ABC picks up ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’, first look photos & teaser clip inside

Posted in News,Television,Video by Scott Meisner on May 11th, 2013

No surprise here: Disney owned ABC is going all in with Marvel by picking up to series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., from Avengers director Joss Whedon. Read the shiny new series synopsis now:

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series.  “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Check out the kick-ass cast photo above; in the middle of it all is Phil Coulson, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who sporadically popped up throughout Marvel’s Phase One movies and supposedly died in The Avengers. Guess not; #CoulsonLives. For more proof, check out a seven second teaser after the break. And during tonight’s finale of Once Upon A Time at 8PM, ABC will air a lengthier spot promoting the new series. I’ll post it here after it airs. Also after the break, a first look at the show’s lens-flair-y logo.

Update: The full 30-second teaser trailer has landed. Watch it after the break. (Click here for more…)

Joss Whedon’s ‘Much Ado’ due June 2013

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on November 30th, 2012

A little over a year ago Avengers helmer Joss Whedon revealed that he was working on his own indie project, secretly adapting and directing a modern version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing.  Bellwether Pictures, a “micro-studio” created by Whedon and his wife Kai Cole, backed the black-and-white project which was shot on a small budget in just twelve days inside Whedon’s Santa Monica, California-based home. The ensemble cast is comprised of many of Whedon’s past collaborators: Amy Acker (Dollhouse) and Alexis Denisof (BuffyAngel), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), Clark Gregg (The Avengers), Fran Kranz (Dollhouse), and Sean Maher (Firefly). For more on the movie, click back to the original article.

When all of this was first announced, Whedon merely mentioned that it was all put together for fun hoping that one day it would be shown in theatres. “I’ve just been enjoying the Internet response,” he shared with EW. “We’re feeling our way on this one, just like Dr. Horrible. I do mean it to be in theaters. But we haven’t gotten any real plan except [going to] film festivals because it sounded like it would be festive.”

Since then, Much Ado was screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews and shortly thereafter North American distribution rights were acquired by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Just yesterday a theatrical release date was set: June 7, 2013.

We’ve already seen what Joss can do with a huge budget and Hollywood’s hottest stars. Though Much Ado falls on the opposite spectrum of everything that was Marvel’s The Avengers, fans will flock to theatres to watch the man perform movie magic again, this time with a truly personal touch. Much like Dr. HorribleMuch Ado is a passion project for Joss and audiences will notice.

James Gunn confirms his involvement in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Posted in Movies,News,Video by Scott Meisner on September 20th, 2012

Marvel’s second phase of film offerings includes mostly sequels to already established franchises like Iron ManThor, and Captain America. Two of them–namely Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy–have the potential to become franchises of their own. On Tuesday director James Gunn (Slither, Super) confirmed speculation by announcing via Facebook he will in fact helm the adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy:

For a month or so there’s been a lot of Internet speculation about my involvement with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Until now I haven’t said anything, because I’m trying to be less expulsive about this project than I am about the rest of my life. But last night I got the go-ahead from Kevin Feige to let you all know that, yes, indeed, I am rewriting and directing Guardians of the Galaxy. As a lifelong lover of Marvel comics, space epics, AND raccoons, this is the movie I’ve been waiting to make since I was nine years old. Kevin, Joss, and all the folks at Marvel have been amazing collaborators so far, and we’re committed to bringing you something majestic, beautiful, and unique. I am incredibly excited. I am also incredibly grateful to the fans and the press for all their words of encouragement and support regarding my involvement with this project since the news first leaked. Thanks – you have, honestly, touched and overwhelmed me. And that’s it for now. Other than the occasional photos of my dog and cat here on Facebook, I’ll talk to you again in August 2014 when Guardians is released!

Concept art for the flick includes a superhero team made up of Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. Yes, a gun-wielding raccoon is involved. And with Gunn directing, things are about to get wild, wacky, and extremely radical. Hear what Avengers helmer Joss Whedon has to say about Gunn’s involvement in a video interview posted after the break. (Click here for more…)

Live action Marvel TV show from Joss Whedon gets a name: ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’

Posted in News,Television by Scott Meisner on August 28th, 2012

Earlier this month it was reported that Avengers director Joss Whedon would return to write and direct the sequel and develop a live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. Today more information regarding the latter announcement was divulged. The ABC drama will be called S.H.I.E.L.D. (which stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) and is based on the league of Marvel superheroes headed by Nick Fury (who is played by Samuel L. Jackson in the movies). S.H.I.E.L.D. will be written by Whedon, his brother Jed, and Jed’s wife Maurissa Tancharoen; these three previously collaborated on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and FOX’s Dollhouse. They will executive produce with Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb. According to Deadline the show has officially been greenlit and production is already underway. Whedon plans on directing at least the pilot.

