SciFi Sunday: Transformers 2, Harry Potter & Lots ‘O Comic Book Movies + Virtuality, Heroes, Terminator TV + more

The two biggest movies are Iron Man and The Dark Knight, so it should be no surprise that both Marvel and DC are thinking about even more comic book movies. Plus we have some new images and video for 2009 movies (some are even not based on comic books!). In TV news there is an in-depth report on Ron Moore’s Virtuality, plus lots of images and videos from upcoming fall shows, including Sarah Connor and Heroes.  

 

MOVIE NEWS

Robert Downey Jr. Disses Dark Knight + Ready for Iron Man 2
Is there a bit of a war between the ‘billionaire playboy donning suits to be vigilante’ movies? Even though The Dark Knight has crossed the line to be the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time, Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man") doesn’t appear to be a fan. The actor told MovieHole: "I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get how many things that are so smart. It’s like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I’m like, ‘That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie…Didn’t get it, still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, ‘I get it. This is so high brow and so fucking smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.’ You know what? Fuck DC comics. That’s all I have to say and that’s where I’m really coming from."  In terms of his own superhero movie though, Downey Jr. is quite excited about "Iron Man 2" and during a visit on the "Live with Regis and Kelly" show, revealed that he believes Marvel will end up making a trilogy out of the series, and that he’s open to doing more films beyond the trilogy. Downey Jr. also told the Chicago Sun Times that their "goal is also more of the same in ‘Iron Man 2.’ We want to do what worked for us last time. I’m talking about telling more of the story of a guy put in extraordinary circumstances who has a family now and he’s dealing with these forces."

WB Looks to Future with DC Comics Properties Including Batman 3, Justice League and More
Speaking of DC and Marvel, Warner Bros. is looking to take advantage of their impressive slate of DC Comics properties, much in the same way that Marvel Comics properties have taken off at the box office over the last several years, Warner’s chief Alan Horn, production president Jeff Robinov and senior VP of creative affairs for DC Comics Gregory Noveck spoke with Variety about what’s in store for the future.

"We’re having a lot of internal discussions on it," Horn says. "We haven’t committed to any change at DC at this point," adding that both Warners and DC are committed to turning "the properties into viable movie product in an intelligent way so that we introduce them like planes on a runway. They have to be set up the right way and lined up the right way and all take off one at a time and fly safe and fly straight."

One project discussed was "Justice League": "We’re not off the notion of a Justice League," Robinov says. "There’s a massive interest and knowledge in the comic book industry and it takes time to sort of catch up and understand the characters and the history, where they’ve intersected with each other and what their worlds are. That’s part of the education that we’re going through."  The studio also has an offer out to Christopher Nolan for another installment in the "Batman" franchise, but the director hasn’t decided on whether to make another film: "We have no idea where Chris is going with this," Horn says. "We haven’t had any conversations with him about it."

Big-Name Villains Lined Up for Super Max
While DC’s heroes head to the runway, it looks like the villains are ready to take off. Justin Marks, writer of "Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max" revealed to MTV the names of some of the villains that will be appearing in the film, and it’s an impressive list that includes The Riddler, The Icicle, Lex Luthor and the Joker (though it’ll be an in-name-only cameo).

What we wanted to do, and I think we’ll continue to do as the studio continues to push the movie forward, is to be able to [put Queen] in the center of a much bigger universe… In the same way that Marvel is starting to do, when you’re in the [filmed] DC Universe [where] this world and this world and this world — they all exist in an interrelated web.

Marks sees the character as "the Jason Bourne of superheroes" and "a guy who’s really, just the sort of MacGyver type".  He also spoke a bit about the film’s main set:

"It’s a very, very awesome prison. I majored in architecture in college, and design is how I actually started in. For ‘Super Max,’ designing that prison, it had to be the kind of thing that was a character in and of itself," Marks said. "We’re in a world where instead of just trying to contain a guy who’s really big, you’re trying to contain a guy who can — in the case of Icicle — who can freeze things. What kind of a cell would a guy like that need in order to have his powers neutralized? So to escape from Super Max they have got to go through the most elaborate heist we’ve ever seen, involving superpowers. Because the prison itself kind of has superpowers!"

