Mattel’s Hot Wheels is making a line of Star Wars inspired vehicles, the first of which was revealed in the latest issue of Star Wars Insider.

The Darth Vader car will be available first at the San Diego Comic-Con in a light saber case and then available to the public after. This is what Mattel Vice President Jean Gomes told SWI about the line:

"We're going to launch a full line of Star Wars cars in the fall. All cars are cool and fast-looking, but we make sure the type of vehicle matches the character. So, for example, in the Hot Wheels world, Yoda is a mini car and Chewbacca is a big, powerful hauler."

This sounds like something cool I will have to pick up at SDCC this year. You know, as a collectible for my kids. Don’t look at me like that! 

Anyway, there will also be a life size version of this car on display at SDCC this summer. 

via: Star Wars Underworld

Ever since Edgar Wright left Marvel's Ant-Man production due to creative differences, fans have been up in arms. I've been one of them! I hate that Wright is not directing Ant-Man, and that he's been replaced by a guy named Payton Reed, who is in no way in the same league as Wright. Reed is the guy who made Yes Man and Bring It On. He's not the kind of director that gets fans excited or even sparks confidence for a movie like this. 

That being said, I believe that Marvel has a solid plan for Ant-Man. Just hear me out. I trust that they are going to deliver fans a great film. The vision for Ant-Man has changed over the years. You have to remember that Wright was working on an Ant-Man script before Jon Favreau jumped aboard to make Iron Man. Since then, the studio has been building a cinematic universe for their characters. Because of that, Ant-Man needs to fit in that universe. Marvel has a very large map of films that take them all the way to 2028, and there's no doubt that Ant-Man plays a part in that plan. 

The character needs to fit in to whatever the bigger plan is. We aren't just talking one standalone film here, there's a bigger picture that needs to be looked at, and that's what Marvel was doing when they adjusted Wright's script. The new direction they needed to take the character simply just didn't mesh well with Wright's vision. I do applaud the director for keeping his artistic integrity and walking away. He will be missed, but that doesn't mean the movie is going to be a piece of crap.

Marvel hired the new director they did so that their vision of Ant-Man can be realized. They hired a guy that is going to give the studio exactly what they want. Reed isn't "really" going to be directing the movie… Marvel is. The executives at Marvel are going to be telling Reed exactly what to do, and Reed is getting paid to do it. He's not being paid to be an artist, he's not being paid to show his vision of the character, he's being paid to follow the storyboards that Marvel gives him, work with the actors, and shoot the film. As I said in my initial report, Reed is literally a "Yes Man" for the studio.

Marvel is the true brains behind Ant-Man right now. Fans have enjoyed every movie that they've made so far, they have a solid track record, and the movies just keep getting better. So why wouldn't Ant-Man turn out well? I believe that Marvel is going to present a film to us that we're going to love and enjoy. It's also going to be awesome to see where they take this character in the cinematic universe, and how he will play in with the rest of the superheroes that have been introduced into their universe. Who knows? maybe one day Joss Whedon will get to direct Ant-Man in The Avengers 3. I think there's a lot of be excited about.

As of right now the movie stars Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, who are both incredible actors. I can't wait to see what they do with their characters. Here's the recently released synopsis:

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

The movie is set to be released on July 17th, 2015, and I really do think it's ok to be enthusiastic for this flick, regardless of all the drama surrounding it. I'm sure once we see some of the first actual footage from the movie fans will forget about the drama and be happy again. 

Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris is the followup to the sleeper hit Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light. The previous game featured an old school feel with modern touches and spotlighted the puzzle solving gameplay that many Tomb Raider 1 and 2 fans remember fondly, andTemple of Osiris up's the ante by expanding the 2 player co-op to 4. In the game you join forces with Carter Bell (a rival treasure seeker), which is fine and dandy, but I'm more interested in getting to control Horus and Isis, two gods who have been imprisoned by evil god Set. I have a fondness for ancient mythology in general, including Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc, and anytime you throw Lara into the mix I'm a happy camper. Peep the trailer below to see some of the 4 player co-op in action. From first glance it looks like a chaotic blast, and I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces when it releases for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC (hopefully) later this year.