The Avengers are preparing to assemble on TV; which members of S.H.I.E.L.D. do you think Whedon and friends will decide to introduce on the small screen?

[Via Deadline]

It’s official: Joss Whedon will return to write & direct ‘The Avengers 2′, develop a Marvel-based TV series

Posted in Movies,News,Television by Scott Meisner on August 7th, 2012

What a day! Arrested Development keeps its head down and powers through and Disney and Marvel announce that The Avengers helmer and geek god Joss Whedon will return to write and direct the anticipated sequel tentatively titled The Avengers 2. The superhero summer blockbuster hasn’t even hit Blu-ray yet, and we still have to get through Iron Man 3Thor: The Dark WorldCaptain America: The Winter SoliderGuardians of the Galaxy, and Ant-Man, but just knowing that the mastermind behind arguably the greatest superhero movie of all time is going to do it again. And if that wasn’t enough, Whedon also plans to develop a live action drama series set in the Marvel universe for ABC (it may or may not star members of the elite Avengers team).

After Disney CEO Bob Iger spilled the beans during the company’s earnings call, Marvel released the following statement nicely summing it all up: “Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe.”

That last bit is interesting, isn’t it? Will Whedon be free to dip his toe in Phase Two waters? Whatever comes of that, rest assured knowing that the man behind Firefly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon Marvel fans. And for you Whedon fans, perhaps his recent shift in luck will amount to a TV series lasting more than a few seasons (Buffy and Angel notwithstanding).

Update: Save the date; The Avengers 2 (that’s a tentative title) releases May 1, 2015. Now cry because that’s so far from now. And then later recover because you know that new installments from the other Marvel franchises are on the way.

[Via Deadline 1, 2]

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE TODAY

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on May 4th, 2012

Since “The Avenger Initiative” was hinted at in 2008′s Iron Man, moviegoers have been anticipating the epic superhero movie that would bring together Marvel’s finest. Under the guidance of geek god Joss Whedon, the Avengers assemble today. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow unite in the ultimate superhero movie, The Avengers, out today.

I just came out of a midnight screening, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. The Avengers is this: phenomenal eye candy, perfect pacing, balanced tone, comedic as it is epic in scale, and most of all extremely entertaining. No spoilers, see? Just make sure you sit through all the credits; there is not one but two tags to look out for!

Now… May the Fourth be with you.

Trailer: ‘The Cabin in the Woods’

Posted in Movies,News,Video by Scott Meisner on December 5th, 2011

At long last, Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods is going to see the light of day. The director of The Avengers teamed up with Cloverfield helmer Drew Goddard to produce a horror flick originally slated to release in 2009. Due to MGM’s filing for bankruptcy, the film was shelved indefinitely. Thankfully Lionsgate came to the rescue and agreed to distribute it.

The Cabin in the Woods involves a group of good-looking teens who decide to spend a weekend at a vacant cabin to let loose and party. And then bad things happen. It’s a situation we’ve heard time and time again, but as the tagline hints, “You think you know the story.” Yeah, I went ahead and added the emphasis. Whedon, who produced and co-wrote with director Goddard, says it’s “a straight-up, balls-out, really terrifying horror movie…it is not just a slasher in the woods. It’s a little more complicated than that…” And if you screen the trailer above, you’ll see what he means by that. Sure, these kids are getting tortured just like in the classics (and the awful remakes I must admit), but the story is twisted and elevated a few notches higher when it starts to involve creepy voyeurs and a honeycomb-like forcefield that’s keeping the gang from escaping the woods. Will it rise above the recent slew of crappy horror flicks? With Whedon and Goddard behind the words and direction, I have no doubt The Cabin in the Woods will be a suspenseful thrill ride worth the price of admission. I’ve only watched this trailer like ten times and I’m ready to wait in line!

