An HBO star might be up for a role in the Fantastic Four reboot from Chronicle director Josh Trank. How much longer will Robert Downey, Jr. play Tony Stark? What do the new Star Trek Into Darkness reviews say about the sequel? Doctor Who finds a new executive producer. Plus previews for the endgames on Grimm and Arrow! Spoilers!
Top image from Star Trek Into Darkness.
Star Trek Into Darkness
Here's the latest clip.
There's another batch of reviews, including some here, here, and here. The emerging consensus seems to be that Benedict Cumberbatch's villain is easily the best part of the movie, the film is fun and moves at a breathless pace, and, reading between the lines just a bit, it's good in much the same way the original Star Trek was. So, if you liked J.J. Abrams's first Star Trek movie, you're in good shape, but this film doesn't sound likely to change your mind if you're not a fan.
Man of Steel
Michael Shannon explains how he approached the role of General Zod, previously played by Terence Stamp in Superman: The Movie and Superman II:
Well, I have a very different voice than Terence Stamp. When I sat down and talked with Zack [Snyder] about how he wanted me to approach the part, he just said that what was really important to him is that Zod wasn’t just some villain who was full of an arbitrary need to destroy everything. He’s not really actually the villain at all on Krypton. He’s a general. Not general of a country. He’s general of an entire planet. Just an awesome amount of responsibility and pressure. He’s responsible for taking care of that civilization, and for a long time, he was pretty good at it. And then he hit some bumps in the road, and now he’s just desperate to try and fix things up.
[EW]
Iron Man 3
Ben Kinglsey discusses the big twist about his character the Mandarin, which is big enough that we don't explicitly reveal here, although it's already on the movie's Wikipedia page:
“Totally. Because the way that [screenplay writer] Drew [Pearce] and Shane constructed those political broadcasts, they’re very well thought through. The attack on Western iconography, cultural values, historical context of imperialism — all that weaponry at his command to manipulate and terrify his viewers with these broadcasts with which he interrupts the airwaves were very compelling indeed. I forgot all about the twist until I got to it in the script. I just read it page by page. And I totally would have accepted The Mandarin as The Mandarin, actually... And reading the script, I didn’t know when the reveal would occur. And I was delighted when it did, it’s timed beautifully. So it’s just a great role. And the team are wonderful: They’re very competent, they’re very well disciplined, and they welcome new members to the team so graciously. It was a pleasure to join them and to work with them."
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige discusses Robert Downey, Jr.'s long-term future as Tony Stark:
Well, look, I don't think Robert will be playing this character for another 30 years, and I certainly hope the character stays in movies for the next 30 years — just like James Bond. I would say before George Lazenby and Roger Moore, Sean Connery was James Bond. It will take a while to fill any shoes, whether it's filmmaker shoes or writer shoes or certainly actor shoes. I think Tony Stark is an interesting enough and rich enough character that he can persevere. That being said, I hope that doesn't happen any time soon. It certainly is our plan to continue to have Robert Downey in the persona of Tony Stark for many, many years to come.
He also explains why he hopes this third installment avoids the problems that beset the likes of X-Men: The Last Stand and Spider-Man 3:
This is the first part three that I've produced that is a Marvel Studios proper part three. For every "Toy Story 3," which is to say every great part three, there are many, many, many less-than-great part threes. Threequels as some people call them. I was hyper-focused on not falling into the trap of the threequel, which is to say getting comfortable having it be more of the same and sticking with a formula that works. We wanted to mix it up; I wanted this film to be as unique and surprising as the first "Iron Man" film. In a way, there had already been another voice: Jon's voice, obviously, in "Iron Man 1" and "Iron Man 2," which helped set the tone for all of the Marvel cinematic universe films, but Joss Whedon on "The Avengers," he brought his own unique voice to it. Because "The Avengers" came between "Iron Man 2" and "Iron Man 3," it allowed us the liberty to take "Iron Man 3" to another level; to dig deep into Tony's story line. To worry less about universe building and surprise you by focusing on Tony's journey.
There's more at the link. [Huffington Post]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
From the same interview, Kevin Feige offers this update on Robert Redford, who plays a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the sequel:
Mr. Redford has already shot his first day for us on "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." We're very lucky that caliber of actor is so trusting of us.
Was the Redford casting a situation where you just thought, "We've got this role, let's call up Redford"?
You talk with agents every day and they keep you abreast of who's doing what, who's available and who's interested in what. We got an incoming call about Robert Redford, which is not a call you get every day and it's a call you don't want to screw up. It was very exciting.
