The Flash is going to take on Flashpoint in its season 3 premiere, but it will be different than what we are familiar with in the comics. Producer Todd Helbing elaborated on the process in a roundtable discussion with Slashfilm and a few other outlets:

“You want to make sure you do right. But it’s also, the way we approach all these stories are we know what happened in the comics but we take that event and we sort of run it through the Flash television show filter so we can tell the same story with our spin. It was challenging but it wasn’t impossible...One part that was hard is you’re asking the audience in the first episode to experience, very much like Earth-2 the first time, to experience a different reality...We always approach it like would our mother understand what is going on right now? Because she doesn’t read comic books. If we can get her to get it, I feel like we’ve been successful and I feel like she’ll understand it.”

That means that people who already aren't in the Flash TV universe will not be making their debut in the Flashpoint storyline, which will not continue the length of the entire season.

We once again received confirmation (after conflicting reports from staff and cast) that Flashpoint would affect the other DC shows in some way. One thing that seems to be confirmed (from my speculation of reading articles) is that the four-show crossover will NOT involve the events of Flashpoint. I kind of figured that when I heard the season would only cover Flashpoint for around three episodes or so.

The Flash premieres its third season on The CW on October 5, 2016, and make sure to check out the new Comic-Con trailer if you haven't seen it yet!

Dominic Cooper was not the first choice for the lead role of Jesse Custer on AMC's Preacher, according to producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Slashfilm says that the two initially wanted James Franco for the project, but weren't able to get him due to his schedule of a dozen projects and unwillingness to drop them for television:

Goldberg: "He was into it but just literally he has to make 4,000 things in 20 different formats. It would take up his time and he wouldn’t be able to do a Tori Spelling movie or whatever the hell he was going to do.”

Rogen: “[Franco] was dangling from a crane in Venice at the time so he couldn’t work us in...I think that was even before, that was in a very preliminary phase.”

I don't think I would enjoy the show as much as I have with James Franco in the main role. Franco is a great actor, but I just don't see myself visualizing him doing some of the stuff Dominic Cooper does in the role. Ultimately, I'm glad the talks fell through. I'm sure you feel the same way.

After decades away from the spotlight, Daniel Stern (of Home Alone fame) has returned shirtless and with a bucket. This video is short, has little agenda besides reminding people he is alive, and is satisfying beyond belief. I won't tell you why, but you'll figure it out when you watch.

All five of DC Comics film directors Zack Snyder (Justice League), Ben Affleck (Batman), James Wan (Aquaman), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), and Rick Famuyiwa (The Flash) stood shoulder-to-shoulder to talk about their forthcoming projects in Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con. It's interesting hearing what piqued their interests in joining and what they think of their respective characters and their rich comic and cinematic history.

There are many things that pop into my head when I hear The X-Files theme:

• I'm going to die
• Is there something in the room just behind me?
• Great, I heard this song before bed and now I can't sleep.

It's such a surreal song that, even without knowledge of the show, it can creep you out.

It's probably one of television's best themes as it sets the tone perfectly for the show. But what if The X-Files had a more Touched By An Angel vibe? What if the entire series was Mulder and Scully helping supernatural forces that were doing great things for the world? It would definitely sound like this version, which is the same song played in the major key. It's a trip to listen to!

With a cast that includes Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Aniston, Kate McKinnon, Jamie Chung, Rob Corddry, Abbey Lee, Karan Soni, Courtney B. Vance, and Matt Walsh, it seems like Office Christmas Party has a chance to be a big movie, at least for those who appreciate comedy. Paramount has released the first trailer for the film, and while it checks off all the seemingly mandatory moments for a big studio comedy these days (excessive drugs & alcohol, someone getting injured in a ridiculous way, etc), I'm going to be naive for a minute and assume that all of these actors signed on because the script was excellent and this is a project they really believe in.

Office Christmas Party hits theaters on December 9, 2016. What do you think?

In OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY, when the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

At the end of the day, cosplay should be more about fun than accuracy. That's the message The Great Big Story is sending in its interview with cosplayer Jourdan Barnett.

