Juan Javier Cardenas is THE WALKING DEAD’s Dante

Juan Javier Cardenas

Ahead of returning for its tenth season, AMC’s The Walking Dead has moved to add Juan Javier Cardenas to its ranks.

In an official announcement, it’s been confirmed that the Snowfall and S.W.A.T. actor will be playing Dante in the walker-centric show. That characters is one straight from the comics.

Introduced back in The Walking Dead #131, Dante is a character associated with the Hilltop and even has a relationship with Maggie. Given that Lauren Cohen isn’t returning to the TV show any time soon, we won’t be seeing any such Dante and Maggie romance on the small screen.

The official blurb on Dante has him pegged as “a rogue and fast-talking dude, he will play a pivotal role in the story of Alexandria this season”.

The Walking Dead’s Season 10 premieres October 6th.

New G.I. JOE Spin-Off Movie in Development

G.I. Joe Chuckles

With Paramount Pictures currently looking to relaunch its G.I. Joe franchise, the studio is now working on a new spin-off picture for the property.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, this latest movie is an ensemble effort that will featured loud shirt-wearing Chuckles as one of its character. Other than that brief information, no other details are known about the film bar the fact that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec are on writing duties.

This becomes the third G.I. Joe-based movie currently in development at Paramount – joining the Snake Eyes solo outing and a reboot of the main franchise.

Expect more on all of these films as they continue to develop.

Short Film Showcase Titles Announced for Arrow Video FrightFest

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The highlight of the horror year, the Arrow Video FrightFest is only a few weeks away and the Short Film Showcase titles have been announced.

The full line-up is:

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE 1 SATURDAY AUG 24th – PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA DISCOVERY SCREEN 2 from 13:00

Wither (World Premiere)
Director: Ethan Evans. Cast: Lamissah La-Shontae, Phillipa Howard. UK 2019. 4 min. A young girl finds herself vulnerable to a sinister mythological farmer after failing to contribute to the annual tradition.

Hana (London Premiere)
Director: Mai Nakanishi. Cast: Hee-jin Jeon, Do Eun Kim, Jeongbi Lee. Japan 2018. 13 min. Not all babysitting jobs are alike, as college student Sujin is about to discover when she is left in charge of a strange young girl.

Marianne (World Premiere)
Director: Matthew Losasso. Cast: Mae Losasso. UK 2019. 7 min. A distinguished investigator is called to the grounds of an isolated rectory in a remote English hamlet to observe an enigmatic young tenant.

The Hitchhiker (European Premiere)
Director: Adele Vuko. Cast: Liv Hewson, Brooke Satchwell. Australia 2018. 13 min. Jade and her friends are on their way to a music festival when they pick up a strange hitchhiker, who makes Jade an offer she might not be able to refuse.

The Dead Ones (European Premiere)
Director: Stefan Georgiou. Cast: Olivia Hallinan, Sebastian Armesto, Vinette Robinson. UK 2019. 19 min. In this world, those whose lives are cut short by violence do not disappear; they live to haunt the person who killed them.

Abyssus (UK Premiere)
Director: Kim Westerlund. Cast: Sampo Sarkola. Finland 2019. 9 min. A man regains consciousness as he is being buried alive. Overwhelmed by panic, he tries to force his way out of the box.

Glitter’s Wild Women (UK Premiere)
Director: Roney. Cast: Grace Glowicki, Cotey Pope. Canada 2018. 13 min. In the Canadian backwoods, sisters harvest and smoke glitter that gives them super strength.

The Video Store Commercial (UK Premiere)
Director: Cody Kennedy. Cast: Joshua Lenner, Kevin Martin, Jesse Nash. Canada 2019. 4 min. A desperate video store owner hires a crew to shoot a commercial in his shop. But when they accidentally destroy a cursed VHS, suddenly, all their lives are in danger.

The Cunning Man (World Premiere)
Director: Zoë Dobson. Cast: Simon Armstrong, Ali Cook, Ian Kelly. UK 2019. 13 min. An old farmer must resort to extreme measures to clean up his dead cattle or face a hefty fine from the Inspector.

The History of Nipples (World Premiere)
Director: Bailey Tom Bailey. Cast: Joseph Macnab, Lily Wood. UK 2019. 10 min. ‘What are my nipples for?’ With this question Ron falls into an existential crisis which seems to have only one solution.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE 2 SUNDAY AUG 25th – PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA DISCOVERY SCREEN 2 from 15:45

Service (London Premiere)
Director: Theo Watkins. Cast: Paul Clayton, Alison Lintott. UK 2019. 8 min. Ted is just trying to pay for his shopping, but the shoddy self-service till and eerily elusive shop workers have other, more sinister ideas.

