Jacob Hopkins Talks Being A Vampire On True Blood Season 5

Photo Credits: DharmaVisions

During a recent interview over at our sister site, BSCkids, young actor Jacob Hopkins answers some questions about the upcoming season 5 of HBO’s “True Blood.”

There is little we know about his character in the upcoming series but we do know that Jacob plays one of the oldest vampires on the Vampire authority yet he is the youngest looking. His character, Alexander Drew, was turned at the tender young age of 9. However, don’t let his angelic face fool you, the old vampire is very cunning and very manipulative. Alexander will be known for being impetuous towards those around him.

Jacob described his character of Alexander as being “a feisty and strong-minded vampire.  He’s the kind of vampire who likes to taunt others.  He may look young, but looks can be deceiving.  He’s very wise and he pretty much makes himself heard.”

Some actors may find it difficult to play an age older or younger than themselves, let alone decades older, yet Jacob took the task in stride with confidence. He described how the other actors on set helped him get into the mindset of the old vampire.

I prepared Alexander to think like he was more important than anyone on the council or anyone who was in the same room as him.  It didn’t matter if I was 9 or not, Alexander is old and wise.  Once I was on set, it helped to be around all the other adult actors too.  I was in a suit and tie, sitting with the council, I felt like I was Alexander and a part of it all.”

He went on to credit fellow “True Blood” newcomer Christopher Meloni as an actor who taught him the most.

I have learned a lot from Chris Meloni because he would rehearse in front of everyone and he didn’t mind, and if he made a mistake, he would just go right back into it and he is such a great role model.”

And it is nice to know that Jacob loved his experience on “True Blood” saying that it was his favorite project thus far to work on.

I loved working with such nice people, great actors and I loved wearing my fangs!”

“True Blood” season 5 begins on June 10th and you can see Jacob starting on June 17th.

Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition Announced for Wii U

E3 was huge this year despite Nintendo’s lackluster unveiling. There was, however, one exciting thing announced for their new consoles that seems to be worth buying. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced the release of Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition for their upcoming new console the Wii U.

The game is being developed by WB Games Montreal and promises to deliver the same amazingly awesome story and gameplay that the previous game displayed. According to the developers it will also come with enhanced gameplay features that are exclusive to the Wii U system and gamepad.

The Armored Edition will contain all the content from the original game, including the available downloadable content while introducing the Battle Armored Tech (B.A.T.) Mode and the new Armored Suits for both Batman and Catwoman. In the new game players have an additional power up that allows them to build kinetic energy during combat.

According to Martin Tremblay, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment,

“Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition harnesses the power of the Wii U system and the Wii U GamePad with features that allow fans to further immerse themselves in the role of Batman like never before. WB Games Montréal evolved the incredible hit game by Rocksteady into a truly unique experience on Wii U.”

Reid Schnieder, Vice President and Executive Producer, WB Games Montreal added,

“WB Games Montréal is very excited to unveil the all new Wii U features we’ve created in Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition. The new controller allows for a different twist on the Batman: Arkham City game, as players now have the power of the Batcomputer and gadgets in the palm of their hands.”

The Wii U GamePad provides instant access to the wrist-mounted Batcomputer throughout the game, allowing players to use the touch screen to seamlessly select objectives, choose their gadget, track forensic evidence, upgrade their gear, detonate explosive gel, and more, all while remaining immersed in the action. Additionally, all gadgets have been reimagined to utilize the power of the GamePad, offering an unprecedented level of accuracy when using the Batarang and scanning for clues.

Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition is expected to hit stores Holiday 2012. You can see the unveil below:

Tom Holland To Adapt King’s Ten O’Clock People For The Big Screen

Director Tom Holland, known for his work on Fright Night and Child’s Play, has announced plans to adapt Stephen King’s Ten O’Clock People, for the big screen. This will be Holland’s third adaptation of King’s work, following The Langoliers and Thinner.

Holland, no stranger to the genre, took an extended hiatus from directing, and returned in 2007 as a featured director in the Masters of Horror series for Showtime. He also is currently writing and directing “Twisted Tales,” a series of shorts for FEARnet.

Ten O’Clock People is a short story published in 1993 as part of King’s “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” collection. Five stories from the collection were previously adapted by way of an anthology series presented by TNT called “Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.” However, The Ten O’Clock People was not one of the stories chosen for the series.

It is set in Boston, Mass., rather than in King’s typical setting of Maine. The story also alludes to several of King’s other works including Low Men in Yellow Coats and The Dark Tower, which both feature the malevolent creatures called Can-Toi. These creatures strongly resemble the “batmen” of Ten O’Clock People.

ShockTillYouDrop described the short story as following “the story follows Brandon Pearson, who in trying to kick his smoking habit uncovers a frightening aspect of reality, he plans to extinguish through extreme measures.”

