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Star Wars fans are in mourning after the death of actor Michael Culver was announced this week.

Culver, whose death was reported by Daily Mail Online, played Captain Lorth Needa in a galaxy far, far away, appeared in a small yet memorable role in The Empire Strikes Back. Needa was in command of the Avenger, an Imperial Star Destroyer, and fought for the Empire during the Battle of Hoth. The British actor passed away late last month, his family announced, adding that he was in "one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise." Needa was killed by Darth Vader after the Captain failed to capture Han Solo and the rest of the Rebels aboard the Millennium Falcon.

"We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver," a statement from the actor's agent noted. "A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes,...

In a glittering event at Madrid’s Florida Park, Spain’s Secuoya Studios brought out its big guns, led by its president James Costos and Secuoya Content Group CEO Raúl Berdonés, to tout the fast-growing company’s slate, led by its 10-episode series “Zorro,” its most ambitious production.

The series pilot will be unveiled at Mipcom in a special screening on Oct. 15, noted Berdonés, who added that the two-year-old company has made a strong commitment to sustainable production.

“Zorro,” starring Miguel Bernardeau and Renata Notni, will be exclusively available on Prime Video in Latin America, the U.S., Spain, Andorra, and Portugal in the first half of 2024, followed by its broadcast on Spain’s Tve. Mediawan handles international distribution.

Attendees of the 3rd Iberseries & Platino Industria were treated to a sneak peek two days before.

Speaking of the company’s slate, Berdonés remarked: “This ambitious, innovative, distinctive, and diverse content...

The Disney-backed “How to Be a Carioca,” from “Ice Age” creator Carlos Saldanha, and “Allende, the Thousand Days,” an adventurous Chilean-Spanish pick-up from Spanish pubcaster Rtve, will both world premiere at Iberscreenings, catching new evolution on the Spain-Portugal-Latin America TV scene.

A comedy, showrun by Saldanha, consolidating his exploration of live action after Netflix’s 2021 “Invisible City,” “Carioca,” whose first episode will be screened at I&pi, is produced by the Star Original Productions label, bowing soon on Star+ in Latin America and on the Walt Disney Company’s streaming services globally, such as Disney+ Spain.

An international co-production, “Allende, the Thousand Days” was originated by Chile’s Parox (“Invisible Heroes”), partnered by Spain’s Mediterráneo Media Entertainment and Argentina’s Aleph, Mente Colectiva and HD Argentina. A character focused chronicle of Allende’s three years in government before Pinochet’s 1973 military coup, the series has been acquired for broadcast by Chile’s Tvn,...

The first teaser for Mediawan's Zorro reboot introduces Miguel Bernardeau as the new masked hero, known as Don Diego de la Vega. Zorro originated in the early 20th century as stories in pulp magazines, and the character has been portrayed onscreen multiple times, notably by Guy Williams and Antonio Banderas. Zorro has become a popular pop culture figure, with multiple projects in development, including a scrapped series on The CW and an upcoming Disney TV project with Wilmer Valderrama as producer and lead actor.

The man in the mask is back in the first teaser for Mediawan's Zorro, the latest adaptation of adventures of the famous character created by Johnston McCulley at the beginning of the 19th century. The origin of Zorro dates back to 1919, when McCulley published stories of the masked hero in pulp magazines of the time. The vigilante's real name is Don Diego de la Vega,...

Zorro inches closer to his long-awaited live-action return as the upcoming reboot series flanked by Mediawan Rights drops its first teaser trailer.

Per Variety, the series released a teaser featuring the eponymous swordsman, played by Elite star Miguel Bernardeau, in action as he rides through Los Angeles in 1834. The Bernardeau version of Zorro is a new incarnation of Diego de la Vega, with the main character featuring alongside Lolita Marquez, played by El Dragón: Return of a Warrior actor Renata Notni.

Related: Antonio Banderas Would Do Zorro 3 to Pass the Mask to Someone New

Produced by Spanish company Secuoya Studios, Zorro is the first live-action project chronicling the character since 2005's The Mask of Zorro 2, starring Antonio Banderas. The Spanish-language series features 10 episodes and is directed, in part, by Javier Quintas, known for helming projects such as Money Heist and Sky Rojo. Founder of Zorro Productions Inc. and The Mask of Zorro...

Like most of Quentin Tarantino’s stories, Django Unchained is an action-heavy adventure filled with brave heroes and despicable villains, where those who commit the most heinous atrocities one could fathom meet their end in the most satisfyingly gruesome way imaginable. Well, almost all of them, anyway, as there was one villain in particular who didn’t meet the fate he so unquestionably deserved. However, in the planned sequel film-turned-comic, this villain-in-question was punished for the evil he perpetuated in the original (though it was admittedly far less than what was owed).

