Yearly Archives: 2012

New Line Cinema makes ‘Y: The Last Man’ a First Priority

Y: The Last Man has been a very popular comic book series. Even though publication for the series has ended, fans are still eager to see the story become a feature film. We’ve been teased and teased, but this week, New Line Cinema is saying the adaptation is fueled up and ready to drive.

Yes, we’ve been hearing that the movie would happen for years now, which makes it very difficult to break into song and dance over this latest update, but perhaps the details will warm the cockles of your comic book movie loving heart. The good word is that former Jericho writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia are narrowing down their choices for director as we speak.

If I had to nominate a director off the top of my head, I’d choose someone like Jason Reitman, of Juno and Thank You For Smoking, or Doug Liman of The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Jumper.

Y: The Last Man tells the quirky tale of Yorick Brown, the last human male on Earth. That’s right. In fact, he and his pet monkey, called Ampersand, seem to be the lone survivors of he only survivors of a mysterious phenomenon which suddenly kills every male mammal on the planet. The near future plague relentlessly attacks the Y chromosome. The thriller has humor, as well as political, scientific and action fueled drama.

At one time Disturbia director DJ Caruso was attached to the adaptation, but that has since changed.

Other characters in the series include Agent 355, a female character who becomes Yorick’s bodyguard; Doctor Allison Mann, a key geneticist; Beth Deville, Yorick’s girlfriend; Hero Brown, Yorick’s older sister; Rose Copen, an Australian spy; and Alter Tse’elon, a central villain.

Y: The Last Man writer Brian K. Vaughan won the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series for the comic. Y was a Vertigo comic and New Line Cinema is a sister company to Vertigo. Pencillers for the comic series include Pia Guerra, Goran Sudžuka and Paul Chadwick, while primary inking duties were on Jose Marzan Jr.

I, for one, can’t wait until this picture becomes a reality. I think it’ll be a lot of fun for fans and newbies alike. This scenario is one, which will keep audiences really in suspense as to how Yorkick’s situation all pans out. I imagine being the last man on earth has its perks.

Rumor has is it, actor Shia Labeouf is uninterested in acting the part of Yorik and that Zachary Levi, also known as TV’s Chuck, has said he’d be interested in the role. I think Levi would be a nice choice, but more star power may be required. Then again, even if a relative unknown lands the lead, he could be insulated by a supporting cast of better known stars and probably still draw audiences.

Brian K. Vaughan has also worked on Marvel Comics, including Wolverine, Ultimate X-Men and Runaways. On the DC Comics side of the fence he has written for Batman, Young Justice and Green Lantern. for Veritgo he wrote for Swamp Thing.

He’s also the author of the wonderful graphic novel, Pride of Baghdad, a read which I highly recommend.

Joan Allen Set to Star in Stephen King Adaptation ‘A Good Marriage’

Watch out, Jason Bourne fans. Joan Allen is coming back to the big screen in a hot upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s novella, called A Good Marriage.

The story was originally released in the Stephen King book, titled Full Dark, No Stars, which is a recent collection of four King novellas, published in 2010. The specific story, A Good Marriage, revolves around Darcy, the woman Joan Allen would be portraying. Darcy stumbles upon the life-altering discovery that her husband isn’t quite who she has believed him to be for the past twenty-something years. Much will be required of her, in fact, if she decides to stay married.

Like the majority of King works, A Good Marriage takes place in Maine.

Peter Askin will likely direct the adaptation, as well as produce alongside his Reno Productions partner Will Battersby. Askin was the director for the documentary, titled Trumbo, which revealed facts about McCarthyism and Hollywood.

King fans will be thrilled to know that the horror writer wrote the screenplay for the film. Apparently King and Askin are pals. Askin also directed a production of the musical, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. King wrote the play and music was provided by John Mellencamp. Who knew?

Sources say a real life serial killer inspired King to write the novella. He’s been in the news about the much debated possibility of Dark Tower adaptations. Will one ever come to fruition?

Other characters which need casting are, of course, the big screen husband, as well as a detective type.

Work on A Good Marriage is scheduled to being in New York in the middle of October.

The other stories in Full Dark, No Stars are titled 1922, Big Driver, and Fair Extension. An exert of Big Driver was published in Entertainment Weekly and it was a gripping, suspenseful read.

Apart from the Bourne franchise, Joan Allen is known for her work in The Contender, one of my favorite political films. She was also the warden in Death Race. She’s a great choice for carrying this picture on her very capable shoulders.

