One of the most anticipated video games of the year is Bungie and Activision's Destiny, and it looks incredible! They've released the official gameplay launch trailer, and you can check it out below. I've been extremely excited about this game, and I'm looking forward to finally being able to play it. 

Everything changed with the arrival of the Traveler. It sparked a Golden Age when our civilization spanned the solar system, but it didn't last. Something hit us, knocked us down. The survivors built a city beneath the Traveler, and have begun to explore our old worlds, only to find them filled with deadly foes.

Destiny is set for release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on September 9th.

Here's a great piece of 2009 comic book cover art for Guardians of the Galaxy #15. It was created by Salvador Larroca, and features Rocket Raccoon and Cosmo the dog. Cosmo was briefly introduced in the movie, and I hope he has a much larger role to play in the sequel. These two characters don't really get along with each other, and it would be a fun dynamic to play with in the movies. I don't know if you remember in the movie, but when they cross paths they growl at each other. Some of you may or may not know this, but Cosmo is actually head of the security forces in "Knowhere" (the giant celestial head), and he's telepathic. 

Thanks to XombiDirge!

Art by Lee Weeks

Iron Man 3 director Shane Black has signed on to direct a film project for Sony Pictures called The Destroyer, which is based on an adventure book series. Black also recently signed on to direct a Predator sequel for Fox, Doc Savage for Columbia Pictures, and also a film at Warner Bros. called Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. The director is definitely keeping himself busy. The movie will be written by Jim Uhls (Fight Club) and James Mullaney, who is the author of the books. Here's a description of the story and characters:

Newark cop Remo Williams is framed, sentenced to death, then resurrected following a botched execution. The reason? To serve as enforcement arm for CURE, a top-secret, extra-Constitutional arm of the U.S. government. Along with a seemingly ageless – and often hilarious – Asian assassin known only as Chiun, Williams sets out to 'clean up' and take out those who oppose America’s interests. The surprisingly-heartfelt stories combine edgy old-school suspense with Eastern mysticism to produce unique, rapid-fire capers full of slick banter, social satire, and sudden violence.

Producer Charles Roven had this to say:

"Shane has been a fan of the original 'Destroyer' book series since its inception and he has an incredible vision for this film. Atlas couldn't be more fortunate to be working with this talented director on this material. The narrative Jim and James have created is incredibly rich and while it's a story rooted in adventure, it is also very much character driven."

Michael De Luca, president of Production for Columbia Pictures added:

"The Destroyer is a two-fisted classic and deserves no less than the genius of Shane Black. We couldn't be more excited about his vision for this character."

This sounds like it will be a fun project for Black to take on when he finally gets around to it. This is sure to make for a really cool film.

This new thriller that stars Jake Gyllenhaal looks really freakin' good, and kind of disturbing. The actor seems to have taken his intensity of acting to a new level here, and I don't know if it's just me, but he has a very different and creepy look. 

Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom in the story, "an ambitious young man desperate for work." While trying to find his calling in life he discovers the world of L.A. crime journalism. "When Lou learns of a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles his way into the dangerous realm of night crawling, where a police siren wail means a possible windfall, and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Nina, a local TV news veteran, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant."

The movie also stars Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, and Riz Ahmed. It's set to be released on October 31st. I will warn you, about halfway through the trailer a lot of the story is given away. 

Season 8 of the relaunched Doctor Who premieres tomorrow, and we cannot wait! Word is that Peter Capaldi is a darker and crazier iteration of the last Time Lord. Our writer Billy Fisher thinks he's going to be the "Darth Vader of the Doctors," which, we don't even know what that means, but it sounds amazing. But before we launch headlong into new adventures with a new Doctor, let's pause for a moment to honor the four men who have been the Doctor in the New Who era, and maybe buy some stuff to remember them by.

The Other Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver
John Hurt was the War Doctor, the one who fought the Daleks for (Time) Lord knows how long before ending the Time Wars by completely wiping out both the Daleks and his own race. That is some heavy shit. But he did what he did in the name of peace and sanity, and he used this sonic screwdriver to do it. Or, he used The Moment, a sentient bomb(?), but he used the sonic to do other stuff, like run that program to break out of his unlocked jail cell. [Think Geek]

9th Doctor Typography Portrait
I don't know if it's because he only did one season or because of his weird feud with Steven Moffatt, but Chris Eccleston's 9th Doctor does not get the love he should, which is sad because he is the best of the relaunched Doctors (sit down, 10th fans). He started the whole thing off, fresh from the Time Wars and so angry, he's the one Rose Tyler first fell in love with (again, sit down, 10th fans), and his costume wasn't at all twee. So get this portrait made of his best quotes on a shirt or a tote or a mug. [Red Bubble]

