News

Jodie Whittaker Short Film Fund Raises Value To $50,000

Exclusive: The Empower Fund, an initiative that champions female and non-binary filmmakers, has seen its value rise to £40,000 after post-production house Picture Shop came onboard to support the Empower Fund with in-kind post services up to a value of £15k. Film equipment company Hawk London had already provided access to a camera kit shooting package worth £15,000 on top of a minimum £10,000 for the winning team, who will see former Doctor Who lead Jodie Whittaker attached to their project. Founded by actress Victoria Emslie’s Primetime, a global platform for women and non-binary people working behind the camera, in partnership with Funding Futures, the fun launched at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and has received almost 100 submissions from around the world. A jury of consisting of Whittaker, another former Doctor Who star, Mandip Gill; Emslie; director Ella Glendining; producer Ameenah Ayub Allen; Curtis Brown...

photo credit Peter Marley

Highland Film Group announced today that it has locked distribution deals in key international territories in all media for the action comedy Old Guy starring two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman (Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza).

Directed by Simon West and written by Greg Johnson (The Last Son), Highland Film Group has sold the rights to Old Guy to Snd Films for France, Square One Entertainment GmbH for Germany, Vertigo Releasing and Lumiere Ventures for the UK, YouPlanet Pictures for Spain, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Spentzos Film for Greece, Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, Sf Studios for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, Aqua Group for Turkey, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Forum Film for Israel, California Filmes for Latin America, MovieCloud for Taiwan, Filmfinity for South Africa and Village Road Show for Australia and New Zealand.

Aging...

Highland Film Group’s action-comedy Old Guy — starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman — has landed a number of key international deals.

Directed by Simon West (The Expendables 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and written by Greg Johnson (The Last Son), the film has sold to Snd Films for France, Square One Entertainment GmbH for Germany, Vertigo Releasing and Lumiere Ventures for the U.K., YouPlanet Pictures for Spain, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Spentzos Film for Greece, Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, Sf Studios for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, Aqua Group for Turkey, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Forum Film for Israel, California Filmes for Latin America, MovieCloud for Taiwan, Filmfinity for South Africa and Village Road Show for Australia and New Zealand.

In Old Guy aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Waltz) still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck...

Cooper Hoffman and Christoph Waltz team up as a pair of unlikely hitmen in this first-look still from Simon West’s upcoming action comedy Old Guy. Lucy Liu also stars in the film.

West directs and produces the feature, which was written by Greg Johnson (The Son) and recently wrapped in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Highland Film Group is co-financing the action comedy and handling worldwide rights.

Old Guy follows aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Waltz), who still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck at a dead end but vying for the love of club manager Anata (Liu), Danny is thrilled when The Company pulls him back into the field, but only to train Gen Z newcomer Wihlborg (Hoffman), a prodigy assassin with an attitude. The mismatched pair is asked to eliminate top members of a competing crime syndicate and, in the process, uncover their employer’s...

Lucy Liu (Strange World, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) have joined two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (No Time to Die, Big Eyes, Inglourious Basterds) in Old Guy, the upcoming action comedy from Simon West (The Expendables 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).

West directs and produces the feature, which was written by Greg Johnson (The Son) and recently wrapped in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where it was filmed on location, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Highland Film Group is co-financing the action comedy and handling worldwide rights.

Old Guy follows aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Waltz), who still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck at a dead end but vying for the love of club manager Anata (Liu), Danny is thrilled when The Company pulls him back into the field, but only to train Gen Z newcomer Wihlborg (Hoffman), a prodigy assassin with an attitude.

This review contains no spoilers and is based on the first three episodes of Pacific Rim: The Black season 1.

Guillermo del Toro’s neon-drenched monsters-vs-robots epic Pacific Rim wore its influences proudly on its elbow cannon-equipped sleeves, so an anime-style spin-off makes a certain kind of inevitable sense. Pacific Rim: The Black is a seven-episode Netflix Original that seeks to expand the Pacific Rim mythology – think “extended universe” rather than “sequel”.

Created by Thor: Ragnarok co-writer Craig Kyle and X-Men: Evolution head writer Greg Johnson, the show follows siblings Hayley (Gideon Adlon) and Taylor Travis (Calum Worthy) as they struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic, kaiju-infested Australia.

A quick introductory voiceover establishes the setup: after multiple new Breaches appeared on the continent, the Pan Pacific Defence Corps cut its losses and moved out of Australia entirely. A half-hearted evacuation pulled out some survivors; the rest were abandoned. Hayley and Taylor’s parents were Jaeger pilots,...

