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TV News: Is Nightwing Heading to ARROW?

Now treat this as a huge rumour for now, but could Nightwing be appearing in the upcoming third season of The CW’s ARROW?

The source of this speculation comes from THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Steven R. McQueen. Having attended the recent LA Kings vs New York Rangers NHL game, the actor posted the below picture with ARROW’s Oliver Queen, Stephen Amell, to his Instagram account.

Whilst the image itself is fairly innocuous, the juicy part came in the caption that accompanied the picture, which read, “@amelladventures @lakings #arrow #nightwing #gokings”

Could McQueen know something that we don’t, could it be a case of wishful thinking on the actor’s behalf, or could the caption purely be meant for shits ‘n’ giggles? McQueen has previously shown he’s a fan of the character, so maybe there’s nothing more to it than that.

Given how ARROW has featured plenty of names from the DC Universe, not to mention from the Batman world, it wouldn’t be completely unexpected if Dick Grayson/Nightwing were to appear at some stage. In fact, Bludhaven has been name-dropped several times throughout ARROW’s run, and that is the city that Nightwing does he best to keep in order. Just as the show has been used as a springboard for The Flash’s solo show, how brilliant would it be to see Nightwing interacting with the Emerald Archer before departing for his own show down the line? A fanboy can dream, no?

As mentioned at the get-go, take this all with a pinch of salt for now. But just imagine…

Expect more on this as and when it develops.

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Movie News: Synopsis Revealed for ANT-MAN

Now that Peyton Reed is in place to direct Marvel’s ANT-MAN, the studio have released an official plot synopsis for the film.

The official word reads:

“Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.”

So there’s nothing there that we didn’t already know, but it’s at least good to finally get the official blurb from Marvel and Disney. It’s been a rough few weeks for ANT-MAN, with a lot of fans left questioning what exactly is happening to the film. Edgar Wright departed the production after nearly a decade of work, largely down to the script he put together with Joe Cornish being butchered, and then several names ruled themselves out. First up to reject the directing gig was ANCHORMAN’s Adam McKay, but he has since agreed to come aboard to work on the ANT-MAN script with Reed.

As well as Douglas and Rudd, ANT-MAN also has unconfirmed roles for Evangeline Lilly, Patrick Wilson, and Corey Stoll. Despite its recent issues, the movie is still scheduled for a 17th July, 2015 release.

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Movie News: Guillermo del Toro Working on PACIFIC RIM 2

Despite having not been given the green light yet, Guillermo del Toro is already working on PACIFIC RIM 2.

Whilst promoting his THE STRAIN TV series to Buzzfeed, del Toro was asked about a sequel to PACIFIC RIM. He went on to reveal, “I’m working very, very hard with Zak Penn. We’ve been working for a few months now in secret. We found a way to twist it around. Travis Beacham [co-writer of the first movie] was involved in the storyline and now I’m writing with Zak because Travis has become a TV mogul.”

On the plot of the sequel, he added, “Some people were wondering if we were going to do the prequel. I was never interested in doing that first wave of invasion. I’m going for very new, very crazy ideas on the second one, which are very different from the first one – but you will get really great spectacle.”

Del Toro also confirmed that the current plan is for Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi to return as Jaeger pilots Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori, respectively.

Whilst PACIFIC RIM initially struggled at the US box office, international sales led to the film doing quite well. Despite costing a staggering $190 million, the movie only took $101 million in the US. With international sales, PACIFIC RIM managed to earn $411 million. A sequel didn’t seem likely until earlier this year when Legendary CEO Thomas Tull suggested that a sequel could well happen thanks to the home release sales and merchandise figures. If PACIFIC RIM 2 were to happen, we’d have to wager that the budget would be significantly less than the $190 million spent making the first film.

As ever, expect more on this as we get it.

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Comic News: CALVIN AND HOBBES Creator Resurfaces

How did you get into comics? There’s a good chance it started with the idiosyncratic world of Bill Watterson and his devilish duo of CALVIN AND HOBBES, which ran from 1985 to ’95. While the idea of a roguish boy and his imaginary friend has been lovingly brought to life in Sky’s MOONE BOY, it just doesn’t fill the CALVIN AND HOBBES-shaped hole.

Fans can rejoice then that Watterson has released new work, albeit in cameo form. Stephan Pastis, who pens PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, attempted to get hold of the reclusive Watterson via e-mail. He received no response. Pastis, seemingly unphased, went ahead and put a CALVIN AND HOBBES reference in his then-latest strip.

