Category Archives: Comic Book Adaptations

Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman, Producer Talks Season 3

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AMC began production on season three of “The Walking Dead” Monday, and Executive Producer Robert Kirkman did an on-set interview with AMCtv.com to discuss his thoughts and expectations for the upcoming 16 episodes.

According to Kirkman, Season three will see several changes, some of which were teased in season two’s finale such as that the group will at last depart from Herschel’s farm after it is overrun by walkers and that they will arrive at a seemingly abandoned prison, where a numerous plot twists unfold.

When it comes to the prison, Kirkman said he is very excited for fans to see the prison set.

They’ve taken a lot of what you see in the comic book series and brought it to life in ways that I didn’t think possible,” he said. “This is going to be one of the most impressive looking things that’s ever been put together for a show.”

Season 3 will also see the addition of new characters such as the sinister Governor (David Morrissey), whose actions suggest humans may pose more of a threat than the undead.

The plan was always to evolve naturally into a place where the zombies essentially become a manageable threat,” Kirkman said. “You know the rules. You know how to deal with them. To a certain extent they become something to not really be scared of unless you mess up. Humans, however, do not follow any rules and will always do something that surprises you and are capable of doing things far worse than trying to eat you…We’re definitely going to be seeing a lot of horrible things.”

Along with the Governor, fan-favorite zombie slicer Michonne, played by Danai Gurira, will also be joining the cast.

Kirkman explained he was impressed with the sword skills she is picking up in training.

She’s going to be doing all of the hard character stuff and drama that The Walking Dead is known for, but she has tremendous physical capability and the sword training that I’ve seen is absolutely amazing,” he said. “I can’t wait to see her hack up some zombies.”

Season 3 will have 16 episodes, making it the show’s longest season yet. With the extra time, Kirkman said he looks forward to packing in as much character development and action as possible.

The actors and the crew and a lot of the producers would not be thrilled to hear me saying this, but I love doing 16 episodes a year,” he said. “I think the more the better, and I think it’s a lot of fun. We are going to get to tell bigger stories, and tell more stories, and get into the characters a lot more. So the more the merrier.”

AMC wisely had renewed “The Walking Dead” for it’s third season on October 25th, 2011 after the season 2 premiere broke cable ratings records. Actual filming for season 3 is scheduled to begin shooting in another area, Senoia, on May 31, 2012.

Marvel’s The Avengers Has Massively Successful Opening Weekend

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Probably no surprise to anyone, Marvel’s The Avengers took the top spot in the U.S. box office ratings this weekend, earning roughly $200,300,000 in 4,300 U.S. theaters. The film, directed by Joss Whedon, broke the record for highest grossing debut of all time, previously held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2, according to a report by Walt Disney Pictures.

The Avengers averaged $46,063 per theater in North America.

The film has received positive reviews from fans and critics alike, scoring 93 percent from Rotten Tomatoes and 96 percent from fans on the movie rating site.

Christopher Orr reviewed the film for The Atlantic.

But ultimately it all comes back to Whedon: his clear vision for each character and how they might be profitably intermingled; his unexpected knack for action choreography; his funny, tender, immaculately constructed script (from a story he co-wrote with Zak Penn). I don’t think I’m giving anything away by revealing that the picture ends with Loki locked up for years. If Marvel has a lick of sense, they’ll do the same with Whedon.”

Think Like a Man was knocked out of the top spot by The Avengers and is now at number two, in its third week since release. It earned $8,000,000 over the weekend and $73,029,000 since its release. Think Like a Man cost $12 million to make.

When looking at figures provided by ComingSoon, it seems that Marvel’s The Avengers have not only been a definite commercial success but the film has broken several other records as well.

The global box office for The Avengers has already surpassed the global box office totals of Captain America: The First Avenger ($364 million), Thor ($449 million), Iron Man ($585 million) and Iron Man 2 ($624 million). The film had the biggest opening weekend of all time in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Central America, Peru, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines. In Russia, the film earned $17.9 million. The movie has become the fastest to reach the $200 million mark domestically in three days. It earned $80.5 million on Friday, which is the second-highest single day take of all time and Saturday’s take of $69.7 million is the highest Saturday of all time.”

Before The Avengers was released, The Hunger Games was the biggest box office moneymaker, earning $155 million domestically in its first weekend. The Hunger Games is now at spot number three, making $5.7 million during the weekend. It has made $380.7 million in seven weeks domestically and cost $78 million to make.

