There's no argument that director James Cameron brought us the best Terminator films that have been made. None of the other movies have lived up to the awesomeness that he brought audiences. A new trilogy of films is currently in development, and the first one, Terminator: Genesis, is currently shooting. 

During a recent Q&A at the Hero Complex Film Festival, Cameron talked about his past and current involvement with franchise. He revealed that he's loosely attached to the upcoming films, but he won't receive any credit for them. One of his biggest contributions to the films was to ensure that the story will focus on Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s character.

Here's what Cameron had to say at the event. Thanks to /Film for the quote.

I pay attention to [the new Terminator films] but I’m not terribly concerned about it one way or the other. I’ve had to let it go. There was a point in time where I debated going after the rights. Carolco Pictures, the company that produced Terminator 2, was failing and in bankruptcy and the rights were in play. I talked briefly to 20th Century Fox about it. At a certain point, I think I was finishing Titanic at the time and I just felt as a filmmaker maybe I’ve gone beyond it. I really wasn’t that interested. I felt like I’d told the story I wanted to tell. I suppose I could have pursued it more aggressively and gone to the mat for it but I felt like I was laboring in someone else’s house in a sense because I had sold the rights very early on.

Basically I went from being a truck driver to being a film director and part of my dues paying was that I sold the rights to Terminator for a song, essentially, in order to keep myself attached as a director. And the outcome was fine. The rest of my career really hinged upon that. But I no longer had control of it. I thought why don’t I just create my own new thing that I would have control over the IP. So I kind of let it go and in the act of letting it go, I now have to live with the consequences of that — which is I can’t get too emotionally involved in it.

Now having said that — when the new round of Terminator films, they’re making the first one and I think there’s meant to be two (EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s supposed to be three), when Megan Ellison bought the rights, she asked me if I wanted to be involved. I said “Well look. I don’t mind standing behind the curtain and whispering like some court advisory in 15th century Italy or something.” My goal in that was not to insinuate myself artistically but to try to make sure they stayed true to the Terminator character and the idea of Arnold being in it. Because he’s a friend of mine and we’ve been through all the wars together and everything. And I wanted them to see the possibilities I saw for what they could do with this character.

And then David Ellison took the project over from Megan and he and I met a couple times. And so Arnold is very much front and center in the new Terminator films. So I might have had some tiny effect on it — but obviously they had to make the right financial and creative decisions themselves so I’m not trying to take credit for the film that they’re making but that was my goal in being loosely attached to the film but I won’t have any credit on it.

It's really comforting to know that Cameron has played a small role in the development of these new Terminator movies, and I'm a bit more excited about them now. Terminator: Genesis opens July 1, 2015.

For a school project, Welsh VFX artist Daniel Kemeys and two of his classmates created this commercial for Halo 5: Guardians. The video was made to show off their VFX, MGFX, and filmmaking skills. Here is a note from the filmmaker:

The big one!, 3rd Year Final Major Project, Me and my two course mates, James Morgan & Thomas Barry decided to come together and collaborate on a Halo epic fan made ad! We wanted to stay true to the Halo franchise with epic visuals and a quirky nature, but also introduce a twist in the story!

This was a 12 week project, we did all the pre production and post production ourselves, We had some very talented people onboard, Dominic Pugh, who modelled and textured the Phantom Dropship, Josh Samrai who modelled and textured 1 of the 2 CG environments, with lighting assistance by Remco Van Dongen.

I thought the ad was really well done and entertaining to watch. I hope you enjoy it!

The director of The Adjustment Bureau, George Nolfi, is set to helm a new Bruce Lee biopic in development called Birth of the Dragon.

According to Variety, the film is inspired by the true story of Lee’s historic 1965 duel with Wong Jack Man, China’s most famous Kung Fu Master at a time when San Francisco’s Chinatown was controlled by Hong Kong Triads.

I'm a huge fan of Lee, and this is an incredible story. I'm really happy that they are making a movie that focuses on this part of his life. Below, I've included a video of someone who was at that fight describing how it all went down.

