FIRST LOOK: Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man

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Here’s your first look at Andrew Garfield as young Peter Parker donning his super sleek Spider-Man suit.  In an interview with The Guardian, the Social Network star shared what it felt like to experience the suit. “I feel like a kid in my [pajamas],” he said. “I can only say how it feels and it feels pretty special. It feels like a dream [realized] and a fantasy [realized] and I don’t take it lightly and feel very, very lucky that I get to wear spandex for the next few months!”

Guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the mask; perhaps it will be unveiled in the first theatrical trailer.  The Spider-Man reboot hits theatres in 3D July 3, 2012.

[Via MTV]

Trailer #2: Paul

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The official U.S. trailer of the upcoming Simon Pegg/Nick Frost sci-fi road trip comedy has hit the ‘Net.  In it you should spot Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and other surprises.  If for some crazy reason you couldn’t recognize the alien’s voice–that’s Seth Rogen.  Feel free to rewatch the international trailer right here.  Paul hits theatres March 18, 2011.

Dominic Purcell the next ‘Spartacus’?

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Season 2 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand is nearly ready to begin production.  But there is one gaping hole left to fill: finding a strong replacement for cancer-striken Andy Whitfield.  After being diagnosed with early stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Whitfield was forced to dropped out of the show shortly after the first season concluded.  Last week Starz president Chris Albrecht said that the network is “confident that we will find an actor who can ably step into Spartacus’ sandals.”  Though Australian actor Liam McIntyre is rumored to be the selection, the casting call is apparently still open.  Prison Break star Dominic Purcell put together a screen test tape and sent it to the show’s producers.  Want to know the spark of irony here?  It was fellow Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller who initially expressed interest in taking over the role.  If you take a look at appearances alone, Purcell fits the bill over Miller due to his more Gladiator-like physique.  Anyhow, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and follow up on this story once the producers make their final decision.  Blood and Sand is tentatively scheduled for September 2011.  And don’t forget about the prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena which premieres Friday, January 21 on Starz.

[Via Deadline]

CBS renews ‘The Big Bang Theory’ through the 2013-14 season

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Hope you like The Big Bang Theory because it’s not going anywhere for a very long time.  Today CBS renewed the nerd-tastic comedy three times over, confirming its stay on the most-watched network through the 2013-2014 season.  The news comes shortly after the show was crowned primetime’s #1 scripted series in adults 18-49 and the #2 comedy among viewers for the 2009-2010 season.  The show managed to successfully transition to its new Thursday 8PM slot where it’s been averaging 13.8 million viewers, that’s up 7 percent versus the year-ago time period.

CBS Nina Tassler: “It doesn’t take a theoretical physicist to see why this show is a BIG part of our comedy future. From ratings to critical acclaim to pop culture buzz, it’s struck a chord on all levels.  The creative genius of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and the on-camera talents of an amazing young ensemble have created a comedy that will entertain viewers for a long time.  We’re proud to partner with Warner Bros. on another highly successful, long-running comedy.”

Warner Bros. Television head Peter Roth: “We are delighted and grateful that CBS has once again rewarded The Big Bang Theory with a multiyear renewal. This is a testament to the inspired and brilliant work of the show’s entire creative team, and we look forward to continuing this highly successful partnership.”

I couldn’t be happier to know that Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard, and Rajesh will be sticking around for years to come.  And here’s a nice TBBT scoop for you: Jessica Walter (aka Arrested Development‘s Lucille Bluth) will guest star in an upcoming episode slated to air in February.  According to TV Line, she will play “Barbara Latham, a wealthy donor to the university whose upcoming grant to the science department may be contingent upon Leonard compromising his virtue.”

[Via Deadline]

Kiefer Sutherland transitions from ’24’ to upcoming web series ‘The Confession’

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The trials and tribulations of Jack Bauer have come to an end, so what’s next for the incredible actor who played our nation’s hero for eight years?  In a surprising move, Kiefer Sutherland has decided to test the Internet waters in an upcoming web series produced by Sutherland, Chris Young, Joseph Gomes, and Maura Mandt.  It’s called The Confession and Sutherland stars as “a hitman who has a theological discussion with a priest (played by English actor John Hurt) about why his victims deserved to die.”  The series, written and directed by Brad Mirman, was shot in New York during the snow storm last month over nine days.

Sutherland shared with EW his excitement about this new project.  The origin story: “It came about in such a different way,” Sutherland said.  “I was meeting a couple friends of mine, who wanted to introduce me to Chris Young (of Digital Broadcasting Group). I know so little about the internet, but that’s what a lot of friends do for work. Most of that stuff being produced for the internet is comedy, very much like Jackass kind of material, which is great but didn’t appeal to me. Chris started talking about wanting to do a drama, but his criteria was so different. A drama in five-minute episodes! It was one of those things, like a puzzle over the course of the lunch. It can’t be that complicated to figure out a story in five minutes, right? I couldn’t, and it frustrated the crap out of me. So I went home that night, still thinking about it, and it stayed with me for three days. I was falling asleep when I literally got this idea of a confessional.”