In Django Unchained, the lead character, Django Freeman, is a former slave whose freedom is won by his friend and mentor, Dr. King Schultz. Schultz is a bounty hunter who teaches Django everything he knows about the industry. Upon Django’s training, Schultz sees that he’s a natural marksman, and has the makings of a great bounty hunter himself.

Felix Leiter's American identity distinguishes him from the largely British gallery of James Bond's allies, reflecting the special relationship between the US and UK. The portrayal of Felix Leiter in the James Bond film franchise has historically struggled to find the right way to represent the character, with numerous actors being recast. Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Felix Leiter in the Daniel Craig James Bond films brings a somber intensity that meshes well with the darker tone of the franchise, creating a dynamic of mutual respect with Bond.

Felix Leiter has been a part of the James Bond franchise for as long as the British secret agent himself, with numerous actors stepping in to play the role. The American secret agent first appeared in Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novel, “Casino Royale”. The character’s name was borrowed from two of Fleming’s own friends, Ivar Felix Bruce and Oatsie Charles Leiter.

Episode #1071 of One Piece disappoints with frustrating pacing and fails to meet the high expectations set by previous episodes centered on Zoro and Big Mom. Flashbacks in this episode, including the repetition of animation and slow storytelling, add unnecessary padding and detract from the anticipation of Luffy's Gear 5th transformation. Moments of Luffy's Gear 5th action in the battle against Kaido are hard to follow, with quick transitions that don't give viewers enough time to register what is happening. More breathing room in the animation could have improved the viewing experience.

Warning: Spoilers for One Piece Anime #1071Episode #1071 of One Piece finally saw the official anime debut of Luffy's Fifth Gear transformation, but the anticipated episode suffered from issues the series has struggled with in the past, including frustrating pacing. Fans of the series have long waited to witness Luffy awaken his Devil Fruit abilities. With several episodes of...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny completes Spielberg and Lucas' vision for the franchise despite middling reviews. The time-travel plot brings Indiana Jones full circle as a "man out of time" character, fitting with the franchise's theme and inspirations. The emotional and sentimental ending of the film serves as a perfect conclusion to Ford's portrayal of the iconic character, wrapping up the franchise on a high note. Where to Watch Powered by

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may not have not gotten great reviews, but it brought Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' vision full circle. Following Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by 13 years, the 2023 movie sees Indy (Harrison Ford) attempting to retrieve the titular Dial of Destiny, aka the Antikythera, which was built by Archimedes in 212 BC. Indy's goddaughter, Helen, believes the dial is a time travel device. Surprisingly, Helen turns out to be right,...

The 1990s has a special place in Hollywood history for many fans, especially those who grew up with that era of cinema as their standard for good movies. However, the decade stands out for another reason: it embraced pulp stories. While many modern fans think of Marvel and DC superheroes when they picture comic book cinema, the 1990s followed a different path.

Though the decade did experiment with superhero movies like Batman, Blade and Spawn, it also looked to classic pulp magazines for a different type of story. The pulp industry got its name from the cheap, wood pulp paper on which it was printed. The adventures of heroes like The Phantom and Doc Savage came before even Superman, and their influences on the superhero genre are beyond doubt. Pulp has always been fertile ground for action, adventure, crime and even romance, serving as the counter-balance to classic noir cinema.

Warning: Spoilers for One Piece Manga Chapter #1086

With One Piece's Egghead Island reflecting several aspects of Thriller Bark, the latest arc may end similarly with the Straw Hat's facing one of the Five Elders, an enemy they are unprepared to fight. Clever fans have noticed that many of the events of post and pre-time skip arcs mirror each other. Using this idea has helped provide clues on what readers can expect to happen in the anticipated final saga, especially for what could be next for One Piece's Straw Hat crew. Many enemies are approaching the already hostile Egghead Island, but what will happen next has already been foretold.

Thriller Bark continues to be a standout arc that divides the One Piece fandom to this day. Some fans find it annoying, while others claim it's one of the series' best. The arc starts with Luffy and the Straw Hat crew...

Exclusive: This could be a first for the international TV distribution world.

France’s Mediawan Rights has launched a metaverse for buyers to access new catalog releases and connect with sales execs.

As the international production and sales markets continue grow and competition gets fiercer each year, distributors are under pressure to find better ways to reach acquisitions and co-productions executives.