Adipose Plush
David Tennant's 10th Doctor was the only one to battle these adorable little fat babies, and while they were a one-off "villain," they were really important in the larger scheme of things. They showed up on Earth because their normal breeding planet, Adipose 3, disappeared. It later turned out to be one of 27 planets that was moved to the Medusa Cascade by the New Dalek Empire. More importantly, it was the strange appearance of Miss Foster and her wonder drug that reunited the Doctor with the divine Donna Noble, his best companion ever. [Entertainment Earth]

11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver Necklace
The sonic screwdriver is not a magic wand or a weapon, it is a scientific instrument. But Matt Smith's 11th Doctor was quite fond of pointing it around like a magic wand or a weapon. Of course, he also successfully negotiated his escape by threatening a bunch of Daleks with a Jammie Dodger, so he was big on pretending things were scarier than they actually were. But his sonic screwdriver got him out of every scrape you could imagine, so this necklace should be a fair talisman to see you through your own troubles. [Think Geek]

The Doctors T Shirt
As we saw in "The Day of the Doctor," when the various iterations of the Doctor team up they are basically unstoppable, and I am sure Capaldi's 12th Doctor will be a welcome addition to the band (well, technically, he already was, but... anyway). This shirt casts the four post-Time Wars Doctors as the greatest rock band that ever was, and that seems pretty on point. [Red Bubble]

Mr. Sunday Movies released a great video that amusingly breaks down everything you need to know about J.J. Abrams' cancelled Superman: Flyby film. As you'll learn in the video below, it seems like Abrams and his team had one big Superman brain fart after another. McG was originally attached to direct the film, but dropped out, and Warner Bros. didn't want Abrams to direct it even though he wanted to. This was before J.J. Abrams earned his clout in Hollywood. Instead the studio went to Brett Ratner! Why? Because apparently the studio hated talented directors. Anyway, there's a lot fun stuff here about the background and story for the movie and it's definitely worth checking out. I would have liked to see how Abrams' vision of Superman turned out even though I don't think I would have liked it.

22-minutes of demo footage for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has been released online thanks to IGN. As you'll see in the demo, the game looks really great. Here's a story description of the open-world, action-adventure stealth game:

In the aftermath of the events of Ground Zeroes and the destruction of Militaires Sans Frontières, Big Boss falls into a coma. Nine years later, he awakes and forms a new mercenary group, the Diamond Dogs. Now under the guise of the codename "Venom Snake", he ventures into Afghanistan during the Soviet warto track down the men responsible for MSF's destruction. Along the way, he becomes reacquainted with his former rival Ocelot and encounters a unit of warriors robbed of their past, present and future. While he andKazuhira "Kaz" Miller are initially driven to exact revenge, Snake soon unearths a plot by the Cipher organization to develop a weapon with the potential to surpass even the Metal Gear system, and his mission quickly switches focus to ending this new threat.

Konami will release the game, which was developed by Kojima Productions, on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. 

Some more details have surfaced about Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The information here might be considered a SPOILER, so you've been warned.

There is a scene in the movie that will take place in Washington, D.C., and according to Batman-News, a major action sequence will take place there.

The scene has Superman at the United States Capitol where he will have to answer for the insane destruction he caused at the end of Man of Steel. Half of the public blames Superman for all the death and destruction, because if it wasn’t for him being around, General Zod would have never come to Earth.

The report doesn't say what exactly what the major action scene will entail, but I image that while he's there the film's main villain will unleash hell and attack. Superman will then have to save the day. That's all just pure speculation, but why else would there be an action sequence, unless Superman gets pissed off and beats the hell out of the committee that is accusing him, which seems unlikely.

Director Marcus Alqueres created this fascinatingly cool sci-fi short film that depicts a world in which robots can play American football. The designs and animation are really well done. Football is one of the few sports that I enjoy watching, and it would be kind of intriguing if there were robots created that could play it. As cool as it would be to watch the first few times though, I have to say that I'd miss watching real athletes kick ass. Pitting the robots against humans could make things really interesting though. Thanks to the director for sending this into us! 

According to a recent report over on Badass Digest, Star Wars: Episode VII and the rest of the new Star Wars movies in the works will "redefine longform storytelling." They reveal some really interesting details about how Lucasfilm will take the Star Wars franchise a step further than what Marvel has done with their connected cinematic universe. 

