So apparently director Tim Burton almost included a scene in Batman Returns that featured a Batman gift shop that sold all kinds of Batman memorabilia. Apparently someone in Gotham City was looking to make a buck off of Batman's popularity after what went down in the first Batman movie. 

The shop was fully built for the film, and it was supposed to be destroyed in the film, but the scene was cut. Thanks to 1989Batman.com (via /Film), we have some cool photos of the shop, so you can see what it looked like. 

A new piece of promo art for Avengers: Age of Ultron has surfaced, featuring Paul Bettany as the Vision. This is the best and most detailed look that we've had at the character so far, and he sure does look awesome! The synthetic humanoid is one of Ultron's creations in the story, and he becomes part of the Avengers team in the image. As you can see in the image below, Vision is surrounded by the team. I can't wait to see some actual footage of this character. I'm sure Marvel will eventually include him in a trailer.

Via: CBM

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been portrayed by several different actors over the years in both TV and film. The most current versions of the character include Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the Warner Bros. films and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the BBC series. Both of these iterations have been incredibly fun to watch, and each actor gives a very cool and very different spin on these classic characters. We thought it would be fun to debate which acting duo is the better Sherlock and Watson. So check out the video below, listen to the arguments, and let us know what side you fall on! To catch up on any previous episodes you may have missed, click here.

Also stay tuned for our upcoming GeekTyrant VS event, Billionaire Beat-Down! Details are coming very soon, so stay tuned!

Warner Bros. has released nine new images from Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies featuring some moodiness and action. I've also included about eight minutes of behind the scenes footage showing us how fun it was for the cast and crew to be a part of this film. One of my dreams was to visit the set of one of these Middle Earth films, and it never happened... Now I'm sad. Especially since there will be no more movies made! Thankfully there are videos like this to show us what it was like to be on the set. As a huge fan of this franchise, I'll take what I can get! 

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the PlayStation video game console, Sony is releasing a special edition 20th anniversary PlayStation 4. This thing looks awesome, and I want one. I love that it features the exact color scheme of the original 1994 PlayStation, which I have so many fond memories of. I can't believe that it's been 20 years! 

20 years is a long time! In 1994, many outsiders thought that Sony was slightly crazy to launch the original PlayStation into an incredibly competitive gaming market. Who could blame them? Sony was (and is!) famous for engineering great electronics, audio equipment and many other consumer devices. But game consoles?!

Sony Computer Entertainment, founded by my mentor Ken Kutaragi, was a project borne out of sincere passion and deep admiration for the craft of game development. The mid ’90s were an exciting time for game developers, driven by the explosion of powerful but affordable 3D graphics rendering hardware and the birth of many young and adventurous development studios. The original PlayStation was meant to embody that sense of adventure and discovery, that sense that anything was possible.

We sincerely thank you for joining us on our exciting 20-year journey. You have made every bump and scrape we took along the way worthwhile. And there’s so much more to come!

The console is limited to only 12,300 numbered units worldwide. According to Sony, the limited edition console will cost $499 in the US and will be available for pre-order via Sony.Store.com starting on December 6th. In Europe, the 20th Anniversary PS4 will go for €499. I've included a video of the console being unboxed.

Source: PlayStation.com

It sounds like Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams is ready to get to work on Sam Raimi's big screen adaptation of the hit video game The Last of Us. During an interview with IGN, she talked about how her casting was progressing and she told them that "it's looking like a yes."

Williams, who plays Arya Stark in the HBO fantasy series, was a huge hit at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. It was there that her name was dropped as being in the running to play the character Ellie from the popular horror-action game. According to the actress, she wasn't familiar with the The Last of Us until fans on Twitter, which included Ashley Johnson, the original voice of Ellie, fan casted her for the role. It's at that point that she got her American agent to set up a meeting. She said,

“I had a meeting with [producer] Sam Raimi and [game director] Neil Druckmann. They said they’d love ‘if you would moderate the panel at Comic-Con, but you’d need to watch the walk-through and know your s*** because there are massive fans of this and we wouldn’t want it to go wrong.’ I was doing so much work for ‘Thrones’ that I didn’t want to half-arse do it, so I said I’m not going to [moderate]. They said fine, but they’re gonna announce they had talks. So the way it was left is they want me to do it, and I want to do it. But there’s no script, no director, and no anything else. So at this moment, it’s looking like, ‘Yes,’ but it’s still such early days. If they make it in 30 years, they can’t have a 40-year-old Ellie. So at the moment, it’s looking good, and I’d love to do it. Hell yeah.”

