Bruce Willis drops some major Looper hints. Anthony Mackie discuss his character in the Captain America sequel, while Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige explains the plans for Thanos. Plus a Doctor Who clip and Amy Adams on Man of Steel!
It's spoilers all the way down!
Top image from Looper.
The Avengers 2
Now that creator Jim Starlin has basically confirmed that Thanos will indeed be in both The Avengers sequel and the preceding Guardians of the Galaxy, let's go to Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Fiege for some specifics on just what's in store for the character. Well, these aren't specifics, really, but at least it gives a broad sense of the plan going really:
"Clearly, there's a purpose to us putting him in the end of [The Avengers]. We do have plans for him. I wouldn't say we ever feel the need to rush anything one way or the other. We succeeded in Phase One because we stuck to our guns and stuck to the plan. That plan took place over many, many years and it ultimately paid off. I see Phase Two unfolding in the same way of us taking our time, us doing what's right for each individual movie, while folding in elements that will not only build up to the culmination of Phase Two, but even Phase Three."
He also discussed whether Damion Poitier, who played Thanos in his quick reveal at the end of The Avengers, would continue in the role:
"I think we feel pretty free to recast. That was cast for literally that one shot. Depending on what the role requires from future movies, we'll go from there."
Thor: The Dark World
Here's a pair of fairly grainy set videos, including some footage of Jaime Alexander on horseback as Sif. [Comic Book Movie]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Hurt Locker and Real Steel actor Anthony Mackie discusses the backstory of his character, The Falcon:
I'm playing the Falcon. He's this guy in Harlem who moved to California and became a drug dealer. His plane crashed, and he was genetically altered, and he can fly, has telepathic powers. He's the first African-American superhero. It makes me feel all the work I've done has been paying off. I have a son, nephews and nieces, and I love the idea that they can dress up as the Falcon on Halloween. They now have someone they can idolize. That's a huge honor for me.
There are a few more hints here. [Newsday]
Man of Steel
Amy Adams talks some more about why the part of Lois Lane was so meaningful to her:
"It feels pretty good. Speaking of being intimidated, I was definitely intimidated by taking that on. Margot Kidder was such a huge influence on me when I was a kid. I thought it was such a great opportunity to go out there and play a modern woman. I've said this before, I really love superhero movies, but I don't see myself as someone — I'm a little pigeon-toed, so I'm never going to be the girl in latex, looking hot, running pigeon-toed. So, I figured this was my only chance to be in one of these films and set a good role model for girls."
[Tribute.ca via Comic Book Resources]
The Batman
I really wouldn't believe any of this, but the latest rumors are that Warner Bros. is targeting a 2016 release date for the first entry in its new Batman franchise. The movie would be set during Bruce Wayne's second year as Batman — which would seem to eschew an origin story, so at least that's a good thing — and be based on the Arkham Asylum video games, with the Joker being brought back as the main villain. Oh, and this version of rumor says that the new Batman would indeed debut in the Justice League movie, because it doesn't make financial or creative sense to have multiple Batmen running around. On the one hand, these all seem like the sorts of things Warner Bros. executives might well be considering, since they're all vaguely sensible ideas that could be horrible without the right execution, which pretty much describes all of Warner Bros.'s non-Nolan output. That said, I'm guessing this, even if it is a possible plan, is just one of a bunch of options Warner Bros. is considering, so I'd go ahead and take this with a massive grain of salt. [Cosmic Book News]
Looper
Bruce Willis, who smirks and sleepwalks (smirkwalks?) through so many of his roles that you sometimes forget how awesome he is when he feels like putting in the effort, drops some hints about the movie's setup and his character's perspective:
Letting your loop run means that you've shown up to work, your older self has appeared in front of you, and – for whatever reason – you've let your older self escape. It doesn't happen often, because if all goes correctly, your older self should have a sack over his head and be gagged and tied. You should just shoot him without knowing what you're doing. But my character shows up in front of his younger self untied and no sack over his head. I get the drop on him and escape.
Without giving much away, your character is in part motivated by how bad things have gone in the future….
Yeah. Everything is under the control of a guy called The Rainmaker. He's orchestrating mass executions – a reign of terror. But my character knows where the Rainmaker lives in young Joe's time. When I go back in time, I go on a mission to track down the Rainmaker and fix the future. Of course, nothing is as easy or as simple as it seems (laughs).
He also shares this rather dark quote about how he felt when he saw the finished film:
While I was shooting the film I never thought I was doing anything wrong as the character, I never thought that my character does really terrible things. And I never judged my character of old Joe, I was just so caught up in those goals of what old Joe wanted to do in the film that I took it for granted that I had to hurt other people – and really innocent people. I never thought that was a bad thing while I was doing it. When I saw ‘Looper,' I was emotionally moved [by] some of things I was doing for my characters goals, sort of loving goals.
