I Figured That This Was An Appropriate Saturday Blog

Everyone's favorite grown-up little kid is going to be back for another adventure that will soon be coming to Netflix.  Pee-wee Herman (played by Paul Reubens) is going to be getting his third movie, which is going to be called Pee-wee's Big Holiday. In it, Pee-wee takes his very first vacation after "meeting a mysterious stranger."

Reubens, who has been playing Pee-wee Herman since he created him back in the 1980's while he was working with the Groundlings inprov group, will be one of the writers on the script, along with Paul Rust.  John Lee is set to direct the film, and the movie is being produced by none other than Judd Apatow.

Netflix currently streams both Pee-wee Herman movies, Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-wee, as well as his television shows, The Pee-wee Herman Show and Pee-wee's Playhouse.

Netflix said that it plans to begin production later this year.

Leonard Nimoy Outpouring Of Affection Is Amazing!

There are sooooo many fans, and colleagues that are sending out their love for the late actor, and I wanted to share what i could with you all.  He touched so many people, his passing is going to be felt for a long time.

From William Shatner:

"I loved him like a brother.  We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."

From Jonathan Frakes:

"#LLAP RIP to the best First Officer."

From Nathan Fillion, and this is my favorite:

"I have been, and always shall be, your fan.  Thank You."

Seth MacFarlane:

"Leonard Nimoy brought us one of the greatest, noblest characters in the history of American storytelling.  Someone find the Genisis planet."

There are so many more, I recommend that you look them up.  The people that he touched, whether he knew it or not, is staggering.  The 83 year old left this world with an amazing amount of respect and praise, and the best thing that could be said about him would be that he always had time for his fans.  Live long and prosper...

Leonard Nimoy has passed away.

Leanard Nimoy has passed away.  The New York Times released the story this morning.  Nimoy had checked himself into the hospital late last week after complaining of chest pains.  He had recently revealed that he suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.  Leonard's wife, Susan, confirmed his death, and said that COPD was the official cause of his passing. 

Leonard Nimoy was a fan favorite from the Star Trek television show that ran from 1967-1969 on CBS.  He returned for Star Trek: The Next Generation as a special guest on a number of episodes.  He starred in six Star Trek movies that featured the original cast, as well as roles in both of JJ Abrams's movies that rebooted the franchise.

His final tweet feels appropriate, which read:

"A life is like a garden.  Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.  LLAP."

It's one last, "Live long and prosper" to everyone.  

Leonard Nimoy...Spock...will be missed.

Firefly Online Moving Forward

 

It had already been announced, by none other than Joss Whedon himself, that the upcoming MMO Firefly Online will feature the voices of the entire original cast, including Alan Tudyk (Wash) and Michael Fairman (Niska.)  They now have one more familiar voice to add to the 'Verse.

 

Wil Wheaton has been added by the game's developers to play the main lead character, namely you.  In the game, you can choose to either be a male captain, or a female captain, although there has been no news on who will be lending her voice to the female lead character.

 

Firefly had it's original (and short-lived, thanks a lot FOX!) run back in 2002, and returned to the big screen back in 2005.  That was the last time we saw Mal and his crew, and although it only produced 13 episodes and a major motion picture, it's popularity has continued to grow, with new fans being made every day.  Fans of the show (called Browncoats) can be seen dressing the part at every major Comic Con. 

 

Firefly Online will finally give us some new adventures with our favorite space outlaws.  I haven't found an expected release date yet, but I'll keep you updated as more news is released.

 

New Ghostbusters Movie Getting Inspiration From The Walking Dead

 

Photo courtesy of Cinemablend.com

Everyone who's ever seen the original Ghostbusters can recite their favorite lines, from "He slimed me," to "Dogs and cats living together, it'll be anarchy!"  It was it's humor and comedy that endeared the movie to us, and it seemed that they were going to follow the same formula after announcing that the new cast would include Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon.  So what's all of this talk about a scarier sequel? 

Director Paul Feig was recently on The Walking Dead's followup program, The Talking Dead.  He was asked a question regarding the new Ghostbusters movie and zombies, and here's what he had to say:

"I will say, I was very inspired by the show.  What I love is how they play with the danger, they play with the scariness, but also the idea that it's always about gauntlet run.  And that's something, an element that I want to bring to this Ghostbusters reboot is having to get through these various obstacles that are supernatural and all of that.  I really feed off of The Walking Dead."