The story follows "hardened survivor, Joel, and Ellie, a young and capable girl, on their journey through a radically transformed world. Set twenty years after an infectious pandemic spread by the cordyceps virus ravaged the course of humanity, these two people, who were brought together by chance, must make life-altering decisions in order to survive. The Last of Us explores themes of survival, loyalty, love, and redemption in an emotionally charged expedition across a post-epidemic United States."

Druckmann is currently writing the screenplay, so I have high hopes for this movie. One thing is for sure, Williams is perfect for the part. 

David Ehrlich of Little White Lies has released a great video montage of what he thinks the best 25 films of 2014 are. There are a few movies in this video that I have still yet to see, but they are on my list of movies to see. I guess I better watch them before the year is up so I can compile my own list of favorite movies of the year. There are a lot of lesser known, smaller films in this video, but a lot of the movies are definitely worth watching.

A brief 15-second tease of Terminator: Genisys has been released to prepare fans for the trailer, which will be released tomorrow. This gives us our first look at footage from the film, and it features some pretty exciting stuff! I'm looking forward to seeing more! I do have to say that the last shot of Schwarzenegger looking at his robotic arm seems a bit off. 

The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi, Byung Hun Lee, and Matt Smith. Here's the synopsis:

Terminator: Genisys starts in 2029, when the Future War is raging and a group of human rebels has the evil artificial-intelligence system Skynet on the ropes. John Connor (Clarke) is the leader of the resistance, and Kyle Reese (Courtney) is his loyal soldier, raised in the ruins of post apocalyptic California. As in the original film, Connor sends Reese back to 1984 to save Connor’s mother, Sarah (Clarke), from a Terminator programmed to kill her so that she won’t ever give birth to John. But what Reese finds on the other side is nothing like he expected.

This will be the first in a planed trilogy. Genisys will be released in theaters on July 1st, 2015.

Hot Toys has released a series of photos for yet another suit of armor from Tony Stark's collection in Iron Man 3. This is the Mark XXII, which is also known as the Hot Rod armor. This thing looks badass. I wish that it would have been featured more in the movie. There are a lot of suits that I wish would have been featured more. Here's the description that came along with the images:

Tony Stark designed the Mark XXII armor as a War Machine 2.0 Prototype Suit in Iron Man 3. This lightly-armed suit is built with versatility in mind being able to dodge obstacles and move around mid-air more swiftly. Tony Stark was just about to jump into the suit in the movie before it got attack by an Extremis soldier. It earns the name of “Hot Rod” as its arms and legs’ design resembles the classic American hot rod with flames.

Today Hot Toys is happy to continue expanding the “House Party Protocol” and officially introduce the 1/6th scale Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure as a Hot Toys Exclusive item. It is the latest addition to our MMS Diecast Series which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, and realistically designed to look more like Hot Rod as it appears in the movie.

The movie-accurate Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure contains diecast material and is crafted with fine details featuring metallic dark gray, silver and red armor with distinctive flame patterns on legs and LED light-up functions.

Marvel Comics has released variant art by Jose Ladronn for the Inhumans 50th Anniversary cover to Uncanny Avengers #1. There’s something really interesting about this art that was pointed out by ComicBook.com. The Inhumans are set to headline their own Marvel film in 2018, and it looks like ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could be paving the way for that.

If you look at the symbols on the floor in the art, under everyone's feet you are sure to see some symbols that look exactly like the mysterious map that Agent Coulson was drawing. Here's a brief explanation of that theory:

"In the television series, the writing is leading both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra to a secret, hidden city. The prevalent theory is that city is Attilan, home of the Inhumans, and this image certainly seems to strengthen the Inhumans connection."

This is incredibly intriguing stuff! Damn, I love how Marvel works their magic. Here's a photo of Coulson's art project so you can compare. 

GeekTyrant VS has created a really awesome tournament called "Billionaire Beat-Down," in which you can enter to win a 6-month subscription to Loot Crate! 