He thinks that creative content distributed over the Internet is the wave of the future.  “None of us were paid what we normally get paid,” Sutherland admitted. “Everybody found their own challenge in it, and that was the reason to do it. All of us believe very strongly that the internet is the future, the largest network in world, with the ability to reach a big audience.” Continue reading Kiefer Sutherland transitions from ’24’ to upcoming web series ‘The Confession’ →

FOX renews ‘Raising Hope’ early, comments on cancelled shows & Fringe’s move [Update: J.J. Abrams addresses the move, too]

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One day after ABC granted early renewals to six of its series, competitor FOX decided to show its muscle by renewing its freshman series Raising Hope.  The Greg Garcia comedy was actually the first freshman series of the year to receive a back-nine episode order, so it’s certainly fitting that today it became the first freshman program to be renewed for a second season.  Go Hope!  The laugh-out-loud family comedy is FOX’s highest-rated new series; having that Glee lead-in doesn’t hurt.  The show’s creator Garcia said, “I’m happy that the show is getting another year. But the fact that I’ve been trying to think of a funny quote for the last two hours and this is the best I could come up with makes me a little nervous about season two.”  FOX prez Kevin Reilly also shared his excitement about the continuation of Hope: “Raising Hope has emerged as a comedic standout: wickedly smart, hilarious and full of heart. Greg Garcia and his great cast have established an appointment show on Tuesday nights this season and we’re confident it’s just the beginning of great things to come.”  Raising Hope returns with new episodes Tuesday February 8 at 9PM.  If you’re not watching this show, it’s never too late to start.

Update 3: Click here to watch Hope‘s Golden Globes plea.  Greg Garcia and the cast put together this “For Your Consideration” video and sent it to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hoping it would help their chances at landing a nomination.  It didn’t, but it’s still well worth a watch.  Let’s just say Cloris Leachman brings down the house with her wildly NSFW language. Continue reading FOX renews ‘Raising Hope’ early, comments on cancelled shows & Fringe’s move [Update: J.J. Abrams addresses the move, too] →

‘Terra Nova’ preview night lands a date, producers talk about its promise

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Mark your calendars, people.  The Steven Spielberg/Peter Chernin sci-fi drama Terra Nova will air its preview event across two nights: May 23 and May 24 at 9PM.  Just like FOX did with Glee, the network is going to preview the new show before its fall 2011 debut in attempt to generate buzz.

Refresher: Terra Nova follows Jim Shannon (played by Jason O’Mara), a man who is sent back in time to prehistoric Earth with his family in an attempt to save the human race.  At the Television Critics Association press event, the producers screened an action-packed trailer; unfortunately it did not reveal the dinosaur design since production on the pilot episode recently wrapped and the special FX have yet to be finalized.  However, many people connected to the show shared their thoughts on what to expect.  Executive producer Brannon Braga (24, FlashForward) explained, “Earth is essentially dying – most animal life is extinct. They’re hoping to re-start humanity through this time fracture they’ve discovered.”  The plan for the Shannons and over 1,000 time-travelling colonists is to re-colonize the planet in the past.  “What effect that will have on the future, they hope it’s a positive one,” said Braga.  “The characters are hoping for a second chance.”  The show will have “continuing elements of suspense…[but] at the core of this show is the Shannon family.”  Director Alex Graves (Fringe) says that Terra Nova is “not a scary show. It’s an adventure show. My kids have seen some of it and they love it.”  He continued, “You’re going to see dinosaurs you haven’t seen before.”  When asked to compare this show to groundbreaking series Lost Graves said, “It’s so made for a massively broad audience, I cannot tell you.”  Insinuating that Lost catered to a very specific audience he then noted, “Terra Nova, more than anything I’ve ever done in my life, is for everybody.”

Then Braga shared some concluding remarks about the promise of this show. “It’s just a great concept. Philosophically, it’s the closest thing to Star Trek I’ve worked on since I read that show years ago. I wanted to gravitate back to a science-fiction premise with big, humanistic ideas. ” He is compelled about the focus on “people from the distant future coming to the distant past.”

The show is being shot in Australia, so you can expect a beautiful backdrop.  After watching the teaser trailer, IGN described certain aspects of the show as having a Jurassic Park meets Aliens vibe.

Today FOX released some stills from the two-part pilot episode slated to air this May; check ’em out after the break along with some character profiles.  And if you’re interested in reading about the trailer shown at the TCAs today click the source link.

