Total Recall director Len Wiseman explains why his reboot isn't just copying the original. Tim Burton discusses the weird kids of Frankenweenie. Tom Cruise starts filming Oblivion. A Next Generation legend joins Warehouse 13. Plus a new Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter clip!
Spoilers from here on out!
Top image from Total Recall.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Here are the latest TV spot and clip.
Here's the latest poster spotlighting Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy. [Den of Geek]
Catching Fire
The Hunger Games sequel has set an official IMAX release date of November 22, 2013, which just happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. I'm going to go ahead and assume those two facts aren't actually related. [Shock Till You Drop]
Total Recall
Director Len Wiseman explains why he changed the setting, sci-fi elements, and casting choices that shaped Paul Verhoeven's movie:
"It does ground it a bit more than taking off to a different planet. I find it a bit more relatable. We don't have any creatures because we don't go to Mars, but that's one of the reasons I wanted to build the synthetics [androids]. I still wanted to make sure there were elements in this world that we haven't seen before." Aware that purists may be upset with the plot adjustments, Wiseman says, "The [RECALL] script came to me, out of the blue, and I was just taken by the direction that it went in. Of course, there's going to be a side that says, ‘Why even do it, if it's going to be that much different?' The other group says, ‘If there's nothing new, nothing original, why bother?' With all of that out there, I just very selfishly make the movie for myself, and hopefully other people like it....Colin [Farrell] was first choice for me, because I was trying to bring across a certain tone. The film with Arnold (Schwarzenegger) had its own type and tone, and I really was not looking to do a better photographed version of that, or simply update the visual effects."
Meanwhile, Breaking Bad megastar Bryan Cranston talks more about how he approached the rebooted version of the villainous Cohaagen, expanding on what he told us yesterday:
"My hair (in the film) is wavy and blond. I asked for that. I said think of John Edwards as a template. I have a craggy, kind of aggressive face when I'm not emoting. I look like a Shar-Pei; I have so many lines on my face, there's still some intensity there. I wanted to be clean shaven and have some waviness to my hair soften my look so you wouldn't go, ‘Uh-oh, here comes the bad guy', and so when [Cohaagen] was attempting to be fatherly, you might have a momentary sense of sympathy for him. There's a lot of video shot of when I'm talking to ‘my people', and I didn't want it to be menacing or fearful. I wanted the people to look and go, ‘I believe him. We're doing the right thing by following what he says. He's going to see us through the hard times.'"
Finally, costar Jessica Biel teases her big fight with costar Kate Beckinsale:
"[Kate and I] never fight with women. You're always fighting a monster or thug or something. You never fight a beautiful, sinewy long haired woman. I think it'll look really cool and aggressive. The only issue that we had during the fight was that Kate's hair kept getting stuck in my jacket!"
There's still plenty more at the link. [Fangoria]
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Here's an extended sneak peek of the movie's big train sequence. [Shock Till You Drop]
Oblivion
And here's Burton's explanation of the main character and his fellow pint-sized mad scientist friends:
"If you had the original 'Frankenstein', say, this is more like 'House of Frankenstein' with some other creatures and monsters and, you know, other characters to fill it out. They're good kids. The whole point is to kind of go back into that feeling when you're in school and you felt weird yourself and the other kids seemed weird.. There's kind of a rivalry. I mean, it's all that kind of heightened. The friend that you thought was weird in school, in this case happens to be more like Boris Karloff or Peter Lorre. But, it's the same kind of children politics and kid dynamics that you remember growing up."
Wreck-It Ralph
Here are some character posters for Disney's animated movie about sentient video game characters, which features the voice of goofball genius John C. Reilly in the starring role and is being directed by longtime Simpsons and Futurama director Rich Moore. [Cine1]
Rise of the Guardians
And here are some posters for the various legendary characters that star in the upcoming Dreamworks movie. [Coming Soon]
The Woman in Black: Angels of Death
A synopsis for the Daniel Radcliffe-less Woman in Black sequel has been released, and at least you can say that the filmmakers are not just completely retreading what they have already made:
Seized by the government and converted into a military mental hospital during World War II, the sudden arrival of disturbed soldiers to Eel Marsh Harsh has awoken its darkest inhabitant. Eve, a beautiful young nurse, is sent to the house to care for the patients but soon realizes she must save them from more than their own demons. Despite Eve's efforts to stop her, one by one they fall victim to the Woman in Black.
