It looks like there's a chance that Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman might be split into two separate films. A mysterious image has popped up online (via AICN) that was supposedly taken from the upcoming teaser trailer for the film. As you can see it offers two title and dates. Those are:

Batman v Superman: Enter the Knight - October 23rd, 2015

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - April 25th, 2016

Will we actually get to see the first part of Batman v Superman this coming October?! Because that would be pretty damn cool and surprising. The second film is already scheduled with the previously revealed date. Is there some kind of big surprise announcement coming? Maybe! 

There's been no official confirmation of this news, so we are going to treat this is a rumor for now. After all, the image above could have easily been Photoshopped. At the same time it doesn't seem something like this would be impossible. There was a massive shoot for this project that was rumored to last 10+ months long, and then there was word at one point that the two Justice League films would shoot back-to-back. Also, remember that time when Peter Jackson completed shooting the first two Hobbit films and then decided to add a third? These things happen.

Warner Bros. is going to make a ton of money off this franchise, and splitting a movie like this in two would make even more of it for them. So it could actually happen, we'll just have to wait and see how this all shakes out. Would you be excited to see two Batman v Superman films get released? 

Last year we showed you a video of a Peter Griffin impersonator doing a hilarious stand-up comedy act. Well, he's back! The Family Guy character is cosplayed by Robert Franzese, and the guy does a spot-on impression. He attended New York Comic Con last year, and we have a video of him going around and doing his thing. He also talks about how he became Peter Griffen, and why he does it. It's an entertaining video, and you should check it out when you get a chance!

In perhaps the most obvious casting move we can think of, Melissa McCarthy is in early talks to star in the Ghostbusters reboot for her Bridesmaids director Paul Feig. THR has the news, which comes with a few caveats: apparently scheduling could present a problem since McCarthy is still starring on the CBS series Mike and Molly (does anyone actually watch that show? I've never met anyone who's ever mentioned seeing an episode of it). McCarthy is also committed to starring in a film called Michelle Darnell that her husband, Ben Falcone, is slated to direct, but since she's filming that in March, there's talk that she could get going on Ghostbusters this June.

I called this casting "obvious," but that doesn't mean it's bad - far from it, in fact. McCarthy and Feig have a great working relationship, and seeing the actress lead a cast of other funny women as the bust some ghosts sounds like a great way to spend two hours. Though the scheduling could ultimately prove to be too difficult to overcome, we're hoping that everything can get straightened out so we can finally see a new Ghostbusters brought to the big screen with McCarthy leading the cast.

Love stories - no matter how formulaic - warm our hearts. Some primal part of us wants to see people fall in love. In the short "Kismet Diner," a waitress falls for one of her patrons. The tale takes a few expected detours and ends in a very sweet way. Thanks to Gizmodo for finding this 2013 gem from the Cornetto Cupidity collection.

Earlier this week, word came out that Marvel's Daredevil would be available for streaming on Netflix beginning April 10th, 2015. But what about the addition Netflix shows in that Marvel deal, including AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the team-up series The Defenders? When should we start getting excited about those?

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's Chief Content Officer, spoke with IGN (via /Film) and offered a bit of information when it comes to a loose timeline for when those shows will premiere.

You should think of it about as roughly a year. Some will roll in as early as eight months and others in 15 months apart, and basically what it is is we’re not trying to meet a fall programming schedule or trying to hit a grid number, so really we want to give the shows enough time.

Jessica Jones hasn't started production yet, so a lot happens from the first day on the set to the last day of production. So we want to give them enough room and enough time to make a great show, so I don’t want to set up a rigid timetable and deliver a show every eight months or every twelve months, but you should expect them about a year apart.

Since Netflix isn't beholden to traditional network schedules, it makes sense that they wouldn't necessarily be premiering their shows at the same time that normal shows would hit the airwaves. But one thing they likely are beholden to is the plans of Marvel Entertainment, and it's looking more and more like these street-level characters could eventually factor into the movies, especially The Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2, which hits on May 3rd, 2019. The Marvel Cinematic Universe will have a completely different feel at that point, and probably a completely different core group, so the idea of bringing in The Defenders to help battle Thanos in one last free-for-all seems exactly like the kind of forward-thinking that Marvel does so well.

But whatever happens in the MCU, this means we have a loose release schedule that looks something like this: Daredevil in 2015, Jessica Jones in 2016, Luke Cage hitting in 2017, Iron Fist in 2018, and then The Defenders in 2019.