Here's how it works. Several of our team members have come together and each chosen a certain billionaire character from the the fictional world of geek culture. Each of them will be given the opportunity to make an argument for their character in the GeekTyrant VS debate videos that we will release. The winner of each round will move on to the next bracket.

Here's what you need to do to enter. All you need to do is predict what two characters will go head to head in the final round. You can check out the bracket above, which includes Black Panther, Xanatos, Lara Croft, Handsome Jack, Boba Fett, Lex Luthor, Asami Soto, and 3rd Street Saints. Some of these choices were surprising, and research was conducted to make sure that all of these characters fall into the billionaire category. We really mixed things up, so you won't see some of the usual suspects like Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, or Oliver Queen. 

To enter your prediction, click HERE or on the image above. It may take a while to load for some reason. The tournament will begin on December 9th when the first episode drops, and you have until December 24th to submit your choices, which is before Round 2 begins. Check out the announcement video below, and submit your choices! Good luck!

Disney has released two new posters for Kenneth Branagh’s live-action adaptation of Cinderella. The first one features Prince Charming (Richard Madden) holding Elle (Lily James) in her arms. The second includes Helena Bonham Carter as The Fairy Godmother. You can see the previously released poster featuring Cate Blanchett, Holliday Grainger, and Sophie McShera as Cinderella‘s wicked stepmother and stepsisters here.. You can also check out the trailer for the film here in case you missed it. 

The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella's father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother's dying words and to "have courage and be kind." She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella's hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and -- armed with a pumpkin and a few mice -- changes Cinderella's life forever.

Cinderella hits theaters March 13th, 2015.

Awwww... snap! Batman just got owned by Sherlock Holmes. Usually we see Batman slapping Robin across the face, but now Batman gets a taste of his own medicine in this hilarious piece of fan art featuring Holmes showing the Caped Crusader who's boss by smacking him across the face. I know the image already comes with some dialogue from Holmes, but I'd like to imagine him saying, "Who's the greatest detective now, punk?!" What are some other fun captions that would take this art to a new level? 

Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, if you haven't already, check out our Sherlock Vs. Sherlock episode of GeekTyrant VS here. 

Via: Fashionably Geek

Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced that they will be releasing a new animated Frozen short film called "Frozen Fever." The short brings Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf back to the big screen. It will play in front of Disney’s live-action Cinderella film, which opens in theaters on March 13th, 2015. Here's a brief story summary:

In Frozen Fever, it's Anna's birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but Elsa's icy powers may put more than just the party at risk.

The short was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and it will also feature an all-new original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. This is exciting news for fans of Frozen! I loved the movie, and I'll be looking forward to seeing these characters back together again.

A week ago we posted a sweded trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was fun. But today we have another version that comes from the pros over at CineFix. This is their latest episode of their Homemade web-series, and I think that it's funny to say that a lot more production value went into making this sweded trailer. I hope you enjoy it!

It was recently announced that Bill & Ted would be making a triumphant return in comic book form. The comic will be called Wyld Stallyns, and thanks to the Nerdist, today we have the first art and details surrounding the project. 

The comic will run for six issues, and it comes from writers Brian Lynch (Puss in Boots) and artists Jerry Gaylord and Ian McGinty. I know we all would rather see a third movie, but at least William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq., and Theodore “Ted” Logan will be back in a new adventure! The comic will be released in March 2015.

Here are the details from the publisher, Boom! Studios:

WHY WE LOVE IT: Similar to our Big Trouble in Little China comics, we’re returning readers to one of our favorite—and most excellent—cult-classic properties with a new Bill & Ted adventure of epic proportions. And because we’re fans first, we’re making sure it’s something WE would read. Wyld Stallyns forever!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: If you’re a fan of 1980s films, our comics will pick up where they left off—silly humor and likable characters mixed with some cool historical science fiction. Haven’t seen the Bill & Ted movies? Bogus! Still, if you like tongue-in-cheek humor books like Nextwave and our own Adventure Time series, then this is right up your alley!