Jon Croker, who was story editor on the first movie, has written the screenplay for this entry. [Shock Till You Drop]
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2
Here's the first set of photos of Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee, Edward and Bella's vampire baby - not to mention Jacob's newborn true love, if my understanding of Breaking Dawn's totally unbridled insanity is accurate. [EW]
Here's a bunch more photos. Seriously, there's no way that photo of Jacob and Renesmee together doesn't reach almost incomprehensible levels of creepy. [EW]
Doctor Who
Here's the third and final of the series of official set photos spotlighting Matt Smith's Doctor and Jenna-Louise Coleman's new companion. [Blogtor Who]
The Walking Dead
A couple set photos had already pretty much given the game away, but now AMC has confirmed that, yes, Michael Rooker is back as Merle Dixon this season. That thing on the end of his arm is indeed his new prosthetic — and possibly one of multiple, since it looks a bit different from what we saw in an earlier set photo. [AMC TV]
Director Ernest Dickerson is handling the third season premiere, and he has these teases as to just what to expect:
I'm really excited for the fans to see a growth in the characters that they know...And in this episode, we're introducing Michonne in all of her glory. We get to meet her, and I know a lot of people have been looking forward to that.
Season 3 seems to be more about human threats than zombies. Does the human drama feel like more familiar ground for you as a director?
It's human drama but after an apocalypse. It's human drama after society has completely disintegrated... Our people have figured their way through one menace but now there's the human menace, and now they're taking advantage of the fact that there's no law, there's no more government. Who can you trust? It's still dealing with pretty esoteric territory.
[AMC TV]
Mockingbird Lane
Arrested Development and Better Off Ted star Portia De Rossi is reportedly taking on the main role of Lily Munster, as original choice Mariana Klaveno was not able to get out of her True Blood commitments. Of course, as consolation prizes go, De Rossi is a pretty spectacular one, and is a key reason, along with Eddie Izzard as Grandpa and the continuing realization that, yes, this is a Bryan Fuller project, why a gritty Munsters reboot starring Jerry O'Connell might not be a total disaster. Anyway, there's also a new photo out of Charity Wakefield as Marilyn Munster, which you can see here. [Shock Till You Drop]
Falling Skies
Here are some promo photos for episode three, "Compass." [SpoilerTV]
And here are some for episode four, "Young Bloods." [SpoilerTV]
Warehouse 13
Star Trek: The Next Generation's Mr. Data himself, Brent Spiner, will appear in at least six episodes of the fourth season as Brother Adrian. Here's how show creator Jack Kenny describes the character, who will debut in the season premiere:
"Artie Nielsen [Rubinek] and the gang are on a mission to pull their lives back together and Brother Adrian is a major obstacle to that. The Brotherhood is descended from the Knights Templar and connected to the Vatican. It is charged with the protection of many powerful artifacts, one of which Artie desperately needs to make everything right again. The use of this object will unleash an incredible evil and Brother Adrian is not about to see that happen. He heads a sect that is powerful and obsessively devoted and follows no rules. The Brotherhood will do anything to achieve its goals. They are gifted fighters who are willing to go to their deaths, if necessary."
[TV Guide]
Arrow
Katie Cassidy discusses the challenges and pressures of playing Dinah "Laurel" Lance - who, in the comics at least, is better known as Black Canary — on the CW's new Green Arrow show:
"It's a little intimidating, yeah, but when you're so in it, you have to let that stuff go. You can't think about it ‘cause then it just gets in your way. I try mainly to just focus on character and what my character's point of view is, with each person, and try to figure out story. I'm just there to do my job. I'm really excited about it! I think it's going to be really, really fun. I'm working with a great group of people, and everyone is amazing and really talented. I'm really lucky to have given the opportunity to do that."
[Collider]
Teen Wolf
Here are synopses for episodes five through nine:
Episode 2.05 - Venomous
Derek becomes convinced that Lydia is the shape-shifter, and forces Scott to help him protect her.Episode 2.06 - Frenemy
With startling new information about the shapeshifter, Scott and Stiles hurry to protect their friends while Allison is given an investigative task by her familyEpisode 2.07 - Restraint
As Lydia begins to make connections about the bite from Peter, Jackson causes new problems for Scott and Stiles while Derek has a crisis of faith in his leadership as a new Alpha.Episode 2.08 - Raving
During a secret concert, Scott and Stiles come up with a method to trap the new shapeshifter. At the same time, Allison's mother comes up with a plan of her own to take care of Scott once and for all.Episode 2.09 - Party Guessed
Even as his relationship with Allison becomes further strained, Scott and Stiles must attend Lydia's birthday party while Derek locks his new wolves up to watch after them on their first full moon together.
Additional reporting by Ben Vrignon and Charlie Jane Anders.