[Via IGN] Continue reading ‘Terra Nova’ preview night lands a date, producers talk about its promise →

‘Breakout Kings’ producers compare ‘Prison Break’ to their upcoming A&E series

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As you know, Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora collaborated on the 2005-2009 FOX series Prison Break and now their working together again on another fugitive-themed show called Breakout Kings.  At the Television Critics Association last week they talked about their “love [for] law-breaking.”  On teaming up with Santora for a second time, Olmstead said, “So we just wanted to kind of have fun on the show and keep on working together. So that was the main attraction for me.”  He continued, “What was attractive was not only the momentum of storytelling that you get when you have a fugitive on the run — as opposed to a dead body where there’s a little bit more time to find that person because that dead body is not going anywhere — it was also about the theme that helped kind of unlock the show for us when we’d start to first talk about it, which was everybody is running from something. And so it really kind of unlocked the characters in that we then went in and made sure that all of the characters had that thing that they were running from and towards.”

Refresher: Breakout Kings follows an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.  Laz Alonzo (Avatar) and Domenick Lombardozzi (The Wire) are the veteran U.S. Marshals; their special task force is comprised of Jimmi Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Malcolm Goodwin (American Gangster) and Serinda Swan (Smallville); Brooke Nevin (The 4400) is a civilian who assists the group.

Expect the villains to be terribly awful criminals.  Santora says, “It’s integral. You have to have really bad, bad guys, or there’s just no stakes from the beginning of the episode. At the same time, each week it can’t be the Son of Sam who is breaking out of prison. It would get repetitive. So it’s a challenge, and we have been so fortunate this year. The actors were just telling Matt and I how great the guest actors are that we’ve had this season on the show.”  Just last week I reported on two of the show’s guest actors: Lost’s Mark Pellegrino and Prison Break vet Robert Knepper.  Knepper will be reprising Break‘s T-Bag for a four-episode arc.  The producers were asked if we can expect other Break alum to come on as surprise guests and Santora replied, “You never say never, but we don’t want it to become a reunion show where we are constantly bringing guys back from Prison Break. And I think we can say safely of all of the bad guys on Prison Break, how are you going to top T-Bag? T-Bag is T-Bag.”  Very true. Continue reading ‘Breakout Kings’ producers compare ‘Prison Break’ to their upcoming A&E series →

iPhone comes to Verizon at long last

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The most frequently asked tech question since 2007: When will the iPhone come to Verizon? Four years and four device iterations later, Verizon and Apple have finally announced that the best smartphone has landed on the nation’s most reliable network.  The iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon Wireless.  The facts: On February 10 the iPhone 4 will be available for Verizon; $199.99 for the 16GB model, $299.99 for the 32GB variant, new two-year contract required.  It will be available to purchase VZW Stores, Apple Stores, online at their respective websites, and at Apple Authorized Resellers.  Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will have the exclusive opportunity to preorder the iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability; if you’re currently a VZW customer check your pricing eligibility here.

The iPhone 4 and iOS 4 coming to Verizon is essentially the exact same hardware and software that’s been available on AT&T.  Here are the four differences: (1) The external antenna array has been slightly altered so that the device can properly run on Verizon’s CDMA network (as opposed to AT&T’s GSM network).  The only aesthetic change is one extra black notch located above the silent switch; note that this notch pushes down the silent switch and volume buttons just a bit, so new cases will have to be manufactured to properly fit that.  It’s too early to tell if the death grip issue has been totally resolved in the new device, but Apple’s Tim Cook is confident that “it’s going to work great.”  (2) The VZW iPhone 4 will act as a mobile WiFi hotspot for up to five devices.  Inside Settings users will have the option to switch on Personal Hotspot to share the phone’s Internet connection with other WiFi enabled devices including laptops and tablets.  This new functionality is built into iOS 4.2.5, so there is a possibility it might carry over to AT&T’s version of the phone at some point.  (3) Simultaneous voice and data is not supported on Verizon’s CDMA network, so new iPhone owners will not be able to access the Internet while making a call (or vice-versa); +1 for AT&T’s network which can simultaneously hold a voice/data connection.  (4) No global roaming support; again, advantage AT&T.  Full PR after the break.

And there you have it.  The Verizon iPhone has finally made it to fruition.  Now what should you do?  If your current contract is up and you’re due for a new phone, I advise not to purchase the VZW iPhone 4 this February. What am I crazy?  No, actually, not really.  Here’s the deal.  Every summer since 2007 Apple has shipped a new iPhone device, so you can expect iPhone 5 to be revealed in the coming months with a late June or July release. Since Apple decided to stay conservative with today’s announcement, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that the next iteration of iPhone will pack support for Verizon’s super fast 4G LTE network, among other hardware updates. You’ve waited this long for iPhone to hit Verizon; what’s another five months?  Think about it.

