Machinima Prime has released a very fun sci-fi short film called Loadout: Going in Hot, which is a live action adaption of the third-person shooter video game of the same name. The short stars Battlestar Galactica's Richard Hatch as Captain Gaz. The story follows the Captain and his loyal crew on an adventure that brings excitement and absurdity. If you've played the game, then you'll notice some of the key elements from it in the short. If you haven't played the game, it's still an entertaining watch.

The short was directed by Vincent Talenti (Red Star, Fallout: Nuka Break) and this is the synopsis:

Battlestar Galatica's Richard Hatch captains a crew of merchant marines in space who compete with other local haulers in the highly profitable (and extremely dangerous) antiquities and curios shipping business. Gaz and his crew scramble to avert a ship-wide disaster; while racing against the clock and Gaz’s arch nemesis, Mick, in their quest to retrieve a high value cargo payload.

The short also stars Bonnie Bower (Fallout: Nuka Break, Escape), Matt Mercer (Attack On Titan, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore), Jon Enge (Mars Rising Films), Becca Hardy (Off-Season), and Circus-Szalewski (Fallout: Nuka Break, Conan O'Brien). Enjoy the short!

Yesterday we learned that Paramount Pictures is looking to hire one of these five directors to direct Star Trek 3: Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), Justin Lin (Fast & Furious), and Duncan Jones (Moon, Warcraft).

Out of those directors I'd love to see Jones take on the project, but he's probably going to be busy developing Warcraft. Wyatt is the next best choice, and perhaps he's the studio's favorite as he just made The Gambler with Mark Wahlberg for them. Thanks to Badass Digest, we have some information on why the previously attached director, Roberto Orci, is no longer attached. One of those reasons was because the studio wanted Star Trek 3 to be more like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and Orci wasn't on board with the idea so he walked. 

The site reports that Orci quit "because Paramount's notes on his script were untenable and the other was that Paramount shut the picture down a month ago and spent the time talking to other filmmakers before officially taking Orci off the project." Edgar Wright was apparently offered the opportunity to direct the movie, but his experience with Marvel and Ant-Man may have affected his decision, and he turned it down.

As for Guardians of the Galaxy being the reason why Orci quit, the site says:

"That's the movie that has a bug up Paramount's ass, and they want Star Trek 3 to feel more like Guardians. This comes on the heels of the first two movies being respectable, solid earners but not the kind of home runs Paramount needs. They want the third film to be huge, and they want it to be huge overseas especially. They look at Rocket and Groot and then they look at Keenser and they wonder why he doesn't have more of a role."

I could see the studio being inspired by Guardians, just like the rest of the studios in Hollywood. I think they could easily implement certain aspects of the Marvel movie into Star Trek, but Star Trek is its own thing. Other than giving Keenser, the small alien with silver beady-eyes, a more prominent role, there's no word on exactly how they want to make Star Trek feel more like Guardians. It could be more humor or introducing more interesting characters in the franchise like Harry Mudd.

There's no official confirmation on if any of this is true, but the site that the news came from is reliable. It's kind of weird that Orci would walk away over something like this, but maybe he was pushed to a breaking point by the studio to quit. Or maybe the pressures of developing a huge tentpole blockbuster movie like this was too much for him. He's still involved as a producer though. I personally think Paramount and J.J. Abrams have handled the resurgence of the franchise incredibly well up until this point. They shouldn't let Guardians get in the way of what they have been planning. 

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, and John Cho are all expected to reprise their roles as the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. No plot details have been released. No release date has been set yet, but it's believed that the plan is to release the film in 2016, as that year marks the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise.

According to Amy Nicholson of LA Weekly, Tom Cruise's Maverick was a phony in Tony Scott's 1986 film Top Gun. Nicholson released a video essay called "Why You're Wrong About Top Gun," and she seriously makes some very interesting and valid points that makes me see this movie in a completely different light. In her opinion, Maverick wasn’t actually a tough guy in the the story, he was just a scared kid who was trying to be a tough guy.

Nicholson wrote a book called Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor, which is described as follows:

The Anatomy of an Actor series takes ten roles by a single actor, each studied in a dedicated chapter, and identifies the key elements that made the performances exceptional - carefully examining the actor's craft for both a professional audience and movie fans alike. This title looks at Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. First cast by Francis Ford Coppola in The Outsiders (1983), he gained international notoriety in the mid-1980s thanks to Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986). One of the most sought-after actors, Cruise has oriented his career to blockbusters, with a predilection for action and science fiction, starring in such movies as Michael Mann's Collateral (2004), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005), the Mission: Impossible series (1996, 2000, 2006, 2011) and Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion (2013).

