HBO’s hit series, “Game of Thrones” has been added to the list of nominees for best drama series at this year’s 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Although “Mad Men” has won the award for the category four years in the row, there is a huge chance that “Game of Thrones” could take it away from the AMC series. With record viewers in it’s second series and its not sup rising renewal after just one episode, GoT has captured fans for the long haul.
The series was nominated last year as well in the same category despite the fact that academy tends to overlook shows from its genre. The medieval fantasy series, an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s series of novels “A Song of Ice and Fire,” is known for its violence and graphic sexual content as it chronicles seven noble families as they fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.
Many fans were left feeling jilted after the show didn’t win the award last year. Considering the fact that only two days after the first season premiere, the series was picked up for a second season. Nine days after the season 2 premiere, it was picked up for a third season. The show has consistently brought it high numbers and continues to be one of the most loved of the HBO shows.
Other nominees in the category includes “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “Downton Abbey,” “Homeland,” and “Boardwalk Empire.”
The Emmys will be handed out at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 23. The show will be broadcast live coast-to-coast on ABC.
Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” has become the first television series to be featured at Universal Studios and its Orlando counterpart’s Halloween Horror Nights experience.
The event will include mazes designed to resemble the post-apocalyptic world of the AMC series. The sets will be elaborate, and will include iconic locations and scenes from the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Walkers” will also be wandering around both parks.
“We want people to experience the same terror of the walker-filled reality our characters faced in Seasons 1 and 2 — and will continue to face in our third season,” said Greg Nicotero, co-executive producer and special effects makeup artist. “Our collaboration with Universal’s creative teams is exciting as we work to truly capture the essence of the show.”
Halloween Horror Nights has been an annual event for Universal Studios for more than 20 years, featuring stage shows, mazes and other interactive events.
Season three of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” will begin Oct. 14.
Sony Pictures TV announced their plans to adapt Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling fantasy/romance/adventure book series “Outlander” for television. Ron Moore, developer/executive producer of the popular series “Battlestar Galactica,” will write the adaptation, and Jim Kohlberg’s Story Mining and Supply Co. will produce.
The project will be taken to cable networks this week, according to Deadline.com.
The story begins in 1945, and boasts the provocative tagline, “Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another….”
The series includes seven books, and has sold more than 20 million copies. The eighth installment will be released next year.
Gabaldon has amassed a passionate fan following, with multiple companies offering “Jamie and Claire” tours of Scotland, during which fans visit locations from the books.
You can read the official plot summary for “Outlander” below:
In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon–when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord…1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire’s destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life …and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire…and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.”
The blockbuster success of 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger “ and 2012’s “The Avengers” have revitalized the 70-year-old Captain America character by making him accessible to a whole new generation. This newfound popularity is epitomized by the number of Captain America costumes being sported at Halloween parties and conventions like Comic-Con.
Although his look has changed significantly over the years, Captain America remains a great hero to young and old alike. And no matter how amazing, atrocious or downright cheesy the various Captain America movies have been, kids of all ages can go get their costume at buycostumes.com, Halloween costumes or, with some extra dedication, make their own. You’ll have to choose first, which Steve Rodgers you want to portray, as the onscreen outputs have proven a decidedly mixed bag.
What is it about this particular comic book superhero that makes him so difficult to bring to life on film? Perhaps, like his predecessor Superman, Captain America’s iconic, quintessentially American idealism only truly resonates with certain audiences during specific periods of time. Or perhaps his story has simply fallen into the hands of several filmmakers whose lack of adequate funding was matched only by their woeful lack of talent.
Whatever the case, Captain America’s movie career hasn’t always been met with the critical and commercial acclaim that it currently enjoys. Here’s a quick look back at the evolution of Captain America through his various onscreen appearances.
Captain America (1944)
This Saturday-matinee serial by “B-move” studio Republic Pictures marked the first time that a Marvel Comics character had been adapted into another medium. Dispensing with the comic book’s “Super-Soldier Serum” origin story, the film recasts Captain America’s alter ego as Grant Gardner, a District Attorney investigating a series of suspicious deaths linked to a villainous saboteur called “The Scarab.”
The series also makes significant changes to Captain America’s traditional weaponry, replacing his trademark shield with a common handgun. At the time of its 1944 release, “Captain America” actually received a fairly warm critical response due to its elaborate action sequences and textbook cliffhanger storytelling. Despite the missing shied and Republic’s obvious budgetary limits, the Captain America costume in this serialized film remains essentially faithful to its comic book predecessor.