According to Holland, the tale was inspired by King’s own struggle with quitting smoking.

“[This story] was Stephen trying to deal with his cigarette jones and the fairly new no-smoking laws back in the 90’s,” Holland said. “This film will be a modernization of the original short story, a paranoid suspense piece.”

Producers Nathaniel Kramer and E.J. Meyers said next year will be busy for King.

“With Ron Howard’s The Dark Tower adaptation and remakes of Carrie and The Stand on the horizon, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of King,” they said. “We’re excited to be contributing to it.”

Ten O’Clock People will start filming this summer.

Watch Game of Thrones In A Life Size Replica Of The Iron Throne

If you are the ultimate “Game of Thrones” fan (and have tons of money to shell out) then spend season three next year watching from your life size replica of the Iron Throne. The throne is on sale for a measly $30,000 with an extra $1,800 in shipping costs.

HBO’s online store is selling the “”hand-finished, hand-painted fiberglass and fire-proof resin” versions that are identical to the one featured on the show and in the novel series. According to the mythology of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels, the Iron Throne was constructed by former king Aegon Targaryen, the first king of the Seven Kingdoms, who built the throne from the thousands of swords taken from his defeated enemies. The throne was built over 59 days of constant hammering to get the swords into position and much is made of how uncomfortable it is to sit in. So maybe you won’t sit in it too often.

The replicas are over 7 feet tall and weigh 350 pounds. The official specs are:

  • Height: 7’2
  • Depth: 5’11
  • Width: 5’5
  • Weight: 350 pounds

Since going on sale Tuesday morning there hasn’t been any information on whether anyone has bought the chair but surely only a Lannister could afford it anyway.

New Production Video Released For The Hobbit

Peter Jackson, the famed director helming The Hobbit, has released Production Video #7, a 14 minute tour of Stone Street Studio. It was also announced by Warner Bros. Pictures that the premiere of “An Unexpected Journey” the first of two Hobbit films will take place on November 28th in New Zealand.

According to a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures the plot for both films is as follows:

An Unexpected Journey

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargsand Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

There and Back Again

Thorin and Company have reached Lake-town and it is time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. If Bilbo and the others are able to gain the treasure, will they be able to keep it? And will they discover what has become of the wizard Gandalf?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 14 and will be followed up by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

You can watch Production Video #7 below:

The film has a very large cast with several award winning and well known actors including:

  • Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit and the protagonist of the film.
  • Ian Holm as old Bilbo Baggins.
  • Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey: A wizard who recruits Bilbo and helps to arrange the quest to reclaim the Dwarves’ lost treasure in Erebor.
  • Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield: The leader of the Company of Dwarves who have set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon.
  • Graham McTavish as Dwalin: One of the Company of Dwarves that accompanies Bilbo and Thorin on the Quest of Erebor.
  • Ken Stott as Balin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and the brother of Dwalin. He is described in the novel as “always their look-out man.
  • Aidan Turner as Kíli: One of Thorin’s nephews who sets out on the Quest of Erebor.
  • Dean O’Gorman as Fíli.
  • Mark Hadlow as Dori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. He is described in the novel as “a decent fellow, despite his grumbling,” while Thorin described him as being the strongest member of the Company.
  • Jed Brophy as Nori: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Dori and Ori.
  • Adam Brown as Ori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. The role will mark Brown’s first film appearance.
  • John Callen as Óin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Glóin.
  • Peter Hambleton as Glóin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Óin.
  • William Kircher as Bifur: One of the twelve companions of Thorin and Bilbo on the Quest of Erebor and the cousin of Bofur and Bombur.
  • James Nesbitt as Bofur: One of the Company of Dwarves and the cousin of Bifur and brother of Bombur, he is described as “a disarmingly forthright, funny and occasionally brave Dwarf.”
  • Stephen Hunter as Bombur: Described in the novel as being fat and clumsy, he is the brother of Bofur and the cousin of Bifur.
  • Andy Serkis as Gollum.
  • Hugo Weaving as Elrond: The Elven master of Rivendell. Elrond gives shelter to Bilbo’s party, after which, presumably, the two become friends.
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug: One of the last remaining dragons in Middle-earth. He guards the treasure in Erebor.
    • Also voices the Necromancer: Ruler of the stronghold of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood; he is later revealed to be Sauron and is driven out by the White Council.
  • Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn: A shape-shifter (or, in the actual text, a “skin-changer”), a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear. In the novel, he lives with his animal retinue (horses, dogs and cows, among others) in a wooden house between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. Beorn received Gandalf, Bilbo and the 13 Dwarves and aided them in their quest to reclaim the Dwarves’ kingdom beneath Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. He was convinced of their trustworthiness after confirming their tale of encountering the Goblins of the Misty Mountains and Gandalf’s slaying of their leader, the Great Goblin.
  • Lee Pace as Thranduil: Referred to in the novel as “The Elvenking”, he is the ruler of the realm of the northern part of Mirkwood. He is also the father of Legolas. In the novel, the Dwarves are captured by Thranduil’s guards and locked in his dungeons when they refuse to divulge their intentions.
  • Stephen Fry as Master of Lake-town: The leader of the settlement of Men at Lake-town near the Lonely Mountain.
  • Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman: Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale, described as “grim faced”. He rallied the guards to defend the town when the Dragon came, slaying the dragon himself. He later leads the Men of Esgaroth at the Battle of Five Armies and is crowned king of the re-founded Dale.
  • Billy Connolly as Dáin II Ironfoot: A great dwarf warrior, ruler of the Iron Hills and cousin of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin: The ruler of the underground caverns in the Misty Mountains.
  • Christopher Lee as Saruman the White: Head of Gandalf’s Order of Wizards and the White Council.
  • Cate Blanchett as Galadriel: An Elf and the co-ruler of Lothlórien along with her husband, Lord Celeborn.
  • Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown: A wizard of Gandalf’s Order.
  • Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins: A hobbit and favourite relative of Bilbo Baggins.
  • Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór: King of Durin’s folk, the son of Dáin I, father of Thráin II and grandfather of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Mike Mizrahi as Thráin II: A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Conan Stevens as Azog: An Orc chieftain of Moria. He killed King Thrór, who came to revisit the ruins of Khazad-dûm. In the following years, he was the common enemy of all Dwarves and the war he started climaxed in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he killed Náin, only to be himself slain by Náin’s son Dáin II Ironfoot.
  • Orlando Bloom as Legolas: The Elven Prince of Mirkwood and the son of Thranduil.
  • Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel: A female elf from Mirkwood. Her name means “daughter of Mirkwood”.
  • Bret McKenzie as Lindir: An Elf of Rivendell.
  • Ryan Gage as Alfrid:The Master of Laketown’s “conniving” servant.
  • John Bell as a yet-unnamed character who “is confident and brave and ready to do battle if required even though he is still a boy.”

