I think Tom Hanks is one of the best actors to ever come through Hollywood. The guy just always makes great films, and he's got a new movie coming out called Holgram. It's based on the book, A Hologram for the King, by Dave Eggers. The comedic drama was directed by Tom Tykwer, and thanks to THR we have our first look at Hanks in the lead role. The actor plays "a washed-up, desperate American salesman who travels to Saudi Arabia to secure the IT contract for a massive new complex being built in the middle of the desert." Hanks and Tykwer previously worked together on the sci-fi drama Cloud Atlas.

Fox has released another "Power Piece" clip from X-Men: Days of Future Past. This one focuses on Halle Berry's character Storm. I've never been the biggest fan of Berry's version of Storm, but it's looking like she won't even be in the movie that long. This video features some more new footage from the film, and I also included a new TV spot! The movie is set to be released on May 23rd, 2014. 

Over the last few days three of the stars of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron have been very busy promoting other films. Like any good reporter would, interviewers have slipped in questions about the upcoming Marvel production.

While talking with Cover Media to promote Godzilla, Elizabeth Olsen was asked what the Scarlet Witch is like. This is what she had to say:

"My character is incredible and absolutely out of her mind. 

"[She's] incredibly passionate and thinks she’s in control more than she actually is. She’s stubborn and an epic woman who has not been created by a human yet. So it’s really fun to be a part of that and try and honour fans." 

Promoting Godzilla with Moviefone, Olsen and her Godzilla/Avengers co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson were quick on their feet when asked about Age of Ultron.

Olsen: It's so fun. I'm laughing all the time. The crazy thing is that it's like, I'm throwing sh*t with my hands, that's cuckoo! But it's also like, We're saving lives. And it's very serious. There's always that reminder that it's very serious.

Will you guys be in full costume by the end of the movie!

[in unison]
Olsen: Can't talk about it! [laughs]
Taylor-Johnson: Can't say!

We've seen enough of these movies to know that you're going to be in a suit by the end of it.

Olsen: Well, we're not part of the team, so it's not the same thing...

But you're new Avengers, right?

Taylor-Johnson: Can't say.

God, this is so frustrating.

Olsen: But it's fun for us.

As much fun as it is to get info before anyone else, I am glad that Olsen and Taylor-Johnson keep the lid on things. I am a huge fan of what Marvel is doing right now. Their movies are fun and the stories are exciting. Yes, I know that they are going to follow story arcs that are already established, but I still don’t want to know too much before May 2nd, 2015.

Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo took some time out from filming in London to be at the premiere of another film in New York. Access Hollywood caught up with the man who plays the mean green smashing machine and asked him how the production was going. This is what he had to say:

"It's been pretty wild [getting those dots back on my face for Hulk]. The technology is really advanced, so we can do a lot more with the Hulk performance in particular than we could last time around. So I'm really excited about the stuff we're doing right now with him and I feel like he's got some really nice nuance stuff; kind of his own little arc(s?). The [Bruce] Banner stuff is great. Joss Whedon topped himself. It's such a great, beautifully written script and really exciting and fun"

I am really excited to see what director Joss Whedon has in store for us in the next installment of the Avengers. What are you looking forward to the most/least in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron?

I miss old-school action hero movies. I grew up on the hard "R" awesomeness of films such as Rambo, Terminator, and others. As a tribute to these types of films, artists Davide Mazzuchin and Matteo Goi created this set of great animated art illustrations called "Past Action Heroes." They feature the action stars of these classic movies. Those stars include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, and Steven Segal.   

Team Coco

George R.R. Martin recently appeared as a guest on Conan where he discussed how he writes his A Song of Ice and Fire novels using a DOS word processor. He also revealed some very funny spoilers about what we can expect to see in the upcoming seasons of Game of Thrones. Here's a few thing he shares:

"Joffrey adopts an adorable lion cub, and learns the true meaning of Christmas."

"Next season, the dragons talk!"

"After Season 4 we're doing a complete reboot, with Daenerys Targaryen being played by Zachary Quinto."

"Arya Stark discovers the ruins of the Statue of Liberty on the beach and realizes she's on earth the whole time."

Watch the video below to hear more! 

Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn is in negotiations to helm a horror film called The Bringing for Sony Pictures.

The thriller is based on occurrences at L.A.’s Cecil Hotel, which has a history of ghostly spookiness. The film was first announced a couple of months ago, and it's based on the story of Elisa Lam, who was found dead in a water tank at the Hotel. Her strange behavior was captured in elevator cameras ahead of her death. You can watch that video here if you want, and for more information on her and the history of the hotel, click here.

The script for the movie was written by Brandon and Phillip Murphy, and the story follows a man investigating Lam's death.

Refn has been hit and miss for me. I loved Drive, but I didn't care for his most recent project, Only God Forgives. The guy has a talent for making very moody and dark films, so I think a horror project like this would be perfect for him. I could see him doing some pretty terrifying things with it.

THR

Over a XombieDIRGE we found these outstanding movie posters. Artist Brian Taylor designed these for cult classic movies Robocop and The Thing. 

I have said before that I wish I had this kind of artistic talent. I love how each of these posters tell a full story. If you have seen either one of these films, you can tell that the images tell a good chunk of the stories. I hope Taylor does more of them. You can check out his Blade Runner and Alien art here.

A couple of months ago we learned that Lionsgate was going to produce a new Power Rangers movie. There was a lot of excitement around that announcement. It's safe to say that this is going to be a very different Power Rangers film than what we might expect. The main reason I say that is because the filmmakers are actually going to have a decent budget to work with. When the project was first announced this information was given:

"The film will be a re-imagining of the original Power Rangers, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; a group of high school kids who are infused with cool and new super powers but must learn to work together as a team and harness their powers if they have any chance at saving the world."

We've now got word from a source at the Schmoes Know that Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis is currently writing the script. In fact, they also say that he’s just turned in a first draft to producers Jim Miller, Alison Shearmur, and Haim Saban.

This definitely seems like the kind of movie that would be right up Landis' alley. I really liked what he did with Chronicle, and if he really is writing the script for Power Rangers, I'm really curious about what his vision for it is. The fact that he could be involved is actually kind of exciting. 

This is all just a rumor at the moment, but if it's true, then this new Power Rangers movie could be shaping up to be pretty freakin' radical. 

Disney has released a new clip from Maleficent called "Queen Of The Moors." The scene shows Angelina Jolie as the title character walking up to her tree throne, and all of the creatures surrounding her are compelled to grudgingly bow to her. The movie is set to be released later this month on May 30th, and my kids and I are all really excited about seeing it! 

CineFix has released another fun video in their 8-Bit Cinema series. This is based on the classic Tom Hanks film, Forrest Gump. This epic game takes you through Forrest's running level, football level, ping pong level, rifle assembly level, Vietnam War level, shrimping level, and, of course, the levels where you have to save Jenny. Oh yeah! There's even a pick a chocolate level! Forrest Gump would have actually made an entertaining game! 

Ubisoft's RPG Child of Light has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so, as its wonderful art style and charming gameplay eventually wormed its way into many gamers' hearts. What do talented fans do with all that enthusiasm? They make cool stuff for the rest of us to gawk at, that's what. The art you see above was created by Heavy Metal Hanzo, and you can peruse his portfolio here. I love the art and coloring style that Hanzo uses, and it captures the essence of the title perfectly.

The performance video below was made by Lindsey Stirling, in conjunction with FifGen Films and Warialasky, with music produced by Stephen Anderson. The video is extremely well produced, much like her other projects, and features some pretty sick violin playing to boot. Go on, give it a watch and you'll see what I mean.

If you enjoy either of these, or most likely both, make sure to give the creators some love on their respective pages. You can also catch the trailer for Child of Light, the game on which these are all based, down below.

It looks like Blade Runner 2 is ready to move into production! According to Variety, Alcon Entertainment has invited Harrison Ford to reprise his role as Rick Deckard in the long-awaited sequel to the Ridley Scott directed film!

Over the last few months it has been rumored that the actor was in talks to join. Ford himself said that he was both curious and excited about the sequel,

“I’m quite curious and excited about seeing a new script for Blade Runner if in fact the opportunity would exist to do another, if it’s a good script I would be very anxious to work with Ridley Scott again, he’s a very talented and passionate filmmaker. And I think it would be very interesting to revisit the character.”