The world's largest video game collection is up for auction over on Game Gavel. There are over 11,000 games in the collection, and it has been recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records. Bidding for the collection is just over $100,000 at the moment. 

You can see panoramic views of Michael Thomasson's collection here, here, here and here. They all look like they're in good condition, so I imagine that they all should work. I love playing retro video games, and there are a lot here that would be really fun to revisit. This is a breakdown of games that are included:

"The following categories are COMPLETE U.S. sets, and may also include import titles, as well: 3DO, Action Max, AGP X-System, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Jaguar, Atari Jaguar CD, Atari Lynx, Buzztime, Captain Power, Game Boy Advance e-Reader, Neo-Geo Pocket Color, Nintendo Virtual Boy, NUON, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Tapwave Zodiac, Tiger Game.Com, Turbo-Grafx-16 CD and Turbo-Grafx-16 Super CD.

"The following categories are NEAR COMPLETE U.S. sets, and may also include import titles, as well: Bally Videocade, CougarBoy, Fairchild VES Channel F, Game Wave, Gizmondo, Halcyon Interactive, LaserActive, Magnavox Odyssey2, NEC PC-FX, N*Gage, Sega 32-X, SuperVision, Vectrex and XaviX.

"The remaining games are for the following platforms: Amiga CD-32, Amstrad CPC, APF MP1000, Arcadia 2001, Atari 2600, Atari XE/XL, Bandai / Apple Pippin, Bandai Playdia, BBC Micro, Casio Loopy, Colecovision, Commodore 64, Commodore 64/128, Commodore Vic-20, Dragon 32, DVD Interactive, Epoch Cassette Vision, Epoch Super Cassette Vision, FM Towns, FM Towns Marty, Hyperscan, LaserDisc Interactive, Leap Frog Leapster, Leap Frog Didj, Mattel Intellivision, Mattel Aquarius, Microsoft X-Box, Microsoft X-Box 360, Microvision, MSX, NEC TurboGrafx-16, Neo-Geo AES, Neo-Geo CD, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo Family Computer Disk System, Nintendo GameBoy, Nintendo GameBoy Color, Nintendo GameBoy Advance, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo 64 DD, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Philips CD-I, Radio Shack TRS-80, RCA Studio II, Sega SG-1000, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis, Sega 32x CD, Sega Pico, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Sony Playstation, Sony Playstation 2, Sony Playstation 3, Sony PSP, Sony Vita, TI-99/4a, Tiger R-Zone, Timex Sinclair, Tomy Tutor ,V.Flash, V.Smile, Wonderswan and Wonderswan Color."

Fandango

Chris Pratt's Star-Lord and Dave Bautista's Drax are the latest characters from Guardians of the Galaxy to get their own posters. So far we've seen Rocket Racoon, Groot, and Gamora. Now maybe they'll start releasing some posters for the villains of the story! I just want a character poster for Karen Gillan's Nebula. The movie comes out on August 1st.

BBC America and the BBC Worldwide have announced that they will launch a global tour for Doctor Who that will introduce Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor to the world. This is the first time anything has been done like this for the amazingly entertaining sci-fi series. The tour is set to begin on August 7th! According to the press release:

"The trip will see Capaldi, on-screen companion Jenna Coleman, and the show’s lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (at select locations), visit seven cities across five continents in 12 days to take part in a series of media and fan engagements to publicize the upcoming season to a global audience. The tour launches in the UK on August 7 and finishes in Brazil on August 19. On Thursday, August 14, Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman will appear together for the first time in the US when they arrive in New York."

Here's some additional information from the release:

"The introduction of the new Doctor follows last year’s record-setting global success of the 50th Anniversary special, which was broadcast across the world simultaneously in 98 countries and released in more than 1500 cinemas globally. The special broke ratings and social media records for BBC America as well as set a new record for a one-night unaudited theatrical event - reaching number two for the night at the US box office. Filming of the 12-part season continues through August. As in past years, the series will premiere on BBC America day and date with the UK in August.

