Donal Logue talks Harvey Bullock's clash with Jim Gordon in Gotham. There might be romance amongst the new characters in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Go behind the scenes of Terry Gilliam's Zero Theorem, and check out amazing new X-Men character images. Plus, a look at a new Star Wars Rebels character and important penis-related news from Star-Crossed. Spoilers now!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Over the weekend, Amazon UK accidentally posted what might be the track listing for the soundtrack. If it's for real, there are two listings that reveal two major, huge plot points. One is "Alexander Pierce is the Red Skull," which links Robert Redford's character in the sequel to the villain played by Hugo Weaving in the first movie. The second is "Quill's SOS," which indicates that Chris Pratt's Guardians of the Galaxy character will appear in The Winter Soldier.
While neither of these things are totally out of the realm of possibility, the soundtrack lists the first as being both three seconds long and halfway through the movie, which seems way early for such a reveal. Also, the purported track listing has several tracks named after Police Academy movies, which throws up a giant red flag. Plus it seems unlikely that anybody would be silly enough to give away such major plot points in the titles for music cues.
So, chances are these aren't real — but here's the rumored track listing:
1. Mission to Moscow (4:42)
2. Opening Titles (3:43)
3. Back in Training (3:03)
4. Fast and Fury-ous (2:24)
5. City Under Siege (5:38)
6. Friendly Fire (3:19)
7. The Pursuit of Justice (1:59)
8. S.H.I.E.L.D. Blows Up (1:23)
9. Civil War (3:51)
10. Alexander Pierce is the Red Skull (0:03)
11. The Falcon and The Snowman (4:12)
12. Going Down (2:32)
13. Old-Fashioned (1:37)
14. Comrades in Arms (2:47)
15. Finale (8:19)
16. Assignment Miami Beach (2:12)
17. The Date (1:46)
18. End Credits (15:41)
19. Quill's S.O.S.(1:15)
The rumor that Robert Redford is Red Skull gains a slight bit of respectability from the fact that the Captain America: The Winter Soldier toy line was recently unveiled, and it included a Red Skull figure. Redford did say he was playing a villain, and it could be that his character, Alexander Pierce, is possessed by Red Skull, a la Ed Brubaker's Captain America run. [Comic Book Resources]
Star Wars
According to AICN, two different sources say Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) has already been cast. There's literally no way to tell at this point if that's true or if it's an exaggeration based on the fact that everyone has auditioned for Episode VII. [First Showing]
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Movies.com poses this question: Since Avengers: Age of Ultron has cast both Vision and the Scarlet Witch, could the film be interpreting their romance from the comics? The pairing goes back to the 70s, but ended with Vision's memory being wiped clean in 1989. This is, of course, speculation based on the characters' comics history. Given that the assumption by many is that Paul Bettany's Vision will be in some way related to the movies version of Jarvis (who has been voiced by Bettany), there's always the chance that the movie will go somewhere else with these two characters. Read more about the Scarlet Witch and Vision's history at the link. [Movies.com]
This week, the Avengers sequel is filming in South Africa. It's also already announced it will be filming in Italy. Now, we can add South Korea to the list of international locations that will be used in the film. Here's what Marvel's Kevin Feige had to say about it:
South Korea is the perfect location for a movie of this magnitude because it features cutting-edge technology, beautiful landscapes and spectacular architecture. We would especially like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) for making it possible for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' to come to Korea.
Avatar 2,3, and 4
James Cameron recently spoke to RTL about the status of the Avatar sequels, saying:
We're still in the early stages. Right now we're developing the software. I'm writing the scripts. We're designing all the creatures and characters and the settings, and so on. So, I'm not actually directing yet, but I'm doing all the other creative processes that lead up to that.
. . . It's going very well. I think it's going to be spectacular. You'll see new worlds, new habitats, new cultures. The primary conflict between the human view kind of dominating nature and the Na'vi view of being integrated into nature is the same, but it manifests itself in very different ways.
