Iron Man director Jon Favreau is set to direct a small screen adaptation of the fantasy series The Sword of Shanarra from author Terry Brooks. He will direct the pilot series for MTV. For those of you not familiar with the book, it borrows a ton of ideas and concepts from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth novels. The story centers on a world that is set thousands of years after a series of apocalyptic wars mutate mankind into elves and dwarves. The wars also ended up changing Earth's geographic layout. Here's a description from the first book,

Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.... 

The news comes from Deadline, who also reports that Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are writing the script, and that they will executive produce alongside Favreau. The series will be called Shanarra, and the report also says that if MTV likes the pilot script, the show will  give the project a straight-to-series order. Network president Susanne Daniels had this to say in a statement,

“I am thrilled to be working with the Smallville creators Al and Miles again along with the amazingly talented Jon Favreau. We feel that the Shannara novels are a perfect fit for MTV as this type of fantasy genre has continuously proved to resonate with our audience.” 

The site goes on to say that the story for the series "is centered on the Shannara  [millargough] family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. The first season of the potential series will be based on The Elfstones Of Shannara, the second title in the series — a fan favorite accredited with cementing the series place in the fantasy world. The book series features plenty of young-adult adventure and romance to suite MTV’s target demographic."

This could be an incredible series! There's a lot of talented people involved. It might actually get me to watch MTV, which is a channel I never, ever watch. Hopefully they give it the production value it needs to make the series work.

Do you think this will end up being a good series? 

Kaneda's motorcycle from the classic anime film Akira is one of the most iconic bikes in movie history. The thing is so cool-looking, and every geek wants one. The Arvo Brothers have made a perfectly awesome LEGO model of it. If you want one, they are releasing an online manual so you can build it yourself!

The 10th Doctor has a little visit with Hermione in this great Doctor Who and Harry Potter t-shirt mashup art. It was created by khallion, who had this to say about it.

The episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" might be my all time favorite. And I am a big Potterhead, so it seemed an interesting idea to replace the woman that the Doctor meets in the fireplace, Madame de Pompadour---a strong female character---with another strong female character. By doing so, I wanted to create a new story with a commentary of my vision for these characters and illustrate a natural way in their stories for them to interact that would alter their outcomes in a meaningful manner.

The shirt can be purchased at Teefury! 

George Roush

This is a pretty badass Pacific Rim cosplay outfit! The amount of detail on this thing is incredible. This costume is kind of mind-blowing. 

A few weeks ago it was reported that Cabin in the Woods director and Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Drew Goddard would be developing the new Daredevil series for Marvel and Netflix. Marvel has confirmed his involvement, saying,

Marvel.com brought you the first news of the historic team-up between Marvel Television and Netflix, and now we’re proud to officially announce that award-winning writer/director Drew Goddard ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer," "Lost," "Cloverfield," "Cabin in the Woods," "World War Z") will join Marvel’s "Daredevil"! Goddard will write and direct the "Daredevil" first episode, setting the tone and look for the show, while also serving as series Showrunner and Executive Producer for the 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015.

Goddard is a very talented individual, and he also a big fan of Daredevil, so he's sure to do some great things with this series! 

The other live-action series Marvel is developing with Netflix include Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist. They will lead to a miniseries for The Defenders. 

No one works like Gaston, no one hunts like Gaston, no one crushes the rave dreams of Belle's dad like Gaston! This video is short, sweet, and totally worth 14 seconds of your time! Great Beauty and the Beast video by bqtamash!

Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit) is set to make his feature film directorial debut with a big screen adaptation of George Orwell‘s Animal Farm. The project was announced a year ago, and he's been in the process of developing it. Now he says the movie will start shooting next year. When talking to Screendaily, Serkis gave an update saying,

”We’ve started pre-vis which in the virtual world in many instances means you’ve already started shooting the film. Principal photography will take place in the middle to third quarter of next year.”

He goes on to discuss his take on the classic politically heavy story, saying,

"What we’re trying to do is fairly unique. It’s going to be entirely performance captured, so rather than photographing real animals and showing them with talking mouths, it will all be generated by the interaction between the actors playing those roles…the physicality and facial expressions of all the animals will come directly from actors’ performances."

