Ender’s Game Finally Begins Production

It’s true, Ender’s Game has finally begun production with the start of principal photography. Considering this film has been attempted to be made into a film several times, it is great news to hear that it has finally made a step forward under the direction of director Gavin Hood.

According to the official press release, the production has began in New Orleans, Lousiana.

Ender’s Game is the big screen adaptation of the novel that was released in 1985 and is written by Orson Scott Card.

The press release also included an official description of the film thus far:

“In the near future, a hostile alien race (Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Fleet (IF) Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite. Ender easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers at Battle School. Ordained by Graff as the IF’s next great hope, Ender is promoted to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and humankind.”

The visual effects which are being overseen by co-producer Digital Domain, began filming on Monday at the Big Easy Studios in New Orleans and is scheduled to continue through June 8th.

Director, Hood, is working on the film from his own screenplay although writing duo Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orciare are producing as well even though they didn’t help with the script.

The press released some of the behind the scenes names involved in production which includes:

Costume designer Christine Bieselin Clark, who co-designed the outfits in TRON: Legacy and worked with Gavin Hood previously on X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Sean Haworth and Ben Procter, of The Thing and Transformers: Dark of Moon are on board as production designers. Also cinematographer Donald McAlpine, and Oscar nominee whose credits include Moulin Rouge!, Peter Pan, Predator, Romeo + Juliet, The Edge, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is working on the project.

Casting for the project is as follows:

Asa Butterfield – Ender Wiggin
Brendan Meyer – Stilson
Harrison Ford – Colonel Hyrum Graff
Abigail Breslin – Valentine Wiggin
Hailee Steinfeld – Petra
Aramis Knight – Bean
Moises Arias – Bonzo
Jimmy Pinchak – Peter Wiggin
Suraj Parthasarathy – Alai
Conor Carroll – Bernard
Khylin Rhambo – Dink
Brandon Soo Hoo – Fly Molo
Ben Kingsley – Mazer Rackham
Viola Davis – Major Anderson

Ender’s Game is set to hit theaters on March 25, 2013.

Suzanne Collins Praises Hunger Games Film

I would be lying if I didn’t say that despite my excitement for the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games, I was a little worried about it missing the mark of the novel. So it was a relieve to hear that author, Suzanne Collins, has praised the finished project.

Collins recently wrote on the official Hunger Games Facebook page that she was “really happy” with the finished movie. She also had great things to say about Gary Ross for remaining faithful to the novel but she commented that he added a “rich and powerful vision” to the society she created.

“And, my God, the actors,” Collins added. She singled out the “extraordinary” Jennifer Lawrence, who stars as the young heroine, Katniss.

It is really great to hear that Collins enjoyed the adaptation. To many times we have remakes that anger not only the fans but also the writers. It is even worse that there is so much hype around this particular film that there is a lot of pressure to make it awesome. With the endorsement of the author it seems that this will at least do the novel justice. And I can say I will be right there on opening night to find out.

The Hunger Games is the movie adaptation of the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins. It is followed by the sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

The plot for the film is as follows:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the governing body, the Capitol, of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Katniss Everdeen volunteers as a tribute to save her sister from going in to the ghastly arena. She is joined by Peeta Mellark, a boy she knew who once saved her life.

You can see the official cast below:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Willow Shields as Primrose “Prim” Everdeen
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen
Amandla Stenberg as Rue
Alexander Ludwig as Cato
Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh
Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove
Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface
Leven Rambin as Glimmer
Jack Quaid as Marvel
Donald Sutherland as President Snow
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane
Latarsha Rose as Portia

AMC Accidentally Leaks Major Walking Dead Plot Twist

:::Warning Don’t Read If You Don’t Want To Know The Death:::

For anyone who watches or has watched AMC’s “The Walking Dead” you are no stranger to its intense plot and crazy revelations as the goup tries to survive. Most of us tend to not like knowing the fate of characters early on but now most of us don’t have a choice because AMC has accidentally revealed the shocking death of one of the main casts members way before it happens.

