What fantasy series do you want to see onscreen?

With the third and final Hobbit movie closing the book on the Peter Jackson-era of Tolkien movies this month, io9 recently postulated (rightly) that this opens up opportunity for studios to begin anew with big fantasy films.

True, there have been films in the genre, but nothing comes close to the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter films that kept viewers coming back. Those two franchises brought fantasy films out of the "it's just a genre film" and fully into the mainstream spectrum. Soon we had Narnia, and a host of gritty fairytale films.

So what's your favorite fantasy book or comic that you'd like to see onscreen? I can think of a few I've been hoping to see:

Chronicles of Prydain

I've long wanted to see a solid effort at bringing Lloyd Alexander's series to film. For me, it hits the sweet spot of youth-oriented tales that build up to a more epic ending (call it the Harry Potter path for lack of a better term).

From the Dell series (I had the boxed set in the 80s)

The earlier Disney effort of The Black Cauldron was visually well executed, but seemed to be ahead of it's time. Many critics said it was "too dark" for children when it was released. I doubt that argument would hold as much weight today. A more grown-up live action version would be ideal.

Animated N.C. Wyeth

This would be a monumental project, but I'd love to see a way for a more painterly-style of animated films to bring classic stories to life. I've long loved N.C. Wyeth's dreamy illustrations of fantasy, pirate, and even western myths. I'm not an art expert, but I do enjoy the high-degree of technical skill he employed to bring his fantastical subjects to life. Here's what I posted to the io9 article:

 

His work on The Boy's King Arthur, Treasure Island and various other tales are among my very favorite illustrations. I could see those each becoming a film or using them as inspiration for a totally unique and original story.

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld

I've spoken about my fondness for this series before---and that hasn't waned. Amethyst is sort of a mixture of Wonder-Woman-meets-Shazam. She's a warrior princes with some magic abilities, with a well-conceived world built on gemstone houses (like Game of Thrones).

The 80s comic series was really great, and the revival a year or two past now under the Sword of Sorcery title was likewise well executed. I really enjoyed the art by Aaron Lopresti.

I'd love to see this become a reality by the time my daughter is old enough to appreciate it. I'm guessing this isn't on DC or Warner Bros. "hot property" lists to develop. Look how long it took them to get Wonder Woman into a live action film! They did do a plucky little series of shorts in an anime style that were quite charming:



But I'm still hoping for something more substantial. Amethyst seems to strike a chord with parents in general. I met a guy at comic convention a few years ago that named his own daughter in honor of the eponymous princess!

Both the original Princess of Gemworld and the later Sword of Sorcery runs are available in collected editions.

So what would you like to see?

How about an Erol Otus animated feature? Or maybe you'd like Discworld to finally get a shot at the big screen?

Rocket Raccoon in the flesh!!

Feast your eyes on the Guardians of the Galaxy cast as their characters (click image to embiggen). And we finally get a look at Rocket Raccoon as he'll be realized on screen!

Via Newsarama

Originally posted on Exonauts.
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VIDEO: Forging Thor's hammer

The fellas at Man At Arms are at it again! First they made He-Man's power sword, now they're crafting Mjolnir, the magic warhammer of our favorite avenging thunder god as it's depicted in the movies!

Captain America: Winter Soldier trailer!!

I loved the Thor and Captain America flicks that Marvel put out in the last two years--so much so that I opted not to read spoilers on any site when it came to their respective follow-ups. I wanted to try and go into the sequels with only what I would see in trailers. If Cap's sequel is even half as cool as it looks in the newly released trailer, I'll be pleased.

Here's the UK version showing before Thor (the Norse god's own sequel opens next week--November 1--- here in the States). Enjoy!

Superman Celebrates 75 Years

Wish Supes a happy anniversary with this awesome montage of him through the ages, plus some fan-made fare!



Wonder Woman Short Fan Film (2013)
THIS. IS. HOW. YOU. MAKE. A. WONDER. WOMAN. MOVIE.

Modern and mythic qualities perfectly blended. Seriously Warner Bros. get it together!

Batman: Dead End Short Fan Film (2003)
Sandy Corolla's take on Bats is 10 years old already and it's still a breath of fresh air in the Batman mythos. Some might say that it takes the genre-crossover a bit too far or the dialog isn't fully baked, but its fun take on the Joker is infectious. Plus, you couldn't do better than this for a "year one" type look for the Dark Knight himself.