Over the years, we’ve seen the development of digital rights management systems and digital trading platforms, and the Covid pandemic resulted in a shift to web-connected dealmaking that’s persisted despite markets reopening. Mediawan’s response to current market conditions has been to enter the Web3 world, though it will also still have a significant physical presence at Mipcom in two weeks.

The company’s virtual space, Metawan, will give users a choice of five rooms to explore: Documentary, Drama (split into Francophone and International), Unscripted and Animation.

Disney has finally revealed every single title that will officially be coming to Disney+ on launch day next month. Previously, we had received a list from those who were already subscribed to the streaming service in the Netherlands. However, due to various licensing rights, the titles will vary quite a bit from country to country. Now, U.S. subscribers know exactly what they will be getting for their money, and it's a potentially attractive treasure trove of content.

It. Is. Time. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Mandalorian, check out basically everything coming to #DisneyPlus in the U.S. on November 12.

Pre-order in the U.S. at https://t.co/wJig4STf4P today: https://t.co/tlWvp23gLFpic.twitter.com/0q3PTuaDWT

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 14, 2019

Not to be outdone by the competition, the official Disney+ Twitter account started a thread showcasing everything, in order of release,...

On preview night, the Sideshow Collectibles area at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con was beyond packed, and for good reason: there was quite literally something for every type of fan imaginable, and all of it was drool-worthy to say the very least. Between tons of Marvel characters (and a few variations of the Infinity Gauntlet), a variety of DC heroes and villains, numerous iconic characters from the Star Wars universe, plus multiple Xenomorphs and iterations of Predator creatures as well, that alone would be enough to keep collectors happy.

But Sideshow, who once again has gone above and beyond with their assortment of collectibles, also have created a variety of figurines that celebrate other fan-favorite properties, including Hellboy, Game of Thrones, John Wick, Zorro, and the most excellent Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted “Theodore” Logan of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure fame.

Here’s a look at what we saw...

We’re quickly approaching the release of Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, and Quentin Tarantino has hit the press junkets to talk about everything from his favorite Marvel movie to his interest in helming a Star Trek film.

While the iconic sci-fi franchise is continuing to find much success on the small screen, its future in cinemas has been left up in the air, with Star Trek 4 plagued by wage disputes and lackluster scripts. Thankfully, though, Tarantino’s pitch for a separate Trek movie outside of the mainline series is still alive at Paramount.

And though we don’t know very much about it just yet, according to the man himself, it’ll be something like Pulp Fiction if it were set in space. Speaking to Deadline in a recent interview, here’s how he described it:

“I get annoyed at Simon Pegg. He doesn’t know anything about...

When Gael Garcia Bernal was on the Sundance U.S. dramatic competition jury in 2017, the actor was disappointed to find that not a single film in the section was directed by an American-born filmmaker of Latino descent. Almost two years later, he was struggling to name one person who could have been there. “I would love to mention a good Latino director from the U.S.,” he said over coffee at the Bowery Hotel this week. “I would love to give you one name — like, yeah, man, this guy is doing great stuff. But no. I can’t.”

The actor was quick to draw a distinction between American Latinos and filmmakers born in Latin-American countries who found success in the United States — especially the so-called Three Amigos, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G. Iñarritu, and Guillermo del Toro. Bernal’s breakout performance was in Iñarritu’s “Amores Perros,” and he worked with...

Alec Baldwin has dropped out of playing the role of Thomas Wayne in Warner Bros. “Joker,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

“I’m no longer doing that movie,” Baldwin told USAToday, citing “scheduling.” “I’m sure there are 25 guys who can play that part,” Baldwin added.

The film, set to be directed by Todd Phillips, will star Joaquin Phoenix as the clown prince of crime.

Also Read: 'Joker': Frances Conroy in Talks to Play Mom to Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in 'Batman' Spinoff (Exclusive)

Thomas Wayne first made his appearance in Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939) in Batman’s origin story. He is the father of Bruce Wayne, who is Batman, and husband of Martha Wayne. Thomas Wayne was a gifted physician and philanthropist in Gotham City. When Dr. Wayne and his wife are murdered in a street robbery after a screening of Tyrone Power’s “Zorro,...

Alec Baldwin has been cast as Batman’s father Thomas Wayne in “Joker,” an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap.

The film, set to be directed by Todd Phillips, will star Joaquin Phoenix as the clown prince of crime.

Thomas Wayne first made his appearance in Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939) in Batman’s origin story. He is the father of Bruce Wayne, who is Batman, and husband of Martha Wayne. Thomas Wayne was a gifted physician and philanthropist in Gotham City. When Dr. Wayne and his wife are murdered in a street robbery after a screening of Tyrone Power’s “Zorro,” the young Bruce Wayne becomes inspired to fight crime as the vigilante Batman.