4 Things Fans Want to See From the TMNT Reboot

Are you ready for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to return to the big screen? Based on what they’ve seen from an early draft of the script, some diehard fans aren’t too crazy about the whole idea.

A leaked draft of the script for “Ninja Turtles” alters the origin story for iconic comic book heroes in a half shell that are stirring controversy. Reported changes include making Casey Jones and April O’ Neil into a teenage couple and turning the turtles from mutants raised in the sewers into aliens from another planet.

Director Michael Bay is spearheading “Ninja Turtles” through Platinum Dunes, his production company. The franchise reboot was green lit by Paramount and is slated for a 2014 release. Bay has built his career on producing and directing action and science fiction films characterized by explosive action scenes and larger-than-life special effects. Paramount turned to Bay to revive the franchise after his success with “The Transformers” trilogy.

Michael Bay was quick to distance himself from the controversial script, saying neither he nor Platinum Dunes had anything to do with it. If Michael Bay wants to satisfy longtime fans of the franchise, these are four things that must be included in “Ninja Turtles” when it finally hits theaters in 2014:

1.) Turtles must be from Earth

Making the ninja turtles come from another planet doesn’t make sense and isn’t necessary. Their origin story has the turtles come forth as a result of chemical enhancements from toxic waste. The same is true with Master Splinter, the rat who becomes their shepherd. They reside in the sewers and use it as their base while they fight villains in relative anonymity. Bringing the turtles in on a spaceship kind of defeats the purpose of working as ninjas. Why not just blast the bad guys with ray guns?

2.) Shredder needs to be the central villain

No Ninja Turtles movie is complete without Shredder as the primary antagonist. He is a villainous ninja master who leads the Foot Clan and battles the turtles while trying to establish world domination. Turning Shredder into an American general in charge of a secret military division called “The Foot” introduces a foreign concept into the franchise. There has never really been an issue with military or government forces.

3.) April O’ Neil and Casey Jones need to be adults

Changing April and Casey into a teenage couple undermines what their characters are all about. One reason they work as adults is that they can do things for the Ninja Turtles in the outside world while they remain in the shadows. April and Casey are valuable allies in fighting villains. It’s hard for them to fill their roles in a realistic manner if they’re teenagers.

4.) The movie needs a “Dark Knight” style approach

If the new reboot is true to the original comics, it needs to have a dark edge to it. No campy plots or dopey humor will cut it. Movie fans proved with the Dark Knight trilogy that they like gritty realism to guide the plot and define the characters. It will give the movie added layers of depth.

This guest post was authored by Miranda Perez. When Miranda isn’t blogging about the latest restaurants and trends, she is traveling to discover new and delicious creations. Her frequent flier miles are her most prized possession.

Marvel Adviser Joss Whedon Believes In “Guardians Of The Galaxy” Director

Even the most fervent fan of Marvel Comics may be scratching his head, asking, “What in the world is Guardians of the Galaxy?” Thankfully, you’ve got us to get you up to speed on what may become a very hot new comic book movie.

With a big name like Joss Whedon putting his official stamp of approval on the project, you can bet heads will be turning. According to the headlines, even Whedon, who is a creative adviser to the comic book giant, had reservations about making the unusual Marvel Comics team into a feature film. That was until he heard the name of the man who would be responsible for directing. That man is James Gunn.

The first issue of Guardians of the Galaxy hit newsstands in 2008. Created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, it follows the exploits of a team known as The Guardians. It is space opera style material and members of the team are pretty out there. One is called Rocket Racoon, who is actually an anthropomorphic, biped, raccoon, who wears clothes and has a face full of fur. Another team member is Groot, a sentient tree, not completely unlike something out of Lord of the Rings. There’s even a telepathic dog called Cosmo.

“James is what makes me think it will work,” Whedon told MTV News at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he debuted his Shakespeare adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing.

“I myself was sort of like, ‘Well, I liked Rocket Raccoon as a kid, but I’m not sure how that plays [to a wider audience].’ And then they said, ‘Well, we’re thinking about using James Gunn.’ And I said, ‘Oh, then no, you’re fine.’ He is so off the wall, and so crazy, but so smart, such a craftsman and he builds from his heart. He loves the raccoon. Needs the raccoon,” Whedon said.

Why is Whedon such a James Gunn fan?