There's still no word on who will be starring in the movie, but he says they have a great cast lined up. This was one of my favorite books when I was growing up, and I can't wait to see what Serkis has envisioned for it. 

Adam Simpson

Mondo has revealed a cool set of movie posters based on the films directed by Ben Affleck. Those films include Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo. Affleck is a very talented director, and I'm looking forward to his future projects. Here's what he had to say in a statement,

I’ve always loved Mondo and their passion for film, as well as their talented stable of artists. I was initially drawn by their ability to offer a unique perspective on so many beloved films and am thrilled to see my films become the newest additions to their work.

The poster series will be released on Monday, December 9th. For the exact sale time, please follow @MondoNews on Twitter.

Matthew Woodson

Daniel Danger 

ThinkMcFlyThink

Before Henry Cavill landed the role of Superman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, he auditioned for the part in McG's version of of the superhero, Superman: Flyby. The photo above is our first image of the actor auditioning for that movie back in 2004, and below you can get a better look at that very different suit design they were going to use. 

That script for the film was written by J.J. Abrams, and it would have also starred Robert Downey Jr. as Lex Luthor. This would have been an interesting movie. It's cool though that they actually ended up casting Cavill after all those years. He is really great in the role! Maybe the video of his screen test will surface soon. 

This interview from way back in 2009 with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel is Over The Top. It's Over The Top and Top Gun, Young Guns, and Mighty Joe Young as well. This is just one example of the seven minutes of babble the poor interviewer is subjected to while Rudd and Segel press onward high or just being themselves! Were they on drugs? You be the judge. It's a hilarious interview that you have to watch all the way through! When you're done, watch the next video of them doing fart impressions during another interview.

Paramount Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer are back in business! He's signed a three-year first-look deal with the studio that will start in April 2014. There are a couple already existing projects that are going to start moving forward, and those include Top Gun 2 and Beverly Hills Cop 4. 

Deadline revealed that Brett Ratner is attached to direct the film and will start production on it as soon as he's done with Dwayne Johnson's Hercules movie. Ratner was attached to this project once before, 5 years ago. 

Eddie Murphy is officially set to reprise his role as Detroit cop Axel Foley, and according to the report,  "Foley will be returning to his Detroit roots." I enjoyed the original Beverly Hills Cop movies, and I hope they go for that R-rated kind of action-comedy again. I'm not a fan of Ratner, but these are the kinds of films he's known for making, like Rush Hour and Tower Heist. 

I do hope the movie will be good, because I like the franchise, but I seriously doubt it will end up being as good as the original three. 

Via: THR

Screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will join Star Trek writing vet Roberto Orci in writing the J.J. Abrams produced Star Trek 3. Chances are you aren't familiar with these two new writers, but they already have a relationship with Abrams. They wrote the script for an adaptation of the graphic novel Boilerplate.

Orci wrote the previous two Star Trek films with Alex Kurtzman, but Kurtzman will not be a part of it this time around. 

Star Trek 3 is currently untitled and unscheduled, but Paramount is looking to release the film in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi franchise in 2016. 

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana are expected to return, and Attack the Block director Joe Cornish will most likely be taking the helm. If he does, he's an awesome choice! 

I've been loving these Star Trek films, and I hope they can keep pumping out awesome movies!

The Sundance Institute has released the movie line-up for their Spotlight, Midnight and Sundance Kids selections for The Sundance Film Festival 2014. The Midnight selection has always been my favorite because its always packed with really crazy, fun, and messed up films. It looks like another great collection of films this next year! They include films such as Cooties with Elijah Wood, Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead and more. Sundance Kids is a new addition this year which, if you couldn't tell, is meant for younger audiences. 

The Festival takes place January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah, and we will be there to cover as many of the films as humanly possible. Director of Programming, Trevor Groth, had this to say in a statement.

“The films in the sections announced today round out our 2014 Sundance Film Festival program and further reflect the depth and diversity of modern independent filmmaking that will satisfy everyone from festival fledglings to fanatics.”

To see the previously announced Competition films, click here.

PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake. Each is a world premiere.

The Babadook / Australia (Director and screenwriter: Jennifer Kent) — A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her. Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, Ben Winspear.