As far as we know he hasn't officially accepted the offer, but if the script was good then it sounds like he'll take it. The latest version of the script comes from Green Lantern co-writer Michael Green and Hampton Fancher, who worked on the script for the first film.

All we know about the story at this point is that it's set several decades after the conclusion of the original, which took place in 2019. 

Alcon executives, Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, had this to say in a statement:

“We believe that Hampton Fancher and Michael Green have crafted with Ridley Scott an extraordinary sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project.”

Scott is expected to direct. This is really exciting news, and I hope that Ford comes back to star in it!

sagesurge

A new photo of the new Batmobile from Zack Snyder's Batman Vs. Superman has leaked. The Batmobile is still going through the construction process in this image, but it offers us a full frontal view of the vehicle. I personally love the design, and I can't wait to see it in action! I don't care what anyone says, this thing is badass. 

To view the official photo that Snyder released earlier this week, click here. To see a fan-made color version of that, click here. 

With X-Men: Days of Future Past coming out soon, CinemaSins has released two "Everything Wrong" videos for X-Men: First Class and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I loved First Class, that was just an all around great movie. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, on the other hand, can easily be torn apart by anyone. That movie was insanely bad. 

For those of you who enjoy watching these "Everything Wrong" videos, here ya go!

You've been asking for this one for a while, and with the new Days of Future Past opening soon, we finally have a good excuse. Yes, X-Men: First Class may be an awesome film, but like all films... it, too, has sins. 

People like to call The Last Stand the worst X-Men movie, but that's only because those people didn't see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Even if it was a great film, it would have some sins. But... it's not a great film... so...

Director Jon Favreau recently took part in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session to talk about all the incredible things he has done in his career. I'm a huge fan of Favreau, and I have been since I saw Swingers. It's pretty awesome to see how far he's come in his career, and there's no doubt that he worked his ass off to get to the place where he's at. 

I went ahead and pulled some of the things that he talked about during the Q&A. He talked about his next film Jungle Book, Star Wars, Swingers, Rudy, Iron Man, Marvel, Ben Affleck as Batman, Dinner for Five, and more! If you're a fan of Favreau's work, this is definitely worth checking out because it's an entertaining read.

You can read through the entire Q&A right here if you want.

Jungle Book casting update:

"We’re currently in the middle of a worldwide search for a Mowgli. We are in conversation with somebody extremely cool for Baloo, but I can’t mention who it is until it’s final."

What he thinks of Ben Affleck as Batman:

"Ben is a very smart guy, and a great director. He’s in a position in Hollywood where he has a tremendous amount of freedom when it comes to what projects he wants to pursue. If he has chosen to take on this role, I’m sure he has something really interesting in mind for how he’s going to depict the Caped Crusader. He impresses me more and more each year with how he’s grown creatively, and I am extremely curious to see how that will affect the way that he inhabits the role of an iconic superhero."

His thoughts on the growth of Marvel:

"I’ve been very impressed by the variety of directors they’ve chosen for their various franchises. I like the fact that they’ve maintained the tone of Iron Man, while allowing each individual director to express their own personal tastes and styles. I never could have imagined that this collection of films would result from a movie that was essentially made as an independently financed negative pickup and was the first film of a newborn studio. I congratulate the team at Marvel for being so successful and keeping the ball rolling. I also admire the emphasis placed on casting. I think it’s the great actors that have served to elevate the genre. And as far as directing again? I have no plans as of now, but I enjoy working with the Marvel family a great deal."

Filming Iron Man 3:

"I wasn’t around for [the plane] sequence, all of my work was on the stage with Robert Downey Jr, and at Stark Industries with Gwyneth. My role was much different on the third film, as I was only an actor and an executive producer. It was really interesting being on a set of an Iron Man film that I wasn’t directing. I was really able to concentrate on having fun as a performer, and trying to be as supportive as I could be to Shane Black, who was the director of the third installment. I got to spend a lot of time in Miami, and I got to see cuban music performed in little Havana on my days off. That was (in part) what inspired the Miami sequences in Chef."