In just a few years, the London Screenings have coalesced into a significant event for the international TV business.

Taking place virtually over the next two weeks, London Screenings is organized by a group of leading London-based international distributors — All3Media International, Banijay Rights, Entertainment One, Fremantle and ITV Studios — to showcase their latest scripted and unscripted fare.

The distributors have been working together since 2018 to coordinate their spring screening events, which sprang up to take advantage of the many international buyers who travel to the U.K. for the long-established BBC Studios Showcase in late February.

In recent years, the quality and importance of these screening events has grown, says Greg Johnson, ITV Studios executive VP of sales and distribution, Emea & Americas. Johnson says ITV has made a “significant investment to provide an unforgettable experience for our buyers,” including immersing them in the distributor’s content at London’s iconic...

Mysterious vanishings rock a small-town community in Jordskott, and if you live in North America and haven't yet seen the acclaimed Swesdish TV series, then you're in luck, because Shudder has acquired North American rights to the first season (and the yet-to-be-released second season), which will premiere on the streaming service on April 6th.

Press Release: AMC Networks-backed premium streaming service Shudder announced today that it has acquired exclusive North American rights for Season 1 and the upcoming Season 2 of the acclaimed international thriller series Jordskott from ITV Studios Global Entertainment (Itvs Ge). Declared by The Guardian as a series “you can’t take your eyes off of”, Jordskott Season 1 will launch with the first two episodes available on April 6th with two new episodes premiering each week on Shudder.

Season 1 of the critically acclaimed Scandi-noir thriller revolves around the seven-year disappearance of police investigator Eva Thörnblad’s daughter, Josefine. Still...

A former Utah teacher who pleaded guilty two years ago to sexual abuse after having sex with three underage students was denied parole Wednesday, People confirms.

However, Brianne Altice — a former English teacher at Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, and a mother-of-two — will get another shot at freedom in April of 2019, Greg Johnson, director of administrative services for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, tells People.

Altice, 36, pleaded guilty to three counts of forcible sex abuse in April 2015. In exchange, 11 charges were dropped, including three first-degree felony rape charges, according to local reports.

She was sentenced to at...

Aaron Birch Ryan Lambie Aug 25, 2016

Toejam and Earl, the 90s jammin' alien duo, are back. Here's the teaser trailer to prove it...

Last year, we heard that the none-more-90s Roguelike Toejam & Earl is getting a revival courtesy of its original designer, Greg Johnson. After a successful bout of funding on Kickstarter, the quirky isometric game is due for release next year, and to remind us of that fact, a new trailer's appeared.

The graphics have a great hand-drawn quality - a bit like a 90s Saturday morning cartoon, appropriately enough - and it looks like a real return to form following the dismal game that came out on the Xbox a few years back.

ToeJam & Earl: Back In The Groove is in development for PC and current-gen consoles.

Eurogamer

Our earlier story follows...

We reported on this recently, and now it's official. Toejam & Earl, the classic series that previously...

A team of geeky talent from FantasyCon has created a funny mini web-series called Cubicles & Careers. The show is set in a fantasy world where a group of people gather together for a game called "Cubicles & Careers." It's basically the "Dungeons & Dragons" of the fantasy world, only they play as people from the real world with real boring jobs. What makes this so amusing is that the players don't seem to get a grasp of how the game is played or how people can actually live like the characters they are playing. This is the first of five episodes that will be released throughout the week. Each one will focus on a different person playing the game. The series was directed by Murray Triplett and Greg Johnson. I hope you enjoy it! ...

Former BBC Worldwide exec Greg Johnson has joined ITV Studios Global Entertainment as Svp sales. Based in La, he’ll lead Itvsge’s TV distribution business in North America, Canada and Latin America. Johnson previously ran BBC Worldwide’s factual sales and co-production business in the U.S., and prior to that was VP sales for Disney Media Distrbution covering Asia Pacific. Itvsge’s hot properties include Mr. Selfridge, Endeavour, Rectify, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and the upcoming medical drama, Breathless.

The Movie Pool goes Awol for the G.I. Joe: Renegades Season One Blu-ray!

The Set-up

This latest incarnation of the iconic G.I. Joe franchise follows a group of modern-day soldiers who go rogue after being framed as terrorists by an evil corporation called Cobra.

