Vulture first reported that there was trouble brewing in the Ghostbuster world, mainly because of an amazing contract Reitman signed in the 1980s giving him the power to put the kibosh on any plans for a new Ghostbusters film.

In fact, a source tells us that Reitman and all three original principals (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis … sorry, Ernie Hudson!) have a deal that says that if any of the four of them don't like any element of a new Ghostbusters, they can singlehandedly veto and kill the project; it has to be unanimously approved before going forward. (Considering that both Aykroyd and Ramis have been consulting on the story, Murray is likely the only unknown quantity on the actors' side.) However, the key difference is that Columbia would love for these actors to be on board to pass the torch and cross the streams. Not so with Reitman.

And apparently this contract is getting in the way of Columbia's plans to regenerate the franchise with new blood, both behind the camera and in front of it. The movie's plot is for the original Ghostbusters to set up a training camp of sorts for a group of younger recruits. According to Vulture's sources, Reitman still wants to direct, and Sony wants him out. But the studio isn't comfortable pulling the plug on such a bankable film. So it looks like both the studio and Reitman are at a standstill. Columbia still has its corporate fingers crossed Reitman's comedy project Friends With Benefits will keep him so busy, he won't have time to juggle both. But we highly doubt Reitman will step away from something this big.

Transformers 3:

Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner hints the sequel might show a bit of the original Autobot-Decepticon war, and life on Cybertron. Or at least, we'll delve back into the robots' roots, and include more elements from their established past:

What we're really doing is getting back to some of the core character development and storytelling. And I think there's some elements of the core story that the filmmakers, Michael in particular wanted to tell. He's really well-versed in the Transformers lore. So I think you'll see, you know, less bedlam, more characters.

And yes, Shia and Megan are back, of course. [MTV]

Avatar 2:

James Cameron still hasn't signed on to direct the sequel, but he says it shouldn't be called Avatar 2 at all, since Jake is no longer an avatar. "Maybe we'll call it Na'vi." He also says the sequel will emphasize the spiritual nature of the Na'vi even more than the first one did:

I think we can see that there's a greater receptivity to it on the part of the audience than certainly the studio originally imagined. We pared back on it a fair bit in the first film, and I think we can go farther in that direction and not alienate people.

And he says he wouldn't let anyone else direct the second movie, but he might use that film to train his replacement, someone who could direct Avatar 3 — except that it wouldn't be called Avatar 3, of course. [Sci Fi Wire]

Captain America:

A casting call gives a synopsis of this film, which is pretty much what you'd expect — but at least it doesn't mention anything about him being a USO entertainer:

Born during the Great Depression, Steve Rogers grew up a frail youth in a poor family. Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he was rejected. Overhearing the boy's earnest plea, General Chester Phillips offered Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment... Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers was at last administered the Super-Solider Serum and bombarded by 'vita-rays.' Steve Rogers emerged from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers was then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program. Three months later, he was given his first assignment as Captain America. Armed with his indestructible shield and battle savvy, Captain America has continued his war against evil both as a sentinel of liberty and as leader of the Avengers.

[Coventry Telegraph]

Tron Legacy:

Five sequences from this film will be rendered in a 1.7:1 aspect ratio for Imax showings instead of the regular 2.35:1 ratio, allowing more of the picture to show up on the top and bottom of the screen. [Slashfilm]

Ghostbusters 3:

Once again, Bill Murray says he'll only be in this film if he's killed off in the first reel, and apparently the writers have found a way to make that happen. Mostly, he gives the impression he's not very interested in doing this movie. [Slashfilm]

Scott Pilgrim:

Edgar Wright explains how the movie will depart from the graphic novels:

It stays pretty true to volumes one and two. And three. After three volumes, it starts to take its own path, but very much within the spirit of the book - and approved by Bryan as well. ... There are some things that are in the film that are actually from Bryan's original ideas before he wrote the books. [So] there are some things in there that refer to older ideas which he didn't end up doing.

[MTV]

Doctor Who:

New star Matt Smith explains how he sees the Doctor:

He's an intergalactic genius, a superhero-ish, mad, fumbling, bumbling science geek. He's everything you can pluck from any universe and put into him.

And he says the Doctor is an "addict," because "if he stopped saving the world, he'd be in real trouble." [Telegraph]

Supernatural:

Max Headroom himself, Matt Frewer, will guest star as Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen. Says Sera Gamble:

Our first brush with him in Episode 520 seems relatively innocuous and then unfolds into something more substantial. Put it to you this way: Horsemen on our show tend to think several moves ahead.

[TV Guide]

Caprica:

Here's the official synopsis for Friday's episode:

Rival industrialist Tomas Vergis arrives on Caprica demanding a meeting with Daniel, threatening to reveal proof that Daniel stole the chip that is key the U-87 Cylon, and Graystone's military contract. Vergis whirls up a publicity storm that steals the heart of the Caprican public, and surprisingly serves up a friendly offer to Daniel that could save Graystone Industries. But there's a catch to his proposal that could haunt Daniel for years to come.

Clarice, panicked that off-world STO leadership has been backing a rogue named Barnabas, steps up her plans to acquire Zoe's avatar program and may find her answer through befriending Amanda. Meanwhile, wanting to fulfill her own promise to Zoe, Lacy goes with Keon to meet the enigmatic Barnabas, opening herself up to a new world of danger.

After the revelation that the avatar of his daughter Tamara is still lost in V-World, Joseph starts his quest to find her in a virtual world he knows nothing about.

[CapricaTV]

You can see the first clip of James Marsters from Friday's episode, at the link. [Chicago Tribune]

Smallville:

here's another promo for upcoming episodes:

Chuck:

Another clue about who finds out Chuck's secret: It gives Awesome someone to confide in. But the secret is dangerous and could get this person killed. [E! Online]

Lost:

Michael Emerson teases Ben's flash-sideways, which we'll see more of next week:

You will see members of Ben's family in his flash sideways, but none of those relationships are the same as you're accustomed to them being," Michael explains. "Familiar faces, but everything's a little bit tweaked ... all the same puzzle pieces exist in both realities. They're just scrambled differently.

[Zap2It]

Doesn't sound as though Sarah (Julie Bowen) is the mother of L.A. Jack's son David, judging from Bowen's reaction to the question. And yes, the issue of the two timelines and how they connect won't be resolved until the very end, by the sound of things. [E! Online]

Here are some set pics showing a figure in a tunic sitting on the beach with a figure in black — plus a woman in a white Tshirt, who's believed not to be part of the actual scene, but an acting coach or something. Jacob and MIB? Hard to see from the blurry pics. [SpoilersLost]


And here's some video:

Here's another sneak peek from tonight's episode, which was shown at Paley Fest over the weekend. (Sorry for the shakey cam!) [The ODI]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Ghostbusters 3:

So now it's been confirmed (sort of) that Venkman will be a ghost in the film. And there are rumors swirling about the movie's villain. As recently as last summer, says Cinematical, the central mythology of the film was based around the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, which features a war between good and evil. And evil is personified by Ahriman, the god of darkness and destroyer of good. Even if it's true that the film still revolves around Zoroastrianism, it's still not clear if Ahriman is actually the villain, but it's possible that Ahriman plays a similar role to Gozer in the first film, unleashing evil spirits. [Cinematical]

Transformers 3:

Tony Todd, who voiced the Fallen in the last movie, says he's already been told he'll be back in this one — but will he be playing the Fallen? Or a new character? [Den Of Geek via TFW2005]

The Wolfman:

Hugo Weaving says he's not sure if he'll be in the sequel — if any — but it sounds, at least, like his character doesn't die in this one. He says his character, Aberline, "is based, pretty loosely, on Detective Inspector Aberline, who headed up the White Chapel murders of 1889, which became known as the Jack the Ripper murders." And Emily Blunt says her character has a "forbidden" love with Del Toro's character, because she used to be with his brother. And because she couldn't save her fiance, she made it her mission to save the brother. [IESB]

Lost:

Nestor Carbonell says we'll find out who the Hostiles are, and explains what's coming next:

There are some amazing twists this season. You're going to see elements of characters that I never thought I'd play for my character and I think others didn't expect to play them in their own characters. There are going to be emotional highs and lows for people that you've never seen. With respect to alliances, there's going to be a lot of movement and fluctuations. There will be loyalty, but there's going to be a lot of shifting and power struggle, which is always at play. Everyone's mettle is tested in this final season. It's the payoff season where all of those loose ends, or most of them, will be tied. A lot of those big conflicts will be resolved.