This was kind of surprising to hear, considering that Feig's previous works include Freaks and Geeks, Bridesmaids, and The Heat.  Those movies don't exactly scream "horror film" to anyone.  I'm also pretty sure that Sony Pictures didn't hire him for his skills with horror and suspense.  Having said that, I'm thinking that Feig could do a great job of blending these two skills together.  His movies flow very smoothly and hardly jump around, and  his ability to show the story on the silver screen is top-notch.

It's way too soon to give this movie a thumbs up or thumbs down, but I am very optimistic that it will be a fun movie to watch.  The new Ghostbusters is scheduled for release July, 22, 2016.

Another Fast Sellout For San Diego Comic Con

Photo courtesy of Comicbook.com

It's the Mecca of geeks, nerds, fanboys, and cosplayers from all around the world, and also one of the most difficult events to get tickets for.  This year's show sold out in just one hour, but may have set a record of an actual 55 minutes, when the system started to fail.  Still, it beat last year's record of 90 minutes.

Fans from all across the globe will be descending on San Diego this July to pick up the latest toys, comics, and collectibles, as well as sitting in on panels that hopefully will allow that person to be the first to learn some new, undisclosed information for upcoming movies, television shows, and video games.

I'll be sending daily updates from the con this year, and hopefully be able to send you all some cool pics and videos to go along with it.

Todd McFarlane Hits It Out Of The Park!

This post is going to be short on words, and heavy on pictures.  Fans of The Walking Dead are going to be thrilled to see that McFarlane toys are bringing the show to life, and are going to be available for purchase as this year moves along. These pictures are couresy of Blastr.com and Comicbook.com:

 These will be available for purchase seperately, and have to be put together kind of like LEGOS, but the detail and the scope are much more impressive.  The packs will be available at a number of stores, but Wal-Mart has one the exclusive right to sell the tower and fence set, that will allow people to rebuild the entire prison.  This is pretty cool!  

Ash Vs. The Evil Dead And Their Multiple Season Plan...

Sorry, I'm a little bit late this morning.  Decided to take the day off and slept in.  But enough about me, let's get to the good!

Bruce Campbell is getting ready to start filming on the upcoming series Ash vs. The Evil Dead which is going to be airing on Starz.  The half-hour horror/comedy is scheduled to be a ten episode season one, and is slated to be released later this year, but it's creators are planning on a five season run.  Bruce Campbell recently sat down with Dread Central, and had this to say about returning to his iconic role:

“I’m bringing everything to the table. It’s a feisty version of Ash, who’s grizzled and just wants to be left alone.”

Dread Central's Sean Decker continued the description of Ash, by saying that he's become a more "nomadic-Ash."  He works as a trainee at a "Ted's Superclub," a subsidiary of "S-Mart."  I'm guessing it's kind of like Sam's and Wal-Mart, but I digress.  Ash is haunted by the memories of his past, and is still being hunted by the deadites that followed him back, forcing him to hide out in Midwestern trailer parks.  

Campbell also talked about his fellow actors that will be joining him for the series.  Here's a picture that was put together by comicbook.com:

The actors that will be joining Bruce are Ray Santiago, who will be playing Pablo Simon Bolivar, and Dana Delorenzo, who will be playing Kelly Maxwell.  Bolivar is described as an "idealistic immigrant sidekick," while Maxwell is described as a "moody wild child."  Here's what Bruce had to say on their joining the show:

“I was there during the casting process, and they’re very talented. Aside from the ensemble [aspect], they each needed to be able to hold their own because they’ll have their own series of missions. It’s an epic tale. How could you not [plan for that]? I’m a strong proponent of the ‘big picture’ plan, and we are planning for five seasons.”

He also had this to say on being compared to other shows, like "The Walking Dead":

“We are competitive with ‘The Walking Dead,’ like, ‘We’ll show those f***ers!’ [Our] Deadites are very clever. They not stupid shufflers. They can mimic people; they can drive cars. They’re a fun threat. They [‘The Walking Dead’] are right up there [though] with being responsible for the current resurgence [of horror].”

The show is being co-produced by Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert, and Sam Raimi.  Raimi is also set to direct the pilot episode.  It's taken years to get here, but now we have five to look forward to.  What are your thoughts on this project?  Let me know in the comments section below, or you can reach me at comconocave@gmail.com.

Spielberg And Pratt Are On Board...So Is Disney?

Photo courtesy of Comicbook.com

Okay, here's a special Saturday Comconocave post.  I could've waited until Monday, but I was pretty jazzed when I read this!  I was reading some articles on the upcoming Indiana Jones reboot, and this is what I found.  This is the article that was written on Comicbook.com:

"Steven Spielberg, the creative force behind more major franchises than nearly anyone else in Hollywood history, is reportedly hoping to direct a forthcoming revival of the Indiana Jones franchise starring Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt,Deadline reports.

It was already rumored that Pratt was in the crosshairs for the role, and it stands to reason; Spielberg's decades-long involvement with the Indiana Jones franchise coupled with Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilm make Pratt (who starred in Disney/Marvel's Guardians and will star in Spielberg's Jurassic World) an easy name to pick out of a hat.

The report stresses that the script is in the very early stages, and that it may not come to fruition. Still, the plan at present is for Spielberg to helm the film with Pratt in the starring role.

Recasting Indiana Jones is likely a delicate matter; many fans have already cried sacrilege, and while the general response to Pratt is positive so far, there are fans who would rather see a relative unknown get the part -- or who would rather see it retired altogether.

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, they made no secret that their eyes were on Star Wars, and that Indiana Jones and other properties held by George Lucas were, basically, just nice things to have thrown in. At the time, executives downplayed any plans to continue the franchise, the most recent installment of which hit theaters in 2008 to modest box office success."

They make a lot of good points, and I have to admit, I agree with a lot of what they say.  What are your thoughts?  You can leave them in the comments section below, or you can reach me at comconocave@gmail.com.  Enjoy! :)

Okay, One More Star Wars Reveal...

Okay, I rarely do this, but since I have a lot of viewers from across the world, I thought that I'd throw one more possible spoiler at you.  This is from Blastr.com and Making Star Wars:

"The film does open with a lightsaber in space. It falls to the ground in a savannah environment during the day. It is quickly discovered by a farmer named Naka. Naka accidentally ignites the weapon and starts a fire with it. At first he runs, but then turns around and obtains the weapon. I assume he snatches the weapon so it is not destroyed in the fire.  Naka then takes the weapon to his elder called The Vicar.

The Vicar is most likely played by Max von Sydow. It is most likely a code name too. Chances are they didn’t need to name the character during filming so they just went with the title The Vicar which means leader or superior. Anyways, the Vicar appears to contact the Rebels and this brings Poe Dameron to the planet.

Later that night, Poe Dameron arrives and retrieves the lightsaber from The Vicar. The only problem? They’ve brought the Empire there as well (not sure if the Empire followed Poe or intercepted the initially transmission he received). Poe sees Stormtroopers are coming and he places the laser sword safely in a little droid: BB-8. The droid flees and the heroic Poe Dameron prepares to fight!

Concurrently, a young Stormtrooper named Finn enters a situation that will drastically change his life forever. When his best friend dies in battle and he allows a few innocent villagers to escape, Kylo Ren orders him arrested and the village burned to the ground. Because Finn just isn’t naturally evil enough, he finds himself in the brig of a Star Destroyer with a Rebel pilot. Finn never learned to fly. Finn has the knowledge how to get out of the brig and Poe is their best chance to fly out of there. They hatch a plan to steal a TIE Fighter and make a run for it."

This is a pretty cool reveal.  J.J. Abrams actually admitted that some of the rumors that have been revealed are true, some are not,  He wouldn't say which one's were true, and which one's were bunk, but why would he?  He actually said that all of the rumors were getting him excited, because it meant that people were getting jazzed about the movie.  I have to agree!

New G.I. Joe Movie Bringing Back Some Familiar Villains

I have to admit, when the first G.I. Joe movie was announced, I was pretty jazzed!  I couldn't wait to see what they were going to do in bringing one of my favorite cartoons to life!  Then I saw it. Ugh.  Wish I never wasted my $12 on that piece of garage.  I waited to see the second movie until it came out on Blu-Ray.  That one I liked.  In fact, I've watched it more than a few times.  They seemed to learn from the mistakes they made in the first movie.  So why am I waxing nostalgic with you all right now?

The third movie in the G.I. Joe franchise is slated to be released some time next year, and the rumor mill has been teasing us with some possibilities for the upcoming flick.  The first of which are the main bad guys.  Yes, I said "guys."  Twins Tomax and Xamot are said to be the films villains.  In the cartoon, the twins were the public face of COBRA's Extensive Enterprises, and were also in charge of the elite Crimson Guard.  The twins are extremely close.  They finish each others sentences, know what the other is thinking, and can even feel the pain the other is feeling.  It's being reported that Paramount is looking to only hire one actor to play both of these roles.

