Tom Holland Working on FRIGHT NIGHT 3

Fright Night

For fans of the beloved Fright Night franchise, Tom Holland has some pretty darn good news for you: a third tale is in the works!

Holland has confirmed that he is indeed in the middle of writing a third Fright Night effort, although this will be a novel rather than a movie.

Recently, Amazon has started listing a Holland-penned Fright Night: Resurrection book, but the genre favourite has moved to denounce this as completely fake. He is, however, working away on just such a third entry in the series.

Taking to Twitter, Holland clarified, “The Amazon page offering Fright Night 3 the novel is a complete farce. I’ve been getting many messages lately because according to the page the release is coming up. Sorry all but that page is NOT me. I’m still writing the book and loving every minute.”

Holland then added, “I contacted the Publisher listed. They say the page was not set up by them either. Amazon wouldn’t give me any details about the origins of the page.”

Fright Night began life back as a hugely popular 1985 movie starring the likes of William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Chris Sarandon, Stephen Geoffreys, and Roddy McDowall. Holland wrote and directed the picture, and the warm reception to that vampiric adventure was followed up in 1988 by the Tommy Lee Wallace-helmed Fright Night Part 2. Of course, in more recent years we saw Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell headline a 2011 Fright Night remake. Much like the original ’85 effort, that redo got a sequel in the form of Fright Night 2: New Blood in 2013.

No real information is known on Fright Night 3 just yet, although Holland has teased the return of the Charley Brewster and Amy Petersen characters.

Check Out KILLTOPIA on Kickstarter

killtopia

A Kickstarter is underway for the first issue of Killtopia, a cyberpunk action comic by Card Shark Comics founder and Bust and Vessels writer Dave Cook.

Set in a futuristic Japanese megacity, a techno-organic virus spread by homicidal robots has ravaged humanity. The origin point has become terraformed into an alien jungle where histrionic mercenaries hunt down the offending machines, and once a year engage in a televised free-for-all battle royale to slaughter each other for huge prize money and audience gratification. Amidst the carnage, a series of chance circumstances cause a tech nerd, a narcissistic warrior and a sentient machine to end up on the run with the goal of curing the plague, while every opportunistic psychopath that this dystopian nightmare can dream up tries to hunt them down.

Principally inspired by Cook’s love of video games, the story will combine satirical humour and brutal violence that also draws inspiration from a wealth of movies and manga. The first five pages can be read here, so you can judge for yourself what the comic will shape up to be. We’ve previously given positive reviews to Bust’s first three issues and the two issues of Vessels, so it’s not unreasonable to expect Killtopia’s end result to achieve similar quality.

As well as digital and physical editions of the full-colour 44-page comic, campaign rewards include art prints, stickers, T-shirts, copies of Card Shark’s previous titles, signed scripts, branded flash drives and custom portraits. The campaign achieved its funding in less than 24 hours and in the intervening time has more than doubled it, launching far into stretch goal territory. The extras afforded by them are art prints by Gary Erskine (Roller Grrls) and Tom Foster (Judge Dredd, Storm Warning); postcards featuring artwork from the comic repurposed as retro gaming box designs; and a soundtrack for the comic specially commissioned from composer Suz Gibson. A fifth and final stretch goal is scheduled to be revealed on Friday evening.

The campaign still has over a fortnight to run, and full details can be read on its Kickstarter page.

Mary J. Blige Joins THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

Mary J. Blige The Umbrella Academy Cha-Cha

With Netflix currently developing their adaptation of Gerard Way’s hugely popular The Umbrella Academy, the upcoming series has brought in Mary J. Blige.

As announced by the on-demand streaming service, two-time Oscar nominee Blige has been brought in to play Cha-Cha, “a ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets. Even though she has a few gripes about the bureaucracy of her employers, this job is her life. She is sadistic, sociopathic, and her reputation precedes her. Her true love is torture, and she thinks of herself as a ‘pain artist’. She really doesn’t care for people – except for her partner Hazel.”