It's sometimes easy to forget that as an art form, movies are still a fairly young medium. 2015 marks the 120th anniversary of the art form, and the people at Tandem Entertainment (via The Playlist) have cut together a meta supercut that features characters in movies (and a few TV shows) sitting in movie theaters and watching movies. With John Williams' Jurassic Park score blasting underneath, it's a very cool celebration of the power of cinema and how it can unite strangers in a dark room and create a common experience. And the very end of the video seems like a call to action to inspire people to go see movies in theaters again - a necessary plea, considering 2014 was reportedly the least-attended year at the movies since 1995.

Over at Latino-Review, El Mayimbe just broke the news about a handful of actors who are actually testing for the roles of young Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm in Bryan Singer's upcoming sequel X-Men: Apocalypse.

The most interesting battle, in my mind, is for the role of young Jean Grey. Reportedly, Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner and Hanna star Saoirse Ronan are testing for that part, and both seem like solid choices for the young telepath. Personally, I'd love to see Turner take a step up into the world of big-budget filmmaking, so I'm pulling for her to win this role.

As for the guys up for young Cyclops, the contenders are currently Taron Edgerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jamie Blackley (If I Stay), and Tye Sheridan (Mud). Of these three, I've only seen Sheridan on the big screen before, so I suppose I should reserve judgment until I catch up with the other guys' filmographies before I throw in my thoughts on which one would be a good fit for a young Scott Summers.

And finally, two actresses are vying for the role of Storm: Alexandra Shipp (Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B) and Zendaya Coleman (Shake It Up). Again, I haven't seen either of these ladies work, so I can't say who I think would make a good Storm. It's clear that Singer and company are at least thinking about casting some up-and-comers in these roles, but it'd be cool if Turner ended up playing Jean Grey. They'd likely be able to pull in some more of the Game of Thrones crowd - although, I doubt there are many Game of Thrones fans out there who weren't already planning on seeing X-Men: Apocalypse.

The film is slated for release on May 27th, 2016, so we should be hearing some official casting news soon.

Remember Batkid? Miles Scott, a young boy with leukemia, took the internet by storm in 2013 when the Make-A-Wish Foundation allowed him to save San Francisco from the dastardly plans of The Riddler. It was a touching story and a nice example of a community coming together to support a great cause. Filmmaker Dana Nachman made a documentary about Batkid, and it's premiering at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah later this month. But even if the doc ends up being awful (which is highly unlikely), it's already notable for doing something very cool for fans of awesome poster art.

Drew Struzan, arguably the most famous poster artist in the world, came out of retirement to paint the poster for Batkid Begins, and you can check it out in full below. Drew's work — on everything from Back to the Future to Indiana Jones, Star Wars to Harry Potter, and dozens more — is chronicled in an excellent book called The Art of Drew Struzan, which I actually reviewed here on the site four years ago. Rumor has it that Struzan will also do the posters for J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so we should find out pretty soon if that's the case or not. Let us know what you think of the Batkid Begins poster in the comments!

H/T: Deadline

The second half of the The Walking Dead Season 5 is set to air on AMC on February 8th, 2015. So we don’t have to wait much longer to jump back into the post-apocalyptic zombie hell that Rick Grimes and his crew are trying to survive. Let’s face it: they won’t all make it through this alive.

While in anticipation of the series’ return, AMC has released this piece of Key Art with a note that says, “The world is gonna need Rick Grimes.” I’m not sure what the world would do without him!

After the tragic events of the mid-season finale – as well as losing the possibility of a cure in Washington, DC – Rick Grimes’ band of survivors find themselves on the road, surviving day-to-day and trying to hold on to their shredded humanity and dwindling hope. Stripped of security and without a direction for the future, some of the group near their breaking point, some find themselves hardened and cold and some just try to grasp onto what little they have left.

Though they are still breathing, the line between Rick’s group and the dead is starting to blur. Could there be anything at this point that brings them back to life?

You guys have got to check out this badass remote control Batman Tumbler from Soap Studio. This might just be the raddest Tumbler product that I’ve seen since Christopher Nolan started his Dark Knight trilogy. Seriously, just wait and see what it it can do. Here’s a description:

Our Tumbler is fully controlled by the most advanced mobile app which capable to not only making the car run but also cockpit and spoiler movements, 16 super bright LEDs, Power-Jet mode plus special engine sound and visual effects, night vision camera for video and photo shooting,voice intercom, a 1:12 Batman which features 26 points of articulations, remote control LED display platform…etc. As a collective item or simply a playing toy,the Tumbler also reaches the highest degree of product furnishing.