“This is the guy who wrote ‘The Specials.’ People don’t understand how influential that movie was about heroes, about taking heroes and making them mundane,” Whedon added. “And [he directed] ‘Super.'”

Super is the film where Rainn Wilson is The Crimson Bolt and Ellen Page is Boltie.

“[Gunn]has a very twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material. It’s going to be hard for the humans to keep up,” said Whedon.

You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be on the look out for more Guardians of the Galaxy news. Just don’t confuse all this with the animated fantasy picture about a bunch of high flying owls.

Whedon fans, by the way, will be excited about Much Ado About Nothing. Many of Whedon’s most popular collaborators are in the film. These include Amy Acker as Beatrice. She’s one of my favs. Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg also star.

2012 also saw Whedon releasing The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers, of course. Don’t forget to read up on his plan to bring Marvel Comics’ S.H.I.E.L.D. to television via the ABC network.

Bruce Willis in talks for “American Assassin”

An American king of action cinema has his sights on a new film. The role would put star, Bruce Willis, in the role of a mentor CIA agent. When you consider how much fun 2010’s RED was, where Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren portrayed aging spooks, the new picture, titled American Assassin, should catch your attention.

What we know thus far is that American Assassin is a thriller, slated for delivery via CBS Films. Mike Finch wrote the script and Jeffrey Nachmanoff will take directing duties. Nachmanoff has directed a handful of episodes of the critically acclaimed television drama, Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. Remember the director’s name also because he wrote 2013’s upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, called The Last Stand. Hey, the former governator always promised he’d be back.

Another important name behind American Assassin is Lorenzo di Bonaventura. He is producing the upcoming picture along with Nick Wechsler through di Bonaventura Pictures. Di Bonaventura has been behind a slew of pictures, to include Derailed, Man on a Ledge, Shooter, Salt, and, yes, even RED. It’s safe to say that he knows his way around a thriller.

The plot for American Assassin centers upon a young CIA operative named Mitch Rapp. He’s a graduate of Syracuse, a former grad student there, in fact, which means he’s a sharp cookie. After his girlfriend is killed in a terrorist attack, he turns his energies toward joining the CIA. Terrorists beware. Once he’s with the agency, Willis’ character mentors the younger agent.

Sources say Willis has had this script in his hands for a while, but is closing in upon a decision. Filming is scheduled for 2013. Once Willis signs on, the studio would need to cast the role of Mitch Rapp. I’m a Jeremy Renner fan, but here’s to hoping this is one film he won’t be considered for. He can’t be in everything, am I right? Who would you pair with Bruce Willis?

One exciting Hollywood pairing is Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who are sure to rock the box office with the upcoming September 28 release of the science fiction thriller, Looper. The mere mention of the film makes me drool.

You see, director Rian Johnson worked with Gordon-Levitt in 2005 on the extraordinarily unique picture, Brick. In that one, a young Gordon-Levitt pays homage to hard boiled film noir detectives, yet is acting as a modern day high school student. The sophisticated language Rian Johnson utilizes in the film is nothing short of incredible. Looper re-teams Jonhson and Gordon-Levitt in a science fiction picture tailor-made for the young star of Inception, Dark Knight Rises, and Premium Rush.

No one anticipated Bruce Willis coming on board. As sweet as that is, it presented challenges, as Willis and Gordon-Levitt look nothing alike, yet are acting as younger and older versions of the same man. The result for Gordon-Levitt was hours in the make up chair and blue contacts, all to make him look more like Willis. You can even hear him talking like Willis in the trailer.

Looper also seems to me to have a few similarities with a classic Willis film, 12 Monkeys. I find that, too, pretty exciting.

Bruce Willis is also said to be working on a new Die Hard picture.

Tobey Maguire Options Cardboard

What is the worst present you could ever give to a child on his birthday? How about a cardboard box? That’s pretty lame under normal circumstances, but in the graphic novel called Cardboard, the extraordinary happens. What’s even more interesting is the fact that this piece, written by Doug TenNapel, is about to get the big screen treatment, thanks to Fox Animation, WedgeWorks, and star, Tobey Maguire.

You see, Maguire owns Material Pictures, the company all set to executive produce the film adaptation of the graphic novel. Cardboard will be an animated feature.

After the down on his luck dad, a widower, to boot, offers the box to his son in the story, they decide to fold it up into the figure of a boxer named Bill. To their surprise, Bill comes to life. But the local bully, Marcus, has his own wicked plans for Bill. If the film follows the novel closely, other cardboard creatures will come to life as well, threatening everyone in town.