Sounds quite the badass, no?

Already on board for The Umbrella Academy are Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castaneda, Robert Sheehan, and Aidan Gallagher.

The early blurb on this hotly-anticipated take on a comic book favourite reads:

The live-action series follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes – Luther (Hopper), Diego (Castaneda), Allison (Raver-Lampman), Vanya (Page), Klaus (Sheehan) and Number Five (Gallagher) – as they work together to solve their father Reginald Hargreeves’ mysterious death, while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities.

Fargo and Altered Carbon’s Steve Blackman is serving as executive producer and showrunner on the show, with it set to premiere its ten-episode first season later this year.

PREACHER Brings in Six New Additions

Preacher

One of the most impressive small screen efforts of recent years has been AMC’s take on the iconic Preacher. And now, the show has announced several new additions who’ll be joining the show for its upcoming third season.

As announced by AMC themselves, Supergirl’s Betty Buckley will be playing Gran’ma, Blood Drive’s Colin Cunningham will be playing TC, The Last Castle’s Jeremy Childs will be playing Jody, and Star’s Liz McGeever will be playing Christina.

The official breakdown for these characters reads:

  • Gran’ma – A spiritist with true powers who can cast spells and even bring back the dead (for a price). Pay the fee or pay with your soul to feed Gran’ma’s thirst for eternal youth. She is weathered, tough, and mena, but also intelligent beyond measure. She’s Jesse’s only living family and she loves him.
  • TC – A man born on the bayou and the loyal caretaker and soldier for Gran’ma. Weasley and wiry, he’ll gladly tell you about his perversions whether you ask him or not. While he seems like the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet, don’t make the mistake of turning your back on him.
  • Jody – Massive and intimidating, Jody emanates danger. He’s the enforcer for Gran’ma and the only man Jesse’s never beaten in a fight. He’s nobody’s fool, and not someone to cross.
  • Christina – Capable and efficient, Christina has a face that lures customers in for her family business. Christina hides it well, but she hates her job and has dreams and aspiration outside of her current life – but suffers to protect her child.

The early blurb on Season 3 of Preacher reads:

Based on the popular cult comic book franchise of the same name, Preacher is a supernatural and darkly comedic drama that follows a Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who is inhabited by a mysterious entity called Genesis that gives him the power to make people do whatever he commands. After Jesse accidentally discovered that God is absent from Heaven, Jesse, his girlfriend Tulip and their vampire associate Cassidy set out on a road trip to find Him, all while being hunted by the Saint of Killers, an unstoppable, mythical killer from Hell. The trio’s pursuit led them to New Orleans, where they dodged local gangsters, dangerous agents, and other unimaginable mayhem on their way to uncovering an even bigger secret. Now, with Tulip’s life and Cassidy’s friendship in the balance, Jesse must rely on a mysterious figure from his past in order to save his friends and continue on with his mission.

Preacher returns to screens later this year.

Brian Michael Bendis and Tim Miller Developing KITTY PRYDE Movie

X-Men Kitty Pryde

With X-Men: Dark Phoenix arriving in cinemas towards the end of the year, now comes an update on a mysterious new mutant-driven effort.

As per Deadline, 20th Century Fox has brought in Brian Michael Bendis and Tim Miller to develop an X-Men movie titled simply 143. Bendis is penning the script, while Miller will direct. In terms of what the picture will focus on, The Hollywood Reporter believes that the film may well be a showcase for the forever-phasing Kitty Pryde, with the title being a reference to one of the first ever Kitty comic book appearances in Uncanny X-Men #143. On the big screen, Kitty Pryde – aka Shadowcat – has been played by Ellen Page in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Brian Michael Bendis is a huge favourite of many a genre fan, with him famed for his comic book work with titles such as Ultimate Spider-Man and New Avengers, in addition to penning iconic arcs like Secret War, House of M and Age of Ultron. Where Tim Miller’s concerned, he’s best known for helming the much-loved Deadpool and is currently developing a new Terminator film with James Cameron.

As ever, expect more on this as it continues to develop.

Hannah Simone to Headline THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO Reboot

Hannah Simone

We’ve known for a few months now that ABC was developing a new take on The Greatest American Hero, and now the refresh has find its titular character.

As per Deadline, New Girl’s Hannah Simone has signed on to play the lead role Meera in the show, with the half-hour comedy to put a new spin on this old favourite by having a female take the headline role. This time out, the action will centre on a 30-year-old Indian-American pegged as a Cleveland native “whose talents include tequila drinking and karaoke and not much else. Then some aliens entrust her with a super suit to protect the planet, and the world has never been in more unreliable hands.”

Fresh Off the Boat’s Rachna Fruchbom is developing the series with Nahnatchka Khan’s Fierce Baby, and she’s also penning the script for the reboot.

In the original The Greatest American Hero, Carrie‘s William Katt played a teacher who winds up somehow becoming a superhero after he’s given a special suit by some extraterrestrial sorts. And as it happens, this isn’t the first time a reboot of the property has been mooted, with The LEGO Movie’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller looking to turn the series in to a big-screen movie back in 2014.

As ever, expect more on this as it.

Woody Harrelson Playing VENOM’s Carnage?

Carnage

We can’t deny we’d kind of hoped that this may well be a possibility once his casting was announced, but there’s a new rumour claiming that Woody Harrelson will actually be the Tom Hardy-headlined Venom’s Carnage.

Previously, certain speculation had Riz Ahmed pegged as playing Cletus Kasady, aka the maniacal Carnage, but now That Hashtag Show claims that the beloved Harrelson is the one playing Kasady.

We’ve long known that Cletus Kasady would feature in some form, and the recent reveal that Ahmed’s character is the Life Foundation’s Dr Carlton Drake has seemingly ruled him out of the Kasady gig. Now, the latest story is that Harrelson is the one to tackle this most nefarious of rogues.

That Hashtag Show is usually a pretty darn reliable source, and they’re the ones now saying that Harrelson will be playing Carnage… kind of. For further details, be warned that there be some potential spoilers ahead.

SPOILERS

 

Still with us? Good!

Right, of course it’s best to say to take this with a pinch of salt right now, for we won’t truly know if this next part is true until Venom hits screens this October. That said, it does sound very, very plausible.

This new report claims that Carnage won’t actually be a part of the main action. After the bulk of the tale pays out, Hardy’s Eddie Brock will find himself in San Quentin prison. There, we’ll see that Cletus Kasady, as played by Woody Harrelson, is under the care of none other than Dr Ashley Kafka – a name more than familiar to longtime fans of Venom and Carnage. Dr Kafka will introduce these two, and we’ll get a brief glimpse of Brock’s symbiote making its way over to Kasady before the film cuts to black. The same report suggests that this will either be a shot right at the very end of the film or possibly even used as a post-credits sequence.

Given how director Ruben Fleischer has already confirmed that Venom will pull inspiration from the Venom: Lethal Protector and Planet of the Symbiotes comic book arcs, that would allow Hardy’s Brock to battle his twisted ‘offspring’ – Agony, Lasher, Phage, Riot, and Scream – while Carnage is left off the table until any sequel. Adding a little more fuel to this fire, the recent Venom trailer featured a lot of the film’s key players, but it didn’t show Woody Harrelson.

As ever, treat all of this as speculation for now, but a lot of this certainly does make sense. We guess we’ll all find out for ourselves when Venom hits the silver screen this October.

Steven Moffat Contributes to New DOCTOR WHO Charity Anthology

who book

Two years ago, while Liverpudlian children’s author and DOCTOR WHO fan TOMMY DONBAVAND was receiving treatment for throat cancer – and therefore unable to perform the school visits which made up the income with which he supported his family – the fan community rallied around and published A TARGET FOR TOMMY, a collection of DOCTOR WHO short stories the proceeds of which would help provide for Donbavand during his treatment. The good news was that Tommy defeated the throat cancer, and last year his life returned to something approaching normal.

