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'Sherlock Holmes' And Comics: The Connections Are Elementary!
15 hours ago
Rumor has it that director Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" was based on an original comic book concept. But even if that's not entirely true, there is absolutely no question that the latest "Holmes" adventure has plenty in common with the paneled page.
Between the film's director and the four principle actors in the movie, "Sherlock Holmes" has more than a few connections to comic book cinema. Read on for our rundown of some of the links between the cast and crew of "Sherlock Holmes" and the comic book community.
As if anyone needs a reminder, Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark, the leading man behind Marvel's "Iron Man" film franchise. Comic book fans recently got a taste of Downey's return to the role of Stark in the action-packed "Iron Man 2" teaser trailer. Beyond playing Ol' Shellhead in the "Iron Man" series and the upcoming "The Avengers, »
- Josh Wigler
Socking It To Santa: Comic Book Christmas Stockings
18 hours ago
The holiday season inspires many wonderful novelty items for decorating one's house, but aside from tree ornaments and wrapping paper, there aren't many outlets for comic book stars to shine.
That's why when it comes to hanging out for the holidays, stockings are an enjoyable way to capitalize on one's super hero movie fandom without getting too tacky.
Here's a rundown of a few appropriate choices for the season, along with a look at the cinematic future of each franchise. (Image courtesy of The Deadpool Bugle and artist Paco Medina.)
Shellhead's heavy-duty armor plating may not seem like a logical choice for a typically plushy decoration, but movie and comic fans alike can't resist the charm of an Iron Man novelty. This summer's "Iron Man 2" will likely have a positive effect on next winter's stocking offerings – if folks can reconcile War Machine with "peace on earth and good will toward super villains. »
- Caleb Goellner
David Tennant Says 'Doctor Who' Comics Are 'One Of The Things I'll Miss' After Season Finale
21 hours ago
The "Doctor Who" television series kicks off its two-part finale this weekend with Friday's "The End of Time: Part One," and as "Who" fans are well aware, the next two episodes mark both the end of the current season and the conclusion of actor David Tennant's celebrated run as the time- and space-traveling adventurer known as The Doctor.
I've made no secret of my obsession with the long-running British science-fiction series, so when I had the chance to chat with Tennant about the series, the conversation covered a wide range of topics — including the state of "Doctor Who" comics. And just for kicks, I brought along a copy of "Doctor Who: The Forgotten," Idw Publishing's 2009 series by writer Tony Lee and artist Pia Guerra (with a great cover by Ben Templesmith).
"In Britain, we have 'Doctor Who Magazine' and we have 'Doctor Who Adventures,' which is »
- Rick Marshall
Christmas In Comics: 2009 Holiday Cards
23 December 2009 2:01 PM, PST
The winter holiday season is full of traditions big and small, but around the comics scene, the arrival of fun, holiday-themed cards from creators and publishers is one of my favorites.
I've scanned and posted some of the holiday cards we've received at Splash Page HQ this year, but before we get to them, I couldn't resist posting this special Christmas video from "Octopus Pie" creator Meredith Gran. It's the sort of thing that could make the heart of even the grinchiest grinch grow a few sizes.
Now, on to the holiday cards.
Radical Publishing
Dark Horse Comics
Mike Drake, Mezco Toyz
Idw Publishing
Have a great Holiday Season! »
- Rick Marshall
Steve Niles Addresses '30 Days Of Night: Dark Days' Changes
23 December 2009 1:01 PM, PST
"30 Days of Night: Dark Days" will expand the world of the first "30 Days of Night" film into a potential ongoing movie franchise if the comic's creator and writer Steve Niles gets his wish, but it will also expand the backstory of some of Niles' characters, even as it axes a couple more. Scripts always change transitioning from comics to film, and according to Niles the upcoming direct-to-dvd vampire sequel based on his graphic novel of the same name will be no different.
"In terms of the comic there was that whole New Orleans subplot, and there were those two characters Judith and George that just didn't make it into the movie," Niles told Bloody Disgusting. "They play a prominent role in the comic. We had to write our way around that, but it didn't turn into that big of a problem."
In fact, "Dark Days" gave Niles and his co-writer »
- Brian Warmoth
'Superman Returns' Producer Picks Up 'Night and Fog' Adaptation
23 December 2009 12:01 PM, PST
Producers Gil Adler and Shane McCarthy have optioned Matthew Bradford and Alex Leung’s “Night and Fog.”
Originally published by Studio 407 in 2008 as a miniseries by Bradford and Leung along with artists Thomas Aira and Roberto Castro, “Night and Fog” follows a security guard’s attempt to escape a military base that is beset by a seemingly supernatural mist that transforms its victims into unkillable monstrosities.
