More Flash Characters to Appear on Sister Show Arrow

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  20 March  2014.

An upcoming episode of Arrow will preview more of The Flash’s new cast. Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow and Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon will appear in Arrow’s episode 19, “The Man Under the Hood.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Arrow executive producer Mark Guggenheim commented on the decision to introduce the characters prior to the premiere of the spinoff. “It allows us to further flush out The Flash universe in Arrow. We get to see their dynamic.”

While the circumstances of Caitlin and Cisco’s visit to Starling City remain unknown, we do have a few details about the characters themselves. Both work for S.T.A.R. labs, she as a bioengineering expert and he as a mechanical engineering genius. In the comics, Caitlin eventually becomes the villain Killer Frost but Cisco becomes Vibe, a hero who joins the Justice League of America.

Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, who head up The Flash’s writing team, will pen the Arrow episode in which Panabaker and Valdes appear. The full pilot for the series about the Scarlett Speedster will air in October. “The Man Under the Hood” will air in April.

Captain America To Take On Batman And Superman In The Ultimate Box Office Clash

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.

Proving that they really just don’t care about whatever DC is doing, Marvel has decided to keep their Captain America 3 release date despite DC planning to release their Batman/Superman film on the same day. Fanboys and girls, get ready for a throw down on May 6, 2016.

In January, DC issued a clear challenge to the Disney-owned Marvel when they moved up their Man of Steel sequel from July to May. Marvel had already staked out May 6 for an untitled film, and this week we learned that film is Captain America 3, which means it’s time for DC to rethink their strategy.

The truth is Marvel has been hammering DC in the cinematic world. With Avengers 2 underway and Captain America: The Winter Soldier due out on April 4, Marvel is on a definite high. DC, on the other hand, is putting together some mash-up movie with Ben Affleck taking over Batman’s cape and cowl and Henry Cavill returning as Superman.

As Scott Mendelson at Forbes notes, “Warner Bros. has little choice but to pick a new release date. It has officially lost this game of chicken and will lose any showdown with Captain America 3 by default…Batman/Superman must unequivocally succeed in order for Warner Bros. to do whatever Justice League plans they have up their sleeve.”

Interestingly, The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the Captain America 3 news, cites industry experts who believe it is highly unlikely the two superhero films will actually open the same weekend. Really what this means is, we’re all waiting to see who blinks first: Marvel or DC?

Adrian Pasdar To Bring Major Glenn Talbot To Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.

Adrian Pasdar is bringing Major Glenn Talbot and his glorious moustache to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The studio recently announced the addition of Pasdar as a new thorn in the side of Agent Coulson and his team.

The famously mustachioed Talbot is Hulk-hater General Ross’ right hand man. Talbot frequently appears in the Hulk comics hunting the green rage monster and his Bruce Banner alter ego. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he won’t be engaging in his favorite pastime but he will remain, as Pasdar says, a “sanctimonious jerk.” The character is slated for one episode on the ABC show and Pasdar hinted there might be more.

“As willing as I am to jump when Jeph (Loeb, Marvel TV president) calls, there had to be a little bit more in it than just an episode for me,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t say much more but the mustache is in a locker and it’s being taken out and prepped as we speak for next week.”

Pasdar certainly knows a little something about supernatural powers. He played Nathan Petrelli on NBC’s Heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D. will hardly be Pasdar’s first outing with Marvel. He’s voiced Iron Man in several of the studio’s animated features.

His turn as Talbot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air in April on ABC.

Angelina Jolie Looks Every Part Maleficent In New Movie Posters

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  12 March  2014.

The new posters for Disney’s Maleficent confirm what we already knew: Angelina Jolie looks perfect as the Sleeping Beauty villainess. Filling nearly the entire US and UK posters, Jolie is malevolently striking as the iconic baddie.

UK Poster

US Poster

Time To Say Goodbye: SyFy Cancels Being Human

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  26 February  2014.

Syfy’s Being Human will end with its fourth season. The network announced the show’s cancellation on Tuesday, noting that all of the final episodes will air.

“Showrunner Anna Fricke and the talented producers, writers, cast and crew have done an amazing job bringing this show to life over the past four seasons and we sincerely thank them and the series’ production company Muse Entertainment for their hard work,” Syfy said in a statement. “They’ve saved the best for last with the final six episodes that revisit the story’s beginning, leading to a not-to-be-missed send-off for Aidan, Sally, Josh and Nora.”

The cast responded to the news with a heartfelt thank you to fans.