The film was written by Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen Rivele, who also worked on the films Nixon and Ali. Both of those movies had great scripts, so it seems like this biopic is in good hands.

The plan is to start shooting the movie next spring. I can't wait to see how this movie develops and who they cast in the role of Lee. 

Mortal Kombat X has been officially announced for PlayStation 4, XBox One, and PC. Warner Bros. has released a teaser trailer for the game that is being developed by NetherRealm. The trailer is not made from gameplay footage, it's just something to get fans pumped up and excited for the game. It shows off a battle between the iconic characters Scorpion and Sub-Zero, and it's really freakin' cool! 

The game will be on show at E3 next week, so we'll learn more about it then. The studio does claim that Mortal Kombat X "launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy.  For the first time, Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game’s most prolific characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together."

 The official blurb for the game says, "Fueled by next-gen technology, Mortal Kombat X combines unparalleled, cinematic presentation with dynamic gameplay to create an unprecedented Kombat experience." 

It's been really cool watching Mortal Kombat evolve over the years, and I can't wait to see more of what's in store for fans. Thanks to IGN.

If you are one of the few people in the world that wanted to eat out of a monkey head after seeing Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, today is your lucky day! For $59 this monkey brains bowl can be yours. You can put whatever food you want in it, like baby snakes, eyeball soup, beetles, and of course, chilled monkey brains. Thanks to Gizmodo for the tip!

Back in March it was rumored that 12 Years a Slave co-star Lupita Nyong'o would join J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. Today Lucasfilm announced that she has officially been cast along with Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had this to say in a statement:

"I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII. It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape."

There's no concrete information on who they will be playing, but there's a good chance Nyong'o will be playing a villain in the story. We'll just have to wait and see. 

Episode VII is currently shooting, and the actresses will join the previously announced cast that includes John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

The film is set to be released in theaters on December 18th, 2015.

Steven Moffat has long been dogged by accusations of sexism, and new university research isn’t going to put those accusations to bed. Study author Rebecca Moore analyzed all modern Doctor Who episodes to see if they passed the Bechdel test, and Moffat’s pass rate was significantly lower than that of his predecessor, Russell T. Davies. The Bachdel test is named for comic book author Alison Bechdel and is pretty simple: Do two named female characters have a conversation that is not about a man? It is considered the minimum level of female involvement in a film or TV show. Only 12 of Moffatt’s 21 episodes pass the test.

Moffatt’s 57% pass rate is significantly lower than Davies’ 89% pass rate, which may prove the assertion that Moffatt is less interested in female characters and that the show has become increasingly sexist under his leadership. The study also broke down Bechdel test passage by companion, and Donna Noble’s episodes were the most inclusive of female characters. She passed the Bechdel test in 100% of her episodes, and she had an average of three minutes and 46 seconds of speaking time in her episodes. Contrast that with Amy Pond, who passed the test in only 53% of her episodes and averaged only two minutes and 35 seconds of speaking time. The researcher also notes that Rose Tyler’s pass rate, a decent 74%, would have been much higher were it not for the episodes Moffatt wrote while she was on the show.

You can see in the infographic below that by all measures, female involvement has declined since Moffatt took over showrunning duties. Moore’s analysis is particularly damning of the argument that strong female character River Song inoculates Moffatt from charges of sexism. From Moore’s research:

“Ironically, the woman who is often propped up as proof that Steven Moffat is, in fact, not a sexist was one of the worst in terms of the Bechdel test and overall independence of thought and character. While maintaining an average speaking time, the episodes she is in only pass the Bechdel Test 57% of the time, and she herself only passes 42% of the time. She also never passes it on her own after Series 5. It is also important to note that River’s 'passes' barely scraped by this test. Her passing conversations were always around three or four lines of exchange total, limited to one per episode, and were always in the presence of/with the Doctor.”