The Delivery

This Blu-ray set includes all 26 episodes of the outstanding animated series that premiered in November 2010 on The Hub TV network. Our initial review of the Renegades Season One, Volume One DVD set (which you can read here) pointed out a lot that we liked about this new take on G.I. Joe, and some things that we didn't like. Thankfully, having taken in a full season of the show, the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Utilizing the original characters introduced in the classic A Real American Hero animated series of the 1980s, this new spin takes a handful of core characters (Duke, Scarlett,...

Blindfolded sheep farmers are the creative idea behind an ad for Pfizer Animal Health.

“Don’t be blind to the effects of arthiritism” warns the narrator in the ad, created by rural and healthcare agency H&T.

The Tvc follows on from past campaigns ‘swear jar’ and ‘sick bed’ for dairy and beef cattle farmers.

Tony Northam, MD of H&T said: “The Eryvac vaccine can protect against the debilitating effects of lameness in lambs, and this Tvc campaign helps create awareness of the issue so that sheep farmers can protect their flock, and their livelihood.”

The campaign runs until Spring.

Credits

Art Director: Kevin Tierney

Copywriter: Ben Webster

TV producer: Sue Seldon

Director: Jason Wingrove – Engine,

Account Service: Nicole Tyzack

Client: Greg Johnson, Peter Gordon – Pfizer Animal Health.

New mum Jennifer Garner is set to trade in stilettos and designer gowns for loafers and slacks as she prepares to play a guy in her new movie.

Life & Style has learned that Jennifer will play a fired corporate executive who switches sexes to win her job back.

A source tells the publication, "She disguises herself as a man. Jen will play Rebecca Merritt, who becomes Greg Johnson."

Shooting on Johnson will begin later this year.

Genre: Animated | Sci-Fi | Adventure

Director: Sam Liu

Writers: Greg Johnson, Craig Kyle

Cast: Matthew Wolf, Rick Gomez, Christopher Britton, Clancy Brown, Grey DeLisle, Paul Dobson, Jonathan Holmes, Jay Brazeau

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 77 min..

Synopsis:

Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer…Fantastic journeys beckon from the mysterious nine realms. Places of dark mists and fiery voids. Of winged creatures and giants in the ice. And of the most alluring quest of all – the search for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three – a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor...

The Film:

Marvel might be dominating the movie world, but their animated films, which started back a few years ago, are only little whimpers when compared to DC’s animated films. In the last few films, this has changed for Marvel, as they began crafting original, brave productions like in Next Avengers and Planet Hulk, as well as the incredibly fun Hulk Vs. Delayed to be timed with his big screen debut (review here), Thor: Tales of Asgard isn’t as great as those I’ve mentioned, but even on cruise control, it’s better than Marvel/Lgf’s earlier efforts.

Essentially, Thor: Tales of Asgard acts like a prequel to Thor, telling the story of when a younger Thor was developing his courage and hero status. It’s young Thor, before the Hammer, and while that doesn’t sound promising, the writing is pretty above par for the idea,...

Chicago – Animated Marvel Features and Lionsgate very purposefully released a straight-to-dvd Thor movie this month to try and cash in a bit on the success of the summer blockbuster “Thor” with Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. With some of the same characters, enemies, and locations, the animated version plays not unlike a Saturday morning cartoon version of what you just saw in theaters. Potential viewers under twelve should find enough action here to not consider their time wasted, but anyone older will surely be a a bit bored.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

Kenneth Branagh’s “Thor” is about to crest $400 million worldwide and so it makes sense that toys, games, and other peripheral merchandise would hit the market to try and cash in on the film’s success. “Tales of Asgard” could have been a clever expansion of the Marvel comic and hit film but it plays too much like an afterthought,...

Produced in 2009 but held until this week to capitalize on the live-action adaptation of Marvel’s Thor, Lionsgate releases Thor: Tales of Asgard, a 77-minute animated feature that harkens back to the Thunder God’s youth. The title harkens back to the beloved back-up feature that ran behind the main story in Journey Into Mystery for several years as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby explored the earlier days of the Asgardians or told stories adapted from the Norse myths. This approach is a clever one for an animated feature and certainly freed the writers and designers from aping whatever the current look of the hero was.

Still, watching this largely entertaining film still feels like it was inspired by some other universe’s Thor comic. Everything is familiar but just off a shade from personality to the look. It’s certainly not an Asgard Jack designed nor does it really...