Darren Aronofsky To Adapt Biblical Epic

Darren Aronofsky, director of 2010’s controversial ballet thriller Black Swan, is currently casting the main roles for Noah, a biblical epic that will star Russell Crowe.

Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender were both initially considered for the lead role, but neither could take it due to scheduling conflicts, according to IMDb.com. Aronofsky also chose Douglas Booth for the role of Noah’s son Shem, according to Deadline.com.

Noah’s older son Ham will be played by Logan Lerman. The role of Noah’s wife, Naameh, has yet to be cast, though Deadline reported that Jennifer Connelly is being considered for the part, among others. Connelly had previously starred alongside Crowe in A Beautiful Mind to wide critical acclaim.

While there are rumors that Liam Neeson may join the cast as well nothing has been confirmed.

The film is being co-financed by Paramount and New Regency.

It is Aronofsky’s follow-up to Black Swan, which earned Fox Searchlight Pictures’ highest per-theater average gross ever, and received widespread critical acclaim.

Noah is expected to be released March 28, 2014.

Guillermo del Toro Announces Adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Witches”

Director Guillermo del Toro recently announced that he has plans to adapt the novel “The Witches” by Roald Dahl for the big screen. The novel was originally published in London in 1983.

I think it’s the best screenplay I’ve ever written in any form,” he said in an interview.  “I adore that project, and it met with the approval of Dahl’s widow, who loved it and felt it was completely respectful of the book, but it’s not moving at all.”

The film would be done in stop-motion animation, according to ShockTillYouDrop.com. The book was previously made into a movie in 1990 starting Anjelica Huston and Rowan Atkinson but was live action as opposed to this reincarnation which will be stop-motion.

To find out more about The Witches, read the plot summary below:

This Roald Dahl classic tells the scary, funny and imaginative tale of a seven-year-old boy who has a run-in with some real-life witches! “In fairy tales witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks and they ride on broomsticks. But this is not a fairy tale. This is about REAL WITCHES. REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ordinary jobs. That is why they are so hard to catch.” Witches, as our hero learns, hate children. With the help of a friend and his somewhat-magical grandmother, our hero tries to expose the witches before they dispose of him.” -GoodReads.com

Del Toro is also considering directing Trollhunters, and animated film for Dreamworks, based on a novel he co-penned with Daniel Kraus.

Del Toro told Variety he has “given up” guessing what he’ll do next, and working on a slew of other films, including Pinocchio and a Romeo and Juliet-style film set against the backdrop of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. His new projects including his work on developing numerous animated kids films, in addition to working on his next feature film Pacific Rim.