Sadly, that wasn’t the end of it. Recently, Tommy discovered that he now has a tumour on his lung – and so OBVERSE BOOKS are publishing A SECOND TARGET FOR TOMMY, another short fiction anthology along a theme of DOCTOR WHO, only this time, there is a rather surprising inclusion. Exiting showrunner STEVEN MOFFAT has contributed something rather special and that DOCTOR WHO fans have been hoping to see for the last four years.

Here’s what the press release has to say:

“Including – for the first time ever! – the script of a crucial scene from an early draft of DOCTOR WHO’s 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor, featuring the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, and kindly provided by outgoing WHO showrunner, Steven Moffat!  With stories from over two dozen writers, every penny of profit raised will go to support Tommy while he works on making a full recovery.”

Ever since The Day of the Doctor’s broadcast, fans have speculated about whether Eccleston would have been involved and what the nature of that involvement might be. Now, by buying A SECOND TARGET FOR TOMMY, fans will be able to find out.

And while any charity anthology is worthwhile, of course, we think you’ll agree that that’s two good reasons for buying this one. It’s rare that you can do something for charity and see exactly where the money’s going and who is to benefit from it.

There are over two dozen stories in the book, including contributions from BBC Books writers JON BLUM and KATE ORMAN, and further details plus the chance to pre-order are available on the OBVERSE website here.

The Doom Patrol Heading to TITANS

The Doom Patrol

With Titans being one of the most hotly anticipated shows of 2018, now comes word on who’ll be popping up to join the famed Teen Titans in this live-action effort.

DC Entertainment CCO Geoff Johns has revealed that none other than the Doom Patrol are going to be turning up in the series. Johns took to Twitter for the reveal:

The Doom Patrol are a ragtag group whose adventures often veer towards the more bonkers variety. As the leader of the team is the super genius Niles Lauder, aka the Chief, and the revolving roster of names to have been a part of the group includes the likes of Elasti-Girl, Robotman, Negative Man, Metamorpho, Crazy Jane, Elongated Man, and Danny the Ambulance. The strange and odd superhero team made their debut in 1963’s My Greatest Adventure #80, and more recently have appeared in Teen Titans Go! Which characters and how they’ll be used in Titans remains to be seen.

Already eagerly anticipated by genre fans, Titans will debut on Warner Brothers’ impending DC streaming service later this year.

The early blurb on the show reads:

In the action-packed series, Dick Grayson emerges from the shadows to become the leader of a fearless band of new heroes, including Starfire, Raven and many others. Fans can expect Titans to be a dramatic, live-action adventure series that will explode and celebrate one of the most popular comic book teams ever.

On board for Titans are Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Starfire, Teagan Croft as Raven, Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly as the Hawk and Dove duo, and Lindsey Gort as Police Detective Amy Rohrbach.

A V Movie Trilogy is Happening!

V

A huge, huge favourite of many a genre fan is the much-loved V series of the ‘80s – and now, said series is being adapted as a big-screen movie trilogy.

As per Digital Spy, Desilu Studios Inc. has plans for a big-budget film that will be the start of a cinematic V trilogy. In some encouraging news, original creator Kenneth Johnson is signed-on to write and direct this triumvirate.

On this news, Johnson enthused, “We are delighted to team up with Desilu to bring the timeless – and timely – story of resistance against tyranny into the 21st century. V will be the first of a cinematic trilogy which will tell the full epic tale in the manner I always envisioned.”

Originally, V debuted back in 1983 and saw a reptilian alien race – known as the Visitors – look to take over the Earth. The genre fave actually began life as a two-part miniseries of sorts before being expanded with a follow-up miniseries and then a nineteen-episode standard season. As seemingly is always the case, a rebooted effort was brought to the small screen in 2009.

Expect more on V and this apparent new trilogy as we get it.