Blu-ray Review

Thor: Tales of Asgard

Directed by: Sam Liu

Cast: Matthew Wolf, Chris Britton, Grey DeLisle, Tara Strong, Rick Gomez (voices)

Running Time: 1 hr 17 mins

Rating: Nr

Due Out: May 17, 2011

Plot: A prequel to the live action blockbuster Thor, this animated feature follows Thor the teenager as he ventures to the Frost Giants’ realm in search of a sacred and powerful sword.

Who’S It For? Younger viewers who may not even be old enough to see Thor will likely enjoy this simple story, though they might be bored by the movie’s lack of action and focus on drama. Fans of Thor might enjoy the way it captures the Asgardian background of Thor’s character.

Movie:

It’s unclear as to whether the creators of this animated feature prequel had access to a viewing of Thor while this project was in the development. For one, the writers might...

Last year, we got a glimpse of Thor: Tales of Asgard, which looked incredibly promising as an animated feature film. Lionsgate is released the film, at long last, direct-to-dvd on Tuesday, while everyone has Norse gods on the mind. For those less familiar with the comic, they have provided a slideshow to introduce audiences to the cast of characters, ranging from Thor, his foster brother Loki, Allfather Odin, the fierce Sif, the valiant Warriors Three, Amora the Enchantress and the legendary Frost Giants, among others.

Here are the product details:

He’s waged battles in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs., and now one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe is ready to strike out on his own this May. See the young “God of Thunder” as Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment team up to release Thor: Tales of Asgard! Hitting Blu-ray Combo Pack,...

The Movie Pool lowers the hammer on the new Thor animated movie, Tales of Asgard!

Blu-ray Specs

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 enhanced for widescreen TVs (1080p High Definition)

Running Time: 77 minutes

Rating: Not rated

Audio: English DTS-hd 7.1 Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English, English for the Hearing Impaired, Spanish  

Special Features: "Worthy: The Making of Thor: Tales of Asgard" Documentary, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Bonus Episode, Trailer Gallery.

Commentary: Two commentaries, one featuring Supervising Producer Craig Kyle and screenwriter Greg Johnson, the second featuring Supervising Director Gary Hartle, Director Sam Liu, and Character Designer Phil Bourassa

DVD Specs (non-high definition)

Identical to the Blu-ray version, with the following exceptions:

Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0

Special Features: Trailer Gallery not included on the standard DVD

The Set-up

The animated tale follows a young Thor as he defies his father and sets out on a quest for a mythical but dangerous sword.

"Thor" premieres in theaters this weekend, but for those who want even more of Marvel's god of thunder, you're in luck. Just a few weeks from now, "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" arrives on shelves.

The latest film from Marvel Animated Features, "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" offers an adventure from Thor's early years, and serves as a great primer for anyone looking to get the back story on Thor, Loki, and the rest of the key players in and around Asgard. And as a special treat for MTV Splash Page readers, we have a gallery of exclusive images from the film for you to check out.

Click on the image below to see the "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" gallery!

"Thor: Tales Of Asgard" hits shelves May 17. You can check out the full list of DVD and Blu-Ray specs below.

Thor: Tales Of Asgard

New Marvel Animated Feature Stars Fan-Favorite The Mighty Thor...

The .God of Thunder. is back!

He.s waged battles in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs., and now one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe is ready to strike out on his own when Thor: Tales Of Asgard arrives on Blu-ray, DVD andGame Consoles on May 17, 2011.

The newest Marvel Animated Feature is the perfect companion to the May 6th release of the live-action theatrical film Thor.

New Marvel Animated Feature Stars Fan-Favorite The Mighty Thor and

Hits Stores Just Weeks After Theatrical Film Debuts!

Street Date: 5/17/11

Blu-ray Combo Pack Srp: $29.99

DVD Srp: $19.98

Program Description

He.s waged battles in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs., and now one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe is ready to strike out on his own this May. See the young .God of Thunder. as Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment...

Just in time for the live action big screen debut of the God of Thunder himself, comes the new animated film from Marvel Animation & Lionsgate, Thor: Tales of Asgard. Lionsgate has sent over a clip from the film as well as the official press release, check it out.

Thor: Tales Of Asgard

New Marvel Animated Feature Stars Fan-Favorite The Mighty Thor and

Hits Stores Just Weeks After Theatrical Film Debuts!

