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Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Warner Bros., despite all their struggles getting a Wonder Woman film made, seem to finally be on track. The biggest news we heard is that they were specifically looking for a female director to tackle the film, to embrace the origins and message of Wonder Woman. I thought that was a great idea, and it looks like Warner may have found their director: Michelle MacLaren. MacLaren is most famous for her work directing episodes of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. I think it’s a great choice and a perfect way for MacLaren to jump into feature film directing. Her TV work has been great, so I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Let’s hope those talks don’t fall through! Read more…
Tags: Michelle MacLaren, Wonder Woman
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
With so much support behind him now, James Gunn has a lot to live up to with Guardians of the Galaxy 2. He recently gave an update on where he is on the film, saying that the story is laid out and finished, and next is to script it. He was pretty happy with his position now: “The cosmic side of the universe is its own thing. And because the movie was so successful, it was more successful than Iron Man was, that changed the way other people looked at it but I still look at it the same way.” He went on to say regarding the story, “we can’t just repeat ourselves.” He also noted that the 2nd film needed to explore “what their flaws are, what their strengths are. They’re a much more flawed group than The Avengers. They have major major issues.” Sounds fun! Read more below. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 10, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Duncan Jones, who made the fantastic sci-fi film Moon, is making a Warcraft movie. You may have heard about this! At Blizzcon, Jones debuted some early imagery for fans, such as the first posters for the film, images of the actors, and costumes used in filming. They’re currently deep into post-production on the film, mostly doing CGI. In fact, the film doesn’t come out till March 11th, 2016, so it’s still quite a ways off. Still, it looks like Jones has a huge love for the world and wants to do it right. Check out the posters (featuring both the Horde and Alliance weapons) and the costumes below. Read more…
Tags: Blizzard, Duncan Jones, Warcraft
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 10, 2014 in Cinema 
It’s finally time: after Heath Ledger’s amazing performance several years ago in The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. is preparing to cast the Joker for their movie universe. However, the first place he’ll show up is a little surprising: it appears WB is casting Joker for the upcoming Suicide Squad film directed by David Ayer. And the person eyed for the Joker role? Jared Leto. The Oscar-winner hasn’t been doing much since Dallas Buyers Club, as he wants to find a suitable follow-up. Being the Joker in WB’s movie universe might just be the way to go! We’ll have to see how this all turns out, but could this be the right choice? Read more…
Tags: Batman, Suicide Squad, The Joker, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 9, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
Yes, the user-submitted LEGO project has gotten itself another license approved. Several ideas jumped the 10,000 supporter hurdle, but only two made it through: the Big Bang Theory, and birds. No, not the Hitchcock film. Just regular birds. And they’re adorable! I honestly couldn’t care less about the Big Bang Theory set, but these birds are wonderfully made, and I can’t wait to see LEGO’s final version of them (all the sets essentially have to be “redone” by LEGO and approved for mass-production. They don’t use the sets submitted as-is). Check out some more images below along with the announcement video, then read the official blog post with more details here! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The Big Bang Theory
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 9, 2014 in Videogames 
Blizzcon is going on as of this writing, which means there’s tons of news from Blizzard about all their upcoming games and projects. The biggest announcement from Blizzard was of their new game, Overwatch. It’s a cartoony team-based multiplayer shooter with lots of characters to play as. A few elements remind me of a certain other team game with fortresses, but this is pretty unique in its own regard. I love the variety in character design, especially. Blizzard has unleashed a bunch of gameplay videos that you can see here. The lead gameplay trailer is below, along with the CGI announcement trailer, which is mighty impressive and feels like something out of a Dreamworks movie. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: Blizzard, Overwatch
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 8, 2014 in Anime 
You may have heard of Studio Khara, the group of folks behind the Neon Genesis Evangelion films, founded by series creator Hideaki Anno. His studio has been working on those mostly, but recently have taken time to create several original short films. The first short films is titled The Dragon Dentist, and is a unique piece directed by novelist Otaro Maijo, who also wrote the script. It features a young girl signing up to be a “dragon dentist” to help contribute in a war, but not really knowing what she’s getting into. No embed here, but English subtitles are available: just click here and make sure “EN” is selected in the top right, and then choose “English Subtitles” below the video. I’ve included some of the concept art below the break. Read more…
Tags: Short Films, Studio Khara
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 8, 2014 in Animation, Cinema 
Yes, even Pixar can’t stay away from the lure of sequels. Disney announced in their most recent investors call that a new Toy Story film would be coming on June 16th, 2017. Toy Story 4, it’s official title so far, will be written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. In a surprise to many, John Lasseter himself will be directing the picture, making this his first time directing since Cars 2 in 2011. There had been plenty of rumors floating around about a fourth film, so it’s really not that surprising, but I still can’t help but wonder how this’ll turn out. Toy Story 3 ended on a perfect note — I’m not sure what else you can add to the story! Read more…