“When I read this I knew I had to take it off the market,” said Adler in a recent press release. “It’s a great high-concept that blends the gothic horror of the Hammer films with the sci-fi horror of ‘Aliens’ and ‘The Thing.’”
Adler has previously produced several comic related films including “Superman Returns” and “Constantine.” He is also one of the producers of the upcoming “Dead of Night” — an adaptation of the popular Italian comic “Dylan Dog” — starring Brandon Routh.
“We »
- Blair Marnell
'Sherlock Holmes' Producer Offers 'Justice League,' 'Wonder Woman' And 'Suicide Squad' Movie Updates
23 December 2009 11:01 AM, PST
"Sherlock Holmes" producer Dan Lin, who recently spoke about the forthcoming adaptation of Jeff Smith's "Bone," has his name attached to plenty of other comic book projects, including DC Comics' "Suicide Squad" and the ill-fated "Justice League Mortal."
In an interview with Collider, Lin provided updates on both projects, saying that the "Justice League" adaptation is currently shelved while Warner Bros. solidifies its strategy for bringing the DC Universe to the big screen.
"[They're] unveiling their DC strategy in January so you'll hear more about that and they'll speak about that in the new year," Lin said of the WB's plans. "[It] seems like they're building to Justice League instead of going with the team movie first and doing individual movies after that."
Part of the build-up to "Justice League" presumably involves "Green Lantern," though there are obviously several other important properties that could benefit from solo films, such as "Wonder Woman. »
- Josh Wigler
'Avatar' Reactions, Olivia From 'Sesame Street,' And Bill Willingham's Birthday In Today's Twitter Report
23 December 2009 10:01 AM, PST
"Avatar" may be the most hilariously divisive movie of the holiday season, if not 2009. In the last 24 hours, for instance, G. Willow Wilson has been excited about seeing it, Laurenn McCubbin has been thoroughly dissatisfied with it and Mike Choi has come to the movie's defense with some serious words for its critics.
In other tweets, Dennis Calero spoke up for everyone who grew up with "Sesame Street" actress Alaina Reed Amini. The actress who played Olivia on the show passed away last week. Check out those messages after the jump along with Brian Michael Bendis' shock over "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," Bill Willingham's birthday announcement (which we congratulate him on!) and Jimmy Palmiotti's thoughts on "Brothers."
They're all in the Twitter Report for December 23, 2009.
@DennisCalero goodbye olivia, thank you for making sesame street such a happy place
-Dennis Calero, Artist ("X-Factor," "Legion of Super- »
- Brian Warmoth
Preview: Dash Shaw On 'The Unclothed Man In the 35th Century'
23 December 2009 8:46 AM, PST
Acclaimed writer/artist Dash Shaw received quite a bit of attention when his 2008 graphic novel "Bottomless Belly Button" was heralded as one of the bets projects of the year by various print and online media, and only solidified his place among the upper echelon of indie creators with his "BodyWorld" webcomic (soon to be collected in print by Pantheon Books).
His latest project, "The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century," debuted this month as both a series of animated shorts on IFC.com and a new book published by Fantagaphics. "The Unclothed Man" is set in a futuristic world where robots have replaced humans in nearly all facets of daily life, and chronicles the adventures of a man named Rebel X-6 who poses as a robot model for figure-drawing classes at an art school.
With the animated series already available on IFC.com and the "Unclothed Man" book hitting comic »
- Rick Marshall
Adapt This: 'Atomic Robo' By Brian Clevenger & Scott Wegener
23 December 2009 6:46 AM, PST
The Story: "Atomic Robo: " by Brian Clevenger (W) an'd Scott Wegener (A) – Red 5 Comics
What It's About: Unveiled by Nikola Tesla in 1923, the automatic intelligence known as Atomic Robo receives full United States citizenship after completing a top-secret mission predating America's entry into World War II. After the war, Robo founds Tesladyne, a world-renowned think tank entrusted to stand against the kind of threats that personify speculative science fiction.
With a brilliant mind, near-invulnerable fists and a laser-sharp wit, Robo and his action scientists face down the impossible on behalf of all mankind.
Why It Works: "Atomic Robo" has the heart of a pulp and the head of a utopian sci-fi franchise, making it feel at home somewhere between J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot, Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy" films and every Indiana Jones movie that doesn't involve crystal skulls.
Like Hellboy, Robo is an outsider who protects mankind »
- Caleb Goellner
'Transformers' Writer To Script 'The Forgotten' Adaptation?