The other bit of news that is being discussed is the possible appearance of one of the members of M.A.S.K. (short for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand.)  M.A.S.K. was created by Kenner back in 1985 to compete with Hasbro's G.I. Joe.  M.A.S.K. even had their own DC comic book for a while before being purchased by Hasbro.  The lead character from the team, Matt Trakker, is said to be the one joining the movie.

So what do you think?  Are you looking forward to seeing the next installment, or is it dead on arrival?

G.I. Joe 3 is scheduled for 2016 release, and is being directed by D.J. Caruso.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens SPOILERS!!!

Don't say I didn't warn you!  But in case you didn't get the hint from the title?  There are possible SPOILERS ahead...so if you don't want to know, stop reading here!

Still with me? Good!  Holy cow, I couldn't believe the number of reveals that were posted online! So without further adieu, let's jump right in!

Okay, first (in my opinion) is the biggest reveal, and it's brought to you courtesy of Making Star Wars and Blastr.com.  Here's what they had to share:

"The alleged scene finds Han Solo (Harrison Ford) hiding from new big baddie Kylo Ren, with Finn, Rey, Chewbacca and BB-8 nearby. Han apparently tries to confront Kylo Ren, and according to the report, Kylo “silences the conversation forever.” After that, Chewbacca is extremely upset and Han is never seen again."

Whoa.  Are they saying that Han dies?  I know that this was something that they'd talked about for Return of the Jedi, but really?  Damn!  Okay, maybe not.  These are just rumors right now.  On to the next one:

Kylo Ren?  The baddie from the previous paragraph?  It's rumored that he is Han and Leia's SON! Wow, talk about mommy and daddy issues!  And he also has a sister, Rey.  It seems that while Kylo Ren became infatuated with his force heritage, Rey wants to ignore hers.  I don't know how either of them come to their decisions on what there passions are.  I'm like Fox News.  I report, you decide.

However...it doesn't sound like Han and Leia were the only one's "getting busy!"  Making Star Wars is also reporting that Luke has a son in the movie!  They are reporting that Domhnall Gleeson has been cast as Luke's son, and to make this twist of news even more interesting...he's an Imperial officer!

There's a little bit more info that has been revealed, but I'm going to keep it to myself for now...maybe for a later blog.  I will let you know that there is going to be a scene that is a flashback which shows Darth Vader talking to an Inquisitor.  James Earl Jones is coming back to do the voice, which is very cool, and...oh! Billy Dee Williams may be making an appearance in Episode VIII!  This would kind of make sense, since he first appeared in the second movie of the original trilogy, why not bring him back for the second one of the next trilogy?

So that's it!  Hope I didn't give too much away, and just made you want to see the new movie even more!  I'll be back again tomorrow, so until then...take it easy!

Ready Player One

This has got to be one of the best novels that I've read in the past decade so I wanted to, nay, needed to tell you all about this genius of a book!  My sister bought it for me for my birthday, because she and her husband both read it and LOVED it!  After reading it myself, I have to admit, it is now one of my top five favorite books of all time!

Here's what is written on the inside flap of the hardcover copy:

"It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.  Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS - a sprawling virtual utopia where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world.  For somewhere inside the giant network playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune - and remarkable power - to whoever can unlock them.  

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture that he loved-that of the late twentieth century.  And for years, millions have found in this quest another means for escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons.  Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.  

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt-among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize.  Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win.  But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life-and love-in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape!"

Pretty cool, huh?  What's even cooler is that they are in the process of turning this into a major motion picture, due to be released in 2016!  This was the most fun that I've had reading a book in a long time!  And I read a LOT!  The 80's references were the draw, but the plot and the writing suck you in.  This is an absolutely incredible novel.  If you are a fan of anything that has to do with the eighties, this is a must read!  GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK! Kudos to my sister and brother-in-law for having me read this!  Let me know what you think after reading it!  You can reach me at comconocave@gmail.com.  I would love to talk about this book with other people!  Enjoy! :)

Why Marvel And 20th Century Fox Won't Join Forces Any Time Soon

I was talking with a friend of mine from high school who has been reading my blog, and he was asking me what I thought the odds were that all of the Marvel characters would finally end up back at Marvel/Disney for a SUPER superhero movie.  My answer?  Might not be what you all are wanting to hear...

As everyone knows, well...everyone that hasn't been living under a rock, Disney/Marvel has recently teamed up with Sony to co-produce the next Spider-Man movie, and he is also going to be appearing in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War movie.  This does not mean that Spider-Man is now the property of Marvel again, but does make for some exciting news, and hopefully, for some exciting cinema.  But things aren't quite as cozy between Marvel and Twentieth Century Fox.  Want to know why?

