Inception:

Chris Nolan showed off some footage from his new film at ShoWest, and it was all dream-like imagery — appropriate since the movie is apparently about being able to enter people's dreams, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are partners trying to keep this technology from being used for evil. Scenes included people falling down snowy mountains, JGL floating in zero gravity and tying corpses together, an elevator opening into a room without gravity, a city folding up and falling into the ocean, and Ken Watanabe's cool/gorgeous office.

At one point, DiCaprio and Gordon-Levitt explain their job to Ken Watanabe, and we also see Michael Caine apparently trying to recruit Ellen Page to join the DiCaprio/Gordon-Levitt team. "Like a job placement?" she asks, and they both chuckle. Marion Cotillard shows up briefly, holding a gun, but also crying, smiling and hugging DiCaprio. And apparently, it all looked transcendantly beautiful and confusing. [CinemaBlend]

Iron Man 2:

Russian-speaking actor Anya Monzikova has a small role in this film, and also helped ScarJo with her Russian dialog. She explains her part in the film:

I can't really reveal too many details, but it's a smaller part in one of the larger
scenes. My character's name is Rebekah. It's a little bit of a heavy scene, and a climactic scene as well so I can't really give it away.

[The Trades]

Batman 3:

This is barely worth mentioning, but Hans Zimmer, who did the music for the first two Batman movies, says it would be fun to compose music for the Riddler, so he's in favor of the Riddler being the villain in the third film. "Maybe I should talk to Chris about that," he adds. (But it goes without saying this is the composer, and he doesn't get to pick the film's villain based on who would have a cool musical cue.) [MTV]

Tron Legacy:

Not only does Sam Flynn ride a motorcycle in the film, but the opening sequence is a kind of pseudo-motorcycle chase scene, says Garrett Hedlund. [Slashfilm]

Original director Steve Lisberger describes his cameo in this film:

I'm a bartender at this place, [the] End of the Line Club. And that's just Joe and Sean having fun with me I think. But I have a certain confrontation with Flynn in this club. I end up having to face my own creation. It's all subtext. It's not like I have a scene or anything like that. But it's pretty cool.

[Cinematical]

Transformers 3:

Sounds like Josh Duhamel is in this film after all. He just met with Michael Bay, who said the script is completed. (Make your own guesses as to what word "completed" is a synonym for.) [CinemaBlend]

Kick-Ass:

Will this movie save superhero cinema? Too early to tell! But this new 60-second trailer sure looks sensational:

Hot Tub Time Machine:

Here's another red-band clip from this wacky time-travel movie, that I don't think we've featured yet.

A new review gives away tons of spoilers. "Asshole friend" Lou (Rob Corddry) accidentally gasses himself in his garage after a bender, so his pals decide to take him to a ski lodge, bringing along Cusack's 20-year-old nephew Jacob. This causes Lou to thump his chest and bare his teeth in displeasure. There's a projectile-vomiting scene where a squirrel gets knocked off a ledge. Crispin Glover plays a ski lodge employee who's destined to lose an arm. Lizzy Caplan has a romance subplot with Cusack's character, even though he's such a spaced-out weirdo towards the end of the film, you're not sure what she sees in him. Mostly, the review describes it as a pretty funny tribute to 1980s comedies. [IGN]

Doctor Who:

There's a bushel of spoilers, following on from last night's premiere. Let's see... The opening episode is described as "Independence Day on the village green." The new TARDIS console "looks like it has been constructed from items out of a junk shop, including an old typewriter, a telephone, pressure gauges and a Morse code machine." The first episode's villain is indeed a shape-shifting alien. [BBC]

Steven Moffat says, "At the end of the last story, the Tardis was exploding, so it rebuilds itself around the new Doctor. And because the Doctor is completely mad, it builds itself around his madness." It has hexagonal and circular "roundlets" built into the concrete and bronze walls, and besides the aforementioned three levels, there's a door leading to other rooms. And the junk on the console includes a gramophone speaker, a petrol pump, dials and pistons. The word "steampunk" is used. [Guardian]

The TARDIS, crashing to Earth in the 1990s, nearly hits Big Ben. The little girl he meets after it crashes is named Amelia Pond, and she asks, "Who are you?", hoping that he's come to fix the crack in her wall. Replies the newly regenerated Doctor, "I'm the Doctor. Don't ask stupid questions and do everything I tell you." His main priority is eating as much food as possible. Then the Doctor vanishes and reappears 12 years later, when Amelia (now Amy) is a kiss-o-gram dressed as a policewoman. And it turns out the crack in the wall that young Amy was worried about was actually a doorway to a prison that held a villain, whose escape leads the Atraxi to declare they'll incinerate all human life. There are just 20 minutes left to save the world. At one point in the first episode, the Doctor actually says, "Who da man?" [The Sun]

For the rough cut of episode one, at least, the show still had the same title sequence, only with a different font and a new logo. Matt Smith says "Geronimo" again, early in the episode. And the story is the weakest part of the first episode, which mostly focuses on the main characters. But it's still a great beginning, with some funny one-liners. [Den Of Geek]

The newly regenerated Doctor's first words to Amy are to demand some food item, that's all he can think about. One character asks Santa to send them something unusual. Amy Pond's handy with a cricket bat. The TARDIS swimming pool and library are mentioned. Some familiar faces, previously seen on the show, make cameos, plus Patrick Moore, who thinks Amy's grandma is a fox. People refer to the Doctor as "raggedy," "magic" and "a disappointment." The Doctor commandeers a laptop to save the world using Twitter (!) and comes across something inappropriate. A fire engine turns into an unconventional rescue vehicle. The Shadow Proclamation is mentioned. The Doctor "bares all" to Amy. [Sky TV]

It sounds like Amy doesn't jump into the TARDIS the first time the Doctor asks her to join him — she needs a bit of convincing. (Even though the young Amy was all for it.) [Digital Spy]

A couple new interviews with the show's new stars. [Radio Free Skaro]

Supernatural:

Some sneak peeks from the next episode. [SpoilerTV]

And descriptions for a couple more upcoming episodes:

"Dark Side Of The Moon" (April 1): Ambushed by angry hunters, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are shot and killed and sent to Heaven. Castiel (Misha Collins) warns Dean that Zachariah (guest star Kurt Fuller) is looking for them in Heaven so they need to lay low while searching for an angel named Joshua (guest star Roger Aaron Brown) who can help them since he talks directly to God. While searching for Joshua, the brothers run into some old friends and family members.

"99 Problems" (April 8): MICHAEL SHANKS ("STARGATE SG-1," "SMALLVILLE") GUEST STARS AS A HUNTER - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are outnumbered by demons, but are saved at the last minute by Rob (guest star Michael Shanks) and his townspeople, who are aware of the Apocalypse, and have been training to fight and kill demons. The small town is very religious and Sam and Dean meet Pastor Gideon (guest star Larry Poindexter), who introduces them to his daughter Leah (guest star Kayla Mae Maloney.), whom he claims is a prophet. Leah tells the townspeople they must obey her orders if they want a spot in Heaven but when she starts turning the townspeople against each other in the name of the Lord, the brothers realize they must kill her.

[ShockTillYouDrop]

Fringe:

Here are a couple new clips from episode 2x15, "Peter". [SpoilerTV]

When the show returns, we won't know if Olivia and Peter went on that date after all — and Joshua Jackson is missing for the entire episode. [Zap2It]

V:

We'll meet a new character, Kyle Hobbes, played by Charles Mesure. When we meet John May, it'll be in a flashback episode. A significant character dies in the next eight episodes. The show will keep playing with the paranoia of knowing that anyone could be a V. Anna is worried that she's losing her daughter, Lisa, just as Erica worries she's losing her son. And there will be "vermin" in one of the upcoming episodes, if not necessarily the iconic guinea pig. [Sci Fi Wire]

Caprica:

Ron Moore explains what's next for Zoe:

She struggles to figure out if she can get out of the robot body and leave Caprica. She's the Zoe avatar so she's not the original. What's her place in the universe? What can she do? Where can she go? She certainly feels like a person, so what's the difference? She's gonna face struggles and self-discovery.

And Amanda's dangers (sigh) aren't over. Which probably means more boring hookah scenes. More New Cap City, please! [Digital Spy]

Chuck:

The season finale will feature a splashy music video for Jeffster, and it's "the worst music video of all time," says producer Josh Schwartz. The song in question was featured in a Western movie, and it ties into the episode's big climax. Says Schwartz, "The way the original song was used in the movie is the way we're using it here." And it narrates the action. Weird! One more picture at the link. [EW]

Here's a Canadian promo for the next episode, again with the weird voice-over. [ChuckTV]

FlashForward:

Here are some promo pics from episode 15, "Queen Sacrifice." [SpoilerTV]

Stargate Universe:

Some more season two episode titles are episode 2x06, "Trial And Error," which has "some wonderful exchanges and great, great character moments. And some pretty crazy action," according to producer Joseph Mallozzi. "The Greater Good" is episode 2x07, "Malice" is after that, and then the mid-season finale is "Resurgence." [Gateworld]

Smallville:

Here's the official description for episode 9x17, "Checkmate":

PAM GRIER ("JACKIE BROWN," "THE L WORD") GUEST STARS AND PHIL MORRIS RETURNS AS MARTIAN MANHUNTER - Tess (Cassidy Freeman) creates an elaborate hoax in order to kidnap Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) and delivers him to Amanda Waller (guest star Pam Grier), who tells him that that the government is recruiting him to serve his country. However, Green Arrow escapes before they can reveal his identity. After Oliver brings Clark (Tom Welling) and Chloe (Allison Mack) up to speed, the three investigate and Clark is surprised to find John Jones (guest star Phil Morris.) investigating Oliver's kidnapping too. Clark senses that John is keeping information from him. Oliver and Clark are shocked when Tess reveals that Amanda is after something called "Watchtower." Waller threatens to kill Chloe unless Clark gives her the names and locations of the rest of the Justice League.

[OSCK]

Lost:

It sounds like Harold Perrineau has already filmed his return as Michael, which means it takes place before episode 3x15. But he hints he might possibly be back in the finale. [On The Red Carpet]

Since both Ben and Richard Alpert have lost a lot of their mojo lately, Nestor Carbonell hints they may team up. [TV Guide]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Predators:

The new sequel is a "dope movie," says Topher Grace. Adds Walton Goggins:

It's very similar to Schwarzenegger's "Predator,' but it's different. You have to see how that unfolds, the realization that we're somewhere other than our planet. At the end of the day, it's a human tale. There are a lot of dysfunctional people coming together in 'Predators' that would never work together, but they are forced to work together in order to survive.

