An inside source claims to know who Superman is fighting in the new movie. Producer Donald De Line explains Green Lantern's appeal. Plus we sort through the massive Doctor Who media blitz, and ponder a potentially massive Fringe spoiler.
Spoilers from here on out!
Top image from Doctor Who.
Superman Reboot
Take all of this with a very skeptical grain of salt, but an inside source claims to have a plot synopsis for Zack Snyder's movie, including the Man of Steel's two main adversaries:
General Sam Lane, the father of Lois Lane, is a central figure in director Zack Snyder's Superman reboot. This really is as Zack described in several interviews about the film, a "real world" Superman. I'm told that when Superman arrives on the scene; people don't know what to think. He's an alien from another planet. What are his real intentions? He's not human and that scares a lot of people. Here's a guy who can fly, see through walls, is bullet proof and can lift a tank. The military views him as a potential threat to national security. They find kryptonite, pieces of his home planet, and discover its radioactive elements can be harnessed as a near unlimited source of power, both literally and figuratively. It's a brand new form of energy that is secretly developed by the government. The military, under the direction of General Sam Lane, uses kryptonite to power an experimental cyborg super solider named Metallo. He's ultimately exploited as a weapon against Superman.
So, according to this, General Lane and Metallo are the two main antagonists of the movie. For what it's worth, I suppose Metallo could fit Snyder's recent cryptic hint that "There could be a character in the movie that other people might refer to as 'Superman'"...but then, if all that means is the character has superhuman abilities, that would apply to about half of Superman's enemies.
The source goes on to say that this movie does have origin story aspects, but in a way that's completely different from the ground covered in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie. Anyway, while this doesn't seem as transparently false as some supposed plot summaries, we advise remaining very, very dubious until we hear something more official. [MovienewZ]
Green Lantern
Producer Donald De Line explains why he thinks his movie stands apart from other superhero movies this summer:
You have this superhero genre and you get to take it into space, go to the center of the universe where you have all these alien cultures represented. You get the best of superhero-meets-space opera, in a way. And you get to bring both of those elements together and it¹s the kind of thing that I think that makes it different.
In a world that is becoming increasingly populated with superhero movies, and everyone is going "Gosh, there's a lot this summer" and "Is there room for all of us?" we all can say we offer something different. Thor stands on his own with one kind of world, we are an entirely different world. And Captain America is another kind of world. So I say we're all very distinct.
He also said the movie doesn't have references to the larger DC universe, but there are some references to other parts of the Green Lantern mythos. He also promises a sequel that goes in an unexpected direction:
We didn't do [Justice League references] but there some little references to what could be outcroppings from the Green Lantern Corps, because as you know, the Green Lantern Corps went on to become a lot of different offshoots and have different aspects. And we're already working on a sequel script so we have a cool story idea that we think will go in a direction they don't expect.
There's more at the link. [Heat Vision]
Here's a couple new TV spots. [ScreenRant]
Thor
Here are some new images. [IGN]
X-Men: First Class
Here are some new magazine covers featuring the characters. [/Film]
Super 8
Here's a new TV spot.
The Hunger Games
It was rumored yesterday, but now Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth are officially confirmed for the parts of Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
Producer David Heynman describes how the movie's treatment of the Battle of Hogwarts departs from the book, as well as why the final book was split into two movies:
"[Stuff like] the statues coming to life [during the Battle of Hogwarts] - that's not in the book. It's quite a percussive ending, and we wanted to have some good magic. Snape's role in the film is minimal, and it was minimal in the second half of the book, and yet you wanted to have the emotional investment when you see his past story [the memory Harry views in the Pensieve]. We wanted to build that up in order for it to have its emotional impact...What I love about these films, what I love about the books, is that all the action, adventure and magic, what means most to me is the character stuff, the slow stuff. I love having the time to tell the story. I'm really happy about breaking the book into two films, it gives us the time to really spend time with the characters and have the moments such as the flashback, Dumbledore at King's Cross. If we had done it as one film, we would have lost the Snape flashback."
There's more at the link. [Cinema Blend]
Bill and Ted 3
Keanu Reeves offered an update on the script and some key plot details:
"I believe the writers are six weeks away from a draft. I know a little bit. But I don't know - the fellas went off and cooked it up. I don't know what happened when they put the elements together. When we last got together [in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey], part of it was that Bill and Ted were supposed to have written the song that saved the world, and it hasn't happened. So they've now become kind of possessed by trying to do that. Then there's an element of time and they have to go back."
Men in Black 3
Here are some more set photos of Will Smith. [SpoilerTV]
Underworld 4
India Eisley, best known for her work on ABC Family's gloriously batshit The Secret Life of the American Teenager, has reportedly been cast as Eve. It's not known whether Eve is human, vampire, Lycan, or other. [ShockTillYouDrop]
Immortals
Here's a gallery of all the newly released posters for Tarsem Singh's latest. [IGN]
Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Project
Formerly known as One Thousand A.E., the film now reportedly stars both Will Smith and his son Jaden. The story reportedly concerns a father and son in the far future whose spaceship crashes on the now abandoned Earth, and the son has to navigate the abandoned planet in search of his estranged father. (Which may all mean that the movie doesn't so much "star" Will Smith as it does feature him in an extended cameo.) The script is by Book of Eli writer Gary Whitta. [Deadline]
Doctor Who
We're kind of reaching Doctor Who rumor overload at the moment, so let's today just deal with all the official information that's flying about. First of all, the BBC has released synopses for the opening two-parter, now confirmed to be called "The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon." Here's "The Impossible Astronaut":
Four envelopes, numbered 2, 3 and 4, each containing a date, time and map reference, unsigned, but TARDIS blue. Who sent them? And who received the missing number one? This strange summons reunites the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret the Doctor's friends must never reveal to him.
Placing his life entirely in their hands, the Doctor agrees to search for the recipient of the fourth envelope - just who is Canton Everett Delaware the Third? And what is the relevance of their only other clue: 'Space 1969'? Their quest lands them - quite literally - in the Oval Office, where they are enlisted by President Nixon himself to assist enigmatic former-FBI agent Canton, in saving a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman.
And here's "Day of the Moon":
The Doctor is locked in the perfect prison. Amy, Rory and River Song are being hunted down across America by the FBI. With the help of new friend and FBI-insider, Canton Everett Delaware the Third, our heroes are reunited to share their discoveries, if not their memories. For the world is occupied by an alien force who control humanity through post-hypnotic suggestion and no one can be trusted. Aided by President Nixon and Neil Armstrong's foot, the Doctor must mount a revolution to drive out the enemy and rescue the missing little girl. No-one knows why they took her. Or why they have kidnapped Amy Pond...
[BBC]
There are four different covers for the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, all of which advertise the fact that one of the four regulars - The Doctor, Amy, Rory, or River Song - will die in the episode. Steven Moffat includes this comment:
You see those four different covers for this month's Doctor Who Magazine? We're not lying, we're not cheating. One of those four people is going to die. The Doctor's darkest hour is coming.
Shows like Doctor Who should have big, colourful, memorable moments that make you go, ‘What the hell -?' Well this is one of them. If you're not going ‘What the hell -?' it's business as usual, but it's hard to create a shock in Doctor Who when we've already blown up the universe a couple of times! What do you do next? When I came up with this incredible, heart-wrenching twist, I thought, ‘We kill off one of the leads in the season opener! Who's going to stop watching at that point?' It lures you in.
Of course, just in the last series, both Amy and Rory died (twice in his case), River Song also already died back in her debut appearance, and that's not even getting into how many times the Doctor has technically died. So yeah...I'm going to go ahead and guess there's more to this than meets the eye. [Doctor Who News Page]
Steven Moffat explains that series five was somewhat calibrated to reassure fans after David Tennant's departure, and now the show is throwing caution to the wind:
Well we've moved through the funfair a bit - we've done the rollercoaster, now we're on the ghost train. Last year, in a way, was all about saying, don't worry, it's still him, it's still the same show, nothing's really been lost. Losing a leading man like David Tennant is seismic - unless you gain a leading man like Matt Smith. It's been the biggest joy to see him stride in and just claim that TARDIS for his own. But now he's really here, and the part is his, and the bow tie is cool, he's ready to lead us places we didn't know existed. Last year we reassured you - this year, to hell with that, we're going to worry the hell out of you. How well do we really know that man, or what he's capable of? We're putting the Who? back in the Doctor.
