Well, I can’t say I mind seeing my favorite comics up on the big screen. But sometimes, man, they should have just let them alone. You just can’t condense some books into a two or three hour flick.
The pics are really small, but Mike over at iBored made this side-by-side comparison between the Watchmen trailer and the comic. The best way to make a comic book adaptation is to use the damn comic as a storyboard and it certainly looks like they’ve done that with Watchmen.
Well fuck! Stupid Fox! Even though I still think Ozymandias doesn’t fit and Nite Owl is a little too Batmanny for my tastes (yes, I know he’s an analog for Bats), I really want to see this.
We have an update on the Fox vs. Warner Brothers lawsuit over the Watchmen film. Fox filed their initial complaint back in February. Warner Brothers filed a brief on Friday claiming that Fox “sat silently” while producer Lawrence Gordon shopped Watchmen around to studios with Fox’s knowledge. Warner claims that Gordon actually pitched the project to Fox in 2005, but they passed. In fact, Warner also claims that one of Gordon’s companies paid Fox $320,000 for the rights to the film back in 1991. Fox claims that the 1991 was superseded by a later 1994 buyout deal for a larger sum that was never acted upon.
At this point, it’s going to court. I seriously doubt Fox will settle for just a big bag of money. If Warner Brothers gets its way, the trial will be set for April. They had planned on releasing the movie in March, but at least settling things in April will give them time to unleash Watchmen during the summer. If Fox gets its way, the trial will be set for June. A Fall release for Watchmen wouldn’t suck, but it probably wouldn’t hit as hard as it would for a summer release. There’s yet an additional wrinkle. Gordon shopped Watchmen around to Paramount, Legendary, and Universal. With them named in the Warner filing, they could be drawn into this whole mess.
So this should be taken with a giant salt lick, but apparently, Cher is in talks to play Catwoman for the third Bat flick. According to a stuiod exec:
Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years. The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations.
Hmm…
If you’re going to go that route, I kinda want to see Eartha Kitt as Catwoman instead. Personal preference, but she’s always been my personal favorite for Catwoman. I think she’d make an excellent Cougarwoman.
So what do you all think? Does Cher plus Depp plus Hoffman equal win? Does an aging Catwoman interest you? Is this all just bullshit?
What do you do when one of your top two comic book characters obliterates the summer box office? Reboot the one that sucked!
*groan*
Warner Brothers is looking to emulate the success of The Dark Knight with a “reintroduction” of Superman. According to Warner Brothers Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov:
Superman didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to. It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.
Sorry sports fans, no Routh/Bale teamup any time soon. To make matters worse, they want their new Superman to be dark and brooding, two qualities that the studio feels made The Dark Knight a success. Sure, dark and brooding makes a lot of sense for a border line psychopath who dresses up as a flying mouse. But for Superman? Superman is a big red, white, and blue boyscout with good hair and a chiseled chin. Dark and brooding just doesn’t fit.
Superman Returns didn’t fail because it wasn’t super dark. It failed because it was super boring! The most super thing he did in the entire movie was save that airplane. The big evil plot was some kind of mega real estate deal. Come on! No one wants to see that. That’s a boring fucking movie!
Never liked Superman much anyway. But darkening him up is for shit sure the best way to end Superman’s film career. You know sometimes if it’s broke, leave it the hell alone.
And now from our Alan Moore may just get his wish department, a judge is allowing 20th Century Fox to sue Warner Brothers over the right to make a Watchmen movie denying WB’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. If the lawsuit is successful, Fox could win rights to any profits made from the film. But they’re not interested in money. No. Fox wants to kill the movie:
Warner Bros.’ production and anticipated release of “The Watchmen” motion picture violates 20th Century Fox’s long-standing motion picture rights in “The Watchmen” property. We will be asking the court to enforce Fox’s copyright interests in “The Watchmen” and enjoin the release of the Warner Bros. film and any related “Watchmen” media that violate our copyright interests in that property.
Ouch!
You might think that being a DC Comics property, Warner Brothers would have every right to make a movie based on Watchmen. At least that’s what I thought. Turns out that Fox held the rights to distribute the Watchmen graphic novel through a 1991 claim. There was an option to buy back Fox’s interest in Watchmen back in 1994, but since it was never exercised the rights remain the property of Fox.
So this is a pretty solid kick in the wang. Fox must have a solid enough case for the judge to the case. I’m guessing production will continue until they’re told to stop. But I’m sure this thing is going to get messy and push the release date back some. Ugh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to sell rights to our shits!
My whole thing is that that I saw The Dark Knight. I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get how many things that are so smart. It’s like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I’m like, “That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.” I loved The Prestige but didn’t understand The Dark Knight. Didn’t get it, still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, “I get it. This is so high brow and so fucking smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.” You know what? Fuck DC comics. That’s all I have to say and that’s where I’m really coming from.
And this song just jumped into my brain meats:
That’s right! I just compared Robert Downey, Jr. to the world’s most dangerous group! When N.W.A. released “Fuck Tha Police” they made permanent enemies of police departments around the country. Similarly, Downey, Jr.’s “Fuck DC Comics” statement may have earned him the enmity of most comic book geeks.
You know what, though, I ain’t mad at Downey, Jr. Although I think he’s screwed himself out of working with Warner Brothers on pretty much anything, I totally respect him for speaking his mind. And honestly, lately, DC Comics just haven’t been holding up. How many Crisis events can one universe go through? Ugh. My love for Dark Knight is well documented, but I can see where he’s coming from. I don’t agree. But I can see it.
“Fuck Tha Police” helped propel N.W.A.’s Straight Out of Compton record to double platinum. I think when the dust settles, Downey, Jr. will continue to make millions as Tony Stark and eventually other comic based characters. Just nothing from DC.
I like the new style of animation. And I’m a big fan of everything Warren Ellis writes. This is a trailer for G.I. Joe Resolute, an animated feature written by Warren Ellis that, if this trailer is any indication, is full of the win. I like how the little Vipers are using P90s (I think those are P90s. My gunfu is weak) and are shooting bullets instead of harmless lasers. And everything is better with Snake Eyes. I am looking forward to this much more than the live action movie.
Angry Zen Minion Kevin Bahrt found this awesome mashup of all the movie incarnations of Batman. Well, except for Adam West.
Clearly, I think Christian Bale’s Batman kicks all other square in the teeth. Keaton’s Batman just doesn’t hold up. And although Val and George were decent enough as Bruce Wayne, their Batmen left a lot to be desired. However, Christian’s Batman voice still makes me chuckle.
So, including all movie and television incarnations, who is your favorite Batman?
Not sure how long this vid will last, but AZM Ally Marty dug up a short clip of the Spirit and the Octopus fighting in a shallow bog of shit.
Wow.
So that’s pretty much the shittiest spy footage I’ve ever seen. Before I was mildly curious. Now I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to see Frank Miller’s The Spirit. Shit does not equal edgy or modern. Shit equals shit.
AZM Ally Mike Dent sent along this concept art for Gatchaman’s Science Ninja Team. I really like the redesigns, especially Jinpei’s. I’m a huge fan of that red and orange/yellow color scheme. And I love how Ryu needs extra stomach armor to hold in his might. Awesome! It’s not a full CG shot, but if the models are based off of this concept, they’re going to look so shiny and awesome!
Add AZM to your Facebook
Follow AZM on Twitter