23 December 2009 6:01 AM, PST
Earlier this week, we brought you the news that producers Don Murphy ("We3") and John Wells had renewed their option on Jareth Grealish and Evan Young’s “The Forgotten” comic book. Grealish hinted that a "well-established screenwriter" was attached to the project, and it hasn't taken long for the first rumor to surface regarding who that writer could be.
According to SlashFilm, "Transformers" writer John Rogers will pen the screenplay for the film, which adapts the 2002 four-issue miniseries about a man with the ability to make those around him forget that he ever existed as he attempts to unravel a murder mystery.
If the rumor proves true, Rogers will add "The Forgotten" to a resume already stacked with comics projects and comics-related work. He previously scripted and produced an early adaptation of Warren Ellis' "Global Frequency" series, and co-created the new version of DC's Blue Beetle character with veteran »
- Rick Marshall
Marvel's 'Siege' Begins... With This Personalized Comic!
22 December 2009 3:31 PM, PST
'Tis the season for giving, it seems! Earlier today, I posted a photo on Twitter showing off the holiday gift that arrived at Splash Page HQ from the good folks at Idw Publishing, and now another package showed up in the office that merits attention.
This time around, it's an "Advanced Screening Variant" of "Siege" #1, courtesy of Marvel Comics and writer Brian Michael Bendis.
With "Siege" promising to not only be the next big event for the Marvel Universe, but also the culmination of nearly a decade of storylines, it's no surprise that Marvel is pushing the series hard — but there's something very special about this particular issue. Sure, it's signed by Bendis on the front cover, but it's the inside cover that really caught my eye. It's personalized!
Pretty great, right? I've posted more art from the issue below, including a great shot of Captain America, and a sinister-looking »
- Rick Marshall
New 'Kick-Ass' Trailer, Soundboard And Widget
22 December 2009 2:29 PM, PST
The last few weeks have included quite a few holiday gifts for anyone eager to check out "Kick-Ass," Matthew Vaughn's upcoming adaptation of John Romita Jr. and Mark Millar's comic book series. And now, to go along with the awesome posters and trailers that have hit the 'Net this month, there's also a new, red-band (and depending on where you work, likely Nsfw) "Kick-Ass" clip.
The new footage debuted as part of an exclusive "Kick-Ass" widget on IGN, and puts the spotlight on Hit-Girl, the pint-size assassin played by Chloe Moretz. As fans of the series are already aware, the character drops f-bombs and other obscenities as easily as she eviscerates, decapitates and ventilates any bad guys who get in her way.
The footage is fairly brutal, but — and I might be alone in thinking this — it's brutal in the best possible way. In fact, the trailer's likely »
- Rick Marshall
Joel Silver Talks 'Swamp Thing,' 'Wonder Woman' And 'Sgt. Rock' Movies, Expects 'Lobo' To Follow 'The Losers'
22 December 2009 1:01 PM, PST
"Sherlock Holmes" producer Joel Silver has his hands full with films based on literary heroes these days, and as many comic book fans are aware, quite a few of those projects hail from the DC Comics universe.
Since his name is attached to many of the projects we're most excited about these days, Silver offered MTV News a quick update on some of those projects during the "Sherlock Holmes" red carpet event last week. We pressed the comics-friendly producer for his thoughts on everything from "Swamp Thing" to "Lobo" and many of the other films drawing on DC's massive stable of characters.
When asked about his previous comments regarding a 3-D "Swamp Thing" movie, Silver reiterated his belief that 3-D was the intended format for a film about DC's famous swamp creature. Of course, given the character's history as the subject of multiple live-action movies, a live-action television series and an animated series, »
- Rick Marshall
Snowstorms, Gail Simone's Secret DC Project, And Neil Gaiman's Glasses In Today's Twitter Report
22 December 2009 11:14 AM, PST
Gail Simone loves working on "Wonder Woman" with Nicola Scott, but she has a secret DC Universe project on her mind as well right now which she's teasing on Twitter. Neil Gaiman, meanwhile, may need glasses before he moves on to his next project, as he was found tweeting about his eyesight in the Twitter Report feed today.
Elsewhere, the holiday season has brought shopping dilemmas and snowstorms, which you can find in Stan Lee and Geoff Johns' posts. Click on past the jump and you'll find all of those tweets along with Mike Oeming's thoughts on "Hancock," Simon Pegg's photo-altering shenanigans and more.
It's all in the Twitter Report for December 22, 2009.
@GailSimone Starting my first script on Awesome Secret Dcu Project with Awesome Characters I Love. Sorry for spoilers!