He also discusses the structure of the season, and the overarching narrative:
Oh, there's a big story being told this year, and major mysteries from the very off. As ever, in this show, the stories all stand alone, and every episode is a perfect jumping-on point for a new viewer. But at the same time the over-arching plot will be a bigger player this year. More than hints and whispers - we're barely ten minutes into episode one before our heroes face a dilemma that they'll be staring at months from now. And there will be no easy answers.
And finally, he offers this teaser for the mid-season cliffhanger:
Normally our cliff-hangers are lives being threatened. With this one, three lives are changed FOREVER.
[BBC]
Here's an interview with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, which also features some new clips from the first half of the series. He discusses how Steven Moffat is approaching the series, what the opening America-set two-parter does for the series, and how he's enjoyed making this series. He also mentions he "has a long way to go" until he can take his place among such Doctor Who luminaries as "Tom Baker, David Tennant, and Patrick Troughton" - not exactly confirmation that he's sticking around for a while, but spoken like someone who is now firmly entrenched in the show's larger mythos. Gillan discusses how Amy is keeping a huge, relationship-changing secret from the Doctor and how much she loved filming the pirate episode. She also promises "massive revelations." [BBC]
BBC entertainment reporter Lizo Mzimba, who previously revealed the titles of the opening two-parter, has now revealed the final title for the mid-series cliffhanger episode 7 is "A Good Man Goes To War." He also mentions Matt Smith discussed his personal hopes for the show's fiftieth anniversary year in 2013...so, again, not confirmation that Smith is staying on until then, but not exactly a bad sign either. Also, on the 50th anniversary, Moffat also said "there are thoughts" regarding what to do, but nothing more substantial than that. [@lizo_mzimba via Life, Doctor Who & Combom]
Finally, here's the description for the Series 6: Part 1 DVD set, which features a few key details for the first seven episodes:
The Doctor returns, alongside newly weds Amy and Rory, to face monsters and mysteries and adventures all across time and space, in a thrilling new series of Doctor Who. Together they'll find themselves in sixties America, battling the invasion the world forgot, then journey on the high seas of 1696 aboard a pirate ship, to solve the mystery of the Siren.
In a bubble universe at the very edge of reality, the Doctor will meet an old friend with a new face, and in a monastery on a remote island in the near future, an industrial accident will take on a terrible human shape. And waiting for them, at the end of all this, is the battle of Demon's Run, and the Doctor's darkest hour. Can even the truth about River Song save the Time Lord's soul?
Only two things are certain. Silence will fall. And a good man is going to die...
A few interesting notes - 1696 was the last year that pirate John Avery appears in the historical record, suggesting he is indeed the character Hugh Bonneville is playing in the pirate episode; the place "further than we've ever been before" in Neil Gaiman's episode is apparently a bubble universe; and Matthew Graham's two-parter "The Rebel Flesh"/"Gangers" is apparently set in a monastery where cloning is going on. Oh, and it seems implicit in that description that we'll learn the truth about River Song before the mid-series cliffhanger. [Doctor Who News Page]
Finally, here's a spoiler-free review of the opening two-parter. The short version: it's very, very good. [Den of Geek]
Torchwood: Miracle Day
The BBC has released this synopsis:
Death is not an option
The Torchwood cast are joined by the stars of Independence Day and ER in an ambitious new global storyline featuring locations in Wales, the US and around the world. When convicted child killer Oswald Danes miraculously survives his own execution, the footage holds America transfixed. At the same time, people all over the world stop dying. Day after day, the phenomenon continues. and a secret British institution named Torchwood seems to hold the answers…CIA agents Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond investigate the only two surviving members of the team – Gwen Cooper, who has retreated to a remote Welsh hideaway with her husband and new baby, and the mysterious, brilliant Captain Jack Harkness. But they soon find themselves on the same side, fighting the greatest threat to humanity ever known – humanity itself. For Earth is filling up, fast. Resources are running out. And as history has shown, bad things happen when good people get desperate.