Marvel, on the comics side of things, has been doing it's damnedest to hamper Twentieth Century Fox's ability to promote their comic book properties by going after the actual comic books that their properties star in.  They recently announced that they are cancelling The Fantastic Four comic book, and it's also been reported that the writers for the X-Men comics are not allowed to create any new mutants that would appear in the comics.  The reason behind this is that any new mutants that are created in the comics automatically revert to Twentieth Century Fox for their cinematic universe.  Cutting off their well of new properties is definitely a battle line that has been drawn in the sand!  And this isn't sitting well with Twentieth Century Fox.

The thing is, Twentieth Century Fox isn't hurting from these moves from Marvel.  The X-Men movies have been doing amazingly ever since X-Men: First Class was released, and X-Men: Days of Futures Past was outstanding!  X-Men: Apocalypse looks to continue this streak, and the recent trailer for The Fantastic Four reboot has been getting some pretty good positive feedback.  I've got to admit, I'm pretty jazzed about the the new FF movie after watching the trailer!

So if you're waiting for a full Marvel Universe Movie to be released soon, keep holding your breath...but that doesn't mean that it can't happen.  What are your thoughts?  Do you think I'm being a little too pessimistic?  Do you think this could actually take place?  Let me know what your thoughts are, and I'll write another blog agreeing or discounting what you tell me! Until tomorrow my friends!

Is The Punisher Already Established In The MCU?

I was chatting online with a friend about the recent news that Spider-Man was going to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he was pretty excited about it.  He also told me that he wished that Marvel would make a new Punisher movie.  You know...a good one.

That got me thinking.  I seemed to recall an article that was written by Russ Burlingame on comicbook.com, and it talked about how the Russo guys may have already introduced him to us in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  Here's what was said:

“During an interview with ComingSoon.net, the filmmakers revealed that during Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there are two separate instances when the heroes are saved or villains get their comeuppance as a result of a yellow Penske truck. Apparently, in-story, those were both the same truck and driver.
Here's how ComingSoon reported it (leaving in their commentary as well): "The man who drives that truck," Joe deadpans, joking that the driver is a candidate for a future Marvel One-Shot, "Is very highly trained. He thinks on his own terms. He's got a plan and a very specific skill set."
That sounds to a lot of fans, including some commenters on the original story, as though it could be The Punisher, a Vietnam veteran whose familiy was killed by the mob and who responded by dedicating himself to killing as many criminals as he can.”

Marvel regained control of the Punisher property after Lionsgate failed to earn a profit on three attempts with it.  It seems more likely that Marvel would introduce him on Netflix with his own series before trying to bring him back to the big screen, but if this news is accurate, then we may see him sooner than expected...like Captain America: Civil War?  How about a Punisher/Spider-Man team up? :)

Here's Two Actors That May Be The New Spider-Man

I'm not sure if you've heard, because it hasn't really been talked about much, but did you know that Marvel and Sony are teaming up and sharing Spider-Man???? (Was that too sarcastic?)

As soon as the news broke late Monday evening, there was so much speculation on how they were going to incorporate him, how big of a role he was going to have, who was going to play him, which version of Spider-Man were they going to use...I couldn't count them all on every hand of every person in the entire world!

So I thought I'd join in! :)

Early "reports" (look, these are just rumors, okay?) indicate that two actors are already being considered for the role of Peter Parker.  The first one is Logan Lerman.  You may not recognize the name, but he's been in some pretty good films, like the Percy Jackson films, and most recently, Fury, which also starred Brad Pitt.  The second actor being considered is Dylan O'Brien.  He's starred in MTV's Teen Wolf television show, and also starred in The Maze Runner.  Both actors are 23, and this is important because first of all, they plan on making a lot of these films, and need someone that's young and won't grow up too fast. That's because second, they want to use a 'high-school' version of Peter Parker, and they need someone to be able to look like a teenager.

..or are they really going this route after all?

Another report (rumor) that I've read is that Marvel and Sony are seriously considering going the Miles Morales route, who in the comics is half African-American and half-Puerto Rican.  If they go this route, I really don't think that Lerman and O'Brien could pull this off.  Look, I know that they are both good actors, but...you know...

What rumors have you heard so far?  Are you excited for this team up?  Let me know in the comments down below, and you can always reach me at comconocave@gmail.com
.  I'll see you next week!

Spaceballs 2 May Be On The Way

 

Mel Brooks has made some of my favorite movies ever, with titles like Blazing Saddles, History of the World Part 1, Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, and of course...Spaceballs!  It was teased in the movie that they were going to make a sequel for the film called The Search For More Money, and at the time it just seemed like it was written in as a joke.  It's a joke no more, as it's been confirmed by none other than Mel Brooks himself that Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money is now in the early stages of development!

 

Mel Brooks recently appeared on Podcast King Adam Carolla's show, Take a Knee, and told Carolla that they're working on the script, and he wold like to get as many of the original actors involved with the film as possible.  Two actors that will be noticeable absent are John Candy, who passed away back in '94, and Joan Rivers, who passed away late last year.  Another actor that may not return is Rick Moranis, who retired form acting several years back, and is hesitant to return.

 

Come on, Rick!  This movie will suck without Dark Helmet! Please come back!!!

 

Mel Brooks is hoping to start filming early in 2016, after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakes, and he hopes that peoples love of Star Wars and Spaceballs will make the sequel a hit.  Not so it can make a lot of money, but because Mr. Brooks just loves to make us laugh!

The Legend Of Zelda Is Coming To Netflix

Netflix has announced that it is in the early stages of producing a live-action series based on the long running video game from Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda.  They said that it's going to be like The Game of Thrones, but for the whole family.

The game was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, and according to Comicbook.com, he did this "as a way of recapturing the exploratory magic of his childhood."  On the games themselves, they went on to say, "most games in the series retell the mythical tale of a young boy named Link, the princess Zelda, and the villainous Ganondorf, all locked in a struggle to control the powerful artifact known as the Triforce."

While the story kind of falls in line with The Game of Thrones, since both are stories of fantasy, that's pretty much where the similarities end.  Where Thrones is known for it's violence and sex, Zelda will be more closely related to a kid's fairytale, and more family friendly.

The show is in the very early stages of production.  In fact, they haven't even hired their writers yet.  Expect this to be released in a couple of years...so, like 2017 maybe?  However, if you're yearning for some new Zelda stories before that, the next incarnation of the game is slated to be released later this year.

This Is Breaking News!!!

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have announced that they have come to an agreement that will team the two studios together for the rebooting (is that a word? I don't know, but it fits) of the Spider-Man franchise.  The new Spider-Man will make his first appearance in an upcoming Marvel Universe film, and then break out into his own film franchise starting with a July 28, 2017 release date.  It's also being reported that they are exploring possibilities that would allow Marvel characters to show up in the Spider-Man Universe, as well.  Here is what Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger had to say about the deal:

"Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world.  We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building."

This new agreement doesn't mean that the Spider-Man property is being sold to Disney.  Sony will still own the rights, allowing them to choose release dates, say "yes" or "no" to ideas, and will also be the ones putting the money up for their movies, but with Marvel at the table, we're less likely to get another Amazing Spider-Man 2.

With the date already set for the new Spider-Man movie release, that only gives us a few possibilities for the web-head to make his first appearance in the MCU.  The most obvious choice will be for the upcoming Captain America: Civil War.  The release date for the new Spider-Man film that was announced has also made Marvel change release dates for their upcoming movies that had previously been announced.

All of this was announced late Monday night, and the whole deal can be seen on Marvel.com.

This is pretty cool!

Could We Be Getting A New Indiana Jones?

After Harrison Ford signed on to reprise his role as Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, it was reported that he did so with certain provisions to be included into his contract.  One of these was to let him play Indiana Jones in a couple more new movies.  This, however, is starting to sound more like rumor than fact.

This shouldn't be surprising.  Currently, Ford, 71, is finishing up filming for the upcoming Star Wars movie, and has shown interest in reprising his role as Rick Deckard in a sequel to 1982's Blade Runner.  Plus, we don't know if he'll be appearing in Star Wars Episodes VIII and Episode IX. When would he have time to film a new Indiana Jones movie, let alone two? 

I think Disney sees this, as well.  Disney picked up the property rights to Indiana Jones back when they bought Star Wars from George Lucas.  In 2013 they bought the distribution rights from Paramount.  After the lack-luster release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, Disney needs to come out with a great movie to reboot the franchise.  If they half-ass it, then forget about seeing our favorite archaeologist in anything new for a long time.  The first step in doing this is finding the right actor to play Henry Jones Jr.  Disney may have already found him, and they didn't have to look very far.

Chris Pratt, who plays Star Lord in Disney's Guardians of the Galaxy, is said to be at the top of the list of potential actors to don the fedora.  With the success of Guardians, he's also been tapped to star in the reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise, and is also going to star in the remake of The Magnificent Seven.  His star is definitely on the rise, and since Disney's worked with him recently, it may make obtaining him for the role a lot more feasible.

