Netflix Wants To Revive 'Jericho'

The fight for the post- apocalyptic drama Jericho may not be over just yet, as Netflix has approached CBS about resurrecting the cult fave with all new episodes.

The series starred Skeet Ulrich and Ashley and revolved around the residents of a small, rural town in Kansas called Jericho; in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear assault on 23 major US. cities, the Jericho survivors mount staggering  efforts to restore life to some sort of normalcy. CBS cancelled Jericho after its first season due to less than stellar rating, but die-hard fans assembled to launch a successful campaign to save the series, involving sending over 20 tons of nuts to CBS headquarters.

Despite the passionate fan efforts, Jericho was cancelled again for the final time after the second season. Following its television demise there was talk of a big screen movie adaptation, but that has yet to happen. The saga of Jericho did continue for a season 3 in 2009 with a six-part comic book series created by the original Jericho writing team, entitled Jericho Season 3: Civil War and in April 2012 a new upcoming comic book series dubbed Jericho Season 4.

Netflix is slowly becoming the Lazarus of the TV world, by either resurrecting or attempting to revive dead shows. Recently, after seven years off the air, Netflix sparked new life in the cult- hit comedy Arrested Development, with a set of new episodes that are expected to be released next year. Netflix also had its eye on giving time-travel drama Terra Nova a reprieve after Fox gave it the axe, but due to budgeting issues it had to pass on the idea for now. Netflix has also dipped into creating original programming with Lilyhammer, starring Steve Van Zandt of The Sopranos.

While the news of Jericho's potential return is exciting, eager fans of the cancelled post-apocalyptic series shouldn't start the happy dance just yet. Netflix has saved a show or two before, but the service can't save them all. The discussions are still in the very early stages and while CBS seems responsive to the idea, nothing may ultimately come out of it. Jericho reruns have been doing fairly well on Netfilx, but it's been over four years and assembling all the same cast and crew might be the real challenge. But if Jake Green had hope for the future, so can we.

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We'll keep you posted on the Jericho revival as the news comes in.

Source: TV Guide

Sharlto Copley Confirmed as 'Old Boy' Villain & 'Open Grave' Lead

Sharlto Copley's career has been on the ascent ever since District 9 propelled him into the limelight. The South African actor was a standout performer in an ensemble of impressive actors (and Rampage Jackson) starring in Joe Carnahan's A-Team reboot, and District 9 already proved he can carry a film as a leading man.

That latter point is a fact that Apollo 18 director Gonzalo López-Gallego recognizes, as he has cast Copley in the lead role for his next film, Open Grave. The actor apparently also has what it takes to make a pretty convincing villain, because Spike Lee has tapped him to play that very role in his upcoming remake/re-interpretation of Old Boy.

We reported a few weeks back that Copley had been offered the Old Boy villain role, and now Deadline confirms that a deal with the actor has in fact been reached. In the film, Copley will play Adrian Pryce, a billionaire who uses his considerable resources to imprison a man named Joe Douchett (Josh Brolin) in a locked room for over a decade, before setting him free with the sadistic threat that he must discover the reason for his 'punishment' within in a set span of time, or be further tormented.

Fans of Korean director Park Chan-wook's 2003 version of Old Boy know just how depraved and psychotic (in an eerily controlled sort of way) the villain in the story is ' especially at the end, when the full circumstances of the situation are revealed. With promises from producers of this Old Boy remake that the dark heart of the film will be even darker in the American version, one can only guess what perverse menace Copley will be called on to exhibit. Based on his past roles, he should deliver.

Of course, the question remains: Why did more lauded actors like  Clive Owen, Colin Firth and Christian Bale all pass on the role before Copley got it? Was it just timing, or does their absence hint something about the quality of this remake?

We'll find out as production on Old Boy gets underway this fall.

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Open Grave

We know little about Open Grave at this point ' other than it's a film from the guy who made the abysmal found-footage horror flick Apollo 18 (see pic above). Word is that  Copley plays the lead, a man who awakens in a pit full of bodies and has a series of flashbacks which leave him questioning whether or not he is the killer responsible for what lies in the mass grave ' or if the killer is in fact one of the strangers who rescues him from the pit.

If Open Grave indeed is the type of psycho-thriller it initially seems to be (sounds a lot like A Perfect Getaway), then it will indeed need a leading man with the kind of range for fear and paranoia and panic that Copley already proved he was capable of during his Kafkaesque transformation in District 9.

Open Grave is currently in the pre-production stages, but filming should get underway soon.

Source: Deadline

New 'Battleship' Clips Offer Story, Characters & Big Action

Let's be honest: At this point there are a considerable number of people who are still not sold on seeing Battleship, director Peter Berg's new summer blockbuster based on the Hasbro board game of the same name. The lack of enthusiasm is probably why Universal has released so many clips from the film to help persuade moviegoers into the theater ' clips we have rounded up for you here today.

Those who profess anything from indifference to disdain for Battleship have done so for reasons that usually include its total lack of connection to the actual board game it's based on; the shoehorning of aliens into the plot; and the general sense that Hasbro and Universal are attempting to replicate the success of the Transformers movie franchise, based on the similar designs in alien tech and action sequencing.

While all of those concerns are valid, people have overlooked other familiar aspects of the film ' such as the soapy human drama and stilted 'comedy' that Battleship has also seemingly lifted right out of Michael Bay's Transformers play book. As you'll see in the clips below, from the dialogue to the jokes to the big action set pieces, Battleship is so Transformers that some viewers will likely confuse the two:

Seriously, it would be interesting to find out just how many people in the general public ' who are largely unaware of this movie ' would see this footage and automatically assume it's the work of Michael Bay. To be fair, director Peter Berg has proved in films like Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom that he is more than a solid talent when it comes to telling compelling stories with good characters and big moments. But then, Hancock also proved him adept at crafting a big, silly, popcorn film as well. Battleship definitely falls into the latter camp.

