IESB is reporting that production on Spider-Man 4 (known internally as SPIDER-M4N) halted indefinitely last Thursday and won't start up again until Raimi and the Sony Picture executives come to some agreements. It seems that the script remains unfinished because the parties can't come to an agreement on the villain.

According to someone working on the production, Raimi is campaigning for the Vulture as the fourth movie's villain, while Sony doesn't think the Vulture will sell tickets. Perhaps this explains some of the conflicting villain rumors we've been hearing. Word is there's a lot of anger coming from the production camp, but filming can't move forward until decisions are made and the script is fleshed out.

Update: MTV talked to a studio rep who is denying IESB's report, saying the only shutdown going on is a planned shutdown for the holidays. The rep goes on to say that, while the script is still being worked on, it's standard pre-principal photography tinkering.

SPIDER-MAN 4 Production on Indefinite Hold [IESB]

Ghostbusters 3:

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

Transformers 3:

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

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

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

Iron Man 2:

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

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

[Rotten Tomatoes]

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

Thor:

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

The Sorcerer's Apprentice:

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

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

How could it be bad? [People]

Daybreakers:

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

The Wolfman:

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

Spider-Man 4:

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

Avatar:

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

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

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

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

[NY Daily News]

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

Harry Potter:

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

Doctor Who:

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

Lost:

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

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

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

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

Fringe:

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

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

Supernatural:

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

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

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

Could that actually be God? [SpoilerTV]

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

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

True Blood:

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

Chuck:

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

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

FlashForward:

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

Smallville:

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

Heroes:

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

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Movieline is reporting that if all negotiations go as planned, John Malkovich will be playing the bald and pissed off Vulture in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4. All right, fine, another bad guy in the mix. But wait they're not done yet. According to the site, Anne Hathaway is not in negotiations to be the Black Cat, as we'd previously heard. Instead it's much, much worse.

The 27-year-old actress is currently the top choice for Felicia Hardy, who'd been long-rumored as one of the new characters in this installment. (Other names bandied about for the role included Julia Stiles, Rachel McAdams, and Romola Garai.) However, unlike in the comic books, this Felicia Hardy doesn't transform into the Black Cat. Instead, Raimi's Felicia will become a brand-new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.

Well, I think it's safe to say "no thanks," to that idea. While we like the idea of getting Anne Hathaway in a comic book movie, turning the Felicia Hardy character into the Vulture's distaff counterpart is a sacrifice we're just not willing to take. But take solace in this fact, it's still merely a rumor at this point. And the rumors for this film have been spreading like untamed symbiotes.

Doctor Who:

The cast list for the upcoming David Tennant swan song, "The End Of Time," went up on IMDB. And there are some notable surprises in there. (Assuming this is accurate.) Here's the cast list for episode one:

John Barrowman (Captain Jack)
Brian Cox (The Elder of the Ood)
Timothy Dalton (The Narrator)
Lachele Carl (Trinity Wells)
Jessica Hynes (Verity Newman)
David Harewood (Joshua Naismith)
Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble)
Alexandra Moen (Lucy Saxon)
Sylvia Seymour (Miss Trefusis)
Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)
Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame)
John Simm (The Master)
Jimmy Vee (Monster)
June Whitfield (Minnie Hopper)
Paul Kasey (Ood Sigma)
Silas Carson (Ood voice)

Verity Newman, of course, is the woman who wrote a book about the Doctor (judging from the filming reports) while Jason Naismith has written a very differnt book. And Midshipman Frame was last seen in the Titanic episode, "Voyage Of The Damned." Most of those people also appear in episode two, except for the Ood Elder. Plus:

Roger Bailey (Time Lord)
Teresa Banham (Governor)
Brid Brennan (Visionary)
Camille Caduri (Jackie Tyler)
Tommy Knight (Luke Smith)
Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)
Matt Smith (The Doctor)
Penelope Wilton (Harriet Jones)

So we'll be getting our first glimpse at Matt Smith as the Doctor in this episode. Plus, we'll meet another Time Lord. Rose Tyler, of course, will be back for a brief cameo with her mom from before she met the Doctor (at least judging from filming reports.) But perhaps the most surprising will be the return of Harriet Jones — could the dying Doctor be trying to undo his past mistakes, including unseating Prime Minister Jones? One can only hope. [Den Of Geek]

Dollhouse:

Here are three new clips from Friday's two-hour Summer Glau-tastic outing.

Lost:

Here's another new promo for season six. [Doc Arzt]

Spider-Man 4:

I don't think we've featured this quote from Tobey Maguire about why he's excited about doing a fourth outing:

Hopefully I'll be able to evolve the character in a new direction. He'll still be Peter Parker, but I hope I can move him forward a bit and take him to a place where there will be new challenges for me as an actor.

[MTV]

Zombieland 2:

Producer Gavin Poulone says the second movie will probably be 3-D, and director Ruben Fleischer is already back, with the stars in talks to return too. [Variety via Wired]

Nightmare On Elm Street:

We already showed you your first look at the new Freddy the other day, but now here are a few new promo pics that look remarkably like the original. [Omelette via SpoilerTV-Movies]

Fringe:

Here's a sneak peek of Thursday's episode, "Snakehead":

Smallville:

Here's your first look at Steve Bacic as — bwa ha ha — the Dark Archer. [KryptonSite]

True Blood:

I don't think this'll be a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention, but it's official that Theo Alexander will be playing Talbot, the boyfriend of the Vampire King of Mississippi. Talbot is intensely beautiful and has an acerbic sense of humor — and he loves to cook, even though vampires aren't supposed to cook. And Grant Bowler will play Coot, the werewolf leader of a menacing biker gang. [THR]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

Here's what happens in Friday's new episode, "Brain Invaders":

Reunited after the Battle of Geonosis, Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee are assigned to take a supply ship back to Republic-controlled space. But their routine mission becomes a fight for survival when they discover that the ship has been overrun by a horde of deadly stowaways – Geonosian brain worms with the grotesque ability to control the thoughts and actions of their clone hosts. It is impossible to tell friend from foe when dealing with deadly "Brain Invaders."