And here's costar Emily Blunt on how her character fits into all this:
My character is not so much involved in the time travel element of ‘Looper.' So I very much drew from movies like Peter Weir's ‘Witness' and Sergio Leone's ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,' those kinds of films. They were really inspirational for me for creating that atmosphere and that tension, that pastoral tension that takes place on the farm (laughs). But my character also has a past and she used to live this very kind of bad life in the city which she's deeply regretful of, so she knows about "Looper" and she knows all about time-travel, and she knows all about the criminal world. She's left all of that behind her to raise her son, but she's got a lot of regrets. Sara, she had a really rich past for me to delve into. She's a really tough cookie, tough nut to crack.
There's plenty more at the link. [Flicks and Bits]
Riddick
Star Trek and Dredd star Karl Urban discusses his return to the Riddick franchise:
I sort of do a cameo. I help transition the story and the character of Riddick, where we last saw him, into his new adventure. I had a great time working with Vin and [director] David Twohy, they're a fantastic team. I've seen a bit of the film and it's really, really good.
I'm hearing it returns to its Pitch Black roots in some respects...
Yeah, it's got a much more indie art house sensibility about it - it's a lean machine.
Transformers 4
While Michael Bay was giving an update on his bodybuilder heist movie Pain and Gain — which incidentally is his small, deeply personal project, because this is Michael Bay we're talking about — he revealed a quick tidbit about the new Transformers movie:
"The editing process is a bit slower on [Pain & Gain] because I'm in the middle of launching my three TV shows and prepping Transformers 4–which is going in a total new direction and in a way to really broaden the franchise to give it lasting legs."
That would seem to tie in with Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner's recent statement that the new Transformers movie would feature all new robots to go along with the new humans, the better to revitalize flagging toy sales. To their sort of credit, I don't think they're even trying to spin this one as a creative decision at this point. [TFW 2005]
Kick-Ass 2
British actor Enzo Cilenti, whose previous work includes In The Loop and The Rum Diary, has reportedly joined the cast of the currently filming Kick-Ass sequel. Cilenti will play the sidekick of John Leguizamo's character, who himself is a bodyguard for Christopher Mintz-Plasse's villainous Red Mist. [Variety]
Skyfall
Here's the latest video production blog, focusing on leading ladies Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe. [Coming Soon]
Beauty and the Beast
An adaptation of this fairy tale is one of a dozen reported Guillermo del Toro projects, but there's apparently an actual, concrete plan to get this one made. That's according to del Toro's choice for the part of Belle, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson:
"We [del Toro and I] met a week or two ago, and we started working on the script, and it's going to go next summer. It's so funny, obviously I've been doing a lot of other work, and I was nervous. I was like, 'Is this going to go away?' And Guillermo is so psyched about it, and he's like been thinking about it so much. "He brought [his idea book]. I was like, 'Ah, this is killing me.' I'm very excited."
[MTV]
Breaking Dawn: Part 2
For those who just can't handle the fact that the Twilight franchise will be over once the credits start rolling, costar Kellan Lutz is here to offer a little solace. Plus, he says director Bill Condon changed some things from Stephenie Meyer's book, because why the hell wouldn't he? "[Fans are] gonna love it, and Bill [Bill Condon, the director] even told me that, stay for the credits — there's a really special thing happening... Every film's been building and building, and Bill Condon really had a great idea with ending the series with Breaking Dawn 2, and just adding a little more flavor to parts of the book that weren't there, but he elaborated more on. I think the fans are really going to enjoy it."
The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1
Here's the latest sneak peek at the first part of the animated adaptation of Frank Miller's iconic work.
Doctor Who
Here's a sneak peek for tomorrow's episode, "The Power of Three." [Blogtor Who]
Episode writer Chris Chibnall explains the ideas underpinning the episode:
It's Doctor Who from Amy and Rory's point of view. We're in the last days of the Ponds as everybody keeps saying, and it was really a chance to see where they've got to in their lives since The Eleventh Hour, and to see what it's like to be them. And I think what's interesting is that the companion/Doctor relationship in this series is very different to any we've seen before because really, they're part-time travellers. They're living at home, and the Doctor pops in and goes, "Shall we go somewhere?", and they're off. That's very new, because they're not permanently with him, and I wanted to see what that would mean. I think it's very different to pretty much any other episode of Doctor Who ever, which is both wonderful and terrifying."
Revolution
Here's a sneak peek at next week's episode, "Chained Heat."
If I'm going to hear an ominous, cryptic statement that may well spell my doom... I prefer that it come from Giancarlo Esposito. To that end, here's what the erstwhile Gus Fring has to say about his new character, Captain Neville:
"I know some things that might happen. I know more about some personal relationships that Captain Neville has with other characters in the show that the audience would be very surprised by."
Supernatural
Here's a sneak peek at Sam and Dean's latest reunion. [KSiteTV]
The Vampire Diaries
Arrow
Costar David Ramsey discusses his role as Oliver Queen's bodyguard John Diggle.
Additional reporting by Amanda Yesilbas and Charlie Jane Anders.