This is worth a watch for anyone who is a fan of Top Gun. Hell, even if you're not a fan, you should watch it. Thanks to /Film for bringing it to my attention. 

Some new details have surfaced regarding AMC's The Walking Dead companion series known as Cobalt. TVLine is reporting the setting the series will be in Los Angeles. The current series we're enjoying is set in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. There were rumors that the series could have taken place in another part of the world like France, but that's obviously not the case.

I think Los Angles is going to make a great setting! It's always fun to see my hometown overrun with zombies. Cliff Curtis is the actor who will lead the companion series, in which he plays a divorced teacher. The story takes place during the same zombie apocalypse that we've been experiencing on The Walking Dead.

The series was co-created by Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson. Adam Davidson will direct the pilot episode. It will start shooting in early 2015.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Goyer, Jack Thorne, and Neil Gaiman have been hard at work trying to get a script completed for a big screen adaptation of Sandman. Gordon-Levitt, who has been rumored in the past to be starring in the film, was also in negotiations to direct the film. Gaiman seems to have a different vision of who should be cast in the role of Morpheus, though.

In an interview with the Radio Times, the writer says that after seeing Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock he started to like him for the role. He acknowledges the fact that his casting is very unlikely to happen since Cumberbatch is playing Doctor Strange for Marvel. He then mentions that Tom Hiddleston could be a possibility. You can read his quote below, in which Gaiman reveals that he'll be reading the most up-to-date version of the script over Christmas.

"There was a time Johnny Depp would've been a great Morpheus, but now he's too old and it's fine. I think the first time I saw Benedict [Cumberbatch] was as Sherlock Holmes, I thought, 'wow, that's incredibly Morpheus.' Tom Hiddleston is still out there, and the truth is, as far as I'm concerned, anybody who sounds English with great cheekbones can probably pull it off. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt in charge, his instincts are good and he loves the material. He wants it to be true to the material. [T]hey've written a script. I got a phone call about two, three weeks ago from Joe and David [S. Goyer] saying, 'Jack did a script, we read it, we want some things done to it. We want you to see it, but not this version. The next version will be in three weeks and then you'll be the first person to see it.' So I am now a week before seeing the script. It's going to come in just before Christmas. I'm nervous, I'm on tenterhooks. But do I have good feelings? Yeah I do."

I'm incredibly excited to see this up on the big screen. It great to keep hearing that it's still very much in active development. It's going to be cool to finally see Gordon-Levitt's vision of this comic brought to life. I personally think that Hiddleston would be an amazing choice to play Morpheus. Hopefully they can make that happen.

Further proof that we live in the future: Skype Translator can translate your verbal conversation over Skype in real-time. Microsoft has been developing Skype Translator for a few years now and finally has something ready for the public to get its hands on. The preview that you can sign up for now only translates English to Spanish and vice versa.

Skype Translator also supports immediate message translation for over 40 languages. No word yet on when other real-time translation pairs might be released. Based on the video, the translation seems to really have very low latency. I wonder if a predictive algorithm helps cut down on the latency we've seen from competing mobile apps.

If you want to test Skype Translate, you have to request an invite on Microsoft's Skype site and use code STVER4230 to get an expedited invite.

Source: The Verge

Pianist Sonya Belousova at PlayerPiano has managed an amazingly entertaining feat by arranging several classic Nintendo theme songs on the spot by request and then playing them on the piano. It's pretty spectacular to watch. I wish I was this good at playing the piano. I can't even play "Chopsticks," though. I think it's awesome when extremely talented people like this put their talents to good, geeky use. The theme songs that she plays here include Kid Icarus, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, Mega Man II, Duck Tales, and Zelda.

Bryan Singer and his creative team are currently prepping for production on X-Men: Apocalypse. The movie is going to bring several of the First Class and Days of Future Past cast members back together for more action along with younger versions of other characters like Cyclops and Jean Grey. So what about the involvement of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine? There has been a lot of speculation that he could be in the film, but there's been no confirmation. 

Jackman talked a little big about what's going on in an interview the Happy Say Confused Podcast, and he teased it a little.

“I have been speaking to the guys, and I’m not at liberty to tell exactly what’s going on. Which is largely framing my answer here….But there’s still a lot unknown about that, actually. There are some very exciting things about integrating the whole X-Men world, including the Wolverine movie. There’s some really cool things going on.”

