Marvel Plays With Hasbro Games And Toys ...

January 8, 2006

Hasbro, Inc. and Marvel Entertainment, Inc., have announced a license under which Marvel has granted Hasbro toy/game rights to its superhero properties including franchises "Spider-Man", "Fantastic Four", "X-Men" and "Captain America".

Through the agreement, Hasbro has obtained the rights to develop products based on Marvel's characters in a wide range of toy and game categories -- including action figures, role play, preschool toys, board games and puzzles. The agreement covers both the 'classic' comic book look of the characters as well as product lines inspired by Marvel-themed movies.

Marvel terminated its licensing agreement with Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. December 31, 2005.

The five-year license with Hasbro, the home of "G.I. Joe", gives the company the rights to bring Marvel Entertainment-based toy products to retail beginning January 1, 2007.

Hasbro's first full line of products based on Marvel properties is expected to center on "Ghost Rider" and "Spider-Man 3" scheduled for release May 4, 2007. Marvel has also agreed to provide services to Hasbro in connection with the licensed toys.

The license guarantees Marvel $205 million in royalty and service fee payments, of which $70 million would be payable on the theatrical release of Spider-Man 3 and $35 million upon the theatrical release of Spider-Man 4.

"Hasbro's multi-year agreement with Marvel provides Hasbro with proven properties in categories where we have been long-time industry leaders," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's President, U.S. Toy Segment.

Tim Rothwell, Worldwide President, Consumer Media Group, Marvel Entertainment, added, "Hasbro is renowned in the toy arena. It supports its key brands with heavy promotional and advertising campaigns and their innovation provides consumers with an unmatched retail experience.

"We believe aligning with Hasbro as our master toy and game partner sets the stage for us to further extend the global and domestic reach and image of the overall Marvel brand.

"Juli Boylan, Sr. Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, the limited partner in Spider-Man Merchandising LP, stated, "We are thrilled to have Hasbro develop toys and games for "Spider-Man 3".

"We are very proud of the "Spider-Man" film franchise and feel Hasbro will play a pivotal role in its continued success."

MORE MARVEL MOVIE UPDATES !!!

November 9, 2005

Marvel Studios :

X-Men 3, Fox - Currently filming, May 26, 2006 release

Ghost Rider, Sony - Filming completed, July 14, 2006 release

The Punisher 2, Lions Gate - Writer, targeted for fall 2006 release

Marvel Character Feature Film Development Pipeline (Partial List) :

Spider-Man 3, Sony - Director, May 4, 2007 release

Fantastic Four 2, Fox - Director, July 4, 2007 release

Silver Surfer, Fox - TBD
Wolverine, Fox - TBD
Deathlok, Paramount - TBD
Hulk 2, Universal - TBD
Namor, Universal - TBD
Black Widow, Lions Gate - TBD
Iron Man - TBD
Thor - TBD

Film Projects Included in the Marvel Film-Backed Credit Facility :

Ant-Man, The Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Cloak & Dagger, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Power Pack and Shang-Chi.

The first film is anticipated for release in 2008.

Marvel Character Animated Direct-to-Video Projects in Development :

Partnership with Lions Gate to develop, produce and distribute original animated DVD features.

Four projects in 2D/3D format are in development with the first releases slated for 2006.

Titles include: Ultimate Avengers (February 21, 2006 release), Ultimate Avengers 2, Iron Man and Doctor Strange.

Marvel Character Animated TV Projects in Development :Partnership with Moonscoop SAS (formerly Antefilms Productions) to produce an original animated television series based on the Fantastic Four. Twenty-six, 30-minute 2D/3D animated episodes are planned with initial TV airings in 2006.

Marvel Character Live Action TV Projects in Development :

Alter Ego, Blade, Skrull Kill Krew

September 5, 2005

Marvel Enterprises has announced its new name 'Marvel Entertainment' and raised the $525 million it needs to produce movies based on its 5,000 proprietary, comic book characters.

Marvel Entertainment plans to produce feature films, focusing on superheroes 'Captain America', the 'Avengers', 'Nick Fury', 'Black Panther', 'Ant-Man', 'Cloak & Dagger', 'Dr. Strange', 'Hawkeye', 'Power Pack' and 'Shang-Chi'.

In April, Paramount Pictures, under new chair Brad Grey announced a deal to distribute/market the Marvel slate.The first film is expected to be released in 3 years.

