Nimrod Antal and Robert Rodriguez reveal all (or nearly all) about Predators. Batman 3 might abandon the Windy City. Doctor Who could be bringing back an old enemy for the Christmas special. Plus Chuck, True Blood, and Syfy shows galore!
Predators:
Here's producer Robert Rodriguez discussing Hanzo, the film's resident Yakuza badass:
And here's a set tour:
In an interview with Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal, the duo said they wanted to bring back the jungle itself and make it a character, much like the original Predators. They didn't want the jungle to be too lush, so it would retaining its threatening, deadly nature. The two basically started with the original and set out to mirror it without ripping it off, hoping to make something fans would appreciate, although they also very much wanted to make a film that stood on its own merits. Rodriguez briefly considered bringing back Carl Weathers, but then he remembered that he died in the original Predator.
Antal had to be convinced by Rodriguez to keep the female character in the movie, as he "didn't want a prop running around screaming." (Yeah...that quote pisses me off too. Oh well.) Alice Braga turned out to be the toughest person in the whole movie, and her character is the heart of the movie. There may not be a lot of Danny Trejo in the movie - he's a bit like Jesse Ventura in the first movie, the ultimate badass who dies early on, making it clear just how screwed everyone else is. They decided to go in this direction because of Trejo's Machete commitments. [ShockTillYouDrop]
Batman 3:
According to a source who is supposedly working on the movie's preliminary planning, there won't be any location shooting in Chicago this time around, and the entire movie will be shot in the UK. Chicago played the part of Gotham City in the first two movies, and in fact location scouts had already been spotted in the Windy City doing prep work for the third film. It's possible that the film will spend far less time shooting in Chicago than the several weeks spent there for The Dark Knight, returning to the mere couple of weeks of US location shooting Batman Begins got. [Batman-On-Film]
Thor:
These spoilers aren't new, exactly, but UGO has put together a super-helpful roundup of what we know so far about Thor. (They've also done one for Captain America.) What caught our eye - and something we don't think we mentioned here before - is how screenwriter Marc Protosevich described the arc of the movie:
"It's the story of a Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god."
That sound you just heard was a million Religion and Folklore & Mythology majors banging their heads against the wall. I dare you to make sense of that quote.
Star Trek 2:
We reported yesterday that co-writer Damon Lindelof is ready to jump into writing the sequel script, so it's worth reviewing where his partners Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman stand. They say they have a story in place, but their next task will be to try to destroy it in the hopes of figuring out what works and what doesn't. They also have a "front-runner" for the film's villain, but apparently it's not totally set in stone. [CinemaBlend]
True Blood:
Kevin Alejandro returns as Jesus in the fifth episode, and things are going to get steamy between his character and Lafayette. [The Ausiello Files]
Chuck:
Star Zachary Levi thinks Wonder Woman herself, TV's Lynda Carter, would be perfect to play Chuck's mom. Unfortunately, Josh Schwartz doesn't quite agree, saying Carter is an iconic actress who would be great on Chuck, but not in that specific role. [The Ausiello Files]
Doctor Who:
Here's the latest scuttlebutt (and rumor) from the Gallifrey Base fan forum. Apparently shooting of the Christmas special has been pushed back to mid-August. It's still unclear whether those last lines about an Egyptian goddess and the Orient Express actually were meant to tease the next adventure or were just a bit of fun. The latest possibility regarding the special is that it'll be set on a Victorian-style planet and feature the return of the Yeti, as teased by the concept art we featured a while back. First featured in a pair of Patrick Troughton adventures, the Yeti are robots controlled by a disembodied force known as the Great Intelligence. (So it's sort of like the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness, but it's a Yeti. Which is awesome.) It's a respectably C-list Doctor Who monster, and it was at least notable enough to rate a cameo in "The Five Doctors." Here's a clip from "The Web of Fear" that shows what the Eleventh Doctor could be up against:
Warehouse 13:
It's Syfy time! Here are some sneak peeks for the new season...
Click to view
Eureka:
...here's one for Eureka...
Haven:
...and here are a few for the new series Haven:
Stargate Universe:
Brian J. Smith is very pleased with how the second season is shaping up, as it's delving deeper into his character Lieutenant Scott. He hopes the show gets to a point where his decisions take on greater importance, perhaps even changing the course of episodes. He wants to see his relationship with Chloe fleshed out into more of a full-on friendship, something he already imagines is happening in the show's universe but just hasn't been shown in the episodes yet. He also hopes Scott recognizes the tremendous opportunity to prove himself that he's been given. [GateWorld]
Heroes:
Remember how the series was maybe going to get a couple TV movies to wrap up the remaining plot threads or something? Yeah... apparently not. [The Ausiello Files]
Smallville:
John Schneider is set to return to the show for at least two episodes, reprising his role as Clark's adoptive father Jonathan Kent. You might remember (but really, it's completely fine if you don't) that Jonathan Kent died all the way back in season five, so it's unclear just how he'll be involved. Of course, the fact that the season premiere is called "Lazarus" might provide some hint as to how the show is bringing him back. [OSCK]
Terra Nova:
Reaper co-creators Michelle Fazekas and Tara Butters have joined the staff of the show about a future family that travels back to the time of the dinosaurs. Between these two and the casting of the American Life on Mars's Jason O'Mara as the lead, Terra Nova is well on its way to being the most affably mediocre show on TV. [KSiteTV]
Unbreakable 2:
M. Night Shyamalan says he would be willing to revisit the only vaguely half-decent movie he ever made (OK, he didn't phrase it quite like that), but he still hasn't figured out what the story for a sequel would be. That might seem strange, considering it was always meant to be the start of a trilogy, but apparently he needs to find a story that resonates with where he is right now in his life. Still, if he can figure out the story, he would like to make the sequel. Of course, if audiences respond to The Last Airbender even remotely the same way critics have, that decision may no longer be his to make. [MTV]
Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff and Charlie Jane Anders.