Also Read: 'Joker': Frances Conroy in Talks to Play Mom to Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in 'Batman' Spinoff (Exclusive)

While story details are being kept under wraps, it has been previously reported that the...

Because of ingrained racism, Sandra Oh didn’t even initially think she was being offered the lead role on BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” but on Thursday, she earned herself an Emmy nomination for it. On the show, the actress plays security operative Eve Polastri, who is hunting down an elusive but flamboyant international assassin.

Oh’s nomination is significant on a number of levels, since she has been overdue for good roles after playing Cristina Yang on “Grey’s Anatomy.” “Killing Eve” has been worth the wait because it showcases her dramatic and comedic talents in equal measure: IndieWire has made no secret that “Killing Eve” is a favorite for its killer performances, dialogue, action, and style. Much credit goes to “Fleabag” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was also nominated for writing the first episode of “Killing Eve,” for the show’s unique point of view and tone.

Beyond just a personal victory though,...

For nearly 70 years, Zorro Productions Inc. has controlled rights to Zorro thanks to an intellectual property assignment from author Johnston McCulley, who wrote the first story about the masked avenger in 1919. First run by literary agent Mitchell Gertz, and later by his son John Gertz, Zpi has spent decades licensing Zorro to Hollywood studios making movies of the popular character who frees oppressed masses from tyrannical villains.

However, the Zorro licensor may have lost its grip. Thanks to a court decision on Friday that represents the latest in a two-decades-long feud between two men, Zpi appears headed to trial as a copyright defendant for allegedly infringing a...

For nearly 70 years, Zorro Productions Inc. has controlled rights to <em>Zorro</em> thanks to an intellectual property assignment from author Johnston McCulley, who wrote the first story about the masked avenger in 1919. First run by literary agent Mitchell Gertz, and later by his son John Gertz, Zpi has spent decades licensing <em>Zorro</em> to Hollywood studios making movies of the popular character who frees oppressed masses from tyrannical villains.

However, the <em>Zorro</em> licensor may have lost its grip. Thanks to a court decision on Friday that represents the latest in a two-decades-long feud between two men, Zpi appears headed ...

As if fans weren’t already against the idea of Fox pushing The New Mutants back well over a year in order to completely reshoot the film, yesterday brought some frustrating news.

It turns out that Jon Hamm was set to appear in a post-credits scene as Mister Sinister, a villain folks have been waiting to see in the X-Men movie universe for years now. However, due to the production being completely overhauled, his scene has been removed.

On the bright side, The Tracking Board’s revealed that another well-liked star is joining The New Mutants instead. While Hamm’s Mister Sinister is out, Antonio Banderas is now in. He’ll likewise cameo as a villain in the film’s tag sequence, though despite how that appears, TB maintains that he’s not simply taking over the role of Sinister and is playing a different, unspecified antagonist.

It’s hard...

Zorro may have finally met his match. Jonás Cuarón’s Zorro reboot cast has added Flashpoint and Dope actress Kiersey Clemons. Clemons will play the female lead in Z, the near-future reimagining of the classic swashbuckler. Variety reports that the Zorro reboot has cast Clemons to trade barbs with Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), who will play the famous masked hero. Z producer Mark Amin […]

The post Sci-fi ‘Zorro’ Reboot Casts ‘Flashpoint’ Star Kiersey Clemons Opposite Gael Garcia Bernal appeared first on /Film.

Simon Brew Feb 23, 2018

Kiersey Clemons, co-star of DC’s upcoming Flash reboot movie, joins director Jonas Cuaron's long-developing Zorro reboot, Z.

We’ve not heard too much about the planned reboot of the Zorro movies of late, but there now seems to be signs that things are moving forward again.

Jonas Cuaron, of Gravity fame (he co-wrote the film), is writing and directing the new movie, that’s going by the name of Z. Gael Garcia Bernal has been cast for a little while too.

Now comes the news, though, that The Flash movie’s Kiersey Clemons has been added to the cast of the film. She’s set to co-star in the film, in a thus-far unnamed role.

We’re suspecting now that the cast is taking shape that Z will start filming later this year. That’s not been confirmed, but it would allow the movie to find itself a 2019 release slot.

Flashpoint actress Kiersey Clemons has officially signed on to star in the upcoming Zorro reboot, currently titled Z. The titular vigilante was last seen in theaters being portrayed by Antonio Banderas, who donned the character’s signature mask and sombrero cordobés in both the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro and its sequel, 2005’s The Legend of Zorro. Although the character hasn’t graced the big screen since, it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.