The Cabin in the Woods, which can now be considered a horror/sci-fi mashup, makes its way to theatres April 13, 2012. It stars Dollhouse alum Fran Kranz and Amy Acker, along with Tom Lenk (Buffy, Angel),  Jesse Williams, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Brian White, and a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth. Want to know what else is intriguing about all this? Big-name stars Richard Jenkins (Let Me In) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) are no where to be found in this trailer. Chew on that for a while. Then take a look at the trippy movie poster after the break. (Click here for more…)

Joss Whedon’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ project revealed

Posted in Images,Movies,News by Scott Meisner on October 25th, 2011

On Monday, this little bit of exciting news came to light: Bellwether Pictures announced that Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible, The Avengers) secretly adapted and directed a modern version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Never heard of the backing studio Bellwether Pictures? A press release explains its origin; it’s “a micro-studio created by Joss Whedon and Kai Cole [Whedon's wife] for the production of small, independent narrativesfor all media, embracing a DIY ethos and newer technologies for, in this particular case, a somewhat older story.” The film was shot in black and white over the course of  just twelve days in “exotic” Santa Monica, California. It stars many of Whedon’s past collaborators from FireflyDollhouse, and his upcoming horror film Cabin in the Woods. The two leads are Amy Acker (Dr. Claire Saunders from Dollhouse) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from Buffy and Angel) as Beatrice and Benedick, “the world’s least likely lovers headedfor their inevitable tumble into love.” The supporting cast includes Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as Dogberry, Clark Gregg (The Avengers) as Leonato, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) as Claudio, Reed Diamond (Moneyball) as Don Pedro, and Sean Maher (Firefly) as Don John. Says Whedon, “The text is to me adeconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a loveletter – to the text, to the cast, even to the house it’s shot in.”

Whedon made the decision to move ahead with his passion project while filming The Avengers in New York. After the Marvel filmed wrapped, he planned to celebrate his 20th anniversary with his wife Kai by taking a break from work and going on vacation. Kai ultimately pushed Whedon into Much Ado About Nothing and together they financially backed the project, made casting decisions, and shot the entire film inside their home. Kai is an architect and she ended up designing the set and decorating the house.

In an interview with EW, Whedon described his take on the Shakespearean play. “I had trouble at first, because it had the words “About Nothing” in the title. So I was like, “I don’t have anything to say about nothing.” But really when I started pouring over it, I got a very strong sense of how a little bit dark and twisted it is. The movie’s in black-and-white partially because it’s kind of a noir comedy. I realized that everybody in it behaves like such a dolt — an articulate dolt, but a dolt. I fixated on this notion that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us, and then escape from that is grown-up love, is marriage, is mature love, to escape the ideals of love that we’re supposed to follow. So that clicked for me when I realized, oh, I get why it matters everybody goes through the weird machinations we go through.”

Actor Sean Maher shed some more light on what to expect with EW. “It does feel contemporary. The direction we were getting from Joss was to make it was real, especially with the language, not to be big and Shakespearian, but to bring it in and be intimate and bring it as close to a realistic way of speaking as we could. And Joss’ house is just magnificent. Not ostentatious by any means, but just a maze of halls and so many different bedrooms and this pool that overlooks the Santa Monica mountains. It’s gorgeous, just the most perfect setting. Everybody who was there, so desperately wanted to be there and you felt that. It really felt like we were doing something great. So I’m excited.”

And so now I bet you’re wondering when the general public will be able to see Whedon’s rendition of Much Ado About Nothing. “I haven’t heard anything yet,” he told EW. “I’ve just been enjoying the Internet response. We’re feeling our way on this one, just like Dr. Horrible. I do mean it to be in theaters. But we haven’t gotten any real plan except [going to] film festivals because it sounded like it would be festive.”

There you have it. The veil has been lifted from Joss Whedon’s passion project, a modernized version of a classic Shakespeare play. While we wait for official announcements concerning the film’s distribution, feast your eyes on two images from the production featuring Sean Maher and Amy Acker plus a a still from the official movie website. The full press release sits after the break.

[Via MuchAdoTheMovie; EW] (Click here for more…)

Trailer: The Avengers (plus character stills)

Posted in Images,Movies,Video by Scott Meisner on October 11th, 2011

Prepare yourself for a giant slice of awesome. The Avengers brings together our favorite Marvel heroes in one kick-ass film. In the very first trailer created by a team led by director Joss Whedon, we witness the Avengers–namely Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)–joining forces to fend off the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston). If you recall, Loki is the adoptive brother-turned-archenemy of Thor introduced in the summer blockbuster released in May. Upon watching this trailer over and over again you will likely experience more than one nerdgasm (not unlike the ones you felt here and here). And then a giant wave of anticipation will hit you: The Avengers assemble May 4, 2012.

Oh but there’s more. Check out the gallery below for some epic character stills.