And he says Richard Alpert's been insecure this whole time, always being an adviser rather than a leader and often being in conflict with the leaders he's served. He wants redemption for the atrocities he's been a part of, and he wants answers. [TV Guide]

In tonight's episode, Kate and Sawyer will share a heartbreaking scene on the end of a dock (probably right after Sawyer drops Juliet's engagement ring into the water) and another one inside a house, which might turn some Skaters into Jewelers. Kate will see how deep Sawyer's feelings for Juliet really go. Also, Jack tries to kill himself — sort of — but it may not be intentional. Also, Rousseau and "the Infection" become factors once again. Also, in the alt-universe, Kate and Claire spend some quality time together, and we see that Kate may be destined to be part of Aaron's life even without crashing on the island — but the same may be true of someone else. Also, an old "frenemy" will reappear. [E! Online]

Evangeline Lilly feels like Kate has exhausted her romantic possibilities with both Jack and Sawyer on the Island, but in the alt-universe, they've got a blank slate and can start all over again. And the "man of Kate's life now is Aaron. And I think he takes precedence over both of those men." (Really?) And Matthew Fox hints that we'll keep seeing alt-Jack having "glimpses or flashes of something forgotten." [Doc Arzt]

Hiroyuki Sanada explains that his character, Dogen, is a doctor, who's been on the Island for a long time, and now he's kind of a temple master. (And don't forget, Dogen was the name of a great Zen master, so he joins Locke, Faraday and various other symbolically named characters.) [IGN]

Two-thirds of the way through filming the season, there are already a lot of casualties, says Michael Emerson, who seriously doubts Ben will survive to the end of the series. [NBC Chicago via SpoilersLost]

Here's another promo for tonight's episode:

So you noticed the smoke monster didn't kill Ben when it killed everyone else inside the statue last week. Michael Emerson says there's a good reason that the smoke monster can't kill Ben. And Jacob's agenda is definitely more complicated than we know. [Fancast]

Chuck:

Christopher Lloyd will guest star as Dr. Leo Dreyfus, a CIA psychiatrist who provides therapy for spies and ex-spies, in episode 3x16. [ChuckTV]

Also, this show will have a two-hour season finale, as the last two episodes of the season air back to back from 8 to 10 PM on Monday, May 24. [ChuckTV]

Fringe:

Now that Olivia's seen the "glimmer" on Peter, that moment is going to weigh heavily on Walter, say the producers. He's going to owe Olivia an explanation, and sort of brings her up to speed in a "really great episode." The way Walter and Olivia agree to deal with the situation is really interesting and will intrigue the fans. Also, they hint strongly that Olivia won't tell Peter what she knows about him, and Peter may never find out — but this could be "another brick" between the two of them. [OliviaAndPeter]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

In a pretty random and hilarious interview with the Daily Mail Murray laid down the specifics for his Venkman character in Ghostbusters 3.

"I'll come back in Ghostbusters III only if I get to be a ghost. I said to them, ‘I'll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.' So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film."

It's been suggested over and over again that Venkman should be a ghost, or Murray wouldn't be in the third film. But now we at least know that it happen right in the beginning, Joe Black style. Now the only question remains, will he have slime?

The third film is rumored to begin shooting this summer.

Green Lantern:

Director Martin Campbell was doing interviews for his new film Edge Of Darkness, and people got a chance to ask him about Green Lantern. Among other things: The film will stick closely to the origin story (the script we read was basically Emerald Dawn, minus the alcoholism). Campbell wants Peter Sarsgaard for Hector Hammond, one of the film's villains, and Sarsgaard may be contracted already. Campbell wants a sense of realism in spite of the surreal-ness of a guy with a ring that can make green shapes, and he's running every scene through a "cheese-meter." And he doesn't want it to be like most superhero movies, where people get knocked into brick walls and then get up unharmed to fight some more.

The film will be closer to Iron Man than Batman Begins in tone, and Hal Jordan will be "the sort of shoot from the hip, irresponsible kind of cocky test pilot." His powers are psychological, based on willl, rather than coming naturally like Superman's. Green Lantern will definitely go off to another planet (probably Oa.) And we'll see the lanterns, as well as the Central Battery. Both Sinestro (Campbell wants Mark Strong to play this role) and Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) will be good guys in this movie, but you'll be able to see the seeds of how they both become villains eventually.

[Sci Fi Wire and Collider and Superhero Hype]

Mad Max: Fury Road:

Australia's newspaper, the Herald Sun, reports that actor/model Teresa Palmer is playing the female lead in this film... even though Charlize Theron was already announced as the female lead. This seems to be based on Jay Baruchel, doing press for the How To Train Your Dragon, saying his friend Palmer is "the main chick in Fury Road." But "main chick" in this context may just mean "she gets some really cool scenes." [Herald Sun via Cinemablend]

Thor:

Clark Gregg will turn up in this film, playing Agent Coulson, the SHIELD agent he plays in Iron Man and Iron Man 2. Also, Samuel L. Jackson is definitely in Thor, and Variety seems to think that the Hulk will definitely be in Avengers along with Thor, Captain America and Iron Man. [Variety]

Ghostbusters 3:

Now that Ivan Reitman is on board to direct, Sigourney Weaver hints that she's open to reprising her role — at least, she'll look at the script and see. [Digital Spy]

Iron Man 2:

Tennis star Novak Djokovic wrote on his website that he has a small role in this film. [Comic Book Movie]

The Wolfman:

Director Joe Johnston explains how we'll feel about the movie's main character:

You're rooting for him when he is fighting a worse evil than himself. The wolfman is really two characters in one. He's both hero and villain. Lawrence Talbot is essentially the good guy. And he has no control over what he does when he becomes the beast. You can't control the beast. That's a quote from Sir John Talbot in the story. You can't control the beast-you have to let him run free.

He says he rewrote the script to make the blood and violence integral to the story rather than gratuitous, but he was happy to make it an R-rated movie. And various people tried out to do the wolf's howls in the film, including opera singers, David Lee Roth and Gene Simmons — and one of Simmons' howls is in the film. [Box Office]

Lost:

Terry O'Quinn says we'll learn "who Locke is" in the first two-hour episode. "Although that's still kind of a mystery of who is that. But there's still a pretty big revelation there." Evangeline Lilly says we'll see a brand new Kate, and she's doing something totally new this time around. And Emilie de Ravin says she comes back in a "unique" way and gets to play with her character Claire more. And Josh Holloway says Sawyer changes his underwear. [CNN]

Sky One's press release lists some of the questions the final season will answer: "Just what are the meaning of the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42? What is the smoke monster? Why were Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and the rest of the castaways selected in the first place?" [Sky One]

More filming updates. John Locke had a big scene in the studio, Libby filmed a hospital scene with some doctors. And Desmond, Minokowski, Hurley and Claire had a big crowd scene at the airport. Plus here are some set pics showing your favorite mental institution. [SpoilersLost and Ryan on Flickr]

Doctor Who:

Avid fans will remember new companion Amy's completely impractical policewoman costume, from the first episode, and the raging debate over whether she's actually a cop, or just playing dress-up. (Most people seem to think the latter, although there is a bit where the Doctor enters a police station, plus she does seem to be "arresting" him in one sequence, where she drags him by the tie.) In any case, the (not terribly) reliable tabloid The Sun is reporting that Amy is a "kissogram" and this is her "kissogram" uniform. Insert your own joke about how the only arrests she makes will be cardiac, etc. etc. Also, her sexy outfits are apparently part of Steven Moffat's plan to make the show "edgier." [The Sun]

True Blood:

Alan Ball is casting the role of Debbie Pelt, a badass werewolf you don't want to get on the wrong side of — and she does not like Sookie. The season premiere will include lots of sex, including Sam winding up in a hotel room with a familiar face, which will confuse and excite us. Meanwhile, Jason winds up in bed with two women at once. And Jason "will find love in the werewolf world, and love is a pretty unknown concept for him," says Ryan Kwanten. Also, Alfre Woodward says Lafayette's mom Ruby Jean Reynolds is "nuts" and the audience won't like her. "She's not very accepting of Lafayette, which is fun to play." [TV Guide Magazine]

Caprica:

Alessandra Torresani says she consciously tried to make her "original Cylon" portrayal different from Tricia Helfer or Grace Park — which is probably a good thing, since a teenage girl channeling Tricia Helfer would have been weird. [BuddyTV]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Ghostbusters 3:

So you might have heard that Sigourney Weaver says that Venkman (Bill Murray) will be a ghost in the new movie? And that her character's son, Oscar, will have grown up to be a Ghostbuster? People who've been paying attention to the rumors and chatter around this film are pretty sure she's just repeating old rumors — like Bill Murray reportedly told someone four years ago that he would only be in the movie if he played a ghost. And Weaver probably hasn't actually seen a script, since nobody else has yet, either. On the other hand, Murray playing a ghost could be sort of fun. [Screen Rant]

Transformers 3:

People have been circulating a draft script for this upcoming masterpiece. I don't for a scond believe that this movie has a script yet, and even the people who are reposting the script thinks it might be a fake. On the other hand, apparently a similarly rough draft script of Revenge Of The Fallen popped up online long before it came out, and was viewed as similarly wild — but turned out to be real. Plus, it's always entertaining to read these things, and it's probably better than the real script will be.

