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Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 28, 2015 in Videogames 
It doesn’t look like you’ll be playing as anyone other than Batman in Batman: Arkham Knight. But that doesn’t mean the Caped Crusader will be fighting alone. The game’s latest trailer shows both Robin (Tim Drake) and Nightwing (Dick Grayson), entering the fray. This seems to imply they’ll have a larger part than in Arkham City, where Robin cameoed in one cutscene and Nightwing only showed up in non-story challenges. The trailer also shows a lot of tantalizing footage, including hints that previous teased subplots are being picked up for this finale. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 15, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Wonder Woman, part of DC’s fledgling film universe, was set for a 2017 release. Not only would it have been the first female superhero movie, but it would have had a female director, Michelle MacLaren. Now I wouldn’t say the movie is in trouble, but MacLaren just left the project due to creative differences. This happens all the time in Hollywood, and it could be for a variety of reasons, from clashing with executives over franchise continuity (see: Edgar Wright and Ant-Man) to disagreeing over creative vision (perhaps with producer Zack Snyder, who is establishing Wonder Woman in Batman v. Superman). There’s no word on whether this will delay the movie, but regardless, it still has a good chance of beating Captain Marvel, due out in 2018. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Wonder Woman
Posted by Ben Huber on Apr 10, 2015 in Videogames 
There had been rumors of Lego jumping on the toys-to-life bandwagon for the past few months, and now it has come to fruition: LEGO Dimensions. It’s a new video game from Warner Bros. and Travelers Tales (who’ve made all the previous Lego games) and you’ll be be able to buy Lego toys that will scan into the game on a portal via NFC. The portal and game starting pack (which includes Wyldstyle, Gandalf, and Batman with a Batmobile) will run you $99 and after that you can pick up Fun Packs ($15 for a figure and vehicle), Team Packs ($25 for 2 figures and 2 vehicles), or Level Packs ($30 for 1 figure, 2 vehicles/weapons, and 1 new level). Some of the brands involved are The LEGO Movie (obviously), Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, Back to the Future, The Wizard of Oz, and Ninjago, with more on the way. No matter what you’re into, there will probably be a Lego version for you to spend ridiculous amounts of money on. Read more…
Tags: Lego, Lego Dimensions, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 9, 2015 in Cinema, Videogames 
Five Nights at Freddy’s is actually a pretty cool game, where you run a faux-Chuck E. Cheese at night while avoiding murderous animatronic animals. I’m not sure if it’s cool enough to necessitate a third game in the series, but at least it’s popular on YouTube. Apparently Warner Bros. also thinks it’s cool, because they’ve picked up the rights and plan on adapting it into a feature film. Personally, I’d think that a movie would lose some of the horror, since you lose the player’s agency, but from what I can tell, there actually seems to be a rich mythos below the surface, so it’s not like they’ll lack for material. Read more…
Tags: Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Mar 31, 2015 in Animation, Cinema, Comic Books 
While Batman is much more popular these days as a dark, gritty superhero, fans have slowly become more accepting of the classic 60s TV series. The recent resurgence last year — including a DVD/Blu-ray release — has raised interest, and in addition to comics, there will be a movie based on the campy universe. Adam West (Batman) made the announcement at Mad Monster Party, revealing that he and Burt Ward (Robin) would be voicing their characters in a feature-length animated movie. It’s due out for the TV series’s 50th anniversary in 2016, likely direct-to-video, making this the much more interesting of two Batman movies that year. Sorry, Batman v. Superman, but after Man of Steel, I’d rather concentrate my excitement on this strong counterpoint to the Batman mythos. Read more…
Tags: Adam West, Batman, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 12, 2015 in Cinema 
Guy Ritchie has proven he can do period movies like Sherlock Holmes, and this trailer shows why. WB has revived the classic “spy-fi” TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as a movie, starring Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) as Illya Kuryakin. The American and Russian must team up to stop an organization that threatens both country in the middle of the Cold War. It’s nice that they didn’t feel the need to update the setting to modern times, but ironically, with current US-Russian relations, they almost could have. But that means we get to see modern action mixed with 60s style, which I’m always down to watch. Read more…
Tags: Spy, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 4, 2015 in Videogames 
Mortal Kombat X is a game coming out at this specific point in time, so of course, there are going to be four special editions, because that’s just how big games are sold. So which should you pick if you find yourself with excess cash? Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment would probably recommend the Mortal Kombat X Kollector’s Edition by Coarse, which includes a special Scorpion figurine designed by collector statue-maker Coarse, a gold Scorpion skin based on Coarse’s design, and the Kombat Pack (access to four more characters, both old and guest). At $149.99, it’s expensive, but not the most expensive option. Read more…
Tags: Mortal Kombat, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 13, 2015 in Comic Books, Television 
Unlike the shaky future of DC’s shared movie universe, DC’s shared TV universe is doing great. Arrow is getting a fourth season, while Flash is getting a second. But that’s not enough, because at least one more spin-off is coming, with the possibility of another in the wings. First is Vixen, an animated series to be streamed on CW Seed. Vixen was intended to be DC’s first African female superhero with her own comic series, but after that was aborted, she showed up later, becoming a member of the Justice League and Suicide Squad. Meanwhile, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer, a.k.a. the Atom may see his own show, which seemed obvious once he appeared in Arrow‘s third season. Nothing is confirmed yet, but Arrow execs and WB’s president have a “general concept,” as long as there isn’t “audience fatigue.” I’m just happy to see that Routh isn’t on Hollywood’s crap-list like he was after Superman Returns. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Green Arrow, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 17, 2014 in Videogames 