With their clone comrades controlled by the gruesome Geonosian brain worms, the Padawans must confront their greatest challenge yet. Though faced with a deadly threat to life and limb, it is their commitment to the Jedi teachings that is truly put to the test; with former friends as enemies, the two young women are forced to weigh the fate of the Republic against their own personal attachments.

And here's a new pic and clip from the episode:

Chuck:

Episode 3x12, which would have been the penultimate episode of the season before it was extended, will be called "Chuck Vs. The American Hero." [ChuckTV]

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths:

In this direct-to-DVD movie, we see a different side to one of the DC Universe's worst villains:

A "good" Lex Luthor arrives from an alternate universe to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the Justice League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.

And here are a couple pics:

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Thor:

Natalie Portman let slip that her friend Kat Dennings (Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist) will be in this film with her — and speculation is, she'll play Enchantress. [MTV via Cinematical]

Spider-Man 4:

No real news about this movie, which starts shooting early next year, but Tobey Maguire says he likes the idea of the Lizard as the main villain, because the Lizard has a history with Peter Parker, and "we often will go towards that kind of stuff." And he echoes Sam Raimi's comments about not knowing much about Carnage, who came to the wall-crawler's supporting cast much later on. He also likes Mysterio. [MTV]

Star Trek:

Continuing with the always-awesome vein of "actors making random predictions," Leonard Nimoy says he doubts J.J. Abrams and friends will call him to ask him to be in the sequel. He'll be happy to talk to them if they do call, but he figures he's already served his purpose. (And I bet J.J. is a lot more desperate for Nimoy to come back and do more Fringe appearances, something he's seemed a bit leery of doing lately.) [TrekMovie]

Doctor Who:

The Beeb released official summaries of David Tennant's final two parter, coming soon but not soon enough:

Part One: It's the Tenth Doctor's final journey – but his psychotic nemesis the Master has been reborn, on Christmas Eve. With both determined to cheat death, the battle ranges from the wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate, while the alien Ood warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire Universe.

Part Two: The Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With the sound of drums growing louder, and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times."

[BlogtorWho]

Meanwhile, remember the filming a while back, from Matt Smith's first story, which takes place in the idyllic fictional village of Leadworth? Apparently they needed a few extra shots for that story, because Leadworth was resurrected the other day for a bunch of minor pick-up shots. (And they had to make it look like summer, which can't have been fun.) Scenes included Smith running in his Chaplin-esque way, and poking his head out of a window. Karen Gillan was there in her oddly sexy police uniform, with her little red car. More pics at the link. [Alun_Vega on Flickr]

Lost:

Are the alternate timelines making you dizzy yet? The show was filming a scene by a lovely scenic waterfall, featuring Sayid, Locke, Jin, Cindy and a bunch of others — all decked out as "Others." Have our gang joined the Others? (One eyewitness thought Kate was among them, but apparently not.) Also on set, but not filming yet, Sheila Kelly, the L.A. Law vet who will play Kendall, who's caught committing corporate esipionage and has to lie her way out. And meanwhile there are more set pics showing Miles and Sawyer as cops in L.A. [The ODI]

Supernatural:

As we mentioned, the 100th episode will focus largely on Dean. But it'll also fill in a lot of pieces of the puzzle, says Eric Kripke:

We're aiming for it to be a big mythology episode. The Archangel Michael plays a very large part as we explore his relationship with Dean

[EW]

Heroes:

Some new set pics actually look pretty intriguing — Claire is running, and Sylar is minus an eye. If they make Sylar a cyclops permanently, I might have to start watching again. Just so I can call him Cylar. (Or SyClops?) [SpoilerTV]

And of course, because this is Heroes, Masi Oka hints that "you never know" if Nathan will come back from the dead. [Zap2It]

Chuck:

And there are some new promos:

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Nikki Finke, who actually has pretty reliable sources, is playing the "I know who the Black Cat is" game. First it was Rachel McAdams, then Romola Garai, and earlier this week Julia Stiles was thrown into the mix. But now Finke is claiming that Anne Hathaway has been approached for a role in Spider-Man 4.

While Sony Pictures insists no decisions have been made, sources tell me that the producers have approached Anne Hathaway to star in the film.

At least it's a step forward from reports of "auditioning". But maybe we can start a rumor next that Kristen Bell is up for the role? Because she would be actually, you know, good as Black Cat?

Entertainment Weekly caught McAdams briefly to chat about the rumor that she will be the new Black Cat in Sam Raimi's Spider-man 4.

"That's a total rumor, I have to say…I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you're doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!' It's not true."

And just about every site reporting the denial is insisting that well, McAdams may have had some discussion about Spider-Man 4 at some point in her life so... yeah. But even if we have to give up on McAdams, there's no need to panic in the resulting news vacuum: the web is ablaze with a new rumor, this time Julia Stiles. Turns out UGO has sources that says Julia Stiles contacted a New York casting company about a role in Spider-Man 4.

Now before we get all upset about the prospect of Save The Last Spider-Dance For Me, let's just remember: She contacted a casting company about it. So it's a possibility not the truth. We still have no idea who the Black Cat will be, but there seems to be a consensus that she is in the film.

