Rising: Endgame.

The movie is based on the hugely popular Capcom zombie survival video game series Dead Rising and is directed by Pat Williams (Continuum) from a screenplay penned by Michael Ferris (Terminator Salvation). The movie is produced by Legendary Digital Media and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A sequel to 2015’s Dead Rising: Watchtower, the new movie stars Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) Keegan Connor Tracy (Once Upon a Time, Bates Motel), Dennis Haysbert (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Marie Avgeropoulos (The 100), Billy Zane (Zoolander 2, Titanic), Patrick Sabongui (The Flash) and Jessica Harmon (iZombie).

Looks pretty cool. Here’s a movie synopsis:

DEAD RISING: ENDGAME drops us into the zombie-infested quarantined zone of East Mission City where investigative reporter Chase Carter (Jesse Metcalfe) must stop a secret government conspiracy which, though seemingly aimed at ending the country’s zombie epidemic, will also kill millions of innocent civilians.

Dead Rising: Endgame sees the return of Jesse Metcalf as Chase Carter, the TV journalist who goes back underground to stop the rogue operation led by the military and break the ultimate story. Keegan Connor Tracy is back as camera operator and producer, Jordan Blair. Dennis Haysbert returns as General Lyons, a crooked Military Intelligence Officer who attempts to thwart their plans. Patrick Sabongui (who was in Watchtower) is also back in a completely new role playing Garth, an expert zombie killer and video game enthusiast who like to talk a big and crude game in order to mask his gentle side. Awww.

Dead Rising: Endgame will begin streaming on Crackle June 20.

AMERICAN GODS
In an awesome piece of casting news, X-Files actress Gillian Anderson has joined the cast of Bryan Fuller’s American Gods.

Anderson will play Media, who’s described as the mouthpiece for the New Gods in Starz’s upcoming TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic and award-winning fantasy novel.

The character serves as the New American Gods' public face and media representative, who likes to take on the form of various iconic celebrities and lives off the attention and worship people give their TVs, laptops, iPhones and more. Media is the cheerful spokesperson who’s always in control as she spins stories in whatever way suits her best.

American Gods imagines a war brewing between the old gods and the new (nope, not the ones from Game of Thrones). The Old Gods being the ones we know from the mythological pantheons from around the world who are steadily losing believers to the New Gods, who reflect modern society’s love of money, technology, media, celebrities and drugs.

The series centers on Shadow Moon (The 100’s Ricky Whittle), an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and travel buddy to Mr. Wednesday (Deadwood's Ian McShane), a con man who's in reality the All-Father Odin on a cross-country mission to gather the Old Gods in preparation to battle those New Gods.

The series was created by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal, the new Star Trek series) and Michael Green (Green Lantern), who act as writers and showrunners on Starz's upcoming fantasy series. David Slade (Hannibal, Powers) is directing the pilot, as well as other episodes.

Are you excited about Gillian Anderson being cast as Media on American Gods? Other cast members include Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Cloris Leachman (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), Peter Stormare (22 Jump Street), Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) and Crispin Glover (Back to the Future).

LEONARD NIMOY DOCUMENTARY
A documentary on the late, great Leonard Nimoy will arrive later this year -- right around a historic date.

According to Deadline, indie film distributor Gravitas Ventures has picked up the rights to For the Love of Spock, a documentary about Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock and Star Trek directed by Nimoy's son Adam. The distributor has set Sept. 9 as the release date of the film -- one day after the 50th anniversary (on Sept. 8) of the original series' premiere on NBC with the episode "The Man Trap."

For the Love of Spock itself premiered last month at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. In addition to never-before-seen family photos and home video -- it helps with access when the director is the subject's son! -- the film also features interviews with original Trek cast members William Shatner and George Takei, Star Trek reboot director J.J. Abrams, Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons and current Star Trek actors Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana and Nimoy's successor as Spock, Zachary Quinto.

Gravitas Ventures founder and CEO Nolan Gallagher said about the documentary:

“It’s no secret that Star Trek is internationally beloved and has shown the world both on screen and off what it truly means to be a global community. We are honored to be collaborating with Adam Nimoy and look forward to bringing this film to audiences everywhere during a monumental year in the Star Trek timeline."

The release date is no coincidence. Paramount Pictures, owners of the franchise and partial backers of the documentary, is launching a number of events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the original series. The studio started earlier this month with the naming of a street on its Hollywood lot as Leonard Nimoy Way in honor of the beloved actor, who died in February 2015 at the age of 83. And of course, a new movie with the current cast, Star Trek Beyond, is arriving on July 22.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
20th Century Fox has released a new Independence Day: Resurgence clip, featuring Jeff Goldblum making a surprising discovery about the alien invaders in the series. Check out the Independence Day: Resurgence clip in the player below and check out the “20 Years of Evolution” graphic showing what has happened between the 1996 original film and the upcoming sequel.