A 20th anniversary release of Swingers:

"There’s no plans that I know of to do any kind of special release for the anniversary. I’m often surprised however, when things like that come out that I’m not aware of. They don’t always include us in their plans when a distributor reissues something or puts out a special edition."

Trouble in casting Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man:

"Yeah. Casting Robert Downey Jr. was a pretty big fight at the time. He was not the obvious choice. And although everybody acknowledged that he was a man of tremendous talent, there was a lot of discussion behind the scenes as to whether or not he had the potential to be a movie star that could carry a Marvel franchise. I was pushing very hard for him, and he fought very hard to get the role. The final factor in him getting cast was a screen test that he did where he blew everybody away, and everyone was in agreement that he was indeed, Tony Stark."

His role as executive producer on The Avengers:

"The credit of executive producer can mean a lot of different things. In my particular case on the Avengers, it was a result of my work on the Iron Man films in establishing the characters and the world, as well as being involved and available to Joss & the cast as they were making the movie. Joss and Marvel were definitely steering the ship on that one, and I was just happy to be a part of it and offer whatever advice I could based on my experiences on the previous films."

On if he would direct a Star Wars movie:

"Star Wars? I love Star Wars! Who wouldn’t want to direct a Star Wars movie? What, are you kidding me!?

For right now, I’m excited to see what JJ’s come up with, I think he’s the perfect choice and he seems to be making all the right decisions. I will be first in line to see Episode 7."

How the idea for Chef came about:

"My first experience that hooked me into chef culture was reading Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential when it first came out. There was a rumor circulating that David Fincher and Brad Pitt were working on a movie version of it, and I was really excited to see what that combo would come up with. Years passed and that never came to light. But I think that my curiosity had been piqued, and I had watched a lot of documentaries and foodie movies, as well as every season of Top Chef.

After years of ruminating on an idea of doing something chef-related, the idea for the film Chef popped into my head. And I wrote it in a matter of weeks. It’s the most fun I could ever remember having on a movie and I’m extremely proud of it. I’ve never had a movie that was such an accurate depiction of the first version of it that popped into my head."

On the cast of Chef:

"When you do an independent film, you have to rely on the generosity of others. Both in front of and behind the camera, extremely talented people worked for a fraction of what they would get on a bigger movie. Robert Downey and Scarlett I knew from the Iron Man films, and they agreed to do the project after reading the script. I have known John Leguizamo and Bobby Cannavale for quite some time and they agreed to be int he film as well. Dustin Hoffman and Sofia Vergara were two people I was a fan of but I didn’t know them personally. I sent them scripts with an offer and after meeting with me they agreed to do the film."

The movies that he revisits:

"You can never go wrong with the Godfather. Seven Samurai is like a 3 hour film school. Visions of Light is a really good doc that I check out from time to time, as it offers insight into cinematography."

His thoughts on video game adaptations:

"Oooh. Video game adaptations are very tricky, because the basic experience of a video game is much different than a linear film. Clearly there’s wonderful storytelling in video games, and now you can portray video game imagery in a movie very effectively. When you really roll up your sleeves and try to figure out a way to develop a good video game into a movie, it’s surprisingly challenging to transfer the storytelling. There are a lot of films coming out in the upcoming years and I’m looking forward to seeing how other directors have found a way to crack that nut."

Stories from filming Rudy?

"I remember we were filming on the campus on the second floor of the library, I was doing a scene with Sean Astin where we were studying together, and David Anspaugh was directing us. In the middle of rehearsal, we heard a loud noise from outside, and we all rushed to the window. One of the condors that was holding a light had toppled over. Everybody was buzzing around and everything had stopped. David asked if everybody was okay, and after he was assured that nobody had been hurt, he pulled the 2 of us back into the scene, and calmly continued directing us. It was a real lesson in directing for me. I realized that he was concerned about this crew, and wants to make sure everybody was okay first and foremost, but he realized that everything was okay, he created a calmness and a focus so we could get back to work. And he was unfazed by the chaos that was swirling around him.

I realized it was a director’s job to create a mood and to reassure the people around him. It was a real lesson in leadership as well, and it made me feel very lucky to be working with a guy like him."