Program Description

He’s waged battles in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs., and now one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe is ready to strike out on his own this May. See the young “God of Thunder” as Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment team up to release Thor: Tales of Asgard! Hitting Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on May 17, 2011, the newest Marvel Animated Feature is the perfect companion...

Check out this brand new clip from Marvel Animation‘s upcoming release, Thor: Tales Of Asgard. In the clip, Loki (God of Lies and Mischief) plays a prank on the wolf Fenris in the Port Hole Pub while Thor and the Warriors Three look on. Check it our below, along with the synopsis, the trailer and links to pre-order your copy on DVD or Blu-ray today!

Clip: Thor: Tales of Asgard – “Loki — God of Mischief”

Click Here To View The Video

Synopsis:

Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer, there was the sword. Fantastic journeys beckon from the mysterious nine realms. Places of dark mists and fiery voids. Of winged creatures and giants in the ice. And the most alluring quest of all – the search for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki,...

An appropriate announcement on April Fool’s Day we get a video clip of the upcoming New Marvel Animated Feature starring a young Thor and Loki in their early days in Thor: Tales of Asgard. It will be available in a Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on May 17, 2011 a little over a week after the May 6th theatrical release of Thor.

The film features the voice talent of Matthew Wolf (Thor), Rick Gomez (Loki, Band of Brothers), Grey DeLisle (Sif) and Christopher Britton (Odin) and Clancy Brown (Superman:The Animated Series) also makes an appearance as an Unidentified Frost Giant. It is directed by Sam Liu and is written by Greg Johnson.

Here’s a clip starring Loki who is up to no good; he is the God of Mischief after all.

Story:

Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer, there was the sword. Fantastic journeys...

My friend Greg Johnson tweeted at me earlier with mention of footage of Knut the Polar Bear’s death. So, of course, I watched it. Knut was like a giant furry albino son to me, and I felt it my duty to take in as much information about his death as possible. So, as is my blogging duty, I watched the video. I am sorry that I did. It shows poor Knutty spinning around in circles before falling off of a rock and plunging into the water next to it. Then, stillness. Some people argue that it’s not real, but my polar bear maternal instinct is that it is. All too real. This is like every Al Gore Global Warming Terror video come to life. Rip Knut. We hope we get to hug your adorable ass in Heaven one day.

The next film from Marvel Animation, which has been a long-time coming, is Thor: Tales of Asgard from Lionsgate. The film will street on Blu-ray and DVD May 17th, a week after the big screen debut of the God of Thunder. The story will go back to Thor’s earlier years, before he ever lifted his mighty hammer. It follows the upstart god’s quest for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. To help in the search, Thor teams up with his loyal brother Loki, a budding sorcerer with a knack for conjuring up trouble, and the fabled Warriors Three, a band of boastful travelers. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of his destiny by saving Asgard itself.

Here’s the disc’s extras:

* Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle and Screenwriter Greg Johnson

* Audio commentary with Supervising Director Gary Hartle,...

Marvel Animation has finally released details on their new animated movie Thor: Tales of Asgard. This film has been completed for almost a year now, but Marvel has been sitting on it to release it around the same time as the live-action Thor movie. As far as I know, this is the final animated movie from Marvel that's been developed, and they currently have no other animated film projects in the pipline, giving DC Entertainment all the glory in the comic book animated DVD movie market, which is a shame, because I thought Marvel had a good thing going.

I've actually already seen the movie, and I thought it was pretty cool. It's definitely worth watching. This Thor animated adventure is set to be released in a Blu-ray combo pack DVD, digital download and on demand from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment on May 17th 2011 after the live-action film has been released.

The Black List has been released, Franklin Leonard’s annual compilation of the “best liked” unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. The 2010 list is flavored with politics, including a comedy about a young Karl Rove and a drama about Jackie Kennedy’s days of mourning following the JFK assassination. According to the Los Angeles Times, six of the top-10 scripts have already been picked up by studios, with one, Margin Call, already slated to premiere at Sundance in January. Check out the rest of the Top 10 after the jump:

1. College Republicans by Wes Jones. Aspiring politician Karl Rove runs a dirty campaign...

The 2010 Black List has been announced. For those who don’t know, the Black List is a list of the best “unproduced” screenplays in Hollywood. I put “unproduced” in quotations because some of these screenplays are in various stages of production. For instance, College Republicans (formerly Young Republicans) has Shia Labeouf and Paul Dano circling the project while Safe House has Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds on board. J.C. Chandor’s script (which he also directed) Margin Call is the furthest along of the Top 10 as it’s already set to premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Hit the jump to check out the 2010 Black List Top Ten.