Oh and while we're at it, here's Will Ferrell's audition for Black Cat as well, thanks Jake:

Spider-Man 4:

Are we going to meet Peter Parker and Mary Jane's baby in the fourth movie? There's a casting call for a baby boy (aged two to three years) with red hair. (Actually, they want twins, so that they can keep filming and swap them out when one of the kids has to take a break. But it's almost certainly for just one kid.) A lot of fans are jumping to conclusions, assuming this means Spidey will have a kid — but as SpoilerTV points out, this could be a baby Cletus Kasady, who grows up to become Carnage. Or it could be any number of other things. All we really know is that they're starting to cast this movie, and apparently there's a red-headed kid in it. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Superman Returns Again:

James McTeigue is still super-interested in directing the next Superman film, but sounds less certain that it'll ever happen. But he does offer one more hint of how he'd approach the Man of Steel: "It's ripe for a retconning." Whatever that means. [MTV]

Planet 51:

But screw all this superhero shit — you really want to know about this animated film, in which The Rock is an astronaut who lands on a 1950s planet where he's the alien invader. Right? Apparently in the movie, an alien teenager decides the only way to protect himself from an anal probe is by using a champagne cork. There's a cute Mars Rover robot named Rover (who probably doesn't say "Gadget Gadget," alas) and an alien Chihuahua shaped like the creature from Alien, and something quasi-hilarious happens when he pees.

When The Rock first lands, he hums "Thus Spake Zarathustra," and then realizes he's interrupted an alien barbecue in which all the 1950s aliens are dancing to old-time rock 'n' roll. Chuck (The Rock) says to himself that "Kennedy's going to freak" when they find out about "sea monkeys dancing to the oldies." Other classic SF movies referenced in this film include Plan 9 From Outer Space and E.T. [Kansas City.Com]

Lost:

A new and exciting twist on the "alternate universe where Flight 815 landed safely" concept: a dapper Sawyer was spotted filming a scene at the upscale Diamond Head restaurant, part of the Lotus hotel, and his lunch companion? Was Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) last seen dying on the island. [Hawaii Weblog]

Fringe:

Here are the first two minutes of this week's Observer-centric episode. Plus a new photo. [Fox]

And here's a new promo for the episode. [Fringe Television]

And a load of promo pictures from episode 2x09, "Snakehead." [SpoilerTV]

Supernatural:

Mark Pellegrino explains more about his approach to playing Lucifer and what's coming up:

As you know, the angels in the show can be, well, a—-holes. It is Lucifer who is kind and empathetic and truthful. So, play the "Prince of Lies" as the most sincere one of the bunch and you have a fresh take. But I have a feeling things are gonna change. Lucifer has a big chip on his shoulder and that can't be restrained for long... The proverbial crap is gonna fly. Hell, it's the apocalypse for crying out loud. Something's gotta give. If I tell you more than that I'll have to kill you.

[PopStar via SpoilerTV]

FlashForward:

Here are some promo pics from episode 10, "A561984". [SpoilerTV]

Assuming this show gets a second season, we'll see more of Mark Benford in season two — there will be new mysteries, but the second season is definitely a continuation of the first, says Jessica Goyer. [PopCorner.PL via FlashForward.PL]

Smallville:

Lois arrives in the future, in a new clip from Friday's episode:

Michael Shanks explains about his version of Hawkman, appearing February 5:

When we first meet Carter Hall he's in his museum. We'll learn he's a reincarnated prince from a thousand years ago. There is a reference to The Justice Society's time in the ‘70s, but we have since disbanded.

And apparently there's lots of flying and mace-swinging, but no bare chest — instead Hawkman has a weird bronze chestplate thingy. And here's a picture. (Full version at the link.) [TV Guide Magazine]

Stargate Universe:

But Shanks isn't just flying around Metropolis and giving Clark Kent advice — he's also a figment of Dr. Nicholas Rush's imagination in the upcoming Rush-centric episode "Human," in which we discover more about how he recruited Rush into the Stargate program. Shanks and Richard Dean Anderson also appear in the 18th episode, "Subversion." [Gateworld]

And here's a sneak peek at Friday's episode.

Heroes:

And here are five clips from the "Thanksgiving" episode. What are you thankful for? [The ODI]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder.

Spider-Man 4

MarketSaw claims they've gotten word that the Lizard will appear as the film's sole villain. Fact or wishful thinking? At this point, it falls into the category of unconfirmed rumor. Remember: Internet rumor = break out the salt shaker. [MarketSaw]

Lobo

Rumor has it that Clancy Brown is being strongly considered as the alien bounty hunter for Guy Ritchie's adaptation. Brown played the Kurgan in Highlander, and more recently creeped out Carnivale fans as Brother Justin Crowe. He's also well situated in the DC Universe, as he frequently voices Lex Luthor in DC's animated movies and shows. [Mania]

The Book of Eli

Three new stills take us to Denzel Washington's brightly lit post-apocalyptic future. [IGN]

New Moon

A new set photo shows Kristen Stewart in Italy, about to chase down Edward. [MTV Movies Blog]

True Blood

Tons of spoilers have popped up for the new season. Who was responsible for Bill's sudden disappearance in the season finale? As the new season opens, we'll find Bill in the company of a sarcastic and extremely handsome vampire named Talbot, who will serve as a guide for Bill — and who happens to be lover to the vampire king of Mississippi. Also in Talbot's company is Olivia, an elderly woman with an oxygen tank who mistakes Bill for her son. Eggs may be gone gone, but Tara has a new man looking her way: a handsome bloodsucker named Franklin Mott. Like Bill, Franklin will be the overprotective sort and will quickly rescue Tara from a group of racist rednecks. And Eric has a new love interest as well, an unlikable Czech Fangtasia stripper named Yvette. Even Tara's mom might be looking for loving when she turns to Reverend Daniels for comfort and hugs him a little bit too long.

Last season, Sam went off to track down his biological family, and he manages to find it. In the first episode, he'll encounter Betty and Marvin, a couple living in Arkansas. After subduing their pitbull, Sam learns that his family, the Mickens clan, has a less than favorable reputation. Sam's brother, Tommy Mickens, works at the Tire Depot and is especially notorious for skipping out on his rent and owing money everywhere. When Tommy first meets Sam, he'll claim to be someone else, not realizing Sam is his brother. Apparently, we'll be seeing a good deal of Tommy's bare butt cheeks, which suggests he's a shapeshifter like Sam.

Jason's libido takes a hit during a rather disturbing sexual encounter. A pair of NYU veterinary students, Jen and Missy, will try to lure Jason into a menage a trois, but he's less than eager when he seems to see bullet holes in their heads. And we'll see more V addicts when a "gang of crazy white-trash bikers" rolls in, eloquently named "Coot's Fuck You Crew." The group, led by the thuggish Coot, takes turns stabbing and feeding on Bill to get high.

The season will also feature Jesus Valsquez, an extraordinary orderly with a kind heart (and, this being True Blood, he's not too hard on the eyes) [E!, EW, Spoiler TV]

Lost

Carlton Cuse tweeted yesterday evening that William Atherton has signed as a guest star. [Twitter via MoRyan on Twitter]

V

More clips from the pilot show more about the Vs and how life on Earth changes after the landing. [MovieWeb]

Entertainment Weekly has a promotional music video set to Muse's "Uprising" at the link. [EW]

Heroes

HRG has an interesting business lunch in "Once Upon a Time in Texas:"

[Spoiler TV]

And a promo still of the episode shows a sweet moment for our Hiro. [CBR]

In the ninth episode, "Brother's Keeper," we will see the continuation of Matt and Sylar's battle. Also, Samuel will begin to understand the extent of his powers as Tracy loses control of hers. [Spoiler TV]

And there's a casting call for the fourteenth episode, "Let It Bleed:"

[MR. NOZAWA] 50-60 Male. Japanese. Must speak fluent Japanese. Wise, dedicated restaurateur in DC. Sushi chef and owner is persuaded to close his doors for a loyal customer ... CO-STAR

[Spoiler TV]

FlashForward

A normal night of trick-or-treating turns truly spooky in a clip from "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps:"

[Spoiler TV]

Paula Newsome is joining the cast in early 2010 as a doctor. [EW]

Chuck

For the new season's tenth episode "Chuck versus the Tic Tac," the producers are looking for a Connie Britton-type (Britton played Sharon Gaines on Friday Night Lights) to guest star as Kathleen McHugh, a strong, sexy, independent woman. In that episode, we'll also encounter Colonel James Keller, who will appear in the present and in flashbacks, Stanley Fitzroy, and Alex Coburn. Keller is a career military man, but is casual and relatable. Fitzroy is a "shockingly short" geek, and Coburn is a tall, athletic Marine. [Spoiler TV]

Smallville

Tom Welling is smoking (no, literally) in the latest poster from CW. [Operation Save Clark Kent]

And we flashback to Krypton with Jor-El and Zod in these images from "Kandor." [Operation Save Clark Kent]

Executive producer Kelly Sounders revealed a bit about what fans can expect from the current season. Chloe's having a hard time trusting people during this season, but she may be developing a fiery passsion for one of the show's more charming characters. She'll also be getting more screentime this season and will be an integral part of the heroes' lives beyond being a simple sidekick. There's some idea that Clark is still getting some training from Jor-El at the fortress, but there hasn't been time to show it on screen. But Clark will be getting a "magnificent" power before long (flying?). As for Lois and Clark's coupledom, she says Lois will be a bit more hesitant about the relationship going in. Deferring to the Superman mythos, Lois won't learn Clark's secret, but the episode "Idol" will play with that idea. And Clark will be greatly affected in the episode "Pandora," when he witnesses her visions of the future and gets to see life through her eyes. Clark will meet Zod during the first nine episodes, and they won't trust each other, but the nature of their relationship will keep shifting as more information comes to life. Clark won't come face-to-face with Jor-El, but she says we should tune into the Kryptonian backstory episode "Kandor." [TV Guide]

Also, sometime in the season's first nine episodes, we'll see Clark flirt with the idea of wearing glasses. [TV Guide]

Last night, at a screening for his new movie Trick 'r Treat, Baker confirmed that he would be returning to the franchise as Empire State University's Curt Connors — and perhaps the Lizard as well? When his Trick 'r Treat co-star Michael Dougherty teased that Baker's role in the fourth movie would consist of him hanging around in the background, to which Baker replied (perhaps jokingly) that he'd basically be doing just that. Dougherty lamented it would be a "cocktease for another year."

When asked about Spider-Man 4's possible villains, Sam Raimi mentioned that he's a fan of the Lizard. But it's possible that he'll hold off on the Lizard until the fifth and sixth films, which will reportedly follow a single storyline.

Dylan Baker Confirmed For Spider-Man 4 [UGO Movie Blog]

Inception:

Michael Caine spills the beans about what part he plays in Christopher Nolan's first post-The Dark Knight` project:

I play a professor who's teaching a guy science. It's Leonardo diCaprio. He's going off to do a science project and he speaks to me before he goes.

But it sounds like he's only in the film for a few brief moments.[Empire Online]

Venom:

Spider-Man 4 director Sam Raimi, not surprisingly, has no clue whether this spin-off will take place in the same "universe" as his movies. (The same universe as in the same continuity — I'm fairly sure the laws of physics will apply, more or less, in both films.) [MTV]

Star Trek 2:

Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman give another vague interview. This time around, they hint that there will be more exposure for characters other than Kirk and Spock in movie #2:

Kurtzman: For sure. In a sequel, you have even more of that burden, because the first movie is about introducing characters, but the second movie is about digging deeper into them. So you've got to make sure your story is giving everyone a moment… More than a moment. An arc.

Orci: We've always thought of the bridge crew as a family, so it's not just, "What are we gonna find for them?" It's part of the DNA of doing Star Trek right, I think - to make sure all the characters represent a significant part of the family.

[IGN via TrekWeb]

The Road:

Here's the final poster for this apocalptic funfest. [Cinemablend]

2012:

This new Adam Lambert music video seems to include some scenes from what must be the end of this movie, showing John Cusack and company emerging from storage containers unharmed. [Cinemablend]

Twilight:

Jackson Rathbone says Jasper Cullen's Civil War flashbacks in Eclipse don't take up quite as much time as they do in the book, but it's nice to see Jasper when he was still a bad dude. Also, as in the book, Jasper's the only one who knows how to combat the vampire army being raised by Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard). [MTV]

Also, director Chris Weitz says New Moon will follow the book's storyline, so we won't see that much of Edward. (Nooo!):

We didn't want to shoehorn him into the story. I did alter the visuals of the story in the sense that in the book, Kristen [Stewart]'s character has aural hallucinations — she hears his voice — and we've built in a very beautiful subtle effect so that we see him as well. But those are brief, if impactful, moments. A lot of the film is sustained by her loss and Taylor [Lautner]'s character bringing her back to life.

[IGN]

Lost:

Emilie de Ravin will be in every episode of season six, and we'll find out what happened to her. And we'll be seeing a different version of Claire — one that's more Rousseau-ish. As for the real Rousseau, we won't be seeing her in the final season — the producers asked Mira Furlan to return for the final season, but she turned them down due to a prior commitment. [EW]

Also, episode six is called "Sundown" and probably revolves around Sun and/or Jin. The show seems to be copying season one's pattern of character-centric episodes, but probably that will change with episode seven — unless we're really getting a Charlie-centric outing. [SpoilersLost]

Fringe:

We may not have seen the last of Charlie, since his duplicate in the alternate world is still running around. The show got rid of him because the producers wanted to get out of the FBI offices and more underground. And by the same token, we may not be seeing that much of new FBI character Special Agent Jessup (Meghan Markle) in the upcoming episodes — she's available if the show wants her, but she may not turn up that often, by the sound of things. We'll be getting to know our core characters more. Also, we may meet Olivia's evil stepfather this season. [EW]

Supernatural:

You won't have to wait much longer for the big showdown. Sam and Dean fight Lucifer in episode 10, and two characters die! [EW]

FlashForward:

Three sneak peeks from tonight's episode, "Gimme Some Truth":

Stargate Universe:

Just how angry is Sgt. Ronald Greer? Let Jamil Walker Smith explain:

And here's a sneak peek from Friday's new episode, "Light."

Sanctuary:

And a clip from tomorrow night's new episode, "Eulogy." Put those two episode titles together, you've got a Funkadelic song title.

Smallville:

In the episode called "Disciple," Steve Bacic will play The Dark Archer (bwa ha ha ha) who's Green Arrow's mentor and teaches him everything there is to know about archery. And darkness. Fans are speculating this is the same character as Merlyn The Archer from the comics. Also, Emilie Ullerup will play Cat Grant, and she appears in episode six, "Crossfire," the episode that also introduces Speedy. [ComicBookMovie and ComicBookMovie]

Heroes:

Here's the official description of episode 4x08, "Shadowboxing":

Claire is determined to get to the bottom of the attacks; H.R.G. realizes he may be the source of Claire's troubles; Peter's new ability is the perfect fit for his job; Sylar's battle at gaining full control of Matt's body escalates.

[SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Talking to MTV, Raimi confirmed what Campbell himself had told Access Hollywood last month:

I promised him we would write something because I really love putting him in the pictures... I promised him a good, meaty role.

Don't go assuming that this means that those Mysterio (or, for those enjoying the "All of Campbell's earlier cameos are the same person" idea, the Chameleon) rumors are true, though, because Raimi also admitted, "I don't even know what [the role] is yet." We're pulling for an unlikely time travel twist that will show Campbell as an older Peter Parker, just because we'd love to see he and Maguire try and ape each other for ninety minutes.

Sam Raimi Confirms Bruce Campbell Will Have 'Meaty Role' In 'Spider-Man 4' [MTV Splash Page]

In an interview with print magazine DVD & Blu-ray Review, Raimi said,

I think having so many villains detracted from the experience. I would agree with the criticism... I think [with Drag Me To Hell] I've learned about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations, and I'm hoping to take that into a production where I'm actually allowed to explore with more of the tools to pull it off with a little more splendor. I hope I don't lose that edge that I've just found. That would be my approach to Spider-Man 4: to get back to the basics.

If this means one villain per movie (and, hopefully, less alien entities pretending to be clothes), then we're entirely on board with this new, leaner and meaner Spider-Man being promised.

Sam Raimi promises Spider-Man 4 will 'get back to basics' [Coventry Telegraph]

Spider-Man 4:

MTV's readers voted in a poll that the Lizard is the villain they'd most like to see, with Carnage coming a close second. In response, director Sam Raimi says he loves the Lizard, but doesn't know much about Carnage. (And let's hope he picks just one villain this time around.) Gary Ross is still revising the screenplay, but Raimi explains the criteria that will determine the next movie's villain:

What we're trying to do right now is really understand the journey Peter is going to go on this time and have the villain maybe be a counter to that growth, something that he has to overcome. Or maybe he has to grow in a way to overcome the villain, because there always seem to be stories of coming of age, of a young man growing up and learning things about life, so once we are identifying the exact movement that Peter has to grow to, I think the villain-and we're trying this right now; we're trying to choose a villain based on who would be the proper counter to that growth, so we really have dramatic conflict.

How many times can one hero come of age though? [MTV]

Dollhouse:

Here are all the promo pics from "The Public Eye (Part 1)," the first episode featuring Summer Glau as Bennett Halverston, the "genius programmer" at the DC Dollhouse, who gets Echo strapped to a table. As interesting as the pics are their captions: Like, apparently Summer's character is "seeking revenge" on Echo?

Plus here's a new season two promo pic (click to enlarge). [SpoilerTV]

Lost:

Reader Michael visited the beach where they film all the beach scenes, back in August — a mysterious structure, maybe part of that new mysterious building, was there. But none of the castaways' camp, and none of that airplane wreckage we've shown you pics of recently. Which means the camp stuff and the airplane stuff was definitely added more recently. Here are a few of Michael's pics from August. [Thanks Michael!]

Also, Locke and Sawyer were just filming some scenes together, and Saïd Taghmamoui has come back to film some scenes as Caesar. [SpoilersLost]

Sarah Jane Adventures:

Here's the "cinema trailer" showcasing the third season of this awesome Doctor Who spin-off. [BlogtorWho]

Supernatural:

"Changing Channels," the penultimate episode of 2009, is the one in which Sam and Dean get trapped in various parodies of TV shows, including a Japanese show, a classic sitcom, Grey's Anatomy, and CSI. And since Richard Speight is coming back, it's very likely the Trickster is the culprit. [Supernatural.TV]

V:

Here's the official description of the pilot episode:

In the premiere episode, "Pilot," an image of Anna (Morena Baccarin), the leader of the V's, is projected worldwide as she speaks about everyone joining together and no longer being divided by country or separated by fear. She wants us all to unite, and is counting on a very important component of human nature — devotion. At first considered a threat, the V's quickly become a fascination and a link to things that lay just beyond our reach. For Tyler (Logan Huffman), a teenaged boy, the V's are his ticket to being a part of something big and something that offers hope. To Chad (Scott Wolf), an egotistical news anchor who wants to further his career, his exclusive interview with Anna begins his desire to dominate the airwaves. Father Jack (Joel Gretsch), a priest with questioning faith, is hesitant to believe in the Visitors' righteousness and goes outside of the church in search of the truth. There are other dissidents who believe the Visitors aren't who they say they are, including Ryan (Morris Chestnut), who is faced with a life-altering decision when the V's show up. And to FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell), who discovers, while investigating a terrorist cell, what lurks beneath the alarmingly human exterior of the Visitors, resisting this new world has never been more important — and never has there been more at stake. This truly is the dawning of a new day.

[SpoilerTV]

And here are new TV spots, focusing on InaraAnna. [VisitorSite]

Heroes:

Elizabeth Rohm joins the show Nov. 2 as Lauren Gilmore, a CIA agent who gets a hot romance with HRG. She describes her character:

Lauren, as we meet her in the beginning, is partners with Jack. They work in the same company, so she sort of does what he does. She's just a bad-ass kind of guy like him, but a girl... [HRG] and I have a past, that I can't say is exactly romantic, but there's definitely love between us. There was a period in time when they were incredibly close – nothing happened but they were really close – and you could see that there was a real bond between them. [Something] was almost going to happen, but he was still married at the time. So she erases her memory of when it started to become a little hot and heavy between them.

[TV Guide Magazine]

Smallville:

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

And here are some extra pics from the episode. [SpoilerTV]

True Blood:

Alan Ball shares what happens in season three:

After last season you would think things would sort of return to normal – but no, that's not going to happen!" Ball told TV Guide Magazine. "No, there's just as much weird stuff out there, and we're going to meet some werewolves for the first time; we're going to find out some roles vampires played in history, which is interesting and shocking and funny. It's more of the same.

He's excited about the Vampire King of Mississippi, and Eric continues to break out — plus Jessica and Hoyt will be dealing with everything that's happened. And Arlene and Terry will have more of a life and presence on the show.[TV Guide Magazine]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Talking to MTV, Raimi said,

We're hoping that it's the first week in March... The production is starting to come together. I've got a production designer who is starting to design the sets and the environments that the picture will take place in. We just brought aboard Scott Stokdyk as one of the two visual effects supervisors, and I worked with him on all three 'Spider-Man' pictures.

Even with all this activity, though, it's too early to start playing the "Guess The Bad-Guy" game. Future Venom director Gary Ross is still working on the script and, according to Raimi, there's been no decision about who'll fill the villainous outfits yet:

None of the casting has really taken place, but we're starting to think about that now.

Spider-Man 4 has been scheduled for release May 6th 2011.

Sam Raimi Hopes To Start Shooting 'Spider-Man 4' In March 2010 [MTV Splash Page]

Campbell told Access Hollywood that shooting for Spider-Man 4 will start in January 2010, and that he's been told he has a "major part" in the movie. Even Campbell doesn't know precisely what that role will be, but Access Hollywood notes there has been some fan speculation that Campbell could play master of illusions Mysterio — although those were rumors concerning Spider-Man 3.

/Film, on the other hand, speculates that the all the characters that Campbell has played are, in fact, a single character (one who has trouble holding down a job), and suspects that Campbell's "major" role means he'll be an important catalyst in the film rather than having more screen time.

Even if /Film is right that Campbell has been playing a single character throughout the franchise, that doesn't preclude a genuinely larger role for Campbell in the fourth movie, one that could shed light on his earlier performances. Is it possible that Campbell's character has been stalking Peter Parker since that fateful night in the wrestling ring? After all, he witnessed Peter's incredible feats of athleticism, and is the one who dubbed him "Spider-Man."

[Access Hollwood via /Film]

Kelly describes the issue as "a big, baroque comic book story that devolves into a 'yo mama' fight." A nefarious third party pits the two wise-asses in red against each other, to distract Spidey's attention from some other evildoings. But mostly, the plot is just an excuse for Spider-Man's light-hearted banter style to clash with Deadpool's meaner humor and fourth-wall-punching. If only Sam Raimi would grab Kelly's script and use it for a big chunk of Spider-Man 4...

Spider-Man Vs. Deadpool art by Skottie Young. [MTV via Newsarama]

Spider-Man 4:

You may recall that we reported that Michael Papajohn said he'd be back as the carjacker who killed Peter Parker's Uncle Ben in the first movie. People have been assuming this meant he'd appear in a dream sequence or flashback. But the chatty Papajohn spoke up again, telling a fan, "Who says I died in the first one?" The fan's uncle pressed Papajohn for details, but Papajohn said, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Basically, Papajohn loves killing people's uncles. [Superhero Hype]

Harry Potter:

Some set photos from Deathly Hallows. They were filming in "muggle clothes" at Scotland Yard. And people are guessing they're breaking in at the Ministry of Magic. Way way more pics at the link. [ComingSoon]

G.I. Joe:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt describes his character in the movie, the Doctor: "I'm just a future ruler of the world." [Sci Fi Wire]

Shorts:

Sci Fi Wire talked to director Robert Rodriguez and has a bit of a new plot synopsis for this August 7 movie: It's about

11-year-old Toe Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends, until a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything: It grants wishes to anyone who holds it.

[Sci Fi Wire]

Torchwood:

More spoilers for this Doctor Who spin-off, coming back to BBC on July 6 and BBC America on July 20. Digital Spy has ten "teasers," some of which we've already reported a few times. Let's see... not only does every child on Earth start chanting "We are coming," but they all do it in English. The only non-child repeating the message is that psych patient, Timothy White, who was traumatized in 1965.

Jack and Ianto get referred to as a "couple" on several occasions. (Yay.) We get to see how Ianto's cousin, sister and niece deal with his same-sex relationship. And Gwen and Rhys are house-hunting, but Gwen will have a surprise for Rhys by the end of the first episode. On a related note, the first episode ends with both Gwen and Captain Jack having something inside them that will change their worlds forever. (i.e., Gwen is probably pregnant. Jack, no clue.) And as we mentioned, episode one ends with one of the greatest cliffhangers ever — which some speculate is Torchwood HQ getting blown up. [Digital Spy via Life The Universe and Combom]

Lost:

Michael Emerson is always game to speculate with us about what lies ahead in the show's final season. He guesses that maybe we'll get some more Ben flashbacks, possibly filling in some more of Ben's bio as an adult. (But isn't the new season supposed to be flashback-free? Or is that only the last half of the season?) He also questions whether Jacob is really "killable," despite having been stabbed in the finale. [Sci Fi Wire]

Heroes:

Hayden Panettiere hints that one of Claire's new roommates could be her new arch-enemy. Or at the very least, you don't really know about her roommate at first. (Didn't they do that on Buffy already?) And she says the new organization causing havoc for the super-mutants is the Carnival, which is "kind of the opposite of the Company." (They're the carnival freaks, led by the Eddie Izzard-esque carnival barker.) [Sci Fi Wire]

Also, there's a new casting call for Doctor Cambridge, a sixty-something female doctor who treats the show's new deaf character. She knows sign language and has a "vested interest" in her patient. [SpoilerTV]

Cristina Rose says that we'll learn in episode 4x03 twenty years ago, Angela made a decision that is going to come back and bite her in the ass. (Another one?) Angela tries her best, but she keeps screwing up. Still, she'll stay afloat "with a sense of humor and a glass of wine." [E! Online]

Chuck:

More about those glitches in Chuck's new superpowers that you've heard about. Turns out Chuck might try to "flash" on his kung-fu skills, but instead he'll suddenly know ballet. [E! Online]

Smallville:

Justin Hartley says Oliver Queen is going to start drinking again. [E! Online]

Eastwick:

A ton of casting calls for this supernatural John Updike-inspired series. There's Eleanor Rougement, a former witch in the same circle as Bun (Veronica Cartwright). The fifty- or sixty-something Grey Gardens-esque Eleanor used to be sexy and seductive, but now she lives in a haze of paranoia. If and when she emerges, she may become a force to be reckoned with. And she can be both quirky/funny and terrifying.

Morgan Chase was the love of Joanna's life, but left her at the altar. He comes back to Eastwick, engaged to another woman, but then he and Joanna realize they still have feelings for each other, and romance blossoms anew. Their rekindled romance goes dark when Joanna realizes Morgan has ulterior motives for pursuing her.

Milton Philpont was a crack reporter, but he's now retired. He remembers every detail of every story he ever wrote, and loves to repeat them at length. He may hold a crucial piece of information about the mysterious bad boy Darryl Van Horne, but is unable to remember — possibly due to mystical reasons — to his chagrin.

Darryl Van Horne and the ladies of Eastwick arouse condemnation from Deacon Dunn, a self-righteous Christian who espouses family values but secretly visits prostitutes. (I love how this show is going to challenge stereotypes.) He appears solid and likeable, but is secretly unstable and can turn violent if you cross him. Also, the African American Sheriff Hawkins is a no-nonsense skeptic, but sees more and more strange goings on and has started to suspect a supernatural explanation.

Then there are the teenagers. We meet Josh, Chad's little brother, who's a total geek and Dungeons & Dragons-lover. He's sweet and chivalrous, the kind of guy who will "score like crazy" in college, but for now the girls just look past him. He becomes the love interest of Mia (Ashley Benson). Then there's the 15-year-old Justine, who'd Mia's best friend since kindergarten. And Stephie, the "popular girl" at Mia's school, who doesn't realize how bitchy she comes across to others. [SpoilerTV]

Also, Lindsay Price talks about her character:

[Joanna's] very awkward and shy. She's like the Susan Sarandon [character in the movie], very bookish, but she works for the paper, like the Michelle Pfeiffer character. My character on Eastwick is not a fashionista to say the least. She loves to spill something on her clothes. She's like Annie Hall meets Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary.

[E! Online]

True Blood:

When Sookie and Bill get to Dallas, the Fellowship of the Sun sends someone to abduct her. Meanwhile, Lafayette invites Eric over to his house, then feeds off his blood to recover from the wounds he sustained when Eric abducted him. [E! Online]

Vampire Diaries:

There's a new review of this show's pilot. It starts with a voiceover saying "For over a century I have lived in secret. Hiding in the shadows, alone in the world, until now. I am a vampire, and this is my story." A twenty-something couple drives their SUV through the forest to the strains of alternative rock, but then a guy appears right in front of them and they hit him. The driver rushes over to the prone figure, but then it turns out to be a vampire and snaps his neck.

Then we get to know Elena, a teenager, and Stefan, a vampire, as they both write diaries. Elena is trying to regain her identity after the death of her parents. And Stefan is obsessed with Elena, who reminds him of a girl he used to know. And we also meet the supporting cast:

Elena's brooding brother, her nutty friend Bonnie who thinks she is psychic, the jock ex-boyfriend, the sex-pot, the blond, the bully, the Prius, you get the picture.