Kevin Smith Calls Watchmen "F**king Astounding" + New Photos
OMG, even more comic book movie news. Kevin Smith has seen a cut of "Watchmen" and though he can’t disclose any specifics due to a Non Disclosure Agreement he had to sign, the director wrote the following on his MySpace page:

"I saw Watchmen. It’s f**king astounding," adding "Snyder and Co. have pulled it off. Remember that feeling of watching Sin City on the big screen and being blown away by what a faithful translation of the source material it was, in terms of both content and visuals? Triple that, and you’ll come close to watching Watchmen. Even Alan Moore might be surprised at how close the movie is to the book. March can’t come soon enough."

In other "Watchmen" news, MTV has an interview with Carla Gugino (Sally Jupiter), which you can read at this link and WB has released four new photos that originally appeared in Empire magazine.

Transformers 2 Gets Simultaneous IMAX Release, + LaBeouf Back on Set
Unlike the first film which had a two-month delay before its IMAX release, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" will be released on both conventional and IMAX theaters on June 26, 2009.  In other ‘Transformers 2’ news,  Entertainment Tonight is reporting that Shia LaBeouf, who was sidelined due to a hand injury he sustained in a car accident, has returned to the set for filming this past Thursday.  ET added that the actor’s injuries will be written into the script.  Also, a rep of LaBeouf debunked the report that his pinky may have to be amputated: "That story is a complete fabrication. Absolute gossip," the rep told Access Hollywood.

Naked Radcliffe caused delay of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
Warner Bros. has pushed back the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" six months to July 17, 2009.  The film was originally scheduled to release on November 21st.  In light of the move, Summit Entertainment has taken advantage of the opening by moving the December 12th film "Twilight" into Potter’s now open release date. So why did they move the movie? Speculation abounds that Warner wanted to keep it away from the Broadway run of Equus starring a very naked Daniel Radcliffe.

NEW IMAGES

Babylon A.D.

Max Payne

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (more here)

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

NEW VIDEOS

Watchmen (set report)

Iron Man (Deleted Scene from upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Release)

Outlander

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Director and Producer Interviews + Click here for another)

MOVIE BITES

  • Lionsgate has hired Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain to rework the script for "Conan".  The proposed $100M R-rated origin film will be Lionsgate and Millennium’s largest production to date.  The studio has also picked up the duo’s screenplay for "Amazon",  an action-adventure epic about female warriors which Scarlett Johansson is attached to.   [THR]
  • "Evil Dead 2" has been voted as the greatest B-movie of all-time garnering 31% of the reader vote in a U.S. Magazine poll. [Contact Music]
  • Joss Whedon tells MTV that if he had been given the chance to make his version of a Batman reboot, his baddie would have been "a new [villain], it wasn’t one of the classics." Speaking of Batman, get a glimpse into the late Heath Ledger’s Joker diary at this link.
  • There won’t be a game based on "The Dark Knight", but there will be a new Batman game.  "Batman: Arkham Asylum" will be based on a story written by Paul Dini and will explore Gotham’s Arkham Asylum. [Game Informer]
  • "Lobo", a werewolf-themed action thriller spec script by Dikran Ornekian and Ryan Colluci, has been acquired by Stone Village.  Ezna Snads will direct the independently financed film–under $15M budget–which will begin production on October 15th. [Variety]
  • Sony Pictures Imageworks has been awarded a substantial amount of the visual-effects work on Roland Emmerich’s upcoming apocalyptic movie "2012". [THR]
  • Rumors that Billy Bob Thornton would be portraying Freddy Krueger in the proposed remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street" have been debunked, but the original Freddy (Robert Englund), thought the actor would be a good call for the role:
    "Yeah, I think it’s a great idea for Freddy. If they use Billy Bob, he will reinterpret the character, and that’s what you want. You don’t want somebody just copying me."  [SCI FI Wire]
  • Although he wasn’t asked to appear in "Lost Boys: The Tribe", Kiefer Sutherland says he wouldn’t have accepted a role, though the actor is still willing to return to the franchise, just as long as it’s not a direct-to-video release. [Shock Til You Drop]
  • Making the rounds promoting his latest "Star Wars" project, George Lucas is now insisting that the movies in the franchise are not science fiction: "We look at it as a different dimension. The laws of physics are different here. "Star Wars" is not science fiction at all. It’s much more attuned to mythology, to psychology, to history than it is to science." [Digital Spy]
  • Questioned on the recently revealed "Evil Dead 4" film, star Bruce Campbell told MTV "When he’s [Sam Raimi] ready, I’m ready."  Campbell added that he’s actually discussed the film previously with Raimi and while nothing remains written or planned, they have a basic idea of where to take the movie, but it won’t include a sidekick: “I think the audience would be insulted if you did, because then you feel this obvious pressure to appeal,” he said.
  • Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to the bestselling "The Wheel of Time" novel series.  An adaptation of the fantasy series will begin with the first book, "The Eye of the World". [Variety]
  • Latino Review has put up their script review of "Voltron: Defender of the Universe".  Read it at this link.
  • Sony is looking to remake the 1990’s horror film "Candyman". [Shock Till You Drop]
  • A fan petition has turned up online attempting to put pressure on Warner Bros. to release a three-hour cut of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of the graphic novel "Watchmen".  In the past, the director has mentioned that he has a 210-minute cut of the film, but that WB is not interested in releasing the film at that length.  Read the petition, entitled "Campaign For 3 Hour Watchmen Movie From Warner Bros", at this link.
  • A new Green Lantern-based script is making the rounds around Hollywood.  The script draws heavily on the comic book series "Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn". [IESB]
  • "Game", the upcoming Sci-Fi film starring Gerald Butler, has been delayed to the summer of 2009 due to the need to complete visual-effects work. A teaser trailer is expected to be released around Christmas time. [SCI FI Wire]
  • As reported in this week’s edition of CelebWatch, "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams is working together with "Omen" screenwriter David Seltzer on an earthquake-themed movie for Universal Pictures.  Story details are being kept under wraps but we do know that the still untitled project is not intended to be a remake of Universal’s 1974 film "Earthquake". [Variety]
  • Chloe Moretz (Dirty Sexy Money) has been cast in Mathew Vaughn’s big screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book Kick-Ass and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from "Superbad") is in negotiations for the role of Red Mist.  [SCI FI Wire]