P.S. Word is that Superman Vs. Batman starts filming this weekend. Seems so soon, especially when you consider the glacial pace at which WB has been weaving together their Justice League Plans!

Also posted over at Exonauts

Ant-Man film finally in the works!

Potential spoilers to follow...

They're really are making Ant-Man!

Looks like the Ant Man movie is still in the works! Director Edgar Wright recently tweeted this image:

Now I'm back in LA, it's high time to finish a little something I've been working on... pic.twitter.com/ko3u1q45C4
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 2, 2013

That suit may look familiar, it's from the leaked test footage that appeared and was quickly scrubbed from the interwebs. You can still find videos of people watching it online (snooze!).

So who's wearing the suit? Likely a stunt double, but a commentor on io9, suggested Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul would make a great Hank Pym, and I 100% endorse that suggestion! Especially since it seems like Ant-Man is going to be more of it's own thing, and not deeply integrated into the Disney Marvelverse (see links below). I personally think that's a mistake, but at least they picked a good director.

"YEAH BITCH!"

Meanwhile, in Avengers sequel news

Geek news outlets are reporting that Elizabeth Olsen (yes, related to the Olsen twins) is signed to play Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (the guy who played Kick-Ass) is on-board for Quicksilver. Both seem like capable actors, so I'm excited to see what develops (hopefully NOT that awful Ultimates storyline, yeesh!). My dream would be to see my favorite superhero finally make it to the silver screen: the Vision!


Previously:

• Edgar Wright confirms we'll meet Hank Pym in Ant-Man, via io9
• We've likely already seen what Ultron looks like in Iron Man 3, Joss Whedon has teased as much, via io9
• Fan made trailer on YouTube puts Adrien Brody in the ant helmet, but looks far too serious for Wright's directing style
• 'Ant-Man' Movie Wouldn't Just Be For 'Avengers' Experts, Director Says, via MTV

"Man of Steel" Trailer has given me hope!

When the Superman franchise was rebooted in 2006, I wanted desperately to have that feeling I had when I was a kid watching Chris Reeve zoom around in the sky and beat up super villains from the Phantom Zone. And while the guy who played Superman was fine, the movie was really an homage to those films. There was no journey to take with the character, he had already been there and was now coming back, hence the title, "Superman Returns".

 And hence, it didn't work.

I'm not going to bore you to tears with fanboy theories as to what didn't work or how it could have been better. The only thing that really matters from that experience is this: it focused too much on trying to relive the past instead of bringing something new to the mythos of the last son of Krypton. "Man of Steel" by director Zack Snyder, has a real chance of being the movie that "Returns" could have been.

The preview seems to have all the hallmarks of a solid attempt to tell a different Superman story. One where his senses as a child need to be tamed. My first thought was that this is a real boy--almost as if he were a child affected by autism. He's flooded with his surroundings.

This is a movie willing to take risks with the notion of Ma and Pa Kent. They're not thinking "he's going to be Superman." They're hoping he can live without being dissected. Those kids on the bus are collateral damage!

And while it's obviously ironic that Superman allows himself to be handcuffed by Earthlings, I think the bigger question is--is it that he feels responsible for us regular people? Or does Superman feel guilty for having this much power. Is this the real reason he's helping Earth instead of ruling it with Zod? Maybe the cuffs symbolize his need to make up for his "defect".

One of my favorite stories about the Man of Steel is "Superman: Birthright." In that story Clark Kent/Kal-El is someone looking to fulfill his potential and ventures not just to Metropolis--but to Africa where his do-good aspirations are tested.The result is a Superman who's believable as a guardian of more than just the his fair adopted city, but one understands and cares for the people on the other side of the planet as well. I can't recall a previous rendition that delved into how someone becomes "super" with such pathos. And yet, it wasn't overly-sentimental.

I'm beginning to think that this new version will have some of that seriousness--without the nostalgic eye-winking the Singer film.

