The Green Hornet

Reader Kyle sent us more exclusive photos from the Green Hornet set, where some havoc had occurred:

All the windows of the recruiting center to the right side of the door were blown out. They were cleaning glass off the sidewalk and cleaning up the inside of the room. Notice that the Marines poster in the window only has a silhouette of a Marine, when the one inside the center has an actual photograph. Interesting! The shoe store next door was really dusty inside, but there was no damage to it at all. Probably only for the outside shot, because there is an actual T-Mobile store to the other side . . . so they can't show that!

Avatar

It's not surprising that 20th Century Fox execs are touting James Cameron's film, but co-chairman Jim Gianopoulos emphasized that there are six specific scenes that simply blow him away every time, and the LA Times thinks he sounds genuine. [LA Times]

The Wolfman

New posters give us one werewolf and one distressed damsel. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Stargate SG-1

If the third DVD movie is made, it will be titled Stargate: Revolution. [GateWorld]

Stargate Universe

In the mid-season finale, "Justice," a crew member is found dead from a gunshot wound, and the gun is found in Colonel Young's quarters. Young will turn over command to Camille Wray. Meanwhile, Rush gains access to the Ancient interface, and a planet harbors a secret that threatens the Destiny. [GateWorld]

True Blood

Despite rumors, Rudy Reyes hasn't been cast as the werewolf Alcide. [EW]

Supernatural

In the November 19th episode, Castiel loses his virginity. Misha Collins talks about his character Castiel and the previously mentioned drinking episode, but says he's still looking forward to the angel losing his virginity. [TV Guide]

Dollhouse

Joss Whedon spilled a lot about the final episodes of the now-canceled show. Summer Glau's character Bennett, who works for the Washington DC Dollhouse, is a character from Caroline's past. We've known for a while that Echo will learn some unsavory details about her pre-wipe persona, and it appears that Bennett will be the person who reveals them. Whedon describes her as having morals, and explains that her arm is in a sling because she has a dead arm. As for Ray Wise's character Howard, he may be Adelle's DC counterpart, but he's not so big on the morals. We'll also be seeing more of Keith Carradine's Harding.

Alpha will be back in the December 11th two-part episode, and we'll see one of his personalities we haven't seen before: a violent Franciscan monk. And he'll have some very interesting questions to ask of someone, and rather unsavory ways of asking them. This time, we'll also see him interact with people at the Dollhouse other than Echo.

Claire Saunders will return for two episodes, and where she's been may come as a surprise. It sounds like Echo will be sent to the Attic, which Whedon describes as "Disneyland on really bad acid." Ballard and Echo's relationship will change in the remaining episodes (there will be a kiss), and Ballard's whole life will change more than once. Felicia Day will return in a later episode (Whedon said he would like to return to the dystopian future of "Epitaph One"). The remainder of the season will focus on Echo realizing that her larger battle isn't with the Dollhouse, but with Rossum. [TV Guide]

Also, a casting call for eleventh episode is out for a female test subject who can sing opera and speak German. [Spoiler TV]

Lost

The title for the eighth episode is "Recon." [Spoiler TV]

Apparently, there's a rumor that Alexis Bledel is going to be in an episode. She's not. [EW]

Fringe

The producers talk about several aspects of the show centered around "Momentum Deferred." They explain that the First Wave hybrids are more interested in intelligence-gathering than battle, and while William Bell may be telling the truth, he's probably out to serve his own interest rather than the Fringe team's. They also mention that Walter and Bell may have some sense of religion, and imply we'll see more of Rebbecca. As for the formerly disembodied leader of First Wave, we will eventually learn who stored his head and why he wasn't killed. [Fringe Television]

And here's a peek at the smooth-headed Observers. [TV Guide]

V

The Visitors get visas in a sneak peek of next week's episode.

And here's a lovely picture of Morena Baccarin. [TV Guide]

Heroes

The Nov. 23 episode, "Thanksgiving," is the one where Adrian Pasdar will take his final bow, and Angela will have to admit she was behind the Nathan-Sylar switcheroo. [TV Guide]

Smallville

Clark spends some quality time with the Army of Zod in stills from "Pandora." [Spoiler TV]

And here's the aforementioned sneak peek of "Pandora" with shirtless Clark.

Additional reporting by Josh Snyder.

Shazam

Screenwriter Bill Birch says that while the Captain Marvel movie will have an edge to it — but it won't be Dark Knight gritty, and will probably have a PG-13 rating. He admitted that Dwayne Johnson could be a possibility for Captain Marvel, given Johnson's relationship with director Peter Segal. Birch says he always saw Ryan Reynolds in the role, but that's out now that Reynolds is playing the Green Lantern. [Cinema Blend]

The Hobbit

Guillermo del Toro will have a cameo as a background monster in the film. He says he'll have a line or two, then die quickly. He says many of the movie's monsters will be majestic, especially Smaug and the Great Goblin. [/Film]

The Green Hornet

Tipster Kyle discovered the Green Hornet crew was filming on Wilshire Boulevard in LA, and snagged a photo and got a good look at the set:

It is an Armed Forces Recruiting center. Inside there are a bunch of low cubicles set up and in the back was a podium flanked by various state and organizational flags. They are hanging up a sign in front (picture attached) for the center as well as a shoe store next door. I'm not sure how the shoe store fits into things, but it's there!

[Thanks Kyle!]

X-Men Origins: Magneto

David Goyer says the script for Magneto is "brilliant," but it's unlikely it'll go to production any time soon, especially if Fox wants to make another Wolverine movie. [MTV]

Breaking Dawn

Robert Pattinson says he's heard the final Twilight movie will shoot in Portland, and in his wildest dreams he'd like to see Portland-based director Gus Van Sant at the helm. [MTV]

Doctor Who

A new behind the scenes featurette for "Waters of Mars" takes us inside the biodome and shows us one of the water creatures. [Blogtor Who]

And shots from a handful of TV magazines offer a little more insight into the episode. [Blogtor Who]

A poster on the Gallifrey Base forums has a solid theory on how "Waters of Mars" will end. Poster the_silver_shade suspects that the Doctor will rescue Adelaide from her fated death, but in order ensure minimal disruption of the timeline, Adelaide will have to take on a new identity and never see or interact with her daughter or granddaughter again. If so, expect it to be a tearjerker. [Gallifrey Base]

We mentioned yesterday that creatures who may or may not be Silurians appear in the eighth and ninth episodes of the new season. Here's an alleged glimpse of one of those creatures. One message-board poster claims, based on hearsay or inside sources, that the episode takes place 15 years in the future, when global warming has greatly reduced the human population and we're searching for a cure. And a new form of energy involves recycling old mines, which disturbs lizards under the ground — and the lizards start eating corpses. Also, something (possibly a spaceship) blots out the sun. Take this, of course, with a grain of salt. But here's that picture. [Gallifrey Base]

Lost

The producers have filled the role of Kendall, previously mentioned as a sharply witty, intellectual beauty who is caught committing corporate espionage. The corporate spy in question will be played by LA Law's Sheila Kelley. [Ausiello]

And the word is that either the bomb did go off at the end of last season or the show will reset with Oceanic Flight 815 landing safely, not both (the explanation is "it's complicated"). But hasn't it already been established that the bomb went off? [E!]

The DocArzt Lost Blog has a virtual tour of Lost's Hawaiian film locations using Google Maps. You can check out the building from which Locke was thrown, where Jin first saw Sun, Hurley's mansion, the spot where Bernard and Rose met, and the Beach Camp. [DocArzt]

Dollhouse

Summer Glau's character has an unsurprising tendency to speak in riddles, but she will make one shocking direct statement, and it will bring us closer to the origin story of one of the show's most important characters. [E!]

Supernatural

Anna will come back in an episode next year, and she'll want to kill Sam so he doesn't say yes to Lucifer. She'll travel back in time to kill Mary and John Winchester (sadly, they'll be "young Mary and "young John," so no Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and Sam and Dean will naturally have to go back and stop her. [E!]

Clone Wars

In this week's episode, Ahsoka and fellow Padawan Barriss Offee will embark on a mission to destroy Poggle the Lesser's Geonosian droid factory without their masters. Barriss is Luminara Unduli's Padawan, and Luminara is a very by-the-book master. Barriss takes a similarly structured approach to her duties. But as she spends more time with Ahsoka, Barriss will come to trust her instincts more and we'll see more of her vulnerability and curiosity.

Here's a clip of their daring break in:

V

Morena Baccarin says that the Visitors have emotions, but they're very zen about it and don't get caught up in the drama of things. She also says that the relationship between humans and Vs changes by the fourth episode. [Korbi TV]

Scott Wolf says Chad isn't a shady dude, and that he has a sense of journalistic integrity. He says that Anna is control for the time being, but Chad has a few tricks up his sleeve. [Korbi TV]

Elizabeth Mitchell talks a possible Erica/Anna smackdown. [Korbi TV]

FlashForward

Here's a fresh promo for Thursday's episode, "Playing Cards with Coyote." [Flashforward.pl]

Chuck

Chuck vs. The Terminator? Robert Patrick, former T-1000 and X-Files FBI agent, will appear in the midseason episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac." He'll be playing Col. Keller, a mysterious figure from Casey's past. [Ausiello]

Brandon Routh and Kristen Kreuk will be coming between Chuck and Sarah this season. Kreuk's character Hannah shares a kiss with Chuck, and the pair go at it in the Buy More's Home Theater Room. But she's not what she seems. As for Routh's Shaw, he and Sarah will find themselves in a moment of peril where they confess their love for one another. [E!]

Heroes

We'll get to see the young HRG in the eighteenth episode. Here's the casting call:

[YOUNG HRG] 20 Male. Caucasian. Free spirit. Hippie turned used car salesman in the late 70s. Newlywed naively invites a stranger into his home and tragedy ensues. We are looking for someone to play the young version of the actor Jack Coleman sptv050769. CO-STAR / POSSIBLE GUEST STAR/

[Spoiler TV]

Peter uses his fancy new healing power on Parkman in the promo for next week's episode, "Brother's Keeper."

And we have the official description for episode twelve, "The Fifth Stage."

Unexpected visitors greet H.R.G.; Samuel's plan starts to come to fruition; struggling to accept the truth, Peter takes extreme measures to get what he wants; Claire's journey leads her to an unexpected destination.

[Spoiler TV]

Smallville

Things will be looking a bit greener in the two-part Justice Society arc in January. Phil Morris' Martian Manhunter will play a role in the first part, "Society," but it's the "Legend" episode where he'll really shine. [Fancast]

Additional reporting by Josh C. Snyder and Charlie Jane Anders.

The Green Hornet

We get some action shots with Kato and a cement truck, while the Hornet just stands around in his pretty suit:

[Spoiler TV]

Astro Boy

New stills show off more of this movie's adorable (and sometimes intimidating) robots:

[IGN]

The Hobbit

Ian McKellen says the scripts for the two Hobbit movies will be delivered soon, and filming will probably start next March or April. At some point, Guillermo del Toro told McKellen they'd be filing for 383 days, a symptom of what McKellen affectionately terms del Toro's "artistic autism." [Empire]

Magneto

McKellen also said that, despite rumors he would appear in the X-Men prequel spinoff, he believes he won't be involved. [Empire]

New Moon

A couple more sepia-hued images of vamps, werewolves, and Volturi:

[IGN]

Eclipse

David Slade might be bringing the blood to Eclipse, but the first official photos still reeks of tortured romance:

[Spoiler TV]

The Fourth Kind

Two new TV spots try to make you believe in alien abductions:

[ShockTillYouDrop]

Supernatural

A new promo for "The Children Are Our Future" is lighter on the urban legends, heavier on the Antichrist:

[via Spoiler TV]

Lost

A set reporter snagged some pictures of the base camp for a scene from the new season's fourth episode. The pictures themselves aren't terribly spoilerish, but the reporter saw a scene between Locke (or someone currently wearing Locke's body) and Sawyer. Locke was wearing green cargo pants and a once-white (now green) shirt and Sawyer was in black jeans and a blue button down shirt.

[Lyly Ford]

In episode six, we'll see a couple of kids likely connected to Sayid:

[SAM] Middle Eastern, 9. Raised in America and has no accent. Typical boy: smart, eager, ready to tackle anything and watches out for his little sister. Happy to see an unexpected visitor but sad he can't stay longer...CO-STAR

[EVA] Middle Eastern, 6. Raised in America and has no accent. Shy and not as willing to plunge into new situations as her brother. Happy to see an unexpected visitor but sad he can't stay longer...CO-STAR

[Spoiler TV]

Stargate Universe

Here's a slew of appropriately ill-lit promo pics from this week's episode, "Darkness:"

[Spoiler TV]

V

A nicely ominous poster of Morena Baccarin and her alien eye:

[TV Guide]

FlashForward

Are flashforwards a good basis for making medical decisions? That's the question in a clip from this week's episode, "Black Swan:"

And it looks like Wedeck will be enjoying a glass of brandy in the Oval Office at some point during the episode:

[FlashForward.pl]

In the show's October 29th episode, "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps," Simon (Dominic Monaghan) contacts a reluctant acquaintance.

And you can see some stills from the episode:

[Spoiler TV]

The twelfth episode will introduce the recurring character Timothy, a charismatic everyman and natural leader. Other people look to him for empathetic counsel. The episode will also feature Marcus, an insect-loving man in his 20s with a perpetually sunny disposition, and Roz, a schizophrenic, emotionally distant woman in her 50s, who alternates between lucidity and breaks with reality. [Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown and Charlie Jane Anders.

Tron Legacy

Producer Sean Bailey says that the younger version of Jeff Bridges (depicted using the same techniques done to de-age Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, play a major role in the film. But Bridges will also play a second, older character, though Bailey won't say who. He also said that the computer world of Tron Legacy is not part of the Internet, but an isolated space that evolved on its own, much like the Galapagos Islands. He also reiterated that we'll be seeing light runner vehicles traveling off-road. [SCI FI Wire]

Surrogates

Radha Mitchell talks a bit about playing her character as both her human self and her robotic surrogate:

It's great to be able to change your costume in one story, and have these two different identities, but what I guess the story really gets at is the abstraction of social interaction and I guess also the obsession with perfection. So there are the robots that are all supposed to have this particular aesthetic look that I guess currently we would consider better than the other look, but if you can change your costume like that, you lose the bias, and then you go for comfort. I had a padded ass in the second costume, and, like, buckteeth, but ultimately when you can wear high heels, or you can sit around in a padded ass? So you can do either or by choice and you choose the ass. Then there's the idea that you could change your gender, and you could change your race, so what is intrinsic to who we are? We feel like it's this sort of physical thing, but maybe we are just these creatures of the mind.

[Moviehole]

Pandorum

Here is the German trailer for the scifi thriller:

[via ShockTillYouDrop]

The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen gets suited up (in an actual suit) for his superhero movie, plus Jay Chou in suspenders:

[Accidental Sexiness]

Dollhouse

At the end of the season premiere, Echo will reveal to Paul that she is functioning with multiple personalities in her head and is becoming aware of her situation. And then Paul will start to look upon Echo as something other than a damsel in distress. [EW]

Kick-Ass

Mark Millar says both the Kick-Ass book and the movie will end on a teaser, setting up a sequel. [MTV]

Fringe

Blair Brown, who plays Massive Dynamics COO Nina Sharp, talks a bit about her character and the coming season:

[Zap2it]

Episode nine will feature Dr. Lao Che, an English and Cantonese-speaking herbalist with big plans. [Spoiler TV]

We'll have a fresh encounter with one of Broyles' old cases from his long history with the Fringe Division this season. [EW]

Joshua Jackson said not to expect any Peter-Olivia romance, as he views their relationship more like that of siblings. He also says this season's episodes are about half mythology episodes, and half one-off investigations. [CinemaBlend]

Supernatural

As we mentioned, the season's fourth episode, "The End," features Dean traveling into the future to the year 2014, when a demonic virus is turning people into zombies, and Zachariah explains that this is the world that results from Dean's refusal to help the angels fight Lucifer. Dean also meets his future self.

It's a Dean-heavy episode, to be sure, but Sam will appear about ten minutes before then end, and his appearance will make his absence from the rest of the episode make sense. [E! Online]

For the seventh episode, Hal Ozsan and Pascale Hutton have been cast as Lia and Patrick respectively. [Spoiler TV]

House

Creator David Shore is aware that Taub and Thirteen's three-year fellowships are about to end, but hasn't figured out what to do about it. Also, there are no indications in the early scripts that Cuddy is aware of House getting down and dirty with Franka Potente, but Cuddy may be getting a little action of her own, in the form of scruffy privae detective Lucas Douglas. [EW]

Lost

The third episode of the new season will center on Kate. [EW]

Warehouse 13

Here is the official description and sneak peek for the show's first season finale from Syfy:

"MacPherson" is the thrilling action-packed season finale which features guest appearances by CCH Pounder (ER) and Roger Rees (Cheers). MacPherson, after a failed attempt to take Artie's life, is now selling dangerous artifacts, stolen from the Warehouse shelves, on the black-market. Artie and Leena (Genelle Williams) also suspect there's a mole in the Warehouse who's secretly aligned with MacPherson – could it be Claudia? Meanwhile, as the team hunts down MacPherson, they realize too late that his capture is a carefully orchestrated trap to destroy them.

V

The producers are casting the guest role of Cyrus for episode three. He'll be a jittery man in his late 30s who was, in his youth, a fierce and proud soldier. [Spoiler TV]

Heroes

Actors Ray Park and Robert Knepper say that their characters aren't stereotypical carnival folk, and Knepper described his character Samuel is a "Keith Richards-esque, rock and roller kind of guy." Park said his character, Edgar is a supe speedster like Daphne, with knife skills and acrobatics as a bonus. Samuel, meanwhile, is an earthmover, able to manipulate the ground beneath him. They also said there is a lot of rivalry and jealousy between the pair, saying if they trust each other, they still won't turn their backs on one another for very long. [CBR]

On September 28, NBC is launching ten consecutive weeks of Heroes webisodes, which they say will crossover with the TV series. [Spoiler TV]

The tenth episode of the season is called "Brother's Keeper." [HeroesSite]

Eureka

In the season finale, Zoe heads off to Harvard, Tess is off to Australia, and a magnetic disturbance hovers over the town:

The Box

Cameron Diaz goes groovy in the latest round of publicity stills:

[Spoiler TV]

Priest

Madhcen Amick has been cast in this Paul Bettany-starring vampire Western. She'll be playing the mother of Bettany's kidnapped niece. [ShockTillYouDrop]

Smallville

In the early part of the season, Tess will mostly be interacting with Zod. They'll be allies, but with very different agendas — hers to protect the Blur, his to find him. And episode three will feature a zombified Lois Lane. [EW]

FlashForward

Seven clips from the premiere have been released:

[UGO]

In the third episode, a young Somali herder will see some very surprising things. [Spoiler TV]

MovieWeb has tons of interviews with the producers and cast:

Marc Guggenheim:

Jessika Borsiczky:

David Goyer:

Joseph Fiennes:

Christine Woods:

Courtney B. Vance:

Sonya Walger:

[MovieWeb]

Vampire Diaries

Ian Somerhalder, who plays less human-loving vamp Damon, says that while we'll see flashes of Damon's humanity, he'll stick with the evil thing for a while. He also says that Damon harbors a lot of animosity toward his brother Stefan for something that happened in their past, and any time Stefan finds himself enjoying any happiness, Damon will show up to ruin it. To that end, Damon will try to ingratiate himself to the townsfolk and worming his way into Stefan's life. [E! Online]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown and Charlie Jane Anders.

Deadline is reporting that Waltz, who has received much acclaim as the fearsome Nazi Colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's latest film, has been cast as Chudnofsky, The Green Hornet's main foe. Waltz is like a better match for the role, which Gondry has described as a terrifying foil to Seth Rogen's more comical superhero.

[Deadline via /Film]

More pics at the link. [Superhero Hype]

Surrogates

Below are the first official TV spots for Surrogates:

Dollhouse

When the season premieres, the Dollhouse is still reeling from Alpha's attack, and the idea that he's still out there and has access to Dollhouse technology is very present in everyone's minds. The administration will be trying to balance finding Alpha with the daily business of the Dollhouse.

Sierra is still, um, servicing clients, and the first time we see her during the season, she will be coming back from an engagement. Then we will see her a couple of episodes later, when she will have a moment with Victor that hints at their continuing relationship. Dichen Lachman, who plays Sierra, says we'll see more stories focusing on her this season.

Meanwhile, as you'd expect, newly promoted security chief Boyd will be making sure that the Dollhouse functions smoothly, that the Actives are kept safe, and that the handlers have enough information to protect them. [Sci Fi Wire]

The Road

The first reviews of the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road are emerging, including one from Variety and another from The Hollywood Reporter. Both reviews discuss the film's heavy emphasis on flashbacks, the departure of Charlize Theron's character, and the central relationship between the father and son. As the father and son try to reach the warmer south where life may still be possible, the film's horrors are kept in the background, except for one scene where they find a house with a dozen naked, writhing men and women missing some limbs — stock for cannibals.

Supernatural

Here's the official description for the season's third episode, "Free to Be You and Me:"

Not sure he trusts himself anymore, Sam (Jared Padalecki) decides to give up hunting, but a late-night visitor (guest star Adrianne Palicki) won't let him off the hook that easily. Dean (Jensen Ackles), intent on stopping the Apocalypse, continues hunting on his own and teams up with Castiel (Misha Collins) to find the Archangel Raphael, as Castiel believes Raphael knows God's location.