So apparently this draft script includes the Aerialbots, the Combaticons, Perceptor, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, and Shockwave, and is a big love letter to fans of the 1984 animated series. As it begins, hostilities between the Autobots and the Decepticons have gotten worse, and calls for the Autobots to leave Earth have gotten more shrill. Sam (who's now an intern at the Large Hadron Collider) finds another fragment of the Allspark, which could give off enough energon to power all the Transformers forever, if bombarded with the right kind of particles. Optimus sends for the Ark, and Sam invites Mikaela to come join him there for a romantic evening, or something, and then proposes to her. Sam and Optimus Prime are all set to examine the Allspark fragment aboard the Ark, when Megatron attacks, but then Starscream betrays him. And somehow this leads to everyone traveling back in time to 1982, where Starscream steals the Allspark and kills Megatron "twice in one day," has he puts it.

This means that all of the Autobots have to disguise themselves as period cars (would GM even allow this?) meaning Optimus becomes a Peterbilt Semi, and Mirage becomes a Pontiac Trans Am, but also sometimes a Formula 1 race car. And Sam meets his own grandfather, and realizes that he can erase the Autobot/Decepticon war from history by getting rid of the Cube. But yeah, it's almost certainly a fake. Click here to read the whole thing. [Comic Book Movie and Allspark]

Iron Man 2:

Robert Downey Jr. says the thing that made the first movie work was that it was grounded in reality, and the high tech looked like something out of Popular Mechanics rather than a galaxy-spanning saga. And with the Marvel Universe as crazy as it is, it would be easy for the next movie to be too wild, but he and Jon Favreau want to keep it grounded. And he explains how they'll avoid sequel-itis:

My take - Jon [Favreau] was in agreement, and Marvel supported us - was that once you tell an [origin] story pretty well, that's usually where things start to get dull, and one or two or three things start to happen over and over again," Downey explained during an interview with Rotten Tomatoes. "So, we made Tony Stark's challenges very much outside the usual realm of activity. As much as anything else, it's much more of a side job for him the second time around.

[Rotten Tomatoes]

Remember how we reported the first movie was totally improv, with almost no script to speak of? Olivia Munn (who's admittedly not one of the film's main actors) says it was much the same this time around. "There's a bunch of improv, over and over." And apparently Munn improv-ed so well, Downey Jr. stopped the filming to give her a round of applause.

Thor:

Ray Stevenson, who plays Volstagg, says he wears a fatsuit, but he's got muscles and isn't the "weeble-shaped" figure from the comics. And he says the character has a ton of "Falstaffian vigor," which makes sense given that Branagh is directing. [Superhero Hype]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice:

Apparently we first meet the apprentice as a young boy (Jake Cherry) and then later as a young adult (Jay Baruchel). And producer Jerry Bruckheimer explains why we should be excited:

"He's more like a rock star," producer Jerry Bruckheimer tells PEOPLE about the film, due in theaters July 10. Like the animated version, this Sorcerer's Apprentice will also feature those dancing brooms. "We did it in a realistic way," Bruckheimer says. "The [brooms] are really dancing and doing their thing."

How could it be bad? [People]

Daybreakers:

Here's an international trailer, which I don't think we've shown you before — it includes a bit more footage from this vampire-dominated future dystopia. [Reelz Channel]

The Wolfman:

A new international poster shows that the wolfman's powers include causing people's heads to float randomly and to be eaten by unnatural shadows. [ShockTillYou Drop]

Spider-Man 4:

Some have speculated that Bryce Dallas Howard could be back as Gwen Stacy, but she hasn't been contacted yet, which makes it seem less likely. Meanwhile, don't hold your breath for her to return as Kate Connor in Terminator 5 or 6 — she's not signed up for any further installments. (But she would defininitely consider it.) [Coming Soon]

Avatar:

The New York Daily News review has a pretty good summary of the film:

Sam Worthington is Jake Scully [sic], a paraplegic Marine in 2154 assigned to a deep-space moon called Pandora, where his consciousness controls an avatar, a clone of Pandora's indigenous, humanoid Na'vi people. As Jake lies in a high-tech tanning bed, his mind is in his blue Na'vi, which is 10 feet tall with pointy ears, cat eyes and a tail.

A scientist (a tough Sigourney Weaver) created the process to aid diplomatic relations with the Na'vi, since the air is poisonous to humans and space suits, apparently, get in the way. It's the last chance for the peaceful aliens - who know what the avatars really are - since a corporate goon (entertainingly weaselly Giovanni Ribisi) wants a valuable element buried deep under the "hometree," the Na'vi's spiritual center. And if diplomacy fails, a gung-ho sergeant (Stephen Lang, overdoing it) will get it at any cost.

Cameron counts too much on the connection we'll have to his goofy-looking blue man group, or with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the Na'vi warrior princess who helps Jake's heart go on. Saldana - Uhura in last summer's "Star Trek" - delivers a remarkably full-bodied motion-capture performance, but the mystic-tribal clichés around her suggest every Netflix queue on Pandora includes "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans."

[NY Daily News]

And there's a new Czech TV spot, plus a big Panasonic tie-in commercial that you may actually have seen.

Harry Potter:

Tom Felton says Deathly Hallows will be truer to the book than any of the previous films. [Movies-Spoilers]

Doctor Who:

So Alexandra Moen, who plays the Master's wife Lucy Saxon, says she wasn't the one who picked up the Master's ring at the end of "Last Of The Time Lords." Since we last saw her, Lucy has been locked up in a big ominous castle-like prison, and it just got a new governor. And it sounds like she breaks out of there. She's decided to try and go straight, but she's not at peace — she's full of anger. And her scenes are mostly with the Master and a few other actors. [Digital Spy]

Lost:

Some more filming details: episode nine is definitely Alpert-centric, and the Black Rock is definitely a prison ship. Also, we see an Ilana scene taking place at an old hospital in Russia, suggesting that Ilana is tied in with Alpert's backstory somehow. Separately, there's a scene with Jin working in a hotel, and Sun was there too. Also filming in the same location was a Keamy/Omar scene, and Mikhail was there and spoke Korean. There was also a Jin scene involving the same community college where Hurley's asylum was filmed. And a scene at a nice house with Hurley and Alpert. [The Transmission via SpoilersLost]

Also, Sayid was filming a scene with a large group of the "temple Others," including Zoey, and probably Cindy and Zack. Also present: seven to 10 scientists, for some reason. [SpoilersLost]

The show is casting an E.R. doctor making rounds, an MRI tech, and an African American female lawyer who won't be pushed around, for its eleventh episode. [SpoilersLost]

And there's an extended version of the season six promo:

Fringe:

I really like these new wallpapers, which emphasize the "passing between universes" theme as well as more of Walter's oddness. [SpoilerTV]

Remember that set video we showed you last week that included Anna Torv getting blown around? Now it's her, plus a bunch of extras:

Supernatural:

I know we mentioned that Cupid would be showing up (along with Famine, one of the Four Horsemen) in the Valentine's Day episode "My Bloody Valentine." Apparently, he'll be doughy, out of shape and naked, and constantly giving everybody bear hugs. [TV Guide Magazine]

And we'll be meeting a holy man in episode 5x16, "Dark Side Of The Moon":

[JOSHUA] This benevolent — dignified, very Zen man in his 50's-70's is inflappable, simple, but not insincere. A Morgan Freemen type vibe. PLEASE SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES. GUEST STAR.

Could that actually be God? [SpoilerTV]

And after the rerun of "The End" the other day, they showed a new trailer for the next episode, coming January 21.