Marvel CEO Avi Arad said he officially will begin attaching scriptwriters to all 10 projects beginning this month.

"No character before its time," Arad said.

"The scripts will dictate which is first ... I cannot wait to tell the 'Captain America' story."

Marvel said it would budget each film in the $50 -$160 million range.

"These movies are tentpoles for either summer or the holidays," Arad said.

Paramount will participate domestically and in most countries, though not in Japan, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and France, where Marvel will sell its films directly.

The seven-year, $525 million 'debt facility' was arranged by Merrill Lynch and Pierce, Fenner & Smith and will be loaned to MVL Film Finance, an indirect Marvel subsidiary set up to protect the lenders' investment should Marvel ever declare bankruptcy.

Marvel also pledged theatrical film rights to 10 characters as collateral.Although rights to some characters could transfer to the lenders in as soon as five years, should Marvel's film plans go awry, Arad said that will never happen.

"Trust me," he said. "I've protected this (Marvel) universe with my life."

Marvel will fund early development including scriptwriting of each film and then be reimbursed from the $525 million film-slate facility as each movie is greenlighted by Marvel Studios.Previously, Marvel profited from licensing its properties to the major studios.With the new deal, Marvel gets profits from box office receipts, home video, television, soundtracks and ancillary toy merchandise.

"Marvel has emerged as one of the strongest, most successful entertainment brands around the globe, with an enviable track record in feature films," Paramount's Grey said.

"Flash" Feature Picking Up Speed ...

Find hard to find "FLASH" items on eBay!

"Blade : Trinity" director David Goyer will write/produce/direct a big screen version of DC Comics' "THE FLASH" for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Goyer's New Line' "Blade : Trinity" is based on the Marvel Comics property. His screenplay for director Chris "Memento" Nolan's "Batman Begins" is based on the DC Comics character.

The original comic book of DC's "THE FLASH" was created by artist Harry Lampert and writer Gardner Fox, debuting in 'Flash Comics' #1, January 1940.

The story focused on 'Keystone City' Kansas student 'Jay Garrick', who conducts a lab experiment on 'heavy water', accidentally releasing toxic fumes that give him super-human speed.

Wearing a helmet to look like the Roman messenger of the gods 'Mercury', Garrick becomes the crimefighter known as the 'Flash'.

After fighting for the Allies during WW II, Garrick retires from the superhero business.

DC's 1950's reincarnation of 'The Flash', 'Barry Allen', aka 'The Scarlet Speedster', 'The Fastest Man Alive', 'The Monarch of Motion', and 'The Sultan of Speed', debuted in 'Showcase' #4, Sept/Oct 1956.

A police scientist from Missouri, Allen was struck by lightning while working in his lab late one night, accidentally splashing himself with a combination of chemicals as he fell to the floor. When he recovered, he found he could run at super-speed.

Inspired by the 1940's adventures of Jay Garrick, Allen became the next crime-fighting 'Flash'.

Allen married twice, but both his wives were killed.

Tragically he died, trying to save the universe, breaking all limits of speed to merge with the 'other side' of light.

The third DC Comics Flash is 'Wallace West', aka 'Kid Flash', a nephew of Barry Allen, who was a mechanic for the Keystone City police.

West debuted as 'Kid Flash' in 'Flash' #110, Dec 1959-Jan 1960, and as the adult Flash in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' #12, March 1986.

His origins were similar to the others, getting splattered with chemicals that enabled him to gain super-speed, but now powered by an extra-dimensional 'Speed Force', able to accelerate towards light-speed, transfer 'speed' to others and travel through time.

In 1990, "THE FLASH" TV series was created by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo, airing Thursday nights on CBS.

Cast included John Wesley Shipp as 'Flash', Amanda Pays as 'Christina McGee' and Richard Belzer as reporter 'Joe Kline'.

Costumed similar to the comic book character, scripts featured the 'Flash' battling drug lords, robot assassins and his own clone.

The series also introduced 1950’s 'Central City' crimefighter 'Nightshade' (Jason Bernard), who helped Flash battle the 'Ghost' (Anthony Starke).

Other villains included 'Captain Cold' aka 'Leonard Wynters' (Michael Champion), 'Mirror Master' aka 'Sam Scudder' (David Cassidy) and the 'Trickster', played by pre cartoon 'Joker', Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill.