Most fans have known there was going to be a shocking death at the end of the second season but AMC has officially let the cat out of the bag.

Due to a mistake within the marketing department for the network’s DVD release, it was revealed that Shane is soon to be dead. Shane, played by Jon Bernthal, is going to be killed at the end of season 2 (although this isn’t a surprise to those who read the comic books.)

On the AMC website there is a ad for The Walking Dead Limited Edition Season 2 Blu-ray 4 Disc Set which will be released in August. The ad has one little line that has thrown fans into a tizzy.

The ad says that the bonus features include:

“the making of the barn, an extended zombie gut scene, Shane’s last episode…”

This mistake has definitely gone under fire by fans all over the world. Fans tend to not like spoilers but AMC has said that the ad was not meant to go on the site.

“The post on the AMC store was completely unauthorized, AMC said in a statement. “The matter is currently under investigation.”

“The Walking Dead” producer, Gale Anne Hurd, recently teased the “jaw dropping” second season finale by saying, “I have a feeling even with inveterate tweeters during episodes…there may be some significant periods of silence, because people may not be able to click on their keyboards.”

And now it is painfully obvious what she meant.

I have been dreading Shane’s death ever since it became obvious he was ready to move on to another show (Bernthal was in talks to play the lead in TNT’s L.A. Noir pilot)

As mentioned earlier, Shane’s death is hardly a surprise to readers of Robert Kirkman’s original comic books. In the comics Shane is killed relatively early on in the series and in one of the most shocking ways possible.

Personally, I loved Shane (even if he got a tad bit rape-y in that one episode) and am a little bummed to know of his impending death as we watch the series progress.

Game of Thrones MMORPG: Cash Grab is Coming

Cable network HBO has signed a deal with Bigpoint to develop a new online game. This new game will be a massive multiplayer online role playing game based on HBO’s series” Game of Thrones”, which in turns is adapted from George R.R. Martins original A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

The German game developer Bigpoint has already had some experiencing developing MMORPGs, creating one based on the Battle Galactica television series. The “Game of Thrones” online game will also be available as a free-to-play and set in the fictional world of Westeros.

Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz had this to say:

“With a rich and complex story, expressed through an amazing level of detail, it’s easy to see why the HBO series Game of Thrones has amassed an army of fans worldwide.”

“We intend to build a game that resonates intimately with its diehard community of followers, while also creating an authentic gaming experience that attracts newcomers to the franchise.”

Jack Wulff, Artplant’s founder and executive producer has said,

“Our goal is to be one of the worlds leading developers of 3D MMO browser based games…”

“As a fan of fantasy it’s a dream come true to be working with Game of Thrones, and there’s hardly any other fantasy license in the world with a bigger potential”, Jørgen Tharaldsen, the games producer added.

Here’s the hitch, while HBO has signed a deal with Bigpoint; a German video game developer; the game will actually be developed by Norwegian games studio, Artplant.

Why’s this?

First off, Bigpoint makes games for stand-alone browser-based games. Think flash games and social media games. It also runs a gaming portal website already with a lot of browser based MMORPGs. Meanwhile, the biggest name in MMORPGs right now is World of Warcraft. That game originally required purchases of DVDs and expansion packs, coupled with many downloads. The graphics are amazing. There isn’t much a browser-based MMORPG can do to compete against WoW in terms of quality.

So at this point, the expectation for the imagery of Westeros is set pretty high. The goal is most likely get that realistic medieval feeling one gets watching the television show.

That’s why Artplant was brought it. Why not just go to Artplant or another developer then?

I think it’s because HBO likes Bigpoint’s business model for online games. Bigpoint is currently one of the leaders in the fast-growing free-to-play gaming industry. Free-to-play means that you don’t have to purchase the game, an activation fee, or a monthly fee. The catch is that if you want any perks to the game, you have to pay for it.