And here's a set video for 5x15, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", in which all you can basically see is Sam and Dean walking inside a house:

True Blood:

The show is looking for someone to play Alcide, who's described as "rough looking but articulate and basically decent," and he takes a liking to Sookie and may even have some mutual attraction with her. It sounds like he takes her out, given that we meet a giant nightclub bouncer who knows Alcide but is suspicious of his guest, Sookie. Also, an old-school Ob/Gyn examines Arlene with an ultrasound, and a pastor officiates at Eggs' funeral service. [EW and SpoilerTV]

Chuck:

As you've probably heard, we're done with Chuck's "reluctant spy" act. He's now a fully gung-ho spy, but he's also aware of how much his career puts his family at risk. And Awesome will get drawn into Chuck's espionage world to a much greater extent — and we'll get to see how awesome Awesome really is. As season three starts, we'll realize something awful has happened between Chuck and Sarah in the mean time, and eventually we'll learn just what that is. We'll also learn how crucial Sarah is to whether Chuck makes a good spy. Carina, Sarah's old partner from season one, will be back. And Jeffster will perform again in a very special episode. [TV Guide]

Also, Casey is going to have a lot to deal with this season — a secret from his past is going to come to light, and it'll make his life complicated. Also, he'll get more responsibilities at the Buy More, and will start to discover that Buy More may actually be his future. Meanwhile, Lester has a "Fight Club" episode where he goes nuts. And we'll get to see Lester's bedroom and his pajamas. [ChuckTV]

FlashForward:

Episode 13 will be called "Better Angels." [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Here's a new trailer for the next batch of episodes, starting January 22:

Heroes:

It's the death that sticks — for now, anyway. Tim Kring says we definitely won't be seeing Nathan again for the rest of season four. [Fancast News]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Talking to the LA Times during a promotional Avatar interview, Sigourney Weaver was asked about the possibility of making an appearance in the third Ghostbusters movie:

As far as I know, I think Bill [Murray] is actually the only one in it.... That may be wrong — the last time I talked to Ivan was a couple of months ago. It's not meant at this point to be a reunion of our particular group of ‘Ghostbusters' at this point, it's a younger group. My only wish is that Oscar, my [on-screen] baby in ‘Ghostbusters II,' has grown up to be a Ghostbuster, too.

On the one hand, let's face it: Peter Venkman was the best character in the original movies, so if you're only bringing one back for the new one, it's the right choice. But on the other, no Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson or Harold Ramis? Not even in cameos? That just seems wrong somehow. Here's hoping they changed their minds since Sigourney's last update.

'Avatar' star Sigourney Weaver as queen of sci-fi: 'Outer space has been good to me' [Hero Complex/LA Times]

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Ghostbusters 3:

Don't count on Bill Murray being in this threequel — he tells Britain's Absolute Radio that he won't do the movie unless the script is really good. (How long have they been working on this script, and still nobody has read it, including the director?) [Latino Review]

New Moon:

Some more promo pics highlight the pasty-faced brooding. [Movies-Spoilers]

Snowpiercer:

We already wrote about this film, which Bong Joon-Ho is adapting from a French comic book. The official English title appears to be Snowpiercer, and Bong says he wants to film in 2011. The class-ridden survivors on a train traveling through the frozen world wind up struggling and fighting amongst themselves. [Collider]

Lost:

Set pics show that Randy Nations, Hurley's old boss at the Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack, is coming back — except this time around, probably Hurley will be Randy's boss. One more pic at the link. [SpoilerTV]

Fringe:

Leonard Nimoy returns as William Bell in the season's tenth episode. And Astrid is going to be getting out of the lab a lot more — and she has a big arc with Walter coming up. The writers know Astrid is a "diamond in the rough," and they are looking for ways to expand the character. [EW]

And here's a behind the scenes featurette on tonight's episode, "Dream Logic."

FlashForward:

In the Oct. 29 episode, Lloyd Simcoe knocks on the Benfords' door, and Mark is not happy to see his wife's future lover. Meanwhile, Lloyd's autistic kid Dylan recognizes the house, and the Benfords' daughter Charlie, from his own flashforward, and feels an immediate connection with the place. [TV Guide Magazine]

New set photos show Demetri on a bike. More at the link. [SpoilerTV]

How scary does episode six, "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps," get? Look at some new promo pics. [Pizquita]

Doctor Who:

One new still showcases the alien monster from this animated story, Lord Azlok (David Warner) as he menaces Colonel Stark (Stuart Milligan.) The other one shows the Doctor entering a 1950s diner. [BlogtorWho]

Supernatural:

A new pic from the "Changing Channels" episode shows Sam and Dean stuck in Grey's Anatomy. Full version at the link. [EW]

And here are a few pics from "The Curious Case Of Dean Winchester," in which Dean gets hella old. [SF Universe]

Smallville:

The episode "Roulette," in which Ollie gets drugged and beguiled by Roulette, also contains a twist involving Chloe and Oliver. [EW]

And here are a ton of pictures from the episodes "Crossfire" and "Roulette" — including what looks like Clark smooching Lois in the Planet offices. [Kryptonsite]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Here's a clip and new image from Friday night's new episode, "Senate Spy":

Heroes:

We'll finally get some more of Mohinder in November, and at least half his scenes are with Hiro Nakamura. (I'm guessing, he'll be concocting some magic fix for Hiro's brain problem.) Also, don't hold your breath for Sylar to get a love interest. [EW]

Todd Stashwick (The Riches) will join the show as Eli, part of the carnival storyline — he has close ties to Samuel. [THR]

And in case you really thought it was Hiro who was going to bite the dust, the show is casting three Japanese-speaking actors for episode 4x13. One is a policeman who detains a local citizen in Tokyo for outlandish and potentially dangerous antics. There's also a grumpy ramen vendor who encounters a confused hero, and a woman who is accosted by a teenage purse snatcher. [SpoilerTV]

Stargate Universe:

Here's a sneak peek from Friday's new episode, "Darkness":

Sanctuary:

And here's a sneak peek from Friday's episode of this Syfy show, "End Of Nights Part 2":

Now that the show has established its setting and characters, the second season will play around more with the interpersonal relationships. We'll see more of Henry, plus a lot of the newly introduced Kate Freelander. The relationships will all move around. [SF Universe]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters 1 and 2) is officially on to direct Ghostbusters 3. Bloody Disgusting confirmed his involvement along with this little juicy script detail.

Apparently, the sequel takes place when the paranormal researchers "reopen" their ghost removal service after it has been closed for quite a few years.

Please, let their first client be the Mayor's idiot son or the angry doctor's child, because nothing would give me more pleasure than to hear Bill Murray, who is confirmed to have some sort of involvement, deliver this gem again....

Ghostbusters 3:

Harold Ramis says the third movie definitely won't go the Batman Begins route of being super slick and high-tech — the Ghostbusters crew are not suddenly going to be sporting amazing gear, or skulking around in suits with built in pecs for that matter. What made the original films funny was the low-tech nature of the gadgets. It's always going to be about the pseudo-science and the characters. And it sounds like he's pretty opposed to having it be too heavy on the CG fight scenes where everyone's flying around. [Making Of via Slashfilm]

Zombieland:

Writer/producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick talk more crazy zombie action. Like, every single ride at the amusement park gets used to kill zombies at the end. Zombies go flying off one of those blast-off things that shoots the seats up and down. There are "multiple roller coasters." They add:

There's this great moment where this thing called the Rattler, which is this huge thing, pendulum-type device that has all these seats around the outside and it swings back and forth and the seats turn. Columbus runs underneath it and it just misses him. And then some zombies are chasing him and it comes back and just , just knocks them all out of the way.

And separately, a Hummer gets jumped into a lake. Also, there are flashbacks, including one showing the start of the zombie outbreak, and main character Columbus' first meeting with a zombie. But the movie doesn't bother to explain why the zombie outbreak happened — because, hello? Zombies. And the Columbus-Tallahassee friendship is sort of a Felix Unger-Oscar Madison thing: Columbus is scared of everything, Tallahassee is totaly fearless. Oh, and Tallahassee starts the movie with a craving for a Twinkie, and the whole movie is his quest to get his hands on one. He talks very rhapsodically about Twinkies. And there are plot twists, and a couple of zombies who are more important the others. But no "boss zombie." Tons more info on this movie at the link. [Slashfilm]

G.I. Joe:

How hot will this movie be? Burning hot, according to a new poster. Also? Ice cold. Posters don't lie. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Fringe:

The first scene of this show's second season is a killer — literally and figuratively. And Kirk Acevedo's Charlie appears in the season opener, and you'll never believe what happens to him. (Possibly, something that keeps him from being in the rest of the season? Just guessing here.) [EW]

Apparently the character Luke Goss plays in the season premiere is called Lloyd Parr. [Fringe Television]

Lost:

Not really spoilers so much as rumor patrol. But TV Guide's Matt Mitovich speculates that Claire may come back as the latest disguise for the mysterious enemy of Jacob, now that his Locke masquerade is over. And apparently it's definitely not true that Matthew Fox and Malcolm David Kelley filmed some scenes together back in season one, for use during the final season. [TV Guide]

Smallville:

The famous S-shaped shield logo will be all over this show next season — including on Clark's chest. But meanwhile, there's no truth to the rumor that the show's producers are talking about creating a spin-off called Metropolis. (And how would that differ from the current show format, exactly?) [EW]

FlashForward:

There's a new casting call for the show's second episode. We meet Bhadra, a fifty-something East Indian professional woman who is well-spoken and controlled, and she'll be in at least two episodes. Also definitely recurring: the nine-year-old autistic kid Jimmy, who can only focus for short periods of time and is disconnected the rest of the time. Another possibly recurring character is Anastasia, a forty-something government worker who butts heads with others on a regular basis. A fourth possibly recurring character is the sonographer who conducts an ultrasound on a pregnant woman — maybe Sonya Walger?