Here’s the 2010 Black List Top 10 (as voted by Hollywood executives) [via 24 Frames]:

49 votes: College Republicans by Wes Jones. Aspiring politician Karl Rove leads a dirty campaign for College Republican chairman under the guidance of Lee Atwater. Anonymous Content producing.

47 votes: Jackie by Noah Oppenheim.

An annual list of the best unproduced screenplays circulating in Hollywood, Franklin Leonard's Black List has become a remarkable gauge of the best of what may be coming down the line. Compiled from a poll of hundreds of development executives the list - now in its sixth year - has a pretty stellar track record when it comes to finding the best and brightest regardless of whether they be a young up and comer or an established writer. This year's list is skewed towards projects that have already been optioned or set up but regardless, here's what you should be looking for in the coming year:

College Republicans by Wes Jones. Aspiring politician Karl Rove leads a dirty campaign for College Republican chairman under the guidance of Lee Atwater. Anonymous Content producing.

Jackie by Noah Oppenheim. Jacqueline Kennedy's life immediately after her husband's assassination. Darren Aronofsky directing for Fox Searchlight.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Vol. 5: Revelations

Vol. 6: Final Crisis Trilogy

Featuring the voices of Steve Blum, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kane

Release Date: May 4/August 17, 2010

Wolverine and the X-Men: Revelations and The Final Crisis Trilogy wraps up the popular Nickelodeon series from Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson (creators of X-Men: Evolution). After a surprise attack on the Xavier School, The X-Men team is left in pieces. Professor X, the team’s leader and mentor is in a coma and Jean Grey is presumed dead, sending Cyclops into a tailspin. With the team unofficially disbanded, it is up to Wolverine to pick up the pieces and bring the team back together.

These two DVDs tie up all the plot threads left dangling from the series, answering all the important burning questions. Who really attacked the X-Men? Will Professor X finally escape the future and return to his body in the past?...

Wolverine and the X-Men was created to capitalize on the anticipated success of the Hugh Jackman Wolverine movie. The series aired on Nicktoons and freely adapted stories taken from the decades of X-Men stories. Despite being the title character, Wolverine was often taking a step back to let the army of mutants take on the stories.

Lionsgate has been releasing the episodes in low priced sets, but now, in time for the holidays, the entire series has been put in one set, now on sale. ComicMix has previous reviewed the final three releases in the series and overall, I have not been overly impressed. Visually, the animation designs are satisfactory but Marvel has never gotten a good handle on their voice casting and the show suffers for it.

Structurally, I previously noted “this has fewer sub-plots that require episode to episode viewing. On the other hand, there are plenty of...

DVD Playhouse—August 2010

By

Allen Gardner

Black Orpheus (Criterion) Winner of the 1959 Best Foreign Film Oscar and that same year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, Black Orpheus is a modern-day update of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice reset in 20th century Brazil during Carnival in Rio. Director Marcel Camus offers up a visual feast with some of the decade’s most ravishing color cinematography. A classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn; Interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins, and Brazilian author Ruy Castro; Documentary on the film; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

The Last Song (Touchstone) Sentimental adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ (by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie) sentimental novel about a father and daughter attempting to repair their damaged relationship. Greg Kinnear, as the dad in question, comes off best, while tween sensation Miley Cyrus...

Cartoons willing to play around with the time-space continuum in a meaningful way are few and far between; narrow that down to cartoons aimed at kids and comic book fans alike, and the list only gets shorter. The original X-Men Animated Series did it and so does Wolverine and the X-Men. The concept plays an integral role in some of the more interesting characters having a chance to appear at all. After all, an X-Men series without Bishop would just be X-Men Evolution. And no one wants that. Not again. Wolverine and the X-Men comes to its conclusion (sadly, a permanent one) in this final DVD volume release. The main conflicts including Mastermold, the Phoenix, and various smaller character arcs come to a conclusion in a satisfying way that would have setup a really great second season.

At the end of the episodes in the previous volume, Jean Gray has...

Marvel Studios has hired Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer ("Conan") to write "Dr. Strange." This will most likely be the first Marvel film sent out by Disney. Co-created by Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in "Strange Tales" #110 (July 1963) with Human Torch. The Stephen Strange character was a self-absorbed surgeon who, after a car accident, loses his skill. He embarks on a wondrous journey to the heights of a Tibetan mountain, where he seeks to be healed by the mysterious Ancient One. However, before his wounds can mend, he must first let go of his past in order to awaken a gift granted to a few. "Dr. Strange" had made its animated film debut back in, written by Greg Johnson back in 2007.