Will Falk's "Phantom" Re-Appear ?

Screenwriter Mel Stewart, is the latest scribe to be tapped for the Crusader Entertainment/Hyde Park production "THE PHANTOM", based on the 1936 "ghost who walks" comic strip character created by Lee "Mandrake the Magician" Falk.

Steven "Die Hard" De Souza had previously submitted a screenplay.

"While I like the comic book franchises of the 1990s, I always wanted to be able to identify with my hero more," Stewart said about 'The Phantom'.

"Take all of the technology of 2004, where science fiction is no longer that -- it's science fact. If you had all that technology at your fingerprints, you would be a superhero."

Considered the first costumed super-hero to appear in print, premise of "The Phantom" begins with 'Christopher Standish', a cabin boy for explorer Christopher Columbus, who marries and becomes the captain of his own commercial vessel. But his ship comes under attack by pirates and his only son 'Kit', the sole survivor, washes up on a 'distant African shore', befriended by the 'Bandar' tribe of pygmies.

Swearing revenge against 'piracy and injustice', Kit fashions a costume and becomes a feared figure, riding a white stallion, with a companion wolf running alongside.

"The Phantom" that appears in the current comic strip is Kit's 21st descendant.

The first 1940's 'Phantom' comic books were reprints from newspaper strips, published in Ace, King and Harvey comics.

More recent comic books have been published by Charlton, D.C. and Marvel.

'Puppet Master' Hanging Around For Marvel's "Fantastic Four 2" ?

February 1, 2006

With the recent announcement of a June, Vancouver start date for Fox' "Fantastic Four 2", comes word that villain 'Doctor Doom' will re-appear.

On December 5, 2005, we reported that Fox had greenlit "Fantastic Four 2", set for release July 4, 2007.

Actors Ioan Gruffudd ('Mr. Fantastic'), Jessica Alba ('Invisible Woman'), Chris Evans ('Human Torch') and Michael Chiklis ('Thing') will return to reprise their roles.

Director Tim "Barber Shop" Story will return to helm the film, as the first "Fantastic Four" feature grossed a worldwide box office of $320 million, due in part to VFX produced by Canadian production companies.

"Fantastic Four" filmed in Vancouver, BC.

"We tried to do something different than the brooding, dark setting you usually get in superhero films," Story said.

"The key to that movie was how to play with a comedic tone and the action and have it feel respectable to the genre ... now that everyone's been introduced, you can just get right to it. That's why so many superhero sequels improve on the original."

September 2005

Marvel CEO Avi Arad has confirmed that the original cast of Fox upcoming "FANTASTIC FOUR", have been signed to return for a sequel.

Arad said he would like to see Marvel's "Puppet Master" as the next villain to challenge the super-hero team in "FANTASTIC FOUR 2".

"Puppet Master's a great character", he said.

"Don't we all wish we had this power - especially when we are mad at someone."

'Puppet Master', according to writer Stan Lee, introduced in Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four" #8, is the stepfather of Alicia Masters, the blind artist and romantic interest of 'Ben Grimm' aka 'The Thing'.

Using 'radio-active' clay Puppet Master is able to control people by fashioning voodoo doll 'puppet' likenesses of them.

Arad noted that actress Kerry Washington's character 'Alicia Masters' will have a larger role in further sequels down the line.

"It's not a big role in this one," he said about the upcoming FF movie, "but it's establishing her".

"Spawn" Steps Out Of The Shadows

"For me, there are three things I focus on when directing," said Frank Paur about the upcoming "Spawn: The Animation" feature film, based on Canadian Todd McFarlane's super-hero character.

"The first is to decipher the intent of the scene -- are we letting you in on some information about the character or is the action key? Second, I ask myself, what is the emotion I want to convey -- terror, a hint of something to come -- the mood is very important. And third is the composition of the set and positioning of characters.

"This is vital with "Spawn" because of the use of shadows. It's almost like the shadow is another character, so you have to work really hard to show what you want in so much darkness."When I worked on "Spawn" at HBO, I just took over the third season. That experience was more taking what was already set up and adding my directing knowledge to it. I wasn't involved from the ground floor like I am with this "Spawn" project."