On adapting the Shannara Young Adult series:

"I was familiar with the books, mostly through the artwork of the Brothers Hildebrandt. I love fantasy, and the idea of adapting so much material in light of the new long form offered by cable is exciting. The adapted scripts that I’ve been reading have been great, and I will update you through Twitter as new information becomes available."

Will he ever make a horror movie?

"Thank you for your compliments. When you direct a movie, you really have to immerse yourself in that world for a year or two. I suspect that if I worked on a horror movie, it would affect the energy of my day to day life in a way that I wouldn’t be comfortable with. I love watching a good zombie movie, and I enjoy clever horror, but I don’t think I’m the right guy to explore that genre because I don’t know if I have the stomach for it."

Thoughts on Paul Rudd as Ant-Man:

"I love Paul Rudd. I can’t get enough Paul Rudd. I ate soup out of Paul Rudd’s mouth, I love him so much. I can’t wait to see Ant Man."

Would he bring back Dinner for Five?

"I talk about it from time to time. I feel the same way you do about Dinner for Five’s relationship with podcasting, and I feel that there are a lot of outlets that now give you that same access or in-depth conversations about the business. I’ve listened to podcasts every day, and there’s nothing like the long relaxed conversation with somebody that I’m curious about."

Do you know you’re money?

"I’ve been told, thank you."

Disney has released the first teaser trailer for director Kenneth Branagh's live-action version of Cinderella. It doesn't contain any footage from the film,  but it does give audiences a magical look at the iconic glass slipper. I'm a big fan of Branagh's work, and it will be cool to see what he's actually done with this story.

The movie stars Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Stellan Skarsgård, Nonso Anozie, and Derek Jacobi. It's set to be released in theaters on March 13th, 2015.

The story of "Cinderella" follows the fortunes of young Ella whose merchant father remarries following the tragic death of her mother. Keen to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother Lady Tremaine and her daughters Anastasia and Drisella into the family home. But, when Ella's father suddenly and 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 abuse her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an employee at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears as if 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." Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand as a kindly beggar woman steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin and a few mice, changes Cinderella's life forever.

Thanks to Disney for the embed.

Check out this incredibly cool 34′ x 10′ mural that was created by Christopher Lee for EA Games. The Mural is currently on display at EA Games' global headquarters (Redwood Shores) in Redwood City, California. It highlights EA's most successful video game properties.

EA Games has developed some incredible games over the years. They never seem to let me down. I'm still addicted to Titanfall at the moment! 

The CW has released a full 5-minute trailer for their great-looking new series The Flash! I've also included a couple new photos from the pilot episode featuring Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). I freakin' love what I've seen from this show so far, and I can't wait to see more. It looks like the network has another incredibly awesome series we can look forward to watching!

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 series is set to premiere in the fall!

This is seriously one of the coolest custom made Iron Man suits that I've seen. What makes this suit so amazing is that fact that it's a fully functional animatronic suit. It's loaded with little individual components that help make the suit explode with greatness. The helmet opens and closes; it has rocket launchers that deploy from the shoulder armor; there's glowing hip pods that come out and there's even fully functional flaps in the back. Unfortunately, the one thing it doesn't do that we'd all like it to do... is fly. Even though it doesn't fly, this thing is still insanely impressive. 

The suit is completely operated from RFID tags that are embedded in the tips of the gloves. So all of these things can be activated while wearing the suit. If you have the time and talent to take on the challenge of building one of your own, you can find instructions and photos right here. Check out the video below showing off the suit! Thanks to Hackaday for the tip.

The Good Wife star, Mike Colter, is set to take on a lead role in the Ridley Scott-produced digital Halo film for Xbox Entertainment. 

The film is expected to follow the same format as Machinima's web-series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. The Wrap reports that the story is set in the 26th century, and it centers on a surgically-enhanced super soldier who is NOT Master Chief.

Colter will play a character named Marlowe, "a rising star in a futuristic army who is troubled by aspects of the military industrial complex he inhabits. Approaching combat situations with caution and logic, he inspires loyalty in his fellow Spartans."

The script for the feature was written by Prison Break creator, Paul Scheuring. It's also expected to premiere before the end of the year. Just so you know, this is a completely different Halo project than the TV series that Steven Spielberg is currently developing.

Microsoft plans to announce more details about the project, including additional cast, at E3 in June.