Check out the first photo of Legolas in The Hobbit. Shane Black brings the grittiness back to Iron Man 3. Do we know what Guillermo del Toro's next project after Pacific Rim really is? Learn more about the visual effects of Man of Steel. Suburgatory's Jane Levy talks Evil Dead. Plus Anne Hathaway wants to be Catwoman again!
It's spoilers all the way down!
Top image from The Dark Knight Rises.
Man of Steel
Here's an interview with Joe Letteri, visual effects supervisor for Zack Snyder's Superman movie.
Iron Man 3
Here's a little more from director Shane Black's recent interview with Wired:
"We had kind of a conundrum in that The Avengers opens up this huge skyhole full of inter-dimensional aliens, and you kind of look back and [think], 'Well, what do you do after that?' Except go back to a sort of more gritty, intense kind of techno-thriller root. You just go in and you sort of wrestle...you gotta of jerk things around a bit, and mix it up so that there's still more story to tell. And the way you do that is treat it like the first two [movies] were part of an ongoing story that hasn't finished yet. The journeys are all mythic in a way we recognize from a lot of years...mythic superhero stories. Today's world is so complicated that the simplicity of myth has come back around the desire, or need for people to feel and see that that's unprecedented; given how just confusing the world is right now."
Again, you can watch the whole video here. [Comic Book Movie]
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Hugh Jackman have all confirmed that they have been approached to reprise their X-Men roles as Professor X, Magneto, and Wolverine, and now the rumors have moved on to the next tier of original X-Men stars. Halle Berry and James Marsden have both been mentioned as candidates to reprise their roles as Storm and Cyclops. Their participation is reportedly fairly straightforward, as these actors would reportedly "appear mostly in scenes depicting an alternate dystopic future, so pay and time commitments are not substantial", and they are likely to do this now that their original director Bryan Singer is back on board after the departure of X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. Reading between the lines, it seems like this is the sort of role Hugh Jackman referred to when he talked about "doing something" in this movie, whereas it's possible that Stewart and McKellan — playing two of the only characters present in both timelines — might make more substantial appearances. That, however, is just speculation, and indeed it's probably best to take this whole thing with a degree of skepticism until we hear something more official. [Hollywood Reporter]
Catwoman
There's no particular reason to think Warner Bros. is actually going to go ahead with this — and you'd think Christopher Nolan would be particularly against it, since Selina Kyle's apparent retirement seems like a crucial part of the ending to The Dark Knight Rises — but it sure sounds like Anne Hathaway wants to do a Catwoman spin-off movie:
"No one's talked to me about it. I would love it. I actually, it's so embarrassing, I was at a press Q & A thing the other night for a screening of 'The Dark Knight,' and the moderator asked me, 'So what was it like to say goodbye to the character?' And I burst into tears, because I miss her. It just makes me cry. I miss her. I love Selena so much and I love her presence in my life and getting to... I'm crying again. So assuming there was enough Kleenex in the world, I would love to do a spin-off."
And even if Anne Hathaway is just saying all that to pander to Catwoman fans... well, I'll say this, she commits to her pandering. [Access Hollywood]
Ender's Game
Director Gavin Hood — who would very much appreciate it if you gave him a mulligan on X-Men Origins: Wolverine — explains why Ender and company are all around 12, rather than starting out as 6-year-olds as they do in Orson Scott Card's novel. He also promises that there are some crucial things he very much is not changing:
"I discussed this at length with Orson. The decision was made very early on to compress the time period into about a year, so that we could have the same actor from beginning to end... We were trying to hit that sweet spot right around 12, which [Ender actor] Asa [Butterfield] fits in very nicely. When you sit down for two hours, you're just beginning to bond with an actor, and then he changes and suddenly you're bonding with someone who's meant to be the same person, but you know he's a different actor... I am a fan, and I have had a desire to do this and have been working on this now for nearly four years. That ending - and the complex moral questions that it raises - is one of the reasons why I love the book. I promise you that it is very much there."
There's some more at the link. [EW]
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Here's the latest epic-length behind-the-scenes featurette on Peter Jackson's first Hobbit movie. There's a ton of footage on display in this thirteen-minute video. [First Showing]
Arrow
Here's a pair of promos for next Wednesday's midseason finale, "Year's End." [Superhero Hype]
American Horror Story: Asylum
Here's a promo for the next episode, "The Coat Hanger."
Being Human (US)
Here's Syfy's official announcement for the show's third season, which kicks off on January 14, 2013:
Syfy's original series Being Human stars Sam Witwer as Aidan, Meaghan Rath as Sally and Sam Huntington as Josh with Kristen Hager as Nora, joining this year as a series regular. The season will consist of 13 episodes. In the Season 2 cliffhanger Aidan found himself six feet under after being banished and buried as punishment from vampire leader Mother. Sally became lost in a state of limbo and for Josh, events went horribly wrong when his plot to break the werewolf curse by killing his Maker Ray backfired, endangering Nora. Now, as the new season begins… be careful what you wish for! Season 3 also features a stellar lineup of new and returning guest stars including: Mark Pellegrino (Lost) as Aidan's vampire mentor Bishop; Amy Aquino (Big Love, Harry's Law, ER) as Donna, a witch whose supernatural spells are sought to help Sally; Xander Berkeley (24, Nikita) as Liam, the father of purebred werewolf twins who is intent on locating his missing children; Bobby Campo (Final Destination) as Max, a young mortician who develops a connection with Sally; and Kyle Schmid (Copper) returning as Aidan's vampire protégé/"son" Henry.
Continuum & Lost Girl
These descriptions aren't nearly as revealing, if only because both shows have already aired their most recent seasons in Canada. Still, here's what Syfy has to say about Continuum's first season and Lost Girl's third, both of which make their American debut alongside the new Being Human on January 14:
Continuum
The time-traveling police drama Continuum stars Rachel Nichols (Star Trek, Criminal Minds) as Kiera Cameron, a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day. When a group of fanatical terrorists escapes their planned execution in 2077 by vaulting back in time to 2012, they inadvertently sweep along Kiera, a dedicated City Protective Services officer. With unexpected assistance from teen tech genius Alec Sadler, played by Erik Knudsen (Jericho, Scream 4), Kiera infiltrates the local police department and forms an uneasy alliance with her new partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra, portrayed by Victor Webster (Castle, Melrose Place). Though desperate to get back to her husband and son, Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they change the course of history.Lost Girl
The victory in the final battle of Season Two has created new alliances for Bo along with reinvigorating old enemies, like "The Morrigan," played by Emmanuelle Vaugier (Two and a Half Men, Human Target), whom Bo crossed in an attempt to bring peace to the Faedom. Now Bo, who until now has refused to pick a side, will be forced to make a deadly decision. Among the guest stars will be Linda Hamilton ("Terminator"). Joining the Lost Girl cast this season is Rachel Skarsten (The Vow; Flashpoint) in a recurring role as "Tamsin," a thrill-seeking, sexy new Fae who ruffles many feathers. Returning for season three are Kris Holden-Ried (The Tudors, Underworld 4) as "Dyson"; Ksenia Solo (Life Unexpected; Black Swan) as "Kenzi"; Zoie Palmer (The Guard, Instant Star) as "Lauren"; Rick Howland (Billable Hours, Murdoch Mysteries) as "Trick" and K.C. Collins (Owning Mahowny, Doomstown) as "Hale."
Additional reporting by Charlie Jane Anders.