Figures provided by ComingSoon.net.

Black Widow Film In The Works For Scarlett Johansson

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With Marvel’s The Avengers topping the U.S. weekend box office (earning a total of $200,300,000 in its opening weekend) it is no surprise that Marvel is wasting no time moving on to its next film, a standalone project about Scarlett Johansson’s character, Black Widow/Natasha Romanov.

Producer Kevin Feige confirmed that the project is in preparation. Johansson, 27, hinted that the film will be more of a prequel that focuses on the gun-wielding hero’s origin.

Johansson spoke with Ace Showbiz about the project saying:

I love her origin story. I think it’s just such a riveting one… It’s just steeped in history and the richness to shoot in Russia, perhaps… I hope that the fans’ voice is loud enough and they want to see a Widow origin story, I know Marvel would be happy to entertain that. We’ve spoken a lot about it.”

In the same interview, Johansson said her character is not just fighting for the good of the world.

She was almost salvaged by S.H.I.E.L.D. and so she’s loyal to that group, to that agency, but only as sort of paid debt,” she said.

The character Black Widow first appeared in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #14 (2002).

Her official history, provided by Marvel is as follows:

“A descendant of Russian royalty, Natasha Romanov was abandoned as a child and found by soldier Ivan Petrovich. A ballerina in her youth, she joined Russia’s K.G.B. and became an elite intelligence operative, a combination of consummate skill and classified government enhancements of her natural abilities. She also became infamous as an often-wed, often-widowed heartbreaker whose husbands (beginning with test pilot turned intelligence agent Alexi Shostakov) tended to suffer “unfortunate accidents”, a quirk which may have influenced her choice of long-term code name: the Black Widow. She eventually embarked on a lucrative freelance spy career, which culminated in her infiltration of New York City’s Latverian Embassy.

Manipulating the naïve young superhero Spider-Man into helping her escape Latverian security, Natasha used the information she gathered to audition successfully for the American-based international spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. She became a mainstay of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s black ops division, often partnered with Hawkeye (Clint Barton).

After Hawkeye and the Widow led the successful extermination of over five hundred Chitauri extraterrestrial subversives, the duo was promoted to the ranks of the Ultimates, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s celebrity super-agents, with newly falsified personal backgrounds. Alongside the Ultimates, Black Widow helped save Earth from a Chitauri plot. She and teammate, Iron Man (Ultimate)”


Comic character photo of Black Widow/Natasha Romanov.

Marvel’s The Avengers Storms International Theaters

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As of May 2nd, Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios announced that Marvel’s the Avengers had already grossed $260.5 million before it opens in North America this Friday. Premiering in 39 foreign territories, the film earned $185.1 million in its first week.

The film is currently ranked number one in 25 different foreign territories. With these figures, it appears Marvel’s the Avengers will be the film to take the top U.S. spot from Think Like a Man, which is in its 16th week.

Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

The highly anticipated film has an all star cast which includes:

  • Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
A self-described genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist with a mechanical suit of armor of his own invention. 
  • Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
A World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum. 
  • Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or excited. Ruffalo was cast after negotiations between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down.

  • Lou Ferrigno will voice the Hulk.
  • Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The god of thunder based on the Norse deity of the same name. Hemsworth was cast as part of a multiple movie deal. Hemsworth stated that he was able to maintain the strength he built up for Thor by increasing his food intake, consisting of a number of chicken breasts, fish, steak and eggs a day.
  • Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
A highly trained spy working for the international peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. 
  • Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and master archer known in the comics as the “World’s Greatest Marksman”. Renner said it was a very physical role and that he trained physically and practiced archery as much as possible in preparation. 
  • Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. 
  • Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was revealed in previous films to be coordinating the “Avenger Initiative”. Jackson was brought to the project with a deal containing an option to play the character in up to nine Marvel films.
  • Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works closely with Jackson’s Nick Fury. 

Joss Whedon (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, “Dollhouse” and “Firefly”) directed the film. Both Hemsworth and Whedon have another current top 10 film as well. Hemsworth acted and Whedon co-wrote Cabin in the Woods, currently ranked number 10 in the U.S. in its third week.

With the North American release happening tomorrow, they have released a brand new TV spot to entice you even more to see the film.