He also said that the sequels will definitely take less time to film than the original, since they're not creating the technology this time around
The first film… took almost four years to make. We expect to be able to accelerate the process quite a bit, because we've improved a lot of the software and the computer graphics tools, and we've been working very closely with Weta Digital down here in New Zealand developing a whole new suite of tools to speed up the process.
The thing that may be different is that Cameron's considering cranking up the frame rate, like Peter Jackson did for The Hobbit:
[I'm] looking at high frame rate. I'm studying that. I haven't made a final decision yet, whether the entire film will be made at high frame rate or parts of it. You know, we'll be shooting at a native resolution of probably 4K and so then there should be a lot of true 4K theaters by then as well.
The thing that's great about 'Avatar,' it's such a rich world, I can explore any theme or any idea that I want. Once you've got the characters that an audience loves, it's great to surprise them and make changes and turns that they don't expect. And you don't have to spend so much time of the movie setting up all that stuff, because the audience will remember from the previous film.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Here are some great photos of future!Iceman, Wolverine, and Shadowcat. All of which serve to downplay past!Beast's awesomeness. [via @Marvel_Freshman on Twitter]
Interstellar
This is all Matthew McConaughey can say about Christopher Nolan's Interstellar:
Here's what I can tell you: It's the most ambitious thing he's ever done. And he's done some ambitious stuff.
He did go on to describe what kind of atmosphere Nolan created:
There's no fucking around on set. He's a great problem solver. In that way, he's very indie. Here's a guy who could have whatever budget he wants — and we finished shooting early.
Nolan, for his part, had nothing but praise for McConaughey's work:
Matthew works from the inside out. He approaches a character from a deep human understanding, refusing to take shortcuts to an emotional connection with the audience — all while never losing sight of the demands of the overall narrative.
[Variety]
Batman Vs. Superman
Forbes' Mark Hughes had previously tweeted that we'd be getting a look at the suit right about now, but that's apparently been pushed back by the studio due to delays in the filming. Which may indicate more than just a picture of the suit on a dummy, since we know it's been seen by at least Kevin Smith, Jennifer Garner, and Matt Damon, all of whom have been quoted as loving it. Hughes said that it's not confirmed, but that he believes it'll now take until March to see it. He added:
The upside is, the reveal sounds like it'll be bigger & cooler than previously thought.
[HNGN]
Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel.com has released a guide to the various weapons of the Guardians of the Galaxy characters, which may indicate what will be included in the movie. It lists Star-Lord's strategy-enhancing helmet, Gamora's Godslayer sword (although the guide notes that she lost it in the comics, but that swords "remain her primary weapon of choice"), Rocket Raccoon's laser pistols, and "Groot's Roots." More about the weapons as they appear in the comics, at the link. [Marvel.com]
Zero Theorem
Here are three behind-the-scenes featurettes from Terry Gilliam's upcoming film. [Coming Soon]
Gotham
Donal Logue, who'll be playing Harvey Bullock, says if the show's set in the past at all, it's the near-recent past, and not decades ago:
You know what, that's hard for me to really get into, I don't want to say. But there were a couple of examples of modern technology, but maybe an antiquated version of it, that gave me a little bit of sense that it's certainly not the 50s and the 60s. No one's making a joke about how "there's no way you can press a telephone button and have a piece of paper show up in another machine." There is an acceptance of a certain technological reality. But its not high tech and it's not futuristic, by any means.
And yet, Logue still feels like there's a bit of a older feel to the show:
What I do love about Gotham, that I can say so far, is that it creates this incredible world that, for me, you can step into things that almost feel like the roaring 20s, and then there's this other really kind of heavy Blade Runner vibe floating around. It has this anachronistic element to it where it feels like it's either New York in the 70s, or it kind of exists independently of time and space in a way, and you can dip into all of these different genres. So I'm excited by it.
There are elements of it that are completely contemporary and there are pieces of it that are very old-fashioned. I'm excited to see which way they go with the production design and wardrobe and all that kind of stuff. My main concern to start with, I was just going over this relationship between him and Gordon, just to find out how that dynamic plays out. Just to do my homework, basically.