And Grace says that somebody delivers Jesse Ventura's iconic line, "I ain't got time to bleed." And Goggins explains his character:

I play Walter Stans in 'Predators' - he's a famous serial killer and fancies himself the only celebrity of the eight persons on the alien planet, and is perturbed when they don't know who he is or ask for his autograph. Stans has a lot of one-liners that hopefully people will be quoting when they leave the movie.

There are about twenty of these one-liners, and one of them is, "Your ass is awesome." [MTV]

The Thing:

We're still not sure what this prequel to John Carpenter's film will be called? First Things? Another Thing? Thing #1? But at least it's announced its cast list according to an anonymous tipster — which (not surprisingly) includes a ton of Norwegians staffing that Norwegian base. The film stars Death Proof's Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. Also joining the film are Dennis Storhøi (The 13th Warrior), Trond Espen Seim (The Frost), Jørgen Langhelle (Svik), Stig Henrik Hoff, Jan Gunnar Røise, Kristofer Hivju (Manhunt) and Jo Adrian Haavind. Filming has already started in Toronto and British Columbia. (Since this tip comes from an anonymous source, the usual grain of salt is indicated.) [ShockTillYouDrop]

Repo Men:

In our world, Jake might be a psychopath, says actor Forest Whitaker, but in his world, he's just very good at his job. And he explains the relationship between Jake and Jude Law's Remy:

We've been friends since we were children, then we went off to war together. We've killed together, we've shared something that's private in that respect. So our bond is really strong.

[L.A. Times]

It sounds like a lot of flashbacks to Jake and Remy's history together wound up getting cut, judging from this interview with Whitaker and Law. Also cut: A Christmas scene where the two laugh in the street after their first repossession. [CinemaBlend]

Director Miguel Sapochnik says the film, which was filmed in Toronto, actually takes place there too, although it's never stated outright. The business of Law and Whitaker ripping people's organs out in broad daylight and nobody protesting fits in well with Canadian culture. And Sapochnik says he did tons of research on what artificial organs might look like in the future, and what might power them. [Fangoria]

Fringe:

There's a trailer on set for "Charlie" right now, and by coincidence Kirk Acevedo is in town. Hmm. [Twitter via SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

You might remember talk of a big death in the 100th episode, airing April 15 — apparently it's not "major," so probably not Cas or Bobby. [EW]

Eureka:

Something huge happens in the season opener, says Colin Ferguson:

Something happens at the beginning of the season where everything shifts. It's one of those things where you assume at the end of the episode, ‘Oh, it's going to reverse itself' – and it doesn't.

It's neither a good nor bad change, but it's a huge, "ballsy" sea change. And it has to do with new castmember James "Baltar" Callis. Says Salli Richardson-Whitfield, "He comes in with his own secrets. Is he a good guy, a bad guy? You don't know." Also, Jamie Ray Newman will be back for a couple episodes as Dr. Tess Fontana. [Fancast]

Stargate Universe:

Brian Smith says that the second half of the first season features the crew going up against some pretty powerful natural forces. "This last half is about taking what we've established and then really messing with it... We're going to leave you with the last episode that … when I read it, I got upset," he said. "There is something that happens in that last episode that is so upsetting, so cruel, and so wrong that just thinking about it gives me goosebumps." [Sci Fi Wire via Gateworld]

Riverworld:

Here's the official description for this miniseries, airing in April: Matt Ellman (Tahmoh Penikett, Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse) is an American war zone reporter, killed along with his fiancée Jessie (Laura Vandervoort, Smallville) by a suicide bomber. They awaken separated in a mysterious world where everyone who has ever lived on Earth seems to have been "reborn" along the banks of a seemingly endless river. Determined to locate Jessie, Matt joins forces with a 13th century female samurai warrior Tomoe (Jeananne Goossen) and American novelist Sam "Mark Twain" Clemens (Mark Deklin). [CinemaBlend]

Caprica:

Here are some promo stills from this Friday's episode, "Ghosts In The Machine," which is the penultimate one of the current block. [CapricaTV]

True Blood:

Mariana Klaveno is coming back as Bill's "maker," for at least six episodes. But we will never see beloved book character Bubba, because Alan Ball couldn't figure out a way to do it without being cheesy. [EW]

FlashForward:

Demetri has some "very interesting" stuff coming up with Janis, says John Cho. And every single character on this show has a major twist coming up. We'll learn about Simon's family life. Janis is still dead set on having a baby. And Mark and Olivia go to a "dark place" in their marriage. Says Jack Davenport, "In the second half of the season, the excitement builds exponentially week after week with reveals, explanations, complications. If you want answers, come back. If you don't, go somewhere else!" [E! Online]

Chuck:

There'll be a significant death in the season finale. [EW]

Here are some promo pics for episode 3x11, "Chuck Vs. The Final Exam." [ChuckTV]

Smallville:

Zod is going to sleep with someone whose name has four letters — Lois? — in an upcoming episode. [EW]

Lost:

Episode 6x15, the big Jacob-and-MIB episode, isn't completely free of regular characters — it's just very light on them. And it's a big mythology episode. [EW]

Here are some promo pics for next Tuesday's eagerly anticipated Richard Alpert episode. [SpoilersLost]

This clip, which we mistakenly said was a clip from this most recent episode, is actually from this coming Tuesday's:

And here's another clip from this Tuesday's Alpert-mania episode. (Alpert-o-rama?) [SpoilersLost]

Someone we have not yet met will have an important message for Hurley next week. Flocke will tell Jin how he plans to get off the island, and it's "pretty juicy." There's a "package" that might be the most shocking, nerve-wracking reveal of the season so far. (I'm wondering if that's the rumored bomb that Jack carries onto the sub?) And episode 11, airing in a few weeks, might make you cry. [E! Online]

Additional reporting by Kelly Faircloth.

Green Lantern:

Here are the first set pics from the filming of this movie in New Orleans. The main thing is that you can just make out a certain ring on Ryan Reynolds' finger. This is from the filming of a bar scene, where the bar has been refitted with the name Broome's. And the fact that Ryan already has the ring means (thank goodness) that this bar scene doesn't have anything to do with any "Hal is an alcoholic before he gets the ring" subplot. (I'm assuming they wouldn't show him drinking after crashing his car and meeting Abin Sur.) Also, I'm wondering if the much-ballyhooed car stunt is the thing where Hal almost crashes his car, but then it flies instead. My memory of Emerald Dawn is slightly hazy, but that sticks in my mind. Many more pics at the link. [Comic Book Movie]

Tron Legacy:

A few more details from Jeff Bridges: His makeup takes three hours. He has very few scenes with Bruce Boxleitner. He was present for the entire film shoot, but Sam Flynn is the protagonist, not Kevin Flynn. The lightcycles and discs have been taken "to the next level," and there's a cool new vehicle. And he's doing some motion-capture stuff. [Slashfilm]

And when Sam Flynn does get into the virtual world and meet his father, he's very impressed with everything his dad has accomplished. [MTV]

Reporters on set also got to see some production stills, including Kevin Flynn kneeling in his "safe house," in a white martial-arts robe. Plus four "sirens" in skintight white catsuits surrounding Sam Flynn, who's in a black catsuit. Sam standing on the bridge of a large ship holding a glowing disk, with orange hexagonal windows looking out behind him. [Sci Fi Wire]

Transformers 3:

There's a call for extras (paying $200 a day) and the most notable thing is Josh Duhamel isn't listed among the film's stars. Is he not coming back? Would you be able to tell? [CinemaBlend]

Real Steel:

Canadian actor Dakota Goyo will play Hugh Jackman's son in this film, "a street-smart, tough, charming kid with a hard, untrusting outer shell which hides a warm enthusiastic spirit beneath." The father teams up with his long-lost son to train an unusual robot to take part in a robot boxing match. [THR]

Let Me In:

The American remake of Let The Right One In isn't Americanized in the sense of dumbed down, says Matt Reeves — rather, the cultural context of the 1980s tale has changed to include Reaganism and the fear of the Evil Empire. And the idea that the scary Other is elsewhere and outside, and the main character's rage against bullies has no reasonable outlet. Reeves talks about his own childhood experiences with bullying, and how he had always wanted to tell a kind of brutal coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old boy who meets a girl in his apartment complex and has these sort of intense encounters, so this project turned out to be perfect. He also referred to the original novel a lot during the adaptation process. [Cinematical]

Toy Story 3:

Another character poster introduces you to a new toy, Sparks. [Slashfilm]

There's a mostly glowing review of this film, which contains no spoilers but does say it takes as many risks, and twists your heartstrings as much, as other recent Pixar films. But at the same time, it feels like Pixar is playing it a bit too safe. [Cinemablend]

Repo Men:

I just read the novel this movie is based on (review coming later today) and novelist Eric Garcia talks in an afterword about adapting the book to a screenplay with co-writer Garrett Lerner, while simultaneously revising the book — a process which happened over and over again, over several years. Similarly, he tells ShockTillYouDrop, "The Repossession Mambo novel was told in constant flashbacks, jumps in time, linked only by theme, etc. Hard to do a narrative that way, so it came down to figuring out a way through the story — 30 drafts or so later, I think we cracked it." (Among other changes, the novel gives the main character five ex-wives plus a current love interest, and the movie apparently gives him only two ex-wives, one of whom he re-meets and she becomes his current love interest.) [ShockTillYouDrop]

Fringe:

As you've no doubt gathered, the April 1 episode is an 1980s flashback in which we meet Peter's mother, learn what happened to him and why Olivia sees him glimmering. And why he owes the Observer his life. Almost all his backstory will be filled in. Plus, we'll get a pretty good idea why Nina lost her arm to "cancer." [TV Guide]

Also, we'll meet Walter's former lab assistant. (Wondering if that could be the same person as Peter's mother?) [Fancast]

Chuck:

Next week, Chuck brings up that fateful train station rendezvous in Prague with Sarah, and cue the waterworks. Also, it's really looking like the two characters leaving the show might be Awesome and Ellie. Ellie considers Awesome's idea of joining Doctors Without Borders, and her answer might make you nervous about their continued appearance on the show. [Fancast]

Smallville:

Here are some stills from the Amanda Waller episode, "Checkmate." [OSCK]

So in the April 16 episode, "Upgrade," Clark gets hit with red kryptonite, and as usual he makes a bad mistake — but this time, it involves the Fortress, Zod and Metallo, and could have huge consequences. Also, it sounds like Metallo might have some red-kryptonite problems too — but Zod is untouched. Also, Metallo gets some scenes with Lois that might make Lois-Clark shippers unhappy. [Fancast]

FlashForward:

Jack Davenport says it's not a foregone conclusion that Lloyd and Olivia are going to hook up. On Thursday, we'll see Olivia coping with Lloyd's abduction, and she's getting debriefed and having to explain matters to Mark. And Courtney Vance explains what to expect for his character, Stanford:

We'll start to find out about some of the threads that we laid in which were for my character the deal between the president and Senator Clemente. Mark goes rogue to figure out what happened to him. Supposedly his badge is turned in. There's some great action, motorcycle chases, great intrigue. People I think will be very satisfied.