An American remake of the UK show of the same name, Being Human will finish just one season shy of the five its UK predecessor ran before ending last year. Ratings for the US version, which premiered in 2011, started out at 1.8 million, making it one of SyFy’s most successful series. Recent ratings have hovered around 1 million, though Entertainment Weekly reports the number is closer to 1.8 million when DVR viewings are accounted for. The supernatural series will conclude on April 7.

The news about Being Human comes on the heels of announcements of the cancellation of two other Syfy original dramas, Warehouse 13 and Alphas. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Being Human’s cancellation comes at a time of reorganization at SyFy. Several top executives, including the Executive Vice President of Original Content, have departed and been replaced in the last three months.

The final episodes of Being Human begin airing on March 3 at 9 p.m.

Entourage Movie Set for June 2015 Release

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  26 February  2014.

Hey bros, the Entourage movie is coming to theaters on June 12, 2015. The HBO comedy will hit the big screen nearly four years after the series finale.

Original cast members Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon and Jeremy Piven are all returning. They will be joined by Liam Neeson, Billy Bob Thorton and Haley Joel Osment in the film. No plot details have been made available, but series creator Doug Ellin will be directing based on his own screenplay.

The June release date for Entourage pits Vince, E, Ari, Turtle, Drama and the gang against Universal’s Jurassic World, starring Chris Pratt. Start picking sides now: Bros or dinosaurs?

A Surprise Visit From the Doctor: Capaldi Appears in Costume

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  25 February  2014.

Decked out in his Twelfth Doctor costume, Peter Capaldi appeared at the BBC Worldwide Showcase in Liverpool on Monday. Or should we say, The Doctor made a surprise appearance.

With his dark blue, red-lined Crombie coat, dark blue trousers and waistcoat, white shirt and Doc Martens boots, Capaldi looked much more like his Time Lord alter ego than himself. The delighted audience certainly thought so, as the newest Doctor took the stage. This is the first time Capaldi has been seen in the costume since the BBC released an official picture of the outfit in January. At the time the actor remarked on the clothes saying, “Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.”

Following the event on Monday, Capaldi spoke briefly about the upcoming series 8. “I’ve always been a fan of the show and I love that it’s now a global success,” he said. “I’m excited, and slightly daunted, about how far the new series is going to travel.”

Doctor Who returns later this year.

First Look At Rupert Friend As The Super Assassin Agent 47

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  21 February  2014.

The first look of Rupert Friend as Agent 47 has been revealed. IGN posted the picture from the video game adaptation’s set of the Homeland star, who looks every bit like his digital counterpart.

Agent 47 is a follow up to The Hitman, which starred Timothy Olyphant and was based on the video game of the same name.

Last month, Friend replaced the late Paul Walker in sequel’s the titular role as the genetically-engineered super assassin. Plot details for the film have yet to be released officially but ScreenRant notes previous reports that had 47 protecting a young waitress from a group called the Syndicate.

Full production on Agent 47, which also stars Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware, begins next week in Berlin and will then move to Singapore.

Filming on Avengers Sequel Delayed By Flooding

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  16 February  2014.

Thor may be the God of Thunder but he can’t do anything about rain. Thus The Avengers: Age of Ultron shooting schedule has been delayed by flooding in the UK.

Actors were supposed to head in to Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England for camera tests and costume fittings, Hollywood.com reported. Due to the particularly heavy rain, the day was cancelled. The town of Shepperton has been one of many places in the U.K. devastated by the past two days of strong rainfall throughout the country.

As for the Avengers sequel, filming has already started in South Africa. The delay due to flooding in the U.K. is not expected to cause any major issues with the rest of the shoot. Set to hit theaters in 2015, The Avengers: Age of Ultron features the heroes from the first film reprising their roles. Joining them as the titular villain is James Spader, along with Paul Bettany (who also voices Iron Man’s J.A.R.V.I.S.) as Ultron’s henchman, The Vision.

No Jedi Mind Tricks Here: The Force Is Strong On Netflix And We Love It

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  13 February  2014.

Last year, Star Wars fans felt a disturbance in the Force when Disney cancelled the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. But now the sixth and final season, called “The Lost Missions,” will be available on Netflix for instant streaming on March 7.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars fills the gap between the live-action films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The Emmy-award winning show follows Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and young apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) as well as various Jedi, Sith, and clones warriors.