DVD Playhouse—May 2010

By

Allen Gardner

Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...

Chicago – With “Iron Man 2” hitting theaters in a matter of hours, the round-up is back with a trio of superhero animated DVDs clearly timed to release with the launch of the biggest Marvel movie of the year. See “Iron Man 2” and take home whichever animated TV on DVD release suits your fancy. Or get all three.

“X-Men: Volume 5,” “Iron Man: The Complete 1994 Animated Television Series,” and “Wolverine and the X-Men: Revelation” were all released on May 4th, 2010.

“Iron Man: The Complete 1994 Animated Television Series”

Photo credit: Buena Vista Home Video

Synopsis: “From Stan Lee comes Marvel’s complete 1994 animated television series, Iron Man. Experience every thrilling moment – from the very first episode, to the final climactic battle – in this 3-disc collector’s edition. Witness the action-packed adventure from the very beginning as billionaire inventor Tony Stark dons his invincible suit of iron to battle...

I had really hoped this would be the last volume of the series, that Lionsgate wouldn’t try to bleed consumers dry by cutting the final 8 episodes of Wolverine and the X-Men into two separate releases – but they did. So, taking into account my customary disclaimer of this being the best X-Men animated series since the mainstay from the 90s (the fifth volume of which is coming out in May), it’s a show worthy of viewing by anyone who ever considered themselves an X-Men fan, even though I dislike how the season is being released piecemeal despite having concluded back in March of 2009. Not only has it taken them a year to release it thus far, but they’re not even done releasing it, as volume 6 will probably be released in the next three months. They’re screwing the show’s fans, but since its second season got canceled...

The fifth volume of "Wolverine and the X-Men" arrives on shelves this week, and since we're big fans of the series around Splash Page HQ, we snagged a clip from one of the episodes contained on the DVD to show you.

Check out the clip below from "Shades of Grey," featuring Jean Grey, Cyclops and Emma Frost:

"Wolverine and the X-Men: Revelation" hits shelves tomorrow, May 4. Read on for the full synopsis of the collection and its bonus features, as well as the volume's box art.

Official synopsis:

Wolverine And The X-men: Revelation

The Truth is Unveiled as the X-Men Unite to Save the World in Volume 5 of the Hit Series, Includes 5 Gripping Episodes!

Street Date: 5/4/10

DVD Srp: $14.98

Program Description

This May, Marvel Animation and Lionsgate bring Wolverine fans the fifth DVD installment from Nicktoons Network’s hit animated series Wolverine And The X-Men. Wolverine And The X-Men...

We’re nearing the end of the line with Wolverine and the X-Men as Lionsgate releases the penultimate volume of the six volume DVD set comprising the first, and now only, season of the animated series.

Volume five, Revelation, is on sale Tuesday and contains five more episodes adapting themes and storylines from across the comic franchise’s storied history. As with the previous volumes, the latest of which we reviewed back in January, the animation is lean and adequate with stronger vocal casting than the 1990s incarnation.

One of the series’ strengths was in the consistent vision and voice of the writing team anchored by Nick Filippi, Greg Johnson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost. As a result, sub-plots run from episode to episode smoothly and characters are consistent throughout.

We open with “Guardian Angel”, focusing on Warren Worthington’s simmering battle with his father over his destiny, leading to...

Chicago – HollywoodChicago.com’s regular Round-Up column returns this week with another collection of recently released DVDs that may have slid just a bit below your radar while you were busy buying Valentine’s Day cards and candy. We’re not necessarily recommending these titles, merely presenting their details for your awareness. You’re welcome.

“Blood Creek” was released on January 19th, 2010

“Wolverine and The X-Men: Fate of the Future” was released on February 2nd, 2010.

“From Mexico With Love” and “Good Hair” were released on February 16th, 2010.

“Wrong Side of Town” will be released on February 23rd, 2010.

“Blood Creek”

Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

Synopsis: “In 1936, the Wollners, a German family living in Town Creek, West Virginia, are contacted by the Third Reich to host a visiting scholar. In need of money, they accept Professor Ricard Wirth into their home, unaware of the Third Reich’s practices in the...