[Fancast]

Lost:

We all know that Juliet's coming back, but Elizabeth Mitchell hints it may not be until the very final episode. [Sci Fi Wire]

So remember the set report we had a little while ago in which it seemed like both the L.A. versions of Ben and Locke were getting the crap beaten out of them, and the beater might be Desmond? And then Ben meets Rousseau? There are some pics of that scene now. Plus some new pics of what look like the bear cages. And Locke rolling around a parking lot. [SpoilersLost and SpoilersLost]

I know: You all thought I was going to say "Batman," didn't you? But considering that Smallville was the product of a failed pitch for a show called Bruce Wayne - which would've followed a teenage Bruce on his travels around the world training to become the future Dark Knight - our bat-eared friend has long been considered off-limits for this kind of treatment, sadly (The pitch, which was apparently loved by television executives, was rumored to have been killed by Warners executives convinced there was still cinematic life left in the character. Considering that Christopher Nolan came on board soon after this decision, history has pretty much proven them right, but I can't help but wish we'd gotten Bruce Wayne instead of Smallville. For the curious amongst you, Smallville actually got its name from one of the potential episodes mentioned in the Wayne pitch, which would've seen the teenage Wayne visit the small midwestern town and meet a young Clark Kent. And now you know). However, despite numerous rumors and attempts to the contrary, no such movie boundaries surround Wonder Woman, which makes us wonder (no pun intended), where's her show?

It's not as if Warners haven't given thought to trying to create a second Smallville; besides the failed Aquaman pilot Mercy Reef, preparatory work was said to be underway for both a Green Arrow spin-off and Robin-centric The Graysons. But, besides the apparent lunacy of trying to base shows around some of DC Comics, uh, less-charismatic creations (Seriously, Aquaman?), there's something about each of these proposed shows that strikes me as a little odd: They're all about male characters. Is the legacy of Buffy The Vampire Slayer so strong that it's scared the CW off any new genre adventure shows centered around female leads, or is this just laziness ("Hey, Smallville is all about a guy...") or nerd-stereotyping ("Only men read comic books...") at work? Then again, given the failure of Birds of Prey, you could almost forgive any of those three ways of thinking; it's easier, after all, that accepting that Birds failed because it just wasn't that good.

A Smallville-esque take on Wonder Woman seems like such a no-brainer that I can't believe it's not been attempted or, at least, discussed before. Besides the female lead aspect - Hello, Buffy mix of eye candy and positive role model who will kick the ass of any and all characters who present their derrieres for the taking - there're two other important factors that make it such a good idea. Firstly, it's Wonder Woman; much more iconic than Green Arrow, Aquaman or, arguably, even Robin, but at the same time, enough of a clean slate for most of the public (whose primary exposure to the character is either licensing, cartoons or, dependent on their age, the Lynda Carter series from the '70s) that she brings a freedom from expectation that Superman or Batman can't. And secondly, the Wonder Woman mythology is so rich with story potential that it'd take a concerted effort to make a dull show. Consider: She's an innocent pacifist raised on an island removed from reality to be the perfect warrior, discovering civilization - and, of course, men - for the first time. Even before you bring in her ties to Greek mythology or her superpowers, that's still a strong enough basis to wrap a series around.

(Of course, Wonder Woman doesn't necessarily have a Lex Luthor figure that everyone knows and recognizes as her archetypal nemesis, but that's not necessarily a problem; it allows the creators to offer up various big bads for different seasons, or different episodes, without running into the feeling of loss that Smallville felt when Lex was written out; even Zod, bless his maniacal heart, is a weak replacement.)

Smallville's tenth year is impressive, but it was looking a bit long in the tooth as it headed into its ninth; the show can't continue much longer before it makes Clark look as if he's actively trying to put off getting into the tights and cape that we all desperately want him to assume, even as the CW wants to keep their hit going as long as possible. The best solution for everyone would be to come up with a replacement that offers the same pop cultural impact and potential, and a Wonder Woman series feels like the most obvious way to make that happen. So... why are we still waiting?

PostMarque

Batman 3:

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the other day that Benjamin Ciaramello, who played Santiago in Friday Night Lights, was listed as playing the Riddler on this film's IMDB page. We emailed Ciaramello, and asked if this bit of casting news was true. He wrote back to us:

Edward Nygma, Eddie Nashton, call me what you want. There is no other one but me.

Which sure sounds like a "Yes." Still, that listing has since been removed from IMDB, and we're left wondering if Ciaramello has the part, or is campaigning for the part. (Or he was just messing with us. He didn't respond to requests for clarification.)

Here's a zany, Riddler-esque video that Ciaramello just put up on Youtube:

Let Me In:

Producer Simon Oakes goes out of his way to reassure fans that the remake of Let The Right One In will keep what makes the original film (which he calls a love story, Stand By Me meets The Exorcist) so great. Adds Oakes:

Frankly, [you must] not muck about the basic tenets of the story, which is important. More than anything else, stay true to the imagery and mystique and the mythology of the original, and set it in the right time as well, not update it in terms of its timing. Set it in that [early '80s] era.

So there'll be a Rubik's Cube in the American version. And he says this version will be maybe a bit scarier, but not "so pretentious in English." He also says the original film's ambiguity about Abby/Eli will remain intact. And there's a lot more in there. [Cinematical]

Untitled Wachowskis Project:

Not only is Ariana Huffington in the Wachowskis' weird futuristic movie about the Iraq War, but so is Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He told the Howard Stern show:

Wait til you hear what they did. They brought me, and they brought Arianna Huffington in after me. Arianna was there, and they had her looking like cleopatra. What they did… Do you remember what John Travolta looked like in that horrible film Battlefield Earth? They put multicolored dreadlocks on me all the way to here. They gave me this crazy beard that was hanging down pointed, looked like Travolta, right? And they put a third eye in the middle of my forehead. Because what this is, is this is a hundred years in the future, and they wanted me to talk about the current war in Iraq and how I felt about it. And so I got to vent, looking like this maniac in this whole outfit.

[Slashfilm]

Twilight: Eclipse:

The new trailer for this film is coming out soon. But for now, here are ten precious seconds of preview. Um. Squee?

Nightmare On Elm St.:

Here are a few promo pics, which I don't think we've featured before. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Skyline:

The Strause brothers (Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem) talk about their new movie, now filming. In it, a group of party-goers wake up to discover a mysterious bright light outside, and then realize it's heralding the end of the world, right outside their window. And Colin Strause says:

The whole beginning of the movie is the disappearance of a group of people [into the light]. But that's only about 10 percent of the movie. You get a third of the way into the movie when shit starts to happen. That's when the cat is out of the bag.

The main character, Jarrod (Eric Balfour) is at a crossroads in his life, because he's just found out he might be a father. He flies out to L.A. with his girlfriend Elaine (Scottie Thompson) and they hang out with Jarrod's friend Terry (Donald Faison), an entrepreneur who dazzles them with the glamor of L.A. And the directors seem to hint that they share the fans' low opinion of AVP:R. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Survival Of The Dead:

A few new promo pics for George Romero's next zombie film. [IGN]

Doctor Who:

New co-star Karen Gillan says Amy is "sassy" and meets the Doctor in an incredibly interesting way that may determine their relationship throughout the series. And she's very independent and doesn't take the Doctor's word as gospel — she's not super in awe of him or anything. [BlogtorWho]

Fringe:

The Olivia-Peter romance will go slow because any passion must be earned. But there will be some big revelations coming up about "their relationship and who they are." [EW]

V:

Here are some promo pics from the next episode, "Welcome To The War." [TV Overmind]

Supernatural:

As we mentioned, no "special people" will turn up in the huge 100th episode, but Zachariah will appear. [EW]

FlashForward:

Here's what happens in the March 25 episode, "Blowback":

Aaron delves deeper into why the black-ops Jericho unit is after his daughter, Mark continues to question Lloyd about a phone conversation that took place during their flashforwards, and Zoey tries everything in her power to change Demetri's fate.

Plus some promo pics. [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Clark and Zod will have a spectacular showdown before the season ends. There may even be strong language. And Lois and Perry will team up on the Kandorians story. [EW]

Lost:

I feel like we already mentioned this, but it's official that Rousseau is coming back. [EW]

Evangeline Lilly explains what Kate is thinking after she meets Crazy Claire. [Lyly Ford]

Here are a ton of promo pics from next week's episode, "Recon." Does that flower mean Juliet's back? [The ODI and Lyly Ford]

And a sneak peek. [Lyly Ford]

Just because Kate's not a candidate, doesn't mean she won't have an important role in the future of the island, say the show's producers. And the winning candidate will be chosen by fate, says Yunjin Kim. Also, it's possible that no candidate may be chosen, in which case the island might cease to exist, says Daniel Dae Kim. But Matthew Fox is pretty sure Hurley is the winning candidate.

One more major character will join Flocke's Army, but it's not Jin. Also, don't rule out the possibility of Sayid getting some kind of redemption. We still won't know as of episode 16 whether the "Kwan" on the candidate list is Sun or Jin. And Naveen Andrews hints the island itself may be evil — like the Death Star. [TV Guide Magazine via The ODI]

Now that Widmore's back, will he and Ben resume their rivalry? Not as of episode 15, says Michael Emerson:

You'd think. [The producers] went to such pains to establish it. But there are three episodes still to film and that's something that hasn't been shot yet. I suppose it's possible that the characters' [conflict] can be resolved without facing off against one another, maybe through the agency of some third party.

And Emerson hints that he's a little frustrated about the lack of answers so far:

I'm just a passenger on this ride. But I am anxious for answers that don't seem to be coming in a rush. I think it's partly my own personal misunderstanding of the narrative of the show and an over-expectation of climactic answering.