But Watterson did get in touch with Pastis. Writing on his blog, Pastis put, “Just getting an email from Bill Watterson is one of the most mind-blowing, surreal experiences I have ever had. Bill Watterson really exists? And he sends email? And he’s communicating with me?” Perhaps more surprising than his initial contact was Watterson’s desire to collaborate. It was decided that the CALVIN AND HOBBES mastermind would contribute panels to PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

The strips were released this week, under the pretence that a girl named ‘Libby’ or ‘Lib’ was standing in for Pastis. Pastis wrote of the fictitious Libby that she’s “a precocious second grader who thought my art was crap.”

The first strip has ‘Lib’ drawing Pastis being eaten by two crocodiles. The second, more in a traditional CALVIN AND HOBBES vein, featured a ‘Martian robot attack’, while the third ends with Pastis asking ‘Lib’ if she’ll keep drawing his strip permanently. ‘Lib’ replies: “Nah. The art form’s dying.”

Pastis has described having Watterson contribute to his strip as the highlight of his career. The internet wasn’t convinced by ‘Lib’ – it is Bill spelt backwards, after all. For many this signalled the return of the much missed CALVIN AND HOBBES. Here’s hoping.

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Event News: George R.R. Martin Launches Wolf-Saving Fundraiser

GAME OF THRONES creator George RR Martin has launched a charity campaign in order to raise funds for a wolf sanctuary. Fans making a small donation to the sanctuary, via crowd-fundraising site Prizeo.com, can win the chance to meet with Martin and take a helicopter ride around the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Santa Fe.

Larger donations also guarantee rewards. Signed maps of Westeros, exclusive T-shirts and personalised thank-you notes are available to those with deep pockets. Goodies such as George’s famous hat, breakfast with the author, and tickets to the premiere of the next season of the GAME OF THRONES TV show are also available to those who are both wealthy and quick enough to get them before anyone else does.

Martin also recently denied rumours started by his editor that his world famous SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series would stretch out to eight books. He told Entertainment Weekly, “My plan is to finish in seven. But my original plan was to finish in three. I write the stories and they grow. I deal with certain things and sometimes I find myself not at the end of a story. My plan right now is still seven. But first I have to finish Book Six. Get back to me when I’m half-way through Book Seven.” No news has been forthcoming as to when Book Six, currently called THE WINDS OF WINTER, will be available, though sources close to Martin say that it won’t be till at least late-2015.

Those wanting to appear in THE WINDS OF WINTER can donate £20,000 to the charity campaign to get a character named after them. Two spots are available, one male and one female, and the donator gets to pick if they’re a Lord or peasant. Martin guarantees that the character will meet a grisly end.

More information can be found via the crowdfunding site Prizeo.com

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Gaming News: Details on FIGHTING FANTASY Convention

It’s taken over three decades but FIGHTING FANTASY is finally getting its own convention. The iconic adventure game books spawned many imitators but their unique sense of action and fun has never been copied. The one-day event will take place on September 7th at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Ealing, West London.

The event will launch YOU ARE THE HERO – A HISTORY OF FIGHTING FANTASY GAMEBOOKS, written by one of FIGHTING FANTASY’s most prolific creators, Jonathan Green. Vintage games publisher Arion Games will be running Advanced Fighting Fantasy table-top sessions throughout the day, and masters of smart phone fun, Tin Man Games, will also be there to talk about the digital versions of FIGHTING FANTASY classics.

Guests include authors Ian Livingstone, Jonathan Green and Steve Jackson. Artists Russ Nicholson, Chris Achilleos and Tony Hough will also be there and a plethora of game book related talks and panels are planned. UK based author Steve Jackson said, “This will be an event not to be missed by FF readers. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tickets are £50 and include an adventurer’s backpack full of goodies and can be purchased here.

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Movie News: LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS Heading Straight to Video; Trailer Arrives

When news that LEPRECHAUN was getting rebooted, horror fans groaned. When it was revealed that Warwick Davis would not be returning as the titular beastie, series fans lost interest. When WWE’s pint-sized grappler Hornswoggle was announced as playing the vicious little blighter, we started to fear the worst. Despite all of the above, though, LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS was set to see the series return to the big screen. Err, yeah, bit of a hitch there…

Whilst today brings us the first trailer for LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS, it also brings confirmation that the film won’t be getting the big screen treatment after all. Instead, the film will head straight to DVD and VOD. The chances of us UK folks getting the movie on the big screen were about as miniscule as SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE getting a cinema run, but it was genuinely expected that LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS would get a cinema release in the US. As it happens, the film will be released on VOD on 26th August and on DVD on 30th September. Now, let’s get to that trailer that we mentioned.