MCFARLANE TAKES A LOOK AT 3D ANIMATION

September 21, 2005

According to Canadian artist/entrepreneur Todd McFarlane, the 'hot topic' around his office are the 3D aspects of the upcoming "Spawn: Animation" currently in production with the 3D animators at Film Roman/IDT.

McFarlane says that "2D animation is a very repetitive and time-consuming process, involving tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of hand-drawn and hand-painted characters and backgrounds. If a shot needs slight changes, it involves drawing the whole scene over.

"With 3D animation, characters, environments and props can all be computer-generated prior to laying out scenes, allowing the animator or director to take any character, place them anywhere within the environment, light it however they like and even place the camera at any angle they desire."

McFarlane says that animation "over the last 20 years just keeps getting better -- growing, evolving, breaking new ground - as animators fine-tune their craft. 3D is not only the wave of the future, it is the here and now.

"2D and 3D producers have found that amalgamating the two art forms can generate the best product with the highest entertainment value ..."

MCFARLANE AND FILM ROMAN CASTING ANIMATED "SPAWN" !!!

July 1, 2005

Todd McFarlane, Canadian creator of comic book phenomenon "SPAWN" continues voice casting the upcoming Film Roman "SPAWN" animated series.

"The voice of the character is extremely important as it must convey many of the subtleties that are difficult to portray in animated body language," said McFarlane.

"We had to convince our producing partners Film Roman to use live-action actors instead of voiceover actors when filling our roles".

"Our characters are from various walks of life living in lower Manhattan and anyone who knows anything about New York City knows not everyone sounds the same ... One of the main things I listen for when casting animated characters is realism ... Although you cannot see the actual person talking, you can tell if a voice sounds fake. This is one of those small nuances many people don't find important, yet are actually vital to achieving the high standards that are expected when working with any of my companies, be it toys or animation.

"In my experience, the best way to achieve realism in the voices is to use real actors especially since I am treating this project as live action as compared to traditional animation."Overall I like the actor to resemble the character they are to voice. Not so much in appearance, but in background and ethnicity. For example, if we were casting a Puerto Rican from the Bronx we'd like to find someone who has experience around this type of person, or is from there, so they can take from their own personal reference how they should sound and what slang they should use. "

March 2005

Todd McFarlane Productions and IDT Entertainment have announced a multi-faceted development, production and distribution agreement to produce animated programming and merchandise based on 'Spawn' and other TMP original intellectual properties.

Todd McFarlane Productions is known for its multiple Emmy-winning 'Spawn' franchise. IDT Entertainment, subsidiary of IDT Corporation, is a vertically integrated entertainment/animation company, producing animation and film through DPS/Film Roman, Mainframe Entertainment and DKP Effects. Video distribution is through Anchor Bay Entertainment.

The initial project is the return of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn: The Animated Series and the story of a highly decorated soldier, executed by his own men. Reborn as a creature from hell, he fights a constant battle between the forces of good and evil.

The first Spawn series aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999 and won two Emmy awards. "Spawn", one of the world's best-selling comic books with hundreds of millions sold worldwide, has also been the subject of a live-action feature film released in 1997. Distributed by New Line Cinema, the movie grossed over $100 million international.

Todd McFarlane will oversee all aspects of development and production, as executive producer. Terry Fitzgerald, senior vice president of creative development of Todd McFarlane Productions, will serve as co-executive producer and Sidney Clifton, senior vice president and head of programming and development for DPS Film Roman, will lead the creative development team on the IDT Entertainment side.

DPS Film Roman is the IDT Entertainment company known for its award-winning production work on The Simpsons, King of the Hill and other popular broadcast television programs.

"Ever since the Spawn animated series left HBO in 1999, I have been asked -- almost daily -- when the show is going to return," said McFarlane.

"I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to not only bring the show back, but also do it with the intent of making it better creatively than its first incarnation. Teaming up with IDT Entertainment’s DPS/Film Roman will allow us to take it to the next level of animation technology."

McFarlane will also create two additional animated properties. All three projects include animated broadcast television series, DVDs, feature films, video games, apparel and action figures, as well as other consumer products. McFarlane Toys, one of the world’s premiere toy manufacturers, is currently on its 25th figure line for Spawn action figures and merchandise.The McFarlane Group of companies also produces animated television, feature films and music videos. Past projects include Pearl Jam’s animated music video Do the Evolution, Korn’s mini-movie-style video for Freak on a Leash and Jodie Foster’s critically acclaimed The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. Animation and live-action projects under McFarlane and Fitzgerald have won a Grammy, two Emmys, two MTV Music Awards and a Much Music Video Music Award.

