UK's Empire Hammers Away @ "Thor"

Sneak Peek Empire Magazine's cover shot of actor Chris Hemsworth as Marvel Studios The Mighty "Thor", directed by Kenneth Branagh.

The May 6, 2011 Paramount release also stars Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg and Canadian Colm Feore.

Branagh said his feature-length 'Tales Of Asgard' take, will showcase a different kind of 'vibe' from Marvel's "Iron Man" features.

"I think 'Thor' comes from a different place story-wise and character-wise," said Branagh.

"We have both Norse histories for Thor, hundreds of myths and fables told in many different ways, in addition to what Marvel has pillaged for the past 40 years or so to come up with their version of things, which sits in a very strong structure...a really strong narrative structure."

Branagh said his film will have "...a 'formality', at least on the 'Asgardian' side of things; there’s a semi-ornateness to all of it that means we start from a more ordered universe, then the story turns toward the chaotic."

Paramount will also release Marvel Studios "Captain America: The First Avenger" in 2011, paving the way for an all-star character team-up, including "Thor", "Hulk" and "Iron Man", for the 2012 feature "The Avengers".

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Fox Stakes Out "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

20th Century Fox recently acquired rights to the upcoming, live-action, 3D film adaptation of author Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", to be directed by Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted") and produced by Tim Burton.

"...Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old 'Abraham Lincoln' kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call 'Milk Sickness'. After she dies, grieving Abe learns his mother's fatal affliction was the work of a vampire. When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, 'henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose...'

"Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years..."

The new film will be released in 2012.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"...

Producer Kelley Lassoes "Wonder Woman"

According to reports, DC Comics' "Wonder Woman" is again being developed for television, this time from writer/producer David E. Kelley ("Boston Legal"). Kelley is no stranger to 'genre' ideas, as his wife, actress Michelle Pfeiffer, played 'Catwoman', in the 1992 feature "Batman Returns".

Kelley is also noted for creating the TV series "Ally McBeal" and "Chicago Hope" as well as writing screenplays for the features "Lake Placid" and "Mystery, Alaska". The new series will be developed, similar to the CW's Vancouver-lensed "Smallville", now in its 10th and final season.

The best known adaptation of the Wonder Woman character was the three-season live-action series in the 1970's, starring actress Lynda Carter as the 'Amazon Princess' and her alter ego, 'Diana Prince'.

DC Comics recently rebooted the character with a new costume and origin backstory., different from the established 1940's originating character.

Meanwhile, the new statue of actress Lynda Carter, as television's "Wonder Woman", is now available as a limited edition.

"...No one embodies the spirit and beauty of 'Wonder Woman' more than Lynda Carter, the actress who portrayed her on the beloved television series! She will forever be the vision of Wonder Woman to an entire generation. DC Direct teamed up with Lynda Carter to bring this must-have piece to every fan's Wonder Woman collection. This limited edition, hand-painted cold-cast porcelain statue is packaged in a 4-color box, includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and measures approximately 13" high x 7.5" wide x 7.5" deep. Limited to 5000 pieces total."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Lynda Carter as "Wonder Woman"...

Zuckerberg Guests On "The Simpsons"- October 3

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg will make a 'guest-voice' appearance on Fox' "The Simpsons", in the October 3 episode "Loan-a-Lisa":

"...When 'Grampa' gives each member of the 'Simpsons' family a portion of his savings, 'Lisa' and 'Marge' spend their money in drastically different ways. Lisa invests in a brand-new business venture from 'Nelson', but soon realizes that her friend's instant success might lure him away from the classroom. Worried that his judgment might be clouded, Lisa introduces Nelson to the well-educated and successful creator of Facebook, 'Mark Zuckerberg', only to find out that he too dropped out of school. But when the soaring business suddenly takes a sharp turn, Lisa teaches her friend that education is invaluable..."

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"Pushing Daisies" Producer Resurrecting "The Munsters"

According to reports, executive producer Bryan Fuller ("Pushing Daisies") is developing a new NBC pilot, rebooting the cult classic TV series "The Munsters". Fuller describes the fresh take as "...'Modern Family' meets 'True Blood'..."