First Official Clip From MIB3 Revealed

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The first clip from the upcoming film Men In Black 3 has been released by Columbia Pictures through Yahoo! Movies.

The third installment of the film series is based on the Malibu / Marvel comic book series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. The film stars:

  • Will Smith as Agent J, an MIB agent
  • Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, an MIB agent
  • Josh Brolin as Young Agent K
  • Emma Thompson as Agent O, agent of the MIB in present day and a secretary in the 1960s
  • Alice Eve as Young Agent O
  • Nicole Scherzinger as Lily Poison, an antagonist
  • Jemaine Clement as the main antagonist Boris
  • Bill Hader as Andy Warhol
  • Keone Young as Mr. Wu
  • Yuri Lowenthal as Knuckles (voice)
  • According to Digital Spy, Lady Gaga and Adam West among other celebrities slated to appear in MIB 3, will make a small cameo in the movie.

The film will hit theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 25.

The official plot of the film is as follows:

Men in Black 3, Agents J (Smith) and K (Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

You can watch the clip courtesy of Yahoo! Movies below:

The Walking Dead Video Game Receives Wide Critical Acclaim

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Fans of “The Walking Dead” now have more than author Robert Kirkman’s monthly comic book releases to get them through the AMC show’s off-season. Friday, Telltale Games released The Walking Dead: Episode One- A New Day for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac and PC.

According to a press release from GamesPress, despite the game taking place in the same world as Kirkman’s comic series, there will be some key differences.

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series. Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime of passion, has been given the chance for redemption in a world devastated by the undead. Players will experience life changing events, meet new characters and familiar ones from the original comic, and also visit locations that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead offers a tailored game experience – player actions, choices and decisions affect how the story plays out across the entire series.”

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day follows a character named Lee Everett, though a convicted criminal for a crime of passion, he has the opportunity for redemption in this post-apocalyptic world of the undead. Players experience events that can be life-changing. You also get to meet new characters as well as some familiar ones from the original comic book. And as a tie in to the story and tv series, players will visit locations that foreshadow the events of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the game is that decisions players make will affect them and the story throughout the entire game.

The game has received a positive critical reception, earning Editors’ Choice awards from both Official Xbox Magazine and IGN.com. Gaming website Polygon gave the game a 9 out of 10 score.

Polygon praised the game for its enthralling gameplay and heart-stopping action.

With choices that matter and intensity to spare, Telltale Games delivers one of its best efforts to date […] The first episode of The Walking Dead held me in as I was thrown from one story-twisting, heart-stopping conflict to another, disaster threatening if I looked away from the screen even for a moment.”

Popular game review site, IGN, also praised the first episode the video game adaptation for its intense and emotionally engaging gameplay.

This is a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that’s why it feels so right as a part of this franchise,” one IGN reviewer said.

Official Xbox Magazine praised the game’s “striking art style and cinematic presentation.”

Episode One – A New Day is the first of five monthly episodes of  The Walking Dead  games series and will be available for 400 Microsoft®Points on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® on April 27th; it is available now for $4.99 per episode on PlayStation®Network, and is available as the first part of a five episode season pass for $24.99 on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.

The Walking Dead: Episode One- A New Day is rated M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language by the ESRB.

Ender’s Game Producers Also To Write Amazing Spider-Man Sequel

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The Amazing Spider-Man won’t hit the silver screen for two more months, but Sony Pictures is already hard at work developing a sequel.  Writing duo Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci, the pair who are currently working on the big screen adaptation of Ender’s Game, have signed on to work on the screenplay to The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The first draft of the screenplay was written by James Vanderbilt, who was also predominantly in charge of the script to The Amazing Spider-Man.

Production is tentatively scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2013, according to Sony Pictures.

Kurtzman and Orci are perhaps best known for their frequent collaborations with J.J. Abrams and Michael Bay. The duo is gaining a reputation for adapting comic books into movie scripts. They also collaborated on the Transformers series, Watchmen and Cowboy and Aliens.

We grew up as huge Spider-Man fans so, to us, the opportunity to work on this film is akin to being handed the Holy Grail,” Kurtzman and Orci said. “We love the direction Sony and the filmmakers are taking the Peter Parker/Spider-Man mythology, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this legendary franchise.”

Co-producer Matt Tolmach said Kurtzman and Orci have an exciting take on the franchise.

