Enjoy this five minute sneak peek of Batman: Gotham Knight

According to director Peter Segal, the production is still feeling the aftershocks of the writer’s strike.

We’re still working on the script. An interesting little development, but it’s an annoying one, is that after a strike there are residual effects and one was that everyone who was a writer suddenly had a back log of assignments as did John August, so we started to do our re-write process but he had to service some of these other prior commitments. So now we’re kind of waiting in line to get him back but it’s worked out okay because we’ve been working on the marketing of this and getting this going, so we’ve been doing enough to keep ourselves busy and as soon as this movie gets released then we’re going to focus again on ‘Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam‘.

Well gosh darn that!  Of all the superheroes to get a movie make over, this is one that could be really good, especially if they make it a true adventure ala the old seriels.  If Segal plays his cards right, and there is a really good script, Shazam could finally get the last laugh by out performing Superman Returns.

via Comics 2 Film

Apparently it is so according to the official Sony website.

E! Online did an interview with producer Laura Ziskin, who said we’ll have to wait until at least 2011 before Spider-Man 4 hits theaters.  Of course the key phrase here is “at least”.  Remember, the script is far from being finished, neither Tobey Maguire nor Sam Raimi have signed on, and Marvel has yet to announce the flick in their annual reports.

The last Spidey flick came out in 2007, which would mean there is at least a four (more likely six) year gap between the two.  Will people still be interested in Spidey that far out? I’m not sure.  The longer the third movie hangs out there for everyone to remember, the harder it will be for everyone to camp out at theaters for weeks at a time waiting for the new flick to open.  Had Return of the Jedi been a real turd of a movie, I doubt you would have seen the rabid fandom anticipation of Episode 1.

via Yahoo!

According to Variety, Universal Pictures has purchased the rights to Oni Press’ The Last Call graphic novel series by Vasilis Lolos.  The story centers around two teens who unintentionally wind up on an interdimensional soul carrier train, and must figure a way out to get back to the real world.

The Last Call is a series of graphic novels, but there is no word if the movie will be a single feature or a franchise of pictures.  I haven’t read Last Call, Volume 1, but I have just ordered it from the Major Spoilers Amazon Page.

This is the fourth title from Oni Press to get the movie treatment.

via Variety

We all knew it was a good movie, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for a $300 million box office blockbuster.

“(This) is a testament to the talented, hardworking group involved with this picture,” Par[amount] vice chairman Rob Moore said. “Needless to say, we are all thrilled with such an amazing achievement.”

I’m sure no one else is more pleased than Marvel, who took a big chance a couple of years ago announcing its own studio - a chance that has paid off, and should put the studio on target to pay off that $525 million dollar loan it borrowed to kick start the studios.

via THR.com

Holy Pizza-Face Batman! Head over to Gotham City Pizzeria, and if you know where to click (ha ha), you’ll see a trailer that features the first appearance of Two Face in the upcoming Dark Knight movie.

via Gotham City Pizzeria

While I’m sure there are those of you who would just love to play Gears of War on a huge movie theater screen - or at least something larger than your 42-inch television, New Line has announced it is in production for a live action version of the game that will appear in a local theater near you.

Set on the planet Sera, the game thrusts players into a battle for survival between humans and a race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet known as the Locust Horde. Players assume identities of soldiers on Delta Squad as they fight to save Sera’s inhabitants.

Len Wiseman is set to direct the flick based on a script by Chris Morgan, the man behind Wanted, and the upcoming Fast and the Furious 4.

Video game adaptations are a tricky lot with Hollywood and gamers. On the one hand, something like the Resident Evil franchise has done quite well, while others, like Doom, have totally sucked. And let’s not even get into those Pokemon movies.

What are your thoughts? Will Gears of War rock, or tank?

via THR

This doesn’t sound good at all.

It’s been five weeks since the one and only phone call my reps have gotten from Marvel. I know their hands are full with the Hulk and I’m sure they will get into it shortly, as they tell me they intend to. I ran into the Marvel guys at the Hulk premiere and everyone sounded eager to get to work on IM2.

I am concerned, however, about the announced release date of April 2010. Neither Robert nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is in light of the fact that we have no script, story or even writers hired yet. This genre of movie is best when it is done thoughtfully and with plenty of preparation. It might be better to follow the BB/DK, X/X2 three year release pattern than to scramble for a date. It is difficult because there are no Marvel 09 releases and they need product, but I also think we owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.

Come on Marvel!  Give Favreau the paycheck bump and get to making the film. IF Marvel decides to go with another director, I guarantee you, that director will go more CGI for the film and do away with most of the live action and practical effects that Favreau loves using.

via Jon Favreau

Lawrence Kasdan, the guy responsible for Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has been hired to adapt Robotech for the live action flick starring Tobey Maguire.

A sprawling sci-fi epic, “Robotech” takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion centers on a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship’s energy source known as “protoculture,” and the planet’s hope for survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

Wicked cool giant robots battling aliens from another world in a live action format could really really rock if done right, otherwise it could devolve into another Robot Jox.

via THR

Regardless of what you think of Platinum Studios, you have to admit, it does know how to market and spin itself to megabucks. Cowboys and Aliens, the sci-fi western that finally saw the light of day last year, was sold to Dreamworks to be turned into a major motion picture, after 10 years in on again off again development hell.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is in negotiations to play the lead in the the flick.

“Cowboys & Aliens” derives from a graphic novel written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley from an original idea by Rosenberg. The story centers on an Old West battle between the Apache and Western settlers, including a former Union Army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson (Downey), that is interrupted by a spaceship crashing into the prairie near Silver City, Ariz.

via THR

While it wasn’t Indiana Jones, or even an Iron Man level take at the box office, the Incredible Hulk did walk away with the top movie this past weekend, taking home an estimated $54.5 million domestically.  That’s a lot of green for the big fellow, and has many believing Marvel has gone two for two in its company owned movie franchise.  Even thought the movie is number one, remember, Hulk did not bring in as much as last year’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ($58 million) or as much as Ang Lee’s take on the Hulk that brought in $62.1 million in its opening weekend.

Still, if the Hulk can keep from dropping 50% or more next weekend, it is well on its way to breaking $100 million domestically next weekend.

box office numbers via Variety

If you went and saw the movie on opening day, then you probably have some thoughts on Marvel’s new Hulk movie.  I’ll be seeing it this weekend, and the Major Spoilers Podcast Panel will be talking about it on the next show, and we want to include your thoughts and reactions to the flick.

Did Marvel hit another one out of the ballpark?  Was it everything you expected, or did it fail to meet up to expectations?

Duke it out in the comment section below.

I know, with Hulk opening this weekend, we should be focusing on that, but damn if these tid-bits from The Dark Knight don’t look good.

Check it!