He also guarantees that Bullock's looser approach to rules will bring him into conflict with the idealistic Jim Gordon:
Not only do I foresee it, I guarantee that is the complete and utter core of the conflict. One guy's been around Chinatown for a long time, and knows how it has to work. Someone who's come in from a more idealistic world – not to say non-violent, he's coming back from the war – steps into it, and absolutely there's a huge moral quandary.
I had a friend who's a combat vet of Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was telling me the other day about one of his partners who, after retiring from active military life became a police officer in New Orleans, and how much it threw him. And it's not that violence throws the person, it's just the nature of it and who's doing it.
It's a lot like Gotham, where there's kind of an ambiguous line between good and bad. We have to let certain bad guys do certain things, in order for the greater good, for this machine to keep working. And then someone comes in who's like "no, I have a much more black and white view, I'm not into this notion of moral relativism. There's right and there's wrong."
And what is law? Is law this platonic form of truth that floats in space that is fixed, or is it something that's this arbitrary thing where it's like "the law is me and you, right now, in this car. Whatever we determine, that's the law." And that's the kind of thing that will be a conflict in this show.
More from Logue at the link. [Nerdrep]
Once Upon a Time
The return of Once Upon a Time on March 9th will spend time with both Emma and Henry in New York and the rest of the crew in the Enchanted Forest. Chris Gorham's still-unnamed character is apparently a big part of Emma and Henry's life and Hook's having problems adjusting to New York. He will be pulling out a number of tricks to try to get Emma to believe him, though.
In the Enchanted Forest, everyone from Storybrooke will stick together, save one character who embarks on a quest of their own. TV Line's saying that "Belle has a plan," so I wonder if it could be her. This part of the story will flashback a year to show everyone's arrival in Storybrooke, and their run-ins with other familiar faces (Mulan? Aurora? Robin Hood?). One of the people the Storybrookers reacquaint themselves with keeps something huge from them.
And we'll see Snow White playing wingman for Regina, who is trying "drastic measures" to get over the loss of Henry. And we'll reportedly be getting the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys right out of the gate. [TV Line]
We've heard that Rebecca Mader's Wicked Witch will be wholly new, and Ginnifer Goodwin says that they've done that by making her as nice as Snow White:
[The Wicked Witch] is seemingly a kindred spirit to Snow White, which is part of what makes her so evil. She seems so genuinely kind and has a way of becoming intimate with others and making them trust her…. Rebecca Mader called her 'Mary Poppins,' because she was just so damn likeable!
. . . She [Mader] wanted her to be manipulative and conniving, something of an investigato. But then she realized, 'No, what would actually be wicked would be to match Snow's sweetness and really seem like someone cut from the same cloth.'
Goodwin also hinted that Emma might be playing a bit of Dorothy, since part of her theme will be coming home. [TV Line]
Star-Crossed
Star Matt Lanter talked about what makes the Atrians aliens, apart from their tattoo-looking birth marks:
As we go on in the series more things come out, more kinda cool secrets about things they can and can't do. Our producer has said this so I know I can say this without getting in trouble: We can breathe through our skin. So that's kind of a cool thing that the tattoos can do. There's a lot of cool visual effects as well that kind of go along with that. Atrians have two hearts. They have two sets of lungs. They have a lot of allergies. They age quicker.
Most importantly, Lanter answered the vital question of whether or not Atrians have three penises:
That's a rumor going on in the school. Not true.
Just when they started sounding interesting. [She Knows]
Here's the synopsis for the second episode, "These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends":
EMERY TRIES TO REACH OUT TO ROMAN AFTER THE TRAGEDY AT THE SECTOR
Roman (Matt Lanter) and Sophia (guest star Brina Palencia) prepare for a funeral. Roman is surprised and suspicious when his Uncle Castor (guest star Johnathon Schaech) shows up in the sector offering to help the family. Meanwhile, Emery (Aimee Teegarden) tries to talk to Roman about what happened, but he doesn't want anything to do with her. Upset, Emery turns to Grayson (Grey Damon). Meanwhile, the Atrian Seven are invited to the school carnival. However, the fun ends after Drake (Greg Finley) is kidnapped and Roman finds out the Trags are preparing a hit on Emery and her family at the carnival. Gary Fleder directed the episode written by Meredith Averill (#102).