The graphic novel is published by Scholastic Graphix. WedgeWorks’ own, Chris Wedge whose credits include Ice Age, may choose to direct the upcoming film adaptation.

If handled right, this project could get pretty epic. Sounds like a rip-roaring good time to me. I can already picture my nephew begging for Cardboard action figures.

Since Maguire is already affiliated with the film, we may expect him to lend his voice to one of the main characters. This wouldn’t be the first time. His pipes were featured in the WB’s Cats & Dogs. He was Lou the Beagle, for your information.

It’s good to see Tobey Maguire in the news. I haven’t really seen his face since the drama Brothers, where he acted a prickly part opposite Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. If you haven’t seen it yet, the acting is well worth a watch, but there are scenes that will make you squirm, thus earning it’s R-rating.

Maguire has a few other projects on the burner. I simply cannot wait for the 2013 debut of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gastsby. The best known film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel, starred Robert Redford as Gatsby; Mia Farrow as his wealthy love interest, Daisy; Sam Waterston as the narrator, Nick Carrway; and Bruce Dern as Tom, Daisy’s husband. In the 2013 version; however, it is Tobey Maguire who plays Nick; Leonardo DiCaprio will be Gatsby; Carey Mulligan is Daisy; and Joel Edgerton is Tom.

If you know Baz Lurhman’s work, you know the film will be epic and larger than life. He’s actually going to present the film in 3D.

Maguire is also slated to act as real life persona, Bobby Fisher in the upcoming biographical picture titled Pawn Sacrifice. Maguire’s own Material Pictures will produce this project as well.

As for author, TenNapel, he has a whole slew of other titles to his name and best of all a few others are scheduled for big screen adaptations, too! His Ghostopolis is currently in the hands of Disney, and his Monster Zoo was snatched by Paramount.

Jeffrey Wright confirmed as Beetee in Catching Fire

The Hunger Games was one of the biggest films of 2012 and you can bet the sequel, Catching Fire, will likewise set fans a-flame. As we are counting down to the November 22nd, 2013 release date, final casting decisions continue to pour in. The character of the hour is Beetee, a tribute from District 3. Actor Jeffrey Wright has won the role.

You heard the exciting news right here when the much-anticipated and highly coveted role of literary hottie Finnick Odair, finally went to actor Sam Claflin. In my opinion, the choice of Claflin has been the most controversial. Do you think the actor, who many have said they barely noticed opposite Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and the Huntsman, can pull of playing the charismatic and complex role of Finnick?

As for Jeffrey Wright, film fanatics should recognize the actor’s face. He has appeared in Source Code and Syriana and has played the character of Felix, James Bond’s American pal, in both Casino Royale and in Quantum Of Solace. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed Wright’s name mentioned in conjunction with the new Bond film, Skyfall. That’s too bad.

In 2008 he brought to life the musician, Muddy Waters, in Cadillac Records and even has a Tony Award thanks to his work in Angels in America.

I particularly enjoyed Wright’s work in The Ides of March, where he had the chance to play a quite unlikable senator. Sometimes it’s those flawed characters that allow actors to flex even more theatrical muscle.

If you have yet to read the Suzanne Collins penned sequel to The Hunger Games, you are probably thinking Wright seems a wee bit older than your average Tribute. You’re correct. Without giving too much away, I can tell you one of the prominent features of the second installment of the Games is an event called the Quarter Quell. It occurs every 25 years and is an excuse for the Gamemakers from the Capital to be extra nasty.

Their cruelty allows Katniss and Peeta to meet former champions from the other Districts. Among these are a pair nicknamed Nuts and Volts. The real names of Nuts and Volts are Wiress and Beetee. District 3, their home, is famous for the production of electronics. Beetee is a very intelligent man whose importance continues on through the rest of the series. I think this was really stellar casting. I can picture Wright sinking his teeth into this role and disappearing into character.

Of course, most of the casting thus far has been particularly wonderful. This is what happens when a book adaptation is fortunate enough to get a team of filmmakers who genuinely care about getting things right.