Rob Leane Sep 20, 2016

From Assassin’s Creed to The Witcher, via Mass Effect, Minecraft and maybe more Warcraft...

Latest update: Uncharted delayed.

In the years since Den Of Geek first sprung into existence, we’ve consistently kept an eye on the videogames that have been touted for the big screen treatment. We’ve tried to list them all in a big article a few times before, and it feels like the time has come to pull a new version together.

If we haven’t heard anything about a certain videogame movie in two years or more, it seems safe to assume that it’s quietly been binned. That’s why you won’t find the likes of BioShock, Devil May Cry, Far Cry, Gears Of War, Halo, Heavy Rain and Rollercoaster Tycoon on this list. If we get proven wrong on any of those, we’ll update this article as more information comes to light.

"The "Bat-Man", a mysterious and adventurous figure, fighting for righteousness and apprehending the wrong doer, in his lone battle against the evil forces of society... His identity remains unknown."

Those exciting words started off a story in Detective Comics Issue number 27 in May of 1939, and the world was introduced to one of the most well-known and most recognized superheroes - The Bat-Man, as he was first called. National Comics (now DC Comics) was enjoying comic sales due to Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's latest creation, Superman, and they were in the market for another caped crusader. Created by Bob Kane, he was little more than crude sketches until Bill Finger gave some suggestions that would make him iconic: The bat cowl, the color of the costume (Kane originally planned on having Batman wear a red union suit with black trunks and cape), and putting gloves on the hero.

The...

Late last month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences longlisted 75 options for the Best Original Song award for this year's Oscars and the nominated songs offered some surprises from some recognizable artists and some that will have to learn to adjust to the spotlight rather quickly. As the Oscar conversations continue to advance over the coming six weeks, get to know this year's picks.

Check Out Peter Travers' 10 Best Movies of 2013

"Alone Yet Not Alone" From Alone Yet Not Alone

Possibly the most surprising Oscar nomination this year,...

Vanishing Point director Richard C. Sarafian died early this morning in Santa Monica of complications from pneumonia. He was 83. The New York City-born Sarafian had suffered a fall recently where he broke several ribs and his back. He contracted the infection while recovering from that incident, according to his son Daran Sarafian, also a helmer. Richard Sarafian’s direction of the iconic 1971 car pic was an inspiration to Quentin Tarantino, who gave the director a Special Thanks in the credits of 2007’s car-themed Death Proof. The director was also behind the camera of several early iconic TV series like Batman, I Spy, 77 Sunset Strip and Westerns including Gunsmoke. His last directing job was a 2011 episode of Zorro: The Legend Continues. Sarafian was a presence in front of the camera too: Among his acting gigs, his good friend Warren Beatty cast him in both Bullworth and Bugsy, and he also was...

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Something startles the dusty crowd, and they look to the rooftops where a masked man astride a white stallion imposingly stands. The William Tell Overture triumphantly storms in on the soundtrack, and like a match striking a fuse, ignites the action onscreen. What follows is awash in shimmering, glorious insanity that feels ported directly from the adolescent daydreams of an Eisenhower-era pre-teen boy.

Twin trains hurtle down parallel tracks as outlaws, marshals, cavalrymen and railroad barons engage in gun slinging across a yawning ravine. Meanwhile, the titular hero rides Silver across the boxcars, his compatriot Tonto crawling up improbable ladders as if he were Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd. The scene keeps going and going, upping the ante at every breathless turn and executed with the frantic, captivating energy of a silent-era madman. Anyone worried that modern sensibilities would sink the Lone Ranger can be relieved...

It’s a case of one in and one out for Matthew McConaughey’s latest, true-life drama The Dallas Buyer’s Club. While the film – which has been in development for a few years now – was shopped around Cannes as starring McConaughey and Hilary Swank, it’ll now be minus Swank but plus Gael Garcia Bernal.The script, currently written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, is inspired by the true-life tale of Texas electrician Ron Woodruff.When he’s diagnosed with AIDS, he starts smuggling alternative drug treatments into the Us to help himself and other patients (including Bernal’s character, who signs on to help). His actions put the club in direct confrontation with the Us Food and Drug Administration, which is looking to keep the meds out of the country.The Young Victoria’s Jean-Marc Vallée is still aboard to direct, and the film will get started next month in New Orleans.

Skyfall is a mere few months away and anticipation is continuing to grow for Bond’s 23rd adventure. Early trailers for the film were almost cryptic, teasing little more than a vast array of flashy images of Daniel Craig looking stern around some explosions and exotic locations. With the latest trailer we’ve finally been given a genuine taste of Skyfall’s complex plot, with Bond appearing to fake his own death and Javier Bardem’s fiendish villain Silvo taunting the secret agent over his Mummy issues.