It also comes with a 6-inch fully articulated action figure Batman figure, which is modeled after the suit from Batman Begins. It also includes an alternate head and chest piece that represents Bruce Wayne’s first masked appearance as the Dark Knight in the movie. It also comes with multiple heads, hands, capes, and accessories. 

The Tumbler also comes with a giant base styled as a Gotham city street, complete with LEDs to light up Batman and the Tumbler when they're on display. If you’re interested in buying one, it’s available now from Soap Studio's website for a HK$4,980, or US$642. Seems like it's worth it!

We’ve seen the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens remade several times, in many different ways. It’s been pretty overwhelming, and people might be getting sick of it by now. But you can relive the excitement again in a very different way with this recreation of the teaser in Grand Theft Auto V. The video was created by YouTube user Powerlight-13, and as you’ll see, it uses everything that GTA has to offer to make it happen. It may not live up to the badassery of the real Star Wars trailer, but it’s still fun to watch!

Artist Marco D'Alfonso created this badass piece of art that mashes together Iron Man and Boba Fett. It's a very cool reimagining of the classic cover for Tales of Suspense #39 featuring Iron Man. I've included the original cover art below so that you can compare the two.

"Surviving together is all that matters."

AMC has released a new promo trailer for the fifth season of The Walking Dead. It features the major players in the series walking into the haze of war, guns blazing, and it's all in slow motion. What's interesting is you never see who they are fighting. It's an unseen enemy, but I guess we can assume that they are either zombies or evil humans. It definitely has a very different kind of vibe for a promo. The series will return with new episodes on February 8th, 2015. 

For those of you who aren't familiar, Wicked is the Broadway musical that tells a prequel story of The Wizard of Oz. I've seen the musical twice already with stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, and it’s a really great production. You should check it out if you ever get a chance. Of course, now it looks like everyone might get that chance in 2016. According to Into the Woods producer Marc Platt, it could be adapted for the big screen by that time.

Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Reader) is attached to direct the adaptation, which is currently being written by Winnie Holzman. While talking to Film Divider, Platt offered the following update:

“He’s [Daldry] been on for a year or two. But it’s in process. 2016 is the goal, but I don’t know whether we’ll make that goal or not. We will make the movie, but like I said, the bar is really high. We’re going to scrutinize our work on the screenplay and our prep on the movie, and when we feel like it’s ready, okay. We’re not going to shoot a release date is what I’m saying. It’s in the works, it’s not in a rush.

“[The] bar is very high for the creators of Wicked. Our show is still so strong everywhere, and we just set a record in both London and Edinburgh last week, and in Los Angeles, and we did on Broadway. Audiences enjoy that show so much that we are intending to move forward on the movie but aren't going to do so until we're satisfied in the material we have as a screenplay, and that the film will be every bit as satisfying as what we have on the stage."

Sounds like when the movie actually gets made, they are going to make it right. As a fan of the musical, that’s comforting to know. It will be interesting to see who they get to play the two lead witches. I might have to go with Lea Michele and Dianna Agron from Glee. What are some of your casting suggestions?

"The most exciting movie ever made comes to television…"

Back in the '70s it must have been a big deal to see a movie come to TV. Here’s a 1979 promo spot that ABC aired to advertise the television premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of Jaws, which was released on June 20th, 1975. After all these years, the movie is still freakin’ great!

Dorkly put together this matrix graph, which points out the best and worst captains we've seen in pop culture over the years. Out of all the captains present here, I’d have to say Captain Mal from Firefly is my favorite. Look it over and let us know who your favorite captain is!

Last February Amazon premiered the pilot episode for Chris Carter’s horror series The After. Shortly after they announced that they would be developing it into a series. Almost a year later Amazon has announced that they’ve changed their mind, and they will no longer be moving forward with the show. Roy Price of Amazon released the following statement:

“We have decided to not move forward with The After. We would like to thank Chris Carter, the phenomenal cast, crew and producers for all their efforts.”

This is kind of a shame. I though the pilot episode showed some real potential for a series, and audiences seemed to like it as well. Apparently, Amazon thought so too. The pilot starred Jamie Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, and Adrian Pasdar, and it centered around several people coping with a modern-day apocalypse.