Cooties / U.S.A. (Directors: Jonathan Millott, Cary Murnion, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Ian Brennan) — A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school and transforms the students into a feral swarm of mass savages; then an unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives. Cast: Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Nasim Pedrad.

Dead Snow; Red vs. Dead / Norway (Director: Tommy Wirkola, Screenwriters: Tommy Wirkola, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel) — The gruesome Nazi Zombies are back to finish their mission, but our hero is not willing to die. He is gathering his own army to give them a final fight. Cast: Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Martin Starr, Ørjan Gamst, Monica Haas, Jocelyn DeBoer.

The Guest / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Simon Barrett) — A soldier on leave befriends the family of a fallen comrade. He soon becomes a threat to everyone around him when it's revealed he's not who he says he is. Cast: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Lance Reddick, Chase Williamson, Brendan Meyer.

Killers / Japan, Indonesia (Directors: The Mo Brothers, Screenwriters: Timo Tjahjanto, Takuji Ushiyama) — Two serial killers post their violent crimes online in a psychotic battle for notoriety. It soon becomes clear that they will square off with one another face to face. Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya, Ray Sahetapy.

The Signal / U.S.A. (Director: William Eubank, Screenwriters: William Eubank, Carlyle Eubank, David Frigerio) — Three college students disappear under mysterious circumstances while tracking a computer hacker through the Southwest. Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp.

Under the Electric Sky (EDC 2013) / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz) — This 3-D film chronicles the love, community, and life of festivalgoers during Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, the largest music festival in the U.S. Behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with Insomniac's Pasquale Rotella reveal the magic that makes this three-night, 345,000-person event a global phenomenon.

What We Do in the Shadows / New Zealand, U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement) — This mockumentary follows the struggles of a group of New Zealand–based vampires to understand modern society and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh, Cori Gonzales-Macuer, Stu Rutherford.

SPOTLIGHT
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

Blue Ruin / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — A mysterious outsider’s quiet life turns upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving to be an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Cast: Macon Blair, Amy Hargreaves, Sidné Anderson, Devin Ratray, Kevin Kolack.

The Double / United Kingdom (Director: Richard Ayoade, Screenwriter: Avi Korine) — Jesse Eisenberg plays Simon, a timid and isolated man who is overlooked at work. When James, a new coworker arrives, he upsets the balance because he is both Simon's physical double and his opposite: confident and good with women. Then James slowly starts taking over Simon's life. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Cathy Moriarty, James Fox.

Ida / Poland (Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, Screenwriters: Pawel Pawlikowski, Rebecca Lenkiewicz) — Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation. Cast: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik.

Locke / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Steven Knight) — Locke is a feat of dynamic storytelling from Academy Award–nominated writer/director Steven Knight, anchored by Tom Hardy's fantastic performance. Unfolding in real time, the film is a gripping story of choices, consequences, and a man who risks everything he holds dear to do the right thing. Cast: Tom Hardy, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, Bill Milner.

The Lunchbox / India, France, Germany (Director and screenwriter: Ritesh Batra) — A mistake made by the dabbawallahs, Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system, connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. Through notes in the lunchbox, the two build a fantasy world that gradually threatens to overwhelm their reality. Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Denzil Smith, Bharati Achrekar, Nakul Vaid Nakul Vaid.

Only Lovers Left Alive / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch) — Set against the desolation of Detroit and Tangier, an underground musician, depressed by the direction the world is taking, reunites with his lover. Their love story has endured for centuries, but the woman's uncontrollable sister disrupts their idyll. Can these wise outsiders continue to survive as the world collapses around them? Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright.

R100 / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Hitoshi Matsumoto) — A mild-mannered family man with a secret taste for S&M finds himself pursued by a gang of ruthless dominatrices—each with a unique talent—in this hilarious and bizarre take on the sex comedy from Japanese comic mastermind Hitoshi Matsumoto. Cast: Nao Ohmori, Lindsay Kay Hayward, Hairi Katagiri.

Stranger by the Lake / France (Director and screenwriter: Alain Guiraudie) — Frank spends his summer searching for companionship at a lake in France. He meets Michel, an attractive, mysterious man and falls blindly in love. When a death occurs, Frank and Michel become the primary suspects. Stranger by the Lake is an erotic thriller testing the limits of sexual desire. Cast: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d'Assumçao.

SUNDANCE KIDS
To reach our youngest independent film fans, we have created a new section of the Festival especially for them. Programmed in cooperation with Tumbleweeds, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth.

Ernest and Celestine / France, Belgium, Luxembourg (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Screenwriter: Daniel Pennac) — Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer. When she nearly ends up as breakfast for a bear named Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond that is quickly challenged by their respective communities. Cast: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally. World Premiere (English version)

Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos) — Zip and Zap are punished by being sent to a re-education center. Guided by intelligence, they uncover a mysterious secret hidden deep within the school and end up having the most exciting adventure of their lives. Cast: Javier Gutiérrez, Daniel Cerezo, Raúl Rivas, Claudia Vega, Marcos Ruiz, Fran García. U.S. Premiere

This is the trailer for a new thriller called Reasonable Doubt, which stars Samuel L. Jackson and Dominic Cooper. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it looks like an intensely entertaining movie. I do have to say that the trailer reveals way to much information. It would have been nice to leave some of the twists and suspense a secret. It still looks good though! 

Up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden commits a fatal hit-and-run and feels compelled to throw the case against the accused criminal found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch's worst fears come true when he realizes that he acquitted a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up.

The movie was directed by Peter Howitt (Antitrust) from a script written by Peter A. Dowling (Flightplan). The movie hits theaters and VOD on January 17th.

I tried archery once when I was in boy scouts, I sucked, so I went out and bought myself a crossbow. The gang over at Slacktory created a fun little video montage that pays tribute to archery in film. Movies definitely like to have fun with archery!

Disney's Frozen is a great movie, and if you haven't seen it yet you should definitely check it out. It's an entertaining movie worth seeing. The studio has released a clip from the film that features the full sequence with the big musical number in the film, "Let it Go," performed by Idina Menzel.

In this clip from Disney's "Frozen," Elsa, whose secret powers have just been revealed, flees Arendelle and unleashes her magic, creating a breathtaking ice palace.

The song has that classic Disney feel to it, and is sure to be a hit song. 

It looks like the title of the new Terminator film has been revealed in a recent tweet from Production Weekly. While offering up some information on the production offices they refer to the film as Terminator: Genesis. I've got to say, I don't know if I like these kinds of sub-names on films. They just keep recycling the same ones over and over. It just sounds so generic. 

Thor: The Dark World director Alan Taylor is expected to be directing the next Terminator movie. It's not confirmed yet, but it looks like he's going to be the guy to do it, which is great! I think he's the right man for the job. I love what he did for Thor. 

There's no official plot information for the movie yet, but it was recently announced that the new trilogy will tie in with a new TV series as well. It was also reported that Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Brie Larson (21 Jump Street) were up for the role of Sarah Connor. 

The first Terminator movie is expected to hit theaters on July 1st, 2015.

The first season of Bates Motel was amazing! I was so happy with how it turned out, and it found it place on my list of favorite current TV series. A&E has released two promo teasers for the upcoming second season giving us a haunting look at Norman and Norma Bates.

There's no premiere date for Season 2 yet, but it will begin early next year. Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga will be reprising their roles as Norman and Norma Bates. They are perfectly cast in this series, and in my opinion give award worthy performances. 

Here's a really cool video breakdown of the classic asteroid chase scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. This is a vintage featurette for the film that was released by StarWars.com. The video features the full scene overlayed with the original storyboards used to help bring it to life. Everything used in the storyboards looks almost exactly like how it ended up in the final movie. I love seeing stuff like this, and I hope you enjoy it! 

Spoiler TV

The BBC has released a new trailer and thirty new photos from Sherlock Season 3. As you might expect, the trailer includes a ton of great new footage from the upcoming  season, and many of the photos feature Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness). This show looks so good! 

Two years after the devastating effects of “The Reichenbach Fall,” Dr John Watson has got on with his life. New horizons, romance and a comforting domestic future beckon. But, with London under threat of a huge terrorist attack, Sherlock Holmes is about to rise from the grave with all the theatricality that comes so naturally to him. It’s what his best friend wanted more than anything, but for John Watson it might well be a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’! If Sherlock thinks everything will be just as he left it though, he’s in for a very big surprise...

Sherlock will premiere on January 1st, 2014, and I can't wait to see it!