What I also is love is the onslaught of “serious” actors being attached to the film. Case in point is critically acclaimed thespian, Phillip Seymour Hoffman joining the cast as Plutarch Heavensbee. Hey, how do you like that? Hoffman was also a part of the political thriller The Ides of March, opposite Wright, Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. Plutarch becomes the new Head Gamemaker after Seneca Crane, Gamemaker from the first film, is executed for being such a royal screw up. Crane was, of course, acted by actor Wes Bentley.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence. His previous films include I am Legend, starring Will Smith, and Water for Elephants, starring Robert Pattinson.

Nicolas Cage to Star in David Gordon Green’s “Joe”

It was announced last week that actor Nicolas Cage is set to star in the upcoming project from David Gordon Green called Joe based on the novel by Larry Brown.

Worldview Entertainment, a financing and production company, has made quite a name for themselves at this year’s Toronto Film Festival and has announced that they will take over the southern drama. Gary Hawkins is set to adapt the novel for film.

London-based WestEnd Films is handling international sales and shopping the project to foreign buyers gathered in Toronto for the festival. CAA, which packaged and arranged financing for Joe, is handling domestic rights.

Joe follows the life of an ex-con who becomes an unlikely role model to a 15-year-old child named Gary Jones, who is the oldest child of a homeless family complete with a drunk and worthless father. Together they attempt to find a path to redemption in the small, rugged town of Mississippi.

Gordon Green spoke about the project saying:

“When Larry Brown wrote the novel Joe, he instantly created an iconic character of contemporary Southern literature,” Gordon Green said. “It is with great excitement that I’ve been able to work with Nicolas Cage to design an absolute and unexpected performance piece that is woven from the darkness, beauty, humor and environment of this material.”

Christopher Woodrow, Worldview CEO, stated regarding the project:

“Joe is an elevated and unapologetic drama that has great potential creatively and commercially. David and Nic are the perfect team to put this on the big screen, and we look forward to sharing in their success.”

There is no word yet on when the project is expected to begin filming or any other talent that is attached to the cast.

FilmDistrict Acquires US Distribution Rights for Spike Lee’s Oldboy Remake

It was announced today that the almost dead project, Spike Lee’s OldBoy remake, has had it’s U.S. distribution rights acquired by FilmDistrict. The film, a U.S. remake of the South Korean film, is set to star Academy Award® nominee Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sharlto Copley.

The Spike Lee project is being produced by Roy Lee and Doug Davison via Vertigo Entertainment and Nathan Kahane on behalf of Good Universe. Peter Schlessel, FilmDistrict’s CEO, Joe Drake of Good Universe, and John Middleton will executive produce. Mark Protosevich wrote the adapted screenplay and is co-producing. Audrey Chon and Matt Leonetti are overseeing the film for Good Universe. The film is also a 40 Acres & A Mule production.

FilmDistrict’s Peter Schlessel commented on the acquisition saying,

“Spike Lee is the right filmmaker to reimagine and put his touch onto arguably one of the most talked about thrillers in recent memory. The cast that he and producers Nathan, Joe, Roy and Doug have put together is sure to elevate the material and engage audiences. FilmDistrict is proud to be releasing one of the first films from Good Universe here in the U.S.”

Good Universe’s Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane said,

“Nothing thrills us more than to partner with our longtime friend Peter and the exceptional team at FilmDistrict.”

Oldboy is a psychologically provoking thriller that follows a business man who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. He has no idea why or who has him locked up. Then one day he is released and embarks on a mission to figure out what has happened to him. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker and ultimately to an illusive man who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

The original highly-acclaimed South Korean film, released in 2003 and directed by Chan-wook Park, won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

My question is this. Will this remake stick to the themes of love, incest, right and wrong? Ignorance is bliss, sometimes, though it is up to the viewer to decide their opinion on the matter. Incest remains a huge taboo subject in American culture and the idea of presenting it so openly may alienate viewers. Also, will they have a scene eating a live octopus? PLEASE, I HOPE NOT. I CAN’T HANDLE THAT AGAIN.

The Walking Dead Cast and Producers Talk Season 2

:::: Spoilers Ahead If You Haven’t Seen Season 2 (Obviously) ::::

Season 2 saw it’s fair share of shocking twists. After the deaths of Dale and Shane, fans were a bit critical of the changes between the original comics and the massively popular AMC series. Now, we are almost to the premiere of the third season and the cast and producers of the series took a moment to talk about how the felt regarding the criticism of the series.