Production begins on The Avengers

Posted in Image cache,Movies,News by Scott Meisner on May 1st, 2011

Here is the very first image from the set of the upcoming super hero epic The Avengers, released by Marvel. Not that exciting, I know; but when you really think about it, it kinda is. Director Joss Whedon has broken ground on the movie that will bring together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and oh so many more Marvel favorites.

On April 24, the day before principal photography for the film began, Whedon marked the occasion with a short but sweet blog post on the fansite Whedonesque. Here’s an excerpt:

Hi Pumpkins, joss here. Tomorrow we start shooting (I THINK I’m legally permitted to say that). Day one. That’s right. We’ll be shooting the pivotal death/betrayal/product placement/setting up the sequel/coming out scene, at the following address: [Marvel Lawyers rush in, take Joss's keyboard, blowtorch a picture of his family like in "Stormy Monday", drink his milkshake, leave the seat up, fluff his pillows, violently unfluff his pillows, leave]

Oh, Joss. You’re going to want to read the rest here. Right! The Avengers assemble in theatres May 4, 2012.

Dr. Horrible, the book

Posted in News,Web Series by Scott Meisner on March 19th, 2011

Well what do we have here? Something to hold us all over until the hotly anticipated Dr. Horrible sequel–that’s what! The Brothers Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen have put together a Horrible book that includes exclusive new material from the production team including a full transcription of the script, sheet music, a costume feature, a section highlighting the merchandise spawned by the musical, and contributions from the cast and crew. Said contributions from the cast include a discussion between Joss, Zack, Jed, and Maurissa, words from stars Felicia Day (Penny) and Simon Helberg (Moist), an afterward written by Neil Patrick Harris, a Horrible Haiku written by Nathan Fillion, and this introduction straight from the mouth of Captain Hammer himself:

People often ask me me to write the introductions to their books. They ask me to speak at their school, be the Godfather to their child, or make a spurty in their lady place.

I usually say no. Books don’t interest me, school is for sissies, and the Godfather was a bad man who did mob crime. The lady thing is okay, as long as it’s between consenting adults and no one gets hurt/slapped with a paternity suite. But to conclude this word section, books are for coffee tables.

But this book is different.

So yeah, this is a must-buy for every Horrible fan out there. It goes on sale March 29 and Amazon has it up for preorder at $13.57.

[Via SciFiMafia]

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ will resurface in reboot film, Joss Whedon not attached

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on November 22nd, 2010

And the fanboys and girls shrieked!  That’s right–Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being primed for a comeback, but this time around Buffy (TV) creator and beloved showrunner turned Avengers director Joss Whedon is not attached to the project.  Today Warner Bros. and Atlas Entertainment announced that a Buffy reboot film is in the works.  Atlas’ Charles Roven and Steve Alexander and Vertigo Entertainment’s Doug Davison and Roy Lee are signed on to executive produce the upcoming vampire flick.  Whit Anderson, actress turned screenwriter, will pen the script.  If you didn’t know, Buffy actually started out in the movies.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Fran and Kaz Kuzui, hit theatres in 1992.  Joss Whedon worked his magic to spin the feature into a long-running TV series on The WB (1997-2003).  Warner Bros. managed to option the rights to Buffy from the Kuzuis to Atlas and Vertigo.  Let’s take a look at some choice quotes surrounding this surprising announcement.

Says Roven of Atlas: “Generally,  I wouldn’t have said,‘Let’s revive this,’ but Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this reimagined. This is a completely new reboot. Tone is extremely important, and you want the audience to realize what is at stake and the peril is real, but at the same time what’s going on should be fun and inviting and keep everyone engaged. It needs to be relevant to today too, and that is what Whit has found a way to do.” … “There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return. … While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be.”

And Whedon made sure his two cents were heard ’round the world shortly after the announcement: “Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, “Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER.” Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, “I’ll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!” Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?”

You’re going to want hop after the break to read the rest of Whedon’s remarks.  In so many words, he is not happy about a Buffy comeback at this moment in time (he’d prefer it come “after [his] death”), but he understands that the situation is out of his hands.  Buffy fans, what say you?  Can a Whedon-less Buffy survive today?

[Via LATimes; EOnline; Deadline] (Click here for more…)

Say hello to your 2011 Avengers

Posted in Images,Movies,News,Video by Scott Meisner on July 27th, 2010

They are: Robert Downey Jr. — Tony Stark; Clark Gregg — Agent Coulson; Scarlett Johansson — Black Widow; Chris Hemsworth — Thor; Chris Evans — Captain America; Samuel L. Jackson — Nick Fury; Jeremy Renner — Hawkeye; Mark Ruffalo — Hulk.  Director Joss Whedon and Marvel head Kevin Feige are up there, too.