 

TV NEWS

First Look at Ron Moore’s Virtuality
Little is known about "Virtuality", Ronald D. Moore’s SF pilot for Fox, but SCI FI Wire got a first look at the set and costumes, and talked to the cast and crew of the show.  The show takes place aboard Earth’s first interstellar starship, the Phaeton, and the cast and crew are quick to point out that the series isn’t about ships and aliens, but about characters and conflict as the 12-person crew is sent on a 10-year voyage:

"To keep them occupied and give them an outlet for privacy, they’ve been given these virtual-reality modules," writer/producer Michael Taylor said in an interview. "They each have a little corner to call their own, and it can be anything they want it to be. A place they can be alone, they can do some sort of activity or be in some time period. It’s whatever they want."

"Six months into this voyage, as they’re about to reach the point of no return, fire up the big engines and head for the star they’re headed for, something has started going wrong with these virtual modules," Taylor said, adding coyly: "It’s something that will unnerve them and something that portends serious trouble down the road for this crew."

The main set of the series will be a single module, which SCI FI notes will be redressed to represent various ship modules that serve different purposes. In terms of the look of the show, the costumes that the characters wear reflect the time period of the show, just 30 years into the future, with crewmen wearing gray jackets and pants, with white piping and shoulder patches.  Another interesting aspect of the show is that because the mission is privately funded, the crew is contractually obligated to participate in a "Big Brother"-type reality series, of which webisodes are being modeled around.  "Virtuality" should air sometime in 2009.