A Lucasfilm employee told the site, "We’re going to redefine longform storytelling." Not only has the story arc of the new trilogy been planned out in advance, but that story will be incorporated throughout all other forms of media as well. Some of that media will include books, comics, games, and more. The site states that "there have been big meetings setting the future of the Star Wars universe, and these meetings are going to impact everything we see from Star Wars moving forward. Everything." 

We've already seen some of this stuff happening already like in Star Wars Rebels, where it's believed that The Inquisitor from the series will be connected to a group of villains in the upcoming films. There are also several comic books and novels which will flesh out and expand this new Star Wars Universe. Apparently, everything that they do with Star Wars is going to matter. The report goes on to say,

“That longform vision alone is exciting. But what’s more, they’re going to weave this story through cartoons and books and comics, making every piece of side story count. Star Wars has too long been a central series of movies surrounded by absolutely disposable books, comics and games. No more. You won’t have to know that stuff to follow the main story, but if you do know that stuff you’re going to be rewarded. As a nerd I like knowing that stuff, and I like knowing it counts.. It’s all going to matter.”

I don't really agree that all the stuff created in the past is disposable, but I get what he's trying to say. This isn't really news as it was announced in a press release that Lucasfilm sent out awhile back.

Under Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy’s direction, the company for the first time ever has formed a story group to oversee and coordinate all Star Wars creative development. 'We have an unprecedented slate of new Star Wars entertainment on the horizon,' said Kennedy. 'We’re set to bring Star Wars back to the big screen, and continue the adventure through games, books, comics, and new formats that are just emerging. This future of interconnected storytelling will allow fans to explore this galaxy in deeper ways than ever before.'

But it's just one of those things that I think a lot of fans missed or they didn't really think about the possibilities of what that could mean for them. This is kind of a huge deal for any Star Wars fan, and I'm glad that Badass Digest pointed it out to us. My excitement for what Disney and Lucasfilm is planning for the Star Wars Universe is even more magnified now! This is going to be so cool, and I can't wait for the new Star Wars adventure to begin. 

You've seriously got to watch this trailer for an upcoming PlayStation 4 video game called The Order: 1886. One of the many things that make this adventure game so awesome is that one of the central characters is Nikola Tesla, who narrates the trailer. The game looks quite spectacular, and it has shot to the top of my most anticipated games of 2015 list. Here's a full description of the game and what it entails. 

Discover history’s darkest secret in The Order: 1886, the game that re-writes history by introducing a unique vision of Victorian-Era London, where Man uses advanced technology to battle a powerful and ancient foe. In an alternate history where myths and technology co-exist, players take on the role of Sir Galahad, a hardened member of an elite order of Knights engaging in a centuries-old war that will determine the course of history forever.

Hundreds of years before the game’s version of 1886, humanity de-evolves and a subset of humans becomes the genetically different “Half-breeds.” War eventually breaks out between humans and Half-breeds for power and survival, and in order to combat these fierce enemies, a brotherhood was formed through the Knights of the Round Table – an alliance called The Order. The Knights of The Order have waged wars across centuries and sworn to defend humanity while protecting the secrets of this dark history. Strengthened by a mysterious liquid called Blackwater, the Knights of The Order are able to heal their wounds and extend their lifespans in order to engage this supernatural foe.

Through the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, The Order is now equipped with powerful weapons to turn the tide against the Half-breeds, but must also face a new threat. A rebellion emerges and the Rebels’ ranks are growing, as is their boldness, as they declare an all-out war against The Order and the government oppression it represents. Now, the Knights of The Order must face threats on all sides as they struggle to maintain peace and order.

The game is set to be released only on the PS4, because it's the only console that can handle the graphical awesomeness. It will hit stores on February 20th, 2015

Author Robb Pearlman has written a funny Star Trek kids book that parodies the old Dick and Jane books. It's called Star Trek Fun with Kirk and Spock, and thanks to Geek Art Gallery, we have some amusing illustrations from it to share with you. Make sure to read what's written on them too because it's great stuff that any Star Trek fan can enjoy. Here's an example:

"See the Enterprise. See the Enterprise go boldly. Go Go Go, Enterprise! Go Boldly! Join Kirk and Spock as they go boldly where no parody has gone before!

This Prime Directive primer steps through The Guardian of Forever to a simpler time of reading, writing, and red shirts. Fun with Kirk and Spock will help cadets of all ages master the art of reading as their favorite Starfleet officers, Klingons, Romulans, Andorians, and Gorn beam down into exciting adventures."