Does it matter that an internationally beloved show like Doctor Who is diminishing the role of female characters? I mean, it’s just a TV show, right? Culture — books, art, movies, and yes, television — drives social and political change. Individuals are shaped by the media they consume, and our society is shaped by individuals. So if their favorite TV show increasingly sends the message that female voices don’t matter, that is a really big deal. And Moffatt’s personal sexism matters because of his recent statement about whether there will ever be a female Doctor:

"A person will pop into the showrunner's head and they'll think. 'Oh, my God, what if it was that person?' And when that person is a woman, that's the day it will happen.”

If Moffatt only sees women as plot devices who exist to serve the needs of men, he is never going to imagine a woman as The Doctor. Maybe you don’t think a female Doctor is necessary, and maybe it isn’t. But a two hearted alien who charges through time and space saving planets and species and also happens to be a woman would be a powerful message that women are actors in their own right, not just companions for men.

Source: Rebecca Moore via The Guardian

Colin Furze is the freakin' man, and his videos make me happy. This guy has a ton of ridiculous energy, and he uses it to create awesome X-Men inspired powers. He's already created Wolverine claws and Magneto boots that you can check out here. Now he brings us a video that shows him shooting fire from his wrists just like the character Pyro. It's incredibly cool to see him conceive and build these contraptions. He also has the most infectious laugh ever, and I love it! Watching Colin do his thing actually puts me in a fantastic mood. I dare you not to smile while watching this! 

Paramount Pictures has released a couple new TV spots for Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction. Each of them include a bit of enjoyable new footage. Some footage features more Dinobots in action, and some of it conveys the fun sense of humor that we'll see in the film. The movie comes out on June 27th.

Big Hero 6 Tumblr

I've really enjoyed everything I've seen from Disney Animation's new movie Big Hero 6, which is based on a Marvel Comics property. The movie is being directed by Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh) and Chris Williams (Bolt), and today we bring you a low resolution image from the movie that features the entire superhero team. I wish it was better quality, but I'll take what I can get right now. I'm just excited for the movie! If you want to see the teaser trailer they released for it, click here. 

“Big Hero 6″ is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6″ 

So far the voice cast includes TJ Miller, Jamie Chung, and Maya Rudolph. The movie is inspired by the Marvel comic of the same name and is set to hit theaters in 3D on November 7th, 2014.

From the start of A Wizard of Earthsea, we know that Ged, also called Druny and Sparrowhawk, will become one of the greatest wizards of all time, dragonlord and Archmage, a figure of song and legend. So when he carelessly unleashes a shadow on the world and has to go on the run, we know that he is going to defeat it in the end. It is a testament to Ursula K. Le Guin’s writing ability that tension and anxiety still runs through Ged’s travels, scrapes, and near-misses. 

Ged was born on Gont in the Earthsea Archipelago and learns some magic from his aunt, a witch, although female magic is held in low esteem on Gont. When he uses magic to save his village from Viking-like invaders, he attracts the attention of Ogion, a powerful wizard on the island. But Ged is ambitious and cocky and hungry for knowledge and power. He grows impatient with his master’s slow teaching, wreaks some havoc when he sneaks into Ogion’s spell book, and chooses to leave for the school on the island of Roke, where the greatest wizards teach. He excels there, but causes more chaos when he rises to his rival’s challenge to raise a spirit from the dead and is nearly killed by a shadow that breaks into the world as well. Chastened by the physical and psychological scars left by the encounter, Ged finishes his schooling and enters the world, where he runs from the shadow until he can discover its true name and banish it from the land.

Le Guin has said that when her publisher asked her to write a fantasy book for teens, she was not interested. She wanted to explore the form of sci-fi and fantasy, not tailor her books to a certain audience. But the publisher told her to think about it, and she did. And she realized that she had grown up reading about great wizards, but had never read a story about what Merlin and Gandalf were like when they were young. Surely they must have been young and foolish before they were wise. That was the idea for the book.