It should be noted that nothing has been confirmed here, and this is all speculation and rumor, but sometimes these things seem to have a way of coming true.  There is talking going on, just nothing has been finalized, and no one has been signed.  Everything is in the early stages of development.

Still, Chris Pratt as the new Indy?  Could be pretty exciting!

Do You Think This Is A Good Idea?

There have been a lot of Internet rumors going around that John Diggle could possibly become John Stewert on Arrow.  This rumor has received so much traction, that it was even asked of Arrow actor Stephen Amell to weigh in on it with his thoughts.

"I mean it looks good.  And if we know anything about television shows, if it looks good, it has a much better chance of happening."

Not exactly confirmation of this happening.  So what does Arrow's David Ramsey have to say on this matter?

"I do know that there is serious discussion about whether or not this guy becomes John Stewart. But, I mean, I’ll say this: it is top secret. I've asked them, and they’re like, “we’re working on some stuff.” If that’s the case, it’s gonna be huge. This is the stuff they want to avoid. I think they don’t want anybody to know yet and they haven’t even told me. They have told me that they are thinking about it and they are considering it. Greg Berlanti told me that. Andrew and Marc have told me that. I haven’t spoken to Geoff Johns about it, yet. But that’s the word from people directly involved in Arrow- that they’re working on something.  Here's the truth of it: if I knew, I would tell you I knew and that I'm not a liberty to tell you that.  I probably wouldn't tell you anyway!  I would at least tell you that I know.  But I honestly do not know."

So what are your thoughts on this?  Do you think that this would help improve the show, or take it down a road that would be better suited for Flash?  Me personally, I don’t think that you should mess too much with the dynamic of the core group of Team Arrow.  At least, not yet.  I understand that things change, especially in television, but who each of these characters are makes them so likeable to us.  To go and completely change one of their core characters like that, I’m not so sure that it’s a good idea.  But then again, what do I know?

I Can't Believe This Is Still Going On...Part 2

Just to drive my point home from this morning's blog, here's a YouTube video that I posted last year on March 14th.  So as you can see, this was something that had been well established before the release of Star Wars: A New Dawn.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iki-nFGRi2M

I Can't Believe This Is Still Going On...

This is what frustrates me about sites like Yahoo.  They have people who don't have clue-one about a subject, and let them run with a story.  Here's a perfect example:

Yahoo writer Donna Dickens recently published a story concerning whether or not "Stormtroopers" were still clones.  She wrote that "purists" cried foul when John Boyega appeared in the trailer because Stormtroopers were clones, and this was ruining everything.  First of all, I don't know any "purists" that would think that a Stormtrooper was a clone.  All of the purists I know hail the original trilogy as gospel, not the prequels, but I digress.  She also wrote that Lucasfilm recently, and quietly, revealed that Stormtroopers actually are not clones, through a book that was published called A New Dawn.  She seemed to be patting herself on the back at making this discovery.

This is why I have an issue with non-fans writing about Star Wars, and I hate to break it to Ms. Dickens, but this "controversy" has been settled for years.  Allow me to explain.  A couple of years ago, I had the great pleasure to attend the New York City ComiCon.  It was absolutely amazing!  I had never been to one before, and after walking the floor for the first day, I decided to take in some panels.  One of the panels that I was looking forward to was the introduction of a new Star Wars television show called Star Wars: Rebels.  While sitting through the different speakers, they explained the process of going from Clonetroopers over to Stormtroopers.  It was actually quite fascinating.

I don't remember the speaker's name, but he said that the clones had one flaw in them, they aged at a far greater rate than regular people.  The Empire needed to replenish their dwindling number of Clonetroopers with replacements, and it was much too expensive to make more.  They started recruiting regular people.  Once they began doing this, the Empire noticed something interesting.  The "Stormtroopers" were much more loyal and obedient than the "Clonetroopers."  They discovered that the clones wanted to be more of an individual, not just a copy of someone else.  The Stormtroopers were people that felt like they didn't fit in anyplace, and were longing for acceptance and purpose.  So as the clones died off, the rise of the Stormtroopers began.

Pretty interesting, huh?  And this was revealed two whole years before Ms. Dickens revelation.  Lucasfilm also wasn't "quiet" about revealing it to people.  They told this to a packed auditorium.  Some of which were reporters! GASP!

Oh, and Ms. Dickens?  The fact that they are called Stormtroopers and not Clonetroopers should've been clue number two.