TV BITES

  • Zak Penn ("X-Men") is writing and will produce "The Argonauts" for 20th Century Fox.  Penn is also writing "The Avengers", based on the Marvel comic book.
  • "90210" alum and current "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" regular Brian Austin Green tells MTV that he’d be interested in playing the Riddler in a third Nolan Batman film: "I would love to be the Riddler. I hope to God they don’t replace Heath and have the Joker [again]. So they need a new villain and The Riddler makes sense. …[My Riddler] would take years of preparation. It’s tough. Heath set the bar a new level."
  • After re-starting negotiations earlier this summer on the ABC hit "Lost", Matthew Fox is the first of the principal cast to have inked a new deal.  The actor is expected to earn about $225,000/episode (up from about $150,000).  Evangeline Lilly (currently at about $150,000) is still in negotiations, as are the majority of supporting actors, who are all paid in the $80,000-90,000/episode range. [THR]
  • ABC has put in a script order for a new TV version of the 1987 supernatural movie "The Witches of Eastwick". Maggie Friedman ("Dawson’s Creek") will write the new pilot. [Variety]
  • Joss Whedon once again shot down rumors that about there being a sequel to "Serenity": "No, it’s not happening." [MTV]
  • NBC Universal Digital Studio has announced that its online series "Gemini Division" will debut on its own official website, NBC.com and SCIFI.com on August 18th.  The series is the first production from the recently created studio and stars Rosario Dawson and Justin Hartley.  It will also premiere on mobile gaming and VOD platforms. [SCI FI Wire]
  • BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a new episode of "Torchwood" on Wednesday, September 10th at 9:15am ET/6:15am PT. [Outpost Gallifrey]
  • NBC has announced that the sophomore season of "Chuck" will be accompanied by a set of webisodes.
  • Interested in discovering where the canceled NBC series "Journeyman" series was heading?  Check out this interview at AICN with the show’s creator.
  • Seth Green and Breckin Meyer are closing to joining "Heroes" as guest stars for a multi-episode arc this season.  Green and Meyer will play Atlanta-based comic book nerds who cross paths with one of the title heroes, and perhaps serve as advisors to. [EW]
  • Christopher Lloyd has been cast in "Mirabilis", SCI FI’s upcoming original fantasy miniseries.  The four-hour miniseries centers on four knights who must save their great land of Mirabilis.  Llody will star opposite David James Elliot, and the cast also includes Natassia Malthe. [SCI FI Wire]

TV PICS AND VIDEOS

Heroes

Lost (more at this link)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (more here and here)

Chuck (more here and here)

Heroes

"Season Two Alternate Ending"

Knight Rider

MISC

The Hugo Award Winners
Winners of this year’s Hugo Awards were announced last Saturday at the 66th World Science Fiction Convention in Denver, Colorado.  Here’s the complete list of winners [The Hugo Awards]:

  • Best Novel: "The Yiddish Policemen’s Union"
  • Best Novella: "All Seated on the Ground"
  • Best Novelette: "The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate"
  • Best Short Story: "Tideline"
  • Best Related Book: "Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction"
  • Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: "Stardust"
  • Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: "Doctor Who – Blink"
  • Best Editor, Long Form: David G. Hartwell
  • Best Editor, Short Form: Gordon Van Gelder
  • Best Professional Artist: Stephan Martiniere
  • Best Semiprozine: "Locus"
  • Best Fanzine: "File 770"
  • Best Fan Writer: John Scalzi
  • Best Fan Artist: Brad Foster
  • John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer: Mary Robinette Kowal

MISC BITES

  • "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale will not face any charges related to an alleged [verbal] assault against his mother and sister on July 20th. [AP via SCI FI Wire]
  • Check out UGO’s list of the Top 50 Hottest Sci-Fi Girls at this link.
  • Galactic Binder has put together a list of what they feel are the 31 Most Badass Star Wars Moments.  Check them out at this link.
  • Iron Man will be meeting his end this November.  Marvel Comics has announced that they’re planning to show how Tony Stark’s career as Iron Man concludes with the November comic "Iron Man: The End".  Iron Man creators Bob Layton and David Michelinie are heading the comic. [io9]

MISC VIDEO

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Videogame–more clips at this link)

COMEDY: Star Wars Attack of the Lightsaber Clone

DVD RELEASES

  • "Stargate Continuum" debuted in third place and sold an estimated 276,677 units ($4.81M in revenue) in its first week of release.  That’s slightly better than the estimated 251,642 units sold ($4,26M in revenue) for the first week of "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" which debuted in 7th place.  Both films have budgets rumored in the $7M range. [The Numbers]
  • Lucasfilm and Paramount have announced an October 14th release for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" on both DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def.  The film will be available as a two-disc special edition DVD and Blu-ray as well as a standard single-disc DVD.  Paramount will also release "The Complete Adventure Collection", a new box set of all four films, but on DVD only. [DVD Active]
  • Universal Pictures, meanwhile, has revealed early specs for "The Incredible Hulk".  The film will be released on DVD, three-disc DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def.  It’s release is rumored for this September. [DVD Active]

SCI-FI RATINGS

Top 10 SF&F Broadcast Shows   HH Rating/Share
1)
Ghost Whisperer (R)  
3.5/7
2)
Fear Itself
2.2/4
3) Eli Stone (R) 1.5/3
4) Smallville (R) 1.2/2
5) Supernatural (R) 1.0/2
6) Reaper (R) 0.8/1