Here at What Culture we’re incredibly excited about Skyfall and believe that it genuinely might have a chance of becoming one of Bond’s finest outings yet. Sadly, we don’t have the ability to look into the future nor have we actually seen the film, but here are 10 genuine reasons why Skyfall could end up being one of the greatest Bond films ever made.

It’s beginning to appear as though we’re moving away from one of the pillars of superherodom, the secret identity. Even though this movement started back in the early 1960s with The Fantastic Four, it’s moved slowly up to the breakthrough moment in the first Iron Man movie.

Of course, that was telegraphed a few years before by my pal Mike Grell during his run on the comic book, but Marvel squeezed that back in the tubes where it sat until the movie people showed them Mike was right in the first place.

Such pettiness aside, I welcome the departure from tradition. The secret identity was almost always a stupid idea. Clark Kent became Superman to protect his friends and loved ones from harm? Okay, fine. I can appreciate that even the Man of Steel can not keep an eye on Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, Lex Luthor (well,...

Haywire

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Written by Lem Dobbs

USA/Ireland, 2011, imdb

At the risk of throwing the spotlight on our obsession with Haywire, after Simon‘s dismissive review, Ricky declaring it one of his favorite films to come out in January and the podcast where Justine had to pull them apart, when they argued about it, here I am throwing my oar in, hopefully with something new to say. To properly analyze the film, be warned: Hic Svnt Spoileres!

*****

Haywire and the Difficulty of Being a Female Action Hero

Haywire reunites director Steven Soderbergh and writer Lem Dobbs, the creative duo behind the masterpiece The Limey. Haywire shares a flashback structure similar to The Limey, though nowhere near as layered and complex. Both films also share a dark moral ambiguity.

The Limey is about a bad man going after a badder man who may have killed his daughter. The...

Another Earth (12A)

(Mike Cahill, 2011, Us) Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach. 92 mins

It's been quite a year for cosmic arthouse, and like The Tree Of Life and Melancholia, this low-key indie contrasts inner and outer space to stirring effect. Unlike a Kubrick-style space odyssey, it's very much down to earth – Earth One, that is. "Earth Two", a duplicate of our own, is more like a giant metaphor in the sky. Its discovery tragically fuses the lives of two people, and could yet resolve it, which makes for a tender character drama with a shot of sci-fi ingenuity.

Puss In Boots (U)

(Chris Miller, 2011, Us) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis. 90 mins

Between the Shrek brand recognition, the bright 3D, the broad-spectrum comedy and the prospect of cute cats dancing, it's hard to imagine a more mercilessly commercial proposition than this animated spin-off. It's a predictably polished affair, with Banderas's...

After twice playing Zorro, Antonio Banderas knew a thing or two about the swashing of buckles; but it wasn't until he got in touch with his feline side that his career gained nine lives.

Now, after strutting his way through a trio of "Shrek" movies, the lovable rogue "Puss In Boots" finally gets his own solo adventure. This time around he's on a quest for some golden eggs with the aid of sidekick Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis) and an equal named Kitty Softpaws (Banderas' "Desperado" costar Salma Hayek). All this while they are being pursued by the villainous "Jack & Jill."

Dig your claws into four clips from the feline fairy tale.

1. Spotlight. That is one tantalizing piece of tail right there.

2. Zack Galifianakis takes a break from playing fat/cracked-in-the-head types to voice Humpty Dumpty.

3. Put Up Your Dukes. The cast of "Stomp" temporarily invades this movie.

4. You Made The Cat Angry.

It wasn’t a major hit at the box office. It didn’t spawn any sequels or TV spin-offs. It didn’t have any huge stars — unless you count the seven-foot-plus wrestler André the Giant. And yet, surprisingly — you might even say inconceivably — since its release in 1987, director Rob Reiner’s wryly comic fairy tale The Princess Bride, a fable about true love featuring swashbuckling adventure, a six-fingered villain, and Rodents of Unusual Size, has gone on to become one of the most beloved films in recent Hollywood history. Millions of fans can quote their favorite lines by heart: “My name is Inigo Montoya.

Deadline are reporting that Sony Pictures have hired writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia who are best known for their TV work – scripting and producing shows such as Jericho, Warehouse 13 and Human Target – to pen a new film featuring the classic and iconic Zorro character.