Take Dark Orbit for example. Dark Orbit is a game which was developed by Bigpoint. The game is set in outer space; where flying ships are easier to render than the illusion of walking and riding around on terra firma. Players control a spaceship in a battle against non-player characters and other players. In these battles they can be supported by combat drones. There are different levels of drones ranking up to the 10^th drone; the Zeus; which is very rare. In order to obtain one, you need to have all 9 previous drones and the blueprints to make it.

The game has over 7 million registered users and amongst them, a fraction will actually pay an exorbitant fee for in game advantages. The cost of bypassing all the rules to get a Zeus drone was offered for the low price of 1000 Euro Dollars. That’s around $1300.00 U.S for those people who love the game, perhaps their primary source of enjoyment. To them it may seem like good value.

Unlike most social media games that try to nickel and dime with minor in game perks; like buying into the in game monetary system; the business model of the Bigpoint is not to get everybody to spend a dime, but to get the addicted gamers to spend a whole lot.

As of today, they already have over 250 million registered users and I think HBO wants a piece of that online pie. This is in addition to the console adventure game being developed by Cyanide studios. Their game perk is currently an art book that comes with pre-orders; while supplies last.

While I look forward to wild incestuous sex and nudity in an online game, in the end, this is basically another HBO cash grab. It’s only a matter of time before there’s a MMORPG for “The Walking Dead.”

The second season of “Game of Thrones” begins on April 1.

New Game of Thrones Season 2 Poster Released

With little less then a month to go till the season 2 premiere of “Game of Thrones” HBO decided to reveal its new season 2 poster. It is similar to the first poster released as it features the “war is coming” thematic element, but is a bit more artistic then its minimalist counterpart. You can see the new poster above.

The second season that premieres on April 1st, is said to be focusing primarily on the events of “A Clash of Kings” the second book in the “A Song of Fire of Ice” series.

Game of Thrones is the HBO series based on the book series written by George R.R. Martin. The series was highly anticipated even in the early stages of development. The first season was very well received by both viewers and critics. It was so highly rated that the second season was picked up only two days after its premiere in 2011. It was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Drama Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Television Series – Drama at the69th Golden Globe Awards; Peter Dinklage also won both ceremonies’ Best Supporting Actor award (Emmy and Golden Globes). Other accolades include an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and an Emmy win for Outstanding Main Title Design.

Season 2 had to introduce many new characters into casting for the second season that began in May 2011. Owing to the very large cast of characters in Martin’s novels, the producers had to fill a great number of additional speaking roles.

Stephen Dillane was cast as Robert’s younger brother, Stannis Baratheon, one of several pretenders to the Iron Throne.
Carice van Houten is set to play Melisandre of Asshai, the “Red Priestess” of the foreign god R’hllor, an influential advisor to King Stannis Baratheon.
Liam Cunningham was given the part of the former smuggler Ser Davos Seaworth, a bannerman of Stannis.
Gwendoline Christie was cast as Brienne of Tarth, a female warrior who joins Renly Baratheon’s guard and becomes a follower of Catelyn Stark.
Natalie Dormer appears as Lady Margaery Tyrell, a noblewoman from the Reach promised to be the wife of Renly Baratheon.
Gemma Whelan was chosen to play Yara Greyjoy, the Ironborn captain and sister of Theon. Named “Asha” in the novels, the character’s name was changed to avoid confusion with the Wildling Osha, Bran Stark’s companion.
Tom Wlaschiha was cast as Jaqen H’ghar, a prisoner and recruit of Yoren, as well as an assassin of the Faceless Men.
Rose Leslie will appear as Ygritte, Jon Snow’s love interest among the Wildlings.
Daniel Portman took the part of Podrick Payne, the squire to Tyrion Lannister. The 19-year-old Portman plays Podrick as about 16 years old, instead of about 12 as in the novels.
Among the other new cast members are Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos.
Kerr Logan as Matthos Seaworth;
Oliver Ford Davies as Maester Cressen;
Roy Dotrice as Pyromancer Hallyne, an elderly alchemist at King’s Landing;
Karl Davies as Alton Lannister, a character who does not appear in the books;
Ben Crompton as ”Dolorous Edd” Tollet,
Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton;
Robert Pugh as the Wildling chief Craster;
Hannah Murray as Craster’s daughter Gilly,
Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy, lord of the Iron Islands and father of Theon;
Ian Hanmore as Pyat Pree;
Fintan McKeown as Ser Amory Lorch.