Marvel killed it at Comic Con this year.  They literally slaughtered the competition.  After unveiling new footage of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (in 3D), the official ensemble cast of The Avengers was announced.  The biggest surprises?  Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) is set in stone as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Kids Are Alright) replaces Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk.  Marvel head Kevin Feige on the Ruffalo decision: “Ruffalo is Joss Whedon’s Banner. He is the Banner that is going to be in that [Bill] Bixby type, wants to help people and is somewhat ashamed of what he goes through but isn’t as strong and angry in his Banner form as he is in his Hulk form, which is something we haven’t really seen in the past films. .. Something like how he was portrayed in the Ultimates, a guy who just wants to be left alone and wear his glasses and do his science.”  Feige also shares that he “hope[s] to develop a standalone franchise” for Renner’s Hawkeye post-Avengers.

During the panel Downey Jr. worked the crowd, naturally.  He invoked the success of Inception, saying it was ”just about the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”  He continued, “And then thought wait a goddamn second.  Marvel Studios is going to take all of their top super heros and they’re gonna put them all together in The AvengersThat’s the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”   He concluded, “If we’re going to make a movie this ambitious [then] the most important thing is that we had to find a person to helm it to get your [the fans'] approval”.  Enter Joss Whedon: “I have had a dream all my life and it was not this good…This cast is more than I could have ever of dreamed of working with. And I am going to blow it…I need your love, I need your support.”  Joss, you got it.

The Avengers is slated for a May 4, 2011 release.  Whet your appetite with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on May 6, 2011 and July 22, 2011 respectively.  Bonus!  Look in the gallery below for newly released mini-one-sheets featuring Thor and Cap concept art.  Peek after the break to watch your 2011 Avengers assemble at Comic Con in video form.

[Via IGN, here, here, here & here; Marvel]

(Click here for more…)

Visionaries J.J. Abrams & Joss Whedon spill their guts at Comic Con

Posted in Movies,Television,Video by Scott Meisner on July 26th, 2010

At this year’s Comic Con in San Diego, a panal called “Visionaires” brought my two favorite people together: J.J. Abrams (MI: III, Cloverfield, Star Trek, Lost, Fringe) & Joss Whedon (Serenity, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse).  The panel, conducted by Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jenson, is literally packed with all sorts of intriguing information.  Jenson starts things off with the question, “When did you guys decide you wanted to be storytellers?”  Whedon and Abrams are also asked about their takes on comic books, 3D movies, the current and future states of television (including what it wants and supports, the waning of serialized story format), and the outlook for new media (shooting for the web, web content).  They also delve into their respective past and upcoming projects.  Whedon makes it official that he is directing Marvel’s The Avengers and briefly elaborates on the direction he plans to take the movie; he also talks about his now-on-hold horror flick Cabin in the Woods and what’s up with the impending Dr. Horrible sequel.  Abrams shares an anecdote surrounding his super-secret Super 8 movie (which is set to start production this September) and the collaboration with producer Steven Speilberg.  During the 3D movie discussion, Abrams confirmed that Super 8 will not be shot for 3D; he pans 3D and that it adds an unnecessary barrier between the viewer and film.  Although Joss is “totally into” watching 3D flicks, he hopes that his upcoming Cabin in the Woods doesn’t get the streoscopic treatment.  While going back and forth about the state of the serialized story format for TV, Abrams spilled that his upcoming NBC show Undercovers will be self-contained episodes (meaning you can miss a few episodes and still know what’s going on), but there will be an overall mythology to keep week-to-week viewers satisfied.  Speaking about mythology, Abrams also shares his thoughts on the final episode of Lost (spoiler: he loved it).  Whedon continues the conversation by bringing up the demise of FOX’s Dollhouse.  All in all, it’s a great watch and interesting look into two very successful film and TV artists that shouldn’t be missed.  Head over to EW to access the 5-part stream.  Or click here to watch an abridged interview.

Want to take part in the Whedon/Spurlock Comic Con doc?

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on June 6th, 2010

Back in February E! News spilt the details of a Comic Con documentary to be developed by Joss Whedon (Dollhouse) and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me).  Now we have an official press release that instructs how you can take part in the doc.  Here’s the pertinent details:

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, producer Thomas Tull, comic book icon Stan Lee, writer/producer Joss Whedon, and film guru Harry Knowles have joined together to bring audiences the feature-length documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE – a documentary celebration of all things con-tastic!