The 13-episode sixth season will specifically deal with Ahsoka’s leaving the Jedi order. Yoda (Tom Kane) will also explore the nature of the Force and get a visit from Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. In addition to “The Lost Missions,” all other episodes, including director’s cut versions, and the feature film will be uploaded to the streaming service.

March 7 will mark the first time any Star Wars content has been available for instant viewing on Netflix but it is only the beginning. Thanks to a deal between Disney, who owns Lucasfilm, and Netflix, in 2016 first-run, live-action and animated movies from Disney properties will be available for streaming exclusively on the subscription service. This means Netflix will be home to Pixar, Marvel Studios, Disney and Lucasfilm productions.

“Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises of all time,” Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarados, said. “This series joins a long line of Disney content that Netflix members are and will continue to enjoy for years to come.”

BBC America Reveals Peter Capaldi’s ‘Doctor Who’ Costume

Originally published on The Flickcast.  27 January 2014.

New Doctor means new clothes. The Twelfth Doctor is getting into the Whovian swing of things by choosing an outfit all his own. BBC America has released the first image of Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi in what will likely be his signature costume.

At first glance, Calpaldi’s look is old school with a bit of modern flair. While there is no bowtie or extra long scarf or Converse shoes to stand out, the clothes do fit the man. As Capaldi said, “He’s woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.”

Of course all Whovians know that the Doctor’s outfit usually has a story behind it but fans will have to wait until later this year to learn how and why the Twelfth Doctor picked his costume. The specifics of the outfit, according to BBC America, are: a dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a white shirt and black Doc Marten shoes.

“New Doctor, new era, and of course new clothes,” lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat added. “Monsters of the universe, the vacation is over – Capaldi is suited and booted and coming to get you!”

Filming for Capaldi’s debut season, which will include returning companion Clara (Jenna Coleman), is currently underway in Cardiff.

Kurt Russell Reveals Mood On Fast And The Furious 7 Set Following Paul Walker’s Death

Originally published on PopWrapped.  24 January 2014.

The effects of Paul Walker’s tragic death only two months ago are still being felt throughout Hollywood and especially within the team making Fast & the Furious 7. Walker was set to reprise his role as Brian O’Connor but with the actor’s sudden passing, the fate of the character still remains open-ended.

Fast & the Furious 7 costar, Kurt Russell, spoke at the Sundance Film Festival about the film’s production and his feelings about Walker’s death.

“It’s catastrophic,” he said. “It’s the worst thing that could happen to a movie, but it’s not as bad as what happened to Paul. So everything is in perspective. He was a terrific guy.”

Following Walker’s death, the film’s script was rewritten to include scenes the actor had already shot but the fate of Brian O’Connor has not been confirmed.

Perhaps alluding to earlier reports that the character would be retired rather than killed off in the movie, Russell said, “Whether or not this guy dies off in the movie, we don’t know. That may have changed now significantly too.”

Russell, who expects to return to filming later this year, has been cast as the “father figure” to Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto.

The latest installment in the car racing franchise is set to release on April 10, 2015.

Jared Padalecki On Sam And Dean’s Future And The Upcoming Supernatural Spin Off

Originally published on PopWrapped.  20 January 2014.

The core of Supernatural has been shaken. Dean and Sam have split from each other and it may be a while before the brothers reconcile. Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen the midseason finale…

Last Tuesday, Gadreel played around in Sam’s body and mind before the Winchester boy was rescued by his crew. In the aftermath, Dean and Sam had a rough heart-to-heart where the former accused his younger brother of being poisonous. Believing everyone around Sam dies or worse, Dean decided he was done with his brother. For his part, Sam said he didn’t think he was the problem between the two of them but let Dean go.

So what’s ahead for the demon hunters? “They’re handling it as you expect them to,” Jared Padalecki said to TV Line. “Sam kind of goes introverted and Dean goes forward. Sam is more the kind of guy that thinks something out and says, ‘Well, you know, this is where you messed up [and] this is why I’m upset.’”

On a happier note, the show itself is going strong. In addition to being renewed for a tenth season, CW is developing a spin-off set in Chicago. Episode 20 of Supernatural will serve the launch for the new show, which will feature monsters and hunters (duh).

“I think it’s awesome,” Padalecki said. “I think it’s a cool story to tell. Supernatural fans have spoken and said listen, there aren’t 100 million of us, but those of us that do watch the show are passionate and want to hear more stories and read fan fiction and be a part of this world. So I think it’s great. Anything that makes them happy.”

