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Monday, October 22, 2012

Media Man International Blog: Pop Culture Flashback

Media Man International Blog 

Pop Culture Flashback

Superhero movie news, Hollywood, Australia, gaming and more...



What an exciting time for superhero themed movie fans. There's also the latest on video games, celeb gossip and news and much more.





Marvel movie plots uncovered; Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3!...

Disney and Marvel Studios have released the official synopsis for Thor: The Dark World and for Iron Man 3. And without further ado, here are the details on the upcoming comic book-inspired films:

Thor: The Dark World plot: Marvel's Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's Thor and Marvel's The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Iron Man 3 plot: "Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?"

Iron Man 3 arrives on May 3, 2013 followed by Thor: The Dark World hits theaters on or around November 8, 2013.


‘Iron Man 3’ Spoilers: Plot Synopsis Allegedly Released...

In 2008, “Iron Man” kicked off the new Marvel Cinematic Universe and since then has been breaking box office records in the sequel “Iron Man 2” and the crossover “The Avengers” and the franchise will likely keep the pace in the three-quel “Iron Man 3.” Stitch Kingdom posted what they claim to be the full synopsis from Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment; both IGN and Slash Film allege that this is an official plot synopsis.

“Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible,” the official plot synopsis reads, reports Stitch Kingdom. “This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?”

The film directed by Shane Black and starring a returning Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man is set to be released on May 3 of next year, being followed by “Thor: The Dark World” in Nov. 2013, as well as a second “Captain America” film, and an “Avengers” sequel in the coming years, among other movies.. Stich Kingdom notes that the seventh film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be available in Digital 3D and RealD.

Along with Downey Jr. reprising his role as the genius, playboy, philanthropist, the cast includes Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis, Ben Kingsley as the main villain, The Mandarin, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen, and Don Cheadle as James Rhodes /War Machine, among other actors listed on IMDB. Director Black and Drew Pearce are adapting the screenplay from comics written by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby.

Box Office Mojo reports that the original “Iron Man” film grossed $318.4 million, and “Iron Man 2” took in $312.4 million. Both films’ revenues were dwarfed by May’s epic crossover “The Avengers” which included Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk, and earned $623.3 million.


'Justice League' & 'The Avengers 2' coming to the movies in 2015...



Warner Bros. won a major victory this week with its legal battle against Superman cocreator Joel Shuster resulting in the studio announcing plans to move ahead with its 'Justice League' live action movie to be released in the summer of 2015. This is great news for fans and lovers of the league's superheroes. But it also raises the question of a coming superhero battle. It seems, coincidentally (or not), Marvel Studios has already announced a release date of May 1, 2015, for 'The Avengers 2.' And to up the stakes, Marvel also just announced November 6, 2015 as a release date for 'Ant-Man,' So the battle will be on in 2015, Marvel vs. DC as superheroes go up against each other at the box office.

The script for the 'Justice League' movie will be darker than the comic book series and will start production in 2013. A director has not been named and no stars have signed on yet, but news should be coming soon on who has been cast.

Warner Bros. next franchise, after Christopher Nolan's highly successful Batman 'Dark Knight Trilogy', will be the new Superman 'Man of Steel' movie coming out next summer (June 14, 2013). It looks like Warner Bros. will also be releasing superhero spin-off movies in the future that could include characters like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash and Green Lantern, just to name a few.


New York Comic-Con gaming newsflash...

At the Games Panel at NYCC, Marvel Entertainment announced new characters and content for the mobile brawler Avengers Initiative and the hit Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

MARVEL unveils NEW CHARACTERS AND GAMEPLAY FOR HIT MOBILE AND FACEBOOK GAMES

· Ghost Rider’s Spec Op 4 Chapter Coming to Marvel: Avengers Alliance

· Captain America Announced as Next Playable Character for Mobile Brawler Avengers Initiative

· Connected Marvel XP Promotion Awards Players Across Titles

During the Marvel Video Games Panel, Marvel revealed several new characters and gameplay additions for its hit mobile and social games. The announcements include:

Avengers Initiative (Mobile Game): Captain America will be the next playable Super Hero in the hit mobile brawler game Avengers Initiative. Fans will be able to play through the game using the First Avenger’s abilities and alternate costumes. Captain America was announced with a brand new trailer available here: http://bit.ly/Rm6Dqg

Marvel: Avengers Alliance (Social Game): In the spirit of Halloween Marvel also revealed a brand new Spec Ops mission for the hit Facebook game, Marvel: Avengers Alliance, featuring the flame-skulled Ghost Rider. The Spirit of Vengeance is the ultimate reward for players who complete Spec Op 4 by defeating Baron Mordo, Satana and Mephisto. Six brand new Super Heroes were also announced that will be coming out over the coming months, including Cable, Vision, Black Knight, Captain Britain, Union Jack and Psylocke.

Marvel XP: Marvel: Avengers Alliance and Avengers Initiative will be the first Marvel gamesto be interconnected through the MarvelXP platform, where for the first time in Marvel games, players can connect their play experiences across games and platforms. Through the Marvel XP platform, players who beat Hulkbuster Iron Man in Avengers Initiative will unlock the Iron Man Mark V armor for free in Marvel: Avengers Alliance. Players will need to sign-up to Marvel XP for alerts on when this promotion will go live.

For up-to-the-minute news and updates about Avengers Initiative, players can visit the Official Marvel XP Fanpage at http://www.facebook.com/MarvelXP.

Join the millions of social gamers and Marvel fans who have already joined S.H.I.E.L.D by playing Marvel: Avengers Alliance at: http://www.facebook.com/avengersalliance.

The game is one of the top rated games in Facebook’s App Center. Fans can also play Marvel: Avengers Alliance at www.playdom.com.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.


Justice League set for 2015 release...

'Justice League' is to go head-to-head with the 'Avengers Assemble' sequel after the DC Comics movie was given a prospective release date of summer 2015.

The DC Comics movie - which will star superhero characters Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman - is due to start filming next year ahead of its prospective release in three years, which is when Marvel is planning to put out a follow up to this year's 'Avengers Assemble'.

Warner Bros. won the rights to use Superman in the motion picture earlier this week and the studio already has 'Gangster Squad' scribe Will Beall working on a script for 'Justice League', but the film still requires a director and a cast to fill the lead roles.

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Pictures, has already reportedly tried to persuade Christopher Nolan to produce 'Justice League', but the helmer - who is producing Superman movie 'Man of Steel' next year - wasn't convinced enough to sign up for the role.

While there is yet to be anyone officially cast in the DC Comics movie, Armie Hammer looks to be favourite to land the role of Batman, which comes after the 'The Lone Ranger' star was initially down to play the caped crusader in an earlier edition of the project before it fell apart.

The 'Avengers Assemble' sequel looks set to see a number of stars reprise their superhero roles with Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) all linked to the project.


Stan Lee Media sues Disney for billions over Marvel rights...

Stan Lee Media, a company that says it controls the rights to Marvel characters including Spider Man and Iron Man, has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Colorado against the Walt Disney Co seeking "billions of dollars of profits."

Stan Lee, no longer associated with the company, created many of Marvel's stable of comic book characters. The company claims Lee assigned it his rights to those characters in 1998 but then agreed a month later to assign the same rights to Marvel Enterprises.

Disney acquired Marvel Enterprises, which had been renamed Marvel Entertainment, in 2009 for $4.3 billion.

"The Walt Disney Company has represented to the public that it, in fact, owns the copyright to these characters as well as hundreds of other characters created by Stan Lee," the suit alleges. "Those representations made to the public by the Walt Disney Company are false."

The lawsuit focuses on successful movies based on Marvel characters that Disney has released since its Marvel acquisition. Those films include "The Avengers," which has grossed more than $1.5 billion in worldwide sales and is second only to "Avatar" and "Titanic," according to movie site Box Office Mojo.

"This lawsuit is without merit," Walt Disney said in a statement. "It arises out of the same core facts and legal claims that have been rejected by three federal district court judges."

Stan Lee Media, which said it was created in 1999 to "sue to recover damages to its assets," has been involved in what it called a "somewhat tortured history" of litigation dating from 2001 over corporate governance issues and the characters rights in cases filed in Colorado, New York and California.

They include suits between the company, its shareholders and Lee.

The latest suit claims that Stan Lee Media owns the rights "to the billions of dollars that Disney has generated, or allowed others to generate". It cites more than $3.5 billion from motion pictures, and what it calculates is more than $2 billion from "other media," merchandising and the Broadway show "Spiderman: Turn off the Dark."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit states that “SLMI is entitled to proceed with this copyright infringement lawsuit against Disney, based upon Disney's independently actionable conduct which occurred after April 2009, regardless of the outcome of SLMI's appeal to the 9th Circuit in the 2007 Case."


Joss Whedon: 'The Avengers isn't a perfect movie'...

Joss Whedon has claimed that The Avengers isn't "a great movie".

The film has met with critical acclaim and outstanding commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time in just a few months, but Whedon, the superhero blockbuster's writer and director, is determined to keep his feet on the ground.

In an interview with Vulture, the 48-year-old claimed that the box office numbers became, ultimately, "meaningless".

He said: "They're large, and you can't really count that high."

Describing what his goals were with The Avengers, he claimed: "I felt like I had a particular mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got to do both at once.

"I felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large way."

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator then conceded: "I don't think it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within, unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying."

Whedon will oversee a Marvel-produced SHIELD television show for ABC, before starting work on the Avengers sequel, due for a summer 2015 release.


The Avengers Crosses $1.5 Billion At Worldwide Box Office...

While the re-release of The Avengers at the U.S. box office might have failed to break into the top ten Labor Day weekend movies, it did help The Avengers reach another major milestone. The Avengers has become the third movie in history to cross the $1.5 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

While retaining its number three position on the worldwide box office list, The Avengers took in another estimated $1.7 million over Labor Day weekend, which brought The Avengers U.S. box office total to $619.5 million and The Avengers worldwide box office total to $1.501 billion.

Interestingly enough, The Dark Knight Rises also reached a milestone recently, surpassing $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which means that combined The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises have accounted for $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office this year. If you add in The Amazing Spider-Man, which currently sits at number four on the 2012 worldwide box office list with $734.9 million, then the total rises to $3.2 billion. It’s definitely a good time to be in the superhero movie making business.




New Trailer For Marvel Heroes...

Gazillion Entertainment is proud to show off a new trailer for Marvel Heroes. The new trailer announces 3 new playable heroes in the game – Daredevil, Punisher, and Squirrel Girl. The trailer made its debut at the Marvel Heroes panel at PAX 2012. The panel featured Gazillion President David Brevik (one of the creators of Diablo!), legendary Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man! Avengers vs. X-Men! And) and Marvel’s mighty VP of Games Production TQ Jefferson. If you look closely, you’ll also see a bunch of villains were also revealed in the trailer, including Mr. Fisk the notorious crime lord.

Website:
http://www.youtube.com/marvelheroesonline

About Marvel Heroes...

Marvel Heroes is a FREE-TO-PLAY action-packed massively multiplayer online game created by David Brevik, the visionary behind Diablo and Diablo 2. Set in the iconic Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes combines the core game-play style of Diablo and MMOs with the expansive library of heroes from the Marvel Universe. In the game, players can collect and play as their favorite Marvel Superheroes (including Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, Hulk, Spider Man, Captain America and many others). Team up with friends and try to stop Doctor Doom from devastating the world with the power of the Cosmic Cube in a story crafted by comic-book super-scribe Brian Michael Bendis.



CM Punk writes introduction to Marvel Comics' 'Avengers vs. X-Men'




As evidenced by his historic “pipe bomb” and succeeding WWE Championship reign, CM Punk is a revolutionary and controversial figure in WWE's history. As such, it’s only fitting that mighty Marvel Comics sought out The Second City Saint when it came time to write an introduction for the publisher’s historic and controversial universe-spanning event, “Avengers vs. X-Men.”

The book, which will be released in a special hardcover edition that collects all 12 issues of the record-breaking sales juggernaut series, set the comics world on fire in 2011 and into 2012, as it pit Marvel’s two premiere super hero teams against each other. For comics fans, the thought of seeing X-Men leader Cyclops and his band of usually merry mutants take a very firm stand against the likes of Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor presents a dream matchup akin to seeing, say, CM Punk square off against WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Axel Alonso, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, took time out of his insane schedule at the recently concluded New York Comic Con to talk about the upcoming release and reigning WWE Champion's involvement in the project. For his part, Punk, a noted comic book fan, certainly brought his A-game to the intro. “It’s funny, he provides great context, and he understands the heart of what we were doing and I couldn’t be happier,” Alonso said. “If I had to describe my writing style,” The Second City Saint told USA Today in a recent interview, “it's very sarcastic and self-deprecating.” About the series itself, Marvel’s head honcho stated, simply, “Avengers vs. X-Men” (or, as it’s become known online and in comic shops, “AvX”), is "the biggest event Marvel’s done in a decade.”

“It’s a fight that transforms the Marvel Universe,” Alonso explained. “There was a winner and loser, and it was as big an event as you could possibly imagine.”

“AvX” is a unique event for a number of different reasons. As Alonso told WWE.com, “AvX” marks “the first time [Marvel] did a universe-spanning event that was equally important to both the Avengers and the X-Men.”

It was a story so grandiose, in fact, that it took a group of creators to see the vision through to fruition. Written by five of the top writers in the industry — Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman and Ed Brubaker — and with art by comic book luminaries John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert, “AvX” is unlike anything the comics landscape has witnessed in a long time.

“Because we knew we were doing a story that was so big,” Alonso said, “It just felt like it needed to be powered by more than one brain. Our motto was, ‘five fingers make a fist.’ ” Broken down into three distinct acts, each issue of “AvX” was handed off to the writer/artist team best suited for the events of that particular issue. The results speak for themselves, as the series was both a commercial and critical success.

In addition to presenting the entire story in one massive hardcover book for the first time, the upcoming “Avengers vs. X-Men” collection will have an assortment of special features, including behind-the-scenes peeks, AR applications and previously digital-only Infinite Comics supplemental material.

“Topping it all off,” Alonso added, “What is a good collection without a great introduction?”

The editor-in-chief continued, “CM Punk wrote the introduction — it’s fantastic, it’s pitch-perfect, because who understands two teams getting into the ring and going at one another for all the stakes more than CM Punk?”

“I worked really hard to get to where I'm at and it's cool to be afforded opportunities like this,” Punk told USA Today. “To me, it's hard work paying off and I'm having a lot of fun right now.” (Credit: WWE) http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/cm-punk-writes-introduction-to-marvel-comics-avengers-vs-x-men-26059962



Saturday, September 15, 2012

Media Man Network Blog: WWE Premium Live Events aka PPVs: Night of Champions, Crown Jewel, WrestleMania etc

Media Man Network Blog

WWE Premium Live Events aka PPVs: Night of Champions, Crown Jewel, WrestleMania etc     

Saturday, September 08, 2012

Media Man Network Blog: Organic Search Results. Cases for and against organic vs paid advertising...

Media Man Network Blog: Organic Search Results




In Web search engines, organic search results are the query results which are calculated strictly algorithmically, and not affected by advertiser payments. They are distinguished from various kinds of sponsored results, whether they are explicit pay per click advertisements, shopping results, or other results where the search engine is paid either for showing the result, or for clicks on the result.


Background

The Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Petal and Sogou search engines insert advertising on their search results pages. In U.S. law, advertising must be distinguished from organic results. This is done with various differences in background, text, link colors, and/or placement on the page. However, a 2004 survey found that a majority of search engine users could not distinguish the two.


Because so few ordinary users (38% according to Pew Research Center) realized that many of the highest placed "results" on search engine results pages (SERPs) were ads, the search engine optimization industry began to distinguish between ads and natural results.[citation needed] The perspective among general users was that all results were, in fact, "results." So the qualifier "organic" was invented to distinguish non-ad search results from ads. It has been used since at least 2004.


Because the distinction is important (and because the word "organic" has many metaphorical uses) the term is now in widespread use within the search engine optimization and web marketing industry. As of July 2009, the term "organic search" is now commonly used outside the specialist web marketing industry, even used frequently by Google (throughout the Google Analytics site, for instance).


Google claims their users click (organic) search results more often than ads, essentially rebutting the research cited above. A 2012 Google study found that 81% of ad impressions and 66% of ad clicks happen when there is no associated organic search result on the first page. Research has shown that searchers may have a bias against ads, unless the ads are relevant to the searcher's need or intent.


The same report and others going back to 1997 by Pew show that users avoid clicking "results" they know to be ads.


According to a June 2013 study by Chitika, 9 out of 10 searchers don't go beyond Google's first page of organic search results, a claim often cited by the search engine optimization (SEO) industry to justify optimizing websites for organic search. Organic SEO describes the use of certain strategies or tools to elevate a website's content in the "free" search results.


Users can prevent ads in search results and list only organic results by using browser add-ons and plugins. Other browsers may have different tools developed for blocking ads.


Organic search engine optimization is the process of improving web sites' rank in organic search results.


References

Wikipedia

Search News Media

Search Engine Journal

Search Engine Land

Friday, July 27, 2012

Marvel Entertainment News: The Wolverine, Marvel Games; Hollywood

The Wolverine, Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Games...

Profiles

Movies Hollywood Entertainment Marvel Entertainment Amazing Spider-Man The Wolverine The Avengers United States Affiliate Programs Advertising


New X Men, Wolverine 2 Film Revealed Possible New Viper Actress...

New X Men, Wolverine 2 film revealed possible new Viper actress. According to a new report from Collider, talks with Jessica Biel to play character Viper in the new Wolverine 2 flick, did not workout,so now, this new Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova is currently in talks to play Viper instead. It’s also reported that Svetlana is expected to close a deal with the studio pretty quickly.

The character of Viper is said to be of Eastern European decent, and has a complex relationship with Wolverine that includes, at one point, a sham marriage. Svetlana is mostly known for her work in Russia, but she appeared last year in the espionage flick “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”

On location work on The Wolverine will be done in Japan, while stage work will be shot in Australia in August. The movie stars: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Brian Tee, and is scheduled to hit theaters on July 26th,2013. Stay tuned.


Wolverine sequel: Jessica Biel out...

Just days after Jessica Biel was announced to play Viper in the forthcoming Wolverine sequel, The Wolverine, it has emerged that the actress has now walked away from the project after contract talks broke down.

James Mangold has taken the reins for this installment with Hugh Jackman returning to play the titular title role. It will hopefully stay faithful to the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller series which sees Wolverine transported to Japan in one of his darkest storylines.

Biel had been cast as Viper, a character who has a tempestuous relationship with Wolverine/Logan, including blackmail, a forced marriage and the odd wound – both physical and mental. Viper is also known as Lady Hydra, a high ranking officer in the Hydra network, but this may not be referenced in The Wolverine as the rights to Hydra are with Disney/Marvel Studios and Hydra was used in Captain America: The First Avenger.

The Wolverine has had a bumpy ride so far getting to the big screen, with Darren Aronofsky leaving the project very early on. This caused a delay in filming, which then grew as Hugh Jackman had commitments to film Les Miserables.

It’s another setback for the production that commences in Australia this August before filming on location in Japan. Sources say that Fox are now talking to other actors about the role as they look to move quickly to replace Biel.

The film is scheduled for release July 2013.


Marvel Entertainment movies; Thor, Spider-Man boost popularity of online slot games...

The Media Man agency reports that Marvel comics themed games such as Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk have received a boost thanks to recent and upcoming movie releases tied in with Marvel Entertainment. For the gaming world that Excelsior! (as Marvel legend Stan Lee would say). Check em out at PartyCasino, as featured across the Media Man network.


Comic Book Movies News Update...

DC Comics:

Director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino will soon be scripting for DC Comics. The announcement, made at San Diego Comic Con, was nothing short of cryptic, and we are waiting on more details to be divulged.


Marvel Comics:

The Marvel NOW! Point-One teaser sequentially revealed the heroes that will be strongly implicated in the special issue to be released this Fall. The characters are Nick Fury, Jr., Cable, Ant Man, Loki, Wiccan, Miss America, Nova and Starlord.


Film and Television:

Dreamworks recently entered a bidding war for Classic Media film and television rights to properties like He-Man, Godzilla, Voltron, Turok, Dick Tracy, Archie, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and many more.

Marvel Studios is investigating the leak that uncovered the production of a Guardians of the Galaxy film weeks before the film's planned announcement at San Diego Comic Con.

The Dark Knight Rises has reportedly earned $162 million at the box office in its opening weekend despite tragedy. The gross puts TDKR third behind Marvel's The Avengers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II, both of which had inflated grosses due to 3D ticket sales.


Hugh Jackman echoes sorrow over massacre...

Australian actor Hugh Jackman has expressed his sadness following the mass shooting at a US screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

'All I can echo is the sorrow I feel for the families, the community, for everybody,' he says.

'It's an issue that goes way beyond, obviously beyond acting, beyond film or anything like that.

'This is just a tragedy on a level that we have experienced in Australia many years ago in Tasmania and it's devastating and I can't comment on (it) anymore than as a human being and my feelings for those people involved.'

Jackman was speaking in Sydney at a press conference on Tuesday for his new film The Wolverine, alongside its director, James Mangold, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Jackman was sporting a red right eye, but it wasn't because of training for the action movie, but rather 'a very energetic game of tag with my kids', which he thinks burst a blood vessel.

Jackman says it wasn't easy getting back into shape for the part, particularly coming from his last role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.

'That was a particular challenge because Les Mis, I had to start at 83 kilos and I finished at about 97 kilos by the end of the movie,' he says.

'We did have a holiday recently, but it was more like boot camp for me. But the kids and Deb (his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness) were happy.'

Shooting of The Wolverine is scheduled to start in Sydney on July 30, after a number of setbacks for the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Last March, director Darren Aronofsky left the project, and Mangold stepped in to replace him. Then the shoot, which was originally meant to be in Japan, was postponed last October because of weather conditions.

Mangold says The Wolverine is based on a series of comics that detail the mutant's journeys in Japan and he refuted reports that Jessica Biel had turned down the lead role of Viper.

'The story couldn't be more of a fantasy frankly, in terms of what I was reading, so it was nothing more than a list of people we were considering and still are,' he says.

Jackman, who has played Wolverine now in five different movies over the past 12 years, says he takes the movies on one at a time.

For The Wolverine, he saw the screenplay and was sold.

'I feel like a golfer, always looking for a hole in one and I thought this was the best script we've had,' he says.


Hollywood declares box office truce after massacre...

The Hollywood studio behind the Batman movies has decided not to publish weekend box office figures after the Colorado theatre massacre.

Twelve people were killed and 58 injured when a gunman dressed in full body armour opened fire at a packed midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises in Denver.

James Holmes, 24, was taken into custody outside the cinema after the attack. He is in solitary confinement and is due in court on Monday morning.

Within hours of the attack, Warner Brothers had cancelled the movie's Paris premiere, which was to have been accompanied by a press junket with the cast and crew including director Christopher Nolan and main star Christian Bale.

The company also cancelled red carpet events for the film in France, Japan and Mexico, although screenings will go ahead as planned.

Warner Bros has now confirmed it will not publish weekend takings - a form of crowing about box office success - until Monday.

This was despite the fact that unofficial figures cited by industry daily Variety suggest that it made $US75 million on Friday alone, the third biggest opening day ever at the US box office.

The move was swiftly followed by major Hollywood rivals including Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate and Universal.

After initial radio silence from most of the cast and crew, Nolan issued a statement lamenting the "senseless tragedy," and expressing "our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community".

On Saturday Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne aka Batman, also expressed his sadness.

"Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them," he said in a statement.

In a separate move Warner Bros scrambled to pull a trailer for another film, Gangster Squad, including a scene in which mobsters shoot at theatre audiences. (AFP)


Christian Bale: My Heart Aches for Victims

The film is expected to be among the most lucrative movie openings and possibly contend with the record $207.4 million brought in by "The Avengers."

"The Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale said Saturday that his heart goes out to the victims of the Colorado shootings, a tragedy that brought Hollywood studios together in a rare show of solidarity as they opted to give the weekend box-office a rest.

"Words cannot express the horror that I feel," Bale, who plays the caped crusader in the film, said in a statement. "I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."

Meanwhile, Sony, Fox, Disney, Universal, Fox, Paramount and Lionsgate said Saturday that they are joining "Dark Knight Rises" distributor Warner Bros. in withholding their box-office numbers for the weekend.

Warner Bros. announced Friday that it would forgo the usual revenue reports until Monday out of respect for the victims and their families in the Aurora, Colo., shooting that killed 12 and wounded 58 at the midnight show of "The Dark Knight Rises" earlier in the day.

The other studios said they also would not report numbers until Monday. Box-office tracking service Rentrak, too, said it would not report figures this weekend.

Sunday box-office estimates are a weekly routine for Hollywood, with studios jostling for bragging rights as the No. 1 movie and always aiming to break revenue records.

Before the shooting in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater at a midnight screening of the new Batman film, the box-office performance of "The Dark Knight Rises" had been eagerly anticipated. The film is expected to be among the most lucrative movie openings and possibly contend with the record $207.4 million brought in by "The Avengers."

But that now appears unlikely, even though "The Dark Knight Rises" earned $30.6 million from midnight screenings alone. Hollywood trade publications Variety and Hollywood Reporter reported estimates of roughly $75 million to $77 million for the film on Friday, based on box-office insiders.

That would put it on track for somewhere around $165 million for the weekend. Such a total would be the second highest weekend opening ever, after "The Avengers."

Any projections, though, are bound to be rough approximates given the atypical nature of the situation. Many of Friday's tickets were presold before the shooting. Moviegoers making their way to theaters also faced increased security and, in some places, bag checks. AMC Theaters, the country's second-largest movie chain, said it would not allow costumed fans or face-covered masks into its theaters.

Warner Bros. rushed to react to the tragedy, immediately canceling a Friday night premiere in Paris. On Saturday, it also canceled the other remaining red-carpet extravaganzas in Mexico City and Tokyo.

The studio, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., also moved to pull trailers from its upcoming film "Gangster Squad" from theaters. The trailer of the film, which stars Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling in a ruthless war between Los Angeles police and the mob, includes a scene of mobsters firing into a crowded movie theater from behind the screen.

Christopher Nolan, the director of "The Dark Knight Rises" earlier responded to the tragedy, expressing his sorrow for the victims and their families.

Said Nolan: "The movie theater is my home and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me."

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Entertainment, Hollywood, Gaming, Celebrity, Wrestling and WWE News

Gaming, Entertainment, Hollywood and Celebrity News: Spider-Man movie, The Dark Knight Rises, movie ratings, The Wolverine, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, Highest paid actors includes "The Rock"; WWE, Pro Wrestling, Gaming and more...

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Warner Bros Says 'The Dark Knight Rises' Won't Beat 'The Avengers'...

The Hollywood Report is reporting that the pre-release tracking numbers for "The Dark Knight Rises" are so high that the movie should have no problem topping the $158 million opening of "The Dark Knight" and getting the best U.S debut for a 2D film.

According to Warner Bros, Christopher Nolan's third Batman film has already grossed $25 million in advance ticket sales, which is one of the best results of all time. The studio believes that "The Dark Knight Rises" will end up at around $170 million for the weekend, but box office experts believe that the film will likely end up between $185 million and $195 million.

As predicted earlier, "The Dark Knight Rises" will likely not beat "The Avengers" ($207.4 million) for the highest-grossing opening weekend, but should surpass "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" ($169.2 million). Both of the films had the advantage of being released in 3D. Roughly $35 million of "The Avengers" opening numbers came from the extra charge that comes with watching films in 3D.

The other problem that "The Dark Knight Rises" faces is being 2 hours and 43 minutes long. Very often people tend to wait for lengthy films to come out on DVD/Blu-ray. Plus, theaters won't be able to squeeze in as many screenings as they could for a shorter movie.


Warner, China Film clash on 'Dark Knight' debut against 'Spider-Man'...

A plan to open superhero movies "The Amazing Spider-Man"and "The Dark Knight Rises"on the same date in China has prompted a tense standoff between film authorities in Beijing and Hollywood's biggest studio.

Warner Bros.' Batman sequel "The Dark Knight Rises" and Sony Pictures' reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man" have both been scheduled to open in China on Aug. 30 , according to to several people familiar with the Chinese movie market not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Release dates in China are set not by studios, but by the state-owned China Film Group.

Such a move would almost certainly depress the box office grosses of both big-budget pictures as they compete for audiences and screens.

In response, Warner Bros. is lobbying China Film Group to delay the opening of "Dark Knight Rises" to September, the knowledgeable people said. The negotiations are delicate, however, as China Film's decision-making process is opaque to Hollywood studios.

The underlying question in the dispute is which side has more leverage: China Film Group, the gatekeeper to the world's second-largest movie market; or Warner Bros., which controls one of the most anticipated movies of the year, expected to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.

Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures declined to comment.

"Dark Knight Rises" is opening in the U.S. on Friday as well as in many other countries in Europe and Asia; "Spider-Man" has already been open for several weeks in most territories.

Should China Film refuse to change the opening date of "The Dark Knight Rises," Warner Bros.'s only apparent option would be to hold back the movie entirely, potentially giving up tens of millions of dollars in box office revenue from the country in order to stand on principle.

REVIEW: 'Dark Knight Rises'

The news comes a week after the revelation that the 3-D animated movies "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (from 20th Century Fox) and "The Lorax" (from Universal Pictures) will premiere against each other on July 27 in China.

In the past, it has been highly unusual for similar movies to open on the same date in China as the government sought to boost box office receipts, which hit $2 billion last year and are projected to rise to $3 billion by the end of 2012.

But Chinese authorities may be concerned that Hollywood movies have been performing much better than local product so far this year, according to people with ties to the Chinese film market who did not want to be identified publicly because it might jeopardize their relationships there.

These people said that executives at China Film appear to be opening similar American movies against each other in order to minimize their box office takes.

Xiao Ping, the general manager in charge of importing movies at China Film Group, said she had not received any "official confirmation" of the release dates of "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Dark Knight Rises."

"I'm not sure when those two movies will be released in China," she said. "It all depends on the market conditions."

She referred a Times reporter to other executives at China Film. One who worked in the legal department said that the China Film Distribution and Exhibition Assn. is in charge of scheduling release dates.

However, a woman who answered the phone at the association said she couldn't comment and referred questions back to China Film Group.

There has been an unofficial "blackout" on American movies in China for the last several weeks -- with only local product appearing in theaters--from the opening of the animated film "Brave" on June 19 until "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1" arrives on July 25.

Consequently, there is expected to be a back-up of Hollywood summer tentpole pictures opening on top of one another over the next couple of months.

If China Film Group decides to continue opening American movies on the same dates, it could impact such pictures as the 3-D animated films "Hotel Transylvania," "Frankenweenie," "Wreck-It-Ralph" and "Rise of the Guardians," as well as "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and the James Bond picture "Skyfall."


Jessica Biel Bails on 'The Wolverine,' a Superhero Movie That Can't Get a Break...

After three successful X-Men with a total domestic gross of nearly a $1 billion, a spin-off, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and one of the greatest modern cameos of all time (his f-bomb in X-Men: First Class is truly inspired), one would think Hugh Jackman getting another round of mutant comic book action off the ground would be easy peasy lemon squeezy. Not so.

The latest hiccup for Wolverine's second outing, simply titled The Wolverine, sees Jessica Biel vacating a role that she never quite had. Rumors were swirling around Comic-Con that Biel was in talks for the costarring role of "Viper" in the film. The actress was in talks with the studio for the part on Friday, but the negotiations fell through. Biel, who previously lent her action acting skills to the third installment of the Blade franchise and the upcoming Total Recall, reportedly had "cold feet" regarding the role and opted out of joining the sequel.

The departure of Biel is another bump in the road for The Wolverine. After the middling success of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, questions over whether the gruff, ballbusting hero would get another chance at a solo career. Director Gavin Hood insisted that a second film was on the way, with writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Jack Reacher) hired to pen a script in August 2009. When Hood was not asked to return for a follow-up, plans for a sequel were stuck in limbo. But after the success of Black Swan, Jackman's former Fountain director Darren Aronofsky stepped in to helm the picture with a revamped title that separated it from the previous Origins series: The Wolverine.

Aronofsky boarded The Wolverine in October of 2010, but by March of 2011, he was bowing out of the project, citing the need to remain in the country with his family (the director had split from his wife Rachel Weisz in November, following the announcement). The departure of the director wasn't even The Wolverine's biggest issue: McQuarrie's script for the film took the action to Japan, following one of the character's most famous arcs, but just before Aronofsky's departure, Japan suffered a massive earthquake that devastated the country and left business out to dry. Once again, Fox was stuck with a project they were dying to make but with no one and no where to make it. An immediate search began for a new director, and by June 2011, the studio settled on James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Knight & Day) to helm the picture. The film was on the fast track to shoot in fall of that year in Australia.

With whether concerns in Japan a lingering problem, The Wolverine bounced around start dates with its star eventually taking on another project in the interim, the musical Les Miserables. But after years of false starts, the pieces for the comic book sequel are falling into place, Jackman confirming at this year's CinemaCon that production would begin in August for a release date of July 26, 2013.

The Wolverine has already begun assembling its primarily Japanese cast, signing on Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi , Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima for key roles, but the loss of Biel comes as a blow to the production. The star is one of the few go-to female action heroines — and her profile is only growing. Who can go toe-to-toe with Jackman on both a physical and emotional level. In the comics, The Viper character begins in a romantic relationship with Wolverine before double-crossing him and taking him down. The casting of Biel is an indication that, at the very least, Viper will be seeing a bit of the action in the film (and with a name like Viper, how could she not?). There's no word yet on who could fill Biel's shoes, but if Total Recall is any indication, actress Kate Beckinsale has the chops to contend with Biel. An ample replacement? Who should take over Viper from the quickly-departed Biel?


Dwayne Johnson to play Lobo...

Dwayne Johnson has confirmed he is in talks with producer Joel Silver and director Brad Peyton to play comic book star Lobo....

Dwayne Johnson has confirmed he is in talks to play comic book star Lobo.

The 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' star - who also wrestles in the WWE as The Rock - took to his twitter account to reveal he has entered negotiations with producer Joel Silver and director Brad Peyton about taking on the role of DC Comics' Czarnian bounty hunter.

In response to a fan's question about whether he is playing the character, he tweeted: "Rumors of me possibly playing LOBO are true. Joel Silver and Brad Peyton working on it now. That could be fun.. (sic)"

Earlier this year, Brad took up an offer from Warner Bros. to make the DC Comics movie as his next project.

The filmmaker teamed up with Dwayne on 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island', which features Sir Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens, and sees the wrestler star as explorer Hank Parsons.

Dwayne's next movie role will see him portray Roadblock on forthcoming action motion picture 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation', and he recently admitted he signed up for the project because he thought there was "room for improvement" in the franchise after watching 2009's 'G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra'.

He explained: "I was even more than 'Yeah I'm in.' But also too, you wanna be a little bit poised with your excitement at first. When I first heard it, the idea of starring in 'G.I. Joe', first of all you get a second crack at something that is - the franchise is that big, the title is that big, the first one did well [but there was] room for improvement.

"We get a second crack at bat with this; I wanted to grab this by the throat and not let go. The moment I locked in, we all agreed, I'm in."


‘Dark Knight Rises’ SRO Official Academy Screening Begins With Moment Of Silence For Colorado Tragedy Victims...

The Colorado movie theatre shooting tragedy apparently did not dampen the want-to-see factor for The Dark Knight Rises among members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. At Saturday night’s official screening at the Academy’s 1012 seat Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills an SRO crowd , the largest so far this year and easily one of the largest in many years , turned out to see the much-awaited conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The Academy crowd was so big that in a highly unusual move for one of these official weekend Acad member screenings ( which often draw far less than capacity audiences) an announcement was made that anyone not having a seat or not happy with the seat they did have could go to the lobby and they would begin filling the Academy’s adjacent Little Theatre.

In another highly unusual move for one of these regular screenings Academy President Tom Sherak was on hand and made a few remarks before asking for a moment of silence for the victims of the horrendous tragedy which occurred early Friday morning shortly after the first midnight screening began at the Aurora, Colorado theatre.

I am told this is what he said in part, “… (this was) such a thankless act of violence by a deranged individual who took the lives of so many innocent people and wounded so many others. The movie-going experience is one which we should be able to enjoy with others in our community in an environment that is safe. We should be able to go to our local theatres and leave our problems behind and allow the movie to transport us to a place that entertains us and captures our imagination. For now though, we understandably feel angst and uneasiness with this tragic event and question the why and the how. Let us take a moment of silence before we begin to hold those innocent people and their families in our hearts and in our prayers. Our condolences surely go out to all of them”.

At least one observer told me reaction to the film itself was “fantastic with much applause at the end”. Although it is far from the studio’s or anybody’s mind this weekend – and should be – Warner Bros is known to have high Oscar hopes for the film. The Academy’s switch from five to ten Best Picture nominees in 2009 is widely thought to have been instigated by the omission of a Best Picture nod for 2008′s The Dark Knight which was nominated overall for 8 mostly below-the-line Oscars and won for Sound Editing and most notably a posthumous Best Supporting Actor statuette for Heath Ledger who played the Joker.

Official Academy screenings of The Dark Knight Rises continue Tuesday in New York and Thursday in San Francisco. London-based members saw it last Thursday.


Studio Quiet on “Dark Knight Rises” Box Office; Will it Top “The Avengers?”

In the wake of the tragic shooting at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” it would potentially appear callous to focus on the whopping box office success of the highly-anticipated film.

As such, Warner Brothers Pictures issued a statement saying it will not officially report box office data over the weekend. Studio estimates often help formulate the “reports” movie buffs read on Saturday morning and then again Sunday afternoon. Official results are not delivered until Monday.

Those with inside sources, however, are reporting that the film’s tracking looks very strong. The question remains whether it will beat “The Avengers.”

Though it had a stronger midnight opening, “Dark Knight,” according to Deadline, will likely land in line with the other film’s opening day total. Given the passionate following for the latest Batman film series, this phenomenon makes sense–seeing the movie at midnight was a bona fide event for millions, but it is not necessarily a more widely-appealing movie than the star-studded “Avengers.”

Like “Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises” is tracking for about $80 million on Friday. “Avengers” held up reasonably well over the weekend to earn $207 million; it remains to be seen if interest in “The Dark Knight” is too front-loaded to bring another $120 million to the table on Saturday and Sunday.


Marvel & Latino Review: Studio Allegedly Threatens Movie Writer Over 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Leak...

On June 28, Latino Review writer Dave Gonzales -- writing under the pseudonym Da7e -- broke the news that Marvel was planning to make "Guardians of the Galaxy" one of its next films. Trades like Variety and THR were quick to pick up the news -- Deadline.com did as well, but without crediting Gonzales for the story -- and by the time Marvel officially announced "Guardians of the Galaxy" at Comic-Con on July 14, it seemed nearly everyone with a Twitter account was already aware of the project.

That apparently didn't sit very well with Marvel.

On Thursday, Gonzales posted an email he received from someone posing as a Marvel representative -- the writer was later revealed to be Robert Grosser, a vice president of loss prevention at Marvel, by THR -- that asked for the source of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" news. (Gonzales also broke a story about "Iron Man 3.")

The executives at Marvel are extremely upset regarding the release of this information and they have instructed me to find you and ascertain how you received it. My goal is to accomplish this in a quiet manner. I do not want to see you or anyone else get into trouble nor do I want to see anyone’s career be tarnished because of this. However I am very confident that through your efforts and mine, we will be able to work through this together. I personally feel that you did not have any malicious intent when you posted your spoilers on the fanboy website. Like many fans out there, you just wanted to be the first one to post something on the internet. I get it, however the "Iron Man 3" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" information was confidential and you did not have Marvel’s consent to post it. That was illegal!

Needless to say, Gonzales wasn't thrilled about the accusations or threats. Not only did he post the email online, he wrote this in response:

I’m not responding to this e-mail outside of this post, because I’ve done nothing wrong. A representative of my favorite comics house just stepped into my life with no legal authority to demand anything and threatened my career for doing my job well.

According to THR's legal blog, THR, Esq., Marvel would have a difficult time bringing any charges against Gonzales, a reporter, for reporting a story.

As for "Guardians of the Galaxy," Marvel announced the film at Comic-Con and will release it into theaters on Aug. 1, 2014.

For more on the legal ramifications of this story, head over to THR. To check out Gonzales' full report, hit Latino Review.


Thor: The Dark World - Stuntman Leak?...

At Marvel Studios’ panel at Comic-Con, it was revealed that the sequel to ‘Thor’ would be called ‘Thor: The Dark World’. But then the new title left people wondering what made Thor’s world so dark. It seems that stuntman James Grogan may have the answer to that.

In an interview with IReviewToo (via Comic Book Movie), Grogan may have just revealed who Chris Hemsworth will have to face in his next outing as the God of Thunder, beside Tom Hiddleston, who’s reprising his role as Loki. Here’s what the stuntman had to say:

“The other day for example, this is quite random but I was working on ‘Thor 2’. I had a load of stunt guys in and the director came in and he said ‘Look, we want you all to be elves,’ and I was like ‘What the hell is an elf anyway?’ and he said ‘I want you all to walk around like these supernatural animals,’ honestly it was the most ridiculous thing ever but you just have to not be self aware and get on with it.”

Elves? In ‘The Dark World’? Well for those in the know, one might assume that Thor will be facing off against the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim under the leadership of Malekith the Accursed. Back when Mads Mikkelsen was in talks for the role of an unnamed villain in Alan Taylor’s film, I speculated that he would play the demon Surtur, but now that we have more information to go on, could it be that the Danish actor who left the production was set to play the evil elf? And who’s lined up to play the villain now to fill the vacancy?

Also, as CBM notes, Loki and Malekith have been in cahoots before to acquire the Cask of Ancient Winters, which was featured in the first journey in Asgard, so maybe Taylor will be inspired by that comic storyline for his movie. Since production begins next month in London, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.

‘Thor: The Dark World’, directed by ‘Game of Thrones’ favorite Alan Taylor, starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins, is scheduled for release on November 8, 2013.


Dwayne Johnson Up For "Lobo" Film...

After being asked by a fan, Dwayne Johnson has revealed that talk of him playing alien bounty hunter "Lobo", in the proposed DC Comics feature film adaptation in development at Warner Bros. Pictures, has some weight to it.

"Rumors of me possibly playing LOBO are true. Joel Silver and Brad Peyton working on it now. That could be fun" he states on Twitter. The studio has not set a release date yet for the film.

If cast, Johnson would reunite with his "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" director Brad Peyton on the movie.


Russell Crowe, 'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson to shoot 'Noah' on Long Island, New York...

Director Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan," "The Wrestler") Thursday tweeted the first photo of the Noah's Ark set he's constructing on Long Island for his upcoming "Noah," based on his own graphic-novel reimagining of the Biblical epic.

"We're shooting in Oyster Bay, Long Island," a Paramount spokeswoman told Newsday. "Confirmed cast includes Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth." Oscar-winner Crowe is set to play a version of Noah, whom the graphic novel's publisher, Le Lombard, describes as "a Mad Max out of the depths of time." (Connelly will play Noah's wife, and Hopkins the 900-year-old Methuselah.)

"I dreamt about this since I was 13," Aronofsky, 43, tweeted. "And now it's a reality. Genesis 6:14," he said, referring to the Bible passage that reads, "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch."

Meanwhile, Grant Wilfley Casting has scheduled an open call for "Noah" extras Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Greek Orthodox Church of Holy Resurrection in Brookville, specifying "men and women with toned-slender runner's bodies, who are willing to work at night in the rain." A previous open call had taken place June 29 in Manhattan.

"Noah," scheduled for release March 28, 2014, will adapt the graphic novel by writers Aronofsky and Ari Handel and artist Niko Henrichon, which was published in French last October.


Bwin loses German hand...

The uncertain state of European gaming, particularly regulation, and the need to gear businesses up for social networking contributed to a profit warning from Bwin.Party. With Europe in general almost intolerably volatile it is now difficult to be optimistic about Bwin's prospects for the rest of this year.


Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson In Highest Paid Actors List...

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was listed at #4 on the Forbes annual list of the highest paid actors in the world over the past year. Johnson was reported as earning $36 million this past year, behind only Tom Cruise ($75 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($37 million) and Adam Sandler ($37 million).


Roddy Piper gives tips to CM Punk...

WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper continues to praise WWE Champion CM Punk. Piper says he is going to sit down with Punk at Monday's big RAW and give him some advice for his troubles with Big Show. Piper wrote:

"Watched @CMPunk on Raw. A great job. I fought Andre so many times going to sit down with Punk at 1000 Raw a tell him a secret. He's worh it!"


AW Wants To Be WWE RAW GM...

AW says he is the one to take us back to the WWE Attitude Era. He wrote the following in response to fans criticizing his open mic work on RAW:

"If you're annoyed by me on the mic it's not me u hate it's ur own lack of internal fortitude you despise. #StopHatingO's. I'm not politically correct. If u get offended deal with it. #AttitudeEra is my motto. I grew up on it, I live it!!! #F*ckFearDrinkBeer!! If anybody's gonna take us back to the #AttitudeEra it's me. Doubt me if u will, don't let the suit fool you. We've only just begun...."


WWE Has More Legends Confirmed for RAW 1000; Stone Cold Steve Austin...

On rumors that Steve Austin will face Heath Slater on Raw 1,000: "Austin will definitely give him the stunner, ya' know thats coming! Fans get ready, you're gonna see a Stunner!"

On if he will be apart of Raw 1,000: "I will be making an appearance...people will see that my spikes were excellently repainted! Yeah, I'll be there all painted up, with bells on boys! If it happens it happens, I'm ready!"

On what else to expect for Raw 1,000: "It's gonna star studded, on my flight alone is me, DDP and Bret 'Hitman' Hart!"


WWE Focus On recruiting...

Within WWE, recruiting is now the highest priority it has been since more than a decade ago when WWE had the original strong class in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Gerald Brisco and Canyon Ceman, a recent Triple H hire, were recruiting new talents this past week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. They were specifically looking at wrestlers, weightlifters and track athletes. Brisco was highest on a bobsled racer who he thought had a great look and who loved wrestling. The racer is the pusher for his bobsled team and may want to wait until after the 2014 Winter Games. (Wrestling Observer Newsletter)


ICP’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos...

Wrestling stars announced for ICP’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos JCW BloodyMania event include Scott Steiner, Vader, John Morrison, Carlito, Bobby Lashley, Chavo Guerrero, Shane Helms, Matt Hardy, The Headbangers, The Rock ‘n Roll Express, Colt Cabana, Vampiro, Steve Corino and others. As noted before, Ric Flair will also be present as the host of the Main Stage.


Dave "Batista" Bautista to have GQ feature...

Former WWE Champion Dave "Batista" Bautista took part in a photo shoot for men's magazine GQ on Thursday to promote the upcoming martial arts film written by RZA and Eli Roth, The Man with the Iron Fists. The noted wrestler appears in the flick with Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and mixed martial artist Cung Lee. It is set for release in North America on November 2, 2012.


WWE SmackDown Results: July 20, 2012...

Five nights after Money-in-the-Bank, the 674th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, CA. After their shocking engagement on RAW and their even more shocking wedding date for the 1,000th Episode of RAW, the bride and groom-to-be, AJ and Daniel Bryan, would be the special guests on The Peep Show, hosted by Intercontinental Champion Christian!

Match Results

8-Man Tag: The Prime Time Players, Hunico, & Camacho (with A.W.) def. R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Primo, & Epico by Darren Young pinning Primo following the gutbuster.
Damien Sandow def. Zack Ryder by pin following the straightjacket neckbreaker.
Kane def. Daniel Bryan by DQ after AJ interferes.
Road Warrior Animal def. Heath Slater by pin following a jumping elbow drop.
Sheamus & Rey Mysterio def. Dolph Ziggler & Alberto Del Rio by DQ after Ricardo Rodriguez interferes.


Warner Bros. Consumer Products Announces Worldwide Licensing Program For The Dark Knight Rises
Epic Conclusion of the Dark Knight Trilogy Hits Theaters on July 20...


BURBANK, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Bat-Signal soars above the skies as Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) and its global partners launch the worldwide licensing and merchandising program that supports the eagerly awaited epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's phenomenally popular Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. As the summer blockbuster swoops into theaters, beginning July 20, WBCP unveils the unprecedented lineup of global licensees and products capturing the excitement for the film around the world.

"Batman is one of the most iconic characters in the world and our global merchandising program inspired by The Dark Knight Rises offers fans of all ages an opportunity to extend their experience beyond the theater," said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "The characters, gadgets and vehicles created by Christopher Nolan have opened up a world of great product opportunities."

In support of The Dark Knight Rises, WBCP and its host of renowned licensees are rolling out a vast product lineup generating awareness and enthusiasm just in time for the tentpole film's release. Led by global master toy licensee Mattel, the film will also be supported by key partners such as The LEGO Group, Hallmark, Kinetix, Converse, Rubie's Costume Company, and Titan Books, among many other licensees worldwide. The myriad of merchandise supporting The Dark Knight Rises will bring the film to life and into the homes of fans with a licensing program that boasts offerings across multiple categories from toys and games, to collectibles and costumes, to apparel and accessories, to publishing, party goods and domestic decor.

Mattel, global master toy partner for the film and DC Comics, will have a broad lineup as part of its Batman toy collection including action figures, playsets and collectible figures, highlighted by the fan-favorite Movie Masters(TM) line for the older fans and serious collectors, which captures the superior accuracy and details of the characters from The Dark Knight Rises. In addition, the authentic film-inspired toy line introduces the innovative play technology QuickTek(TM), which offers snap-and-slide armor and accessories.

The much-anticipated film is also being supported by LEGO, the official partner in the construction category, with a construction set inspired by The Dark Knight Rises; Rubie's Costume Co., bringing a wide range of costume products based on the entire DC Comics portfolio, including The Dark Knight Rises; and Hallmark offering collectible ornaments.

Additional licensees also supporting the film include: PPW Toys' DC Super Heroes collectible line of Mr. Potato Heads, including a "Caped Cru-Tater" figure inspired by The Dark Knight Rises; Jakks Pacific with a range of film-inspired novelty and large scale figures and plush; and Cardinals Industries' games and puzzles based on The Dark Knight Rises and Batman, as well as other legendary DC Comics characters. Funko brings its fun stylized plush and vinyl collection; Mezco unmasks colorfully detailed vinyl figures; Hornby Hobbies revs it up with a Scalextric limited edition Batman Tumbler vehicle; Thinkway Toys brings their best-in-class innovation to a range of remote control vehicles, figures, and basic role play toys inspired by Batman and The Dark Knight Rises; and McFarlane Toys unveils a special edition collectible action figure of former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl champion, Hines Ward, in his Gotham Rogues uniform as worn in The Dark Knight Rises.

The licensing program for The Dark Knight Rises reaches multiple product categories. In apparel, high-end fashion from Kinetix and Kids Republic, to Braccialini's cat-walk Catwoman-inspired clutch, to trendy apparel from Bioworld, Junkfood, French Connection, Converse, New Era and Diesel, gives fans a chance to don the look with t-shirts, limited edition sneakers and caps, accessories and more inspired by the artistry and graphics from The Dark Knight Rises; as well as Under Armour with their specialty athletic gear as inspired by their Gotham Rogues uniforms in the film. Collectibles from Hot Toys, Kotobukiya, Mobius Models and Noble Collection offer discerning collectors a chance to display the most artistic and detailed figures and replicas; Mimoco offers cool-collectors' high-tech USB flash drives for all fans; and home goods from Franco, and more will bring Batman to life in any room in the house. In publishing, WBCP and its partners take an in-depth look at all of the vehicles, gadgets, uniforms and more as seen in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Titan Books will bring the film to the page with its official tie-in novelization; Abrams releases The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy; HarperCollins caters to younger fans with a publishing program that includes a Junior novelization, I Can Read book series and assorted activity books; and Insight Editions lets fans and auto aficionados get into the driver's seat in Batmobile: The Complete History coffee table book about the iconic Batmobile through the years, as well as giving an inside look at the secrets to being Batman in The Dark Knight Manual.

Other licensees that are part of the exciting roll-out for The Dark Knight Rises program, including Lava Lite LLC, Skinit, Inc., Cufflinks, Inc., Graphitti Designs, The Northwest Company, Thermos, Trends International, Muckle Mannequins, Molli Toys and Bakery Crafts, among many others - each offering inspired product that will delight all fans.

About The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' The Dark Knight Rises is the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The film stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman. Christopher Nolan directed the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers, and Jordan Goldberg co-producing. The Dark Knight Rises is based upon Batman characters created by Bob Kane and published by DC Comics.

Opening in theatres and IMAX on July 20, 2012, The Dark Knight Rises will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language. www.thedarkknightrises.com


Gazillion Entertainment President David Brevik Talks Marvel Heroes MMO
The new game will offer dynamic environments...


SAN DIEGO -- Gazillion Entertainment have Comic-Con 2012 fans a first play of the free-to-play online game Marvel Heroes. The game combines the energy of action role-playing games with the breadth and immersion of the MMO genre, while sharing some popular features from Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo games.

Fans were able to play one of four iconic Marvel characters at the convention and battle through the war-torn streets of Mutant Town and Fort Stryker to defeat Magneto and retrieve William Stryker from his clutches. Along the way, players got a taste of the extensive loot and costume options for each hero. Developers of the game were at the Marvel Entertainment booth, which featured Iron Man 3, to guide players and answer questions during play.

“San Diego Comic-Con is the perfect venue for gamers and Marvel fans to play Marvel Heroes for the first time,” said Brevik. “Marvel Heroes is a great leap forward for the MMO genre, combining the rapid pace of an action-RPG with the depth of an MMO.”

