The Walking Dead’s Creator on Season 6 Finale Backlash
The Walking Dead received a significant fan backlash after its controversial season six finale. However, creator Robert Kirkman is adamant the crew wasn't trying to "game the audience" with the massive cliffhanger.
Kirkman and The Walking Dead team did want viewers to talk—and that's what they got.
"The speculation, the frustration, the possibilities, the theories... honestly, in my mind... that stuff is FUN," Kirkman wrote in an open letter to fans in the latest issue of The Walking Dead comic. "I honestly feel like that's something fun for the fans to do during the break."
First Movie-Realistic Lightsabers Announced
Custom lightsaber company Vader's Vault has introduced the first "duel-worthy, accurate," lightsaber—the Hero model.
Vader's Vault Hero lightsabers start at $550 USD and come with "full light, Plecter Labs sound, charger, and blade."
Those looking for an extra special saber have the option to add "flash on clash" and premium color and control box options. Additionally, fans expecting 100 percent production accuracy can remove the emitter extension, though those who choose this option are recommended not to duel.
According to Vader's Vault, "the neck build is super sturdy, and the sound vents are perfect for letting out that powerful ignition we all know and love." The Hero saber models will only be available in limited quantities.
Doctor Strange Director Responds to Whitewashing Criticism
Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson has responded to criticism regarding the casting of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One.
In a post on Twitter, the director said he is "listening" to those pushing for Asian-American representation in film—and acknowledged the "raw anger/hurt from Asian-Americans over Hollywood whitewashing, stereotyping, and erasure."
Raw anger/hurt from Asian-Americans over Hollywood whitewashing, stereotyping & erasure of Asians in cInema.
I am listening and learning.
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) May 4, 2016
Seth MacFarlane to Star in Live-Action FOX Series
FOX has ordered 13 episodes of a "new hour-long, live-action comedic drama series" created by and starring Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, network chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman announced today. MacFarlane also wrote the pilot and will executive produce the currently untitled series.
Targeting the 2017-18 TV season, the new MacFarlane series takes place 300 years in the future and follows a "motley crew of space explorers" on a "not-so-top-of-the-line exploratory ship" named the Orville.
"I've wanted to do something like this show ever since I was a kid, and the timing finally feels right," said MacFarlane in a statement.
Walden and Newman added: "Seth has one of the most original voices – in every sense of the word – and we’ve been waiting for him to bring us a project as special as this one. It’s classic Seth – fresh and funny, incredibly smart, wickedly subversive and undeniably FOX."
Paramount Registers Star Trek 4 Title With MPAA
Paramount Pictures registered the title Star Trek 4 with the Motion Picture Association of America, lending more evidence to Star Trek Beyond's reported sequel.
While this doesn't guarantee Star Trek 4 will make it to the big screen, the title registration is "necessary before any major film
be released in the United States," TrekMovie.com reported.
The film probably isn't named Star Trek 4, either—it's likely just a placeholder until an official title is chosen.
If Star Trek 4 does more forward, stars Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are already on board. Back in 2015, it was reported the actors had renegotiated their deals to include a fourth film, if the studio decided to develop one.
Missing Song from Force Awakens’ Soundtrack Released
Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and Hamilton composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda have released Maz’s cantina theme from The Force Awakens.
The song, called Jabba Flow, is now available on iTunes and Star Wars.com. It was co-written by Abrams and Miranda for the film in secret. The lyrics are recited in Huttese, the language spoken by the slug-like species of the Star Wars universe. Abrams revealed Miranda’s involvement as a composer and co-writer on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon back in December, but the song was not released on the film’s official soundtrack.
Civil War II: Who Are ‘The Fallen’ and ‘The Accused’?
Today Marvel revealed a pair of new one-shot comics that will tie into their Civil War II event this summer. True to form for Marvel's recent teaser campaigns, we don't know much more than the name of these mystery projects - Civil War II: The Accused #1 and Civil War II: The Fallen #1.
Both of these these teaser images promise that more information will be forthcoming on July 6, which happens to be the same day that Civil War II #3 will be hitting stores. The solicitation for that issue reads, "This is the one everyone will be talking about! One of the biggest heroes in the Marvel Universe will fall! Who it is and how and why will divide fans for years to come. Will the heroes of the Marvel Universe survive the unthinkable happening? The fallout to this issue is enormous!"
Interview With the Vampire: New Mutants Director Developing Remake
New Mutants director Josh Boone is developing a new film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, Boone announced.
Jill Killington—who wrote 2016's All We Had with Boone—will serve as co-writer. As reported in 2014, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (The Amazing Spider-Man, Star Trek) will produce, with Bobby Cohen (The Mummy, Now You See Me) as executive producer.
Rice has been publishing the Vampire series since 1976, with the most recent title having been released in 2014. Interview with the Vampire—which was adapted to film in 1994—centers on the lives of vampires Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt with the twelve-year-old girl turned into their vampire daughter.
New Mutants: Director Teases Movie Lineup
Rumors regarding which characters will show up in director Josh Boone's upcoming X-Men spin-off, The New Mutants, have been abundant, but the team has been quiet on it—until now.
A bunch of posts to the director's personal Instagram account could reveal which mutants moviegoers will see when the film is released. Boone has yet to confirm the lineup, but the images include Wolfsbane, Mirage, Cannonball, Sunspot, Magik, and Warlock.
Image via Josh Boone's Instagram account
In March, it was rumored Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams might play Wolfsbane, but 20th Century Fox later denied the reports. However, Williams wasn't shy about discussing her interest in the role.
Evolve Developer Working on New Game
Turtle Rock Studios, the developer behind Left 4 Dead and Evolve, is working on a whole new game.
The news comes from a job listing on the studio's website for an animation programmer. The position is for an "unannounced new" intellectual property described as a "cutting edge game targeting next generation hardware."
It's difficult to make any sort of guess as to what the new game will be. However, among the responsibilities for the open job position is the need to "deliver excellent combat, character locomotion and movement mechanics, and cinematics" to the unnamed new game.