7/21/2008 to
7/27/2008
– Source: Nielsen Media Research

Top 10 SF&F Syndicated Shows   Rating
1) Stargate SG-1 1.0
2) The Dead Zone 0.8
3) Star Trek 0.8
4) Stargate Atlantis 0.6

7/21/2008 to
7/27/2008
– Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire

Top 10 SCI FI CHANNEL Shows   Rating  
1) Ghost Hunters International 1.7
2) Anaconda 3 1.5
3)
ECW
1.5
4)
Scare Tactics
1.3
5)
Eureka
1.2

6) Stargate Atlantis
1.2

7) Premonition   
1.1
8) Komodo vs. Cobra    1.0
9) Basilisk: Serpent King    1.0
10) King Cobra    1.0

7/21/2008 to
7/27/2008
– Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire

 

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DC/WB seriously need a strategy to catch up with Marvel.

First (?)

Holy crap Lucasfilm finally uses the actual poster art on the DVD.

Dang…Robert Downey Jr was harsh: “F*ck DC Comics.” Anyway, looking forward to getting The Incredible Hulk on DVD. I know I’m in the minority here but I liked that film better than Iron Man and The Dark Knight.

Am I the only one who thinks that “The Watchmen” already looks like a REALLY stupid film?

Paramount will also release “The Complete Adventure Collection”, a new box set of all four films, but on DVD only.

YOU SONS OF BITCHES

Sony doing the effects for 2012? Emmerich should know better. Those guys suck. Watch 10.000 B.C. to get a confirmation.

I am so not interested in Indy IV on DVD. I like to think that The Last Crusade is the true ending to the franchise…

*sigh* Oh, TRANSFORMERS…

I Netflixed it a few months back and couldn’t stand any of it. I tried watching a few more minutes of it on cable 2 or 3 nights ago, and it’s really made me nervous about the STAR TREK XI script.

Yes, one could argue that TRANSFORMERS was “supposed” to be intentionally dumb, with a lot of seemingly Michael Bay-approved stupid actor improv and juvenile humor, but even the more dramatic or adult-oriented scenes were filled with uninspired, obvious and rudimentary dialogue. I couldn’t remember a single decent quote from that entire film that made me think, “Wow, Orci & Kurtzman are gonna knock TREK XI out of the park!!!”

I’m still a glass-half-full guy, but jeez, that script…

^I liked Transformers a lot. Hearing Peter Cullen’s voice as Optimus Prime gave me chills.

Also, WATCHMEN looks really cool. Looking forward to seeing it.

I’m sick of twilight already

TransFormers was okay, but it was one of those movies that I could see once and that would be enough for me, I’d never have to see it again. For me, the biggest problem was that it was easily a half-hour too long. The climactic battle scene could’ve been trimmed substantially and it would’ve made for a tighter movie.

As for the petition for a 3-hour Watchmen, I don’t think that’s likely to happen, mainly because online petitions can be easily ignored. They could do it but the longer the movie, the fewer showings at the multiplex. Also, it’s a lot to ask an audience to sit through a three-hour film, even if it’s good. I personally tend to be rather conscious of time while sitting in a movie, even if it’s a movie I’m enjoying.

that Heroes alternate ending is very Jericho-ish.

I agree with Robert Downey Jr…..but most people look at me like I have 2 heads when I tell them I didn’t think the Dark Knight was “all that.” I enjoyed Iron Man much more.

So Ron Moore is taking Star Trek’s “holodeck gone wrong” episode concept and turning it into a series?

Lost photos…. dude… I see Michael.

i dont know if there is anything to be read in the new lost photos. But there are always flashbacks so you never know

Actually, this year they said they’re getting rid of the flashbacks and forwards.

Also, Michael died in Season 4. Those pics were from last year.

Wow! That’s a pretty big affirmation. Downey doesn’t seem to be concerned with burning bridges at DC. You go Robert.

3

I agree with you. I also liked “Hulk” and “Iron Man”. I haven’t gotten these last two Batman movies. It’s not my Batman.

On another note….I try not to jump on something just because it’s trendy, but I gotta say, I think “Serenity” really is quite good. Too bad it’s not getting a rebirth. Some real good things in that one.

On a note that wasn’t even played in this weeks report but has been in the last few weeks, and I just saw it yesterday….Why are they remaking Robocop?