Don't Call It A Come Back!

So even though I have a lot of news to keep throwing your way as far as DCU television shows go, I thought I'd shake things up and talk about Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

So! We all know that Jabba died at the hands of Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi, but the Hutt's still control a portion of the "galaxy far, far away."  If they could survive through the Empire's control, why couldn't they thrive after they fell?  

According to the Lationo Review's Dave Gonzalez, the Hutts are going to be making an appearance in the upcoming Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens!  It's being reported that there's going to be more than one Hutt in the movie, and that they were built in a practical sense, and won't be CGI.  I think we all learned our lesson after Lucas' attempt to include Jabba in on the A New Hope re-release.  CGI isn't always better!

We really don't know a lot about what role they will play in the upcoming movie, or even if they will be related to Jabba, but they will be making an appearance in the new movie.  That alone should cause some reason for excitement!  Have a great weekend, and I'll be back on Monday with more fanboy and geek news!

Last DC TV Post For The Week...The Teen Titans!

I know I've been talking about the television DC Universe all week.  First the Flash, then Arrow, then Supergirl, and so I thought, "What else could I possibly have left to talk about when it come to DCU television shows?"

It's being reported that a first draft of the upcoming Teen Titans live-action television show has been leaked online (how does this keep happening?!?), and it seems that it's revealed the possible lineup for the team.  The first person that they discuss is actually no surprise, we've pretty much known he was going to be on it from the moment that this project had been announced...Dick Grayson!  Here's the twist, though...he's going to be Robin when the series starts!  Don't worry, though, all of you Nightwing fans, this isn't permanent.  It sounds like we pick up the series right after Batman and Robin have a falling out, and Dick goes out on his own.  Over the course of the first season, we'll see his transformation go from Robin over to Nightwing as he begins to gain more confidence in himself as being his own superhero.

The second person that is going to be on the team is Raven.  This will be the Geoff Johns-inspired Rachael Roth alter-ego version of Raven that was introduced to us when he was writing for the series.  Next, we have Starfire.  She's going to show up at the end of the pilot episode, and not much else is mentioned about her in the report.  Hawke and Dove are going to be on the team as well.  This will be Hank Hall and Dawn Granger, the post-Infinite Crisis versions of these characters.  These two are going to be romantically involved with one another, just like in the comic books.

The last person to be introduced to the team is Barbra Gordon.  She is going to be playing the Oracle in everything but the name.  They say that she will be the computer tech/hack of the team (just like the Oracle) and is in a wheel chair (just like the Oracle) and will help direct missions (just like the Oracle).  I have no idea why they don't just call her the Oracle.

Missing from the team are founding members Beast Boy and Cyborg.  Beast Boy might show up as the series progresses, but don't expect to see Cyborg popping up anytime soon.  DC has too many big plans for him on the cinematic side of their world.

So what do you think of this new line up?  Who would you like to see show up on the series, either as a team member, or a villain?  Let me know in the comments below!

Will We See Superman In The Upcoming Supergirl Television Show?

Here's some interesting news:  CBS has announced the very first bad guy that will be appearing in the upcoming Supergirl television show!  So who is this evil villain going to be?

His name is the Lumberjack.  He's a very obscure DC baddie that has done battle with Supes a few times.  The interesting thing that was revealed in their announcement was the following, which was reported on Blastr.com:

"The CBS freshman is seeking a hulk akin to 'Rory McCann, the 6-foot-6 actor from the Game of Thrones' to play this 'big, burly monster of a man, who has battled Kara's cousin' - that would be you-know-who - 'in the past' and shows up to ascertain her level of power, on behalf of an unseen superior."

This brings up a couple of questions.  The first question that comes to mind is, are they going to do an origins episode to explain to us who she is and where she comes from?  If the Lumberjack is going to be appearing in the first episode, and he's already aware of Supergirl being around, how long has she been in action when the series begins?

The second question is, if the Lumberjack has tussled with the Man of Steel in the past, that leads one to believe that he exists in this universe, right?  So is he going to be making an appearance in the show at some point?  On this question, my bet is no, but I'm sure we'll hear plenty of references to him throughout the show.

I was originally nervous about how this show was going to be developed, because it will be airing on CBS, but the early reports indicate that they are moving in a strong, comic-book based universe, and will not shy away from mentioning other heroes from the DCU.  That's not to say they won't be taking liberties while producing the show, but I'm still optimistic that it will be worth watching...

...I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that they'll do a crossover with the Arrow universe!