The new movie won’t be a remake but rather an origin tale based on the 2005 Isabel Allende book entitled Zorro: A Novel, which is a:

…mock biography and the first origin story of the pulp hero Zorro… It is a prequel to the events of the original Zorro story, Johnston McCulley’s 1919 novella The Curse of Capistrano. It also contains numerous references to earlier Zorro-related works, especially the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro.

The last time we saw Zorro swashbuckling on screen was in 2005's The Legend of Zorro, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas, and before that in 1998 with The Mask of Zorro. Now Sony is looking to once again cut a "Z" in the silver screen: this time as an adaptation of author Isabel Allende's 2005 book simply titled Zorro, which is a 6-part mock biography of sorts focusing on the the Hispanic hero prior to his origins in Johnston McCulley's "Curse of Capistrano" in 1919. It also has ties to Mask of Zorro, in which Anthony Hopkins played Diego de la Vega, the character in the novella and original man behind the mask. Deadline is reporting that Sony/Columbia Pictures has tapped Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia to pen the reboot. Federman & Scaia are primarily TV writers, having worked on shows like Human Target, Jericho, and Judging Amy. Federman has ...

Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia ("Warehouse 13," "Human Target") have been hired to pen a reboot of the "Zorro" franchise for Sony Pictures reports Deadline

The project is neither a remake or a continuation of the recent two-film franchise that they began with 1998's acclaimed "The Mask of Zorro" and followed with the less well-received 2005 "The Legend of Zorro".

Instead this version is an origin tale of the hero based on Chilean author Isabel Allende's 2005 novel. The Zorro character first appeared in Johnston McCulley's 1919 novella "The Curse of Capistrano", Allende's work is a prequel to the events of that story and contains numerous references to other famous Zorro works including 'Mask'.

Federman and Scaia currently serve as supervising producers on ABC’s "Charlie’s Angels" and previously adapted "River Of Doubt" for Junction Entertainment. The project is not to be confused with Fox's rival sci-fi take "Zorro Reborn" which...

Zorro Rides Again #2

Written by Matt Wagner

Art by Esteve Polls

Colors by Oscar Manuel Martin

Letters by Simon Bowland

Cover by Matt Wagner

Dynamite Entertainment Release date: August 31, 2011

Cover Price: $3.99

I’ve always found Zorro interesting, although I sometimes confuse him with the Lone Ranger. (Even though the Ranger has a sidekick and Zorro doesn’t, figure that out.) Zorro Rides Again is the kind of comic book that shows why comic books get to keep the word book in their name. This book takes place in a Spanish colony, where corruption runs rampant, and the weak need to be defended, by none other than Zorro! [...]...

The last time I read a synopsis for The Lone Ranger was back in July when Variety told us it would follow the Lone Ranger and Tonto as they look to take down the Cavendish gang after they attack the Texas Rangers. Simple enough, but lacking some key details.

Armie Hammer (The Social Network) was set to play the title character, Johnny Depp would play Tonto and Dwight Yoakam was going to play Butch Cavendish, the film's lead villain.

With that bit of information being all we knew, the news that came down the pike recently telling us the film had been sacked by Disney due to a ballooning $200+ million production budget came as a bit of a shock. What the hell cost $200 million about a gang attacking some Texas Rangers? Well, it appears this wasn't any old gang.

A source revealed to Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere, "It was...

The prolific character actor best remembered for his role as Crazy Cat from F Troop has passed away at the age of 90. Don Diamond had been fighting Parkinson's disease and other medical issues.

Diamond frequently played Mexican or Native American characters but his father was a first generation immigrant from Russia. Diamond studied drama at the University of Michigan and later earned a commission in the Us Army Air Corps. He as fluent in Yiddish already and learned Spanish while stationed in New Mexico during the second World War.

When he was discharged in 1946, he started acting on radio and frequently played Mexicans or Spaniards. This led to him being cast in The Adventures of Kit Carson TV show and then as Corp. Reyes in the 1950s Zorro TV series. The latter would signal the start of his long association with Zorro.

Green Lantern director Martin Campbell is not a newcomer to Hollywood, but working with computer graphics (CGI) was a first for the action movie director.

Shooting live action stunts and visual effects is second nature to Campbell, but for Green Lantern, the New Zealander had to learn CGI technology and shoot the majority of the film on a blue screen. Martin Campbell is best known for action films including reviving the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig.  He also helmed many action-adventure films such as The Mask of Zorro (1998) with Antonio Banderas and it's 2005 sequel Legend of Zorro, Vertical Limit (Chris O'Donnell), and the Pierce Brosnan Bond film Goldeneye (1995).  

Fan Movie Reviews: Green Lantern

To film the universe of the Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern's

Read more...