You can see the set of teaser images from season 2 here, and watch the HBO GO trailer below:

Watch A Sneak Peek Clip of Katniss and The Gamemakers

Lionsgate is picking up speed with their viral marketing campaign which includes a YouTube account called, “CapitolTV” which has been featuring the trailers and tv spots for the film over the last month. Today, they uploaded a small 0.39 second clip of one of the best scenes from the book. The clip featured Katniss going before the gamemakers only to be infuriated by their inattention and disrespect. To gain their attention, she takes the bow and arrow and shoots the apple out of the pigs mouth.

Unfortunately, the clip stops there, but seeing that keeps my hope alive that this adaptation is going to be awesome. You can see the new clip below:

The Hunger Games is the movie adaptation of the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins. It is followed by the sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

The plot for the film is as follows:

You can see the official cast below:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Willow Shields as Primrose “Prim” Everdeen
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen
Amandla Stenberg as Rue
Alexander Ludwig as Cato
Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh
Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove
Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface
Leven Rambin as Glimmer
Jack Quaid as Marvel
Donald Sutherland as President Snow
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane
Latarsha Rose as Portia

Before I Go to Sleep Might Make Nicole Kidman Forget

Nicole Kidman is currently in talks to play the lead role for Rowan Joffe’s adaptation of Before I Go to Sleep. Based on the novel written by S.J. Watson. If all agreements are successfully made, then Kidman will play the role of Christine, the woman with a severe memory problem.

The official book synopsis from S.J. Watson’s website:

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

S.J. Watson’s book was published in 2011 and has gone on to become a best seller, translated into 30 languages and has reached number 7 on the US bestseller list. That makes it the highest position for a debut novel by British author since J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame. Even the New York Times described the author as an “out-of-nowhere literary sensation.” Nowhere or somewhere?

You know what, I think I have a memory problem too. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this movie already. Twice actually.

The first time I’ve watched this movie was in the year 2000 it was called Memento. It was about a man who’s short term memory was unable to transfer to long term memory. It got so out of hand that he couldn’t remember a person spitting up in his drink a minute prior; only to drink it for the amusement of all. The premise of the story is that the amnesiac man is trying to find his wife’s killer. So combat his memory loss, he tattoos clues and findings on his body, while taking Polaroid pictures of everything he goes. The story is actually a rather boring one if told straight up. What makes it cool is that the entire sequence of the film is chopped up in a cunning manner; which actually makes it interesting.

The second time I’ve watched this movie it was in 2004 and it was called 50 First Dates, the romantic comedy that stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Sandler tries to pick up Barrymore who has a severe memory problem; which resets every morning she wakes up, prior to her accident. Incidentally it also makes her forget she already starred in romantic comedies with Sandler in real life, forcing her to repeatedly relive the rehashed story. This story is told in a proper Sandler sequential fashion; which includes 80’s references, horrible singing, and Rob Schneider. “You can do it!”

How is this fair? That’s it. I’ve decided that I’m going to write a story about children that go to a special magical school for the morbidly gifted that teaches them how to bust ghosts. Combined with remakes, franchise reboots, literary remixes and public domain rehashes, it seems we can add one more flavorless ingredient to the Hollywood stew: Movie splicing. Combining two or more movies to produce an entirely new film. It must be a new technique right? Ow! What the Hades? Is that a tattoo on my leg?

“Look up Star Wars, The Dam Busters, and The Hidden Fortress.”

Stupid tattoos. Stop telling me how to live my life!

Skin Your Device With The Hunger Games – Exclusive Giveaway

“Ladies and gentlemen, let the seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!”