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Following the time-traveling historic epic of Excellent Adventure and the turbulent life and death of Bogus Journey, Bill and Ted must now fulfill their destiny as the inspiration for galactic harmony! How can someone hate the Wyld Stallyns as much as the evil Chuck De Nomolos? With the power of time travel, Bill and Ted set their sights on turning a young 27th-century Nomolos’ non-non-heinous attitude into something most outstanding and metal! Featuring a main story by Brian Lynch (Angel, the upcoming Minionsmovie) and Jerry Gaylord (Loki: Ragnarok and Roll), and a backup story by Ryan North (Adventure Time) and Ian McGinty (Bravest Warriors).

BILL & TED’S MOST TRIUMPHANT RETURN #1 (of 6)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
On sale: March 2015
Authors: Brian Lynch, Ryan North
Artists: Jerry Gaylord, Ian McGinty
Cover Artists: A. Felipe Smith B. Trevor Hairsine C. Goñi Montes
Format: 32 pages, full color

On the heels of Suicide Squad's cast announcement, I have a bittersweet taste in my mouth. While I do like the thought of Jared Leto, Will Smith, Tom Hardy, and others portraying some of the baddest villains out there, I have a foul taste in my mouth. "What about the television actors?" I think, remembering the solid performances of Michael Rowe as Deadshot on Arrow. The same can be said for many other actors in the DC universe right now, such as Nick Tarabay, who recently made his debut as Captain Boomerang on Flash. Not long after his debut, it was announced that his former Spartacus cast mate Jai Courtney will be playing the same character in Suicide Squad.

The move was reminiscent of the announcement of Ezra Miller being cast as The Flash the same day the second episode ratings were announced for the television show starring Grant Gustin. It's a disrespectful move by Warner Brothers that angered, among others, Arrow himself, Stephen Amell.

Amell was not alone in his criticism. In fact, there was a vocal majority who thought Gustin deserved the movie role, second episode be damned.

I understand the nuance and struggle that would come along with a shared universe, but in the case of Gustin, and at some point Amell, it's a bit shitty to completely dismiss the television world of superheroes. Two guys lay the foundation for characters seemingly unknown to the mainstream community and then don't get the opportunity to embody the role on the big screen. What's the difference between the guys cast in the films and these guys who bust their ass year in and year out to bring us the magic on a week to week basis?

There are a lot of reasons to say no, I'll admit. The Flash or Arrow could get cancelled by the time their respective movies go to screen. Actors who appear in films are going to eventually want more money to appear on television, thus driving more money and affecting the product. These aren't the reasons DC is not giving these guys the limelight, however.

DC has really been big on star power, as of late, in an attempt to combat Marvel's still flourishing movie scene, and I think it's a bad approach. First off, television seems to be the biggest advantage DC has over Marvel in terms of live action drama at the moment. With three shows topping the ratings on their respective channels, it's hard to argue that DC doesn't have a leg up against Marvel's standalone Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the time being, and that gap is closing. S.H.I.E.L.D. has only gotten better since IMPLEMENTING EVENTS FROM THEIR FILMS IN THE TELEVISION SERIES. With the Daredevil series coming soon (May 2015) to Netflix, who's to say next year the two won't be on solid ground come next year?

When people went to go see Batman Begins, they didn't go to see Christian Bale. They went to see Batman. Did Bale lend himself to the role well? Of course, and parts of his portrayal will forever remain with the character's legacy. First movie out, though, Bale did not put butts in seats, Batman did. Ultimately, when it comes to hero films we want the hero, and not the guy behind it.

So who better to star in a film about characters lacking mass appeal than the guys who put them back in the spotlight? I guess what I'm getting at is if star power is all we cared about, DC, then we'd be clamoring for you to bring George Clooney back for Batman and Robin 2. Instead, we bury the performance of Brandon Routh as Superman in 2006 and then in 2014 applaud him for his portrayal of The Atom in Arrow. Guys like Amell and Gustin have already won us over with their portrayals of heroes, so why hope lighting strikes twice and take a risk with other guys?

We live in an era where television as of late has rivaled and at times surpassed film. Embrace it, DC, and don't make our cinematic world as convoluted as the comics world.

The Crow remake that was being developed by director F. Javier Gutiérrez has a new director. According to THR, Relativity Media has hired Corin Hardy to direct the movie. Hardy is is a music video director who has a "love for horror and special effects." Does that make him the right guy for the job? He made his feature film debut with a movie called The Hallow, which will be released next year and is about "a scientist and his family who move to the countryside and must fight off vicious creatures living in the woods."

