Yesterday we gave you your first look at the third film in The Hobbit trilogy, There and Back Again, featuring Orlando Bloom reprising his role as Legolas and Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman. Today we have your first look at the second film in the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, featuring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. As you can see he's sitting on a mountain of gold, and from his facial expression I assume he's getting his first look at a very scary looking dragon.

This is a climatic scene in the story, and because this happens in the second movie you might be wondering what's left to see in a third. Screenwriter and producer Philippa Boyens offers a little explanation, "The dragon is a huge, wonderful, amazing part of the story, but it doesn’t end there. Everyone can suspect there’s a rather large battle in film three."

The battle she is referring to here is the epic Battle of Five Armies. The battle was waged in T.A. 2941, and the five parties involved include the Goblins and the Wargs fighting against Men, Elves and Dwarves at the Lonely Mountain.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set to hit theaters December 14th; The Desolation Of Smaug will be released on December 13th, 2013; There And Back Again is scheduled to be released July 18th, 2014.

Gale Anne Hurd, producer of AMC's hit show The Walking Dead, has teamed with Burn Notice's Bridget Tyler for a new project at USA. THR reports that the duo are working on a female-driven World War II sci-fi pilot called Horizon. The drama "revolves around a secretary at the FBI who discovers that her husband might have been killed in a battle with a spaceship in the South Pacific. Obsessed with learning the truth, she becomes the only person standing between Earth and an alien invasion."

This will be the first science fiction show on the network since The 4400 in 2007. Here is what USA's Bill McGoldrick had to say about the project:

"We've been actively looking in two areas for a while: genre and period and we got this great script that combines them both. It's playing in two worlds that we really like and we're able to do it in one project with Gale Anne Hurd, who is the hot TV name right now. We found this great voice in Bridget, which Gale has cultivated really well."

Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V is due out next year, and the excitement couldn’t be any higher. Before you know it, the game will be out and all your friends will cease communication because they are too busy shooting people and stealing cars in the game.

By now you have seen the trailer probably a million times. But this time we have a new twist  for you, the trailer re-done in LEGO form. TheFourMonkeys4 on YouTube have re-created the trailer, shot-for-shot, for you to enjoy. The thing about it is, when it’s in LEGO form it all seems more funny.

Universal Pictures has released the first epic looking poster for Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski's new sci-fi film Oblivion. Tom Cruise stars in the film along with Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo. 

Kosinski is great with visuals so I have no doubt that the movie is going to look amazing! The biggest issue with Tron: Legacy was the script, hopefully with this film he was able to develop a solidly good script. The story sounds really cool! 

Oblivion is an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth.  Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete.

 

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft.  Her arrival triggers a chain of events that  forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Earlier in the week Kevin Smith announced that his hockey movie Hit Somebody was going to be turned into a TV series. That was supposed to be his last film project, the director has now announced via Twitter that his last film will be Clerks III...

So with the HIT SOMEBODY shift, the minute Jeff Anderson signs on, my last cinematic effort as a writer/director will be CLERKS III.#TaDa

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) December 7, 2012

I've enjoyed the first two Clerks movies, and it's a great way for Smith to end his filmmaking career. He started it with Clerks and now he'll end it with Clerks. As of right now it all hinges on Jeff Anderson signing on, which I'm sure will happen soon. The fact that Smith wants to make a third Clerks film isn't new, he briefly brought it up back in 2010 saying,

Red State is done. Next step is the hockey movie, Hit Somebody. Then I’m done. There’s possibly a Clerks III. If I have something to say in my late 40s about being in my late 40s, I’ll think of [Clerks'] Dante and Randal. Shy of that, I don’t have any more movies I want to make.

It will be interesting to see where Dante and Randal are in their lives since 2006's Clerk's II. At one point he was thinking about making Clerks III as a play, but I personally think it was meant to be a film. What do you think about Clerks III being Smith's last film?  

Stranger Than Fiction screenwriter Zach Helm has been hired to write the script for the Jumanji remake set up at Columbia Pictures. The movie is based on the 1981 book written by Chris Van Allsburg, it was adapted into a film in 1995, it was directed by Joe Johnston and starred Robin Wiliams and Kirsten Dunst.

I loved the original film when I saw it growing up, it was just a really fun adventure story. It follows the adventure of two kids who start playing a supernatural board game in which elements of it come to life and invade our world. They end up releasing a man who was trapped in the game decades earlier. They team up and work together to try and finish the game so that things go back to normal. The studio obviously wants to make an updated version of the family film for a new, younger generation of movie goers. 

Robin Williams was awesome in the first movie. He was able to bring that childlike wonder to the adult character he played. Tom Hanks did the same thing in the movie Big. It's hard to say what actor could possibly take on that role and pull it off in the remake. I guess if they want to go with an A-lister I could see someone like Ryan Reynolds, but who would your suggestion be? 