Her other idea for the book was to write fantasy that wasn’t just about Northern Europeans living in the Middle Ages. Ged’s skin tone is described as red-brown, and his best friend and loyal companion, Vetch, is explicitly black. The only explicitly white characters are the island invaders and Serret, a Gontish girl who betrays Ged every chance she gets. Given that A Wizard of Earthsea was first published in 1968, this idea shouldn’t still seem fresh, but it does. Just look at the outcry over the racial makeup of the Hunger Games cast, or the whitewashing of Tiger Lily in Joe Wright’s upcoming movie Pan.

Setting aside the racial identity of the characters, Le Guin’s take on the timeless Hero’s Journey is refreshing for allowing a hero to prove himself without fighting anyone. Ged’s journey from cocky youth to quiet, seasoned wisdom is remarkably peaceful, but never boring. After his initial mistakes, Ged seeks balance, and while he encounters antagonists, he tends to withdraw rather than fight. When you are hunted by a shadow that wants to consume you and turn you into a gebbeth, a puppet of the shadow, you learn the value of a good escape. It is only when Ged has realized the nature of the shadow that he begins to seek it. And though the reader may suspect the outcome, Le Guin piles on the tension, showing us Ged's anxiety and resolve.

I wish I had read it when I was young. There is a reason this classic has never been out of print, and I think that if read at the right age, A Wizard of Earthsea is one of those books that is life-changing, that shapes you and becomes a part of your consciousness in a way that adult reading can’t. The book teaches a lesson that a 30-year-old should have learned well. When Ged finally named the shadow, its true name was no surprise to me. I think if I had read it when I was 12 it would have been. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a worthwhile read for an adult. Le Guin’s world-building and storytelling are rich and multifaceted, and it never hurts to be reminded of the deep truths you already know.

Here are some pretty cool designs of the dragon Smaug that were not used in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. These came directly from artist Andrew Baker, who works for WETA. These are designs that he came up with that will be included in the book The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Smaug: Unleashing The Dragon. 

I love seeing the concept art used for a film. It is interesting to see the thought that is put into developing these kinds of movies.

Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman is in the process of developing his big screen adaptation of Ubisoft's classic video game franchise, Splinter Cell. I've been a fan of this franchise for years, and it's going to be really interesting to see how this movie turns out. In a recent interview with IGN, the director gives an update on the production and reveals that the story will focus on a younger Sam Fisher.

"I’m working on the script with Tom Hardy. I think we have a great take on how to make an awesome film out of that."

He then went on to talk about Hardy playing a young Sam Fisher, saying,

“Everything about Splinter Cell will be younger. It’s a chance to come up with a new franchise that is fresher and newer and younger, and Tom Hardy is such an incredible actor.”

I'm really happy that Hardy has been cast in this role, as I think he's going to be awesome. I have no problems with them focusing on a young Fisher. After all, they've got to start somewhere, especially for those people who aren't familiar with the game. When asked if the iconic "Multi-Vision Goggles" would be included in the movie, he replied:

“Some of the tropes of the game will for sure be in the film, but also the fun of that is when you lose them. To strip that stuff away and really make the character have to operate without it. “

Splinter Cell is supposed to be released sometime next year. I like Liman as a director, and I think this is a great project for him to take on.

Last week we posted a great piece of Catwoman art inspired by Batman: The Animated Series created by Veronica Fish. Today we have four new Batman illustrations from the artist featuring Batman, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and The Joker. If you're interested in purchasing any of these, just click here!

It is amazing how well director Duncan Jones and his crew have been able to keep the story of his Warcraft movie a secret for so long. The film is already done shooting and is currently in the post-production process. 

Thanks to actor Ben Foster, we have little more insight to the film and the character he plays in it. This is what he said in a recent interview with IGN:

"The character in ‘Warcraft’ that I play is named Medivh. He’s a mage, which is essentially a sorcerer. He came up in a time protecting an area, and the way he protected this area was through magic. As peace returned to this land he took a break. He hung up his staff, so to speak, or let his guns get dusty. We meet him as his friends are returning asking for his help in a battle."