And Rosario, good job. I really like this feature

Super Max looks like one of the dumbest comic book movies ever. I guess watching GA escaping from a Super villain prison would be an alright arc in the comics, but to make a film like that? There’s no way they can do Green Arrow justice! He’s one of the most interesting comic book characters out there. Putting him in a mindless action movie like Super Max is a sin against all things good and true!

I’m not to excited about the Green Lantern movie. I just love that character so much I’m afraid they’re gonna screw it up. Also, not so keen on George Miller.

Don’t get me started on the Marvel/DC thing. And I used to think Robert Downey Jr. was cool….

PUT ME IN THE “DARK KNIGHT WAS WAY OVER-RATED” CAMP…

Okay, THE DARK KNIGHT was very, very, very good, and yes, probably the best BATMAN film to date…but…

…I’m not so sure anyone has made the “definitive” live-action Batman film yet, and I’m sorry, but TDK has got to be one of the single most DEPRESSING films I’ve seen in the theaters in quite awhile, to the extent that, sure, I can say it’s an extremely well-made and -acted film, but I’m not so sure I ENJOYED it, you know? I caught an 11:30am showing and it put me in a funk for the rest of the day!

I’ll certainly catch it on DVD again (I’ll probably even buy it), but I can guarantee it’s not one I’ll break out once or twice a year. Way too much of a downer! I’m not saying go back to the days of BATMAN AND ROBIN, but I hope they make PART III just a little less bleak! Superhero movies should be fun, not make you want to cash in your chips at the end!

You know, I understand everyone has an opinion, but did Mr. Downy need to use such harsh language? I loved The Dark Knight. I agree that DC needs to get the ball rolling. Thney have a lot of catching up to with Marvel. Even thier toy line is scarce compared to the Marvel lines of toys.
Also, isn’t Mr. Lucas getting a little “holier than thou” attitude when he says Star Wars isn’t science fiction?

Sounds like Downey’s a bit jealous of TDK’s success. That and the fact TDK was a slightly better movie (ever so slightly). Oh, well, I still think Downey rocks… unfortunately, this dashes my hopes that he might play the Riddler in Batman 3. :-P

I do agree with Downey on one thing, though. When it comes to DC vs. Marvel, f*ck DC!!! :)

AND REGARDING DOWNEY JR. …

…it seems to me he’s got his tongue firmly in cheek with that quote. I don’t see how anyone can take him so seriously. He’s ALWAYS had a droll sense of humor to begin with, and he’s out promoting TROPIC THUNDER… I’m sure he’s just trying to stir up some s**t in a very subversive way.

We’d have to see a video of that video to sure, but c’mon, “F**k DC Comics”?!?! That’s GOTTA be a joke!

For the record, I was being facetious regarding my comment about Downey being jealous. I just forgot the :-P smiley. :-P

I wanted to single out the the Michael pic on Lost (click the more link to see the rest of the cast) because of the odd choice of including him in this new batch of photos for the upcoming season.

It’s definitely a new image. I”m not sure what it means, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. Or not. ;)

The Dark Knight was one of the few films that after seeing it I wanted to see it again right away. Downy is right that it is complex, but that is part of what makes it good. Iron Man was very good TDK was better.

TDK also seems to continue a tradition of 2nd movies being better than first for franchises. Spider Man 2, X Men 2, Star Trek II, Hulk 2, (arguably) Aliens, etc. It gets me thinking that the film we should really be looking forward to is JJ Abrams Star Trek 2…once he Bob and Alex get all that backstory stuff and origin movie stuff done and establish the universe and such, then they can just get down to telling a big adventure story

All the movies this summer were good. I actually thought Iron Man was a bit funner than TDK, but TDK had better action.

In terms of DC vs Marvel..I just think they’re going for two completely different goals when it comes to their movie franchises. With the new Batman, Watchmen, etc., it would seem DC are going for more complex stories, whereas Marvel works best as pure entertainment with minimal subtext. I think there’s merit in both approaches, but obviously some will be drawn to one more than the other. Now if only Marvel would pretend that last X-Men movie didn’t happen and let Singer finish the franchise off properly…

And I’m surprised at all the folks who say they found TDK depressing. To me the ending was what all these superhero movies are ultimately about – self-sacrifice on the part of the hero for the greater good. Gordon is in awe of how far Batman is willing to go to take the burden off the people and not take their hope away. It certainly didn’t leave me depressed, but maybe that’s just me.