And he hints yet again that Ben might die before the end — but it sounds like he makes it to episode 16, at least. [People]

Additional reporting by Kelly Faircloth.

Iron Man 2:

New theater "standees" give us a better look at Iron Man's new armor as well as the War Machine armor. Dude! [Slashfilm]

Thor:

Marvel and Paramount released an updated synopsis for this film, which gives a few more hints about just why Thor is banished to Earth, as well as what follows him here:

At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It's while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

[Slashfilm]

Source Code:

Duncan Jones' second movie has a pretty complicated plot, says co-star Vera Farmiga. And she says that even though there's a lot of action in the movie, her part of it is pretty "static." (Previous reports described her character as a "hands-on" communications expert who guides Jake Gyllenhaal's actions as he relives a train bombing over and over again.) [MTV]

Kick-Ass:

Some new posters look like art we've already seen, but with a splashy new design. [CinemaBlend]

Doctor Who:

It seems like this show is filming episodes 7 (the Amy-only episode) and 11 (the Doctor-only episode) simultaneously. The Amy episode still involves her being pregnant and chased by old people, and her boyfriend Rory is around somewhere. Also, there's a posh man in a black coat. The old people include a West Indian guy and Santa.There's a big prop knife.

Meanwhile, it looks like episode 11, where the Doctor is stranded without his TARDIS, does end with the TARDIS reappearing, and Amy is holding up a plate with a fish on it. (No idea why.) Also, the front door of the house where the Doctor is staying has been replaced — the newer door is wider, to let the Doctor's shopping cart through, but also has a catflap (and cats may feature in this episode. Note that the season opener apparently involves an alien dog.) There's a sequence where the Doctor, James Corden, and Daisy run out of the house and look back at it to see something strange happening, which only they can see. Oh, and there's speculation that the TARDIS kicking the Doctor out means the "big bad" of the season is actually an evil facsimile of the TARDIS, which has somehow replaced the "real" TARDIS.

Meanwhile, producer Piers Wenger and others showed off the Doctor's new sonic screwdriver at an event in Cardiff. Photos by Alun_Vega, Claire-Elizabeth, TimeBoy, Vashta Nerada and others. [GallifreyBase and BlogtorWho]

Supernatural:

Apparently there was a rumor that we'd be seeing Jo, Ruby and Bela in the 100th episode, airing April 15. But a source tells E! Online that there will be "no special people" in that episode. [E! Online]

The season finale will air on May 13, according to the CW. [SpoilerTV]

Bobby confronts his zombie wife in some stills from episode 5x15, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid." [BuddyTV]

FlashForward:

Here's what happens in episode 13, "Blowback":

Aaron delves deeper into why the black-ops Jericho unit is after his daughter, Mark continues to question Lloyd about a phone conversation that took place during their flashforwards, and Zoey tries everything in her power to change Demetri's fate.

[SpoilersGuide]

Stargate Universe:

Canadians don't just get socialized healthcare, they also get exclusive clips from the second half of the first season in their SGU trailer:

Smallville:

Details of Erica Durance's contract for season ten are still up in the air, but chances are we'll be seeing more of Lois next year. And it's still undecided whether Chloe will be back at all. (You know what that show really needs? A cute kid. Maybe Clark could adopt an orphan? That's sort of traditional for the tenth season of a show whose original cast has all left.) Meanwhile, Gil Bellows will be playing Max Lord for at least two episodes. [E! Online]

This show's season finale will air on May 14. [SpoilerTV]

Here are some (Bwa-ha-ha!) stills from the April 2 episode, "Escape," featuring Silver Banshee. Seriously, now that Max Lord is on this show, we really need Blue Beetle and Booster Gold to poke fun at the extreme silliness. I would settle for Ambush Bug too. [Daemon's TV]

Heroes:

If this show does return for another season, Mohinder won't show up — he's already signed on to another series, USA's spy show Covert Affairs. [Fancast]

Lost:

Rumor has it that Mira Furlan will be back as Danielle Rousseau. At this point, it's just Mr. Eko and Matthew Abaddon who aren't slated to reappear. Oh, and Walt, although even he might be glimpsed at some point, according to recent reports. [Ace ShowBiz]

The show's already working on the first hour of the three-hour finale, and apparently a key sequence involves Jack, Kate, Desmond, Hurley, Sawyer, Faraday and Minkowski underwater. As the source says, "Fully submerged." (As with all unsourced reports, take this with the usual grain of salt.) [SpoilersLost]

And this is just a confirmation of stuff we've already heard, but someone who observed filming on the big "Jacob origins" episode, 6x15, says that the actors' trailers were labeled Mother, Young Jacob, old Jacob, Jacob, young MIB, And Old MIB. Note that there's only one Mother, which does seem to indicate that Jacob and MIB are brothers. [SpoilersLost]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Spider-Man:

New director Marc Webb explains his fascination with the wall-crawler:

I think that there's something about Peter Parker that's just... He's a legend. That mythology is appealing to me and it has been for a long time. It's just a dream come true. [Sam Raimi] did something fantastic, but I do think the mythology of Spider-Man is wide and vast, and there's more opportunity to explore that cinematically.

And he says he's "casting a wide net" for the new Peter Parker. [MTV]

Alien:

Art director Roger Christian says the prequel will be in 3-D and director Ridley Scott "has a very clear understanding of just where this should go." [ShadowLocked via ShockTillYouDrop]

Kick-Ass:

Star Aaron Johnson and writer Mark Millar explain the concept of the DIY superhero. [IGN]

Splice:

With this film getting a June 4 wide release thanks to Warner Bros., director Vincenzo Natali says he's heading back into the editing suite:

You're going to see a slightly nipped-and-tucked version. I'm actually going into the editing room next week, and if they're true to their word, it's just going to be cosmetic. It really comes down to Joel [Silver]. He loves the movie and actually enjoys the parts that would scare most producers away. He's being very courageous releasing this. There are also a few things I'm changing after seeing the film with an audience. I believe what will come out of it will be a new and improved cut, but in essence, it'll be the same film.

[Fangoria]

Paranormal Activity 2:

Micah Sloate says he's excited for the sequel, and even though he was killed off in the first film, he seems to think he'll be back. At least, he says:

I know a lot, I can't tell you... Well we have money now, but we're staying true to the heart of the movie, to the spirit of it, to the vision. That's all I can say.

Is he back in the new film? Or just eager to talk about it because the first one was his breakout role? [MTV]

Doctor Who:

Even more photos of Matt Smith playing football with James Corden, and sneaking the shopping cart full of junk into his and Corden's house. Smith almost became a football player instead of an actor, until he became injured, so he actually knows what he's doing here. And apparently he does so well, they carry him away on their shoulders, making him feel "like an emperor." Plus a couple pics of him arriving in the TARDIS and then falling down on the ground, probably at the start of the episode. (This is for episode 11, of course.) Pictures by SkyOne, Scooty and Mugimoe. [Sky and GallifreyNewsBase and OhNoTheyDidn't]

And here are some videos, including the Doctor getting thrown out of the TARDIS:

Supernatural:

Somehow we missed this interview with Sera Gamble when it went up originally. She explains what to expect in the 100th episode:

We want it to feel appropriately substantial. The most I can say right now is that it's about the Archangel Michael. It's the episode where a lot of building tensions you'll have watched over several episodes simmer over. Dean will behave in a way you've never seen before. So will Sam. So will Castiel. Actually, I'm particularly proud of where we take Sam in this episode. He has a kind of maturity in dealing with Dean that it took us a hundred episodes to earn.

[Winchester Bros.]

Also episode 5x20 is called "The Devil You Know," and it airs on April 29. [SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

Rapper Timbaland will guest star in the second episode to air this year (so probably episode 12.) But apparently it's a "blink and you'll miss it" type cameo. [Zap2It]

In episodes 11 and 12, airing back to back on March 18, here's what happens:

Mark is suspended from duty at the FBI and must meet with a Bureau-appointed therapist in order to regain his badge; Demetri reluctantly teams with CIA agent Vogel to continue the search for Lloyd, while a suspended Mark resumes his own investigation into his disappearance; with Lloyd missing, Simon attempts to hack into his computer in search of clues; Janis is assigned to accompany Simon and learns some family secrets about him; and Nicole speaks with a man who was transformed during the blackout in order to help her restore her faith and understand her horrific flashforward vision.

And here are some pics. [SpoilersGuide]

Here are some set pics showing Joseph Fiennes working on a scene with costar Christine Woods, who plays special agent Janis Hawk. [Accidental Sexiness]

And a new promo from the UK. [SpoilerTV]

Caprica:

Czech websites are giving the following titles and airdates for the season's final episodes:

• Unvanquished - September 17
• Retribution - September 24
• Things We Lock Away - October 1
• False Labor
• Blowback
• The Dirteaters
• The Heavens Will Rise
• Here Be Dragons
• Apotheosis - season finale

And fans are speculating that Tamara will become a Cylon at some point — and maybe that's what Leoben meant when he said Adama is a Cylon? (Seems very iffy to me.) [Battlestar_Blog]

Stargate Universe:

Here are a bunch of images from episodes 11 and 12. [Gateworld]

Chuck:

Here's the official synopsis for episode 11, "Chuck Vs. The Final Exam":

Chuck'S FATE AS A SPY RESTS ON A SINGLE MISSION-BRANDON ROUTH ("SUPERMAN RETURNS") GUEST STARS-Chuck (Zachary Levi) learns that his latest solo mission will be a final test to see if he is ready to be a spy. Chuck needs to put everything he has learned into action to avoid going back to his old life while Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Shaw (guest star Brandon Routh) observe his every move.

[ChuckTV]

Smallville:

Here's a new trailer for the show's April 2 return, titled "Small Talk":

Lost:

We already saw a bit of Boone in the season opener, but he'll be back later in the season, and rumor has it he'll be in two more episodes. [Zap2It]

Here are some lovely looking outtakes from the Entertainment Weekly cover photoshoot, featuring Matthew Fox and Emilie de Ravin. What do these poses mean? Why the machete? Is there sibling weirdness on the horizon? [Emilie de Ravin Online]

Okay, spoilerphobes? You really need to stop reading now. A set of leaked "call sheets" includes tons of details about episodes eight, nine and 10. (Of course, if I were a producer on this show battling spoilers, I would leak misleading call sheets all over the place. So, you know, grain of salt.)