"'It’s fantastic that so many people across the world love 'Doctor Who,'" says Capaldi. "After 8 months solid filming deep in the world of monsters, Jenna and I are thrilled to be heading for the Planet of Fans.'

“'I've always thought we'd all be a lot safer if the Doctor conquered the world, instead of the Daleks," adds Moffat. "Now with Jenna and Peter leading the charge, it looks like it's going to happen. I'll be bringing up the rear to handle the exposition scenes, and maybe carry some bags.'

“'It’s a new beginning for one of the most popular series in the world,' says Richard De Croce, SVP, Programming for BBC America, "and we couldn’t be more excited to have the Twelfth Doctor live in New York to promote the long awaited return of 'Doctor Who' on BBC America. It’s going to be epic.'

"The tour marks the largest ever promotional undertaking in Doctor Who’s 50-year history and will kick off in Cardiff, Wales before taking in London (UK), Seoul (South Korea), Sydney (Australia), New York (US), Mexico City (Mexico) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). More details of the itinerary will be available soon at www.doctorwho.tv/worldtour as well as reports from the tour as it happens, which fans everywhere will be able to enjoy across social and digital platforms."

Bryan Cranston’s meteoric rise to the top has not stopped since the end of Breaking Bad. The man has won multiple Emmys, a Golden Globe, and he just recently added a Best Lead Actor Tony for portraying Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All The Way to the list. As it turns out, he might be bringing his Tony winning performance as the former US President to TV courtesy of Steven Spielberg.  

Deadline announced that the Academy Award winning director would like to do a mini-series based on the Robert Schenkkan-penned play. With that he would like Cranston to reprise his role of LBJ. 

The play spans from the time that LBJ takes over office after the assassination of President Kennedy up to his re-election. It is rumored that Spielberg has seen the play a few times and has a relationship with both Cranston and Schenkkan. 

There is no word yet to where the mini-series will be aired and when. What is known is that Cranston is an amazing actor and Spielberg does not hold back when it comes to historical dramas. So, from the sound of it , this is a powder keg of awesome that is about to explode.

Take a trip back to 1994 and relive the magic of Disney's The Lion King in this hilarious new Honest Trailer from Screen Junkies. They really have a lot of fun with this one. Their team even re-wrote the lyrics to some of the original songs and performed them to help explain what those songs actually mean. Songs such as "I Just Can't Wait 'Till Dad Dies," "I Went Through a Trauma," and "We Are Gonna Pork Tonight." Here's the note that came along with the video:

"This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Disney animated classic "The Lion King." Relive the music, the lion lovin', and the heartbreak that scarred a generation of children. Hakuna matata!!"

We've got our first look at David Ayer's World War II film Fury in this behind-the-scenes featurette. I've gotta say that the footage shown here is pretty spectacular. I've been looking forward to this movie, and it looks like it's going to be great and intense. The footage debuted during E3 as part of a presentation for the new game World of Tanks. 

Fury takes place in 1945 as the Nazi regime collapses. The story follows the five man crew of an American tank called Fury, who battle a desperate German army. The director previously said that the goal is to "bring a fresh execution to the genre," adding,

"What these men went through is worthy of a complex, honest portrayal. This will have incredible, visceral action and complex rich characters. I plan to bring tank combat to life in a way that lands with a modern audience."

The film stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, and Jason Isaacs. It's set to be released in theaters on November 14th, 2014. Thanks to IGN!

An extended TV spot has been released for Transformers: Age of Extinction, and it offers up even more seriously cool footage involving Dinobots. There are also some other crazy new robot characters doing some crazy things in the spot. In one scene you'll see a Pagani Huayra sports car transform by breaking itself down into little pieces and then reassembling itself mid-attack. The movie comes out on June 27th, and it's going to be a fun ride. 

It stars Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, and Titus Welliver. The fourth film in the franchise comes out on June 27th!