-Gail Simone, Writer ("Birds of Prey," "Wonder Woman")
@neilhimself Realised I now need reading glasses. Feel like »
- Brian Warmoth
Jude Law Denies 'Thor' Casting Rumor
22 December 2009 9:44 AM, PST
"Sherlock Holmes" arrives in theaters this week, pairing "Iron Man 2" star Robert Downey Jr. with actor Jude Law — who remains a far less prominent star in the comic book movie world than his co-star, despite his comics cred-inspiring ink. (He has a tattoo of Rorschach from "Watchmen.") However, an October rumor seemed to indicate that Law was on track to change all that with a role in "Thor" alongside Robert DeNiro.
Unfortunately, the rumor turned out to be just that, as Law explained to MTV News during the recent "Sherlock Holmes" red carpet event.
"Was there?" said Law when told there was a widely circulated rumor tagging him for a role in Kenneth Branagh's film about the Marvel god of thunder.
When asked whether he'd ever been approached about a role in the film, the actor answered, "No, I had no idea!"
While the rumor attaching Law and »
- Rick Marshall
'Bone' Producer Describes Adaptation As A Cross Between 'Shrek' And 'Lord Of The Rings'
22 December 2009 8:32 AM, PST
"Sherlock Holmes" producer Dan Lin is currently hard at work on a very different but no less enigmatic film project — none other than the adaptation of cartoonist Jeff Smith's "Bone."
Details on the comic book film have been fairly scarce, though Smith has previously said that he's happy with the project's progress so far. But Lin, who is producing "Bone," had more detailed comments to offer when speaking with Collider about the film. Specifically, Lin said that he and the "Bone" crew are striving for a tone that mixes the best elements of "Shrek" and "Lord of the Rings" together.
"It really looks like a mix of Shrek as far as the three Bone characters and their comedy, their Looney Tunes of Marx Brothers comedy set in a Lord of the Rings world," said Lin. "I mean, the best way tonally again is Shrek meets Lord of the Rings. »
- Josh Wigler
Jaimie Alexander Discusses 'Thor' Rehearsals, Debunks Justin Chatwin Casting Rumor
22 December 2009 7:51 AM, PST
With director Kenneth Branagh’s highly anticipated “Thor” adaptation set to begin shooting next month, actress Jaimie Alexander has been constantly updating fans with info from the upcoming film.
According to Alexander's Twitter feed, several members of the cast assembled in Los Angeles for rehearsals. “[I] met Anthony Hopkins today... Such a lovely man. Such a pleasure,” wrote Alexander. Later, she added “[I] can't stop staring at Thor's arms... Chris [Hemsworth] is Huge!”
Alexander also took the time to refute a growing rumor that Justin Chatwin (“Dragonball Evolution”) had been cast as Thor’s loyal ally, Balder the Brave. “Justin Chatwin isn't going to be in ‘Thor’,” revealed Alexander. “Just clearing up another rumor. Sleep well out there.”
Back in September, Alexander joined the cast of “Thor” as Sif, a fierce warrior goddess who has vied for Thor’s heart in the past. While Alexander has previously written about her intense »
- Blair Marnell
'Star Trek' Actor Karl Urban To Join 'Red'?
22 December 2009 7:01 AM, PST
Director Robert Schwentke’s adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s “Red” already boasts an impressive lineup of stars including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker. However, a report has surfaced naming Karl Urban as the latest addition to the cast.
According to Mania.com, Urban will portray a character named “Cooper.” The report also states that Julian McMahon will play the Vice President of the United States and that Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss have officially signed on to the film — reiterating an earlier report of their involvement.
Urban is well known among genre fans for his roles in “The Chronicles of Riddick”, “The Lord of the Rings” series and his turn as Doctor McCoy in last summer’s “Star Trek.” If the report is confirmed, then “Red” will be Urban’s second comic book related film of 2010 following the release of “Priest. »
- Blair Marnell
Bryan Singer Says 'X-Men: First Class' Might Supercede 'Magneto' Movie
22 December 2009 6:01 AM, PST
Last week’s announcement that Bryan Singer will return to direct “X-Men: First Class” has sparked speculation about which characters will appear in the film — especially since Singer has indicated that the focus will be on Professor Xavier and Magneto during their 20s. However, given the age of Magneto in this film, a “Magneto” solo movie may no longer be in the cards.
“This story would probably utilize some of the 'Magneto' story because it deals with a young Magneto,” explained Singer during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “So it might supercede that because this would explore that relationship between a young energetic professor and a disenfranchised victim of the Holocaust.”
“The X-Men universe is boundless,” continued Singer. “These are great characters. And as young characters, they are quite different than the characters we have seen in the contemporary movies.”
"X-Men" producer Lauren Shuler Donner and screenwriter »
- Blair Marnell
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