Tags: Pixar, Toy Story
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 7, 2014 in Cinema 
The final Hobbit film is almost here: it jumps into theaters on December 17th. The trailer honestly looks pretty, but it’s not really grabbing me. I still feel that The Hobbit trilogy should have been just two films. But hey, everything has to be a trilogy or a multi-film universe these days, so I guess I’m not surprised. Looks like there’s lots of fighting between the five armies, which will satisfy most people. I’m also surprised that there’s no Smaug in this trailer! It’s almost like despite the cliffhanger ending of the second film, everyone knows what happens in the end… Hmm! Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 7, 2014 in Star Wars 
We finally have gotten a title for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. So… what’s your opinion? It seems to follow the same rhythm and titling that previous Star Wars films featured, and it’s also the first time the Force is mentioned in a Star Wars film name. I’m going to assume this has to do with the Force slowly coming back into play after the defeat of the Sith in episode VI. A lot of folks also think that the reason we’re hearing the title now is because a teaser trailer will be out before the end of the year. I hope that’s true, even if it’s just a tiny teaser. Come on Disney, show us what you’ve got! Read more…
Tags: Episode VII, The Force Awakens
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 3, 2014 in Cinema 
After a bit of a delay, Furious 7 is out its way out. Paul Walker’s death left them wondering how best to handle the release of the film respectfully, and time seems to be the best answer there. Now scheduled for April 3rd, 2015, the film features all the crazy, over-the-top action sequences you’d expect. In fact, the first half of the trailer almost shows an entire sequence, which includes (obviously) cars parachuting in for a takedown. I’ve always looked at the Fast and Furious films as something of a novelty, but their pure delight and ability to revel in silly, ridiculous car-related action makes them fairly enjoyable. Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Fast and Furious
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 3, 2014 in Star Wars 
It appears that aside from a few minor shots in the next few days, Star Wars Episode VII has officially wrapped. J.J. Abrams recently sent out thank-you cards to the cast and crew, thanking them for their hard work on the film. Then, of course, came the wrap party. I’m not interested in antics of who went to the party or who didn’t (it seemed like a packed event, though!), but I will include John Boyega’s delightful Instagram from the party, featuring himself and his cast-mates singing along to Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious. Also, R2-D2 was there. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 2, 2014 in Videogames 
…Because, sure, why not, right? This new ad for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare features lots of bullets, explosions, falling from high places, and Taylor Kitsch. It’s directed by Peter Berg, who you might recall directed the Battleship film. The ad itself feels pretty breakneck, but yet hollow. I can’t help but think that I’ve seen this sort of ad several times now? I also don’t really understand why they needed to shoehorn in a “hot babe” scene in there. Definitely seems like pandering, to me! The rest of the ad is selling the action and new armor-suits for the soldiers in-game, which allows you to run and jump faster than before. Plus, you can punch down doors! That’s got to be worth something, right? Read more…
Tags: Call of Duty
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 2, 2014 in Cinema 
Alex Garland is directing his first film! You might know him from his work with Danny Boyle, such as his script for 28 Days Later and Sunshine, or perhaps elsewhere, like his Dredd script. Now he’s working entirely on his own project, a sci-fi film titled Ex Machina. It stars Domhnall Gleeson as a programmer who meets a secretive CEO (Oscar Isaac) and his “true” AI woman he’s created (Alicia Vikander). It looks to mostly take place in the CEO’s remote cabin, focusing on the characters and what lurks beneath the surface. I’m hoping there isn’t a “you were a robot all along” twist at the end, because otherwise this looks really interesting for a directorial debut. Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Alex Garland
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 1, 2014 in Animation 
Most folks know Juanjo Guarnido as the man behind Blacksad (the amazing French noir comic series), but he also used to be a Disney animator. He recently teamed up with Fortiche Production earlier in the year to raise a bunch of money on Kickstarter (over $140,000) as a means to create a music video for Swedish rock band Freak Kitchen. Let’s just say: the money was put to good use. They’ve officially released the completed music video and it features a ton of gorgeous animation and fluid head-banging. Sadly, the song isn’t that good… but the video more than makes up for it. Check out the music video below! Read more…
Tags: Juanjo Guarnido, music videos
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 1, 2014 in Fandom, Star Wars 
There sure are a lot of aliens in Star Wars, all created by a multitude of talented puppeteers, designers, actors, and costume creators. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to keep track of all of them, though, so a certified Star Wars races expert, Neil Cicierega (of Potter Puppet Pals and Brodyquest fame) is here to help you get them all straight in this humorous video that’s the perfect way to start your weekend. See if you can keep a straight face the whole way through! Then, if you’re ready for more, check out his earlier thorough and detailed video about the various races in Star Trek! Read more…
Tags: fan videos
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 31, 2014 in Videogames 