Here's a new poster, which lists the top five cast members as John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, and Bill Pullman. [Doctor Who News Page]
And here's a promo photo showing all those main cast members except for Pullman. The attached article includes this a note on the premise from executive producer Russell T. Davies. [TV Guide]
"People still age, they still get sick, they still have accidents, but they live on."
Fringe
Here's a scan of an apparently real call sheet for the show. The final scene description features a major spoiler for one character's fate, assuming it describes what actually happens in the scene. You can click on the gallery to check it out, although I suspect that even if this is legitimate - and that's a big if - this is hardly the whole story. [SpoilerTV]
Wonder Woman
Here are some new set photos, one of which may show Wonder Woman wielding what will eventually be a CGI Lasso of Truth. [SpoilerTV]
Supernatural
Here are some promo images for episode 18, "Frontierland." [multipleverses.com]
Warehouse 13
Here's Claudia portrayer Alison Scagliotti in period costume and crazy wig during filming of what's described as "a Civil War episode." She's meeting with a government official, so the man in the photo with her isn't a costar. [Toronto Sun]
V
Executive producer Scott Rosenbaum says he doesn't know if the show will get a third season, but he's happy to discuss his plans if he gets the go ahead:
"I am most excited about it more than I have ever been, because [V] has gotten to a place at the end of this season, the closest to what I wanted it to be. Now we have a situation where you have a realistic human resistance that actually has a possible shot of defeating the Visitors. Whereas before it was a motley crew of four or five with a priest, an FBI agent. It was sort of like the rebels in Libya fighting – they are never going to win. The only way they have a chance is with an organized military complex behind them. I like that. That is very exciting to me. Now we can see them make a real dent in Anna's plans."
He also explains what's ahead for the characters:
"I pushed the characters to a place emotionally where I am excited about it. Erica is going to find out her son was murdered and what that's going to do to her will be fascinating to watch. Other characters have died, the stakes are high, Anna knows she's almost been betrayed, Anna's real daughter is locked in a dungeon, Anna knows there is a real chance that other Vs may revolt as well and so her timeline is shrinking so she had to move faster and quicker for her plans to work. Now that we have seen the Visitors we can see a lot more of them. There is a whole bit of mythology about the second part of their plan that we could get into. That I don't want to give all away because that will be fun to watch."
He also said the show's pacing would be much, much faster and snappier than it was in season two. He also said that he would love to bring in more original V alums, in particular Michael Ironside and Robert Englund. [Assignment X]
Smallville
Here's a new batch of promo photos and a longer synopsis for episode 18, "Booster."
DC COMICS CHARACTER BOOSTER GOLD ARRIVES FROM THE FUTURE; THE BLUE BEETLE IS BORN! - After everything that happened with the VRA, Lois (Erica Durance) tells Clark (Tom Welling) it's best to make "Clark Kent" forgettable and awkward so people don't suspect he's The Blur. However, the two are stunned when a fame-hungry superhero from the future, Booster Gold (guest star Eric Martsolf, "Days of Our Lives"), sweeps into town and begins making saves and posing for press ops, completely winning over the city of Metropolis. Booster begins his campaign to take The Blur's place as the "World's Greatest Superhero" and tries to charm Lois into writing a story about him, but she's not having his antics and begins her own campaign for The Blur. During one of Booster's saves, an alien weapon in the form of a scarab falls from a truck and fuses itself to a boy named Jaime Reyes (guest star Jaden Brandt Bartlett), turning him into the Blue Beetle. Unfortunately, Jaime is unable to control the suit and Blue Beetle starts attacking Metropolis.
Additional reporting by Gordon Jackson and Charlie Jane Anders.