The original 1960's sitcom depicting the home life of a family of Universal Studio monsters, was created by Allan Burns and Chris Hayward, starring actor Fred Gwynne as 'Herman Munster' and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, 'Lily'.

The idea of a family of comical monsters was first suggested to Universal Studios in the late 1940's by animator Bob Clampett ("Merrie Melodies", "Beany and Cecil") who wanted to produce a series of cartoons.

The project didn't see development until the early 1960's, when a treatment for a similar idea was submitted to Universal Studios by "Rocky & Bullwinkle" writers Burns and Hayward. This format was later handed to writers Norm Liebman and Ed Haas, who wrote the pilot script, "Love Thy Monster", retitled as "My Fair Munster".

A live-action presentation was filmed by MCA Television for CBS and the new series, was greenlit for 70 episodes, airing once a week in black-and-white on CBS, from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966. "The Munsters" grew in popularity during decades of syndication, warranting a spin-off series, several TV films and a theatrical release.

The twist to the series was that The Munsters family, consisting of Frankenstein Herman, vampire Lily, Wolfman son 'Eddie' (Butch Patrick), 'Dracula Grandpa' (Al Lewis) and normal 'Marilyn' (Beverley Owen and Pat Priest), considered themselves typical working-class Americans of the era, with nothing unusual about their look or gothic house, situated at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek the unaired 1960's TV pilot for "The Munsters"...

"Red- New Edition"- October 6

Sneak Peek the cover and interior art to DC Comics' "Red- New Edition", written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner, supporting the upcoming Summit Entertainment Toronto-lensed feature :

"...Warren Ellis's fast-paced tale of intrigue and revenge is back in a new edition collecting the 3-issue miniseries under a new cover by Cully Hamner that also includes the script to issue #1 and never-before-seen developmental art by Hamner!

"As a C.I.A. operative, the 'talent' that 'Paul Moses' has, took him around the world from one hotspot to another, carrying out the deadly orders of his superiors. When he retired, he wanted to put his bloody past behind him. But when a new administration takes over the White House, the powers that be decide that Moses knows too much, forcing him back into the game against the agency that trained him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Red"...

"Gulliver's Travels": Something Big Is Going Down

20th Century Fox' "Gulliver's Travels" is director Rob Letterman's upcoming, 3D live-action family adventure, based on the 18th-century novel of the same name by author Jonathan Swift.

Set in the modern era, the feature stars Jack Black as title character 'Lemuel Gulliver' with Catherine Tate as the 'Queen of Lilliput', Emily Blunt as the 'Princess of Lilliput', Jason Segel as 'Horatio', Amanda Peet as 'Darcy', T.J. Miller as 'Dan', Billy Connolly as the 'King of Lilliput', Chris O'Dowd as 'Edward' and Romany Malco as 'Young Hank'.

Premise follows Gulliver, a free-spirited travel writer who, on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people.

The Davis Entertainment production will be released December 22, 2010.

In 1939, the story was produced as a cel-animated Technicolor feature, directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer, released by Paramount.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Gulliver's Travels"...

The Dickens You Say: "Buffy" Producer Rings "The Chimes"

Producer Alex Ross ("The List") reports that producer Howard Rosenman ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer") has joined the feature project "The Chimes", a $20 million movie focusing on the 'cataclysmic' love affair experienced by 'beloved' 19th century author Charles Dickens, whose creation of 'Fagin' in the novel "Oliver Twist" , ranks alongside Shakespeare's 'Shylock' from the 'comedy' "The Merchant Of Venice" as one of the most grotesque characterizations of Jews in popular literature.

"...When 'Dickens' falls in love with ethereal, mysterious 'Isabella' he is drawn into her dark, dangerous world and risks everything to be with her: his career, his family, his sanity and even his life..."

The film will lense in London and Genoa with principal photography starting Summer 2011. Rosenman is currently producing "Betsy and The Emperor", starring Al Pacino and Dakota Fanning.

"I am very excited Howard Rosenman is working alongside us to bring this almost devastating aspect of Dickens life to the big screen," said Ross. "We're currently out to directors and hope to announce on this within the coming weeks."