Stefan registers for Elena's high school, and instantly everyone's in love with him. And he and Elena keep running into each other and flirting and stuff. And then at one point Elena cuts her shin, and we see veins pop out on Stefan's face as his bloodlust kicks in. We wonder if it's Stefan killing people around town but it turns out to be Stefan's vampire brother Damon. Unlike Stefan, Damon still drinks human blood, so he's much stronger when the two scuffle. And we learn that magical rings enable the two vamps to walk in sunlight. [TV Overmind]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.

Spider-Man 4:

A somewhat unlikely comeback: Michael Papajohn, who played the carjacker who kills Uncle Ben in the first movie, reportedly told a convention he'll be back in the fourth. A flashback? Or is the carjacker getting out of prison? Or something else? It could be just a bit part, but it's odd that Papajohn claims to have this gig already, when the script was probably just finished a week ago. Of course, Papajohn may not have said this at all, and it may just be a garbled report. [Superhero Hype]

Star Trek 2:

Co-writer Roberto Orci tells ComicBookMovie it's "tempting" to introduce Khan in this sequel, because the sequel will probably weave in and out of the original continuity the way the first one did. But it's risky, because you open yourself up to comparisons. [ComicBookMovie]

Inception:

Chris Nolan's "architecture of the mind" thriller has reportedly started shooting, and our only real spoiler is that locations reportedly include Tokyo, Tangiers, London, Paris, Calgary and Los Angeles. And did we already pass along the rumor that Ken Watanabe plays an exec who blackmails Leonardo DiCaprio's character? [Slashfilm]

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

Here's another new clip from this movie — Shia drops a fragment of the Allspark, and it sets his floor on fire and makes all the household appliances freak out. Hilarity, as they say, ensues.

The Box:

So you might have wondered just how Richard "Southland Tales" Kelly manages to turn Richard Matheson's six-page short story into a feature-length movie. Apparently, it's by treating the original story as the "first act" of a three-act structure. In the original 1970 story, a young couple receive a box with a button in it, and a man tells them that if they press the button, they receive $50,000 but someone they don't know will die. And there's a twist ending you can see coming a mile off if you've ever encountered a twist ending in your life. Kelly continues the story after the twist ending, as the couple struggle to survive and to discover the secrets behind the box. He keeps the story in the 1970s, but ups the reward to a cool million dollars. [Sci Fi Wire]

Doctor Who:

Timothy Dalton "plays a terrifying judge who puts the Doctor on trial in an intergalactic court case," claims a Welsh newspaper. (But I suspect this is made up — I think they're getting this from the Sun, which invented this plot strand when they were running our photos without attribution last week.) [Wales Online]

Fringe:

J.J. Abrams explains what's coming in season two:

First of all, I would say that the first year was about learning there is an enemy and I would say that Season 2 is about knowing the enemy. As the show progresses, and in the second season, it's building to a specific confrontation and a really interesting shift in the fundamental paradigm on the show in a very cool way. Without going into any details about it, it has a fun, fresh way in next year that I think you never know how it's going to work, but cross your fingers people are going to like it. Next season is thrilling for me, not in that they audience is coming back to experience what we're doing, but the excitement is not just these characters, but now playing with [those characters].

[IF Magazine via HeyUGuys]

FlashForward:

We will find out why everyone on Earth blacks out for exactly two minutes and 17 seconds, in particular. Alex Kingston (River Song from Doctor Who) has a role in the pilot and it's hinted she'll be back. The show's first thirteen episodes take place in six countries, including one episode in Dubai (with subtitles.) There are 10 main characters and each of them has his/her plot arc mapped out on a "mega bulletin board" made out of six regular-sized boards. And the MosaicCollective website will be an actual plot device on the show — everyone on Earth can go on there and map out what their flashforwards were, and cross-reference with other people's. It's the new Facebook. Saying "I Mosaiced you" will become common and grammatical.

There's an aspiring musician who has a "flashforward" showing that he becomes a huge rock star, but the two minutes and 17 seconds end just before he's about to play his signature song — leaving him uncertain what that song might be, and whether he's written it yet. None of the people who are in the audience during that flashforward know what the song is, either. And we'll find out if animals also experienced the "flashforward" phenomenon. [Zap2It]

Heroes:

New set photos show Milo Ventimiglia and Zachary Quinto on set together. Are Peter and Sylar going to have an encounter, after Matt's incredibly inept brainwashing wears off for the first time? (Really, it was more like a brain-splashing. Or even a brain-sprinkling.) Way more pics at the link. [Just Jared via SpoilerTV]

Warehouse 13:

Star Eddie McClintock describes his character, Pete Latimer:

He's a very impulsive, intelligent, man-child who has joined the Secret Service, in order to make good on some feelings of guilt that he has, in relation to the death of his father, when he was a child. He wants to make the world right.

And there's an episode where he's stuck in a cave and an artifact is trying to attach itself to his body, and he's in pain and terrified. Also, Myka (his fellow agent) gets into an altercation with Pete at one point, where she's punching and kicking him, and he's getting thrown over a table, knocking over lamps, and then falls down a hole.

Normally, though, Pete and Myka have a sort of brother-sister relationship, with Pete being the annoying younger brother. Over the course of the show, the Warehouse full of arcane artifacts becomes more of a main character itself, with the artifacts serving as antagonists. But around episode four, we meet a flesh-and-blood antagonist who's someone from warehousekeeper Artie (Saul Rubinek)'s past. [IESB]

Batman: The Brave And The Bold:

A few more details about that upcoming musical episode starring Neil Patrick Harris. Apparently, it co-stars Aquaman, voiced by John "Bender" DiMaggio, who also voices Gorilla Grodd — and Aquaman sings! Given how boastful and shallow DiMaggio's version of Arthur Curry is, that ought to be fun to watch. [Newsarama]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.