I myself was found guilty of looking at people at SDCC and thinking, "They don't look like that character at all," when really, why the hell should I care?! I went as The Flash for Halloween last year and my gut is way too big to look like Barry Allen! Cosplay isn't a Hollywood casting call or costume fitting; we should celebrate when it looks like it is, but also not get our feathers ruffled when it doesn't.

Creed director Ryan Coogler is still working on the script for Marvel Studios' Black Panther, so when he and the cast showed up at San Diego Comic-Con this past Saturday (see the full panel here), they couldn't show off any completed footage because they haven't even started filming yet. They did confirm a couple of cast members, though, including Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia and Danai Gurira as Okoye, who are members of the Dora Milaje (the personal bodyguards of Black Panther who we first saw on screen briefly in Civil War).

Speaking with Marvel.com, Nyong'o let the following story details slip out:

The story of this Black Panther is - what am I allowed to say? The story is that the Black Panther’s leadership is really threatened by two foes who come together, and so Black Panther gets the help of the C.I.A. and the Dora Milaje to try and defeat the enemy.

It seems likely that Nyong'o will be playing one of those foes, since in the comics, Nakia becomes obsessed with marrying T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and when he rejects her, she teams up with Erik Killmonger (who is played by Michael B. Jordan in the movie) to get revenge. 

For more on Black Panther, including how Marvel's current comic series is influencing the upcoming movie, click here.

Every year, we hear stories about celebrities going undercover to walk floor at conventions so they don't get hounded by fans asking for a selfie or an autograph. Mark Ruffalo and Jared Leto did it for New York Comic Con, Bryan Cranston wore a Walter White mask one year, and the list goes on. Now we have the highest-profile example from last weekend's San Diego Comic-Con, as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League star Henry Cavill revealed on his Instagram that he donned a Guy Fawkes mask to walk the floor incognito. The best part is when he surprises Suicide Squad star Will Smith with a photo request and it takes Smith a second to realize what's going on:

Best Comic Con yet. I got to be here for Justice League but couldn't miss Suicide Squad. #SDCC2016 #JusticeLeague #SuicideSquad

A video posted by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Jul 23, 2016 at 4:28pm PDT

This isn't the first time Cavill has pulled something like this, either. He wore a Superman shirt and stood around in Times Square right before Batman v Superman came out, and no one seemed to notice him. He's obviously playing a sort of dour version of Superman on the big screen, but at least seems like a fun person in real life:

@benaffleck #WhoWillWin #Superman

A video posted by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Mar 19, 2016 at 5:20pm PDT

Here's the first trailer for Level Up, a new thriller which follows a lazy gamer who is sent on a potentially deadly scavenger hunt when his girlfriend is kidnapped. The guy (played by Revenge's Josh Bowman) has to follow the instructions of the faceless baddies on the other end of his phone, deliver a package (or something), and save the girl before it's too late.

Level Up hits theaters one month from today, on August 26, 2016.

A deadbeat gamer’s girlfriend is kidnapped. Her kidnappers keep in contact with him by phone, issuing increasingly ludicrous and dangerous challenges he must complete to keep her alive, forcing him to fight his way across London. When he discovers who kidnapped her and why, he learns he is part of a game far larger than himself. But he still has to get her back.

The high concept action thriller shows a hidden, sometimes terrifying – and often outright bizarre – side of London. With its blend of humor, action, and terror; real, flawed human characters; and a city both familiar and unseen; LEVEL UP is a unique and bold piece of British cinema by debut feature filmmaker Adam Randal.

Via: BirthMoviesDeath

Ranger, Visor, Nix, and Scale Bearer. These are the names of the four champions that were showcased in the Quake Champions reveal trailer. In this...read more on Gametyrant

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I know, I know. The Syfy Channel hasn't had a really good rep in recent memory. Yeah, they were responsible for gems such as Battlestar Galactica and all those Stargate spin-offs, but they were also responsible for films like Sharknado. Look, I'm not trying to hate on you if you like Sharknado — I know there are a lot of people out there that enjoy B-movies and how ridiculous they are, but if you're looking for to a return to the quality of Battlestar or Stargate, well, 12 Monkeys is your answer.

Developed by Terry Matalas and Travis Ficket, 12 Monkeys follows scavenger-turned-chrononaut James Cole (Aaron Stanford) as he travels from 2043 to present-day 2016 to kill a man named Leland Goines, who is allegedly responsible for an apocalyptic virus outbreak. This is more than a reboot of Terry Gilliam's 1995 film based on Chris Marker's 1962 short film La Jetee. In fact, in its early stages, it had no ties to the film. It was based on a pilot script by Matalas and Ficket called "Splinter," and when you get into the meat of the series, it most certainly takes on an identity of its own. But this isn't a comparison — I'm here to tell you why you should be watching 12 Monkeys. Season two's finale aired a couple weeks ago and I'm going to try really hard to restrain myself from geeking out too hard on you, because I'm of the opinion that it's currently one of the best shows on television. If you're also a fan of the show, welcome! You definitely know what I'm talking about. To the newcomers: Oh, you're in for a ride.

Admittedly, when you first dive into season one it takes one or two episodes to gain some traction. The actors are just settling into their chemistry with each other and the story is just ramping up, but it doesn't take long for you to invest yourself in these people. We meet Cole as a bitter man — he's experienced nothing but a post-apocalyptic world while having to do terrible things to survive with his best friend Jose Ramse (Kirk Acevedo). They have decided to stop a scavenger lifestyle that resulted in killing innocent people (which Cole is a lot more willing to do), and have hunkered down in an old warehouse where they protect a team of scientists lead by a physicist named Katarina Jones (Barbara Sukowa). 12 Monkeys makes quick work of establishing the rules of its universe and gives us a fast-paced action series encapsulated in an ever-deepening and intriguing story.

The story of 12 Monkeys is so much more than a re-telling of the original. It simply uses the story and characters of the original as the foundation of something much bigger and infinitely more intriguing. Matalas and Ficket are very clever in their use of time-travel as a plot device, and they aren't shy about using it either. We're rarely stuck in one time period at any given time, with characters constantly spread between at least two different time periods. This adds a certain pacing to the show that helps it rarely, if ever, slump into boredom or redundancy. The directors of the series also make use of varying colors and tones as we visit different time periods which gives a nice reprieve from the bleak and darkened landscape of the future where our characters make home base.

We're treated to story beats from Gilliam's film that mostly occur in the first half of season one, especially the introduction to the delightfully mad Jennifer Goines, played excellently by Emily Hampshire (we'll get to her a little later). Every character is on an epic journey, and because Matalas and Ficket have the entire scope of time and space to play with, it creates endless possibilities in terms of story (i.e. time storms where the past, present, and future collide at once). It always keeps you guessing, and almost feels like it gets better episode by episode, never showing you its entire hand but still giving you just enough to piece the picture together. By the time you think you have it all figured out, however, think again. Matalas and Ficket are doing great work in keeping 12 Monkeys constantly fresh and intriguing, and executing misdirection with creativity. Each of the first two seasons clocks in at a thirteen episode count which causes it to feel more like a Netflix binge series. Its pacing is arguably better than Daredevil's first two seasons — maybe even Jessica Jones for that matter. It's easy for you to settle in and want to blast through thirteen episodes in a row, although I wouldn't recommend spending thirteen hours in a row sitting on a couch due to health reasons and stuff like that. (I'm not judging, though. I watched Season five of 24 in its entirety leading up to a disappointing season six...) Let's move on, shall we?

Perhaps the best aspect of 12 Monkeys is its characters, their journeys, and how they develop with the story. Matalas and Ficket have crafted a slew of memorable characters that, like the story, will keep you on your toes with their well-crafted, fun, and sometimes harrowing journeys. There's a warmth and familiarity with each of the characters because their backstories are thought out and used in ways to organically evolve them within the world that Matalas and Ficket have created.

Stanford plays James Cole with a guarded and hardened mentality. He's never had the chance to live in the world in which we know and take for granted every single day, but only remembers fragments of his childhood before it went upside-down. Behind his badassery — and he is a badass — Cole is a big ol' softy. He just wants to live a normal life, and that shines through during his stays in different time periods. He finds solace in ordering whiskey sours every time he splinters back into time, and he enjoys music and dancing. Stanford hides the real Cole behind hard eyes and inner conflict, but there are times when that real, romantic, normal Cole comes through that rough exterior. It's these moments that really bring us in, and make us want to cheer our hero on.

His scenes with Acevedo's Ramse show a strong chemistry throughout; they're supposed to be childhood and life-long friends and it definitely plays that way. Each character has a well-written arc, but Ramse's is arguably the best. I won't give anything away, but this guy goes on one hell of a journey. When you first meet Ramse, he's sick of killing and has waning faith in the mission. He believes they should focus on the future and that all this time-travel BS is just a waste of time, but boy is he thrown for a loop, especially when The Witness storyline is introduced, and if you don't know what I'm talking about...well, good. Watch! The Witness storyline begins in season one, stretches through season two, and involves an unknown being that is able to exist outside of time, and influence his cult following — the Army of the Twelve Monkeys. It might go a little bit long, but the writing and characters' journeys still make it a fun ride no matter what. Acevedo puts in some really great performances as Ramse, taking you on a ride through his emotions with the inflections and cadence in his voice while giving a nuanced performance, adding to the believability of this otherwise fantastical world.

Speaking of nuance and performances, Hampshire's Goines is probably the most fun in the series. She's crazy but wise, off-putting but heartwarming. Hampshire puts a wonderful spin of her own on the character, playing Goines with believable insanity, but definitely shows that she can hit more than one note. She might be annoying at first but charms you as the series continues, and after being upgraded to series regular for the second season, she might be the most enjoyable character of the series. The writers certainly have fun with Goines' clever and paradoxical dialogue, while giving her an underlying grace and addicting personality that causes you to ask for more. She's always a welcome sight whenever she's on-screen and remains a big reason why 12 Monkeys is so enjoyable.

So those three characters are the best in my opinion, but not by much. Amanda Shull plays Dr. Cassandra Railley. Early on, the mission revolves around her and a recording that the future team possesses. Cole is sent back initially and enlists her help which brings her into the fold. She's a key piece of the puzzle and Shull really settles into her own as the series continues. Her character takes a big turn and also goes on a very interesting journey that changes her in big ways, which invests you in her character a little more and strengthens her in positive ways, but creates an interesting dynamic between her and Cole later on. Todd Stashwick plays a man named Theodore Deacon, who's the leader of a scavenger group called West 7 in 2043. This guy starts off as a big asshole but ends up becoming one of the most memorable characters in the series, mostly shining in Season Two after being upgraded to a regularly occurring role. He doesn't have a huge part in the overall story, but always provides welcome moments of levity and awesomeness as the series continues. One particularly badass moment involving a nice long walk with Ramse and Cole is sure to win you over, and if it doesn't, he's always there for a nice quip or one-liner that'll coax a chuckle from your cold and embittered soul.  

I haven't even gotten into the Army of the Twelve Monkeys or The Messengers, who are usually fronted by the creepy and pestering Pallid Man (Tom Noonan) and Olivia (Alisen Down), both dark souls who have been promised a bigger role in the larger picture of time by The Witness, and both able to exist out of time and space themselves...I'm going to leave these characters in the shadows where they belong. There are a lot of twists and turns involving The Army of the Twelve Monkeys and our main group of characters that aren't worth spoiling, but worth watching and letting unfold for yourselves!

Why should you watch 12 Monkeys? Overall, it's a solid piece of television. Its writing is clever and creative; its performances and characters are moving and thoroughly engaging. It has the ability to captivate you with a blend of adventure, action, humor, and twisty mind-bending time-travel storytelling that are never too confusing to follow (still, it's best to start watching from the beginning). 12 Monkeys hasn't slowed down since its first episode and keeps getting better with time (no pun intended), giving us a rare show with little to no filler that continuously tightens its grip as it progresses. Season three is slated for a ten episode run that will begin sometime next year, so now is the perfect time to catch up, and if you've seen the Season two finale already, you'll know that ride isn't slowing down anytime soon.

Star Trek Beyond was marketed very poorly. From brainless, to uninspired, to Rihanna-esque, the trailers never seemed to know what direction they were going. As a film, however, Star Trek Beyond is a surprising treat..Listen on PodTyrant

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(Spoilers ahead.)

The more I look back on season six of Game of Thrones, the more I like it. The finale episode, entitled "The Winds of Winter," was unquestionably one of the series' high points, and that was largely due to the amazing combination of writing, directing, acting, music, and visual effects. That last part cannot be overstated: at this stage in Game of Thrones, fans expect a certain level of spectacle, and VFX are essential in bringing that to life. Case in point: this cool new video reel from Rising Sun Pictures (via Sploid) showing off the explosive effects from the season finale when Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor.

For the finale of season six of HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones¸ Rising Sun Pictures faced a formidable challenge: replicate the sprawling city of King’s Landing and its central shrine, the Great Sept of Baelor, and then burn them to the ground in a magical, green-hued inferno.

New to the Game of Thrones production team, RSP created visual effects for several episodes of the show’s recently concluded sixth season. Most of the work centered on King’s Landing and the Sept as artists produced photo-realistic CG set extensions and architectural enhancements that were blended with location footage to create the luxurious, walled city overlooking the sea.

After you're done with that, be sure to watch the VFX reel for The Battle of The Bastards, check out the NSFW Comic-Con blooper reel, and read our predictions for what's to come in season seven.

X-Men: Apocalypse had a few standout moments, but for the most part I thought it was a bloated mess. Your mileage will vary, of course, but I thought it was bad enough that Bryan Singer should be removed from this franchise once and for all. I think the future of the X-Men movies belongs in the hands of capable filmmakers with a fresh take on how to tell stories about these iconic characters.

The How It Should Have Ended team has turned their sights on the latest X-film, and this time they've enlisted the help of some of their fans to write the script. I assumed that would mean this might not be quite as entertaining as their normal videos, but I was wrong about that: this one is just as good as a normal episode.

Legendary Pictures brought Kong: Skull Island to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con with director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and stars Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Corey Hawkins, and Jason Mitchell to talk about their experiences shooting the film. The trailer was already released, and in case you missed it you can watch it here. As much as I love the director, actors, and studio behind Kong: Skull Island, I'm not sold on the film. Perhaps another trailer will hook me, because the concept has potential.

Kong: Skull Island romps into theaters March 10th, 2017 (USA).

When the trailer for Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of The Sword premiered last weekend in Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con the reception to it was a mixture of polite clapping and some cheers. Online the trailer so far has more positive than negative comments, but people seem to be really mixed.

The problem with Ritchie's films is that he doesn't cut the trailer. There is just something so very specific about how he presents things that the trailers for his films like Sherlock Holmes are poor reflections of the actual film's style. I'm overall excited for the film and the new elements it brings to the mythos of King Arthur.

One thing that does worry me is that the Charlie Hunnam was the only representative for the film on the panel. Either all the other actors, Ritchie, and the film's producers were simultaneously unavailable, or the studio is not confident in the movie. King Arthur: Legend of The Sword has a March 24th, 2017 (USA) release date which means they didn't think it would do well versus other summer movies. I hope I'm wrong and it's a brilliant and fun movie.

Jessica Chastain (Inception, Zero Dark Thirty) is in talks to star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the big screen adaptation of the Tom Clancy video game The Division. The game was released earlier this year, and it was a huge success for Ubisoft, who is also producing the film.