[Via Apple; Verizon] Continue reading iPhone comes to Verizon at long last →

Single: Kanye West & Jay-Z – “H•A•M”

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It’s here.  The first single from the Kanye West/Jay-Z collab album Watch the Throne has arrived.  Kanye delivered on his promise, posting the Lex Lugar produced track on the official Watch the Throne Facebook page at midnight Tuesday morning.  The track can be previewed there, or save a click and listen to it right here:

[audio: Kanye West & Jay-Z – H.A.M.mp3]

Want to know what “H•A•M” stands for?  You’ll have to listen to the phenomenal track to find out.  Watch the Throne is expected to drop in March.

Update: Download link: Kanye West & Jay-Z – “H•A•M” [Via MissInfoTV]

Actor Bryan Greenberg’s album releases next week, ‘How To Make It In America’ season 2 in production [Update: Stream single here]

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Bryan Greenberg, the star of HBO’s How To Make It In America, is about to drop his debut album.  It’s called We Don’t Have To Wait Forever and it releases January 18.  It’s being described as “a fresh collection of introspective narratives and soulful ballads” and it features a track called “You Can Run” that features Kid Cudi.  Back in June Cudder dropped by a live Greenberg performance and laid down a freestyle and joined in on the chorus.  In an interview with Complex Magazine Greenberg shares the story:

“I did have one [song] in mind for him and he did it live. He came to my show like a year ago in New York, when I was on tour. He jumped on stage for a little freestyle. When he heard the song he was like, “I really like it and that’s why I’m going to do it.” I was really honored by that. I thought he was going to rap, but he sang. It was cool. He’s really a true artist.”

Looking forward to the second season of HTMIIA?  In that same interview Greenberg talked about what’s in store for Ben and Cam.  “[The show] hasn’t reached the tipping point at all. I’m going back to L.A. next week and we’re going to do read-throughs of the first four episodes. I’m super excited. It’s going forward a couple of months and the business is growing…it’s like, how does this guy become Ralph Lauren? How does it happen? We take if from the street, like early, early sh– to like…that’s the goal, you know? It’s going to take years to develop.”

Preview the album’s lead single “Walk Away” in the video embedded above.  How to Make It In America season 2 is currently in production and is expected to air this summer.

Update: The acoustic-based single “You Can Run” featuring Kid Cudi’s singing voice is now available to stream!  Listen to it below and download it here.

Download: Bryan Greenberg – “You Can Run” (Featuring Kid Cudi)

[audio: Bryan Greenberg – You Can Run (Featuring Kid Cudi).mp3]

Fun fact. The inspiration for the song actually stems from Greenberg’s character Ben from HTMIIA.  “I was kind of writing from the point of view of Ben and being scorned by Rachel and that just being a reason to succeed in life,” he says. “I did notice that a lot of successful people in this world, they always say that it’s about the art or it’s about the work. But when it comes down to it, [what drives them is that] they were made fun of in high school. Or there was a girl that dumped them and they’re trying to get back at them. I was coming from that mentality.”

[Via DatNewCudi; Complex; EW; HipHopUpdate]

ABC grants early renewals to six series

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At this week’s Television Critics Association press tour ABC officially renewed six series and they include comedies Modern Family, The Middle, and Cougar Town, drama Grey’s Anatomy and crime dramedy Castle.  Sunday nighters Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters are noticeably absent from the early renewal lineup; the former is expected to be picked up later this spring while the latter remains on the bubble.

New ABC president Paul Lee shared his thoughts on the network’s current lineup.  On Cougar Town: The comedy “has found its voice.”  On Detroit 1-8-7 (which has yet to be picked up for a second season): It’s “a gritty, brilliantly written show which we’re very proud of”, a “very, very high-quality show” that “gets better.”  On freshman comedy Better with You: It’s “a really funny show.”  On V: The network is “very pleased” with the season 2 premiere ratings.  “We made sure it was ten episodes so we could quality control those episodes.  And we also brought a whole load of new ideas into it, so we’ve tried to really amp up the level of adrenaline in that show.”

And lastly, Lee talked about how he hopes to pave a successful future for ABC by granting showrunners additional freedom: “My real ambition is to make ABC Studios and ABC a real showrunner culture. From my perspective, the ability to allow showrunners to take risks, and for us to give them the air support that they can do that, is one of the most important parts of my job… So from my perspective, that combination between a potent brand and empowered showrunners can really give us a chance to succeed going forward into the future.”

We can expect to receive renewal/cancellation news about the freshman slate of ABC programming, including No Ordinary Family, within the next two to three months, according to Lee.

[Via Deadline]