So in episode eight, which I guess is Sawyer-centric, we see him looking through the "list of Anthony Cooper's" in a file folder. Charlotte (who's connected to L.A. Sawyer somehow) looks through stuff and a picture of Young Sawyer falls out. We see a snippet of Little House On The Prairie. And Sun, Jin and Ji Yeon are in this episode, along with Richard Alpert, the Man In Black and a doctor.

In episode nine, the Richard Alpert episode, we see Alpert ripping medicine out of the doctor's hands, and holding a necklace. A nail scratches a sixth mark into a piece of wood with five marks already, signifying six days. The Man In Black holds a white stone in his hand. Alpert rides to a cottage and then to a doctor's house.

In episode ten, Jin holds a Rolex box. Someone named Zoe (maybe one of Widmore's scientists) tasers Jin. Jin looks through Sun's camera at pictures of Sun and little Ji Yeon. We see Sayid looking at a box-cutter on a shelf. [SpoilersLost]

Additional reporting by Kelly Faircloth.

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.

Tron Legacy:

Director Joseph Kosinski (and original director Steve Lisberger) answered a ton of questions at the L.A. screening of new footage from this film. The video game Tron 2.0 is not considered "canon" in this movie. And Bruce Boxleitner doesn't just play Allan, he also plays Tron. (Since the movie is named after him.) Cindy Morgan's character is not in the new movie. Michael Sheen's cyber-nightclub-owner character is named Kaster. The MCP won't be in this movie, because it was destroyed, plus it's obsolete technology in any case.

And this film's equivalent of Bit is a character named Jarvis who is Clu's "right-hand information officer," and he's not just a geometric shape. Also, this new Clu is a duplicate of himself that Flynn created in 1988, and he's sort of Clu 2.0. Also, the same games from the first movie will be around, in a kind of "gladitorial games," but there'll be new ones as well. [HitFix]

Iron Man 2:

One fan has a theory about why Ivan Vanko is so mad at Tony Stark. Maybe Howard Stark, Tony's dad, stole the idea for the arc reactor from Anton Vanko, Ivan's dad. And maybe in the process, there was a test which killed a bunch of people in Russia, and Ivan's attempt at revenge got him locked in prison. Tony might have no clue about this unpleasant history, until he does a ton of research. Anyway, this is just speculation, but it seems at least somewhat plausible. [Comic Book Movie]

Transformers 3:

There's a report that Ray Park (aka Darth Maul and Snake Eyes) will have "a lead role" in this film. But whether it'll be as a human character or as the voice of one of the robot characters, it's unclear. The report originates with a blog called LeftLaneNews which interviewed Park, but the video interview doesn't mention Transformers. So, you know, grain of salt. [LeftLaneNews]

Michael Bay says this movie will be totally new and different. "You can't just rehash the old. We're adding a lot of new elements. We're adding new characters. We're adding a lot of twists." [MTV]

Avatar 2:

We've already reported a few times on Sigourney Weaver saying she'll be in the sequel, and she's saying it again. This time, she elaborates that Grace is "in the tree," lending credence to the idea she could be a kind of Obi-Wan, appearing to Jake when he needs guidance. [iFMagazine]

Survival Of The Dead:

A new one-sheet for George Romero's latest zombie film shows how survival can go on after life. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Doctor Who:

More scenes from the story where crowds of old people are stalking menacingly. In one scene, a group of elderly people converge on the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The Doctor says they're not looking themselves, and asks if they're okay. One of them chases Rory. The Doctor asks their leader, a woman, why they're controlling old people. And the woman opens her mouth, apparently to release some kind of creature or energy source. (Probably to be created using C.G. later on.) There's also a scene where an old person is trying to break into a red camper van, and reportedly this has something to do with the mind-controlled elderly people trying to get at the pregnant women of the town. [GallifreyBase]

Caprica:

Here's a new clip from this Friday's episode. [CapricaTV]

Patton Oswalt says you'll see him "pop up" throughout the season on televisions in the background and stuff, as it's obvious that people are watching the Baxter Sarno show. And he'll have some more major involvement towards the end of the season. Also, James Marsters (aka Greeley) will be in four episodes this season. [MTV and SciFiTalk via CapricaTV]

FlashForward:

Gaius Baltar himself, James Callis, will guest star in the last few episodes of the season, and it's a fairly major role. He especially has something to do with Olivia's journey, producers hint. [TV Guide]

Supernatural:

Not surprisingly, we'll meet Death, the last of the four horsemen, in some upcoming episode. [SpoilerTV]

True Blood:

Episode 3x06 will be called "What Do You Know About Love?" [SpoilerTV]

Chuck:

Here's the official synopsis for episode 3x10, "Chuck Vs. The Tic Tac":

Chuck AND Sarah MUST CLEAR Casey'S GOOD NAME- ROBERT PATRICK ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day") GUEST STARS –Casey (Adam Baldwin) carries out a side mission for his old commanding officer James Keller (guest star Robert Patrick) that leads to him committing treason. When Chuck (Zachary Levi) learns the dark truth about Col. Keller, he and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) set out to break Casey out of jail and clear his name. Meanwhile, Awesome's (Ryan McPartlin) plan to keep Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) out of danger gets more difficult when she gets her dream fellowship. Joshua Gomez also stars.

[ChuckTV]

And since that's a Casey-centric episode, complete with flashbacks, there's some speculation about what we'll learn. IMDB lists actors playing Kathleen McHugh as well as "Young Kathleen," meaning that Kathleen might appear in Casey's flashbacks. And there's also an Alex McHugh listed — could it be that she has a kid in the present? And maybe the kid is Casey's? Pure speculation at this point, of course. [ChuckTV]

It wasn't a joke when a producer tweeted that the show's 18th episode will be called "Chuck Vs. The Subway." But this doesn't refer to the sandwich chain, but rather to an actual subway. [TV By The Numbers]

Scott Bakula will be in the last three episodes of the season. A tiger will be an integral part of an upcoming storyline. Morgan doesn't have a permanent love interest on the horizon. The Hannah thing will contribute to Morgan's suspicions about Chuck's non-productivity at the Buy More. [ChuckTV]

Fringe:

Here are some behind-the-scenes pics of Walter's lab. [Facebook via SpoilerTV]

A new featurette illuminates the secrets of "the other side":

Smallville:

Here's a trailer for the April 2 episode, "Escape":

Lost:

Michael Emerson says there's a huge episode for Ben coming up in a couple of weeks, and "it may be the last one of the Ben episodes." Does he mean Ben is dying soon, or just that Ben won't be the focus of an entire episode after that? Also, he says the L.A. version of Ben is more of a regular guy, and he does form an important relationship with L.A. Locke, not unlike friendship. [E! Online]

Ryan's Transmission podcast has some pretty insanely detailed spoilers, based on filming reports and callsheets — so this is your last chance to scroll down to the comments. When Smokey comes to the Temple, he slits Lennon's throat, and throws a guy up against a pillar. He asks Sun where Sayid is.

In episode 13, "The Last Recruit," it sounds like Jack joines up with Locke's group, at least temporarily, and Jack and Locke catch up on stuff. Sawyer fills Jack in on his plan. (To double-cross Locke?) And Jack asks Claire if he trusts Locke. Locke asks Claire if she's seen Sayid, then Locke runs off to look for Sayid. When Locke catches up with him, Sayid reveals that he shot Desmond. (Nooo!)

In episode 15, "Across The Sea," we flash back to the world of A.D. 23. And both Jacob and the Man In Black are little boys, in a primitive village, with their mother, Claudia. Another woman kills Claudia, and she becomes their new mother. Later on, the boys argue about whether to go with the "other people," back home to their mother. "She's not even our real mother," the other boy responds. "You don't trust me, but one day you'll believe me," the first boy says. (Not sure who says what here.) Then, in A.D. 43, the adult Jacob is sent by the step-mom to go get some firewood, and when he returns, the village has been burned to the ground, and it's horrific, with body parts everywhere. (I wonder if M.I.B. has something to do with that?) Oh, and the little boy Jacob is played by the same actor who played the kid who appears to Locke/Smokey in the jungle in a recent episode. [Transmission via SpoilersLost]

And more sources confirming filming of scenes set in 23 A.D., with young versions of present-day characters. [The ODI and SpoilersLost]

We'll get a ton of answers about Smokey and the nature of his character in episode 7, and we'll learn all about Richard Alpert in episode 9, says Nestor Carbonell. [Zap2It]

A fan shot this video of Desmond filming an island scene with Smokey, and says episode 12 is definitely a Hurley-centric episode. [SpoilersLost]

The mystery of Smokey's relationship with Claire will be a "slow burn" over the course of the season, but we'll learn a lot in the near future, say Cuse and Lindelof. [Lyly Ford]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Roklimber

Tron Legacy:

We already knew that Michael Sheen plays the owner of a cyber-nightclub. Now he spills a few more details: "I am the host of the nightclub and a showman, this sort of very over-the-top character." And he adds that original Tron director Steve Lisberger has a cameo in the nightclub scenes. And the nightclub is an actual set, not digitally rendered. But he won't confirm what everyone suspects: That Daft Punk will perform/DJ in the nightclub scenes. [Sci Fi Wire]

The Last Airbender:

Here's another TV spot, which looks pretty similar to the one during the Olympic ceremonies:

Battleship:

Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner says this movie doesn't start out with a war against the aliens. The extraterrestrial visitors don't start out intending us harm, but then it presumably does turn into a conflict somehow. [MTV]

Skyline:

This film from Colin and Greg Strause, the directors of Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem, has cast its leads: Eric Balfour and Donald Faison (Scrubs). Also starring: Scottie Thompson and Brittany Daniel. And there's a new plot synopsis: The film takes place in a Los Angeles high-rise where a few survivors cope with a mysterious other-worldly attack. Faison plays an entrepreneur who lures his old friend (Balfour) to the West Coast. They go out and party all night, and then they wake up to find that a mysterious force is swallowing up the human race off the face of the Earth. We'll avoid being snarky about the fact that the article avoids mentioning AVP:R at all. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Teen Wolf:

Actor Crystal Reed explains how this remake will be different than the original:

The script is not at all like the original. It's not a remake, they're just simply using the names, the locations are the same and instead of basketball, he plays lacrosse. There are going to be some really interesting twists and turns. The writing is amazing and the special effects are brilliant. The other thing that's cool is he's not in a full werewolf costume... [When he turns into a wolf], he looks really human, because he's a young werewolf, so the things that are changing are his eye color. His ears are going to be a bit pointier and the hair on his hands is going to go up to about here. [Points to her elbows] Obviously, his muscles are going to grow. Progressively as he gets older as a werewolf, he'll become more wolf-like. The very first time he turns, it's actually pretty scary.

[ShockTillYouDrop]

The Crazies:

Director Breck Eisner explains how this film is different from George Romero's original:

It's very different, absolutely. For me - I know people throw around the words re-interpretation, remake - it is a re-interpretation of his movie. Definitely acknowledged to be different from the inception. That being said, I tried to stay true to the core of the original.... I wanted, first, to make this a horror-thriller. Dynamic and scary, intense and frightening. But I also wanted to make sure the message in the movie wasn't lost and in the post-9/11 world is reflected, just as the original was a reflection of post-Vietnam.

And he says he had the script rewritten to remove the military completely, so as to focus entirely on the townspeople's perspective. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Here are a few TV spots I don't think we've shown you for this George Romero sorta-not-zombie-centric remake:

Toy Story 3:

Yet another character poster, this time for the dinosaur toy. [CinemaBlend]

V:

Here are a couple of new posters featuring Morena Baccarin and Elizabeth Mitchell looking intense and photoshopped. [SpoilerTV]

Caprica:

Here's a sneak peek from Friday's new episode, "There Is Another Sky":

Chuck:

A new promo for the next episode, premiering next week. [SpoilerTV]

And here's a short description for episode 3x10:

Chuck and Sarah must break Casey out of jail and clear his name after he inadvertently commits treason; Ellie gets her dream fellowship.

[ZacharyLeviFan]

Smallville:

Gil Bellows (Billy from Ally McBeal) will play Max Lord, the skeevy businessman — who took control over Clark's mind in the comics until Wonder Woman killed him — in episode 9x19, "Charade." And the role is intended to be a recurring one — which sounds like more evidence this show might get a tenth season. [IGN]

Here are some images from episode 9x15, "Conspiracy," in which Zod gets shot. [KryptonSite]

Lost:

It sounds like there are three episodes in a row where Ben does not appear, judging from this Michael Emerson interview. And he says, in three or four weeks' time, "people will think differently about Ben." [GQ]

Claire may not stay crazy, says Emilie de Ravin:

The evolution this season for her character is sort of coming back to who Claire was. You know, she's still there, underneath it all, even though she's pretty damn loopy. There's still flickers of who Claire is and was, and maybe will be again. Or not.

[AOL TV]

A source claims to have seen a call-sheet for a scene in episode 6x15 featuring Jacob, the Man In Black, and "Mother." Also the show is building a new small outdoor set that appears to be a submarine cabin, and it's possible they're building it outside so they can flood it with water. And the Temple set is being taken down. In related news, a submarine captain (or more likely, an actor playing one) is on set right now. [SpoilersLost]

Hurley won't turn dark, although there may be a flash of that, says Jorge Garcia. We'll learn what the island is midway through the season, via Jacob and Richard Alpert. And the answer to what the island is, is a four-letter word with no "A" or "E" in it. And it's important to the outside world that the island continues to exist, and somebody must protect it. [E! Online]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Iron Man 2:

Don Cheadle says he's doing a reshoot on Friday. From the way he says it, it doesn't sound as though it's a major thing, possibly just a few special-effects shots pickups. But maybe they're tweaking War Machine's performance in the film? Cheadle won't confirm whether Rhodey and Tony actually fight in the movie, saying he's not actually sure what happens. "I haven't seen the finished product. I don't know what's going to happen in the film." [MTV]

And a few new screens from the Wii tie-in game give some glimpses of War Machine in action. [DS-X2.com]

Flash Gordon:

Director Breck Eisner was talking up this movie again, and hitting much the same notes as before: It'll be based on the original strips, but as if artist Alex Raymond were drawing them today. And he describes the film: "It's action, it's adventure, it's intense, it's dynamic. It's a strong central character who goes on a dynamic journey. It should be a really amazing movie if we can get it made." [Sci Fi Wire]

Toy Story 3:

Here are a couple new promo pics. [Celebutopia]

And a smattering of new posters. [IGN]

Twilight: Eclipse:

Jackson Rathbone talks about the non-stop action in this third movie, where he teaches the Cullens to fight vampires. [Reelz Channel]

Doctor Who:

Comedian James Corden was memorizing lines from an upcoming episode of this show on the train to Wales, and let slip to a fan that, yes, he has a role in the series. But his role remains a secret. [STV]

V:

So yeah, the baby gestating inside Valerie really is an alien lizard baby, thanks to her secretly V boyfriend Ryan. And by the time the show breaks for the summer, we'll have an inkling about what's been born and what's coming. The gestation will be more eventful than the birth, says Rosenberg: "What happens when the baby kicks? Or when Val gets her ultrasound?" [TV Guide Magazine]

Supernatural:

Even though psychic Pamela Barnes first went blind trying to see Castiel's true form, and then died helping the Winchesters deal with reapers, she'll be back. Actor Tracy Dinwiddie tweeted that she'll be in episode 5x16, "Dark Side Of The Moon" — not the upcoming zombie episode, but the one after that. [BuddyTV]

Caprica:

Matthew Scott Porter, who plays the youngest husband in that infamous group marriage, says his character is "part of an organization that is responsible for the Cylons having consciousness and we are kind of the beginning of the end for humanity as we knew it. We are a bit of religious zealots. It is crazy to put yourself in those shoes but it was something I have never been afforded the luxury of playing before. He is definitely a character that has beliefs in something so deep and he is affected by it so much that he is willing to do great deeds of evil to get [things] done. It is a very cool character to play. I don't want to spoil the plot too much but I think you kind of see the seeds of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are right off the bat." [Cinemaspy]

And here's the synopsis for Friday's episode:

The avatar of Tamara Adama wanders V-World, scared, lost, and unaware that she died nearly a month ago in the MagLev bombing. Falling in with a group of gamers, Tamara discovers a new side to V-World — New Cap City, a place where people live random lives of violence and crime in search of the game's elusive meaning. Forced into aiding a digital crime spree, Tamara befriends a young gamer, until she discovers a devastating secret that threatens everything she knows.

Plus a few promo pics. [CapricaTV]

Chuck:

When this show returns March 1, we'll finally see Jeffster again, as the employees barricade themselves inside the Buy More. And Dietrich Bader plays an over-the-top Buy More exec with an ulterior motive. [E! Online]

Smallville:

A wee sneak peek from this Friday's episode:

Lost:

In tonight's episode, we meet L.A.-verse Dogen: a father who advises Jack to be a hands-on dad. And on March 2, Dogen has his final face-off with Sayid (which may end with the two of them forging some kind of friendship, hints Hiroyuki Sanada.) Also on March 2, we'll learn how Dogen left Japan for the island, and what his secrets are. He may actually be a dad in the island-verse as well as the L.A.-verse, and his assistant's name, Lennon, may turn out to be significant. [TV Guide Magazine]

Boone will reappear before the show ends, and in fact his reappearance is "more involved" than everyone had originally planned. Also, we will soon know what the island is — possibly even tonight! [E! Online]

Harold Perrineau says he has a scene with Hurley and Libby where he apologizes for shooting her:

I did get to apologize. Every time I did it, it was really emotional. There was something really nice about it. It's not just apologizing to her, but to Hurley as well.

And Jorge Garcia says he got really emotional doing that scene too. Michael is definitely a ghost in this scene, and Garcia's pretty sure Libby's not the Man In Black either. But we won't be seeing an off-island version of Michael at all. [TV Guide]

Here's a new Canadian promo for tonight's episode. [DocArzt]

And here are some screencaps. [SpoilersLost]

This is pretty interesting — you know how Smokey shouts "Don't tell me what I can't do!" in last week's episode. Terry O'Quinn says there's a lot of Locke left in Smokey, and he's made a deliberate choice, as an actor, to play that up:

Occasionally there's residual Locke emotions or feelings that Smokey gets that may surprise him, may irritate him, that he can't completely control, so he'll be smug or make fun of John Locke. Or say he was a loser and he was pathetic and he was broken. But for my own edification, I keep a little spark of John Locke alive in this being, whatever he is… so that if for any reason, anybody wants to summon that spark, it's there. And I think sometimes Smokey's indifference is my choice. Smokey's puzzled by it: What is this persona he's inhabited? Maybe it's stronger than he thought it was. But that just gives me things to play in the scene, gives a little bit of color to a scene. And I enjoy it. He was moved when he told Ben that John Locke's last thought was, "I don't understand." And he was surprised to be moved.

And he says that Smokey's recruiting drive has to do with fulfilling one of the many sets of "rules" that Smokey is bound by. "It's like a children's game." [EW]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

I think we can all agree that matthewabel is asking one of the most pressing questions of the moment:

Why hasn't Dreamworks made a "Squids v. Whales" movie, yet? The whole thing is screaming for a movie treatment: [en.allexperts.com]

The real answer is, of course, because Syfy have bought up the rights to the idea for a future Roger Corman-produced Saturday Night Original Movie. Hope you like your whales having laser vision, Matthew.

Meanwhile, leave it to Roklimber to make me wonder about my own existential position on CW programming:

Can someone please explain to me why I still bother to watch Smallville?

While Im_your_Huckleberry suggests some carnal Allison Mack-related reasoning (As much as I love the Mack, I'm not sure that's her finest pictorial moment, somehow), alexkap090909 cuts to the heart of the matter:

Because it's sci-fi and you're easy? I'll watch pretty much any and all sci-fi, short of the truly embarrassing stuff like Lexx and Andromeda. Hell, I'll probably progress to those too once I get desperate enough.

SOFictrekscapist shares the pain:

Ugh, me too, even when there are a million faults I'm still hungry for sci-fi! Heck, I'm not one of those dignified people who can proclaim "I stopped watching Flashforward after the first two episodes". I didn't, I devoured that steaming stream of turds as it was served to me on a conveyor belt, and then begged, BEGGED for more. I disgust myself...

Hey. Friends don't let friends watch FlashForward. Just read my recaps instead from now on. It'll be quicker, if nothing else.

At least bookwench is talking about good television shows:

Doctor Who is a monster.

No, seriously. Think about it. It's all in the math. Lately, he's all "I have to give them a chance" with the monsters. He empathizes with them. Cares about them. And while he's being all "oh, I must save them" - non-monsters are dying by the busload.

But he really doesn't seem to care about those folks, because next time a monster comes along, bam! He's empathizing again, and more non-monsters die in droves while he angsts away the hour.

He's perfectly willing to let arseloads of normal, nice, generic folks die to save one monster. Every time.

Why?

Because he sees himself there, in the monsters, in the power of them and the danger. He sees them as his equals moreso than the little victims. Moreso than in the prey.

...ok, well, that's possibly more an analysis of the writer than the character, but still. It applies.

I'm not even attempting a snarky response to that, because it's great. The following thread includes discussion over whether this is something Stephen Moffat will change, to which all I can say is, I hope so. I like my incarnations of the Doctor to be different from the last guy, while still managing to keep the core values there. farfisasynth gets it right:

Tennant was a great Doctor, one of many. The program has survived for almost 50 years, it will survive even if Matt Smith utterly screws the pooch.

To everyone I say: Let's not be glum but relish the new and savor the anticipation for more adventures.

GERONIMO!!!!!

While we're on the subject of commenters talking about good television, 0.'s comment about Lost deserves to be shared with a wider audience:

OMFG LOST

Exactly. But back to the important questions! geesejuggler, I believe you were next?

Who do you think has the best "man cave" in sci-fi? I was thinking either Superman or Darth Vader.

Ruthless, if yøu let me has the right answer:

Batman!?

Well, yes. The clue is in the question, after all: Who else actually has a cave?!?

Finally for this week, a genuine answer for Spider Sister:

Anyone heading out to SXSW '10? The question itself may seem irrelevent but after perusing the listing for the film festival it seems like there will be a number of science fiction oriented showings. If anyone's going it'd be great if they posted what went down because I doubt too many are headed that way.

As you may have already seen, io9 will be there - Annalee, Charlie Jane and Meredith will be in attendance, and there's even a Time Bender of a party being thrown, as well. Not that I'm jealous or anything (Okay, maybe a little).

There's no doubt things are tough. Most SF/fantasy shows are in danger of cancellation this time around. And in the wake of several high-profile failures, networks aren't giving science fiction/fantasy shows much of a chance any more. V had its first batch of episodes shortened to just four episodes, with a string of hiatuses and changes of showrunner behind the scenes — even though it turned out to be a hit. NBC preemptively slashed Day One from a series to a miniseries to a TV movie, and Fox did the same with Virtuality.

It seems a fair bet that Fringe will be back on Fox, V will probably return on ABC, CW will still have Supernatural, Vampire Diaries and probably Smallville, and NBC will have Chuck. On cable, there are still True Blood, assorted Syfy shows, Batman:B&B and Clone Wars, plus Futurama is coming back. Beyond that, what is there to look forward to?

Here are ten shows in the pipeline that we think could bring science fiction and fantasy back to their place of preeminence on your TV set.

Steven Spielberg's untitled alien invasion series, starring Noah Wylie. We can't wait until this show gets a title that's less of a mouthful. Besides Wylie, this also features Moon Bloodgood, of Journeyman and Terminator Salvation fame. TNT has already greenlit 10 episodes up front. Aliens have already wiped out most of the human race, and they're rounding up the survivors. But Wylie, a college professor, rallies a group of survivors to fight back, including his two sons, and Karen (Jessy Schram), one of the group's "motorcycle scouts."

No Ordinary Family Michael Chiklis (The Shield) stars in this ABC drama about a family discovering that it has superpowers. And it sounds like Chiklis' wife on the show (who's not cast yet) is some kind of mad scientist. The show just cast Autumn Reeser (Entourage) as the wife's lab assistant. David Semel, who directed the pilot for Heroes, is directing this one.

La Femme Nikita. The CW just announced that Maggie Q is in line to take on the role played by Anne Parrilaud in the original Luc Besson film, Bridget Fonda in the U.S. remake, and Peta Wilson in the 1997 cable TV series. In the new series, the CIA trains a new Nikita to replace the original, who has gone rogue. Creator Craig Silverstein says he wrote the new Nikita as "beautiful and exotic," and he wants to use the Asian actress to bust stereotypes (despite that "exotic" thing.) The Hollywood Reporter notes that Q's casting would be "the highest-profile series role for an Asian actress on a broadcast drama series."

Betwixt Another CW series, this one is based on the novel by Tara Bray Smith about three Portland, OR teenagers:

During a surreal, drug-filled summer, the three must come to terms with an incredible revelation: they're all supernatural entities known as changelings. The futures of artistic Ondine Mason, troubled Alaskan runaway Nix Saint-Michael and beautiful, ambitious Morgan D'Amici become irrevocably intertwined during a secret rave in the woods around Mt. Hood. They think they've come to a party, but a terrifying arcane ritual called the Ring of Fire reveals their true natures as well as their critical roles in a looming and potentially deadly other-worldy conflict.

I love the fact that they go to a rave and discover their supernatural destinies. The TV pilot, just greenlit, is being written by Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants' Elizabeth Chandler. So, you know, guilty pleasure.

Tower Prep and/or Unnatural History. I figure at least one of these two live-action shows on the Cartoon Network will turn out to have science fiction/fantasy elements. Tower Prep is about a rebellious teen who wakes up to find himself trapped at a mysterious boarding school that's full of arcane secrets, and he has to figure out the school's mysteries and escape. Paul Dini is producing, plus it sounds like a teen The Prisoner, so it should be pretty awesome. Unnatural History is about a teen, the son of anthropologists, who moves to Washington, D.C. and explores weird mysteries at the Museum of Natural History.

Riverworld. This Syfy miniseries filmed ages ago — we interviewed star Tahmoh Penikett about it last summer — but Syfy just announced an airdate for the first episode: Sunday April 18. Syfy is hoping the miniseries will spawn a new ongoing series, not unlike Penikett's last Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica. Sure, Syfy already made a stab at doing a Riverworld adapatation a few years ago, but this time Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Andromeda) is writing. Also co-starring in the miniseries: Laura Vandervoort (Smallville, V). If this is even remotely as great as Philip Jose Farmer's books, then we hope it does become a series.

Undercovers. J.J. Abrams is creating another new TV series, this time about two married spies. Is it science fiction? We don't know. Given his track record of inserting science fiction elements into most of his shows, including the spy-focused Alias and even the soap-opera Felicity, we're betting it'll be at least somewhat in the "spy-fi" genre. Undercovers is a comedy about a husband-and-wife spy duo, Steven (Boris Kodjoe) and Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who are recalled out of retirement by the CIA, and rekindle their relationship as they investigate different cases every week. Carter MacIntyre just joined this show's cast, as a CIA agent with a drinking problem, who goes missing on assignment. (There are also a few other new spy/conspiracy shows coming on this fall, including NBC's The Event, which is about the biggest government cover-up in U.S. history, involving a "secret facility in Alaska." and Ridley Scott's Nomads, for the CW.)

Terra Nova. Another Spielberg show, this time for Fox. It's about a family from 100 years in the future, who travel back in time 150 million years to the time of the dinosaurs. Spielberg may actually direct some of it, and reports suggest that the special effects will be so expensive and awesome, the show may get greenlit as a series right away, to avoid the expense of filming a pilot, shutting down, and then starting up for the regular series. Dinosaurs! Dude! And as we reported the other day, Spielberg is also reviving his old TV series pitch, Nine Lives, about people who have near-death experiences to reconnect with their dead loved ones.

Being Human (U.S. remake). For those of you who've been living under a rock, this is a remake of the intense British drama about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost sharing a house. Syfy's Craig Engler tweeted about this remake a lot yesterday, saying that work is progressing, and he expects to see a script "soon-ish." Various twitter followers asked the same question we've all been asking — why remake the show instead of just showing the British version? Engler replied, "1. We don't have the rights 2. The Brit version would only get a modest rating on us 3. The creator wants to do an American version." In any case, if original creator Toby Whithouse really does stay involved, we're all for more Being Human on our screens.

Torchwood (the U.S. remake). Another American revamp of a British show, another original creator in the mix — since Russell T. Davies moved to Los Angeles, this is reportedly going to be one of his pet projects. We'd been assuming that this is a remake, starting over from scratch, but the Guardian seems to believe that Davies might just pick up the story where it left off at the end of "Children Of Earth," the five-hour miniseries that aired last year. With the Hub destroyed in Cardiff, there's no reason for alien-fighting organization Torchwood to be tied to that location any more. So maybe Captain Jack (and his new boyfriend Alonso) will just come back to Earth and travel the globe fighting monsters? Will Fox actually let RTD make this show the way he wants to? We can't wait to find out.

The Cape. Another superhero show — this NBC show involves a cop who's accused of a crime he didn't commit, who turns himself into a superhero to prove his innocence. Simon West, who directed the Human Target pilot, is on board to direct this one. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this show will have a "comic book sensibility." No info yet on who's starring.

The Walking Dead. Frank Darabont writes, directs and produces this adaptation of Robert Kirkman's masterful zombie apocalypse comic, in which policeman Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in search of a new home. Gale Ann Hurd (Terminator) is also producing. In the TV version, Grimes is seriously injured in a police incident in south Georgia, going into a coma. When he awakes, he finds that shit has gotten real while he was out. He goes in search of his family, only to find his neighborhood trashed. He finds two survivors, who tell him the government was setting up a "safety zone" in Atlanta. So he heads there alone, to try and find his family.

A Game Of Thrones. HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's acclaimed novel series. HBO has already greenlit a pilot, starring Sean Bean and Jennifer Ehle, and hopes to do seven seasons — one for each novel in the series. Producer D.B. Weiss says it won't be a huge, splashy series with thousands of orcs stampeding across the screen. Instead, it'll stay true to the books, and most of the battles will take place offstage.

Gates. This ABC series involves a big-city cop (Frank Grillo) who becomes the chief of police in a "sleepy planned community" and discovers there is more to the residents than meets the eye. Luke Mably plays a cardiologist who's secretly a "vampire-like creature."

Haven. Another book adaptation, this Syfy series is based on the Stephen King novella about a spooky town in (where else?) Maine, where "cursed folk" live normal lives in exile. The curses start coming back, so FBI agent Audrey Parker is brought in to help rein them in again, while untangling the mysteries of Haven. The production team all worked on The Dead Zone, so this spooky King territory is second nature for them.