#24. Charles Trotter

“For the record, I was being facetious regarding my comment about Downey being jealous. I just forgot the :-P smiley. :-P ”

Charles, maybe Mr. Robert Downey Jr. forgot to tell Rosario to insert the smiley thing!! Should we ask him?

Holy crap, settle down, Robert!! What’s with all the swearing? He must be quite insecure or jealous or something. I must admit I tend to get frustrated by people who resort to that. Or maybe he’s been asked once too many times how he feels about being surpassed by “The Dark Knight”. That could be frustrating but honestly…

Gotta agree with boJac. I used to think Downey was cool. However, you KNOW I’ll still go see Ironman 2 and buy the movies when they come out. Guess that makes me fickle. Can’t dispute the man is a good performer.

kg

LOL, what ever happened to The X-Files 2: I Want To Believe??

did the studio already pull the film from the theatres?

it’s not even in the top 40.

poor guys. better luck again 10 years.

#26

Anthony, I”ll have to disagree with you on one point – Aliens isn’t *better* than Alien, it’s just that it’s equally good for different reasons. Ridley Scott’s original is still an amazing blend of science fiction and horror that set a bar so high it’s yet to be matched in that genre.

TDK was depressing, but Batman always has a depressing story.

#30 Shanaynay — that movie actually wasn’t intended as a sequel to the first X-Files movie… but point taken. Not every second movie is better than the first (see Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Jurassic Park 2, The Matrix Reloaded, Back to the Future II, Die Hard II, Beverly Hills Cop II, etc.) Sometimes, the second movies match the quality of the first but they don’t *necessarily* exceed it (Shrek 2, Bourne Supremacy, Godfather, Bride of Frankenstein, etc.).

#26 Anthony — don’t forget T2 and Empire Strikes Back :)

#31 sean — hence why he said “arguably” ;)

The Bat Pod fricken ruled

#33 – Are you daft?! Shrek 2 was a big pile of poo. If that had been Shrek 1, there never would have been a sequel.

And put me in the category of bored for both The Dark Knight AND Iron Man.

#34

Ahhh, I thought he was applying that to Hulk. I need to read more carefully!

#36

Shrek 2 was a much bigger hit than Shrek 1 (it did nearly twice the business at almost $1 billion). If that had been Shrek 1, I think the future of Shrek films would have been pretty safe :)

Shrek 3, now *that* was a pile of poo.

labeouf’s hand ingery has returned to the set? wtf?

The Beef is back on TF-2?

i mean they could’ve just written him out and i dont think anyone would’ve really cared one way or another.

its not like people went to go see TF-1 cause The Beef was in it.

Re: Harry Potter 6 move —

Becuase of his naked Broadway show? Give me a break.

The reason was given by Warner Bros. It’s the same reason that Paramount moved “Star Trek” to next May: the strike left them with a deficit in the number of tentpole movies.

End of story.

@40

Well yea there doing it to make more money, to bad they did not go for may , star trek vs harry potter showdown is something i would like to see .

i know many people would say trek would not win that , but i just have no love for potter, i personally just think its watered down bad fantasy.

#41 —

I would not want to see that because Star Trek would lose badly.

Watered-down fantasy, though it may be, it’s a huge franchise with millions of kids and adults ready to plop down whatever money they have to to see it.

Star Trek … not so much these days.

Robert Downey Jr can just pipe down… Iron Man was lame. It was a victim of hype and really didnt hit 5 stars IMO. The Dark Knight on the other hand is IMO one of the best superhero movies ever made, it had a great villain, it was well told and was dark and, in parts, quite scary. Iron Man was rushed in places and slow in others, it was blatantly a background story for a sequel, and not a very good one IMO, The bad guy was pathetic and not scary or imposing what so ever, the ending was dull “Im Iron Man” YAWN… and I ended up leaving the cinema feeling mugged in some way. On the other hand, ive seen the Dark Knight about 8 times and still love it… oh and if a superhero film wants to have a background, beginning kinda story, then Iron Man really should have taken tips from Batman Begins… IMHO.

I’m really looking forward to Heroes: Villans, ive got the other 2 series on DVD and me and my gf are obsessed with it, its fantastic, and is definately up there with Trek and Battlestar for entertainment.