Enjoy the images! 

The CW has released another promo for their highly anticipated series The Flash. I thought the pilot episode of this show was really strong, and it has potential to be a great series with a long life. The promo is called "In a Flash," and if you haven't already seen the first episode it features plenty of new footage. 

After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. Months later he awakens with the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion – and not everyone is using their new powers for good. Barry partners with S.T.A.R. Labs and dedicates his life to protect the innocent. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become...The Flash.

The Flash is scheduled to premiere on October 7th, and I suggest you tune in to watch it. 

Fox has released a a 22 minute special called Gotham: The Legend Reborn. It takes viewers behind the scenes of the Gotham pilot. You get to see the cast and crew talk about the new series, and it shows lots of great new footage in the process. 

Having seen the first episode already, I can tell you this a show you won't want to miss. I loved what I saw, I'm already hooked, and I can't wait to see more. This series is going to be a huge success. 

Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics super villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (The Mentalist, Rome), Gotham follows one cop's rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.

The series stars Ben McKenzie, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Zabryna Guevara, Erin Richards, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Mazouz, and Camren Bicondova. It's set to premiere on September 22nd.

Abiogenesis is a wonderful CG animated sci-fi short that follows a strange mechanical device that lands on a desolate world. It uses the planet to undergo a startling transformation, and that transformation has profound implications for an entire galaxy. It's a really interesting concept and the visuals are beautiful. I especially liked the design of the device and how it works was really well done. The short was directed by Richard Mans.

Josh Brolin showed up on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night and while he was there he discussed all the talk of a Goonies sequel. This is a movie a lot of people have been talking about, including Sean Astin and director Richard Donner. Donner has said several times that the sequel is going to happen, and that it will come from a story created by Steven Spielberg.

Brolin says that he hears about a sequel every five years or so, and he doesn't quite believe it will happen. If it does though he's ready and willing to do it, but jokes that by the time it actually happens he'll be in a walker. It's also the 30 anniversary of the original Goonies film, and they talk about that as well. One of the coolest parts about the interview is when Brolin sports a red bandana like the one he wore in the 1985 adventure film. Check out the interview below!

Comic artist Alex Ross created this incredibly awesome Iron Giant illustration. This might just be one of my favorite pieces that he's done. Ross is a favorite artist of mine, and The Iron Giant is my number one favorite animated film of all time, so if you bring the two together like this, the result is pure magic. Thanks to Sal Abbinanti for the heads up on this greatness. 

20th Century Fox has released two new clips from their upcoming adventure film The Maze Runner. I think this movie looks awesome! I've enjoyed everything that I've seen from it, and it just seems like it has a great story that's been adapted into a really cool looking film. We've got two clips from it to share with you today. The first is called "Doors," and it focuses on the mysteries of the Maze as it looms over Thomas and the other Gladers. The second is called "Fight," which features Thomas who, as a newcomer, must fight to establish himself as a Glader. Here's a synopsis for the picture:

When Thomas (O'Brien) wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.

The movie will be released on September 19th.

It has been 35 years since the horror movie classic The Amityville Horror was released in theaters. In 2005 we got a remake that starred Ryan Reynolds, which wasn't very good. Now we have a new mediocre vision of the Amityville haunted house coming out soon called Amityville: The Awakening. Believe it or not, this is 12th film in the series, many of which have been released directly to DVD.

The horror film was directed by Franck Khalfoun (Maniac, P2) and it stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cameron Monaghan, and Bella Thorne. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be a very good movie, it's just a bunch of recycled horror movie thrills. Dimension Films plans a theatrical release for this one, and it will come out on January 2nd, 2015. 

This is really interesting. ABC is currently developing a new series based on the Derrick Storm mystery novels that were written by the fictional character Richard Castle, who is played by Nathan Fillion in the fantastic drama Castle. 

I love this show, and it's really kind of meta that they are making a sort of spin-off series based on a fictional character that comes from a fictional book from a fictional author. 

One thing that I didn't realize until recently was that those Derrick Storm novels that have been referenced on Castle have actually been published in real life under the name of Richard Castle. Those book are also on best-seller status! That is both really weird, yet cool. For those of you not familiar with Derrick Storm, he is a spy who gets called on by the CIA to help them with mysterious missions. 

Variety reports that Castle vet Gregory Poirier is writing the pilot and he will executive produce the project with Castle creator and executive producer Andrew Marlowe.

Castle is moving into its seventh season and the ratings for the show just seem to be getting higher and higher. The sixth season had it highest ratings to date. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new series develops.