Magus Medivh is a big character in the World of Warcraft universe and has been around since the first game. One of the major things to be noted about Foster’s character is that he is the Guardian of Tirisfal who is charged with fighting back the Burning Legion, an army of demons and other corrupted forces that has a habit of invading Azeroth. Foster went on to talk about Jones' take on the video game and why he's excited about it, saying:

"What’s exciting about Duncan Jones’ take on this video game is that it shows both sides of the war. It shows both sides of a conflict, which is exciting to me. It’s not just a video game turned into a movie. It’s asking, hopefully, an important question of, where do we limit our compassion for what we consider to be the bad guys?"

That really is an interesting question he poses. The actor then spoke about the motion-capture effects work in the movie, which Industrial Light & Magic is working on:

"The way that they’re pushing motion-capture – I just saw some of the test footage – it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s performance-capture. It pushes it to the next level. It’s going to be one helluva 3D event."

Sounds like we've got some amazing stuff to look forward too! I can't wait until we get our first real look at the movie! The movie was written by Charles Leavitt and then rewritten by Jones. It is set to be released on March 11th, 2016.

Check out this fun stop-motion LEGO animated Star Wars short that features a showdown between Han Solo and General Grievous. It's no surprise who wins. Han just does his thing. Thanks to the creator of the video, Kevin Ulrich, for sending it in! Enjoy the show. 

It’s been 17 years since a Dragon Ball Z movie; apparently DBZ creator Akira Toriyama felt that was long enough. 

Last year Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods was released in Japan, and thanks to FUNimation, it will be hitting theaters here in the USA in August. Comingsoon posted the press release:

Prepare for the Dragon Ball Z experience of a lifetime as Earth's greatest heroes hit the big screen in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods! Stunning animation and epic new villains highlight this first new Dragon Ball feature film in over seventeen years!

Following the events from the Dragon Ball Z television series, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it's too late. Only Goku, humanity's last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus from destroying Earth, and possibly the entire universe! Fans of the series will be delighted to know that Battle of Gods is an original work from Dragon Ball creator, himself, Akira Toriyama.

"We're very excited to be bringing Battle of Gods to movie  theaters across the country this summer," said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of FUNimation Entertainment. "Dragon Ball Z has always been a huge part of everything we do at FUNimation and, speaking as a fan myself, I can't wait to watch it on the big screen."  FUNimation Entertainment will be partnering with Screenvision, a leader in cinema advertising and alternative content, to bring Dragon Ball Z : Battle of Gods to over 350 screens across the US & Canada.

Along with the release of this movie there is a rumor floating around the Internet that there is a brand new DBZ series coming out. There is no info verifying the new series, so at this point it is all speculation, but I wouldn’t complain if it came out.

Below are the trailer for the Japanese release of the movie and a link to the official DBZ site.

This outstanding piece of Spider-Man art was created by Cecile Morvan, and it features Spidey taking some pictures in Paris. I really love this Spider-Man classic look. Thanks to XombieDirge for the heads up on this illustration. 

HBO has released a second trailer for their seventh and final season of True Blood. The first episode of the season is called "Jesus Gonna Be Here." Stephen Moyer, who plays vampire Bill, directed the episode, and here's a synopsis: 

A band of rogue H-vamps crashes the vampire-human mixer at Bellefleur’s, with shocking results. As Sookie (Anna Paquin) seeks refuge from accusations that she’s somehow to blame for the chaos in Bon Temps, the “one vampire for every human” plan moves forward. In the face of a vigilante insurrection led by redneck Vince (Brett Rickaby), Bill (Stephen Moyer) receives aid from an unexpected source.

The first episode of this finale season airs on June 22nd. As a fan of this series, I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends. 

I'm a huge fan of Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman. I remember seeing it at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood the day it was released in theaters, and it was such a cool movie going experience for me. This is one of those films I still haven't gotten tired of watching. 

We've got some really cool concept art for the movie to share with you today that comes from Conceptual artist, David Russell, who recently worked on The Wolverine. Some of the art includes alternate designs for the Batmobile and Batwing.