One in Two People (European Premiere)
Director: Ali Mashayekhi. Cast: Katie Strain, Jade Hassoune, Ashley Leggat. Canada 2019. 8 min. Emily’s friends are getting a bit tired of her insistence that someone in her room is trying to kill her. But maybe they should listen more closely.

Old Beginnings (London Premiere)
Director: Suni Khan. Cast: Hannah Arterton, Lewis Reeves. UK 2019. 16 min. A young couple trying to rid themselves of the past use an unorthodox and bizarre ritual as they rekindle their love.

Tomorrow Might Be the Day (London Premiere)
Director: Josefa Celestin. Cast: Jocelyn Brassington, Tim Barrow. UK 2018. 20 min. A fanatical believer sets into motion a chain of dark events that he believes will spare his rebellious niece from the impending apocalyptic doom.

Five Course Meal (London Premiere)
Director: James Cadden. Cast: Melissa Kwasek, Murray Farnell. Canada 2018. 6 min. Mark and Jenny agree to take part in a mysterious experiment for money. Things get exceptionally messy.

Under the Parasol (London Premiere)
Director: Stanislava Buevich. Cast: Sarine Sofair, Joe Wredden. UK 2018. 6 min. Marie comes to the beach to catch some sun. The only problem is that it’s nighttime…

Makr (UK Premiere)
Director: Hana Kazim. Cast: Mansoor Alfeeli, Mohammed Ahmed, Madiya Humaid. United Arab Emirates, 2018. 15 min. A fake exorcist visits the home of a man who thinks his wife is possessed by a Djinn, only to find out that things are not as they seem.

Patron (World Premiere)
Directors: Emily Haigh, Alon Young, Cast: Mhairi Calvey, Jamie Lee-Hill. UK 2019. 11 min. Vickie has her employment sights set high, but the questions from her faceless male interviewers soon become predatory.

The Obliteration of the Chickens (European Premiere)
Director: Izzy Lee. Cast: Bracken MacLeod. USA 2019. 3 min. The universe does not care. The abyss is stupid. Existence is banal.

Torching the Dusties (International Premiere)
Directors: Marlene Goldman, Philip McKee. Cast: Clare Coulter, Eric Peterson. Canada 2019. 14 min. Frank and Wilma are finding that retirement life is more trouble than they had imagined, as protestors appear outside making some very serious demands.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE 3 MONDAY AUG 26th – PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA DISCOVERY SCREEN 2 from 13:00

Pig (European Premiere)
Director: Evan Powers. Cast: Aaron LaPlante, Lindsey Rose Naves, C.J. Vana. USA 2019. 8 min. A self-conscious psychopath struggles with his body image while terrorizing a group of unsuspecting campers.

One Last Meal (European Premiere)
Director: Jill Gevargizian. Cast: Matt Mercer, Jake Martin, Tim Marks. USA 2019. 11 min. A prison guard is forced to fulfil an unusual request from a violent criminal on death row.

Dog Skin (World Premiere)
Director: Tiago Teixeira. Cast: Maxwell Cavenham, Laura Obiols. UK 2019. 13 min. A man in a self-imposed exile is haunted by a mysterious dog, who transforms into an elusive woman every night.

Re-Possessed Homes (UK Premiere)
Director: Matthew Evans Landry. Cast: Natalie Lisinksa, Jordan Gavaris. Canada 2018. 15 min. Shirley Parker is a real-estate godsend who has discovered a niche market. However, it might put her family in some danger.

Hunting Season (European Premiere)
Director: Shannon Kohli. Cast: Hannah Levien, Luke Camilleri. Canada 2018. 11 min. It’s a creepy evening when gas station attendant and recovering alcoholic Callie must deal with a wild beast roaming the area, and the men who are determined to hunt it down.

This Little Death (London Premiere)
Director: Alex Hardy. Cast: Sarah Bauer, Jay Simpson. UK 2018. 19 min. Young chef Zoe who falls for Mortimer the poet. The beginning is filled with love, lust and laughter, but as the months pass, they realise they have very different ideas of happiness.

Toe (European Premiere)
Directors: Neal O’Bryan, Chad Thurman. Cast: Cassie Carey. USA 2019. 7 min. A starving boy eats a toe he finds sticking out of the ground. Later that night, something ghastly comes to his bedroom wanting it back.

Midnight (World Premiere)
Director: Katie Bonham. Cast Eleanor Crosswell, Ian Recordon. UK 2019. 8 min. A ticking clock. Hurried footsteps. A woman struggling. Who are the ghosts that come haunting your apartment at the stroke of twelve?

The Game of the Clock (UK Premiere)
Director: Michele Olivieri. Cast: Simone Mumford. UK 2018. 7 min. A young woman innocently comes to a friend’s home, only to find herself stalked by menacing creature, and time is running out fast.