With The Hunger Games film right around the corner, SkinIt wants to make sure you are ready with new Hunger Games skins for your devices.

Over the next week, BSCkids/Optionated will be giving you a chance to win a free exclusive skin for any device you have whether it is an iPad or Android, laptop or smartphone, you can show your true fandom come premiere day with a Hunger Games Skin.

What You Get:

One winner will receive a free Hunger Games skin for the device of their choice. You can see the two skins below:

About The Skins:

The Hunger Games fans can skin thousands of devices including, but not limited to: mobile phones, MP3 Players, MP3 speakers and speaker docks, mobile gaming devices, laptops, desktop computers, Bluetooth headsets, DVD players, printers, cameras, medical devices, USB devices and even adhesive wall stickers (“Wall Skins”).

You can see all the rest of the Hunger Games skins here.

About SkinIt:

Skinit, Inc. is the industry leader in consumer personalization for electronic devices. Our online ordering and customization tools allow you personalize thousands of devices. Make your cell phone, MP3 player, laptop, PDA device, camera, or gaming device as unique as you are. Show off your style, support your favorite team, or truly express yourself with custom skins you design.

Skinit has thousands of designs including top brands in sports, entertainment, and art, as well as our Customizer™ tool that lets you design your own using photos, images, text, symbols and many of our designs to create entirely personalized skins. Show your passion or create something entirely new, and unique.

At Skinit, we invite you to transform your ordinary device and Make it Yours™.

How To Enter:

Please send an email to contest@bsckids.com

Be sure to include: Name, shipping information, which skin you want, and what kind of device you would like to skin

Please make the title Hunger Games so we know which contest you are entering.

If you follow us on Twitter (@Optionated_) or Facebook you get two chances to win, just make sure you include the name you follow us under in the entry email. We will be announcing winners on March 9th! Good Luck!

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”

New Hunger Games Promo And Photo Stills Released

New Hunger Games content was released today that was met with excitement all around. A new trailer was released that featured the song Safe & Sound. Also released today were new stills from the movie featuring President Snow, Haymitch, Seneca Crane and Katniss.

Even though the movie is pretty close to being released, the media marketing for the film is not ending just yet. Also today, the MPAA has officially released its rating for the film ass PG-13 for “intense violent thematic material and disturbing images – all involving teens.”

The Hunger Games takes place every year in the ruins of what was once North America. The governing body, the Capitol, of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Katniss Everdeen volunteers as a tribute to save her sister from going in to the ghastly arena. She is joined by Peeta Mellark, a boy she knew who once saved her life.

The film is the big screen adaptation of the novel written by Suzanne Collins and was directed by Gary Ross. It stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. It also includes Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Lenny Kravitz as supporting characters.

(Personally, I don’t think I could be more excited about this film!)

We have seen tons of new trailers recently, but this one is slightly different. One new scene they actually featured in this trailer was a bigger glimpse into the first meeting between Katniss and Peeta, even if just for a moment. You can watch the new promo video below:

You also get a better look at some of the films supporting characters such as President Snow (Donald Sutherland), former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), and deadly District 2 “tributes” Cato (Alexander Ludwig) and Clove (Isabelle Furhman). You can see the new images below:

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate and Entertainment Weekly.

New Marvel’s The Avenger’s Trailer Revealed

After being teased with it, the new trailer for Marvel’s The Avengers has finally been released. This after the new promotional poster for the film was revealed earlier this week which you can see above.

The plot continues 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 Avengersis 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.

I think this movie is going to be awesome primarily because of three people. Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and the best of them all, Joss Whedon (although don’t tell FOX he is working on it or they might try and get the movie cancelled. ba-zing.) I do plan to see it, and frankly, the trailer makes it look bad-ass.

This new film is being directed by the (incredibly amazing) Joss Whedon and and sports an all star cast. It 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.

Marvel’s The Avengers is opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on May 4th. It is written and directed by (the amazingly awesome) Joss Whedon and stars Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgard.

You can watch the new trailer below and check out the new poster above if you missed it.