And it sounds like our FBI agents travel to a small town (via helicopter, maybe since, there's a helicopter pilot who gets one line.) In that town, we meet the small-town sheriff, an attractive, plain-spoken woman named Keegan. And we also meet a suburban housewife named Kiki who owns a cupcake shop and gets involved in a situation that's out of her depth. There's a playground scene where a "ringleader" named Zack and his sidekick Anna provoke one of the kids, and various other kids discuss what they've "imagined." Plus we meet elementary school teacher Ms. Gerber, and the principal, Ms. Byrne, who handles a sensitive matter with tact. [SpoilerTV]

And here's a new promo:

Stargate Universe:

Alaina Huffman (Smallville) plays 1st. Lt. Tamara Johansen, a medic who's quite skilled but insecure. And those insecurities get amped up massively when the team is thrown to the other side of the universe. It's a chance to play a character who's more conflicted than the tough-chick roles she usually plays. [TV Guide]

Warehouse 13:

So eventually we'll learn that there's a whole complex mythology behind the number "13" in the warehouse's name. The Syfy Channel sent us a transcript of a conference call where producer David Simkins explains:

In our mythology the first warehouse was created by Alexander in an effort to keep hold of the artifacts that he, you know, collected on his wars. And it didn't last - it didn't last long because Alexander died young but then the library at Alexandria was a warehouse too where research and development and things were stored and books.

And so we've kind of tracked the chronology of empires and our feeling is that the warehouse has moved from empire to empire throughout the ages, moving to the country that was best able to protect it. It was in the Western Roman empire, the Hunnic empire, the Byzantine empire, you know, all the way up through the Russian empire, the British empire, and then finally the United States. It was always - it always located itself in the empire that was best able to protect it.

And it was early, early on in warehouse - in one of the early warehouses in iterations, it was established that a board of directors essentially would be in charge of it, an ever-changing sort of like I guess a Supreme Court called the Regents. And the Regents were in charge of deciding when and where to move the warehouse. I think the longest it lasted was in the Western Roman empire for about 500 years and the shortest was about 14 years in the - I think it was the (Khmer) empire.

[SyFy]

Here are some promo pics from episode four, "Claudia." [SpoilerTV]

Eastwick:

No, you didn't have a weird nightmare that ABC was making a soap opera out of the John Updike novel and the Jack Nicholson film — it's really happening. And apparently, the pilot includes strings plucking in the background and a wise old narrator voice. [KansasCity.com]

The good news is, the pilot is directed by David "pilot king" Nutter. The bad news? Apparently it's full of "stilted acting" and "cringe-inducing dialogue." Apparently the script is full of double entendres — the devil is swinging some pipe — and one of the three witches, Joanna, goes from shy librarian-type to sexy minx by letting down her hair and removing her glasses.

As for the plot? Auntie Bun (Veronica Cartwright) tells some kids at the local historical society that the town of Eastwick is rumored to have had witches in the past, and there may still be magic there. And then three women each find a special coin, and they each make a wish at the town's fountain — to have a different life than their current ones. And then the mysterious stranger Darryl Van Horne shows up and buys half the town, granting the three women's wishes in the process. He buys Joanna's newspaper, and gives her the freedom to write the stories she wants. He reopens the candle factory, giving Kat's husband her job back. And he gives Roxy the struggling artist/single mom the excitement she craves by sleeping with her and helping her get more money. But all the people in these women's lives are resentful of their new friendship and sorta-empowerment. Eventually, visions, hospital-bed omens and old records prove Darryl Van Horne isn't who he claims to be. [Futon Critic]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Talking to Sci-Fi Squad, Weaver said that the chances of her appearing in a new Ghostbusters movie are "[p]robably non-existent... I don't expect to have anything to do with it, although I wish them well." She's similarly downbeat about the potential for an appearance in the much-discussed Alien prequel, for practical reasons:

Well, I don't think that Ripley could appear in an Alien prequel because she doesn't have any access to the creature until the first Alien. But Ridley (Scott) is producing it and that makes me happy. I wasn't thrilled with the whole Alien Vs. Predator thing. I never saw them, but one of the reasons I died in (Alien) 3 was to not have anything to do with those (laughs). Just because, you know, I think it just seemed so economically motivated somehow. I feel we did four good movies, and I'm content with that. I hope if they do something new, they will encompass the idea of where the alien first came from, because I think that's an interesting idea — to find out what happened and "how did it get to us?".

There goes my spec script where Ripley's clone time-travels to the past to place the Alien eggs on that planet in the first place, then...

Sigourney Weaver Talks About 'Ghostbusters 3,' 'Alien' Prequel [Sci-Fi Squad]

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

New concept art shows Skids (one of the comedy robots) and the unnamed "purple motorcyle Autobot," one of three female motorcycles, I guess. The other two are Arcee and Chromia. (I thought the three motorcycles joined together to form Arcee, but apparently not.) [TFG2 and TFG2 via Transformers Movie Chronicles and Seibertron]

At one point, Sam's mother utters the line, "Hi, professor — I'd do anything for an A." The comedy stylings of the "twin Transformers" are also hilarious. The movie goes way downhill about halfway through and just turns into one long, nonsensical action sequence. [Culch]

And here's yet another Entertainment Tonight segment on the movie, which hopefully won't start autoplaying in an annoying fashion. [TLAMB]

Ghostbusters 3:

The new team of five newbie Ghostbusters, including two women, was in the outline that the movie's scriptwriters pitched, confirms Ivan Reitman. But there's no telling what the final script, due in about a month, will contain. [MTV]

New Moon:

Some new photos prove this movie really is made of cheese. [IGN]

Torchwood:

An Australian trailer and a BBC America featurette for the upcoming "Children Of Earth" miniseries. [Life, Doctor Who & Combom]

The first episode of "Children Of Earth" includes a big, huge revelation about Captain Jack which fits in with the story's theme of "sins from the past." (I'm guessing it's his daughter.) The first episode hits the ground running, and only gets more intense as it goes along — but star John Barrowman says that's only a five out of ten, compared to the intensity of the other four episodes. And there's still time for flirty banter. Barrowman doesn't rule out one more meeting between David Tennant's Doctor and Captain Jack. [Chicago Tribune]

Lost:

Shannon (Maggie Grace) may be making a return visit to the island next season, despite being dead. At least, Grace said she's going back to Hawaii soon. [E! Online]

FlashForward:

Wherever you think this show is going after the first episode, you'll be wrong. There are three "acts" to the first season, and the first "act" consists of the first seven episodes, in which the pieces are all moved out onto the board. And each of those first seven episodes contains at least one "holy shit, I didn't see that coming" moment, where you'll realize things are way different than you thought. Also, the first "flashforward" that everyone sees takes them to April 29, 2010 — which isn't when the season finale airs. So we'll actually catch up to the flashforwards before the season ending. Also, Seth MacFarlane's character, Agent Kirby, will be recurring. And the kangaroo you see on the street in the pilot will also be back. [Futon Critic]

Also, you'll see early on that characters lie about what they saw in their "flashes," or withhold some information. [Time]

Fringe:

The season opener will be called "New Day." [Fringe Television]

V:

After watching the pilot, you get the impression that someone we thought was a series regular is actually only guest-starring in the first episode. [EW]

Heroes:

Rick Worthy (aka Simon, the most underused Cylon on Battlestar Galactica) is in talks to join this show's cast as Matt Parkman's new partner, an experienced and capable L.A. cop whom Matt can lean on for advice. [Hollywood Reporter]

The show is going to explore the characters living "everyday, normal lives," and yet coping with the fact that they've been through this crazy series of events, James Kyson Lee tells TV Guide. And Ando is going to get better at controlling the laser-beam blasts from his hands, and he and Hiro are going to start a new business together, involving glitter and spandex. Yes, really. (Isn't Hiro still a mega-zillionaire? I miss him being a lowly office worker.) [TV Guide]

Warehouse 13:

This show's first batch of episodes will have the titles "Pilot," "Resonance," "Magnetism," "Claudia," "Elements," "Burnout," "Implosion," "Duped," "Regrets" and "Breakdown." [SpoilerTV]

True Blood:

Here are the titles and synopses for this show's July episodes:

July 12: "Shake and Fingerpop"
With Jessica in tow, Bill and Sookie head to Dallas to carry out Eric's vampire-reconnaissance mission — but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann throws Tara a birthday party at Sookie's, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne in the process. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette (finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Eric's orbit.