Here it is, round four of the Wolverine and the X-Men DVD releases. These partial season releases are clearly aimed at the younger crowd who don’t yet know the joy of buying a season all at once in a big set. Thus, keep in mind that this entire review is intended more for parents buying the episodes for their children and not fans looking to be proud owners of one of the best animated Marvel series in a long time. With that said, this release is a mixture of standalone episodes, saga installments, and a bookend to the major plotline of the previous DVD release. Do the standalone and saga episodes balance out the “Huh?” factor that comes from starting a disc with no “previously on Wolverine and the X-Men…” announcement for a storyline that badly needs it?

“Stolen Lives”

The Maverick/Wolverine/Kristie saga comes to an end...

When Greg Pak received his dream assignment, writing the Hulk, he was handed a few notions that Marvel’s editorial team conjured up, starting with exiling him from Earth. From there, Pak spun the Planet Hulk epic which was the first the jade-jawed giant was allowed to cut loose in years.

Exiled to space by the Illuminati, the Hulk crashed on an alien world and suddenly was surrounded with assorted aliens who could give as well as he could. Enslaved, he suddenly was an underdog, just another mongrel to fight for the rulers’ pleasure in the gladiator games. Seeing no Banner and all-Hulk helped make this a standout adventure.

Yeah, its Spartacus to a degree, but seeing the Hulk in chains then in armor was cool. It made sense to ship him off Earth to spare humanity and we all knew he’d be back and there’d be some serious payback involved.

Your stock is rising, Marvel.

As always, it's hard to write about animated comic book movies without doing a bit of comparison. It's almost like I'm keeping score of Marvel Animation and DC Universe Original Animated, for some inexplicable reason. Then again, when there are only two games in town, it's hard not to. Regardless, the clearcut winner has historically been DC Animated, whose features typically feature better animation, more complex storylines, better writing and superior voice acting. However Marvel's newest entry, Planet Hulk, shows that Marvel is ready to knock a couple of dents in DC's armor.

Planet Hulk is based on the comic book storyline of the same name, but with some notable and necessary (and some unnecessary) differences. The essential story is the same: The Hulk (aka Bruce Banner, though we never see him in this version) is simply too dangerous to exist on earth anymore. Long-regarded...

"Planet Hulk," the latest animated feature from Marvel Studios and Lionsgate Home Entertainment, hits shelves today with a story inspired by one of the character's most popular story arcs in recent years.

Based on Greg Pak's 2006-2007 arc in the "Incredible Hulk" comic book series, "Planet Hulk" finds Marvel's green goliath transported to a harsh planet where he's enslaved and forced to compete in gladiatorial combat under the brutal rule of The Red King. Weakened by the journey through space, Hulk must rely on his savage instincts to survive the new environment, and eventually finds himself leading a rag-tag group of fellow gladiators.

"Planet Hulk" is directed by Sam Liu ("Superman/Batman: Public Enemies") with a screenplay by Greg Johnson ("Doctor Strange"). This review is based on the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD. Oh, and Spoiler Warning!

The Good: While the "Planet Hulk" movie takes liberties with its comic book source material,...

The Marvel universe has been an important universe to the film world, as shown by the box office receipts to Marvel Studios' live-action summer blockbusters like Iron Man and many others. The studio is also making a dent in the animation field as well, with its successful brand of straight-to-dvd Marvel Animated Features and the latest to hit (or smash) onto the shelves is Planet Hulk, which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 2.

To celebrate this latest release, a red-carpet premiere event was held at the Paley Center for Media, simultaneously at both Paley venues in Los Angeles and New York. I was able to hit the red carpet for this event to talk to some of the key players behind this release, and the first one down the line was supervising producer Joshua Fine, who started out by telling us how this project got off the ground.

As one would have expected, Marvel revisited the animated adventures of their merry mutants to capitalize on the anticipated success of the Wolverine feature film. As a result, the fourth iteration is named Wolverine and the X-Men and the first season aired throughout 2009 on Nicktoons. Lionsgate has been dutifully collected handfuls of episodes for single-disc collections with the fourth volume, containing five episodes, being released Tuesday.

While the X-Men, their friends and foes are familiar, this has no bearing on the previous animated series or the comic book source material, As a result, we’re getting yet another look at familiar themes and storylines such as the Days of Future Past and Genosha. Unlike the immensely popular 1990s Fox series, this has fewer sub-plots that require episode to episode viewing. On the other hand, there are plenty of sub-plots running through the 26 episodes comprising the first season. There are also...