Wow, it’s been six years running now that Team Fortress 2 has done a Halloween special update! Not too bad, Valve. The latest update features plenty of spooky spells, a Halloween-themed map, new hats (of course), and best of all: bumper cars! Playing on the new Halloween map features a section where you can bump and bash into everyone else in a rush to collect points and win. As usual, there’s also a short comic as well, featuring the incompetent wizard of the TF2 universe, Merasmus. Goofiness and spookiness awaits! Check out the update page here. Read more…
Tags: Halloween, Team Fortress
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 31, 2014 in Cinema 
Terminator fans: I have bad news. Here are some new images from Entertainment Weekly of the upcoming film, Terminator Genisys. Yes, it’s really spelled that way still. I like many of the actors in this, but man, I am not optimistic after seeing this and hearing the plot details. Emilia Clarke (KHALEESIII) and Matt Smith (Who?) are the headliners here, along with Arnold, of course. Still, these seem like bizarre photos to use, as everyone’s head appears to be photoshopped onto their bodies. What exactly happened here? I think fans would love a new Terminator film but I’m not anywhere close to being sold on this one. Are they angrily shooting the ground? Read more…
Tags: Terminator, Terminator Genisys
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2014 in Videogames 
I love behind-the-scenes looks into game development, so a documentary into how a game is made will always pique my interest. Microsoft is releasing a documentary about the development of Halo 2: Anniversary (the remaster of Halo 2) on Halloween. It’ll be available on Twitch as a live stream and on Xbox Live as a download. The Twitch streams will happen at 2pm ET on the 31st, then at 9pm ET on November 1st and 2nd. You can also check it out on the Halo Channel on November 11th (I didn’t even know there was a Halo Channel). Check out the trailer below! I’m curious if this’ll mostly be a promotional opportunity, or if they’ll delve into the details of game design? We’ll see! Read more…
Tags: Halo, Microsoft
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2014 in Videogames 
You may have heard of a small indie game from earlier this year called Stranded. It was a unique sci-fi exploration-based adventure game amidst ancient alien ruins depicted with gorgeous pixel art. Now, the devs are teasing their next game, titled Murder, which looks to be exploring a robot murdering a human in a cyberpunk future. They list their biggest inspirations: Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Neal Stevenson, among others. Ok, I’m interested! I love this style of world, with its oppressive rain, neon lighting, and dark alleyways. Check out the teaser trailer below, then keep an eye on their website for future updates. Read more…
Tags: Indie Games
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 26, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
I mean, uh, what? First, an Archie TV series, titled Riverdale, has been put into production by Archie’s Chief Creative Officer and pilot writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. He’s hyping it up big time, as you might expect. He recently say down and was interviewed by Comic Book Resources, and there was a lot of stuff going on. He sells the series by describing it as “Riverdale is Archie Meets ‘Twin Peaks. You know how we’re doing Archie Meets Predator? This is Archie Meets David Lynch.” He then goes on to say, “…if, god willing, this works out the way we all want it to work out, every Halloween we’ll be doing an Afterlife episode of Riverdale.” And this series hasn’t even been picked up yet! Aim for the stars, dude! Read more…
Tags: Archie Comics
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 26, 2014 in Cinema 
Yes, J.K. Rowling can’t stay too far away from her most popular creation: a new Harry Potter short story will be arriving this Halloween, on October 31st. The story will focus on Dolores Umbridge. Do you think some fans might take umbrage at that idea? Eh? Eh? Ok, I’ll stop (I’m sure that joke has been done a million times). The short story will show up on Pottermore.com, run 1700 words, and will feature “back story about Umbridge’s life filled with many new details, as well as Rowling’s revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character.” Check back on Halloween at Pottermore is you want to read all the villainous details then! Read more…
Tags: harry potter
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 25, 2014 in Cinema 
Air New Zealand is loving all the extra tourism due to the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, so what better way than to theme their entire new safety video around The Hobbit? It features Elijah Wood, Sylvester McCoy, and Peter Jackson himself. It’s pretty silly, and barely has any actual instructions in it, because hey — you guys already know what not to do in an airplane, don’t you? It’s pretty fun, although the actual title of the video is the most marketing-driven internet-speak possible: “The Most epic Safety Video Ever Made #airnzhobbit” Yeah, uh, no. Check it out below! Or, you know, fly Air New Zealand and watch it there. Read more…
Tags: The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 25, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo recently streamed “50 Things” about Smash Bros. for Wii U, touting a bunch of new features, items, stages, and game modes. The biggest news was an 8-player mode, which let’s 8 people in the same room duke it out on extra-large stages. This is kind of crazy, as Smash Bros. is already pretty hectic. They also announced a new and improve stage creator, a new board-game mode called Smash Tour, and basically all features from Brawl returning. Lastly, they confirmed DLC for the game: if you own both Smash Bros. for 3DS and the Wii U, you’ll receive Mewtwo as a downloadable character for free. Neat! I hope that means there will be more DLC in the future. Smash Bros. for Wii U is out November 21st. The entire stream is embedded below. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
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