July 19: "Never Let Me Go"
In Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own, then joins Bill and Eric for a strategic summit at the lair of the missing vampire, Godric, attended by his lieutenants, Stan and Isabel. Meanwhile, Jason shows his mettle at a Light of Day boot camp, and is rewarded for his hard work with a gift from Sarah. Rebuffed by Tara in her relocation efforts, Maryann decides to cast her spell on the staff of Merlotte's, softening Tara up towards her new "family." Eric shares a little-known secret about his past with Bill, and Sookie makes a decision that might solve the Godric mystery — or get her killed.

July 26: "Hard-Hearted Hannah"
Accompanied by Isabel's human boyfriend Hugo, Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric. Meanwhile, Bill is shocked when a vampire from his distant, more violent past resurfaces in Dallas. In Bon Temps, Daphne presses Sam to get comfortable in his own skin(s); Hoyt continues his unlikely courtship of Jessica; Andy interrogates Lafayette about his disappearance; and Tara and Eggs take a detour while on a road trip. At the Light of Day camp, Jason faces difficult emotional and physical choices.

Impact:

Salon.com has the funniest review ever of this Syfy Channel miniseries which is unaccountably appearing on ABC instead. A giant meteor goes flying towards Earth and smacks into the Moon, causing effects that are felt for many long, boring days afterwards. People resolve their differences and/or fall in love in the face of impending armageddon. Every few minutes someone says something like "But that makes no sense!" And then they have another boring conversation about "brown dwarfs or mass or gravity."

Actual dialogue from Impact:

"We have no other choice, sir. You can't hide from gravity!"

"Look, I can't even answer the questions on 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,' but even I know the moon is not capable of manipulating gravity at this level."

"We are a part of something here that's going to be written about in the same context as Newton and Einstein. I know you don't want to miss out on that!"

"Science has very much come under question these last few days. But, it's all I have."

There's a scene where an old guy is driving in his car, and it suddenly floats into the air in a very Mary Poppins way. The whole Salon review is well worth reading, it's a masterpiece. Unlike Impact itself, by the sound of things.[Salon.com]

Apparently, that brown dwarf? It actually gets embedded in the Moon. Oops. That's not good. Also, the President is a straight shooter who doesn't understand all this sciencey talk, and there's a gruff stupid general, who wants to keep secrets from the Chinese and the Russians even though the world is ending in a few weeks. And we see how the scientists' families are affected by the fact that the scientists have to go off and try to figure out how to save the world. [Cinemablend]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Star Trek 2:

Is this movie Trek 2 or Trek 12? You decide! In any case, co-writer Roberto Orci hints that some more changes to the timeline could happen in the sequel, although nobody's scribbled so much as a napkin so far:

I think the major lesson we learned is that fans were willing to accept differences and surprises, provided that they were somehow echoes or inspired by canon. We still have to be true to Star Trek the next time around, but we've also been blessed with being able to be unpredictable. And that doesn't mean we can just be shocking for no good reason and just throw everything away. ... It still has to echo everything that Star Trek has been.

[Sci Fi Wire]

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

Now it's the trade journals' turn to review this movie. Variety says the special effects are improved and the robots are more expressive, but nothing else has changed. When Sam goes to college, he attends a frat party that appears to take place in a strip club, and then he's "treated to a sort of lap dance by a Decepticon posing as a nymphomaniacal freshman." (But they didn't get the "Desexycon" memo.) And there's a shot of John Turturro in a G-string. Because you demanded it, whoever you are. At one point, Optimus muses, "If God made us in his image, then who made Him?" The big forest battle leaves Optimus Prime ready for the scrap heap. The actors have to shout to be heard over the noises and the thunderous music.

The Hollywood Reporter says the movie is an Indiana Jones-style quest for a 1,000-year-old "matrix" that will bring life back to the stricken Optimus Prime. And the movie is basically 147 minutes of colored metal flying around and people shouting loudly and quickly, so you can't understand what they're saying... but you don't really need to know what anyone's saying anyway.

Empire Online says there's a notable moment during the big robot-smackdown in Egypt, when Devastator (made out of several construction vehicles) is cilmbing a pyramid. The camera tilts so we can see Devastator's underside, and two wrecking balls dangle in our faces. Yes, Constructicon tea-bagging is here. Also, dogs hump each other, robots hump human legs, and the camera is glued to Megan Fox's torso. There are 42 robots, including one that can become a jaguar, one that can become a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and one that can become ball bearings to get inside secure facilities. You won't remember which robot is which, and there are four gremlin-esque bots that seem interchangeable. The Fallen can toss tanks around using his jagged staff. (Oh, and the Fallen is voiced by Tony Todd, not Leonard Nimoy as hinted a while back.) In the movie's opening Shanghai sequence, Optimus jumps on the face of a giant unicycle and tells it to "pull over." [via TLAMB]

We3

The comic-book adaptation I'm most excited about is still on track. Producer Don Murphy says he has a director for this film, John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) — and the film will be live-action, with a combination of CG, puppetry and real live animals. The cyborg animals' voices will be realized as a sort of robotic monotone, reflecting the fact that the animals have electrodes in their larynxes. Murphy's still looking for a studio for this picture, though. [Sci Fi Wire]

Ghostbusters 3:

During an interview about the new video game, Dan Aykroyd teases what you'll see in the third movie:

Well, for sure we need new recruits. We need a whole new team of Ghostbusters, because the generation of my Ghostbusters are all getting hip and knee replacements. Also, we don't have the strength to handle the heavy equipment to catch the ghosts. We need fresh and new blood to fill up the uniforms. That's the first element we need. And if we can train them with the ethics we had and a similar sense of humor, I think we can have good characters and a good story there. I think as far as bringing back the old cast it will be more like in the new STAR TREK — with cameo styles. But for now, I call this video game our third sequel.

[iF Magazine]

The Time Traveler's Wife:

This time-traveling romance put up a new website, with the following synopsis:

Clare (McAdams) has been in love with Henry (Bana) her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler, cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry's travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.

[Time Traveler's Wife via Sci Fi Wire]

Shorts:

Here's the new poster for this Robert Rodriguez joint about a kid who finds a rainbow stone with magical properties. [IGN]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Some new set pics show Monica Belucci and Nic Cage... I have a bad feeling about this. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Fringe:

A casting call for the series opener includes three new characters. There's a nurse in her early thirties, who takes care of a patient after an accident. She has olive skin and dark hair, but "could be a dark-skinned caucasian." She seems trustworthy, chatting with a patient in the hospital room, but it's clear there's something weird about her. And the actor should be able to portray an assassin.

Also, there's Rebecca, a "real-looking," not glamorous girl in her late teens, early twenties, around 1978. She gets "stoned beyond belief" on some concoction that Walter was working on back then, and talks in a "sexy/funny/scary stupor." And finally, there's Lloyd Parr, a "hyper-competent" guy in his thirties to early fifties. They're seeking a "strong character actor" who can play someone out of John Frankenheimer movie. [SpoilerTV]

Heroes:

Here are the first set pics from season four. Claire is on campus, with her roommate Gretchen (the black-haired woman behind her) and they're going to some kind of anti-war rally. (I love how this show keeps up with what the kids are doing nowadays.) And she pauses to chat with some cheerleaders. More pics at the link. [The ODI]

Lost:

I don't think Michael Emerson has seen any scripts for season six yet, but he says he's got a vague sense that Ben still has an important role to play in season six, and he "hopes" Ben survives until almost the last episode. And he says that it's entirely possible Ben will escape any retribution for his crimes. If the island itself gets destroyed, Ben will still find a way out, says Emerson:

Ben is a great man for the secret exit. Ben always has an escape, I think. It may be a piece of wood, floating on the ocean. Or it may be a rope, or a secret door. Or, you know, an Ecuadorian passport and a plastic bag, something like that. He's probably going to survive

[E! Online]

Flash Forward:

A couple new promos for this ABC series based on Robert J. Sawyer's book. [FlashForwardSeries.com]

Chuck:

Not sure if this is a spoiler or just speculation, but TV Guide's Matt Roush believes the new shorter season of this show will feature fewer annoying subplots at the Buy More. [TV Guide via Chuck TV]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

A new trailer appeared in front of Terminator Salvation, and here it is:

And here's a new TV spot. Hoping for better quality soon:

And here's a new IMAX poster, plus some new stills that reveal the movie will feature (wait for it) explosions and cars. I'm actually kind of excited. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Ghostbusters 3:

Talking to the Guardian, Dan Aykroyd spilled a few new details about the "new generation" of busters, including the fact that the leader will be a woman:

There'll be a whole new generation that has to be trained and a leader that you'll all love when you meet her. There'll be lots of cadets, boys and girls who'll be learning how to use the neuron splitter and the inter-planet interceptor - new tools to enable them to slip from dimension to dimension.