Fantastic Four
20th Century Fox's new, Josh Trank-directed Fantastic Four movie could shoot as early as this summer — possibly to ensure the character rights don't revert to Marvel Studios — but there's been no word on just who will play the main characters this time around. Now, there's at least a tangential rumor of one actress that is reportedly on the short list for a starring role — presumably the Invisible Woman — and it's Girls star Allison Williams. There's no sense of how many other actors might be in contention for roles — Williams herself is only mentioned in relation to her recently announced starring role in the Shakespeare adaptation Rosaline — but this might indicate the sort of actors Fox is looking for: largely unknown but on the rise, and somewhat cheaper than Jessica Alba. [Deadline]
Pacific Rim
Here's a new banner. [First Showing]
Hellboy 3
Star Ron Perlman says he's doing everything in his power to get Guillermo del Toro back for another Hellboy Movie:
"I've been giving Guillermo body shots for two years. We both walked away from Hellboy 2 agreeing that there would never be another one. But, with the passage of time, it became clear to me that he really always designed it as a trilogy. He has a very well-articulated idea of what the resolve would look like and it's amazingly theatrical and is epic in scope and would make for amazing cinema, with or without the first two movies. But there are so many questions posed in the first two films that absolutely need to be answered. I said, 'You owe it to the world to finish this trilogy.' I've been giving him Jewish guilt. He's just so busy, but I'm going to keep working away at the body. I'm pushing seventy so he better fucking do this soon."
For the record, I'm not 100% sure 63 years old counts as "pushing 70," but Perlman's points are well taken. [IGN]
Doctor Who
Brian Minchin will succeed Caroline Skinner as the show's new executive producer, working alongside showrunner and fellow executive producer Steven Moffat. Minchin previously worked as a script editor on Doctor Who and Torchwood and as a producer on The Sarah Jane Adventures and the British sections of Torchwood: Miracle Day. [Life, Doctor Who, and Combom]
Revolution
Here's a short synopsis for episode eighteen, "Clue":
Nora's captors torture her and leave her for dead; Monroe hears about Rachel's mission to reach the tower; Miles tries to find out how close associates of his are being targeted; Miles, Charlie, Neville, Jason, Hudson and Sanborn try to save Rachel.
Grimm
Star David Giuntoli previews various upcoming stories:
"Nick and Juliette start patching things up and it’s looking very hopeful for us come the end of the season. In ‘Grimm’ fashion, they love tearing people apart and bringing them back together so who knows how hard they’re going to make that for (them). We deal with the ‘undead’ in a way that’s never been approached before... zombies will be coming to Portland. (This particular Wesen) will be pulling the strings and controlling a lot of other types of Wesen... and he has an army of people under his control that wreak havoc."
[CTV]
Episode twenty-two is reportedly called "Good Night, Sweet Grimm," and here's a description:
Nick investigates a series of rage-fueled assaults; Nick learns Captain Renard's brother is in town; Stefania and Frau Pech battle each other using their alliances with Adalind.
Supernatural
Here's a promo for the next episode, "The Great Escapist."
Showrunner Jeremy Carver discusses why the Winchesters have started to repair their relationship:
"Given how the boys reunited at the beginning of this season, not on the best terms, the one thing that did unite them was this sense of revenge against Crowley and the demons. Now, we're going to see things start moving pretty quickly and pretty wildly. A lot of balls in the air. The boys are really going to be constantly confronted with the idea of, 'Okay, we want revenge, but how far are we willing to go? How much are we willing to sacrifice?'"
[Zap2It]
Arrow
Here's a sneak peek at tonight's episode, "The Undertaking."
Star Stephen Amell confirms that Oliver is indeed captured, chained up, and unmasked by John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn in the finale, which for reasons I don't entirely understand is called "Darkness on the Edge of Town":
"I start the season finale chained up and left for dead. I'm chained up to the ceiling ... I'm chained up by Mr. Barrowman. Now, in the photos, he is not wearing a mask, and neither am I. Everything is out in the open between us. The neat thing about the finale is that so much of this season ... has just been [about] people with facades. The one that Oliver puts up for his family, the one that Moira puts up for her family, the one that [Malcolm] puts up for Tommy. All of those, toward the last two episodes, just melt away, because danger is so perilously close. We get to see characters interacting in a way that they haven't all season. By the time we get to the finale we get to see [Diggle, Felicity, and Oliver] as a fully-functioning, no hierarchy, all in it for each other team."
Check out the link for more from Amell, including his thoughts on Laurel's journey towards becoming Black Canary. [Zap2It]
The Vampire Diaries
Showrunner Julie Plec discusses what's ahead for Elena in the season finale:
"We have a lot of questions on the table about Elena. Is she stuck this way forever? Is she ever going to turn her humanity back on? If she does, will the sire bond be back in effect or gone? If it's gone, what are her feelings for Damon vs. her feelings for Stefan? The whole season has been trying to get Elena back to who she was, so everything will be answered in the finale."
[TV Guide]
Defiance
Here's a promo for next Monday's episode, "A Well Respected Man."
Beauty and the Beast
Here's a preview from executive producers Sheri Cooper and Jennifer Levin for tonight's episode, "Anniversary."
Additional reporting by Amanda Yesilbas and Charlie Jane Anders.