The McFarlane Group owns rights and trademarks to more than 250 intellectual properties and characters.

"Spawn" the comic book was first published in 1992, selling 1.7 million copies. The title is now distributed in 80 countries and translated into 30 languages.The character has since been developed into a run of popular McFarlane manufactured toys, a theatrical feature, and a series of 'adult' animated TV adventures.

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"Buffy" Creator Tied To Big Screen "Wonder Woman" ...

Although she's been an iconic pop character for more than 60 years and the undisputed star of numerous cartoons and TV series, DC Comics 'Amazon Princess' Wonder Woman has never appeared in a major motion picture.

Now all that's about to change as Warner Bros and Silver Pictures have signed Joss "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Whedon to write and direct a big screen feature.

Joel "Lethal Weapon" Silver and Leonard Goldberg will produce the film, based on the DC Comics character created by William Moulton Marston.

Whedon created/exec produced "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for seven seasons on the WB and UPN Networks (based on his screenplay from the 1992 feature), created/exec produced spinoff series "Angel", and wrote screenplays for "Toy Story" and "Alien: Resurrection".

"I think she sort of sprang out fully formed, much like Athena herself," Whedon said.

"In the '40s, when it was first done, she came to the world from 'Paradise Island' and then went about her business, and so that experience, which is really a rite of passage, the same as any hero has to go through, has never really been investigated the way I want."

"Wonder Woman' was created in the 1940's by Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston, writing under the byline 'Charles Moulton'.

Among Marston's many world views was that civilization was reverting into a 'matriarchy' and that females would ultimately use their innate powers of 'sexual enslavement' to achieve dominance over men.

These theories secured Marston the position of 'consulting psychologist' to womens' magazine 'Family Circle'.

In an interview published October 25, 1940, Marston touted the positive aspects of the booming war-time comic book industry.

His comments were well received by publisher M. C. Gaines of "All American Comics", sister company of DC Comics, leading to Marston's appointment to the 'Editorial Advisory Board' of both companies.

Marston submitted his first comic book script "Suprema, the Wonder Woman" to DC Comics with illustrations by artist 'Harry Peter' (!)

In 1942, the 'Suprema' name was dropped, and "Wonder Woman" debuted in "All Star Comics 8" (December 1941-January 1942).

The character went on to feature in "Sensation Comics" and "Wonder Woman".

Marston continued to infuse his female 'dominance' themes throughout his scripts for "Wonder Woman".

It was also during this time that Marston's assistant "Dotsie" Richard moved in with Marston and his wife Elizabeth, with Marston fathering two children by each woman.

From the beginning, Wonder Woman was not out to just stop criminals, but to reform them.

Armed with bulletproof bracelets and Amazonian fighting prowess, the powers of 'Princess Diana' came as a gift from the gods.

Her magic lasso was forged from the 'Magic Girdle of Aphrodite', unbreakable, stretchable, and could make any who were encircled in it tell the truth.

In later stories, Wonder Woman's earrings gave her air to breathe in outer space and her 'Invisible Plane' was given an origin.

"There's a reason why she has those bracelets, " said Whedon.

"There's a reason why she's got the lasso... I think it's going to work out really well."

Willis Wanted For Marvel's "Nick Fury" ?

Marvel Studios producer Avi Arad has confirmed that actor Bruce "Die Hard" Willis is in talks to play Marvel comic book character "NICK FURY AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.", for a big screen Paramount Pictures adaptation, slated to be released in 2007:

Marvel Invading TV With the "Skrull Kill Krew" ...

Marvel Entertainment have announced the development of the live-action television pilot "SKRULL KILL KREW", based on the 1996 comic book series.

'Skrulls', as created by author Stan Lee/artist Jack Kirby and introduced in the 1960's Marvel Comic book "Fantastic Four" #2, are extraterrestrials from an interstellar empire, located within the Andromeda Galaxy, or 'M-31'.

Skrulls are reptilian but have humanoid characteristics including hair and mammary glands, with newborns hatched from eggs and nursed by their mother.

Originating on the planet 'Skrullos' in the 'Drox' system, Skrulls have life spans of 210 Earth years, with 'Deviant Skrulls' having the ability to 'shape-shift'.