If you’ve already run out of stuff to do in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, take note: the first DLC expansion is now available for $9.99 (or as part of the season pass). The Lord of the Hunt adds more beasts to ride, as well as new quests, nemeses, and other bits. It seems to take place in a separate mode than the main game, but that could possibly work to its advantage. And there’s a new skin to dress Talion in, so use that to cover up his stupid face. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 3, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Can we admit that despite WB’s questionable direction of their DC Cinematic Universe, the Suicide Squad movie actually sounds good? WB just put out a press release announcing the stars of the film, and it is a very solid cast. We’ve got: Jared Leto as the Joker, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney is Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, and Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg. They haven’t picked their actress for Amanda Waller yet, but rumor says that Oprah Winfrey is their top pick, with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer also being considered. With Fury‘s David Ayer writing and directing, Suicide Squad may survive having Man of Steel‘s Zack Snyder as its producer. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Suicide Squad, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 26, 2014 in Cinema 
First of all, I don’t think Peter Pan needs an origin. I don’t need to know how he got to Neverland, and in fact, knowing too much may make things worse. That said, if you can separate the fact that this is some origin/prequel/whatever, this first trailer for Pan looks like a fun, interesting story. There are many liberties, such as Hugh Jackman playing Captain Blackbeard, and Hook neither being a captain or possessing a hook. But that just makes it easier to ignore that this is tied too closely to the original Peter Pan story and enjoy the adventure. Pan isn’t out until 2015, so by the time more information drips out, we’ll know whether that optimism was justified or not.
Read more…
Tags: Peter Pan, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 25, 2014 in Comic Books 
One of the reasons many comic fans have been hoping for a female-led superhero movie (at least one in the modern mold) is that it would offer a different perspective and outlook than the many male-led superhero movies that have come before, to give more variety to the stories told. One way to improve the chances of Wonder Woman expressing that is to hire a female director, and Warner Brothers seems to have made a great choice. Michelle MacLaren, known for directing episodes of such great TV series as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead, has signed on to develop and direct the film. (Charles Roven, Zack Snyder, and Deborah Snyder will produce.) I feel that Snyder is one of the weakest links DC keeps using, so hopefully with MacLaren directing, we’ll get something better than Man of Steel. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Wonder Woman
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 25, 2014 in Comic Books, Videogames 
It’s one thing to hear about Batman: Arkham Knight, the final installment (supposedly) of the series from Rocksteady, adding the Batmobile seamlessly into gameplay. It’s another thing to see it in action, but this trailer shows how awesome it could be. Imagine Link’s ability to summon Epona anywhere in Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time, but with the ability to hop on and off the horse at a moment’s notice, even in mid-combat. That’s what the Batmobile looks like, and it seems like a joy to use. This is only half of the ACE Chemicals sequence, with the other half being released next week, so stay tuned! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 11, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The Joker has traditionally worked alone, at least in the Batman movies. But in Batman: The Animated Series, he had a partner in Harley Quinn, who proved so popular that she was added to the comics. Since we’re hearing rumors about the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, why not some rumors for Harley? Supposedly Margot Robbie is going to be cast as the villainess in the 2016 movie, having previously caught a lot of attention in The Wolf of Wall Street. She has previously been rumored to be signed on to Suicide Squad in some capacity, so this casting would fit. I just hope that they show Harley in her classic jester’s outfit, but it might be a bit too out there for what is likely to be gritty and realistic. Read more…
Tags: Suicide Squad, Warner Brothers
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 Bob Muir on Nov 5, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
The Batman live-action TV series that ran from 1966-1968 (hence the nickname Batman ’66) may be quite a bit campier than the more popular dark, gritty Batman characterization that’s popular today. But it’s still a classic, and now it’s finally getting released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11. Naturally, there’s a new restoration to make the HD version worth it, but I doubted how much better an old TV series like this could look. Was it worth bragging about the restoration? After watching this split-screen comparison Warner Brothers put out, I’ve had to eat my words. Actors are crisp instead of blurry shapes, and the color isn’t blown out anymore. Of course, not everyone will spring for the limited edition Blu-ray set, as $269.97 is pricey even if you’re getting 120 episodes and a bunch of extras. At least there are some other cheaper options, especially if you settle for DVD. After all, it’s not like the producers expected viewers to be able to watch this in HD back when it was made! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Well, at least WB and DC are getting serious about competing with Disney and Marvel. WB has confirmed all the upcoming pieces of their shared superhero universe that started with Man of Steel in 2013. 