Fifth Annual VidCon is June 26-28 in Anaheim, CA

Originally published on The Flickcast.  14 January 2014.

More than 18,000 online video fans and creators are expected to flood the Anaheim Convention Center for the fifth annual VidCon June 26-28, 2014. YouTube will once again be the title sponsor of the event.

“VidCon is simply about and for people who love online video,” said Hank Green, creator and cofounder of VidCon. “The media landscape is rapidly changing, as is the way we communicate with one another, and we have created a single event that brings together everything and everybody connected to online video.”

Many of online video’s most recognizable personalities have already been confirmed for VidCon 2014 including: Charles & Alli Trippy, Charlie McDonnell, Freddie Wong, Grace Helbig, Hank & John Green, Hannah Hart, iJustine, Philip DeFranco, Toby Turner, Ze Frank, Jack & Finn Harries, Tyler Oakley, The Gregory Brothers, Wheezy Waiter, Dane Boedigheimer (The Annoying Orange), The Fine Brothers, Rhett & Link, Shay Carl, Zoella, Tanya Burr, Jim Chapman, Marcus Butler, Caspar Lee and Troye Sivan.

As has become the expectation of the convention, VidCon will include programming for fans and industry professionals such as Q&As, signing, performances, keynotes, panel sessions and roundtable discussions. Attendees may purchase a community or industry pass for the event. While the community pass offers attendees full access to gatherings, performances, concerts, signings, the expo hall and more, the industry pass includes all of these plus creator-specific content. Special limited time only early bird pricing makes the community pass $150 and the industry pass $550 at www.VidCon.com.

Recent data from digital measurement and analytics research company comScore, shows that close to 200 million Americans are watching approximately 50 billion online videos every month. Data like this makes the growing popularity of VidCon, the largest industry and fan conference for online video in the world, even more apparent.

Started in 2010 by online video personalities and brothers Hank and John Green, VidCon has grown exponentially and is now attended by more than 18,000 industry professionals, content creators and fans. More information is available at www.VidCon.com.

John Simm To Star In New Drama Series The Intruders

Originally published on PopWrapped.  13 January 2014.

John Simm will headline upcoming paranormal series, The Intruders. A BBC America alum, Simm is best known for his turn as The Master on Doctor Who.

The Intruders will follow Simm’s LA cop-turned-writer, Jack Whelan, as he gets lost in the world of investigation once again after his wife goes missing. What he finds is an assortment of unrelated and unexplained events that start to weave together. Set in the gloom of the Pacific Northwest, The Intruders is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Marshall Smith.

About signing on for the series, Simm said on EW, “After reading Glen Morgan’s brilliant script, I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to play this complex character. It is also a great opportunity to reunite with [executive producers] Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and with BBC America.”

No airdate has yet been announced.

David Morrisey Cast In New BBC One Series Called The Driver

Originally published on PopWrapped.  12 January 2014.

The Governor lives on in a taxicab. Actor David Morrisey has been cast in the BBC One serial, The Driver, where he plays an ordinary man trapped in terrible circumstances.

Most recently seen as the sadistic antagonist on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Morrisey’s newest role is as Vince McKee. A family man who works as a taxi driver, McKee feels responsible for a mysterious family incident. His search for redemption leads to agreeing to drive for a criminal gang.

Rounding out Vince’s family are Sacha Parkinson, who will play his daughter Katie, and Claudie Blakeley playing his wife, Ros. Also starring the three-part serial, are Ian Hart, Colm Meaney, Shaun Dingwall and Lee Ross. In addition the lead role, Morrisey will also serve as executive director on the project.

“The Driver is a passion project for me and I’m proud of the way it is both a character drama and a thriller,” writer David Brocklehurst said on Digital Spy. “As with all my work there is a strong emotional core and it explores ordinary lives pushed into extraordinary situations.”

The Driver begins filming in and around Manchester this week and will air on BBC One later in 2014.

Ben Kingsley Returns As Mandarin In Marvel One Shot

Originally published on PopWrapped.  12 January 2014.

Marvel Studios’ latest One Shot will star Ben Kingsley and not everyone’s favorite God of Mischief.

There was widespread fan speculation that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki would be the central figure in the short film, “All Hail the King,” which appears on the Thor: The Dark World Blu-ray. Considering the ending of that film, a Loki One Shot would be logical.

However, Digital Spy reports that Marvel has brought back Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, who played an important role in the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3. Considering “All Hail the King” is written and directed by Iron Man 3 writer, Drew Pearce, Kingsley’s casting makes sense. Rumors are buzzing that the short film may even reintroduce the character of the Mandarin.