NORMAN REEDUS (Daryl Dixon)
“People are going say whatever they’re going to say anyway. If we killed a zillion zombies last season everyone would say, ‘There’s no storyline, they don’t talk enough.’ So f— ‘em! I’ve been trying to get into Game of Thrones. I can’t tell if it’s the future or the past, but those motherf—ers talk the whole time. Do I gotta bitch about it, or am I going to watch it and enjoy? I’m going to watch it and enjoy. People are going say whatever they say. You have to talk to tell a story. It’s not a cartoon. The pace this season is definitely amped up. We’re just talking faster.”

STEVEN YEUN (Glenn)
“You take it personal in a way because this is something that you’ve worked hard at — and as a group, as a collective, you feel like you put your blood, sweat and tears into this. But at the same time, you realize that the arts are subjective. You accept what they give you, and then subsequently laugh when they say, ‘I can’t wait for the next season.’ And you’re very thrilled and happy about that. We know how this plays out by virtue of us filming this. So for me, it was always just like: Wait for it; wait for it. There’s a plan; we’re all here. There’s a solid checks and balances system of not letting something go too far one way. It’s a beautiful group dynamic, and I think it’s a testament to the cast and crew and writers and producers; everybody has their gear that they work. We get it, we’re not perfect, and obviously, last season wasn’t perfect. But you tweak, you stay consistent as well. You hope that people come back and watch.”

SARAH WAYNE CALLIES (Lori Grimes)
“When it comes to a criticism of the pacing and stuff, I think when the show attains a certain level of visibility there’s going to be negative reviews, there’s going to be criticism, there’s going to be controversy. I think in a show like this, quite frankly, if we don’t engender a certain level of criticism and controversy, we’re probably not taking enough risks. I don’t know that I’d be comfortable if it were a show that everybody universally felt positively about. We shoot children in the face. I think the pace of the first half of the second season was a huge creative risk because it slowed down to the pace of a stage play instead of the pace of a horror movie. And I think that risk, in my mind, was absolutely worth it. The first season was so fast and so short. You got a chance to really invest in those characters and really explore them. I think that’s Frank’s genius as a writer — he’s not about what happens as much, in my opinion, as he is about who’s making it happen and why. Who cares about what happens to these people if we don’t know them deeply and intimately? I think those episodes were so important, and they’re also the springboard.”

ANDREW LINCOLN (Rick Grimes)
“I don’t watch the show, and I don’t read reviews. I stay out of the equation. All I knew is, I always had a sense that they wanted to play it out as a big movie. They always wanted to say that it’s a big story we’re telling and if you stick with it you will be rewarded. That was always Frank’s intention and Glen’s too. I shot it, so I was like, ‘I know what’s coming.’ I remember doing a lot of press for Spain, and Spain was going, ‘More Zombie.’ And I was like, ‘Please believe me, there is more zombie killing coming.’ Of course we want to get the balance right. We’re still learning what works and what doesn’t work. You can please some of the people some of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time. You can’t please all the people all the time. That’s just taste, and that’s cool. What I keep saying to people is that there is a very vocal, very extreme group of people that want a certain thing from this show. And they will watch this show. They will because it is extreme — more extreme than any f—ing thing I’ve ever been on. And the stuff we’re doing this season is out of the ballpark — it’s crazy what we’re doing this season.”

LAURIE HOLDEN (Andrea)
“It’s not a Glen Mazarra – Frank Darabont thing. It’s storytelling, and I think that, first of all, you can’t please everybody — there’s always going to be a hater. But it needed to develop slowly in the beginning for the story — to get to know the characters, to really set up the conflict so you could go quickly and just have this tornado of action. But it can’t be like that all the time. I think it all ended up the way that it was supposed to.”

ROBERT KIRKMAN (Exec producer)
“I know that we’re all very proud of season 2, and we’re very happy with how it turned out. I think that once you see it all as a whole, you see how the first half — that some people said was slow — kind of built to a cool moment and really facilitated what happened in the later faster paced episodes.”

GALE ANNE HURD (Exec producer)
“It’s got to put it in perspective. The number of people who complain are so minor; it’s a small group that we tend to blow it out of proportion. If they were that unhappy, they would have tuned out. They would not have been around —since we had a split season — come February when we started up again. I think it’s everyone’s right to be able to complain, but for the most part we would not have had the investment in the characters — many of whom ended up not making it to the end of the season — if we hadn’t spent that time the first half of the season building up the character dynamic and getting to know them better.”

The third season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” will premiere October 14th.

Optionated

Books being Optioned to Movies, Television Shows, Video Games