Friday, April 4, 2003
X-MEN SEQUEL UPDATE
With less than a month to go before X2's release, producer Ralph Winter told The Continuum that some finishing touches are being made.
"The movie is nearly done today as we polish the picture and finish the last visual effects," Winter told The Continuum on Friday.
Winter confirmed that additional shooting took place last weekend.
"We did add some new material in the last few days, giving some emphasis and clarity to a few moments," Winter said. "We continue to be excited about getting the movie into the theaters and seeing everyone's response."
X2 will be in theaters on May 2.
Look for more X-Men news on Saturday here in The Continuum.
THOMAS JANE TO STAR IN THE PUNISHER
Thomas Jane will star in The Punisher, a live-action movie from Artisan Pictures and Marvel Studios, written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh.
With the project's other major roles currently being cast, The Punisher will commence principal photography in early July for a summer 2004 release.
Here's how the movie's story is described:
"The Punisher tells the story of FBI undercover agent, Frank Castle, who until now has beat considerable odds. A former Special Forces operative, he is finally moving out of the field and into a desk job - and a normal life with his wife and son. Then Castle's world is shaken to its core by a nightmare he has longed feared: his family is executed as a repercussion from his final undercover assignment. With unparalleled intensity, ferocious intelligence and fearless actions, Castle seeks to punish the murderers - and finds the one thing he least expected: redemption."
The film is being produced by Marvel Studios' CEO Avi Arad and Gale Anne Hurd.
"Although Frank Castle is a tough-as-nails vigilante, he is, at his very core, an extremely tortured soul, a victim of survivor's guilt," Arad said. "Thomas Jane, being a character actor, is going to have all the dimension necessary to bring to life the depth of a character who is both the hero and the victim with the physicality of a super hero. By signing Thomas, we follow the Marvel tradition of bringing art-house actors in to tackle our complex characters. We are very excited to have him as part of our family."
Said Artisan Pictures president of production, Richard Saperstein, "Thomas is a very talented and focused actor who possesses both the physical and dramatic qualities we were hoping to find in our Punisher. He brings with him an intensity and strength that we believe will help to define the character and energize the film."
Said Hurd, "Thomas is one of our finest actors and comes from the indie world, as have other actors who've assumed Super Hero roles so successfully such as Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) and Eric Bana (The Hulk). We are thrilled that an actor of this caliber will be our Punisher."
Jane can next be seen in the upcoming Warner Bros.' film, Dreamcatcher, starring alongside Morgan Freeman and in the title role of Stander for director Bronwen Hughes. Jane starred opposite Cameron Diaz in Columbia Pictures' The Sweetest Thing. Prior to that, Jane starred as legendary baseball player Mickey Mantle in HBO's film 61*. Additional credits include Lions Gate's Under Suspicion, Warner Brothers' Deep Blue Sea, 20th Century Fox's The Thin Red Line and New Line's Boogie Nights.
The Punisher rises out of the ongoing Artisan and Marvel joint venture designed to develop, produce and distribute Marvel character based programming across all media with profits generated from each project shared equally after distribution fees are incurred. In addition to The Punisher, Iron Fist is in active development.
CHOW YUN-FAT TALKS BULLETPROOF MONK
Chow Yun-Fat, who stars in the Bulletproof Monk movie with Seann William Scott, said that his character is "a lof of fun."
"You have acting, a little bit of comedy and a good relationship with Seann's character, the monk and Seann," he said. "It's very unusual to have drama, friendship, a mission, more or less, in a movie with a very important message about Buddhism."
To read a complete interview with the actor, CLICK HERE.
SPY HUNTER COMIC BOOK?
According to a comics industry source, talks are underway for a Spy Hunter comic book, based on the video game that is being turned into a movie.
Three publishers have expressed interest with Universal Studios, the source told The Continuum.
J. Scott Campbell might be among the talent for the as-yet-unannounced project, which will probably be a prequel to the movie. Click on the thumbnail, said to be a possible pitch sketch for the comic, for a larger image.
The Spy Hunter film is set up at Universal, with The Rock attached.
NEW ANGEL EPISODES
The WB has released eight images from upcoming episodes of Angel.
Below are four images from "The Magic Bullet," which is set to air on Wednesday, April 16.
Here's how the network describes the episode:
"With Angel (David Boreanaz) and the others under Jasmine's (guest star Gina Torres) extraordinarily divine power, Fred's (Amy Acker) life is in danger and she goes on the run. After discovering the secret to breaking Jasmine's spell over the nation's citizens, Fred must find a way to save the others before she's captured and killed."
The episode was written and directed by executive producer Jeffrey Bell.
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Below are four images from "Sacrifice," which is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23. The network has yet to be provide story information for the episode.
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NEW MUTANT X EPISODE
Tribune Entertainment has released story information about "Inferno," the episode of Mutant X set to air in syndication the week of April 14.
Here's how the studio describes the episode:
"The Mutant X team sets out to stop a mutant arsonist who's been setting deadly fires."
The episode was written by Charles Heit and directed by Drew Potter.
Click on the thumbnail to the left for a larger view of Lauren Lee Smith from "Inferno" and look for Mutant X news soon here in The Continuum.
FIRST LOOK: WAY OF THE RAT #12
Way of the Rat #12 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Chuck Dixon, penciled by Jeff Johnson, inked by Tom Ryder and colored by Chris Garcia.
Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:
"The stunning, destructive and earthshaking conclusion to the Emperor Dragon arc as the secret to destroying the dragon proves more deadly than the curse. This spectacular climax to this epic tale will have sweeping implications for the life of Boon and Po Po as someone close to them dies and another reveals a long-hidden truth. To save the city an ally must die as Boon and Po Po battle the mother of all dragons."
Way of the Rat #12 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.
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BRIEFLY
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"I'm honestly surprised at the reaction to the new Lady Death," Pulido said. "Both retailers and readers have embraced it, which feels great. At the same time, the critical reaction has also been strong, and that's new for me. Mark Alessi and the entire CrossGen team are challenging me to do my best, and I'm digging deep to make this a fresh take on the medieval fantasy epic."
The Hulk
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