So even though we still don't know if he's going to be included in Apocalypse, we do know that the character will be back. The studio is currently developing a third Wolverine movie, which is scheduled to be released on March 3rd, 2017. Jackman says in the interview that he and writer David James Kelly are “working… really hard” on it. The director of The Wolverine, James Mangold, will also be back to bring it to the screen. When it was brought up in the conversation, Jackman said,

“I’m very, very excited about that, actually.” 

So am I! The last Wolverine movie was really fun, and I enjoyed it. It's always good to see Jackman in his role for Wolverine. It would be cool if they found a place for him in Apocalypse. They must have if he's been in talks with the studio about it, but I think I'd rather wait to see him in Wolverine 3. I'm excited to see what story they tell in that film.

Singer will start shooting the film in Montreal beginning April 2015 for a May 27, 2016 release. Would you like to see Wolverine in the film, or should he take a back seat this time around like in First Class?

Via: MTV

Animator Madeline Sharafian has created a short film called "Acorn." It's a lighthearted short about an acorn that dreams of one day being a tree on a hill.

There’s still so much that we don’t know about Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. One think we do know, though, is that it looks freakin' awesome! One of the bigger mysteries of the story that has yet to be revealed is how Vision is created in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve heard a lot of theories, and one of the more popular has Paul Bettany's J.A.R.V.I.S. character somehow becoming The Vision.

In a recent interview with with THR the actor is asked about Vision’s role in the film, and this is what he says:

"It's still a secret. I think all will be revealed very shortly. It's a secret I've kept for about three years, which is really hard, especially with three kids. I'm contractually obliged not to talk about it. J.A.R.V.I.S will be there and so will The Vision. But I simply can't tell you any more."

One of the other things I’ve heard is that Vision is one of the creations of Ultron. Who knows for sure at this point, though It’s sounds like that mystery will be revealed at some point in the near future. Whatever it ends up being, it sounds to me like J.A.R.V.I.S. and The Vision are going to exist separately in the film. 

The folks at Think Geek always have a lot of fun with their ad copy and photos. In a rare video commercial for a Death Star bluetooth speaker they have a dancing Darth Vader and a couple Stormtroopers, and the video has a fun resolution.

Product Specs:
    •    Speaker lights up when in use
    •    Mono
    •    Dimensions: 6" tall x ~ 4 1/2" wide x ~ 4 1/2" deep
    •    Weight: 7 lbs.
    •    Note: Does not include Concave Dish Composite Beam Superlaser

H/T: Geek X Girls

Earlier today we brought you posters for Sony Pictures' Pixels featuring classic video game characters from Centipede and Space Invaders. Now we have two more to add to the collection with posters that include Pac-man and Donkey Kong invading earth and causing complete chaos. 

The film stars Peter Dinklage, Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, and Michelle Monaghan, whose characters must save the world from an invasion of several retro video game creatures that also include Galaga, Frogger, and Q*bert. The movie was based on an original short film of the same name made by Patrick Jean.

In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults.  President Will Cooper (James) has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game championSam Brenner (Sandler), now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Dinklage and Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet.  Monaghan plays the team’s unique weapons specialist. 

The movie was directed by Chris Columbus, and it's set to be released on May 15th, 2015. 

Via: Yahoo

The fifth Pirates of the Carribbean film in Disney’s cash-cow franchise could be a reboot. The news comes from an interview IGN did with Orlando Bloom. Earlier this year the actor revealed that he has been in talks with the studio to reprise his role as Will Turner. There’s no official word on if that’s actually the case or not, but when asked about Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales he said:

“I’m not entirely sure that [I'll be back] just yet, but there are talks. Basically they want to reboot the whole franchise, I think, and do something with me and the relationship with my son… I’m of course Davey Jones now, so I’m down the bottom of the ocean. It might be kind of fun to do something where I’m rumbling round the bottom of the ocean, because I won’t look anything like me. [Gestures to face] Get all gnarly.”

If Bloom does come back for more swashbuckling action, he’ll joined Brenton Thwaites who plays a new character; Johnny Depp, who is reprising his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow; Geoffrey Rush, returning as Captain Barbossa, and Javier Bardem, who will play the film’s main villain, Captain Brand.

The studio is also looking to fill the lead female role with one of these five actresses: Lucy Boynton (Miss Potter, Ballet Shoes), Alexandra Dowling (Hammer of the Gods, The Musketeers), Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), Jenna Thiam (Vie sauvage, The Returned), or Gabriella Wilde (Endless Love, Carrie).

Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg will direct the film, and it's set to be released in theaters July 7th, 2017.

Director Sam Mendes is currently filming Spectre, the follow up to his highly successful James Bond film Skyfall. As you’ve likely heard by now, thanks to the Sony hacks, the script for the new film has already leaked online. If you’re tempted to find it and read it, Late Night host Seth Meyers saves you a lot of time and trouble with his breakdown of every Bond film ever made. His beat for beat breakdown is hilariously accurate, and it takes less than two minutes to watch. Enjoy!

In JP Valderrama’s Batman franchise melding poster, Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is asked by Alfred, “Who will you be tonight?” But the question isn’t whether he’ll be Batman or Bruce but, rather, which version of The Caped Crusader he’d like to be. The suits in front of him don’t just include the suit Bale wore in the last two films in The Dark Knight trilogy, but also suits worn by Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney in other live action iterations of the character. Oddly enough, for Bale’s screen test for Batman Begins, he actually did wear Kilmer’s suit from Batman Forever. I've embedded that video below in case you haven't seen it already.

You can order 24" x 18" Giclee prints of this poster at Hero Complex Gallery. They are $40, and there were only a limited edition of 50 made. So act fast if you want one or want to give one as a gift.

H/T: Geek Alerts

People continue to go bananas for the ball droid from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser. Last week we learned that the name of the droid is BB-8, and Mark Hamill explained that it’s actually a practical effect — Jedi mind trick? No, Jedi mind blown! In this fan-made video by Julien Leterrier, BB-8 is recreated in CG and is on the move as he makes his way through the desert. After a few extra moments and maneuvers, the fan footage could blend almost seamlessly into the small glimpse we got of this new character in the trailer.

One of the last big casting announcements we've been waiting to see for David Ayer's Suicide Squad was for the character Amanda Waller. This character is a prison warden and a former congressional aide and government agent that oversees the team. She is kind of like the Nick Fury of the group. According to Latino-Review, Viola Davis (The Help, Ender's Game) has landed the part. She's a very talented actress who seems perfect for the role. 

Right now the studio is just trying to figure out how to work around the schedule of her TV series, How To Get Away With Murder. She will join Jared Leto as the Joker, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Tom Hardy as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.

Davis was rumored to be up for the part when the initial casting of the film was announced. It's nice to see that things are working out for her. The movie hits theaters on August 5th, 2016.

We've seen a lot of fun Avengers mashup art over the years, but never before have I seen an illustration that reimagines the characters as Star Wars droids. This piece is called "Droidvengers," and it's pretty damn cool. It was created by DeviantArt user darrinbrege, who said,

The Droidvengers came to be from a challenge by the 501st Legion (Star Wars costuming community for charity) wanting to see our favorite droids as the Avengers. A patch, benefiting A Force for Change, featured R2-D2 and R2-KT. The Droidvengers are R2 as The Cap, R1-G4 as Hulk, R2-KT as Black Widow, C3PO as Iron Man, The Treadwell Droid is Hawkeye, and R5-D Thor. This derivative illustration is a parody piece created as a fan art of all of the franchises.

Legendary Pictures has released five clips from their upcoming fantasy adventure film called Seventh Son, which looks spectacular. The movie stars Jeff Bridges as an aging knight who is tasked with stopping a powerful witch who has escaped from the prison that he put her in. He enlists the help of a new apprentice to help him in his journey.  

The movie also stars Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin, Kit Harington as Billy Bradley, Jason Scott Lee as Urag, Ben Barnes as Tom Ward, Djimon Hounsou as Radu, and Alicia Vikander as Alice. Here's a synopsis:

In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarceration, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory. In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what normally takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward ( Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man’s only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

This movie is set to be released on February 6th, 2015.

With The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies coming out this week, the Screen Junkies have released an Honest Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. They sure do go out of their way to tear this movie apart! They didn't like it at all, but that's what these Honest Trailers are made for. Even if you're a fan of the movie, these are still entertaining to watch. 

Before you say goodbye to Middle Earth with The Battle of the Five Armies, relive The Desolation of Smaug, the bloated second chapter in Peter Jackson's mercilessly long Hobbit trilogy.

I know not everyone is a fan of what Peter Jackson has done with The Hobbit, but dammit, I am, and the final chapter in the franchise is definitely my favorite chapter in the story. Just wait until you see it for yourself! In the meantime, enjoy the Honest Trailer!