Captain America and Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979)
Like the 1944 film, these two made-for-TV movies take significant liberties with Marvel’s source material. In this case, our hero is the son of the original Captain America and saves the day while zooming around on his custom street bike. Like so much pop culture from the 70’s these movies are outrageously campy by today’s standards. The pacing was bad, special effects were cheap and acting was wooden. That isn’t to say, however, that they aren’t fun! With his “futuristic” Plexiglas shield and his crudely painted motorcycle helmet, this Captain America is “far out” to say the least.
Captain America (1990)
The 1990 film version of “Captain America” was the first to keep Marvel’s original back story. Shot entirely in Yugoslavia and starring “Revenge of the Nerds” actor Matt Salinger in the title role, it was never officially released in the United States. This shot at telling the Captain America story may have been a misfire, but it did feature a modern yet authentic costume in brilliant red, white and blue.
Molly Quinn, of “Castle” fame, will voice Supergirl in the upcoming DC Comics film adaptation of “Superman: Brainiac.” According to TV Guide, despite not having a booth, the 18-year-old actress headed down to San Diego ComicCon to announce her new project.
“I’m so excited to be a part of the DC family, not to mention helping Superman fight crime,” Quinn said. “Yes! I am Supergirl!”
Quinn will be the second actress to play the role since Nicholle Tom stopped voicing the character in 2006. Tom had been voicing the animated Supergirl since the character debuted in “Superman: The Animated Series” in 1998.Interestingly, Tom also had a guest spot on Castle a few years back.
The film will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, and will be based on Action Comics #866-870. The story, collected in the graphic novel “Superman: Brainiac,” features the first post-Infinite Crisis appearance of Brainiac, and includes the death of Superman’s adopted father, Jonathan Kent.
This isn’t Brainiac’s first title role in a DC film. In 2006’s “Superman: Brainiac Attacks,” he was voiced by Lance Henriksen. No word on who will be voicing the character in the upcoming film.
This looks to be DC’s first project after they finish a 2-part The Dark Knight Returns adaptation, currently planned for a Fall 2012 release.
This is the Sleeping Beauty you probably remember. It’s not going to be anything like this.
Fresh on the heels of two Snow White adaptations this year alone (Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman), another classic fairy tale is getting the big-screen makeover. Neal Moritz, producer of 21 Jump Street, is developing a new take on the old story of Sleeping Beauty.
Keeping up with the idea of edgy remakes, Moritz’s Sleeping Beauty, which is set to be released in 2014, will take some liberties with the typical charming princess character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Instead, Aurora will be portrayed as a “pesky stalker.”
The new version of the Brothers Grimm story will be a “modern-day retelling” in which the male lead accidentally awakens the princess, who then becomes lovestruck and stalks him. You may remember watching the original film adaptation created by Disney, in which the princess in cursed by the evil seen Maleficent into a perpetually sleep until a kiss awakes her, complete with songs and happy endings. Though, it doesn’t seem Moritz new retelling will go in this direction.
The film will be a comedy, according to AceShowbiz, and Moritz will produce through his Original Film banner.
However, the project does not yet have a studio.
Moritz’s Sleeping Beauty should not be confused with the currently in production film Maleficent, starring Angelina Joli, another retelling of the same fairytale from the point of view of the evil queen.
Fans are finally getting what they have been waiting for over the last few months. Casting news for the highly anticipated film adaptation sequel, Catching Fire. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, is the film and book sequel to The Hunger Games.
Catching Fire includes some new characters that fans have been dying to know about. Last week it was announced that actress Jena Malone had the role of Johanna Mason, an important role in the second and third books of the trilogy.
Then this week, it was announced that Amanda Plummer, most know for her role as Honey Bunny in cult film Pulp Fiction has secured the role of Wiress, nicknamed “Nuts” by the other tributes due to her lunacy. In reality, Wiress, is actually very smart, catching on to the clock theme of the Arena early on.
Wiress is a part of a duo, though, with the character of Beetee, nicknamed “Bolts,” effectively making the duo “Nuts and Bolts.” The word announced today is that award winning actor Tony Shaloub has gotten the part. Shaloub is most known for his role as the titular character in the USA series,”Monk.” While the role has not been confirmed it seems pretty reasonable.