Sounds like a cool movie, but does the filmmaker have what it takes to bring The Crow to life on the big screen? That has yet to be seen. The movie will be directly based on the comic book created by James O’Barr, who is also working on the development of the film. Its been made clear that this will stay true to the comics and will not be a remake of the the Alex Proyas-directed film. You can read about O'Barr's vision of the film here.

The story follows a man who returns from the grave as The Crow on a mission to avenge his wife’s murder so that his soul can finally rest. I have no idea how this movie is going to turn out, but the fact that O'Barr is on board gives me hope. There was no reason given as to why Gutiérrez was replaced.

This photo by Jon San Pedro of two LEGO Stormtroopers in a piece called "Night Patrol" has a very cool mood to it. The posing feels candid and the long exposure adds a dreamy quality to it.

H/T: Tie Fighters

In a lengthy interview with Buzz Feed, Evangeline Lilly talks about how she fell into acting. She also talks about her love of writing and her journey to becoming a published author. Lilly also talks about how she nearly quit acting until she got a call from Peter Jackson to join The Hobbit. As a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and Jackson, taking the role of Tauriel was a dream come true.

She also relates how after The Hobbit she was ready again to move away from acting to focus on her writing career when Edgar Wright offered her the role of Hope Van Dyne in Ant-Man.

“Initially, I was like, no way. No way.” Lilly starts laughing. “And then they said, ‘Paul Rudd’s playing the lead.’ And I was like, ‘Oh shit. I love Paul Rudd. I really want to work with him!’ So I was like, ‘OK, well, send me the script. I’ll read it and I’ll consider it.’ And then I started watching Marvel [Studios] movies, which I hadn’t done before. … I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to movies — like, the popcorn-munching movies, I never go see them. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought, these are actually incredible — they’re making fantastic films.”

While not a comic book geek, Lilly did her research on Ant-Man before even reading the script.

 “I thought Edgar’s idea to blend the [Hank and Scott] stories was brilliant. You’re going to have fans up there who insist that you tell the story of Hank Pym, and fans up there who will be more on the Scott Lang side of it. … I think we are going to come close to pleasing them all. And what’s cool is that, you know, Janet Van Dyne is my mom. Hank Pym is my father. I was raised by two superheroes. I’m no schlump. I’m a pretty smart, competent, capable, kick-ass female. She’s very cool.”

Then in May, Wright left Ant-Man over creative differences. Lilly, having not signed a contract yet, wanted to see the new script before officially committing to the film.

“[I was] shocked,” she says. “And mortified, at first. Actually, I wouldn’t say mortified. You know, a creative project is a moving target. You never end up where you start. But we all, I think, signed on very enthusiastically with Edgar. We were excited to work with Edgar. We were fans of Edgar. So when the split happened, I was in the fortunate position where I had not signed my contract yet. So I had the choice to walk away, and I almost did. Because I thought, Well, if it’s because Marvel are big bullies, and they just want a puppet and not someone with a vision, I’m not interested in being in this movie. Which is what I was afraid of.”

But she didn't walk away and waited for the new script to come in so she could see how this would differ from Wright's vision.

“I saw with my own eyes that Marvel had just pulled the script into their world. I mean, they’ve established a universe, and everyone has come to expect a certain aesthetic [and] a certain feel for Marvel films. And what Edgar was creating was much more in the Edgar Wright camp of films. They were very different. And I feel like, if [Marvel] had created Edgar’s incredible vision — which would have been, like, classic comic book — it would have been such a riot to film [and] it would have been so much fun to watch. [But] it wouldn’t have fit in the Marvel Universe. It would have stuck out like a sore thumb, no matter how good it was. It just would have taken you away from this cohesive universe they’re trying to create. And therefore it ruins the suspended disbelief that they’ve built.”

It seems to me that Wright made a smart choice in walking away. Compromising his vision or style to fit the Marvel cineverse would have made a lesser film in the end. It's reassuring to know Marvel Studios has a firm grasp of the world they are building. Lilly is really confident in the script and the director which gives me a lot of hope for the film.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Lilly has in store for her first novel which is a sci-fi/fantasy story. The full interview with Lilly is really interesting and worth checking out.

H/T:/Film