Green Lantern director Martin Campbell is not a newcomer to Hollywood, but working with computer graphics (CGI) was a first for the action movie director.

Shooting live action stunts and visual effects is second nature to Campbell, but for Green Lantern, the New Zealander had to learn CGI technology and shoot the majority of the film on a blue screen. Martin Campbell is best known for action films including reviving the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig.  He also helmed many action-adventure films such as The Mask of Zorro (1998) with Antonio Banderas and it's 2005 sequel Legend of Zorro, Vertical Limit (Chris O'Donnell), and the Pierce Brosnan Bond film Goldeneye (1995).  

Fan Movie Reviews: Green Lantern

To film the universe of the Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern's

Read more...

Green Lantern director Martin Campbell is not a newcomer to Hollywood, but working with computer graphics (CGI) was a first for the action movie director.

Shooting live action stunts and visual effects is second nature to Campbell, but for Green Lantern, the New Zealander had to learn CGI technology and shoot the majority of the film on a blue screen. Martin Campbell is best known for action films including reviving the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig.  He also helmed many action-adventure films such as The Mask of Zorro (1998) with Antonio Banderas and it's 2005 sequel Legend of Zorro, Vertical Limit (Chris O'Donnell), and the Pierce Brosnan Bond film Goldeneye (1995).  

Fan Movie Reviews: Green Lantern

To film the universe of the Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern's

Read more...

‘Green Lantern’: A Superhero Movie™ that should have soared instead merely glides at low altitude.

By Carlos Pedraza

I think the best way to start this review is to confess my overweening mancrush on Greg Berlanti. Here he is, writing and producing a huge-budget superhero/scifi movie — the same guy behind one of my favorite TV family dramas (Everwood), the inestimable Dawson’s Creek (don’t be haters, people), the recently canceled No Ordinary Family and the brilliant WB classic, Jack & Bobby.

The guy’s résumé resists every effort at pigeon-holing. Clearly, he’s one of us — a doorq (dork, for you traditionalists).

And yet, here we have Green Lantern. Wracked by production challenges, possibly lamed by marketing missteps, this big-budget treatment of one of DC Comics’ most venerable characters suffers from what appears to be a kitchen-sink and formulaic approach to packaging a Summer Super-Hero Movie™.

What went wrong,...

Throughout Martin Campbell's career, the director has had a part of either ushering in a new era of an established franchise (1995's GoldenEye, which was the first James Bond movie for Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, which was the first for Daniel Craig) or starting his own (the two Zorro movies). What Campbell had never attempted was a comic book movie like his upcoming Green Lantern, something he admitted in an interview with The Telegraph.

I did [Green Lantern] because I’d never done a superhero movie before, and they’re complicated. I had no idea. You accept these jobs and then you realize you’re in the quicksand. It was an extraordinary learning curve, conceptualizing the characters, going to another planet, deciding what the planet looks like and keeping a sort of reality, if you can call it that. The most difficult thing, apart from the damned effects, which are so time-consuming,...

Anyone who's ever brought and played through a licensed property or movie tie-in game--especially the ones aimed at kids--knows that they are the devil's own coding. The shoehorned sensibilities, unoriginal design and general trying-to-hard vibe not only make you want to smash whatever console you play them on, they drain any enthusiasm you might have had for the movie they're based on.

However, the glowing exception to this experience has been the various Lego action/adventure titles of the last few years. Development studio Travelers Tales has made winning games out of the mythos of Batman, Harry Potter Indiana Jones, both "Star Wars" trilogies and the "Star Wars Clone Wars" cartoon series. They've all been fun, pick-up-and-play experiences that turn the worlds of the central characters into hilarious, breakaway brick playgrounds. The characters don't talk so they act out pivotal moments in the mythos with mime-like physical action. For example,...

As much as we love post-apocalyptic sci-fi movies, this one deserves to be filed in the "what the?" news category. According to the L.A. Times, 20th Century Fox is planning on returning Zorro to the big screen by taking Johnston McCulley's classic pulp hero out of his Spanish Colonial California roots and propelling him into "a desolate and post-apocalyptic" future. Citing an anonymous "person familiar with the film," the Times states that in Zorro Reborn, the masked hero will be "less a caped crusader for justice than a one-man vigilante force bent on revenge" in the vein of No Country for Old Men.

The script was written by Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, the screenwriting duo behind a planned revamp of Dracula for Warner Bros. called Harker, named after Jonathan Harker, one of the narrators of Bram Stoker's classic novel. Fox has tapped Rpin Suwannath, a pre-visualization...