We are looking to cast original, eccentric, funny, touching, and mildly obsessive people that will capture the excitement, enthusiasm, joy, and passion of comic book, anime, sci-fi, and fantasy lovers everywhere.

If Comic-Con International will be the highlight of your year and you have a story to share about your passion, let us know. Join the fellowship, take part in this epic documentary, and write us at ComicConDoc@gmail.com. Include your name, phone number, a picture, and tell us your story.

Do you think you have what it takes to star in a such a doc?  Then watchareya waiting for?  Send that email off to the powers that be and keep your fingers crossed!  Look after the break for the full PR.

[Via AintItCoolNews] (Click here for more…)

How Joss Whedon plans to make Avengers flick

Posted in Comics,Hilarity,Image cache,Movies by Scott Meisner on May 13th, 2010

And yet I have faith Joss Whedon will direct a fanstastic Avengers movie!

Tagged with: ,

Joss Whedon set to direct Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on April 13th, 2010

OK, did you take that all in?  Good.

According to Deadline, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Dollhouse-Firefly-Serenity-Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog creator Joss Whedon is in “final negotiations” to direct Marvel Studio’s mega-sequel The Avengers!  Whedon has been rumored to helm the massive superhero flick for some time now, and I can’t believe the stars are aligning.  The Avengers will bring together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Edward Norton), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), SHIELD leader.  Others are expected to join, too.  Thor and Captain America will be introduced in their own movies sometime next year.  The Avengers is on track to hit theatres May 2012.

[Via Deadline]

Joss Whedon & Eliza Dushku aren’t done yet

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on February 28th, 2010

Sure, due to low ratings FOX’s Dollhouse didn’t last long for creator Joss Whedon and star Eliza Dushku.  But that doesn’t mean they are parting ways so quickly.  From Dushku’s mouth to our ears, she and Whedon will be working together again, this time on a feature film:  “I would say that we would [be working on something new very soon]! I think we’re going to work on a kickass feature together that we’ve been thinking about for a few years.”

The dudes over at Slashfilm have geniusly tied this comment to a future Whedon project, a horror movie called Goners that features a female lead.  In 2005 Whedon described it:

It is a fantasy thriller, it is pretty dark and it’s all me. So people will pretty much know what that means if they look at my body of work. But it’s a new universe set in the present day with a new concept for me and a new bunch of characters. It’s been a long time since I got to do that, so that’s really fun.

It’s the story of a young woman’s journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics.

Though we can’t be certain that such a connection exists, news that Whedon and Dushku have something in the works is more than exciting.  You can be sure I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground on this one and will report back with new details as they surface.

[Via Geektyrant; Slashfilm; HollywoodLife; Wiki]

Joss Whedon & Morgan Spurlock may film a Comic Con documentary

Posted in Movies,News by Scott Meisner on February 22nd, 2010

According to E! News, creator/director/producer/writer/genius Joss Whedon is teaming up with director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) to develop a documentary following a group of uber-nerds attending this year’s Comic Con.  According to the source, “They want to follow people for about three months leading up to this year’s Comic-Con.  And then they want to film them there.  They’re looking at all types of people.”

As much as I would love to be featured in this doc, I don’t know if I have the chops to make the cut.  I’m not really into the whole costume thing.  But they did say they are searching for all types of people.  WHEDON & SPURLOCK, listen here: If you’re looking for a blogger who goes to Comic Con to walk the convention floor and attend as many TV/movie/web series panels as humanly possible, I’m the one you want!  Hey, it’s worth a try.

[Via E!]

Gleeks, rejoice! (again!); NPH joins for Whedon-directed episode

Posted in News,Television by Scott Meisner on January 26th, 2010

The headline says it all, really.  According to EW, Dr. Horrible himself, Neil Patrick Harris, is expected to join forces with Dr.H creator Joss Whedon for an upcoming episode of FOX’s hit show Glee.  In fact this would be quite a reunion for NPH; not only will he team with Whedon but he’ll also work with Zachary Woodlee who helped choreograph the song-and-dance inspired 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother.  NPH is expected to both sing and dance in the role, no surprise here.  The only road block is CBS allowing NPH to jump over to FOX for the shoot.  EW’s Ausiello points out that HIMYM and Glee are both produced by 20th Century Fox, so there really shouldn’t be an issue.  Glee returns with all new episodes April 13 on FOX.

[Via EW]