[SPNsite]

Zombieland

A reader at /Film caught a screener of the film. He enjoyed the film overall, and his review only contained one particular spoiler: towards the end, Emma Stone's character Wichita and Abigail Breslin's character Little Rock end up calling for help from the top of an amusement park ride, after being far more capable than the male characters for the earlier portion of the movie. [/Film]

Pandorum

A few creepy new images from the space-horror thriller:

More at the links. [Fantasy.fr and UGO]

And here is a foreign one-sheet:

[Sci Fi Scoop]

The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen gets a few more guest stars, in the form of Tom Wilkinson (who played the memory-wiping doctor in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and David Harbour (who played Bond villain Gregg Beam in Quantum of Solace). [IGN]

Fringe

The eighth episode will feature a character named Christine Hollis, an attractive and feisty art student. [Spoiler TV]

Heroes

Elisabeth Rohm, who played prosecutor Serena Southerlyn on Law & Order, will play a character named Lauren Gilmore in the eighth episode. [Zap2it]

And here is the Season 4 sneak peek from the Season 3 Blu Ray set:

[Spoiler TV]

Smallville

Here's the official description for the Season Nine premiere, "Savior:"

Clark (Tom Welling) tells Jor-El he's ready to start his training, but Jor-El sends him back to Metropolis to cut ties with Lois before he can begin. Chloe (Allison Mack) is shocked when Lois (Erica Durance) suddenly reappears after having been missing for weeks, but Lois has no recollection of vanishing into thin air with the Legion ring. While investigating a monorail crash, Lois meets John Corben (guest star Brian Austin Green), a new reporter at The Daily Planet, with a negative attitude toward the Red-Blue Blur. Chloe begs Clark to use the Legion ring to go back in time to save Jimmy, but he refuses, driving a wedge into their friendship. Meanwhile, Oliver (Justin Hartley) continues down a dark road, and Zod (Callum Blue) arrives at the Luthor mansion.

[KryptonSite]

Warehouse 13

It looks like the Warehouse is going nuclear in next week's episode "Breakdown:"

[Movieweb]

Eureka

There's a lot of fur coming up in the season's 17th episode, "Have an Ice Day:"

[Pizquita]

FlashForward

The eighth episode will apparently feature a game of Texas Hold 'Em. [Spoiler TV]

Eastwick

The producers are looking for a Bradley Whitford or Jon Stewart type for Max, a recurring role as a charming, intelligent, and witty journalist who has come to Eastwick to steal Joanna's heart, and may end up being a love interest as well. [Spoiler TV]

The casting slides for Max depict a scene in which Max catches Joanna in a bar talking to herself, willing a glass of beer to move. Her mocks her for a bit, and she tells him that she is trying to recreate an experience she had. Max tries to prod details of the experience out of her, but she's pretty mum on the subject. He advises her that, if she wants to replicate the experience, she should try to replicate the feelings she had leading up to it, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. [Spoiler TV]

Another journalistic position has been filled, with Martin Mull cast as Milton, a retired reporter who's got dirt on the devilish Daryl Van Home.

[Spoiler TV]

And here are three new posters of the witchy women:

[Eastwick Fans]

Vampire Diaries

CW has released the official description for the third episode "Friday Night Bites:"

Elena (Nina Dobrev) tries to ignore Bonnie's (Katerina Graham) warnings about the disturbing vibes she got from Stefan (Paul Wesley). Tyler (Michael Trevino) tries to embarrass Stefan by throwing a football at him, but Stefan effortlessly catches and passes the ball back, impressing everyone with his skill. Mr. Tanner (guest star Benjamin Ayres) reluctantly lets Stefan join the football team. Elena invites Stefan and Bonnie to dinner, hoping that the two will bond, but the evening is disrupted by the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Caroline (Candice Accola). Finally, the town is shocked by an act of violence.

[VampireSite.net]

In the sixth episode, we'll meet Alaric, who may become a regular character. Alaric is Mystic Falls' hot new history teacher. His charming, nerdy qualities will win over the the girls, but he has a dark, malicious side, and when his deadly agenda is revealed, all hell will break loose. [Spoiler TV]

And here are promo images from the second episode, "Night of the Comet:"

[Spoiler TV]

And still more from the third episode:

[VampireSite.net]

Additional reporting by Alexis Brown and Charlie Jane Anders.

Jay Chou, the Taiwanese singer and actor and star of Initial D, The Curse of the Golden Flower and Kung Fu Dunk, has been chosen to replace Stephen Chow as martial artist Kato, chauffeur and ass-saver of Rogen's inept superhero Green Hornet. Michel Gondry, who took over from Chow as director, is excited about the choice:

Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog!

Whether ot not wild dog fighting is necessary for the movie itself remains to be seen.

The Green Hornet is currently in pre-production and targeted for release next summer.

'Green Hornet' casts Kato role [Variety]

Updated: Hollywood Snitch talked to Edward James Olmos at Wizard World in Chicago, and the Battlestar Galactica actor revealed his involvement with the film:

"I'm on my way to do 'The Green Hornet,'" Olmos told me. "It'll be a lot of fun with Seth [Rogen], Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz."

So what Hornet role has snagged Bill Adama's attention? There's no word yet, but /Film speculates Olmos may have signed on to play Gunnigan the Daily Sentinel editor with a hair-trigger temper and a special loathing for Sentinel reporter and Green Hornet nemesis Mike Axford.

[Hollywood Snitch via /Film]

Variety reports that Cage is in talks to play a "gangster villain" in Gondry's film adaptation of The Green Hornet, starring funnyman Seth Rogen as a bumbling superhero. Presumably, this is the same villain Gondry described in earlier interviews: a "horrible" fellow with a double-cannon gun that lets him "shoot people in both eyes with one shot."

Cage's previous foray into comic-book films (the ill-conceived Ghost Rider) was anything but a success, and it is possible that, with Stephen Chow's departure from the role of popular sidekick Kato, the studio is looking to bring bigger names to the project (like Cameron Diaz, rumored to be playing the film's love interest). But I suspect that we're actually getting a glimpse of Gondry's Green Hornet master plan.

The central theme of this version of The Green Hornet is that the eponymous hero is severely outclassed by his more competent – and popular – sidekick, and Gondry might well be expanding that idea of mismatched characters across the entire cast. If Cage's particular brand of strange intensity seems at odds with Rogen's earnest persona, that's probably the point. Gondry may well be deliberately casting actors who normally wouldn't share screen time to create his won unique flavor of superhero stew.

It does seem a risky balancing act for Gondry, one made even more complicated by the difficult job of recasting Kato. But I, for one, am looking forward to watching him try to pull it off.

[Variety]

Star Trek:

Spock was originally supposed to have a hand-to-hand fight with around six people in the movie, but it got changed to a gunfight, after actor Zachary Quinto had already learned all this martial-arts stuff. But at least he may do the Vulcan nerve pinch in the film, says Quinto. [Sci Fi Wire]

Terminator Salvation:

Here's a new still, which might be a trailer screencap, but is still pretty awesome. Bigger version at the link. [Shockya]


G.I. Joe:

Sienna Miller, who plays the Baroness, says you have to commit to a certain amount of over-acting to play a character like that. [Sci Fi Wire]

Green Hornet:

Star Seth Rogen says the movie focuses on the relationship between "two very different cats," the Green Hornet and Kato, and Kato is the one who does all the superheroic stuff. And it's an origin story, but not in the traditional sense. [IGN]

Race To Witch Mountain:

The movie's monster, Siphon, is totally real (not CG) and is badass, insists star Dwayne Johnson. Also, there are incredible car chases and "we get airborne" at one point. And Carla "Silk Spectre" Gugino has a cameo as an alien enthusiast, and other cameos include Whitley Streiber (Communion), William J. Birnes (UFO Hunters host), and the original Witch Mountain stars Kim Richards and Iake Eissinmann. [Times Leader]

Battlestar Galactica:

"More will be revealed" about Ellen and Tigh, and we'll see more of the love triangle between Ellen, Saul and Admiral Adama unspooling in the final episodes, says actor Kate Vernon. And she says the final episodes will leave you with lots of room to reimagine them yourself:

Ron and David don't tie things up nice and neat — the ending is like nothing you'd ever expect. I don't think all the fans could ever be satisfied by one ending, which is a good thing. So this way, they're be left going, "but, wait!" The minds of all the wonderful sci-fi fans will never stop working and journeying into their own ideas because of how the show has been built.

I think she means there will be lots of room for fanfic to explain what happened? [NY Post]

Caprica:

The Futon Critic scored an early look at the direct-to-DVD pilot for this Battlestar Galactica prequel series, which comes out in April before the show actually debuts on Sci Fi next year. No major plot developments that we haven't already reported, but the review does make it clear the first 15 minutes of the pilot feels more like a teen show from The WB era, rather than a prequel to BSG. But you eventually get sucked into the mystery of the monotheist group Soldiers Of The One (STO) and their role in the suicide bombing, and what exactly the dead-but-preserved-online Zoe Graystone is up to. Plus you'll get intrigued by all the social tensions between Capricans and Taurons, and the struggles of the dueling patriarchs, Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama/Adams. [The Futon Critic]

Lost:

Reports Yaz who's on honeymoon in Oahu: "Well today they are setting up a new camp. It looks similar to the old "others fake camp" but it's on the beach close to the losties origianl camp and nearby others camp with Clair's shack blown up." And here are some pics. (More at the link.) [SpoilersLost]

And here's what happens in the March 25 episode, "He's Our You":

Things begin to unravel when one of the survivors goes rogue and takes matters into their own hands — risking the lives of everyone on the island.

The prevailing theory is that the survivor who goes rogue is Sayid, since this is thought to be a Sayid-centric episode. And here are some promo pics. [The ODI]

And there's another casting call for the season finale. Young "Emily" is 10 years old, with brown hair and green eyes. She's willing to break the rules to get what she wants, but the red-haired, blue-eyed Young "Bob" (also 10) is more nervous about getting into trouble. And then we meet Mr. Springer, a rural business owner in his fifties, who worked hard to get where he is and provide for his family and can be a hard-ass if necessary. [SpoilersLost]

Torchwood:

Director Euros Lyn gives away a few hints about the five-part miniseries "Children Of Earth":

For the first time, we'll see Torchwood facing a threat from home while they're also investigating an alien invasion. When they try to discover why all the children in the world have suddenly stopped at the same time, Torchwood also has to deal with human beings who are trying to hide a past mistake.

And he says it's a huge, epic story but also a very human one. And Lyn also directs the "amazing" final David Tennant story, which he says sets up the Matt Smith era perfectly. [Wired]

Heroes:

The entire cast did a scene together late at night, probably for the final episode ("An Invisible Thread") according to Twitter updates from Greg Grunberg and graphic novel writer Oliver Grigsby. But where are Brea Grant and Ali Larter in this group shot? [SpoilerTV]


Supernatural:

Julie McNiven, aka Anna, will be in the last two episodes of the season. Also, Jim [Beaver, I guess], says on his MySpace page that he spent a whole day of filming getting hit in the head with a shotgun. [Dean_Sam]

Chuck:

Here are some photos from episode 2x16, "Chuck Vs. The Lethal Weapon." [ChuckTV]

Smallville:

In episode 8x21, "Injustice," Tess' gang of "meteor freaks" includes Bette/Plastique, Fallout, Voltage and Leech... who's a cocky skate punk. Leech "hoovers" Voltage's powers, but then Voltage is killed by an exploding head-chip. Tess' team has been sent to deal with "Godzilla" tearing up downtown, but Chloe wonders if anything Tess told them was true. Plastique says Tess kept her out of Belle Reve, and that's good enough for her. And Leech "hoovers" Clark's powers!

We discover that Oliver has Lex's kryptonite ring, and when Clark confronts Lex about having the ring, we discover Oliver took it from Lex when he killed him (in "Requiem.") Chloe seems to be working with the Injustice Gang, and doesn't seem like her normal self. And Oliver gives Clark something that may help vanquish Doomsday — a goal Tess seems to share. Tess gets hold of the Phantom Zone crystal.

Eventually Leech and the others break free from Tess' influence and say they're going to form their own League to help others. Leech and his friends are going to kill Tess, but the powerless Clark tries to stop them. Oliver attacks Leech with the Kryptonite ring, and Leech is in horrible agony, until he transfers the powers back to Clark. Clark is totally Tess' hero now.

Also, in the season finale, there are more guest heroes, probably some version of the Justice League rather than the Legion. A new set is being built for these guest stars. [KryptonSite and SpoilerTV]

Additional reporting by Alasdair Wilkins.

Chow, the man behind Shaolin Soccer and CJ7, signed onto the project in September to both direct and star as Rogen's kung-fu sidekick Kato (A role made famous by Bruce Lee in the 1960s TV series), but news broke late last night that he was stepping down from the director's role due to "creative differences," although he will still be acting in the movie.

Producers are, apparently, confident that they'll have a replacement director by the end of the year, but all I have to say is this: When the creative differences are between the man who wrote Superbad and the man who made Shaolin Soccer, and the man who wrote Superbad won, then that's never a good thing.

Chow no longer to direct 'Hornet' [Variety]

Rogen has been writing the script with Evan Goldberg (Superbad). The movie is based on the radio serial and the later Green Hornet TV series and will have Hornet's Asain manservant Kato. But even Rogen's jokes about getting Kato to say cocksucker fall flat on my ears.

I think perhaps even Rogen may know that this movie is really just an excuse for him and his buddies to get high and run around in superhero outfits:

"To us, it was just this funny notion that, when you say Green Hornet to someone, the first thing they say is, 'Hey, Bruce Lee played Kato in that show.' We really wanted to make this hero-sidekick movie. ... For years we'd really been trying to write a movie that was kind of about a hero and his sidekick. When we heard the Green Hornet movie was up for grabs, we thought that could be the perfect way to do this story, because he is the only hero whose sidekick is more known than he is. We thought it would be a good way to tell this relationship story and just do a big crazy action movie."

Sorry Seth, the Green Hornet is a terrible superhero — who wants to watch a movie about a better than average crime-fighter or poor man's Bruce Wayne? Didn't we learn our lesson from Mystery Men? Do we really need/want another bumbling Hancock? Pick something else to parody or keep making moves about weed. That seems to be working. Leave the fat superhero jokes to comedy hacks. I fear this could be the beginning of the end for Rogen.

[Sci-Fi]

(More evidence of the possible funny-remake trend: Seth Rogen is supposedly starring in The Green Hornet, and Jack Black was slated at one point to star in a Green Lantern movie.) So vote already:

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Sky High (Disney). Comic books already gave us a high-school for superheroes (P.S. 238), but did it have Kurt Russell as a famous superhero and father to the next generation of heroes? I didn't think so. Plus Lynda Carter is the school's principal. The business about the school separating kids into Heroes and Sidekicks is a bit too comic book-y, in some ways. But it's a cute romp, despite the fact that the main character's superpowers suddenly manifest themselves at the most convenient moment.

Meteor Man (Not Disney). we already assassinated this one recently. I loved Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle, and really wanted this movie to be amazing. It actually had its good moments, but dissolved into incoherence and luke-warm gags. Townsend plays Jefferson Reed, a school teacher who finds a piece of meteorite that gives him superpowers, and uses it to confront gangs in his inner-city neighborhood.

The Incredibles (Disney/Pixar). Yes, I know you're going to say this movie is a rip-off of the Fantastic Four. But it's actually just different enough to have its own identity — nobody would confuse Mr. Incredible's big-lunk persona with Mr. Fantastic's brainy gumby schtick. And this is a textbook case for why superhero movies can be better without a direct comic-book source. The Pixar crew are free to create their own backstory for the Incredibles, including an anti-hero law and a special superhero tailor. it doesn't have to try and shoehorn in Doctor Doom, the Negative Zone, or any of the other trappings of the FF.

Darkman (Not Disney). Supposedly Sam Raimi wanted to do a movie starring Batman or The Shadow, but couldn't get the rights. So instead he created his own hero, a scientist who gets disfigured in an attack by mobsters, then gains the ability to disguise himself as anyone thanks to a new synthetic skin. An incredible cast, including Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, helps elevate this movie above the usual superhero fare, and it's easily as good as Raimi's first two Spider-Man movies. (And much, much better than the third one.)

Unbreakable (Disney's Touchstone Pictures). I harshed on M. Night Shyamalan yesterday, but this one actually isn't bad. It's sort of a meditation on how a comic-book villain (Samuel L. Jackson, with his wackiest hair yet) actually creates his own superhero (Bruce Willis). Given that many movies and comics now revolve around the idea of superheroes like Batman creating villains like the Joker, it's refreshing to see it the other way around.

Underdog (Disney). A movie based on the 1970s cartoon series about a superpowered dog who comes here to save the day. A failed police dog gets experimented on, and develops amazing superpowers. Then he gets adopted and renamed Shoeshine, but secretly sneaks out to fight crime on the side.

Greatest American Hero (Disney). Another movie based on a TV show, this time the live-action show about a schoolteacher (again) who finds a costume that gives him amazing powers — but he doesn't have the instruction manual for how to use them. Luckily, he does have a cranky FBI agent snarking at him. Why is that lucky? Actually, I'm not sure. The movie starts filming in July, and it features a new villain, another schoolteacher who gets his own superpowered costume from aliens who want to exploit the Earth.

The Green Hornet (Not Disney). Originally a radio serial about a Batman-esque rich guy who runs a crusading newspaper and fights crime at night in a mask, with his Korean chauffeur Kato, the Green Hornet became a series of movies in the 1940s. And in the 1960s, it was a short-lived TV series that included Bruce Lee as Kato. And now it's going to be a movie again, supposedly starring Seth (Knocked Up) Rogen. Somehow Rogen beat out George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg for the lead role (or, more likely, they turned it down.) I'm imagining with Rogen in the lead role, it's not going to be a dead serious rendering of the Hornet's story.

Blankman (Not Disney). Another blaxploitation superhero spoof, this time starring Damon Wayans as a genius inventor who learns to make clothes bulletproof and becomes the lowest-budget superhero ever, Blankman. David Allen Grier stars as the friend, who's skeptical but winds up becoming Blankman's sidekick, Other Guy.

Black Scorpion (Not Disney). On the heels of Tim Burton's slightly less campy reinvention of Batman, Roger Corman decided to bring back the camp with Black Scorpion, his story of a policewoman (Joan Severance) who can't find justice. So she straps on a shiny black rubber bustier and a black fetishy mask and prowls the streets in her high-powered car. The original film includes a character named Tender Lovin', which is really all you need to know. (Actually the Corman connection might be all you need to know.) The film earned a sequel, Black Scorpion II: Aftershock, and a short-lived TV series on, wait for it... the Sci Fi Channel. Slogan: Justice has a nasty sting.

The Specials (Not Disney). I actually meant to include this one originally, but couldn't remember the title and had a hard time finding it online. Thanks to Whitworthian for reminding me of its name. The Specials deals with a group of misfit third-string superheroes on their day off, leading their dysfunctional lives and horrifying their newest member, Nightbird. One of the few superhero comedies that doesn't go for the super-broad humor and stereotypes, unlike...

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Not Disney). I forgot to include this one originally, maybe just because I was repressing it. I did blog about it a while ago. Luke Wilson dumps Uma Thurman's superhero, G-Girl, and she goes on a vengeful rampage. So he sells her out to a supervillain, Professor Bedlam, and nearly destroys the world in the process. Blah.

Orgazmo (Definitely Not Disney). Another classic I somehow overlooked, even though it's one of my favorite movies. (Thanks, tralu!) Orgazmo is a porno superhero whose schtick is that he can cause people to climax with his raygun. But when he decides to fight back against his sleazy producer, he discovers he can wield the power of Orgazmo for real.

• The Green Hornet appeared on the radio back in 1936, pre-dating the first appearance of Batman by only three years. However, both men wear masks, have cars that do neat tricks, and feature sidekicks who save their bacon on more than one occasion.
• Britt Reid, newspaper magnate by day, masked crimefighter by night, is The Green Hornet. He's a distant relative of The Lone Ranger (no, we aren't making this up) who travels around in a car he calls "Black Beauty." Hi-yo.
• The Green Hornet is a wanted criminal in the city, and he uses that notoriety as leverage when dealing with criminals.
• The only people who know the Hornet's identity are his secretary Lenore Case and the district attorney, Frank Scanlon.
• The Green Hornet's sidekick and chauffeur Kato was changed from Japanese, to Filipino, to Korean during the run of the show, although he was famously played by Bruce Lee when the series came to television.
• While he may not have worn a utility belt, The Green Hornet did use two specialized guns. One fired knockout gas, and the other one delivered "Hornet Stings" in the form of electric shocks.
• His car featured drop-down tubes that could fire rockets, had a knockout gas nozzle, could launch a flying surveillance device from its trunk, and even featured "infra-green" headlights that could let the driver see in the dark.
• On the radio, the Green Hornet's theme song was "The Flight of the Bumblebee," complete with a theremin providing the sound of a buzzing hornet.
• When The Green Hornet came to television in 1966, it was on the heels of the success of Batman, and both programs aired on ABC. Although Batman was played up to be campy, The Green Hornet was played straight. Both series featured the same announcer, were made by the same production company, and wouldn't you know it... Batman met The Green Hornet on his show.

Sadly, The Green Hornet never had the sticking power that Batman did, probably because a newspaper publisher who punches people just isn't all that exciting. Batman had scads of nifty gadgets and a Batcave, but all The Green Hornet has is a couple of funky guns and a car that looks... like a car. As a radio serial, The Green Hornet worked best in your imagination, just like The Shadow did. When Alec Baldwin brought that character to the screen in 1994, it tanked pretty hard. Billy Zane's 1930's comic-strip movie adaptation The Phantom did even worse in 1996.

So maybe instead of trying to make film adaptations of popular radio dramas and comic strips from the 1930's, Hollywood should create something new and cool. As much as we love our imagination, there is just no way we can picture Seth Rogen as a pugilistic publisher with a secret identity.