2016 will see two movies: the already-known Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (directed by Zack Snyder), and then a Suicide Squad movie (directed by David Ayer) about a team of villains who do dangerous work for the government. Then, 2017 will see a stand-alone Wonder Woman movie (starring Gal Gadot, who will be introduced in BVS:DoJ) followed by the inevitable Justice League movie (which will see all the heroes team up). But the schedule doesn’t stop there. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Now that DC has sorted out their animated movie universe to be more in line with The New 52 comic initiative they’ve had going on, it’s time for more New 52 adaptations! Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is the sequel to Justice League: War from earlier this year, the movie that basically adapted the origin of the new Justice League in The New 52. Aquaman is going through his own origin in this movie, as he didn’t appear in the previous one. It seems they’re going with the more “bad-ass” version of Aquaman from recent years instead of the joke everyone remembers from the Super Friends. Good on ’em, but I still can’t stand the bright orange and green outfit. (It clashes!) No date on the movie yet, but the release date shouldn’t be far off. Read more…
Tags: Aquaman, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 17, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
It seems that Gotham won’t be the only DC comic adaptation on Fox. Californication creator/executive producer Tom Kapinos is working with Warner Bros. TV to adapt Lucifer for Fox, which has given it a put pilot commitment. Though from DC Comics, the character Lucifer mainly appeared in its older Vertigo imprint, first appearing in The Sandman as a supporting character. Later, in the 00s, DC put out Lucifer, the character’s own series in which he opens a piano bar in LA after becoming bored of ruling Hell, which is likely what this series will be based on. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Lucifer, sandman, Vertigo, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 4, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
While Warner Bros. have yet to even officially confirm a Shazam film is in development (but it’s almost a given), The Rock has already announced that he’ll be playing Black Adam. Yup. What’s an embargo?? Dwayne Johnson confirmed this on Twitter earlier, adding the hashtag “#antihero” implying that he won’t be a straight-up villain like older incarnations and will stick closer to the recent comics. Shazam has not been cast yet either, but I imagine we’ll start to hear more about the film now that people are being cast. Read more…
Tags: Shazam, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 20, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Following a long period of hinting, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has confirmed that he will be starring in DC and WB’s Shazam movie. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s playing Shazam, previously known as Captain Marvel before copyright issues screwed things up. Apparently, though he’s signed on for the movie, he has yet to decide whether he wants to play the hero Shazam or the villain Black Adam. While I bet WB would like him to play Shazam and build a franchise around the star, The Rock says he’s always liked anti-heroes, with Black Adam being one of his favorite DC characters. While I’m sure he’d make a good Shazam, I have a feeling he’d make a better Black Adam, since he’s got the looks to match the character. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Shazam, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 8, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Warner Bros. saw that massive list of Marvel films and said, “Hey! We can totally do that too! Yeah!” and released a bunch of dates for their upcoming slate of DC Comics films. Yes, they have announced nine new films and dates, but no titles. It’s kind of close to Nikki Finke’s supposed leaked list from a few months earlier, but with a few more items. Also of note, Warner moved up Batman v Superman from May 6 to… March 25, 2016! Yes, they moved it up to an unusual March date to avoid directly competing with Captain America 3. Crazy! Check out all the unknown film dates below! Read more…
Tags: Batman v. Superman, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
DC and Warner Bros. have been working on a Justice League movie for a long time. A very long time. But a recent report from Nikki Finke says that the company may be closer to realizing its vision — or a the very least, they have a map laid out. According to Finke, the current plan is to lead up into a Justice League movie with the Batman v. Superman film (something we all expected), and not have standalone Wonder Woman or Green Lantern/Flash films until after it releases. An interesting idea. Below is a full list of the upcoming films. Obviously, everything is in flux and things can change, but this looks like DC’s roadmap for their future superhero films. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Justice League, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 4, 2014 in Comic Books, Videogames 
After the somewhat disappointing Batman: Arkham Origins, most fans are pretty excited about Batman: Arkham Knight, the third and supposedly final entry in Rocksteady’s series. While the game was originally supposed to be released by the end of 2014, that seems to no longer be the case. Now Rocksteady says the game has been pushed back to 2015, to allow more time to deliver “the awesome level of quality that Batman fans and gamers expect.” I’d imagine some of this is prompted not only by working with newer hardware — the game will release only on current-gen platforms: PC, PS4, and Xbox One — but also to make sure it’s much more impressive than Arkham Origins, which Rocksteady didn’t develop. I’ve always got a lot of games on my plate, so I don’t mind waiting. But still, it would be nice if most of the big games for these new platforms weren’t all coming in 2015 or later. Hopefully E3 next week has some good news for that issue. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Knight, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
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