Del Toro most recently worked on kid-friendly films Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2. 

The director said he will get around to helming an animated film himself some day, and that it’s just a matter of timing.

Snow White and the Huntsman Tops Domestic Box Office

Universal Pictures’ Snow White and the Huntsman topped the domestic weekend box office with earnings of $56.3 million from 3,773 theaters. That’s an average of $14,910 per theater.

Rupert Sanders made his directorial debut with the film, which stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron,Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin. Snow White earned $39.3 million in 45 international markets, and $95.6 million worldwide.

The film cost $170 million to make, not counting marketing expenses, according to ComingSoon.net.

Sony’s Men in Black 3 dropped 46.3 percent in ticket sales, putting it in second place with $29.3 million in North America in its second week. Made for $225 million, the film has earned $112.3 million in North America after two weeks. Internationally, it took first place at the box office with $78.6 million for an international total of $274.6 million and worldwide total of $386.9 million.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, which doesn’t open in North America until June 8, opened in 15 markets overseas, earning $35 million. The sci-fi thriller stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron.

Marvel’s The Avengers earned $20.3 million domestically in its fifth weekend in theaters, for a total of $552.7 million. Internationally, The Avengers has earned $802.5 million for a worldwide total of $1.355 billion.

Friday, the film passed The Dark Knight ($533.3 million) for the third spot on the all-time domestic box office list, according to ComingSoon.net. It also passed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 ($1.328 billion) for the third spot on the all-time worldwide list.

Universal’s Battleship took fourth place in North America, earning $4.8 million and has earned $55.1 million.

Paramount’s The Dictator was number five with $4.73 million. It has earned $50.8 million after three weeks.

AMC To Air All 19 Episodes of Walking Dead In One Weekend

For avid fans of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” or newcomers looking to get a late start, the network will air all 19 episodes from the show’s first two seasons during its Season 3 Preview Weekend July 7-8 beginning at 11:30 a.m./10:30 central each day.

The event, which airs one week before Comic-Con, will culminate with a Talking Dead live primetime special on July 8 at 8 p.m./9 central. The one-time-only airing of “Talking Dead,” hosted by Chris Hardwick (Nerdist), will be followed by a never-before-seen black and white version of “The Walking Dead” pilot episode at 10/9c.

This version of the pilot was created specifically for fans of Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead comic book,” according to AMC, as it holds true to the book’s black and white art style. Hardwick will introduce each episode of the marathon from the set of season three in Atlanta, so fans will be able to see some of the new sets.

With help from cast members and producers, he will set up the plot of each episode, and discuss climactic moments and characters. Each episode will close with new character and scene-specific content from the first two seasons, including behind-the-scenes footage and sit-down interviews with cast members.

During the hour-long “Talking Dead” event, shot live in Los Angeles, Hardwick will offer a look at season three, including a scene from the new season, video interviews with the cast, a tour of the new set and a look at props and wardrobes.

The show’s executive producers and celebrity fans will also be featured.

“The Walking Dead’s” involvement at Comic-Con will be discussed, as well as a look at the set-up of the show’s booth for the event.

At one point during the live show, Hardwick will provide a code to viewers, which they can use to enter The Walking Dead Watch to Win Sweepstakes. The winner will receive a trip to Atlanta and a “stagger on” role as a zombie on the show, according to AMC.

Treasure Island Gets New Life With Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie, known for his work on Sherlock Holmes, will direct a new version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate tale “Treasure Island.” It was also announced that Alex Harakis (Another Life) will write the script.

Treasure Island is a pretty universally known tale by Stevenson. It was first published in novel form in 1883, however, it was initially serialized in a children magazine under the title Treasure Island; or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North.

The book has been so intermingled with culture that many of the stereotypes we have for pirates originated with this novel including treasure maps marked with an “X”, schooners, the Black Spot,tropical islands, and one-legged seamen carrying parrots on their shoulders.

There has also been no shortages of adaptations of the famous story. There have been over 50 movie and TV versions made with the most recent notable incarnation being in 2002  with Treasure Planet – A Disney animated version set in space, with Long John Silver as a cyborg and many of the original characters re-imagined as aliens and robots, except for Jim and his mother, who are human.

The official plot summary for the novel is as follows:

Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.

Ritchie will produce along with Lionel Wigram (Sherlock Holmes) and Kevin McCormick (Saturday Night Fever). It was Wigram who originally adapted a stylized version of the novel, according to Deadline.com, as he also did with Sherlock Holmes, which Ritchie directed. Wigram set up the story before he and Ritchie became partners.

There is no word of when the big screen adaptation will hit theaters or who will star in the production.