The story for The Division is set in the wake of a devastating pandemic that sweeps through New York City, basic services fail one by one, and without access to food or water, the city quickly descends into chaos. Chastain is a talented actress and this seems like it could be a fun project for her. There are no details on the character that she will be playing, but I'm sure we'll learn more if she ends up being officially cast.

Here's a more detailed summary for the game:

In 2001, an operation known as "Dark Winter" was launched which was a real-world exercise that tested the emergency response to a bioterror attack on the United States. The simulation spiraled out of control within a few days, and predicted that a "breakdown in essential institutions," civil disorder, and massive civilian casualties. This event came true when a virus was created that attached to bank notes (Nicknamed the Green flu due to its origination in America), circulated on Black Friday causing within a day an international pandemic. Manhattan, where the gameplay is set, is where the virus originated and the effects of the viral pandemic was the worst. The player is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division, and he is tasked with helping to rebuild the Division’s operations in Manhattan, investigating the nature of the outbreak and combating criminal activity in its wake.

Ubisoft has got a couple other film projects in the pipeline such as Assassin's Creed with Michael Fassbender and Splinter Cell with Tom Hardy. Ubisoft has an opportunity to make some great films. They've got some solid talent attached to these projects so I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Source: Variety

The Spider-Man: Homecoming footage screened at Comic-Con this past weekend got all the fans in attendance incredibly pumped for this movie. It was actually my favorite thing that I saw at Comic-Con, and I can’t win for the rest of you to get to see the footage.

Spider-Man was already introduced into the MCU with Captain America: Civil War, and the world loved his debut. I’ve been a little curious to know how the upcoming Spider-Man solo film will fit in with the rest of the MCU. We know that Tony Stark will play a part in the film, but director Jon Watts explained where exactly the film will fit in with the MCU. He told ComicBook.com:

"I think of it as the ground floor. If the Avengers Tower is the penthouse and we know what it's like to be a millionaire, billionaire playboy to be Tony or we know what it's like to be a God on another planet, that's the penthouse level of the MCU. Spider-Man is the ground floor. What does a high school in the MCU look like? What does riding the subway in the MCU feel like? Spider-Man seems like the most perfect opportunity because he's the most regular person in the canon that I thought he was a great chance to show what that angle of the MCU feels like."

That’s what I enjoy about Spider-Man so much. He’s the everyday geeky kid that most of are or were when we were in high school. He’s a character that we can relate to. I love that we are going to get to see this side of the Marvel universe. We do get a taste of it in Marvel’s Netflix series, but this Spider-Man movie is going to be so much more light-hearted and fun.

Who knows, maybe Spider-Man will end up being the link between the Marvel movies and the Netflix series, the character that can bring together the Avengers and the Defenders. I doubt that will ever happen, but it’s a fun thought. 

It looks to me like Watts is doing something really special with this movie, and it’s going to have such a different kind of attitude and vibe than any of the other Marvel movies. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7th, 2017.

There are a lot of fans who have speculated that Jared Leto's Joker in Suicide Squad is actually Jason Todd. In the comics, the Joker murders Jason Todd and Batman spends years mourning his loss and blaming himself for his failure as a guardian and father figure. Jason Todd ended up coming back decades later as the Red Hood, which is an identity we learned The Joker had in The Killing Joke.

One of the lines of dialogue in Batman v Superman that sparked this speculation is when Bruce Wayne told Alfred:

"20 years in Gotham, how many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?" 

Then people started finding bits and pieces of speculative evidence to prove that the Joker is actually Jason Todd, but there’s never been any confirmation, just lots of fans trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together. If you are one of those fans who think this is speculation is legit, according to Suicide Squad director David Ayer, you’re wrong.

When asked about what the most ridiculous rumor he heard when he was making Suicide Squad, he said, “That the joker is Jason Todd.” He seemed a little annoyed by that and went on to say, “It ain’t the case, he’s not.” 

So there you have it. It has 100% been denied. The Joker is not Jason Todd. In my mind, the Joker is just the Joker. He’s just an evil son-of-a-bitch that came out of nowhere to make Batman’s life a living hell.