Independence Day: Resurgence stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe and Sela Ward.

We always knew they were coming back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

ComingSoon.net had the privilege of visiting the Albuquerque set of Independence Day: Resurgence this summer. Who will be getting a big speech this time around? What happened to Boomer the dog? Roland Emmerich even answers the question, “Was Randy Quaid’s Russell Casse really abducted by aliens before the first film?” You can find out by watching our interviews with the cast.

Twenty-two years in the making, Independence Day: Resurgence features a script by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin and James Vanderbilt, James A.Woods & Nicolas Wright. Look for it in theaters June 24, 2016.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows opened in first place this weekend with an estimated $35.3 million from 4,071 theaters, an average of $8,659 per theater. Directed by David Green, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 cost about $135 million to make and stars Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Tyler Perry, Sheamus, Gary Anthony Williams, Brittany Ishibashi, Stephen Amell, and Brian Tee. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, which received an A- CinemaScore from audiences, also grossed $34 million internationally this weekend for a global weekend total of $69.3 million.

The debut of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows marks a big drop from the $65.6 million the first film earned its first weekend in 2014. That Jonathan Liebesman-directed film went on to reach $191.2 million domestically and $302.1 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $493.3 million.

Dropping to second place and a troubling 66% in ticket sales, X-Men: Apocalypse (20th Century Fox) grossed $22.3 million its second weekend for a total of $116.5 million domestically. That is just barely more than the $110.6 million that X-Men: Days of Future Past opened with its first four days two years ago. Directed by Bryan Singer, the $178 million-budgeted film stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor and Ben Hardy.

X-Men: Apocalypse opened in China this weekend with $59 million from 6,128 screens. It’s the second highest-opening weekend ever for Fox in the market, behind the Titanic re-release, and the biggest IMAX opening ever for Fox in China. Overall, the film earned $84.4 million this weekend from 17,522 screens in 66 markets overseas. The international total is now up to $286 million and worldwide the sum has reached $402.5 million.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Me Before You opened above expectations in third place with $18.3 million from 2,704 theaters, an average of $6,757 per site. Based on the bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes, the film received an A CinemaScore and cost just $20 million to make. Directed by Thea Sharrock, the adaptation stars Sam Claflin, Emilia Clarke, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Matthew Lewis, Vanessa Kirby, Stephen Peacocke, Brendan Coyle and Janet McTeer. Internationally, the drama earned $7.7 million from 1,760 screens in 16 markets.

Dropping to the fourth spot and 60.2% in ticket sales was Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, which added $10.6 million for a domestic total of $50.8 million after two weeks. Internationally, the follow-up earned $30.9 million this weekend for an overseas total of $125.5 million and worldwide total of $176.3 million. Made for $170 million, the James Bobin film is well behind Alice in Wonderland, which grossed $334.2 million domestically, $691.3 million internationally, and $1.025 billion worldwide. Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall star.

The Angry Birds Movie rounded out the top five with $9.8 million for a three-week total of $86.7 million in North America. The Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation adaptation cost about $73 million to make before marketing. The film features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader and Peter Dinklage.

Disney and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War added $7.6 million domestically in sixth place and $4.2 million internationally for a global weekend of $11.8 million. The film has now earned $388.9 million in North America and $742.6 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $1.131 billion. Captain America: Civil War now stands as the 12th highest-grossing movie of all-time, having passed Skyfall ($1.108 billion), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.120 billion) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.123 billion). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America: Civil War cost $250 million to make.

Coming in at No. 7, Universal sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising took in $4.7 million its third weekend for a domestic total of $48.6 million.

Stopping before it could ever begin, Universal comedy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping debuted with just $4.6 million in eighth place from 2,311 theaters, an average of only $2,003 per site. Starring Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, the film cost $20 million to make and received a B CinemaScore.

In other international box office news, Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures’ Warcraft opened in another eight markets and earned $29.9 million from 28 territories. The Duncan Jones-directed video game adaptation has now grossed $70 million overseas. Opening in North America on Friday, the film stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu.

Also, 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool finally opened in Japan this weekend and earned $6.5 million from 746 screens. This means the international total is now up to $409.3 million and worldwide total to $772.3 million.

And finally, Disney’s Zootopia has now crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, making it the studio’s second release of 2016 to reach the milestone this year and its 11th ever. The No. 1 animated film of 2016 and the No. 2 film overall (behind Captain America: Civil War), Zootopia is just the fourth animated film ever to cross $1 billion. That now gives The Walt Disney Studios 11 out of the 26 $1 billion+ grossing global movies of all-time. Zootopia has earned $337.2 million domestically and $662.8 million internationally.

Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
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