On another subject, trek subject, that is kinda related to this thread, as it is about TV series. Ive been thinking for a while now, if there is any hope or any way at all that Paramount will bring out a new trek series?? I remember reading somewhere that Mrs Roddenberry hoped (after Voyager) that Star Trek would be shelved for 5 years as too many spin offs had been created in a short period of time. She never got her wish though as Enterprise was released and… as she feared, almost killed trek. Enterprise was canceled in 2005, its almost 2009 and if another series is penned down (probably based on how successful Trek XI is) then the gap between series would be 5/6 maybe 7 years. I personally would love to see trek continuity with a Star Trek: Titan series with Riker, Troi, Tuvok, Wesley etc I think, if left for enough time, and done well, could become popular and successfull and we’ll have another 7 years of trek, and possibly Titan films. I realise that many people here would expect a pre-tos series or something in conjunction with the new movie, but i dont think they’d do that as it would mess with tos canon. If they did pen down a Titan series, who would u want behind it?? would you give Berman and Braga a second chance?? or would you want JJ to take it on board??

Just a thought

Jay, UK

I can see the Iron Man sequel crashing and burning.
Unless they’re really careful, it can turn into self-parody very easily.
TDK had the benefit of Nolan’s sensibility and vision, things that many other directors, like Lucas, would be extremely lucky to have even a portion of.
TDK was depressing, but it certainly wasn’t depressingly BAD, like Indiana Jones 4, FF2, and SMan 3, and SWars 1,2 & 3.
I can’t see a Justice League movie working on any level. It should stay in the realm of animation.

My ranking of this summer’s DC/Marvel films:

1) The Incredible Hulk. Great action sequences, solid performances, and a really cool-looking Hulk

2) The Dark Knight. Solid film. Best Batman movie yet. Ledger was amazing. Aaron Eckhart was underrated as Dent/Two-Face

3) Iron Man. Enjoyable movie. Not the greatest action sequences, but Downey Jr owned this film.

Downey’s right about “The Dark Knight.”

Looking forward to “Green Lantern.”

#43. Jay said:
“I personally would love to see trek continuity with a Star Trek: Titan series with Riker, Troi, Tuvok, Wesley etc I think, if left for enough time, and done well, could become popular and successfull and we’ll have another 7 years of trek, and possibly Titan films. I realise that many people here would expect a pre-tos series or something in conjunction with the new movie, but i dont think they’d do that as it would mess with tos canon. If they did pen down a Titan series, who would u want behind it?? would you give Berman and Braga a second chance?? or would you want JJ to take it on board??”

I’d LOVE to see a Titan series with Frakes, Sirtis, and Tim Russ. I think it would be an excellent show if done right. As far as Berman and Braga go…please keep them far away from the Star Trek franchise. Under their watch they almost buried Trek by over-saturating the market with their bland spin-off shows.

#47 i thank you for you reply, however i must disagree with your statement of “bland spin off shows” DS9 and TNG were great shows and very enjoyable, (i do say this as a 20 year old Brit, so Patrick Stewart appealed to me and i grew up with TNG) you must admit that TNG really revived trek after it disappeared from the small screen and the original cast aged.TNG fed our hunger for trek and DS9 was a refreshing change from a series being totally enterprise dominated, and introduced more dimensions and canon to star trek lore. I also believe and i say this as a minority, that Voyager was brilliant. I was bored of Romulans, Klingon’s, Ferangi and Cardassians and voyager introduced us to more species and good story lines… i really enjoyed it. Berman and Braga have to take some credit for this entertainment and to be honest, they didn’t have to feed our hunger with trek. I’d say there only downfall was saturating the market as you put it and creating the needless enterprise series which for me was a step backwards.

Let’s see, X-Men III sucked, Spiderman III sucked, both Fantastic Four’s sucked, Daredevil is unwatchable garbage, Electra should be buried, Ghost Rider sucked, The Incredible Hulk, was an incredible bore, Iron Man was dull and predictable, and when they waterdown Punisher to a PG-13 I can bloody promise you it will suck, I say F**k Marvel

#43, #47, #48:

Nope. I think what needs to happen now is to bring Trek into the 21st Century, and reintroduce it to a new generation of viewers. Nobody’s going to be interested in characters that are themselves over 20 years older than when they first appeared on screen (and thus the actors who portrayed them are also more than 20 years older). But if this new movie succeeds, and you have a new fandom being built around the new actors and new portrayals of familiar characters, then I think you build around that.

The past is the future. Get used to it.