Carter has kind of had a rough go of it since The X-Files ended in 2002. The guy created one of my all-time favorite series, and he hasn’t really done anything amazing since. In my mind, this guy should have been in same kind of place that J.J. Abrams is in right now. It makes me wonder if he just pissed a bunch of people off along the way. 

I think it’s safe to say that director Alfred Hitchcock has inspired a hell of a lot of directors over the years, especially with his style of storytelling and the visual techniques he used to bring his stories and characters to life. Steven Benedict edited together a wonderful video essay that is basically a montage of techniques that Hitchcock used to make his films. Here’s a explanation from the the editor:

This short video-essay examines various themes and techniques Alfred Hitchcock developed throughout his career. Using 40 titles, it includes every feature film Hitchcock made from 1934 right through to his retirement in 1976. Of the several themes on display here (falling, ascending and descending staircases, opening curtains, reading newspapers, poisoning drinks, women's hairstyles, shoes, train compartments, sleeping and dreaming, pulling away from and dollying in on the action, overhead shots and characters looking directly into the camera), there are yet others for fellow essayists to examine further (looking through and climbing in and out of windows, nuns and clergymen, eating food, kissing in the countryside, women wearing glasses and people playing games such as tennis, hide-and-seek, fancy-dress and blindman's bluff). The essay is part of a series I am uploading for education purposes and as such, is protected by the Fair Use part of the copyright law of the United States.

What are some of you favorite Hitchcock movie moments?

The History Channel has released three brief teaser spots for the upcoming third season of their fantastic series Vikings. I don'’t know about you, but I’ve really been enjoying this show. It is really well done, and if you haven’t started watching it yet, I highly recommend it. Here’s a description of the upcoming season from the network with some additional details on what’s in store, and new characters who will be introduced:

With the promise of new land from the English, Ragnar leads his people to an uncertain fate on the shores of Wessex. King Ecbert (Linus Roache) has made many promises and it remains to be seen if he will keep them. But ever the restless wanderer, Ragnar is searching for something more … and he finds it in the mythical city of Paris. Rumored to be impenetrable to outside forces, Ragnar and his band of Norsemen must come together to break down its walls and cement the Vikings legend in history.

New characters introduced this season include:

· Kalf (Ben Robson) – Lagertha’s young, handsome second in command. She is fond of him and trusts him to look after her affairs while she is away, but it is possible that Kalf is more ambitious and calculating than he appears.

· Harbard (Kevin Durand) – A wanderer who turns up unexpectedly in Kattagat when Ragnar and most of the men of the town are away raiding. Harbard will have a profound effect on Queen Aslaug, Siggy and Helga, all of whom have had the same dream, presaging his arrival.

· Emperor Charles of France (Lothaire Bluteau) – A complex, troubled and powerful man who views battling the Vikings as spiritual and earthly.

· Princess Gisla (Morgane Polanski) – The daughter of Emperor Charles and a beautiful, young woman of considerable courage and resolution.

Travis Fimmel continues to lead the cast as the curious warrior Ragnar, along with Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, an Earl and fierce shield maiden; Clive Standen as Rollo, Ragnar’s impulsive brother; Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn, the intelligent and bold warrior son of Ragnar; George Blagden as Athelstan, a former monk befriended by Ragnar; Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy, beautiful wife of the late Earl Haraldson; Linus Roache as Ecbert, King of Wessex, a man of strength, knowledge and undisguised ambition; Gustaf Skarsgard as Floki, a genius ship builder and loyal yet sometimes dangerous friend of Ragnar’s; and Alyssa Sutherland as Queen Aslaug, Ragnar’s wife.

Vikings is created and written by Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors), who serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn.

The series returns on February 19th at 10pm ET

Art by Smallsam52

Here’s a wonderful one and half hour conversation between legendary animation director Hayao Miyazaki and Roland Kelts at a UC Berkley event. Like many of you, I’m a huge fan of the films that Miyazaki has made over the years, and it's really interesting to listen to him talk about his career and the work that he’s done. If you have the time, you should definitely check out this video.

A conversation with legendary Japanese animator and filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki, who was honored earlier that day with the Berkeley Japan Prize (2009-2010). The Berkeley Japan Prize is a lifetime achievement award from the Center for Japanese Studies to an individual who has made significant contributions in furthering the understanding of Japan on the global stage. This event was a part of the UC Berkeley Center for Japanese Studies' 50th Anniversary program of events. Co-sponsored by: Center for Japanese Studies and Cal Performances.