meltblog

IRON MAN 2
According to Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily, Jon Favreau has come to terms with Marvel and will return to direct Robert Downey Jr. in a sequel.

THE MAN OF STEEL
Is change afoot? Depending on who you believe in a report from Ain’t It Cool News, director Louis Leterrier (of the recent “Incredible Hulk”) may or may not have entered into discussions with the studio about replacing Bryan Singer.

What’s most interesting about that is the timing, as both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that Warner Brothers and DC Comics are feeling pressured by Marvel’s cinematic success, and that change may be coming. It was more than a rumor, because the company had to issue a statement: “While we are not going to go into the specifics of the meetings, we’re constantly looking at how best to exploit the DC Comics characters and properties. DC is an incredibly valuable asset to Warner Bros. and plays an important role across the entire studio by providing development and franchise opportunities for all media, including films, television, home entertainment, animation, consumer products, video games and digital platforms.” Hm …

KICK ASS
A new article in the Evening Times discusses the Matthew Vaughn-helmed adaptation, which is set for April 2009, as well as what could be next from Millar’s stable of ideas.

Showtime is reteaming with “Dexter” executive producer Sara Colleton for “Exterminators,” a drama project based on the comic by Vertigo/DC Comics.

Created by Simon Oliver and Tony Moore, the comic centers on an ex-con who joins an exterminator company, working with a freakish supporting cast of characters. A mystery surrounding his girlfriend and the manufacturer of an insect poison percolates on the periphery, and the insects are much more dangerous than they seem.

The deal with Showtime marks a full circle for “Exterminators,” which has been described as “Six Feet Under” in the world of pest control. The project, now in development at the pay cable network, is said to have been originally conceived by writer Oliver as a TV pitch.

In its Showtime incarnation, “Exterminators” will revolve around the Bug-Be-Gone crew, an extended dysfunctional family of exterminators whose greatest enemies aren’t the insects and rodents they meet and kill on a daily basis but rather their own self doubts, vices and inner demons.

Friday, July 25th
8:30 PM

Anthony Jeselnik, Jackie Kashain, Rob Delaney, Rob Yasumura
Hosted by: Jonah Ray

Dorksplosion At The G4 Offices

When Meltdown Comics in LA announced a debate to determine which of 20 nerd icons would win in a fight, the G4 internal email list erupted in a brawl to rival The Kinslaying. G4, America’s leading source for news about places that don’t exist and video of women eating hot dogs, employs an astounding number of dorks whose steady diet of Final Fantasy and hot pockets have prepared them for nothing so much as this fight. Honest, from-the-heart dorkcraft of this level is a thing rarely experienced outside of the Society for Creative Anachronism’s annual Pennsic war. You can almost smell the diabetes and gout as you read their impassioned arguments. Some choice quotes and the full bracket of 20 badass competitors after the jump.

Read full article and comments here>>

 

(L-R) Justin Donaldson, Linda Pine and Hal Rudnick, co-producers of Tournament of Nerds, show off a few of their favorite superheroes in front of Meltdown Comics & Collectibles. The tournament features comic book fans debating the merits of various superheroes in a bracket-style competition.
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via: newsarama.com 

The Dark Knight is an intense, thrilling, smart and amazing film that truly vies for the crown of the greatest movie ever made from a comic book.

Yes, it’s that good.

Weaving a plot of complexity and depth that pits well-drawn characters against each other in a battle of anarchy against order, sanity against insanity and life against death, The Dark Knight excels on nearly every level and delivers that most rare of movie gems — a spectacle that succeeds in challenging its genre and its audience, creating an experience that will completely satisfy and thrill filmgoers of all types.

Even scratching the surface of the many ways in which this film pleases, surprises, shocks and thrills would take more time and be inferior to watching the film itself, which even at 2½ hours only rarely compels criticism of overstaying its welcome or of venturing into territory that could be cut. But in a film that excels on almost every level, there are three things that stand out in The Dark Knight.
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via: www.variety.com

Legendary Pictures has confirmed it is developing a “300″ follow-up for Warner Bros. that Frank Miller is writing and Zack Snyder is intended to direct.

Miller is writing the graphic novel the project will be based upon, although at this point it’s not clear whether it will be a prequel or spinoff. Most of the characters, including Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas, died in the original, making a follow-up tricky.

Snyder won’t officially commit until after he sees Miller’s take, but he’s definitely interested, and the prospect of his involvement already has fanboys in a tizzy.

Legendary, which also co-financed and produced Snyder’s “Watchmen” for Warners, considers the project a major priority.

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Via: www.defamer.com

We know pretty much everyone in the world except a few drones at Defamer HQ can’t seem to wait for noted genre waffler Guillermo del Toro’s take on The Hobbit, previously reported as a pair of films he’d make over several years in New Zealand with producer Peter Jackson at his side. But last night at the LA Film Festival, where his Hellboy II will premiere Saturday night, del Toro kicked Middle-Earth off its axis by hinting that he wasn’t beholden to a second film at all. Not only that, but he confessed an antisocial streak suggesting he might kill the project just to watch it bleed.
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This poster appeared at the Cinema EXPO in Amsterdam.
Notice the name “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra”.

via-collider.com

Tonight, at the Hilton Hotel at Universal Studios, was the 34th Annual Saturn Awards. If you don’t know about the Saturn’s, it’s the once a year awards ceremony for the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Zack and Debbie Snyder for Watchmen.

When I saw the two of them walking towards me on the red carpet, I’ll admit I was very happy. With Comic-Con around the corner, I realized this was the perfect place to get a jump on news and info that I could share with you. Thankfully, both were willing to talk and posted below is about 10 minutes of them answering all my questions.

But the highlight was easily the smile that Zack gave me when I confronted him with what I know to be true…that the trailer for Watchmen is attached to the Dark Knight. Watch his reaction.

We also discussed the running time, how long will the DVD be, the sizzle real he showed Warner Bros., and how Nite Owl’s ship is going to be at Comic-Con!

Trust me, if you’re a fan of Watchmen or are just looking forward to Zack’s new movie…this is a must see interview.

Video Interviews after the jump
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