Sandman

Joseph Gordon-Levitt updates on how the movie is progressing:

It’s really good, man. It’s slow but steady. It’s a really complicated adaptation because those comics, they’re brilliant. But they’re not written as a whole. It’s not like ‘Watchmen,’ which is a graphic novel that has a beginning, middle, and end. ‘Sandman’ was written over the course of whatever — I forget exactly, six or seven years. One at a time. One little 20-page issue at a time. And to try to take that and make it into something that’s a feature film — a movie that has a beginning, middle, and end — is complicated...

...Big spectacular action movies are generally about crime fighters fighting crime and blowing sh-t up. This has nothing to do with that, and it was actually one of the things that Neil Gaiman said to me, he said ‘Don’t have any punching.’ Because he never does. If you read the comics, Morpheus doesn’t punch anybody. That’s not what he does.

It’s going to be like a grand spectacular action film, but that relies on none of those same old ordinary cliches. So, that’s why it’s taking a lot time to write, but it’s going to be really good.

[MTV]

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

While answering some fan questions on Twitter, J. K. Rowling revealed that the movie will visit an American-based wizarding school, one yet to be revealed in Harry Potter canon. [Snitch Seeker]

Big Trouble In Little China

Dwayne Johnson talks about the reaction to the reboot’s announcement, adding that the movie is allegedly looking to bring John Carpenter on to help keep the project faithful:

I loved reading the reactions from the fans, that they were so polarized – I’m the same way. My response is: know that I come to the project with nothing but love and respect for the original, which is why we want to bring on John Carpenter.

I loved the original when I was younger and I loved the main character – all the characters. It felt like if we surrounded ourselves with the right group of people, the right writers who loved the movie too and wanted to honor it, bring on John Carpenter in some capacity … If we did that, then we have a shot at hopefully making something good.

[EW]

Jurassic World

Vincent D’Onofrio discusses his reaction to being part of the movie:

Where you a fan of the original “Jurassic Park?”

Oh yeah. I remembering reading the book all in one sitting while on a plane and then hearing not much longer after that, that [Steven] Spielberg was going to do it. Anybody that saw that original movie when it came out in theaters, we all have something great in common because of that. There’s a laundry list of images that come from that movie that were spectacular — just spectacular — to watch. So, there’s a lot of nostalgia involved.

In that regard, when you saw the sets on this film and walked into that world, how did it make you feel as a fan of both the book and the original film?

Oh, it was so cool. The answer is exactly what you would imagine. It’s so cool! What else can I say? You’re seeing the jeep from one movie and flying in the helicopter from another movie, you see this statue of [John] Hammond and the logo everywhere — it’s fantastic. It’s exactly what you would imagine it being like.

[CBR]

Here’s a new featurette focusing on Palaeontology Consultant Jack Horner.

Transformers

Former Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight is the final writer to join the franchise’s new writers room. [Deadline]

Ant-Man

A six minute preview will air with IMAX showings of Jurassic World this weekend — here’s a brief trailer. [/Film]

Falling Skies

Noah Wyle discusses ending the show:

Now that I’m on the other side of it… this has not been the easiest show to do. [That many] showrunners in five seasons is a bit of a record, and you feel that sort of ‘schizophrenia’ in the writing. It’s reinvented itself a couple different times.

It’s so rare that you get to script your own ending, so we saw that as a privilege — like, ‘OK, let’s make sure that we cross all of our Ts and dot all our Is and explain how this whole thing started.We tried to answer all the questions, to unravel all the mythology, and make it as satisfying an ending for the audience as it was for [the cast] to get our own sense of closure.

[TV Line]

Game Of Thrones

Iwan Rheon discusses how he wants Ramsey to leave the series:

I’d love see him meet a spectacular end – God knows he deserves it. And it’s something that could happen at any time. That’s the nature of the show – no-one’s really safe. That said, I’ve just bought myself a flat in London so I hope that day doesn’t come too soon. […] But that day is definitely coming, no mistake about it – and I hope that when it does it’s epic, nasty and preferably dragon-related. He needs to go out with the bang.

[Wales Online via Watchers on The Wall]

While Kit Harington discusses the challenges of playing Jon Snow with Variety:

Physically not as hard as Albert in “War Horse,” whatever actor is playing that role right now I feel for you, man. But Jon Snow is a difficult animal to play. He doesn’t say much, he doesn’t express much, he keeps to himself. It’s difficult to find nuance with. He repeats the same thing over and over: “I’m a man of The Night’s Watch…” And the noble ones are the hardest.

[Watchers on the Wall]

Director Miguel Sapochnik has confirmed he will return for season 6.

Ben 10

Cartoon Network is rebooting the animated series. Here’s a description for the new reboot:

Cartoon Network’s fresh take on Ben 10 will again follow 10-year-old Ben Tennyson as he, his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max travel the country during summer vacation. During their travels, Ben finds the mysterious Omnitrix, wearable tech that opens up to him a world of alien superpowers.

[TV Line]

Doctor Who

British tabloid The Mirror (so salt shakers at the ready) claims that 7’7” actor Neil Fingleton, who has been cast in the show, will play “the Fisher King, a crashed alien that makes its home in Loch Ness” in a two part episode written by Toby Whitehouse. [Doctor Who TV]

Salem

Here’s a new extended synopsis for “Midnight Never Come”:

With the Starry Messenger comet drawing ever closer, John Alden fights for his very life, while Anne Hale works to comfort and protect one whose life or death brings with it great consequences for Witch and mortal alike. She soon learns another unfathomable secret about her past, and finds she’s faced with a terrifying decision that could greatly impact the Countess’s plans. Mary, palpably affected by recent events, finds herself in a wholly unfamiliar situation, leading her to try a risky gambit. Meanwhile, when John shares shocking and unbelievable information with Cotton, it leads the younger Mather to seek out answers on his own, but he discovers only more questions; Mercy pursues desires of her own, but finds another’s prediction to be fatefully and disappointingly accurate; and Isaac finds himself in a wholly unfamiliar position among his fellows.

[Spoiler TV]

The Strain

And here’s a brief new synopsis for season premiere “BK, NY”:

Eph and Nora work on a biological weapon to kill the strigoi, and Setrakian risks the lives of the entire group to find information about a closely guarded secret text. The Master begins the next phase of his own plan, by creating a terrifying new breed of creature and placing them under the control of Kelly.

[Spoiler TV]

iZombie

Liv demands to take Ravi’s Zombie cure in this clip from the season finale, “Blaine’s World”.

Penny Dreadful

Finally, Ethan and Vanessa go for a walk and Vanessa decides to leave London in two clips from “Little Scorpion”. [Spoiler TV]

Additional reporting by Diana Biller and Charlie Jane Anders. Top image: Star Wars: The Force Awakens