Now, I'm not a Snyder fan. I really didn't like "300." Visually stunning, but the story was shit. And Watchmen was okay. But a "just okay" "Watchmen" film is like a waterslide on a cold, windy day. It's too much work to have so little fun. But this movie has hope. Snyder's flair for visuals has a script writer: David Goyer of the "Dark Knight" movies. Chris Nolan however you feel about him or his trilogy, has brought about the era of the "smart superhero film." I think Superman is in good hands--at least it would seem so by the look of the trailer.

 In any case, these are themes I hope are expressed in the film. Superman has tackled these issues in the comics for years. It's nice to see a film that might finally do him justice.

Dr. Strange to join the Marvel movie universe!

It's been rumored for a while now, but it looks like Marvel is actually planning a Dr. Strange movie! From Screenrant:

Screenwriting duo Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (the upcoming Conan the Barbarian rebooot) were reportedly hired last year to draft a script for the Dr. Strange movie. The project will be live-action and not a computer-animated film by Pixar, as was previously rumored.

According to Twitch, Donnelly and Oppenheimer have turned in their Dr. Strange script and Marvel is forwarding their draft to an undisclosed shortlist of directors “to try and sign someone up to ‘oversee continued development’” of the project.

Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 have already been scheduled for release in Summer 2013, so it seems unlikely that Dr. Strange will make the jump to the big screen before 2014 – perhaps, even around the same time that Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man movie finally arrives.

So in addition to Ant-Man (a film I'm REALLY looking forward to from a director I love) the Sorcerer Supreme could actually be casting his spell in theaters!

 So, who should direct? Who should play Strange?

New trailer for The Hobbit!

This looks really exciting!

Trailer #2

Super-hero movie clip mash-up

Getting ready for The Avengers this Friday? I'm SET. And this clip is a great primer. Sure half these films are so-so and the tunes are over the top, but it's a pretty impressive undertaking.

Me? My sweetie will be defending her dissertation in the morning, followed by an evening at the local IMAX to watch the original "A" team defend the rest of us.

Found on io9.com.

"New" Avengers trailer is INCREDIBLE!

;)

Props to io9.com

What maps inspired you as a kid?

The Awl has a great post Maps We Wandered Into as Kids that explores fantasy maps that inspired readers growing up. I had many, but one that totally blew my brain was the one from Time Bandits.

Part cosmic blueprint, part wormhole transit schedule--it's got to be one of the coolest movie props of all time. If only it were real. Oh wait, it IS real! Or rather you can get your own reproduction.

What about you? Have any favorite cartographs from books, comics, movies, or just plain geography (Google?) that have inspired you?


Via Boing Boing, which has links to another great map post you should check out.

Also: ever try googling directions to Mordor? ;)

WE HAVE A HULK.

Extended-Assembled-Hail-Mary-Superbowl goodness. In case you missed it. I get more excited for the Avengers every time I see new footage. BTW, who do you think the bad guys are? Cast your vote in the poll at left.

I'll make a nice pie chart of the results when it's done.

Enjoy the trailer!

UPDATE:
Here's the new trailer for Amazing Spider-man which looks equally impressive!

MERLIN IS DEAD.

Scottish actor Nicol Williamson scummbed to esophogeal cancer in December, but his family just recently announced his death to the public. He was 75.

I'll of course always remember him for his near lyrical portrayl of Merlin, a performance to which I've come to compare all on-screen magicians, spellcasters, sorcerers, warlocks, and conjurers. Rest in Peace great wizard....



Obit in the New York Times.

See Merlin bid farewell to his king one last time.

Warner Bros.: We can't tell the difference between Elfquest and The Hobbit

Wow. The geniuses at Warner Bros. were developing an Elfquest movie (ostensibly looking for fantasy properties to replace their beloved Harry Potter franchise) and recently dropped the project because, as co-creator Wendy Pini puts it:

After close to four years of suspense – and longer than four years of your much-appreciated interest and support – the word has come down from Warner Bros. And the word is “no.” Their simple explanation is that they don’t want to compete with The Hobbit. This was a possibility, among several, that we were prepared for. It is a relief, at last, to know.

Apparently randy space elves are too similar to uppity halfling burgulars. Or more precisely, they hear the world "elf" and think "Tolkien". I suppose that's one better than thinking "Santa's helpers". On the other hand, perhaps Warner Bros. knows something about the elves in the new Hobbit movie we don't. (shudder)

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