“Alex and Bob have a unique ability to write great characters and spectacular action that makes them pitch perfect for Spider-Man,” Tolmach said.

Co-producer Avi Arad said the two will put their stamp on the franchise.

“They have an innate understanding of what makes Peter Parker not just a superhero, but a hero for all of us,” Arad said.

This year’s film, The Amazing Spider-Man will hit theaters on July 3rd in 3D, 2D, and IMAX. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge: Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition

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The new “Game of the Year” edition for Batman: Arkham City has been announced by Rocksteady Studios. The game will be hitting the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 29th. But be prepared for the new  “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” DLC, and the previously released DLC packs and a movie download of Batman: Year One (USA and Canada only).

For those fans who already own the original boxed edition of Batman: Arkham City can also download the new gameplay featuring Harley Quinn beginning on May 29th in both the PlayStation®Network and in the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360.

This new gameplay mode puts players back in Arkham City in order to face their final challenge and play as both Batman and Robin. Players can utilize each of the character’s unique combat and other skills in order to uncover the sinister and vengeful plan of Harley Quinn. Fans will not only get n new storyline to play but they can also explore new environments and battle Harley’s new gang of thugs.

There is also DLC included on the disc which includes the “Catwoman Pack,” “Nightwing Bundle Pack,” “Robin Bundle Pack,” “Challenge Map Pack” and “Arkham City Skins Pack.”

Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition is exactly what fans of the character and franchise were waiting for, all in all the game packages new gameplay content, seven maps, three playable characters, and 12 skins beyond the original retail release.

You can see the trailer for the edition and some Harley Quinn artwork from the game below:

The Dark Knight Rises Logo

Final The Dark Knight Rises Trailer To Play Before The Avengers

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The Dark Knight Rises Logo

Courtesy of Nolan Fans, a screenshot from the Warner Bros. Pictures Exhibitor site confirms that the final new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will be shown in the 3D, 2D, and IMAX theaters may 4th with the release of Marvel’s The Avengers. 

This similarly happened when the trailer for The Dark Knight was debuted with the release of Iron Man back in 2008. Then another Nolan film, Inception, premiered their final trailer before Iron Man 2 in 2010.

The Dark Knight Rises begins after the death of Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for the crimes committed by Dent. He is subsequently hunted down by the police of Gotham City. Then eight years later, Batman returns to Gotham City where he meets the mysterious and alluring Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, as he tries to stop villainous Bane from destroying the city.

The Dark Knight Rises will be released in theaters on July 20th, 2012.

Marvel’s The Avengers will hit screens in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on May 4.  Directed by Joss Whedon, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.”

Those who will be seeing The Avengers of the big screen will be treated to the new trailer. As of now, there isn’t word of whether the trailer will be available online immediately after or not.

New Batman Animated Series To Hit Cartoon Network

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Cartoon Network will premiere a new Batman animated series this year, and it will be unlike any of its predecessors. “Beware the Batman,” produced by Warner Bros. Animation, will be the first in the Dark Knight franchise to use CGI animation.

The series will also set itself apart in another way, according to ComingSoon. It will incorporate villains not previously featured in animated form.

The official description of the new series follows”

Crime-fighting vigilante Batman teams up with swordtress Katana and his gun-toting ex-secret agent butler Alfred Pennyworth to face the criminal underworld led by the twisted Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad, King Kraken, and Magpie.

The new show will be executive produced by WBA’s Sam Register and produced by Batman Beyond’s Glen murakami and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated’s Mitch Watson.

IMDB has also reported that Kurtwood Smith from “That 70’s Show” has signed on to voice Commissioner Jim Gordon.

Despite the new format, this is not the first time the Caped Crusader has fought crime in animated form. There have been five other shows, beginning with the “New Adventures of Batman” (1977-1981), followed by “Batman: the Animated Series (1992-1995), the “New Batman Adventures” (1997-1999), “Batman Beyond” (1999-2001) and then “Batman” (2004-2008).

The beloved character of Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, has an even longer history in comic form, according to Comic Vine.

The character currently stars in six different comic titles, including Batman, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, Batman: the Dark Knight, Justice League and Justice League International.

Batman has also been the subject of numerous films, most recently director Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.

Nolan’s highly anticipated final installment, the Dark Knight Rises, is due out July 20.

“Beware the Batman” will begin airing in early 2013.

You can watch the new teaser promo for the series below: