Robert Rodriguez explains the deeper meaning of Predators, Joshua Duhamel talks Transformers 3 characters, and Kick-Ass' screenwriter reveals Hit-Girl's freakiest lines. And find out what to expect from Caprica's midseason finale. Plus Lost, Hot Tub, Fringe, Chuck, Supernatural and SGU.
Predators:
Here's Robert Rodriguez at SXSW discussing the origins of the project and who the "Predators" of the film's title really are:
[IGN]
Kick-Ass:
Screenwriter Jane Goldman discusses how she sees ultra-profane, ultra-violent 11-year-old superhero Hit Girl, invoking one of science fiction's most iconic characters in the process:
"We just really wanted Hit-Girl to be a character who, in a sense, simply happens to be an 11-year-old girl, in the same way that Ripley in Alien could have been a guy but the part happened to be played by Sigourney Weaver. She [Hit-Girl] is genuinely dangerous, she's genuinely mad. It's not her fault: she's been raised in this environment where she doesn't know anything different. She's unwittingly part of a folie a deux....She's a feminist hero by token of the fact that she pays no attention to gender stereotypes. I think she also doesn't want special treatment because she's a girl."
And she reveals some of Hit Girl's best lines, including "Okay, cunts, let's see what you can do." And the bit where she asks her father for a puppy for her birthday, then admits, "I'm just fucking with you Daddy. I'll have a Benchmade model 42 butterfly knife," with a giggle. She also shoots a man through his cheek and slices off a drug dealer's leg with a machete. [The Guardian]
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse:
Here's a sneak peek that finds Edward and Bella in the bedroom:
Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning have joined Robert Pattinson in publicly lobbying for Gus Van Sant to direct the next entry in the series, Breaking Dawn. Stewart called his movies stunning and said, "I don't know exactly what he would bring to the film but he's [great]." Much as the idea of Gus Van Sant directing a Twilight movie seems staggeringly unlikely, this is the man who thought a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho was a good idea, so I suppose anything is possible.
Transformers 3
Josh Duhamel, who played Captain William Lennox in the first two Transformers movies, confirmed that his next movie will be Transformers 3. He said he just read the script and was impressed by how it deepens the mythology of the universe. When asked whether this meant Dinobots would be in the third movie, he said he couldn't answer that question.
Hot Tub Time Machine:
Here are a few new images from the upcoming comedy:
[IGN]
Melancholia:
Danish auteur/madman Lars Von Trier's science fiction epic has found a new lead to replace Penelope Cruz, who dropped out of the project in favor of Pirates of the Caribbean 4. In her place will be Charlotte Gainsbourg, who last worked with Von Trier on Antichrist.
Real Steel:
Here's the synopsis of the upcoming adaptation of Richard Matheson's Twilight Zone episode "Steel", which starred Lee Marvin:
Hugh Jackman is to play an ex-fighter who becomes a promoter when human boxing is outlawed for being too violent. The new gladiators are 2,000-pound robots with human qualities. The ex-fighter's access to sub-standard robot parts hampers his hopes for glory in Robot Boxing, until he discovers a discarded robot that always seems to win. The ex-fighter has also discovered he's the father of a 13-year old son, and they bond as the robot brawls its way toward the top.
[MovieWeb]
Beastly:
A few new images are out for the witch-centric romance:
[IGN]
Caprica:
Ronald D. Moore and David Eick promise we'll be seeing more of the colonies, with a return visit to Tauron in the future as well as a trip to Geminon in the near future.
Eick also talked up this week's episode, the last until the show returns in the fall:
"For me, the best episode of [the first half of this season] is the last one, episode 9," he said. "It's really where I feel like we start to hit our stride and reach what I would call, in humility, a 'Battlestar' level of intensity and emotion and depth, and it's very strong."
Interviewed elsewhere, the cast is equally enthusiastic about the midseason finale, promising a great episode to close out the first half of the season. Esai Morales said it absolutely floored him when he first read the script, explaining:
"The finale drove me to tears on various occasions," he said. "What happens is so profound and out of the blue. [It was] so unexpected it took my breath away."
Ronald D. Moore also addressed how they developed Caprica in terms of Battlestar Galactica:
:I think you're always trying to avoid clichés just as a storyteller. I think within the Battlestar universe the smartest thing we did was we developed Caprica while Battlestar was still going, so we were able to make sure that we carved enough blank space for the back story on Galactica to give ourselves a lot of room. So as a consequence there are not huge plot grids that we have to keep tying into. The continuity is not so densely packed that we have to make all this stuff line up. It feels very free, that Caprica can be whatever it wants to be.
Finally, here are some unconfirmed titles found on a Czech website, reputedly for the final nine episodes of the first season:
1x10 Unvanquished
1x11 Retribution
1x12 Things We Lock Away
1x13 False Labor
1x14 Blowback
1x15 The Dirteaters
1x16 The Heavens Will Rise
1x17 Here Be Dragons
1x18 Apotheosis
Fringe:
We already reported the other day that Fringe is having a musical episode, and now there are more details. It's happening as part of Fox's Glee-themed week of musical programming. And Jasika Nicole explains more of what to expect:
It's essentially Walter kind of manifesting his idea. He's trying to get his mind off of, you know, what's going on because he's just waiting to see what's going to go on with Peter. And essentially he's kind of created this little world in his head. And so everything is super-symbolic so all the characters embody the qualities that he notices about them the most, which is really neat. And it happens in the 1940s. Everybody's in 1940s dress, but they still have cell phones and stuff. So it's just his brain, because he's telling a story to someone. Sort of like a bedtime story to help ease his anxiety. So we get to sing in it.
Fox has released the following info for episode 2.16, "Olivia. In the Lab. With the Revolver.":
THERE'S A TOUCH OF DEATH WHEN DISEASE MYSTERIOUSLY SPREADS ON AN ALL-NEW "FRINGE" THURSDAY, APRIL 8, ON FOX
When a perfectly healthy woman is found dead from a disease she never had, the Fringe team investigates the origin of this inexplicably fatal condition before it claims more innocent victims. Meanwhile, Olivia struggles to keep Walter's secret from Peter, and her loyalty to Peter is tested as time goes on in the all-new "Olivia. In The Lab. With The Revolver." episode of FRINGE airing Thursday, April 8 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (FR-216) (TV-14 D, V)
Chuck:
The official synopsis for episode 3.13, "Chuck vs. the Other Guy" is now out:
CHUCK QUESTIONS SHAW'S EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING – BRANDON ROUTH ("SUPERMAN RETURNS") GUEST STARS – Chuck (Zachary Levi), Sarah (Yvonne Strahvoski) and Shaw (guest star Brandon Routh) reunite to find the Ring operative behind the death of Shaw's wife. Sarah has faith that Shaw is ready for the mission but Chuck is worried about his emotional stability. Meanwhile, Morgan (Joshua Gomez) considers leaving the Buy More. Adam Baldwin, Scott Krinsky, Vik Sahay and Mark Christopher Lawrence also star.
Here are two mostly identical promos for tonight's episode "Chuck vs. the Final Exam":
V:
Here are some promo pics from the upcoming episode "Pound of Flesh":
Supernatural:
Two new promos are out for the next episode, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid":
Here are some promo photos for the "Sam and Dean go to Heaven" episode, "Dark Side Of The Moon":
Stargate Universe:
Robert Knepper from Heroes and Prison Break has been cast in a recurring role. He'll be playing Simeon, a member of the Lucian alliance. According to casting documents:
Simeon is a dangerous Lucian Alliance soldier. He was a seasoned criminal before being recruited by the Alliance. He's strong and intimidating but more crafty and wiry than big and muscular. Scary in that you're never sure what he will do. He also holds secrets that are desperately sought after by Earth and those on board Destiny - secrets he would die or worse, kill to protect. He's an antagonist for several episodes before he finally comes into serious conflict with Robert Carlyle's character Rush and they are forced to face off.
FlashForward:
There's a promo out for episode thirteen, "Blowback":
[http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/03/flashf…]
Elsewhere, Dominic Monaghan talks about his character and what's in store for the rest of the season:
Lost:
Some of the info gleaned from the latest set report for episode 15, including: a scuffle between the MIB and Jacob; a pregnant, dark-haired woman on the beach; Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Hurley, and Frank on the sub; and the sub sinking.There's plenty more where that came from, but probably the biggest bit of news is that Michelle Rodriguez is confirmed for a return appearance.
Here's an interview with François Chau, who plays Dr. Pierre Chang. He discusses his approach to the character and what it's been like working on the show. He also confirms that his character will show up in the parallel universe in the tenth episode.
Additional reporting by Charlie Jane Anders and Kelly Faircloth.