Sleep Tight (World Premiere)
Director: Lewis Taylor. Cast: Mark Field, Joseph Richard Thomas, Péline Liberty. UK 2019. 8 min. A wheelchair-bound teen complains about lack of personal space to his overly attached father. But maybe he shouldn’t complain when the lights go out.

Arrow Video FrightFest runs from August 22nd-26th, 2019 at Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema.

Single tickets ae now on sale and, alongside the few remaining Festival and day passes, are available to buy online: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html

Glasgow Worldcon Bid To Launch

Glasgow in 2024 Logo

A bid to bring Worldcon, the international sci-fi literary festival, to the Scottish city of Glasgow has launched today.

The Glasgow in 2024 Bid Team intends to bring the World Science Fiction Convention back to Glasgow, Scotland, for what will be the third time. The event has been held in the Scottish city of culture in 1995 and 2005.

The bid will officially launch at this year’s Worldcon, Dublin 2019 , which takes place in Dublin, Ireland, from 15th-19th August. The venue for the Scottish bid is The Glasgow Scottish Event Campus (SEC). The dates planned will be Thursday 8th to Monday 12th August, 2024. Just in time for UK school summer holidays.

A worldcon event can take many years to organise, so bids tend to start planning early. Teams of fans compete on an international level to bring the event to their city. If successful 5,000 science fiction fans and professionals will be assembling in Glasgow exactly five years from today to enjoy a unique part of the fannish experience.

The theme of the Bid – and of the Convention, is “A Worldcon for Our Futures”. According to Bid Chair Esther MacCallum-Stewart, “science fiction has always provided insight into current events, by telling stories about where those events may take us. This is more important than ever at a time when the world is facing so much change and uncertainty – not only in science and technology but in economics, politics, culture and all aspects of society. Our aim is to bring people together – from writers and artists to scientists and activists – to debate these issues with energy and optimism.”

Worldcon is the longest running Science Fiction convention in the world. Volunteer ran, it has a unique and detailed schedule. In addition to being the home of the Hugo Awards, it’s responsible for the birth of great many traditions and customs within the science fiction community.

For more information, check out Glasgow2024

Brian K. Vaughan Confirms Y: THE LAST MAN Series for 2020

Y: The Last Man

Earlier this year, it looked as if FX’s plans for a Y: The Last Man series had been completely dropped.

If you remember, a full cast was assembled for a pilot for Y but problems hit the project when showrunners Aida Mashaki Croal and Michael Green departed the project. After that news, FX did bring in Extant’s Eliza Clark as a new showrunner, although there were still rumblings that the show had been axed before it ever really got going.

Now, Y: The Last Man writer Brian K. Vaughan has taken to social media to confirm that Y is still happening – and that it will be hitting FX at some point next year.

 

The last we’d heard the current plan is to move forward with the same cast that have already shot a pilot episode for Y. On board for that pilot were Barry Keoghan, Diane Lane, Amber Tamblyn, Imogen Poots, Juliana Canfield, Lashana Lynch and Marin Ireland.

The early blurb on the show reads:

All of the men are dead. But one. Based on the DC comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, Y traverses a world of women – exploring gender, race, class and survival.

For those not familiar with Y: The Last Man, the 60-issue comic book series ran from 2002 to 2008 and focussed on Yorick Brown, the titular “last man”. When the world suffers a tragic event that kills off every creature with a Y chromosome, Yorick only has his monkey, Ampersand, for company until he finds himself teaming up with a government operative to make sense of what’s happened and why he’s somehow managed to stay alive.

Previously, several attempts have been made to get an adaptation of the property off the ground, most notably with ultimately-doomed live-action movies in 2007 and 2013.

As ever, expect more on the future of Y as we get it.

Michelle Williams Confirms VENOM 2 Return

Michelle Williams

With Andy Serkis now recently confirmed to be directing Venom 2, now one of the stars of the first movie has revealed that they’ll be back to work under Serkis.

Speaking to Yahoo Movies, Michelle Williams confirmed that she will be returning as Anne Weying in the sequel. That character, of course, is the ex-wife of Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock. Hardy likewise will be returning to action in the Venom follow-up.

Discussing Serkis being behind the camera, Williams enthused, “I’m such a fan of Andy’s, and I’m so inspired by what he’s been able to accomplish. He’s so gifted in such a specific way, and I’m very excited to learn from him and be around him.”

The current plan for Venom 2 is for Woody Harrelson to take on the nefarious moniker of the maniacal Carnage. Harrelson’s Cletus Kasady made a super brief appearance during the post-credits of Venom, and Kasady will bond with a symbiote of his own and become Carnage in the sequel.

At this stage, it looks as if Venom 2 could be eyeing an October 2020 release.

Sign Up For The Closed Alpha of Mobile MMO EVE Echoes

eve echoes

NetEase Games and CCP Games have announced that players of the fantastic EVE Online MMO game can sign up to register for the Closed Alpha of the upcoming EVE Echoes for mobile devices. EVE Echoes is a the new flagship mobile sci-fi MMO set in a parallel universe of New Eden.

From the press release:

The EVE Echoes Closed Alpha will go live on Monday August 26th and run for four weeks ending Friday September 20th. To participate in the Closed Alpha, players can register their interest at www.eveechoes.com. Applicants who meet the technical requirements will be notified by email prior to the commencement of the Closed Alpha.

Check out the amazing cinematic teaser trailer for the game:

EVE Echoes is a next-gen mobile MMO game based upon hallmark EVE Online design principles, coming to iOS and Android. In EVE Echoes, players will be able to forge their own path to glory within a massive sandbox environment and forge alliances with other pilots from across the galaxy to shape the game’s persistent universe.

Players will be free to engage in interstellar combat, resource collection, industrial manufacturing, trade, exploration as well as many other activities across thousands of planetary systems. Whether it is an empire’s rise and fall, or the change in the balance of power, the entire history of EVE Echoes will be written by its players.

The game will utilise NetEase Games’ proprietary graphics engine, NeoX, in combination with CCP’s game design to realise stunning starry skies, boundless star-fields, majestic planets and unpredictable asteroid belts at unprecedented graphical detail on mobile devices.

“CCP Games is a pioneer in space MMOs, and will make its mark on the industry even further by expanding the EVE experience to mobile with EVE Echoes,” said Ethan Wang, Vice President of NetEase, Inc. “Combining CCP’s leadership in game design with our NeoX game engine and leadership in game publishing will result in a new kind of interstellar space exploration for mobile gamers like never before.”

“EVE Echoes represents the next revolutionary step in mobile MMO gaming, bringing the mind-boggling scale and sophistication of our legendary PC-based virtual world to the palm of your hand,” said Hilmar V. Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with NetEase, one of the world’s leaders in mobile gaming, on bringing an authentic EVE experience designed from the ground up for mobile to new audiences across the globe.”

The EVE Echoes Closed Alpha will be available for selected Australian, New Zealand and Nordic iOS users with iPhone 6S or above, or Android users with a Samsung Note8, Note9, S8, S9, Huawei P30 or Google Pixel 2.

For more information about CCP Games and the EVE Universe, visit www.ccpgames.com/products.

eve echoes

New WALKING DEAD Spin-Off Adds Nico Tortorella

Nico Tortorella

As AMC’s next Walking Dead spin-off series continues to flesh out its cast, the show has added Nico Tortorella to its ranks.

Courtesy of Deadline, the Scream 4 actor will be a character called Felix – who’s described as “an honourable man of his word who isn’t afraid to fight for others’ safety and acceptance”.

Tortorella joins a cast that currently includes Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu, Hal Cumpston, Aliyah Royale and Annet Mahendru. Kong: Skull Island’s Jordan Vogt-Roberts will direct the pilot episode.

Minimal details are known on this new series right now bar the fact that the show will largely focus on two young females who have had to grow up in a post-apocalyptic world full of the undead.

A ten-episode debut season is expected to premiere at some point next year.

Adam Wingard to Direct EVENT HORIZON TV Series

Event Horizon

With Amazon currently working on a TV series take on Event Horizon, now comes word on who’ll be overseeing the project.

Via The Wrap, it’s being reported that Adam Wingard is on board to direct and executive produce the show. Wingard is best known for helming You’re Next, Blair Witch, Death Note and is to direct Godzilla vs. Kong.

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, 1997’s Event Horizon movie starred Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill and Kathleen Quinlan and was set in the distant future of 2047. Plot-wise, a team of astronauts discover a spaceship that’s been missing for seven years – and this all leads to a parallel universe that has something sinister looming large.

Expect more on the Event Horizon TV offering as it continues to develop.

Gemma Chan in Talks for Marvel’s THE ETERNALS

Gemma Chan Minn-Erva

Having already appeared in this year’s Captain Marvel, Gemma Chan is now in talks to join Marvel’s The Eternals.

Courtesy of Variety, Chan is in negotiations to join The Eternals – but it may not be in the Minn-Erva role that she played in Captain Marvel. The outlet reports that Chan could actually be lined up to play an entirely different character in the 2020 release.

Should Chan indeed sign on for The Eternals, she’ll join a cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, and Barry Keoghan.

To be directed by Chloe Zhao, The Eternals is booked in for a November 6th, 2020 release.