At this time, we’re unable to directly post the aforementioned trailer, but be sure to check it out over at Entertainment Weekly by clicking here.

Right, watched it? Looks great, doesn’t it? Maybe not. The basic premise of this redo focuses on a group who go backpacking across Ireland. Before they know it, they’re staying in an old cabin at the edge of the woods where the feisty Leprechaun begins to terrorise them.

Directed by Zach Lipovsky, LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS stars Dylan ‘Hornswoggle’ Postl, Stephanie Bennett (GRAVE ENCOUNTERS 2), Andrew Dunbar (ALIEN TRESPASS), Melissa Roxburgh (DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS), and Brendan Fletcher (FREDDY VS JASON).

In terms of a UK release, we’ll be sure to bring you news on that as we get it, although, looking at the above trailer, we think we’d rather the LEPRECHAUN series carried on with the likes of LEPRECHAUN: IN SPACE and LEPRECHAUN: BACK 2 THA HOOD.

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Merch News: WARPO to Launch Vintage Cthullhu Action Figures

If you ever thought that the ’80s had a lack of toys with tentacles, it seems you’re not alone. Retro toy manufacturer WARPO have begun a Kickstarter campaign to launch a line of toys inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft.

The LEGENDS OF CTHULLHU range features four figures: The Professor, The Cultist, The Deep One, and Spawn of Cthulhu. They are 3.75” tall figures with 5 points of articulation, with all the design stylings of late seventies toys, including vinyl capes and straight forward accessories.

WARPO specialise in toys with a vintage feel; new products manufactured and designed in such a way that they are indistinguishable from classic toy lines. The pictures of WARPO’s LEGENDS OF CTHULLHU range certainly looks like they’ve escaped from some strange alternate reality. Designed by MICRONAUTS artist Ken Kelly and MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE sculptor Eddy Mosqueda, the toys will come in specially designed blister packs reminiscent of the early STAR WARS range.

More information, as well as a delightfully retro toy advertisement can be found on their Kickstarter page.

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Event News: Pull the COSMIC TRIGGER

A stage production about the life of cult author Robert Anton Wilson is rapidly approaching full funding thanks to a successful Indiegogo.

Robert Anton Wilson is best known for THE ILLUMINATUS TRILOGY, a series of counter culture inspired novels that are a wonderfully weird and filled with conspiracy theories, magic and Discordianism. COSMIC TRIGGER deals with the experiences that lead to Wilson creating this classic work and includes his encounters with the likes of Timothy Leary, Alan Watts, William Burroughs and his experimentation with drugs.

The stage production promises to be as wild and diverse as it possibly can be. The creative force behind this project is Daisy Eris Campbell, daughter of experimental theatre director Ken Campbell. Writer Alan Moore will be contributing his voice acting to the production, and Sex Pistol’s artist Jamie Reid is contributing work to the show as well.

The planned three hour play will be part of a larger three day festival featuring talks and discussion from prominent counter culture figures. More information can be found on Indiegogo and the COSMIC TRIGGER official site.

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Event News: You’ll Be In BIG TROUBLE If You Miss This GRIMM UP NORTH Screening

Manchester-based readers should make a date in their diary to attend the upcoming screening of John Carpenter’s BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA at The Dancehouse Theatre, Oxford Road on June 26th.

It’s a rare chance to catch the cult classic on the big screen, thanks to the good folk at GRIMM UP NORTH.

Carpenter regular Kurt Russell headlines the fabulous 1986 fantasy action comedy, as the iconic Jack Burton, a character who should have inspired a franchise, but alas, it was not to be. It’s a fun blend of sci-fi, action, Kung Fu and mystical bad guys, and not to be missed.

For those who have yet to see it, here’s a brief synopsis:

“Jack Burton is a reasonable guy who is about to experience some unreasonable things in San Francisco’s Chinatown. As his friend’s fiancée is kidnapped Jack becomes embroiled in a centuries-old battle between good and evil. At the root of it all is Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who rules an empire of evil spirits. Jack goes to the rescue dodging demons, goblins and the unstoppable Three Storms as he battles through Lo Pan s dark domain.“

For more information, head over to the GRIMM UP NORTH website.

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA plays The Dancehouse, Manchester on Thursday, 26^th June. Doors open 7.30pm with the film starting at 8pm.

Tickets are £6.50 and available here

Those clever enough to buy a Season Ticket should being their confirmation email or ticket issued at the previous event.

The John Carpenter Season continues on July 17^th with THE THING.

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