"Yoda Hulk" is a small Internet phenomenon I recently came across that I just had to share. I put together a collection of the best "Yoda Hulk" that I could find. It was inevitable that Yoda and Hulk would be mashed up or paired up when you think of their similarities. They are both green, a bit weird looking, speak with bad grammar, and are popular characters in geeky franchises (Star Wars and Marvel). Their greatest difference is what makes Yoda and Hulk an interesting combo: they are polar opposites on the size spectrum. Yoda is just a bit over 2 feet tall and Hulk is around 7-8 feet tall.

I've done my best to find the sources for these images, but odds are high I'm sourcing the wrong people (I blame the Internet). Got a cool "Yoda Hulk" mashup, team-up, or versus that I should add to this post? email me directly freereyes@geektyrant.com

E3 2014 is in full swing and we've been seeing all kinds of video game awesomeness! Rocksteady is there showing off Batman: Arkham Knight, and they've released five minutes of gameplay footage showing us how freakin' cool this game is going to be. It highlights the Batmobile's battle mode, and this thing kicks so much ass. The Batmobile that they came up with for this game is incredible. Here's the short description that came along with the video:

This is the fourth and last game in the Batman: Arkham series. Kevin Conroy once again reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and it's scheduled to be released worldwide in 2015.

Laika Animation, the team behind such stop-motion animated films as Coraline and Paranorman, has released a fantastic new trailer for The Boxtrolls. The latest trailer gives us our best look yet at the movie and features lots of great new footage. I enjoy Laika's dark and humorous kid friendly films. They have such a unique style. 

The movie is based on Alan Snow’s novel Here Be Monsters, which follows a group of sewer-dwelling Boxtrolls that have raised an orphan boy. It has a great cast of actors that includes Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Toni Collette, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg. 

LAIKA’s third film is The Boxtrolls, based on Alan Snow’s bestselling novel Here Be Monsters.   Introducing audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award® winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, these soft-boiled detectives uncover the hidden connections in Eggs’ past and devise a daring plan to save his unique family.

The Boxtrolls comes out on September 26th! 

If you've ever wondered what the Harry Potter films would have been like had they been directed by Guy Ritchie, here ya go! YouTube user Bobby Burns edited together this fun trailer for Harry Potter that includes some of the humor and edits that you might see in a classic Ritchie movie. 

DreamWorks Animation has released the first trailer for the Madagascar spin-off film, The Penguins of Madagascar. The story follows our favorite penguin characters, Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Rico (John DiMaggio), and Private (Christopher Knights) as they "join forces with a super-secret animal organization called North Wind to fight a many-tentacled menace named Dave, an octopus who has made it his mission to kill off all the penguins." 

Dave the octopus is being voiced by John Malkovich, and North Wind's leader, Classified, is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Other actors in the film include Ken Jeong, Annet Mahendru, and Peter Stormare.

The trailer shows off the penguins' special set of skills. This movie is sure to deliver some fun entertainment and some great laughs. My kids love these mischievous penguins, and they're definitely going to love this movie. I already know that one day in the future it will be playing on a constant loop in our home.

The Penguins of Madagascar opens November 26, 2014. Thanks to Moviefone!

Dimension Films has released a crazy cool new trailer for Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. The sequel weaves "together two of Miller's classic stories with new tales, the town's most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more notorious inhabitants," and it looks pretty damn awesome. The new trailer features all kinds of great new footage and sheds some more light on the stories that revolve around the characters. The movie hits theaters on August 22nd!

Laura Crystal Cosplay is Elektra | Photo by: Photostudiolight

The beautiful and oh so deadly assassin known as Elektra is a favorite of cosplayers all around the globe for a myriad of reasons. As mentioned before, she's one of the most lethal combatants in the Marvel Universe and will do the dirty work most don't have the stomach for. Her mix of various martial arts and weapons training sees to it she can take on (or out in some cases) just about anybody, and if hand to hand fails there are always those iconic sais of hers. It's better to be with her than against her is all I'm saying. Without further ado, here is some of the best Elektra cosplay on the web.