Also, Aykroyd said that Bill Murray refused to come back unless Ernie Hudson had as big a role as the other original guys. [via Slashfilm]

Land Of The Lost:

Here's a new clip from this June 5 movie, featuring Chaka trying to warn our heroes against a Sleestak ambush. (Sorry, non-U.S. people!) [MTV]

Looper:

Rian "Brick" Johnson describes his science fiction movie again:

It's sci-fi, but it's not huge sci-fi. It's more — just in terms of the scale — it's closer to Children of Men. It's set in the near future and the main sci-fi element of it is time travel. So that presents all sorts of interesting narrative challenges. It presents a lot of headaches in terms of the writing. It's fun, though.

[LAist]

Gamer:

Mimi Michaels describes her role in this film from the Crank guys:

That promises to be one exciting thriller. Lots of action and interest throughout. The story is set in a high tech futuristic world. The video games you get to play are with real lives. My character is a quirky fan of one of the best players.

[Shockya]

New Moon:

Three new pictures from the Twilight sequel. [Horror Year Book]

Sarah Jane Adventures:

So as we suspected, David Tennant's Doctor is showing up on this spinoff show, for a two-parter to be written by Gareth Roberts. (It's part of the third season, airing this fall.) Russell T. Davies tells Doctor Who Magazine that Tennant's appearance isn't a cameo, it's a proper part of the story. And K-9 (the real one, not the weird new version) will appear as well. RTD says the two-parter is "extraordinary, wild and powerfully moving," and the "wedding of Sarah Jane will be a day for everyone to remember." [Den Of Geek]

Lost:

Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof reiterate that they've known for a long time what the show's final scene will be, and they have a pretty good idea of the final episode. But they're leaving enough wriggle room to account for character development and discoveries along the way. [TV Guide]

V:

A new review adds some more details to the ones we already knew. The UFOs appear over a dozen Earth cities, and the first five minutes deal with their arrival, culminating in the face of the leader, Anna, appearing everywhere. The only human character who gets fleshed out in the pilot is FBI agent Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell) who's more proactive and confident than Juliet on Lost. Her son Tyler is a huge supporter of the alien V's, and goes around spray-painting the letter "V" on trash cans. Also compelling are Chad the conflicted news anchor who sells out to the V's but feels bad about it, and Ryan, the V who betrays his own people. And it sounds like the show actually goes for the Independence Day jokes. [AICN]

True Blood:

The new season picks up the same night as the end of the previous season, says Anna Paquin. And you'll find out who was dead in the back of that car. [TV Guide]

Heroes:

In the fourth season opener, we'll meet a sweet little Japanese girl who tries to save her kitten. [The ODI]

Reaper:

Here's a sneak peek from the season finale.

Additional reporting by Alasdair Wilkins.

LA Times' The Hero Complex interviewed Dan Aykroyd who first explained that he harbored no ill will towards Bill Murray for not immediately signing on for the third film, and that it was indeed Murray's involvement that became the "pivot point in making a third film happen."

Aykroyd revealed that the new busters would be a a five-member "new generation" team with more than one female member:

"I'd like it to be a passing-of-the-torch movie. Let's revisit the old characters briefly and happily and have them there as family, but let's pass it on to a new generation."

As for what women Aykroyd thinks should fill out those jumpsuits? That part was easy to answer: Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded up those two great looking, butt-kicking gals all day on set? Plus Milano did the voices for the Ghostbusters video game.

Of course this is only speculation, and both actresses twittered that they hadn't heard anything:

Alyssa Milano:

Can't speak for @ElizaPatricia (Hi, pretty lady)but this is the first I'm hearing of Ghostbusters 3. Did the VO in the game tho.

Eliza Dushku:

Ghost-rumor-buster in a big way @Alyssa_milano (hey girlene) it's nuthin' I know of.

Star Trek:

A new TV spot shows a bit more of the Kirk/cadets brawl, where they call him "Farm boy." Also, someone tells him he's captain now, but it sounds like he's only captain of a shuttle in that instance:

John Cho describes the new film: "It's a younger, more action-filled, more athletic version of "Star Trek," so, I think both camps will be happy." [Hollywood Today]

More on that: This film moves at a lightning-fast pace, hardly ever pausing for breath. Three years of Starfleet Academy is covered by a title card that reads "Three Years Later." From the moment McCoy smuggles an "academically suspended" Kirk aboard Pike's U.S.S. Enterprise, the film zooms forward, with the only pause being the meeting with Old Spock on the ice planet. The movie's final act suffers a bit from a "premature climax" and Nero is disposed of awfully quickly, plus Spock's final battle with Nero's drill is pretty forgettable. But at least Kirk gets a nice Indy moment, and the Enterprise does a good impression of the Millenium Falcon at the Battle of Yavin. [Empire Online]

As you'll know if you've read the comics, the villain Nero is pissed because Spock failed to prevent the destruction of Romulus, so he travels back in time and tries to kill Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew. And we glimpse the fact that Nero is in pain from the loss of his home planet.

Also, there are comic moments when Kirk tries to find out Uhura's first name. And Chekhov address the entire ship in his funny accent. Simon Pegg is used sparingly, but is hilarious. And we get to see Sulu "driving" the Enterprise, in addition to that big sword fight on Nero's drill. And McCoy is nervous and neurotic. [Cinefools]

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

A toy box gives us a new hint about Megatron's role in the movie:

Trapped in the black, crushing depths of the sea, his mind inert in the grip of stasis lock, Megatron knew nothing of the desperate search mounted for his remains by the other Decepticons. When he was finally brought back online, their effort and sacrifice meant little to him. The only thing that had any meaning was revenge. He would have his vengeance against the human boy who cheated him of his prize, and he swore to celebrate over the smoking wreck of Optimus Prime.

[TF08 via IESB]

Ghostbusters 3:

Sigourney Weaver will be back, promises Dan Aykroyd. "We'll make that happen. There'll be a whole new generation that has to be trained. And that whole new generation will be led by an individual that you'll all love when you hear who it is, but I'm not going to tell you now. There will be lots of cadets, boys and girls, who'll be learning how to use the cyclotron, the accelerators, and the new stuff. The nuon splitter, the inter-planary interceptor, all these great tools they're going to have to flip from dimension to dimension. Anyway." [CHUD via ScreenRant]

Dollhouse:

On Friday, we showed you some pics from episode 11, "Briar Rose." Here's the official synopsis:

Ballard's investigation leads him to the agoraphobic designer of the Dollhouse (guest star Alan Tudyk), and the story of "Sleeping Beauty" foreshadows Echo's future, while allowing her to help a young girl deal with her traumatic past. Adelle goes to the attic in search of answers, while Alpha reveals himself and sets his game in motion.

So Echo's future is to become Sleeping Beauty? Is that how she survives into a post-apocalyptic world? [SpoilerTV]

Doctor Who:

Russell T. Davies says Bernard Cribbins is a "proper companion" for the Doctor in David Tennant's final two parter. But don't assume, just because people have glimpsed John Simm on set, that the Master will be back:

It's not quite as easy to guess what's happening as you think - there's nightmare sequences, and layers of fantasy, because the Doctor's coming to the end of his time. It's quite interesting to watch things being filmed, and think: 'Oh, I can see what that would look like...'

Also, even though all of the season finales before this have been huge and Earth-shattering, the stakes still get bigger in Tennant's final episode. And yet, they also get more personal. [Telegraph]

Now that we're warned that they may be deceiving, here are more set reports. One scene was filmed featuring Wilf wearing his holiday Reindeer hat, dancing to get the attention of a tour-bus for over-50 holidayers. The bus stops and he gets on. And June Whitfield was spotted on set, apparently playing Wilf's friend Henrietta Goodheart.

In another scene, Donna is getting married - yet again - to an unidentified actor. Wilf is there, and the Doctor and the TARDIS were also glimpsed, so maybe the Doctor crashes her wedding. Meanwhile, there's a scene in a back alley, between Donna and John Simm's Master. The master is carrying a mask, of a human with gray hair. Also in the scene are a guy wearing a boy tie and a white-haired man.

And the Doctor visits Sarah Jane Smith's home, at Bannerman Road. Luke is talking on his cell phone while hurrying across the street, and nearly gets run over. The Doctor pushes him out of the way in time. Luke realizes who the Doctor is, and they have a brief conversation before the Doctor walks away. Luke runs to fetch Sarah Jane, and they stand and watch the Doctor walk to the TARDIS. He turns to wave, and Sarah Jane cries.