Wreck-It Ralph was one of the best animated movies of the year. Disney and director Rich Moore did a hell of job with it! It was also a big hit at the box-office so it's not really surprising to learn that there's going to be a sequel. In a recent interview with Movie Hole Sarah Silverman confirmed that there will be a sequel, and John C. Reilly humorously explained,

They wouldn’t make [all that] merchandise, if [Disney] didn’t have plans for other [Wreck-it Ralph] stories. Some of the big muckety-muckets at the studio, who I just saw the other night, were like ‘We’re talking sequel!’ The movie made $150 million dollars in eleven days, it broke the box-office record for Disney animated movies on opening weekend. If that’s any indication that we’ll be doing a sequel… I bet we’ll be doing a sequel.

Moore is also very confident in the sequel, and explains that he wants to direct it, and he'd like to add Mario to the mix of characters next time around. 

At dinner last night we were already talking about. So we’re talking ‘what could do they do? what kinda of things could happen?... Mario is someone you’ll definitely see in the next one. We’ll really come up with something good for Mario to do [in the next film]. To be able to present him in the sequel, would be great.

The site explains that the only reason that Mario didn’t show up in the first film was because Moore couldn’t find anywhere for him to go in the story, it wasn’t because Nintendo refused them. So that's cool! I was wondering why Mario didn't make an appearance. 

In a previous interview with Moore he said that the sequel would explore online gaming. I imagine that's still the idea that the story will be built around, which I'm sure will make for a great setting and a great sequel! 

If you’re a big Minecraft fan or are looking for Christmas gifts for a Minecraft fan, then we have just the thing for you!

ThinkGeek is back at it again with their fantastic assortment of gifts and toys. This time they are offering a Torch replica from the hit Minecraft game, and it actually lights up! For just $34.99 this torch can be yours. Not only can it sit on your table to illuminate the room, you can even mount it to the wall just like in the game.

Head on over to their site and this can be yours!

Sometimes it's just easier to buy the Torch instead of crafting it, especially IRL. So, when you've run out of charcoal and wood or just can't seem to make enough to stop hostile mobs from spawning, get yourself the Minecraft Wall Torch. Place one every 12 blo-feet in your home along the walls and it'll stop any hostiles from popping up.

Another plus is the most recent patch enabling you to mount your torch on glass! Melt away that snow or prevent your lake from freezing, only in a 2-block radius of course. You can even mount it in a pumpkin for an adorable jack-o-lantern. Okay, don't actually do any of that, it'll just end up breaking. Just mount it on your wall because it looks cool and maybe, MAYBE it'll keep zombies away. So far, it seems to be working. Have you seen any zombies lately? Didn't think so.

Product Specifications

• Keep hostiles away from your room
• Looks just like the torch from the game
• Officially licensed Minecraft collectible
• Hangs on your wall or sits on a table
• Materials: plastic
• Batteries: 3 AAA batteries (not included)
• Dimensions: 11" x 2 1/4" x 2 1/4"

The Hobbit and Lincoln actor Lee Pace has confirmed in a recent interview with MTV that he is preparing to audition for the role of Star-Lord in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy! Pace is one of several actors up for the lead role in the film. Some of the other actors include Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas), Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables), Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy), James Marsden (X-Men) and Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom).

As much as I like Pace as an actor, I'm kind of rooting for Marsden. But, if Pace did end up getting the part I wouldn't complain as he's my second choice. Here's what he had to say,

I go in on Monday to meet them all and audition for it, so wish me luck. I'm very excited about it. The script is great. The character is a lot of fun. I have been [reading up on Star-Lord]. You want to know what you're doing. The character is a lot of fun. I hope it works out.

When asked about his chances of landing the part he said, 

We'll see. We'll see, I've got to audition. I've got to go get it. I actually love auditioning, so I'm happy to go meet them all and do it.

It's awesome to see that he's excited for the part! Most actors are known for brushing off these kinds of questions, but he seemed to have no problems opening up about it.

The movie is being written and directed by James Gunn, and the story follows a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants. Star-Lord is the pilot and leader of the space superhero team.

The movie is set to hit theaters on August 1st, 2014! Who would you like to see end up in the part of Star-Lord?

"Right, when we get there, do the synchronized sword bit. They would never see that coming."

Here's a funny Lord of the Rings fan film directed by The Clarkson Twins called Fellowship of the Ringwraiths. It gives us some insight into what the Ringwraiths were doing when we didn't see them chasing after Frodo for the ring. Here's a little description of the film,

Have you ever wondered what the Ringwraiths were up to during the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring?...

Despite being known as the second most terrifying creatures on Middle Earth - hardly anything is known about the Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings... until now.

Join Johnny, Steve, Margaret, Rob and Dave as they deliberate how best to capture the one ring...

Enjoy the comedy short! 

Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn is set to direct Denzel Washington in the big screen adaptation of the TV series The Equalizer for Sony Pictures. Before Refn came on board the project passed through the hands of Paul Haggis and Russell Crowe. 

I never really had interest in the project, but the fact that Refn is going to direct it has sparked it. The guy is just such a talented director, I loved what he did with Drive, and his upcoming film Only God Forgives looks like it could be even better. If anyone can turn The Equalizer into a badass film worth watching it's Refn, which is probably why they hired him.

Washington plays Robert McCall, a former spy turned private detective. Here's a brief synopsis of the show to give you an idea of what we might expect:

Robert McCall is a tough-as-nails, no-BS private eye who went into business for himself after leaving the shadowy agency he once worked for. McCall works on behalf of those whose problems the police cannot - or will not - get involved in. His card reads, 'Got a problem? Odds against you? Need help? Call - The Equalizer'. Through 4 seasons, Robert McCall went up against some of the worst elements that New York City had - including gangs, mobsters, crooked cops, vigilantes, stalkers and even psychopathic stockbrokers

The movie is loosely based on the show so there will be several changes. The film is set to move into production in late spring of 2013. The script was written by Richard Wenk. What are your thoughts on Refn bringing us a feature film version of this series? 

Sketch Empire teamed up with KHA Entertainment to pull off one hell of a prank in Ohio. Roman Atwood and Dennis Roady used a realistic animatronic T-Rex dinosaur costume to wreak havoc on their hometown. The reactions are priceless, check them out for yourself.

Follow Jim on Twitter and Tumblr

What the hell?! A pump-action shotgun that can fire 15-rounds of ammo? This is for real, and it's called the UTS 15 from UTAS. This is a must own for anyone prepping up for the upcoming Zombie apocalypse! I want one. In fact I'd like a whole arsenal of these things! This is just a solidly badass weapon. 

The final two episodes of Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome are now online for you to watch! It sucks that this will be the last of the series we'll see, because I thought it was pretty awesome. 

To watch the previous six episodes leading up to the finale Click here, here, and here. On February 19th, 2013 an unrated Blu-Ray and DVD of the series will hit shelves. The full two hour pilot will also air as a TV-movie on Syfy that month as well. But you can watch it all for free right now.  

When you're finished watching, let us know what you thought of the prequel series!

Here's the trailer to a great looking documentary directed by Bill and Ted's Alex Winter called Downloaded. The doc tells the story of the creation and life of Napster, which helped change the way we listen to muisc. This is a fascinating story, and it looks like this will be a great documentary! 

Like many of you I was one of the many Napster users back in the day, and I remember when all this stuff was going down. It will be interesting to see a documentary that gives us an in depth behind the scenes look at the rise and fall of Napster. Here's the trailer! 

DOWNLOADED from Trouper on Vimeo.

Did you ever think you'd see Disney Princesses wearing Versace and Roberto Cavalli dresses? Well, here's a collection of photos by photographer Jason Ell showing several of the fairytale princesses all decked out in extremely expensive dresses by some of the fashion industry's top designers. The photos are part of the Holiday edition of thanks to Harrods magazine.

Mattel has officially released the official hoverboard from Back to the Future II, and what can I say? It looks exactly how I imagine it would look with that awesome neon pink color. Unfortunately, it doesn't fly, it just makes for a cool collectors display. 

I always loved how the year 2015 in the film still felt like the 1980's. It was just an over-exaggerated version of that time period. 

Tim Burton's live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland was a huge hit, making over a billion dollars. It also helped inspire a ton of other live-action fairytale movies. So it's no surprise that Disney is finally moving forward with a sequel.

The studio has hired Linda Woolverton to write the script for the sequel. Woolverton has a solid history with Disney writing other films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, and Maleficent. So she definitely knows what it takes to make a solidly good Disney film. 

Of course there's no details of what the plot of the sequel will be, but it's obviously inspired by Lewis Carroll's Wonderland novels, and we know Alice will return to Wonderland. We just don't know what adventure awaits her this time around. 

There's no word on if Burton will be back to direct or if Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp will return to reprise their roles either. Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd will return as producers though.

I thought Burton's vision of Wonderland was okay, it didn't blow me away. I thought it could have been a lot better but it was still entertaining. 

As of right now the other fairytale movies in production are, Maleficent, Cinderella, Peter and the Starcatchers and Jon Favreau's Magic Kingdom, which features characters found in its theme parks. 

Here's the new poster for Michael Bay's next film Pain & Gain featuring Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg. In the film they play a pair of Florida bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme involving a wealthy businessman that goes terribly wrong. If you didn'talready know, it's based on a true story. 

The script was written by Captain America scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. It also stars Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Tony Shalhoub, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong and Yolanthe Cabau.

I'm curious to see how this movie turns out, as it's not your normal big budget Michael Bay film. This is the movie that will show us how good of a storyteller he really is because we won't be distracted by a bunch of crazy explosions and special effects throughout the movie.