Monthly Archives: January 2017
Lawnmower Man VR Series Reboot in the Works
The 1992 sci-fi cult classic The Lawnmower Man is being revived as a scripted multi-episode virtual reality series.
RoadtoVR reports that cinematic VR company Jaunt have partnered with rights holders Jim Howell and Rupert Harvey to produce a reboot of the film for VR headsets. The series doesn't have a release date yet, but it's expected to go into production sometime in 2017.
The 1992 movie was one of the first major, full-length films about VR and it spawned a sequel in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, as well as two video games: 1993's Lawnmower Man and 1994's Cyberwar.
The original film stars Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence Angelo and Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith. The story follows Angelo as he tries to experiment on Smith and increase his intelligence by using a mix of experiment pills and virtual reality. Neither Brosnan nor Fahey are expected to reprise their roles.
Shyamalan’s Split Scares Off Vin Diesel’s xXx at Box Office
Split, the new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, debuted in first place at the domestic box office, outpacing Vin Diesel's xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with an estimated weekend haul of $40.2 million.
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Split performed well above expectations. The James McAvoy-led horror flick has already earned more that four times its less than $10 million production budget, which was self-financed by Shyamalan. Read IGN's Split review to find out why we found it to be "engaging, stylish psychological thriller."
How The Flash Prepared Kevin Smith for Supergirl
Supergirl is making its long-awaited return on The CW next week, and the mid-season premiere is shaping up to be an eventful one for Kara and the gang. Not only will "Supergirl Lives" feature Kara and Mon-El fighting for their lives on an alien moon, it's directed by none other than Kevin Smith, the man once tapped to write the screenplay for the aborted Superman Lives reboot in the late '90s.
We were able to chat with Smith over the phone recently, and he had plenty to say about his love for the series and how directing two episodes of The Flash in 2016 helped prepare him to make the jump to National City. Like with his Flash debut, "The Runaway Dinosaur," Smith told us that executive producer Andrew Kreisberg was responsible for bringing him on board for "Supergirl Lives."
How Riverdale Remixes the Archie Comics
Archie and the gang are returning to TV this month, but not in a form fans have ever seen before. Riverdale takes the timeless saga of Archie Andrews and his love triangle with Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge and gives it all a thoroughly dark and psychological spin. The result is a new series that has as much in common with Twin Peaks as it does the classic Archie Comics stories.
Because not everyone is intimately familiar with the Archie franchise, we've put together a helpful guide to the major players in Riverdale. We break down all the characters you need to know and how Riverdale has changed them from their comic book counterparts.
Riverdale looks to be the start of a major new push for the Archie franchise. Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa recently described the series as "the mothership" around which other new projects will form. "We want to do some animated movies. We want to do some stage work," he said.
Squad Director Wishes He’d Made Joker the Main Villain
Suicide Squad director David Ayer has come forward to admit that if he could go back and do things differently, he would have made Joker the main villain in last year's DC movie.
"Would I do a lot of things different? Yep, for sure," Ayer said in a reply to a fan on Twitter, who called his movie a "masterpiece." After thanking them for their support, he said he "really tried to make something different, with a look and voice of its own."
In retrospect, Ayer said he wishes he could go back and do things differently. "Wish I had a time machine," he added. "I'd make Joker the main villain and engineer a more grounded story."
Rogue One Crosses $1 Billion at the Worldwide Box Office
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has crossed two major box office thresholds in the early weeks of 2017, with its domestic gross crossing $512.2 million and international gross crossing the $1 billion mark.
As of January 22th, the first Star Wars standalone film has made $1.011 billion worldwide. That makes it not only the fourth 2016 movie to cross the $1 billion mark, but also the fourth Disney movie to be so successful. Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory and Zootopia also made more than $1 billion worldwide, with The Jungle Book edging close with $966.6 million.
Rogue One also recently claimed the title of the highest grossing film of 2016 domestically, edging out reigning champions Finding Dory ($486 million) and Captain America: Civil War ($408 million).
Deadpool Director in Early Talks to Helm Terminator Reboot
James Cameron will regain the rights to The Terminator in 2019, and is reportedly heading up a reboot that may be helmed by Deadpool director Tim Miller.
According to Deadline, Cameron is in early talks with Miller to direct the project, with the rights to The Terminator reverting back to its creator 35 years after the original film's debut in 1984.
After co-financing the Alan Taylor-directed Terminator Genisys, Skydance Media CEO David Ellison is investing in "an exploratory effort that includes engaging some top-flight science fiction authors to find the movie creatively."
The Sexy Brutale Release Date Announced
The Sexy Brutale, an upcoming adventure puzzle game from Tequila Works and Cavalier Game Studios, will release on April 12 for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Alongside the game's launch date announcement, the first official gameplay trailer for The Sexy Brutale has been released. Give it a look below for an early glimpse at Lafcadio Boone, as the elderly priest strives to prevent a string of recurring murders from happening within the walls of The Sexy Brutale casino mansion.
The series of murders transpire over the course of a single day, repeating on an infinite loop, and it's up to Boone break the cycle and uncover the secrets of the mansion and its mysterious owner. Read our impressions from last year's Gamescom demo to find out why The Sexy Brutale is like Dishonored meets Groundhog Day.
Guardians of the Galaxy Disneyland Ride Will Have Tons of Marvel Easter Eggs
While Iron Man Experience has just opened at Hong Kong Disneyland, the first Marvel-based ride to come to an American Disney park will arrive this coming summer, with Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! Replacing the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, the ride immerses guests in the world of the Marvel comics characters popularized in the feature film and its upcoming sequel.
With construction currently underway, I took part in an early press preview (complete with protective hardhats!) of what to expect from Mission: Breakout -- as Disney crews worked to quickly overhaul the Tower of Terror into the new ride -- and came away feeling very excited and optimistic about what's in store.
Watch 4 New TV Spots for Kong: Skull Island
Warner Bros. released a quartet of new thirty-second TV commercials for Kong: Skull Island.
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts' film stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Terry Notary and John C. Reilly.
The official synopsis says the story follows "a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong."