SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2007
SPIDER-MAN 3'S VENOM
Scott Stokdyk, special effects supervisor for Sony Pictures Imageworks on Spider-Man 3, said that Venom is presented in distinct stages in the film.
First is the initial transformation in a recreation of the bell tower scene from the comics, in which Eddie Brock's skin is pulled away from his body and tendrils of goo cross his face until they completely envelop him.
"As he gets angrier, he turns into more of a monster, more of a beast," Stokdyk said.
Initially, Brock, played by Topher Grace, becomes a kind of double for Spider-Man.
By the very end of the film, he becomes an entirely CG character -- the classic Venom from the comic books, with a menacing, unhinged jaw and full mouth of very sharp teeth.
"Everything is alive on 'comic-book' Venom,'" Stokdyk said. "The challenge was to make a character that was monstrous, very detailed, very kinetic -- but not delicate. Despite all the detail, he's still menacing."
In other Spider-Man 3 news:
* Spider-Man 3 will premiere in London at Odeon Leicester Square on Monday.
Expected to be at the premiere are actors Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace and Rosemary Harris, director Sam Raimi and producers Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad and Grant Curtis.
* Bernard, the Osborn's butler, plays a much larger role in the third film. He is played by John Paxton.
* Elya Baskin and Mageina Tovah returns as Mr. Ditkovich and his daugher Ursula.
* Perla Haney-Jardine plays Sandman's daugther Penny.
* Look for more Spider-Man news daily here through the May 4 release in the United States.
SMALLVILLE: "PROTOTYPE"
The CW has released a description of "Prototype," the Thursday, May 10 episode of Smallville.
Here's how the network describes the episode:
"Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) has been secretly trying to turn Wes Keenan (guest star Tahmoh Penikett), a military man who supposedly died fighting in Afghanistan, into a 'super soldier' by injecting him with DNA pulled from the various meteor freaks he has captured. After a crooked senator (guest star Alan C. Peterson) threatens to expose his secret labs, Lex dispatches Wes to kill the senator, but Lois (Erica Durance) witnesses the attack and inadvertently becomes the super soldier's next target.
"Meanwhile, Clark (Tom Welling) tries to convince Lana (Kristin Kreuk) to leave Lex."
The episode was written by Steven S. DeKnight and directed by Mat Beck.
For more images from the "Prototype" episode, CLICK HERE.
MARVEL COMICS FIRST LOOKS
For covers and five- to six-page previews of upcoming Marvel Comics titles, CLICK HERE.
Titles include Nova #2 and X-Men: First Class Special.
JULY SOLICITATIONS ROUNDUP
For previously posted July solicitations, click on the publishers' names below:
* Archie Comics.
* Aspen Comics.
* Avatar Press.
* BlueWater Productions.
* Dark Horse Comics.
* DC Comics.
* Devil's Due Publishing.
* Digital Webbing.
* Dynamite Entertainment.
* Heroic Publishing.
* IDW Publishing.
* Image Comics.
* Marvel Comics.
BRIEFLY
* The White Queen will be a character in Marvel's new Wolverine and the X-Men animated series.
COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES
|
|
|
|
|
In case you missed The Continuum's coverage over the past month, here are some links. Click on the date to get the day's full report.
* Monday, April 16: DC Comics for July, Edward Norton in Incredible Hulk and IDW Publishing for July.
* Sunday, April 15: Spider-Man, The Batman, DC Comics for July preview and Marvel Comics for July preview.
* Saturday, April 14: Painkiller Jane, Smallville, Devil's Due First Looks and Archie First Looks.
* Friday, April 13: Painkiller Jane, Virgin Comics for July and First Looks.
* Thursday, April 12: Spider-Man 3, Iron Man, Smallville, Marvel First Looks, Image First Looks and The Simpsons.
* Wednesday, April 11: Spider-Man 3, Top Cow's First Born, Marvel First Looks, Fantastic Four animated, The Ultimates and Flash Gordon.
* Tuesday, April 10: Painkiller Jane, Aspen Comics for July, Marvel First Looks and Dynamite First Looks.
* Monday, April 9: Painkiller Jane's Kristanna Loken, Ghost Rider on DVD, First Looks and Archie Comics Digests.
* Sunday, April 8: Spider-Man 3, Painkiller Jane, 300 box office and Archie First Looks.
* Saturday, April 7: Teen Titans DVD and First Looks.
* Friday, April 6: Spider-Man 3, Digital Webbing for July, Devil's Due First Looks and Transformers: The Game.
* Thursday, April 5: Dark Horse Comics for July, Smallville and Marvel First Looks.
* Wednesday, April 4: Legion of Super Heroes, The Batman, Image First Looks and The Simpsons.
* Tuesday, April 3: Spider-Man 3, Painkiller Jane and Marvel First Looks.
* Monday, April 2: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Spider-Man 3, Heroes, The Batman and Dynamite First Looks.
* Sunday, April 1: Painkiller Jane, 300 and TMNT box office and DC Comics First Looks.
* Saturday, March 31: TwoMorrows Publishing for July, Fantastic Four Extended Edition and First Looks.
* Friday, March 30: Spider-Man 3, Smallville, World of Quest, Archie Comics First Looks and Dynamite Entertainment.
* Thursday, March 29: Smallville, Marvel First Looks and Image First Looks.
* Wednesday, March 28: Painkiller Jane, Marvel First Looks and Oni Press for June.
* Tuesday, March 27: Virgin Comics for June, Marshall Rogers dies and First Looks.
* Monday, March 26: BlueWater Productions for July, Heroic Publishing for July, Moonstone Books for July, First Looks, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Todd Nauck and Avatar Press' Black Summer.
* Sunday, March 25: BlueWater Productions' Isis, TMNT tops weekend box office, First Looks and AC Ccomics for June.
* Saturday, March 24: TMNT, Marvel First Looks and After Shock Comics for June.
* Friday, March 23: Dark Horse First Looks, Archie First Looks and The Simpsons.
* Thursday, March 22: Image Comics for June, Dynamite Entertainment for June, Marvel Comics First Looks, Spider-Man 3, Battlestar Galactica and Spider-Man: Back in Black.
* Wednesday, March 21: Wolverine and the X-Men, Image Comics First Looks, Fox's Them, Markosia Publishing for June, Dynamite's Zorro and The New Adventures of Superman on DVD.
* Tuesday, March 20: Marvel Comics for June, Marvel Comics First Looks, Marvel Comics second printings, Dynamite gets Terminator 2, Archie Comics for June, Wanted movie, The New Adventures of Batman on DVD, Witchblade anime, Green Hornet movie, Dynamite First Looks, Image's Armory Wars and V for Vendetta.
* Monday, March 19: DC Comics for June, 300 tops box office and from Wizard World Los Angeles -- Doug Jones, Heroes panel, KISS Comics panel and Man of Action panel.
* Sunday, March 18: IDW Publishing panel at Wizard World Los Angeles and Marvel First Looks.
Copyright © 2007, The Comics Continuum