During San Diego Comic-Con, fans also were able to play through the game to find the Tablet of Life and Time, which is a powerful item in Marvel Heroes. The Tablet has been stolen in a daring raid, and to help get it back the Marvel Heroes Task Force needed help. San Diego Comic-Con attendees were deputized and issued a unique photo ID badge, then put hot on the trail of the Tablet. Over the course of The Con, fans won t-shirts, beta codes and other prizes.


WWE Triple H Talks Talent...

Promoting this coming Monday's historic 1000th episode of Raw, Paul Levesque, also known as Triple H, addressed a number of topics including Randy Orton's ongoing sixty-day suspension for his second violation of WWE's Talent Wellness Program.

Orton, who hails from St. Louis, Missouri, the site of Monday's show, will be unable to appear due to the suspension. Though Levesque won't divulge what Orton did wrong, he notes "The Legend Killer" will be back once the suspension concludes.

"It is important to remember that all of our wrestlers are human but they also have to be accountable," Levesque says of Orton's suspension.

As WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, Levesque's corporate role is to discover tomorrow's Superstars. He admits it's a struggle.

"We're trying to teach them to be the Stone Colds and the Undertakers of tomorrow, but the one thing we can't teach is charisma," said Levesque. "You can teach people to do moves and create story lines and the psychology of what we do, but you can't teach someone to be the Rock. It's an innate ability to walk into a room and have everyone pay attention. Put aside the athleticism and what happens in the ring, what our business is really about is connecting with people emotionally. If you are emotionally connected to your character, then people will want to see you. It's true in Hollywood and movies. You don't have to be the best actor, just be a presence."

Triple H, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin created on-screen personas "fans loved, hated or loved to hate" on Raw in the late '90s. Levesque feels they were the first stars of reality television.

"Every guy we have, whether it's me, whether it's the Undertaker, whether it's John Cena playing the character John Cena, is a performer," said Levesque. "What we did is very much the beginning of reality television. 'Jersey Shore,' whether people want to believe it or not, is a scripted kind-of show. They don't give them every single word, but they give them premises and they set things up. It's not a documentary where you follow them around brushing their teeth. And that's what we are — we blur that line and that's what people find intriguing."

Levesque also offers insight on The Rock and Kane's on-stage personalities, WWE's decision to make their shows "PG" television, critics denouncing wrestling as "fake," and more.


100 Million Fans Like WWE...

STAMFORD, Conn., July 20, 2012 – WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced that it has eclipsed 100 million fans through its global social media networks, further cementing its position as one of the most followed brands in the world.

To celebrate this milestone, WWE has surprised its 100 millionth social media fan, Alex Guerrero, Jr., 27 from San Antonio, Texas with a free trip to Monday Night Raw’s 1,000th episode live from St. Louis, Mo. this Monday. Guerrero will also appear on the show and be featured across all of WWE’s social media platforms, including Tout, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and on WWE.com, making him an online Superstar.

Currently, WWE has more than 73 million Facebook fans and 30 million Twitter followers across all of its networks. WWE’s network of Facebook pages has more fans than the NFL’s Facebook league page and its 32 team pages combined. WWE’s flagship Facebook page has a stronger following than brands such as MLB, ESPN, Nickelodeon, HBO, Pepsi and CNN. On Twitter, @WWE has more followers than the NHL, McDonald’s, TMZ, CNBC, and Coca-Cola. Earlier this year, WWE and its Superstars received six 2011 Mashable Awards including “Digital Company of the Year” and "Must Follow Brand on Social Media."

The 1,000th episode of Monday Night Raw not only marks a new 8/7C start time on USA Network, but an expanded three-hour format that will usher in a new era of interactive programming, where viewers will become part of the action by using social media platforms to have a voice in the show.

About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 600 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.


McMahon releases 2010 tax returns...

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Senate candidate Linda McMahon has released tax returns showing the former wrestling executive and her husband earned $30.6 million in 2010.

The endorsed Republican candidate in the race for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate seat says her 2011 returns also eventually will be released.

The campaign provided copies of the 2010 returns to The Associated Press on Friday. The vast majority of the income for McMahon and her husband Vince, the CEO and president of WWE, formerly World Wrestling Entertainment, came from stock dividends. They paid $4.7 million in federal taxes.

A McMahon spokesman said the Greenwich couple is releasing only the 2010 returns for now because the 2011 returns have not been completed.

McMahon is facing former Congressman Christopher Shays in the Aug. 14 Republican primary election.


Marvel Entertainment movies; Thor, Spider-Man boost popularity of online slot games...

The Media Man agency reports that Marvel comics themed games such as Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk have received a boost thanks to recent and upcoming movie releases tied in with Marvel Entertainment. For the gaming world that Excelsior! (as Marvel legend Stan Lee would say). Check em out at PartyCasino, as featured across the Media Man network.


Pensioners to be Banned From Titanic II's Casino - 18th July...

Pensioners will be banned from the casino onboard Titanic II -- as will anyone travelling in steerage -- according to the man behind the project, eccentric Australian billionaire Clive Palmer.

Palmer wants to protect pensioners from themselves and questions whether anyone who can't afford a First Class ticket should even be gambling onboard.

Speaking at a press conference in Brisbane yesterday, Palmer also revealed the deck plans for the replica ship -- which will follow the original plans as closely as possible but with one or two modern additions, including lifts, air-conditioning -- and enough (modern) lifeboats.

The ship, which is being built in China, will be about four feet wider in the beam, with an extra deck to carry more passengers, lifeboats and safety equipment, including escape chutes. The hull will be welded (rather than riveted), and it will be diesel-powered, rather than run by coal, despite Palmer making his billions from mining.

Teijo Niemela, Editor of Cruise Business Review, questioned how closely it would be possible to stick to the original design: "It's quite an interesting problem that they're going to have with the design. The closer they keep the design to the original, the less the ship will be modern. After a few years when all who are interested have seen the product, how many will want to go back to a ship whose design is 100 years old?

On the other hand, if they incorporate too many modern features, such as the gadgets Queen Mary 2 has, then the problem is it wouldn't be Titanic II."

Like the original, Titanic II will be divided into first, second and third classes, with those in steerage sharing bathrooms and sitting at long tables for meals.

Clearly influenced by the James Cameron movie, Palmer said that's where he would be found –- dancing jigs (presumably with a Kate Winslet lookalike) –- in third class:

"It's more fun to dance around with an Irish drum than it is to sit at a casino all night," he said at the press conference. "That's where I'll be -- that's where the fun will be!"

First-class tickets on the original ship in today's money would cost about £57,000 -- about the price of a world cruise on a six star ship today, and out of reach of all but the most wealthy. Palmer said: "I'm sure we can do better than that," when asked what a first class ticket would sell at.

When pressed why he wanted to ban pensioners from the casino, Palmer insisted he did not want to cause offence to the elderly: "I love pensioners. My closest relations are pensioners," he said. "I was just trying to say that we need to protect and respect people who have given a lot service to this country and make sure that we don't act positively to impoverish them later -- that's all it boils down to. We have to have some social responsibility too."

The casino is likely to be located in first class, so as with on Cunard's Grill Class, it will be possible to segregate passengers, Palmer explained: "There will be some sort of screening to make sure the people who do go there are people who can afford to go there. I think third class we'd have to have questions about, wouldn't we? If you can afford a first class ticket at the prices that I'll be charging, you can probably afford to go to the casino. We'll only locate the casino in first class probably, so we should be able to segregate."

The drawings released yesterday depict nine decks, complete with first-, second- and third-class staterooms, as well as officer and crew accommodations. From deck D upward, engineers Deltamarin have managed to keep the public rooms, passenger stairs, cabins and features in similar locations as in the original ship. The board of his shipping company, Blue Star Line, is yet to approve the final design. The first voyage is set for late 2016.

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