The biggest news of all is the casting of Finnick Odair. Fans have spent MONTHS speculating who would land the highly coveted role and it seems we finally have a winner. According to Zap2it, british actor Sam Claflin has been officially offered the role of Finnick. Claflin is most known for his role in Snow White and the Huntsman.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is set to hit theaters on November 22, 2013.
Atom Egoyan’s TheDevil’s Knot has announced that the project has begun its principal photography in Atlanta, Georgia.
The film, which stars Academy Award winners Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon, is a biopic based on the 2002 bestselling book entitled, “Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three” written by investigative journalist Mara Leveritt.
The Devil’s Knot film adaptation will tell the story of the murders of three young children that sparked a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual. The accused killers, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, were believed to have been arrested as a result of “Satanic panic” rather than actual evidence, according the author’s assertion.
The tale of the killers, known to the world as The West Memphis Three overtook headlines for months leading up to and after their arrest. Since then, they have periodically appeared in the news with new evidence. The trial recently made headlines when the defendants were released in Aug. 2011 after 18 years in prison, due to new evidence uncovered by the defense.
Aside from Firth and Witherspoon, the cast includes Alessandro Nivola (Coco Before Chanel, Junebug), Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Amy Ryan (Win Win, Gone Baby Gone), Matt Letscher (Scandal), Michael Gladis (Mad Men), Rex Linn (Appaloosa), Mireille Enos (The Killing, Gangster Squad), Dane DeHaan (Lawless Chronicle) and Bruce Greenwood (The Place Beyond the Pines, Star Trek).
Robert Kirkman has a lot to be proud of. He has a hit comic book series that has entranced fans as well as a hit television show based on his work, and most recently two different video games inspired by the world he created. However, he has even more to brag about as his 100th issue of The Walking Dead comic book series has become the best-selling comic of the 21st century according to Image Comics.
The issue has already sold out of its initial order of 383,612 copies.
Part of the reason for the higher-than-usual sales could be, as the New York Times pointed out, that fans and collectors flock toward milestone issues, such as number 100 in a series, as well as issues with multiple covers. The 100th issue released a total of nine different covers, which fans flocked to collect.
Another big draw was likely the expectation that something particularly big might happen in the storyline. (It did, but we won’t spoil it for you here.)
The comic book series has also had other awards including receiving the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International.
The massively popular AMC television series probably didn’t hurt sales either. Season three of the series is set to begin on Oct. 14.
Director Peter Jackson may be looking to shoot additional material for The Hobbit, according to ComingSoon. The filmmaker is not only relying on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels for source material.
While Jackson said nothing is confirmed, he added that there is always a possibility.
“It’s very premature,” he said. “I mean we have an incredible source material with the appendices because The Hobbit is obviously a novel, but we also have the rights to use this 125-pages of additional notes where Tolkien expanded the world of The Hobbit, published at the end of Return of the King, and we’ve used some of it so far.”
Jackson said that as his crew began wrapping up shooting and thinking about the shape of the story, he began thinking about doing more.
“Fran and I have been talking to the studio about other things we haven’t been able to shoot and seeing if we persuade them to do a few more weeks of shooting– probably more than a few weeks actually, next year.”
Jackson said he doesn’t want The Hobbit to be a kid film, but one that fits into the Lord of the Rings universe and feels the same. Discussions are still in the early stages, but Jackson said he would like to be able to tell the other parts of the sprawling story.
He has already used more source material than just The Hobbit. When Gandalf disappears without explanation for multiple chapters in The Hobbit, Jackson turned to the appendices where Tolkien later explained the absence.
“It was all together a lot darker and more serious than what is written in The Hobbit,” Jackson said. “And also to be honest, I want to make a series of movies that run together so if any crazy lunatic wants to watch them all in a row, there will be a consistency to it, a consistency of tone.”
Jackson said he did not want to make a children’s story to lead into The Lord of the Rings, so the material from the appendices provides balance to the film’s tone.
“I mean a lot of the comedy and the charm comes from the characters,” Jackson said. “You’re dealing with Bilbo Baggins who is a bit more reluctant to go on an adventure than Frodo was, and with Dwarves who have a personality and camaraderie all of their own, so there’s a lot of humor, but there are still some serious themes involved.”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will open in theaters Dec. 14.
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