Domestic and International distribution/sales will be handled by Patrick Ewald CEO of Epic Pictures, Beverly Hills.

"The Chimes" was written by British screenwriter Callie Lane, who will also adapt the story as a stage musical, expected to debut in London, Fall 2011...

"The Tourist": It All Started When He Met A Woman

Sneak Peek the newest poster supporting the Columbia feature "The Tourist", a comedy-drama thriller, directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, remaking the French-language feature "Anthony Zimmer".

Premise of the new film, follows an American tourist, used by an English woman in an attempt to flush out a criminal with whom she once had an affair.

"It's a love story, that's for sure", said director Henckel von Donnersmarck.

"Imagine a woman who is just so elegant and sophisticated and educated and has lived in that world and now, through a whole set of circumstances, suddenly falls in love with a guy who is not any of those things, and it just somehow confuses her whole world because that was not meant to happen. She had it all worked out, she had this grand master plan, and neither he nor she had thought it possible that they would fall in love with each other..."

"...'Frank' (Depp) is a tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. 'Elise' (Jolie) is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path in order to mislead all those following her former lover, 'Alexander Pearce', a criminal wanted in fourteen countries who has stolen money from a gangster and is being pursued by an agent (Paul Bettany). Against the breathtaking backdrop of Venice, Frank attempts to forge a potential romance but soon finds himself a target as he and Elise are caught in a whirlwind of intrigue and danger..."

"The Tourist" opens December 10, 2010.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Tourist"...

Odds Against You? Call "The Equalizer"

Canadian writer Paul Haggis ("Casino Royale") is in current negotiations to script a feature re-boot of the CBS TV series "The Equalizer", for star Russell Crowe. Crowe will produce with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin and the original series co-creator Michael Sloan.

"The Equalizer" aired on CBS between 1985 and 1989, starring British actor Edward Woodward as 'Robert McCall', a former secret agent with a mysterious past, mixing ingredients from popular spy films and private investigator shows with violent realism. McCall tries to make up for his 'past sins', by offering, free of charge, his services as a troubleshooter vigilante. People could find him through a newspaper ad that read "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer".

Assisted by a group of contacts from his spying days, McCall stalks the streets of New York City, visiting his style of 'justice' against criminals.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Equalizer"...

"Family Guy: Excellence In Broadcasting" - October 3

Sneak Peek images from creator Seth MacFarlane's Fox animated TV series "Family Guy", from the episode "Excellence in Broadcasting", airing Sunday, October 3:

"...When 'Brian' (the dog) learns that right-wing talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh (guest-star) is going to be at the 'Quahog Mall' for a book-signing, he decides to go down there and give him a piece of his left-wing mind.

"But when Rush unexpectedly comes to Brian's rescue, Brian has a political change of heart..."

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"Family Guy: Welcome Back Carter"- October 10

Sneak Peek new images from creator Seth MacFarlane's animated Fox TV series "Family Guy", from the episode "Welcome Back Carter", airing Sunday, October 10:

"...After 'Peter' catches 'Lois'' dad, 'Carter', having an affair, he is strong-armed into keeping a secret.

"But when Peter accidentally spills the beans, Lois' mom demands a divorce, with Peter in charge of Carter's return to bachelorhood."

Click the images to enlarge...

"X-23" Cuts To The Chase- October 20

Sneak Peek the cover to Marvel's "X-23" #2, available October 20, written by Majorie Liu and illustrated by Will Conrad, with covers by Danni Shinya Luo/Mike Mayhew :

"...The soul of 'Wolverine' has been sent to hell while his demonically possessed body has been set loose on his closest friends and allies. This means trouble for Wolverine's protege 'X-23', whose head has been filled with terrible visions that are beginning to become very real..."

'X-23' (Laura Kinney) is a female genetic twin of Wolverine, created by Craig Kyle, for the "X-Men: Evolution" animated TV series, then brought into Marvel Comics, debuting in "NYX" #3 in 2004.

Born and raised in captivity, X-23 has been trained to become a living weapon, trained in the use of long range weapons and formidable hand-to-hand combatant, with training in martial arts techniques.

She has also been subjected to conditioning in which a specific 'trigger scent' has been used to send her into a berserker rage.

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