Star Wars: The Live-Action Series. Who knows when we'll actually see this? Plus, of course, George Lucas' previous attempts at doing live-action Star Wars TV actually made The Phantom Menace look like Citizen Kane. Still, we can't help being excited by the idea of this show — maybe it's the fact that it's supposed to be more noir, focussing on the underbelly of bounty hunters and smugglers after the rise of the Empire. Any show that features a big role for Boba Fett can't be all bad. Not to mention, we hope Lucas finds a way to include Jedi-gone-rogue Quinlan Vos. Plus there are all those whispers that Lucas was recruiting some of Britain's best drama writers to pitch in. So let's hope it happens.

Plus there are also those rumbles that Joss Whedon is having lunch with the folks at FX, and possibly pitching them a show. (And possibly that missing "O" in the network's name will make a huge difference.) And Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman just signed a development deal with Fox, meaning there'll be shows coming down the pike from them. So don't give up yet! Television hasn't abandoned you.

Thanks to Nightsurf for suggesting a few we'd missed originally.

MONDAY - 2/22/10
Syfy brings us a Tales of the Darkside marathon from 8 AM-11 AM, every Caprica episode aired thus far from 11 AM-4PM, and two new episodes of the anime series Monster at 10 and 10:30 PM. Part 2 of Discovery's King Tut Unwrapped documentary debuts at 8 PM (Part 1 reruns at 10 PM). Signs (Starz, 10:30 PM) and Watchmen (HBO 2, Midnight) round out the evening movies.

Winner Of The Day: A double dose of Futurama from 9:30-10:30 PM on Comedy Central. The first episode is "Future Stock" (Fry befriends an unfrozen 1980s Gordon Gecko type), and the second is the classic "Where No Fan Has Gone Before." WELSHYYYYYYY!

TUESDAY - 2/23/10
New Lost at 9 PM! What's Claire been up to? Will Sawyer listen to the whole Iggy Pop discography? Will Flocke turn into a polar bear? Tune in!

There's a rerun of the NOVA episode "Megabeasts' Sudden Death" (PBS, 8:00 PM), Spiderman 3 (FX, 8 PM), and Alien Nation (Fox Movie Channel, 8 PM). My verdict? If you ain't a Lostie, get your Caan on. Mature adults can check out Alien Sex Files 3: She Alien (Cinemax, 12 PM), a film that inspired this IMDB reviewer's encomium:

Just watched this on Cinemax. Lots of skin and is very raw. A bit more than the standard soft core you see on late night cable. The women are stunning, not the tatted up stripper kind that seem to be in more and more of the Hollywood soft core flicks. Enough nudity and sex to please even the most ardent skin flick fan.

Cop-out Of The Day: Syfy's offers up Total Recall and Predator (7:30 PM & 11 PM), but watching censored versions of either flick is like eating a banana with the peel on.

WEDNESDAY - 2/24/10
Slim pickings tonight. Encore delivers a solid Schwarzenegger doubleheader with Conan The Barbarian (8 PM) and Running Man (10:30 PM). What is best in life? The governor of California in spandex, battling homicidal hockey players.

THURSDAY - 2/25/10
Reruns of the CW's Vampire Diaries 8 PM, "Bloodlines") and Supernatural (9 PM, "Sam Interrupted), a ST:TNG marathon (SyFy, 7-11 PM), and last week's episode of Caprica ("Gravedancing," SyFy, 11 PM) are the highlights of the day. Also, if you have Showtime Extreme, check out the LL Cool J remake of Rollerball at 10 PM. It's not unlike watching the ice-skating battle from Batman and Robin for 90 minutes.

FRIDAY - 2/26/10
New Batman: Brave and the Bold ("Chill of the Night," Cartoon Network, 7:30 PM) Smallville on CW at 8 PM...

...and Caprica ("There Is Another Sky," SyFy, 9 PM). Quentin Tarantino also guests on Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:37 AM).

SATURDAY - 1/27/10
FX is running a marathon of this season's Human Target episodes from 2-8 PM, Hellboy 2 runs on HBO 2 at 3:30 PM, and Barton Fink is on Fox Movie Channel at 2:00 AM Sunday morning. Come back from your Saturday night bacchanalia and fall asleep to the dulcet barks of John Goodman.

SUNDAY - 1/28/10
AMC is running some serious high-gloss, crap-execution cinema with Escape from L.A. (3 PM), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (8 PM), and Tomb Raider 2 (10:30). There's also a Stephen King marathon on SyFy from 9 AM-1 AM (The Langoliers, The Tommyknockers, all 8 hours of The Stand).

That's all for now, io9ers. Tune in next week!

Captain America:

Another casting rumor for Cap seems slightly more plausible than some of the others we've seen lately. Rumor has it One Tree Hill's Robert Buckley, a 6'2 former model, is in line for the role. But the original article which claimed this was the case has been taken down, so it's definitely just a rumor. [IESB and Screenrant via IGN]

Green Lantern:

Not really much of a spoiler, but Geoff Johns tweeted that Mark Strong is definitely playing Sinestro. And then: "Kilowog, the Guardians, Oa…all breathtaking. The age of Green Lantern is upon us!" [Slashfilm]

The Last Airbender:

A new TV spot that aired during the Olympics includes a smidge of new footage. [Slashfilm]

The Avengers:

William Hurt, who played General Ross in The Incredible Hulk, says he'd be happy to come back and play Ross again — and of course, his last scene involved Tony Stark approaching him about the Avengers Initiative. [Cinematical]

Marvel has said that Don Cheadle is signed for this film already, but he has no idea if he'll be in it or not. "There isn't even a script yet," he says. [IGN]

The Crazies:

Are you going crazy for this film yet? Danielle Panabaker describes her role:

My character Becca is a resident of the small town Ogden Marsh and she is still in high school, she has a high school boyfriend and as her after school job she works for Judy Dutton (Radha Mitchell) as her medical assistant and receptionist at her practice. So she is just a really good, wholesome, good-natured young woman.

And she and Mitchell both get strapped to gurneys in an "intense" scene. [Shockya]

Doctor Who:

A precious script page from Doctor Who's sixth upcoming episode has cropped up online, and it confirms that companions Rory and Amy are getting married. (Weddings that the Doctor attends, of course, do not turn out well as a rule.) Here's the transcript, and an image of the script page is below, along with a relevant still from the episode which shows Rory and Amy holding hands. (This is the one about vampires in Venice.)

THE DOCTOR (CONT'D)
I want Rory to see it too. So I'm sending you somewhere. Together.

AMY
What, like a date?

THE DOCTOR
Anywhere you want, any time you want. One condition: it has to be amazing. The Moulin Rouge in 1890! The first Olympic games! Think of it as a wedding present. Because frankly it's either this or tokens.

AMY
What do you think Rory?

Rory says nothing. Still hunched against his pillar. The Doctor smiles understandingly. He knows what this is about.

THE DOCTOR
It's a lot to take in, isn't it. Tiny box, huge room inside: what's that about? Let me explain...

It is of course possible this is a fake. But it looks genuine. Also, note the new TARDIS console room seems to have "pillars." [BlogtorWho]

Fringe:

The show's producers talk about Walter's deal with the Observers, and say that you should pay attention to the weird sequence of colors that keeps turning up. Also, we'll learn what the deal is with the unnamed character "The Rogue."

Here are some "sneak peek" images of the April 1 episode. [Facebook via FringeWatch]

Chuck:

Poor Chuck is going to have a malfunction in episode 3x09, "Chuck Vs. The Beard":

CHUCK GETS BENCHED WHEN HE CAN'T FLASH- BRANDON ROUTH ("SUPERMAN RETURNS") GUEST STARS-Chuck (Zachary Levi) feels like his life is falling apart when he can't flash and gets left behind for a mission. While Shaw (guest star Brandon Routh), Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) go on without him, Chuck finds himself in a sticky situation back at the base. Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Ryan McPartlin, Scott Krinsky, Vik Sahay and Mark Christopher Lawrence also star.

What do you bet they'll go straight for the obvious joke about performance? [ChuckTV]

Apparently that's also the episode in which either Morgan or Ellie learns Chuck's secret. [SpoilerTV]

V:

Producer Jace Hall says that because there's stuff that fans of the 1980s series expect to happen, the new show can actually go much further, "beyond what people have seen or what they can predict." The most important thing, though, is for everything to stay grounded and based on how the characters would really react. He knows Jane Badler, who played Diana on the original show, but won't say whether she'll be back in the new series. [TV Guide]

True Blood:

Eric's flashbacks will include info on both his parents, and while his sexual tension with Sookie will continue, they won't be a true couple any time soon. And Eric will definitely have other love interests coming up. [SpoilerTV]

Smallville:

Here's a sneak peek from Friday's episode, "Conspiracy". [SpoilerTV]

Survivors:

Here are some promo pics for the next episode of this post-apocalyptic show. [FilmReviewOnline]

Lost:

Rumor has it either episode 13 or 14 of this season will revolve around Jack again, even though tomorrow's episode is also a Jack-centric one. Rumor also says that not only will the L.A.-verse people start to remember about the island, but the Island-verse people will become aware of the L.A.-verse as well. [SpoilerTV]

Some behind the scenes pics show Jack in scrubs and Locke in what might be a patient's gown thingy. Is L.A. Jack going to operate on L.A. Locke after all? L.A. WTF? [Teresapalooza via SpoilersLost]

Another set report: a scene, presumably from episode 14, features Locke stepping out of the grounded Ajira Airways plane and addressing Jack and some of the other Losties. Also, there was a night shoot involving Jack pulling an injured, unconscious Sawyer out of the water. [SpoilersLost]

Jorge Garcia says we'll see how the statue crumbles. [Jay And Jack via SpoilersLost]

So you might remember a while ago, we featured set pics of Jin hugging Sun on the beach, in what seemed to be a tearful reunion scene. But now it looks like that scene has been refilmed, only Jin is hugging a female scientist. What's going on? Did Jin hallucinate that he was hugging Sun, but in fact he's hugging one of the scientists who brainwashed him? Or something else? [SpoilersLost and SpoilersLost]

In one upcoming scene, a crazy Libby crashes a blind date that Hurley's mom set him up on. The doctor from the mental hospital comes to pull her away from Hurley. [Lostpedia]

Some more new set pics show Locke plus two Locke stand-ins, and a bunch of the "Temple Others" seem to be dead on the beach. [Hawaii on Flickr via SpoilersLost]

Hiroyuki Sanada (Dogen) says he's already finished his filming for the series, but he's going to be in a few more episodes at least. And most of his scenes involve Jack or Sayid, who are important to him. [Yahoo! TV]

Here's another promo for tomorrow night's episode:

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.