(Pics and videos by Skarofighter2, Gabriel Strange, Alun_Vega, Scooty and others.) [Planet Gallifrey]

Fringe:

There's a "coming war," says actor Kirk Acevedo. And he's currently shooting a stand-alone episode for season two, which has a sort of "Ghost Whisperer" theme. [Fringe Television]

Heroes:

Here's the official description for the final episode of the season, "The Invisible Thread":

Nathan faces off against Sylar to keep him from meeting the President. Sylar has his own plans for his new partner. Meanwhile, Hiro learns that there are repercussions to regaining his ability. Elsewhere, Matt is forced to go to extraordinary lengths to protect his future with his family.

Also, an extra who was on set claims that he was part of a scene where HRG, Claire and the Petrellis are in a diner, watching Sylar talk on television about how he's going to meet the president and steer the country in the right direction. Claire asks how Sylar can do this, and HRG says he can take on many forms. Nathan says he started this and he's going to end it. Claire says "He's going to kill you!" and Peter says, "I'll go with you." Nathan runs out, followed by Peter. [Heroes Television]

And here's a trailer for the season's last few episodes:

Meanwhile, Matt Parkman will be like, "Daphne who?" Apparently, according to Greg Grunberg, when Matt gets back together with his ex-wife Janice, she'll realize that he's been thinking about her the entire time, and he really wants their relationship to work. So even though it may take a while, Matt and Janice will probably end up together. And meanwhile, Matt's discovery that he has a son will cause him to take an action in the final episode that he may regret for the rest of his life. [TV Guide]

Chuck:

In tonight's episode, Jill agrees to help Chuck track down his dad, so they go to a family reunion under cover as a couple, to meet her Uncle Bernie, the guy who recruited Jill into Fulcrum. And the episode ends with Chuck making a huge decision that affects not just the team, but how General Beckman sees the team. Meanwhile, fear not - by the end of the season, Sarah will get her chance with Chuck. [E! Online]

Reaper:

Here's the description for episode 9, "No Reaper Left Behind":

The Devil (Ray Wise) wants Sam (Bret Harrison) to begin his training to bring about the end of days so he sends him a tutor named Sally (guest star Simone Kessell). Sam decides to seduce Sally to get information from her about how to beat the Devil. Meanwhile, Nina (Jenny Wade) takes revenge on Ben (Rick Gonzalez) and Sock (Tyler Labine).

[SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Here's the official synopsis for episode 8x20, "Beast":

DAVIS ASKS CHLOE TO LEAVE TOWN WITH HIM - Clark (Tom Welling) discovers that Davis (Sam Witwer) is still alive and confronts Chloe (Allison Mack) about protecting him. Oliver (Justin Hartley) discovers Jimmy (Aaron Ashmore) breaking into Chloe's apartment, but things get rapidly worse after Davis jumps from the shadows and attacks both of them.

[SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Alasdair Wilkins.

Avatar (2009)

Admittedly, it's a bit of a tall order to make a trailer for a movie whose premise is still far from clear. The first half is kinda cool, but it doesn't really have much to do with what little is known of Avatar's story, which I think is set a couple centuries in the future. The second half is just sort of so-so. Not terrible, but there's definitely better out there.

Bioshock (2010)

And this is one of them. This probably impresses me more than it necessarily should because I've seen so few of the movies used to construct the trailer, which according to its maker include City of Lost Children, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Casshern, Dark City, Cast Away, Aliens of the Deep, I, Robot, Silent Hill, and AI: Artificial Intelligence. Of those, I'm somewhat ashamed to say I only recognized Laurence Olivier from Sky Captain (though I have seen Dark City). Part of the reason this trailer works fairly well is its creator chose movies that are reasonably similar stylistically, making it more difficult to figure out what does and doesn't fit together if you haven't seen the source material (we'll soon deal with a trailer that just throws together a bunch of famous contemporary movies).

Captain America (2010)

This one is a bit different from the rest, as it's a completely original trailer instead of a fan mash-up. It's surprisingly intense for what is ultimately a bunch of dudes running around on a beach, some of whom are very clearly wearing sneakers. Still, the pounding music and washed-out look do have their charms, and remembering to throw in a shot of Nick Fury is a definite plus.

Cowboy Bebop (TBD)

This one has to get points for sheer insanity. This combines one of the Matrix sequels, The Phantom Menace, Wanted, Live Free or Die Hard, Firefly, Constantine, and Deep Impact, and those are just the ones I can easily identify. There's some definite overuse of Angelina Jolie here (should you really include the curving of the bullet when that's so closely identified with Wanted?), but it's certainly never boring. Cutting all the dialogue was also a good call, as forcing the characters to say things that aren't immediately recognizable from previous movies is usually the biggest pitfall of fake trailers. From what I've seen, there's just no good way to do it, and unless you've got something to distract the viewer (like Brad Pitt in full Thundercat makeup, for example), it can be fatally distracting.

Ghostbusters 3 (TBD)

Wow, five minutes is a long time for a fake trailer. Still pretty good though. Here, as the creator puts it, is the "recipe" for this trailer:

Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2, Predator, Independence Day, Casper, Nightwatch, Gremlins 2, Lost in Translation, End of Days, Haunted Mansion, Hellboy, Earth vs the Spider, Orange County, Blues Brothers 2000, Miss Congeniality 2, Christmas with the Kranks, Miss Congeniality, Sleepy Hollow, X-Men, The Blob, Spider-man 3, High Spirits, Frighteners, Constantine, Mars Attacks, Charlie's Angels, Be Kind Rewind, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, Dan in Real Life

Makes that Cowboy Bebop trailer look positively unambitious. At least this one manages to be somewhat deft about including clips from Lost in Translation. One of the less impressive trailers I saw just came right out and explicitly made Dr. Venkman an actor now...and that's just nutty. Although after spending so much time with the original cast was there really any reason to throw in a bunch of new Ghostbusters at the end?

Green Lantern (2010)

I'm a bit torn about this one. There's something a bit perverse about using quite so much footage from a Marvel movie for a DC trailer, and it was probably an overstep to actually use some of Johnny Storm's dialogue from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Still, I'm being more than a little nitpicky, as this trailer features some truly awesome digital trickery to actually create some footage of Green Lanterns flying, and the casting choices of Tim Curry as Sinestro and Warwick Davies as a Guardian are inspired. Although if Denzel Washington is supposed to be John Stewart, I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying it, at least not on the strength of two random clips.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

I'll assume this was made before Terrence Howard was mysteriously removed from the sequel in favor of Don Cheadle. Cutting in footage from the Iron Man video game was, to put it mildly, a mistake, because it just doesn't gel properly with the rest of what's in there. I will give it credit for some clever cuts that sort of do make it look like Iron Man and War Machine are sharing the screen, but using "Iron Man" as the trailer's main song? I feel as though the end credits to the first movie pretty much retired the use of that song.

Spider-Man 4 (TBD)

Some terrible music choices shouldn't necessarily take away from the technical merit on display in this trailer. It's certainly a lot more interesting to try to spotlight the Lizard as the Spider-Man 4 villain instead of, say, Venom again, which pretty much involves remixing a Spider-Man 3 trailer. Or you can use Carnage, which is basically the same process, except you slap a red filter on it to make it look a bit different (though this trailer includes him through clips from Resident Evil: Apocalypse). I don't know whether I would have relied quite so much on Jurassic Park, but I guess where else are you going to find so many shots lizard-like things in laboratory settings?

Overall, I'm not sure any of these are mindblowingly awesome in quite the same way that the Thundercats trailer was, but credit where credit is due - some of these are pretty cool, assuming your suspension of disbelief is ready to work overtime.

An AICN tipster attended the opening of the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts that was hosted by original Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd.

When asked by The Boston Globe if there were any Ghostbuster updates Aykroyd responded:

Script is commenced early summer. Hope to be in production by late fall 2009.

Which means the script, by The Office scribes, is probably almost done, and we could be getting greenlight and casting news soon. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled on the old NYC firehouse.

In an interview with MTV, Weaver revealed that not only had she been thinking about a Ghostbusters sequel, but that she was going to talk to Bill Murray about it next week. Whatever happened to those two crazy kids anyways? Did they get married, move out of the city, buy a couple chocolate labs, and now they only fight over silly things like forgetting to separate the recycling? Weaver wonders as well.

Does he think we got married or something?” she laughed. Weaver wasn’t sure if there was a place for her in the story but she did think someone deserves a spot. “I would hope that my little Oscar would be one of the Ghostbusters even if I’m not in it!”

Alas, it sounds like she hasn't really been approached for it yet, but then again the script (penned by The Office writers) still hasn't been written.

[MTV]