Previous Marvel One Shots have focused on Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Captain America’s Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).

The Blu-ray for Thor: The Dark World releases on February 24th in the UK and a day later in the U.S.

Kathy Bates Opens Up About Her Love For Playing Madame LaLaurie On AHS:Coven

Originally published on PopWrapped.  5 January 2014.

As you might expect from any character on American Horror Story, Kathy Bates’ Madame Delphine LaLaurie is evil. She loves torturing her slaves in increasingly gruesome ways and regularly spews hatred all around. But the complexity of the character and her arc within the series’ third season, Coven, is part of why Bates loves playing her.

For those not familiar with Coven’s storyline, Delphine is a 1830s high society Creole. Given immortality by Angela Bassett’s character as the real-life voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, Delphine is captured first by Fiona (Jessica Lange) and later by Marie. All the while she spews her racist hate and eventually gets a taste of her own wicked medicine.

In an interview with Collider, Bates said she enjoyed figuring out the motivation for someone like Delphine, who is loosely based on a real-life historic figure. “The main thing that daunted me, at the beginning, was, “What makes this woman so evil?” I tried all kinds of ways to understand….At some point, I think she probably got off on the power. For our show, we’re doing crazy shit anyway, so you don’t have to make sense of it.”

While the actress confessed that she knew the series had a reputation for “pushing the limits,” she was still surprised by some of the “horrific” scenes they shot. This may or may not include her character’s heinous torture or (SPOILER) Delphine having her head chopped off. Not to worry though; the head is still sentient meaning audiences will get more of Bates when American Horror Story: Coven returns to FX on Wednesday, January 8.

A Luther Film Is In The Works Confirms Idris Elba

Originally published on PopWrapped.  5 January 2014.

Rumors of a film based on the hit BBC show Luther have been flittering around the Internet since the show was in its first season. On the heels of completing the third (and perhaps final) season, series star Idris Elba has confirmed that the film is a go.

Speaking to Kate Garraway on ITV’s Lorraine, Elba said the movie is “definitely on the cards.” Noting that the show started out with only four episodes which led to an international following, the star said he and series creator Neil Cross are looking forward to continuing Luther on the big screen.

“I’m speaking to him as we speak,” Elba said, “and we’re trying to pull it together. It’s an ambitious project because it’s a television show but we suspect that it’s going to be as successful on TV and on film as well.”

Plot details for the movie are a bit murky as of now. Cross seems to indicate that it may pick up where the series left off: Luther departing with Ruth Wilson’s Alice. Cross hints at this direction for the film, saying, “I don’t think Alice and Luther’s story is over.”

However, Digital Spy earlier reported that the Luther film would be a prequel to the TV series, allowing Cross to bring back several popular supporting characters. Among these are Justin Ripley (Warren Brown), Luther’s wife Zoe (Indira Varma) and DCI Ian Reed (Steve Mackintosh). This report is mirrored by IndieWire, who quotes Cross as saying he’s finished the script, plans to start production in 2014 and that “the final scene in the film is the first of the initial TV series.”

Really what this boils down to for fans is: Will Alice be in the film or not? With nothing specific from Cross, Elba or anyone else to go on, we’ll all have to wait and see.

Gone With The Wind’s Alice Rhett Passes Away Aged 98

Originally published on PopWrapped.  5 January 2014.

Alice Rhett, the oldest surviving cast member of 1939’s Gone With the Wind, died on Friday. She succumbed to natural causes around 5 p.m., while surrounded by friends in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. She was 98.

Born in 1915, Rhett’s only movie role was in the Oscar-winning epic. Playing Ashley Wilkes’ (Leslie Howard) sister, India, she became one of Scarlett O’Hara’s (Vivien Leigh) biggest enemies when Scarlett stole her beau, Charles Hamilton. Interestingly, Rhett was originally considered for the role of Melanie Hamilton. But director George Cukor, who had spotted the actress in a local production in the South, eventually gave that role to Olivia De Havilland instead and cast Rhett as India.

Though she likely could have found success as an actress due to Gone With the Wind’s incredible notoriety, Rhett instead moved back to Charleston and focused on her budding talent for art. She is said to have sketched her fellow Gone With the Wind actors while on set and developed a good reputation as a painter in South Carolina.

Only three members of the film, including the 97-year-old De Havilland, are still alive.