And here's one for the third episode, "Or Toil Shall Strive to Mend":
ARRIVAL DAY - It's the tenth anniversary of "Arrival Day" and the town is preparing a commemoration for the fallen soldiers. Gloria (guest star Victoria Platt) selects a small group of human teenagers who will spend some time inside the sector to see what it's like to be an Atrian for a day. In addition, Gloria assigns Emery (Aimee Teegarden) the task of filming the interactions. While Grayson (Grey Damon) offers to help her with the project, Roman (Matt Lanter) strongly objects to Emery going inside the sector. Despite Roman's concern for her safety, Emery decides to move forward with the project. While Sophia (Brina Palencia) is excited to show everyone around her pod, Teri (Chelsea Gilligan) and Drake (Greg Finley) resent the intrusion and decide to have a little fun at the humans' expense. However, when Drake is kidnapped during the tour, he's surprised by who is behind the abduction. Meanwhile, Julia (Malese Jow) confronts Roman with her suspicions about cyper. Deran Sarafian directed the episode written by Adele Lim (#103).
Star Wars Rebels
Yet another new character has been unveiled: Zeb. On the ship the show will follow, the Ghost, Zeb is the "muscle." Here's Disney's description of him:
Zeb is a well-trained honor guard and is highly educated, according to executive producer Dave Filoni, which juxtaposes his brutish, alien appearance. He's voiced by Steve Blum, who says, "He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder, hates Chopper and is starting to build a relationship with Ezra, begrudgingly."
Zeb's favorite pastime: beating up Stormtroopers, or bucket heads, as he's heard calling them. He's an agile fighter, using his hands, feet, and acrobatics. But there is more to Zeb than pounding Imperials. "It's just going to be exciting to develop him and his bizarre new species," says Filoni, "and to explain to the audience where he came from."
Below is a picture of Zeb, concept art, and an introductory video:
Grimm
Reggie Lee discussed Wu's first encounter with a mythological character and how he helped the writers come up with what it will be:
As the season moves on, characters start to form a little more, and you see the formation of this sort of gang of people who start working together in order to solve crime and help Nick out – except for Wu!
It's funny I've had so many responses from people, saying 'he needs to find out'; well this will be the season Wu sees something for the first time, and it affects him differently to everyone else. They way they've created it, it's akin to his culture. It's a fairy tale. The writers asked me if I knew any Filipino or Chinese fairy tales, and I said I knew a slew. Especially in island countries there's all this folklore; people have very little to do in the village area, so they create these things. So [the writers] ended up using one of them to facilitate me seeing something for the first time. I can't give it away, but it will definitely affect him for the episodes after that, and possibly for the rest of the season.
Warehouse 13
Here's a trailer for season 5. [via SpoilerTV]
Agents of SHIELD
Go here for more photos from episode 14, "T.A.H.I.T.I." Looks like Coulson and Co. are doing some confronting. [SpoilerTV]
Person of Interest
Here are photos from episode 3.15, "Last Call." Get a look at Finch's undercover uniform. [SpoilerTV]
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Episode 12 will be called "To Catch a Thief" and the finale will be called "And They Lived..." [SpoilerTV]
Bitten
Go here for photos from episode 7, "Stalking." [SpoilerTV]
Revolution
Here's the title and description of episode 2.16:
Exposition Boulevard
Upon returning to Willoughby, Monroe, Charlie and Connor find the Patriots' reeducation center is up and running; Rachel and Miles are at odds on how far they are willing to go to take down the Patriots; Neville and Jason find a new ally.
Almost Human
Here's the promo for episode 1.12, "Beholder." [via SpoilerTV]
Additional reporting by Charlie Jane Anders and Emily Stamm