After the Skrulls discovered space travel, their ability at 'mimicry' enabled easy penetration of other worlds, setting up early empires based on free trade.

Ten million years ago, the Skrulls ventured outside their universe and into the Greater Magellanic Cloud/Milky Way Galaxies, encountering the 'Kree', a humanoid race and the 'Cotati', a race of sentient organics.

Thousands of years ago, a Skrull 'emperor' seized control of the first known 'Cosmic Cube', created by Skrull scientists. The Cube could transform reality according to the wishes of the bearer and ultimately destroyed the civilizations of two thirds of the Andromeda Galaxy's inhabited planets.

Since then, Skrullian technology has advanced, with starships able to travel faster than the speed of light.

Skrull 'alien agents', adopting human forms, have spied on Earth for centuries.

When the "Fantastic Four" began their career, the Skrulls impersonated the team while committing crimes.

Paramount Muscles In On "Captain America" ...

Marvel Studios are in active script development on the big screen Paramount feature, "Captain America: First Avenger", based on the Marvel Comics' superhero character.

Created by writer Joe Simon, artist Jack "King" Kirby and publisher Martin Goodman, 'Captain America' debuted in Timely's "Captain America Comics" #1 (1941).

The premise focused on 'Steve Rogers', a frail child born during the Great Depression.

Attempting to enlist in the US Army during WW II, Rogers was rejected as being too sickly, but 'General Chester Phillips' offered him the opportunity to join the war effort via the 'Operation: Rebirth' program.

Rogers was taken to a secret lab in Washington, D.C. and introduced to 'Dr. Abraham Erskine' (aka 'Prof. Reinstein'), creator of an experimental 'super-soldier' formula.

Rogers is administered a serum, doused with a ray and pumped up into a perfect specimen. But an inflitrated saboteur kills Erskine who dies with the secret formula locked in his head.

Hustled into an intense physical training program, Rogers accepts his destiny and comes to grips with the fact that he is the only one of his kind.

Planted secretly as a potato-peeling private in the Army, Rogers first assignment is to stop the Axis agent "Red Skull". When company mascot 'Bucky Barnes' accidentally learns of Rogers alter ego, he joins 'Cap' on numerous missions behind enemy lines.

Towards the end of the war, Rogers tries to stop 'Baron Heinrich Zemo', from detonating a bomb-rigged drone, but the plane explodes, killing Bucky and throwing Cap into the ocean.

Cap's super metabolism freezes him into suspended animation, riveted into an ice-block, until he is revived, more than 20 years later by the superhero team the "Avengers".

Cap's only weapon is his shield, a concave disk 2.5 feet in diameter, weighing 12 lbs and composed of a 'vibranium-adamantium' alloy, cast by metallurgist 'Dr. Myron MacLain'.

Tarantino Goes Behind The Lines For "Inglorious Bastards" ...

Click image to enlarge...

Director Quentin "Kill Bill" Tarantino says his next film will be "INGLORIOUS BASTARDS", about a "Dirty Dozen" like platoon of World War II misfits, who become trapped behind enemy lines.

"I've written scenes, " said Tarantino.

"I've written a lot of it but now I have to sit down and start putting it together ... it will use Robert Aldrich's 'The Dirty Dozen' and a lot of those late-'60s/early-'70s epic war movies as a starting-off point. Pictures like 'Where Eagles Dare'. More so even than 'Kill Bill', it will be my true spaghetti Western-influenced film, but set in occupied France instead of the Old West. I see it as a time when you had these no-man's lands in Europe that really did resemble the Western landscapes of Sergio Leone."

Tarantino said he has enough written material for 3 "INGLORIOUS BASTARDS" features, which he plans to explore as a trilogy...

"Voltron" Returning To Defend The Universe ...

Producer Mark Gordon is teaming up with music producer Pharrell Williams, World Events Prods., producers Mark Costa and Ford Oelman to develop the Saturday morning toon "VOLTRON" as a live-action feature. The "Voltron" animated TV series debuted in 1984, as competition to Hasbro's "Transformers" robots line. Premise of the film will focus on five maverick explorer-pilots who travel to the planet 'Arus' to learn how to operate 'Voltron', a giant mechanical warrior formed by five smaller robots. SOUND MIND 

'Spidey' vs 'Sandman' in "Spider-Man 3" ...

"Sideways" star Thomas Haden Church will play the character of 'Flint Marko' aka 'Sandman' in director Sam Raimi's PG-rated "SPIDER-MAN 3", now set for a May 2007 tent-pole release by Sony.

CLICK HERE FOR "VENOM"

Speculation also surrounds a special story arc featuring Marvel's 'Hobgoblin' villain.

CLICK HERE FOR "HOBGOBLIN"

Debuting in "Amazing Spider-Man" #4 (1963), the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko creation of 'William Baker' aka 'Sandman', was expelled from high school after accepting a bribe to throw a football game.

Assuming the alias 'Flint Marko', he began to work for a criminal organization, is caught and serves time. Upon his release, the girl of his dreams leaves him for another man. Marko goes on a crime spree, is captured and sent to 'Ryker's Island' prison.

But he escapes and finds refuge at a nuclear test site near Savannah, Georgia. While resting on a beach, Marko is bombarded by radiation after a reactor's steam system explodes, mutating his body into a sand-like substance.

Eventually he joins the 'Sinister Six' villains, including 'Doc Ock', 'Vulture', 'Mysterio', 'Kraven The Hunter' and 'Venom'.

Sandman's powers include the ability to transform his body into a malleable, granular substance that can be hardened into glass, dispersed at will or shaped on command.

SPIDER-MAN comic book appearances for the SANDMAN character include "Amazing Spider-Man" #4, 18, 19, 154, 214, 215, 217, 218, 280, 281, 302, 303, 334-339, 348, V2 #4, 12, 17, Annual #1, 24 & 25; "Spectacular Spider-Man" #39, 40, 42, 169, 170 & Annual #11; "Marvel Team-Up" #1, 2, 39,40, 58, 99 & 138, V2 #3 & 4; "Web of Spider-Man" #107, 108 & Annual 7; "Spider-Man V2" #12, 16, 22, 42 & 43; "Untold Tales" #3; "Webspinners" #7-9, 17 & 18; and "Generation X" #59.

Other comic book appearances for SANDMAN include "Incredible Hulk" #113 & 114, "Fantastic Four" #36, 57, 61, 62, 378 & Annual 14, "Marvel Two-In-One" #86 & 96, "Silver Sable" #1-5, 7-9, 11, 12, 15-23, 25-35, "Avengers" #329, 330 & V3 #1-3, "Marvel Fanfare" #22, "Solo Avengers" #6, 7 & 17, "Heroes For Hire" #10 & 11, "Excalibur" #36, "Thunderbolts" #40 & 41, "Marc Spector Moonknight" #15, "The World's Greatest Comics Magazine" #9 & 10, "Defenders V2" #10.

"Judge Dredd" Takes Another Shot At The Movies ...

Created in 1977 by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, the futuristic lawman of 'Mega-City One', "JUDGE DREDD" is being developed into another major motion picture.

According to producer Silvio Astarita, the film will be a co-production between I Am The Law Productions in association with Rebellion/2000 AD.

In 2003, Shoreline Entertainment had announced pre-production on "Judge Dredd: Dredd Reckoning" and "Judge Dredd: Possession".

"We have a new writer on board so we will have a new story line," Astarita said.

2000 AD, publishers of the "Judge Dredd" comic books, will be directly involved with the new film production, similar to Dark Horse Comics involvement in Sony's "Hellboy".

"The film will be dark, more like 'The Crow' with the look of 'Blade Runner'", said Astarita, "but dark comedy must have a role in Dredd's world ... Dredd is in many ways a hero that we love to hate.

"He is a tough father figure that has an even tougher code of behavior."

"The Simpsons" Jumping To The Big Screen ...

"Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and producer James L. Brooks are leading a team to develop an animated "SIMPSONS" feature.

20th Century Fox's film division started preliminary work on the project last fall.

Many writers from the long-running "The Simpsons" TV series will be involved scripting the film, including Al Jean, Mike Scully, Mike Reiss, David Mirkin and George Meyer.

"It's been 13 years of wanting to do the Simpsons' movie," said Reiss.

"Finally Fox said, 'Let's just do it!'"

"We've got a very good and interesting idea, and it's different from the show ... "

As for TV host character "Krusty The Clown", Matt Groening previously developed a live-action "KRUSTY" spinoff, starring Dan Castellanetta in the early 1990s ...