Jeanne Killjoy is Elektra | Photo by: Superhero Photography

Laura Crystal Cosplay is Elektra | Photo by: Photostudiolight

Eve Beauregard is Elektra | Photo by WhatABigCamera

Kris Lee is Elektra | Photo by: MAZE Studio

Giorgia Cosplay is Elektra

Larxenne is Elektra | Photo by: Hawk Image and Design

Jennifer is Elektra | Photo by: Cory McBurnett

Meagan Marie is Elektra and Enemy is Tracy Carpenter | Photo by: Jeff Spain | Makeup by: Ali M Beuning

Ivette Puig is Elektra | Photo by: Angel Ortuno

Kris Lee is Elektra | Photo by: MAZE Studio

Lola Gainsborough is Elektra | Photo by: Blackthunder01

Vanessa Wedge is Elektra | Photo by: Adam Woz

Meagan Marie is Elektra | Photo by: Jeff Spain

Margie Vizcarra Cox is Elektra | Photo by: Dru Phillips

Eve Beauregard is Elektra | Photo by WhatABigCamera

Laura Crystal Cosplay is Elektra | Photo by: Photostudiolight

Yukilefay is Elektra | Photo by: Vingaard

Nadine Howell is Elektra | Photo by: Jay Tablante | Makeup and Styling by: Paul Refol and Hannah Kim | Costume Production and Costume Design by: Badj Genato and Raffy Tesoro | Art Directing by: Carl Urgino | Digital Imaging by: Ghani Madueno

Ivette Puig is Elektra | Photo by: Angel Ortuno

Giorgia Cosplay is Elektra

Larxenne is Elektra | Photo by: Hawk Image and Design

Silver Shade Cosplay is Elektra | Photo by: Torremitsu

Hugh Jackman has started production on his new film, Pan, with director Joe Wright. He plays Blackbeard the Pirate in the reimagining of  Peter Pan, and this is the look he's going for. He posted the photo on his Instagram page, and it looks like he's going to make a crazy-looking pirate. 

The movie also stars Garett Hudlund as Captain Hook, Ronney Mara as Tiger Lily, Leni Zieglmeier as Wendy Darling, and Levi Miller as Pan. The was written by Jason Fuchs, and the film will be a new take on the classic story. It's set during WWII and "follows an orphan who is kidnapped by pirates and brought to Neverland, where he discovers he’s destined to save the land from the pirate Blackbeard." Apparently, Pan and Hook actually team up to take down Blackbeard. 

The rest of the cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Adeel Akhtar, Jack Charles, Taejoo Na, Nonso Anozie, Kathy Burke, Kurt Egyiawan, and Lewis MacDougall. The movie comes out on July 17th, 2015.

Earlier today at E3, I got a chance to play the multiplayer mode in one of my most anticipated titles of the year, Sunset Overdrive. The multiplayer mode is called "Chaos Squad" and it pits 8 players against hordes of the mutated OD'd (humans who have had too much of the energy drink Overcharge Delirium XT).

It was an absolute blast. You have stills of the energy drink you need to protect throughout the waves. One thing I noticed is that there is a ton of variety in almost every aspect — from the weapons, to the traps you can set up before each wave, to the color palette, and the enemy types. With all this variety, the game never felt repetitive. In fact, I kept finding new ways to take on the enemy hordes. Movement is everything, if you start moving too slow you will most definitely be overrun by the OD'd.

Jumping and grinding are the key to fast paced movement. One of my worries was that the targeting system would be broken. I thought to myself, "If I'm moving so fast, how will I aim and shoot?" Well, the lock-on system works very well. With little nudges of the thumbsticks I could change what enemy is feeling my wrath.

Now this is a Co-Op mode but you also have scores, and by the end of it you can have bragging rights if you totally decimated the hordes.

I am super pumped for Sunset Overdrive now more than ever. It'll be released on October 28th, 2014, exclusively for the Xbox One.  In case you missed it, click here to watch the trailer and gameplay footage.

Artist Chris Skinner created this amazing set of three Star Wars prints for the Hero Complex Gallery. He calls the set "Viewpoints," and they feature X-Wings and TIE Fighters in the heat of intergalactic battle. Each image features an opposing point of view. These are stunning illustrations that I think you'll all appreciate.