Regardless of our quips about its quality (or lack thereof) the film is already off to a good start: it opened overseas (no pun) in mid-April, and has since amassed $170 million at the box office. So, even with an inflated budget and what is sure to be poor critical reception, there's still a very good chance that Berg, Universal and Hasbro are all going to walk away laughing with some money in pocket.

We'll find out how the battle goes stateside when Battleship opens in U.S. markets on May 18, 2012.

Source: Universal

'The Dark Knight Rises' Trailer #3: More Story Revealed & Catwoman's Debut

The Dark Knight Rises trailer 3 is here! The Avengers is the belle of the ball in theaters right now, but Chris Nolan's finale to the Batman trilogy is far from forgotten ' and will surely be in the forefront again (for better or worse) after people get a look at the new footage.

After three trailers we have some of the answers that fans have been wondering and/or worrying about ' plus new questions to wonder and/or worry about. Scroll down to the comments for the discussion.

The best word to describe this third Dark Knight Rises trailer would probably be 'crescendo.' Starting from Selina Kyle's (Anne Hathaway) ominous whispered threat to Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) about coming storms ' to the final shot of The Bat hovercraft soaring and barrel-rolling across the skies of Gotham, this trailer attempts to showcase just how epic this third and final film is going to be.

Admittedly, however, this is clearly a trailer that is meant for a big screen ' the final scene of The Bat hovercraft seemingly taking advantage of the film's impressive IMAX format (along with many other scenes glimpsed in the trailer).

Here are a couple of things of note, in terms of questions that have been answered:

• Catwoman seems like a cynical crook-for-hire, but one who eventually takes up Batman's cause. I have a feeling the new footage will assuage a lot of doubt about Anne Hathaway getting the role.
• The audio on Bane's (Tom Hardy) vocals has definitely been cleaned up and clarified. While it'll be easier to understand, there is something lost in the effect the ravaged, scratchy version had.
• The movie seems to be a combination of the Batman comic book storylines 'Knightfall', 'Knightquest', and 'No Man's Land'. Click any of those titles to learn more about the respective stories.

As for new questions and worries:

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard's characters ' for the moment ' seem to be no more than what they are: a local Gotham cop and Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, respectively. Rumors have long been flying about one or both of them having secret identities of their own ' but Nolan is playing that close to the vest for now (or, scary thought, not playing that game at all).
• Looking at the story structure, it seems like there will be a significant portion of this film in which there is no Batman, just Bruce Wayne. Don't know how fans will feel about that.
• Side characters like Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cop character and other supporting players like Commissioner Gordon, Miranda Tate and Catwoman may not serve as suitable substitutions for Batman in a 'Batman movie.'

As we discuss on this week's Screen Rant Podcast, Dark Knight Rises in some ways has it harder than, say, The Amazing Spider-Man. Nolan and Co. have HUGE expectations to live up to ' critically, financially, publicly ' and even if he does a really good job, anything short of goosebump-inducing awe will be considered a disappointment. By contrast, if Spider-Man is even marginally entertaining, it'll be deemed a pleasant surprise.

How do you feel about Dark Knight Rises after this latest trailer? Vote in our poll below:

The Dark Knight Rises will be in theaters on July 20, 2012.

Source: Warner Bros.

SR Geek Picks: 'Justice League' Trailer, 'The Ring' First Pitch, and More'

Starting today we're going to try out a new ongoing feature here on the site ' welcome to the inaugural edition of ScreenRant's 'Geek Picks,' where new contributor Justin Vactor will be collecting the finest movie-related geekery from around the web for you ' because he really likes you. Warning: If you don't like Star Wars, this isn't the column you're looking for. ' Editor

Django Unchained / Star Wars Mash-Up Poster

I want to live in this world and only this world.

Justice League trailer (Avengers Style)

If the Justice League movie was real and shot in the style of the Avengers, it would look like this but with real people.

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Optimus Prime being a boss at Universal Studios Hollywood

Optimus is a Prime. Primes do what they want, when they want.

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Watch The Ring's creepy demon girl throw the first pitch at a Japanese baseball game

Seems like a normal Japanese baseball game to me.

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Movies that come to the rescue mashup

(Big hat-tip to SR reader Jessica S for this one.)

 

Can you name every superhero movie in this clip? Bonus points for every Nicolas Cage sighting.

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Your hands would break the world's tiniest Star Wars arcade cabinet

(via Venture Beat)

In the words of Will Smith, 'Feel like I'm gonna break this damn thing.'

Marvel Has Big Plans for Black Widow

Not long after Iron Man 2 hit theaters in 2010, Marvel Studios' President of Production Kevin Feige revealed during a press conference that Marvel was chatting with Scarlett Johansson to develop concepts for a potential Black Widow spin-off film.

Black Widow of course, is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent first introduced in Iron Man 2 who appears in a more prominent role in The Avengers this week, and with the character's profile and popularity increasing as a result, there's an even greater chance of Black Widow solo film becoming a reality alongside additional confirmed 'appearances.'

It's not only the sexy Russian spy who has solo film potential, but Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye character (and Black Widow's partner) as well. Renner of course, is a hot ticket in Hollywood and was highly sought after to not only take over the Mission: Impossible franchise from Tom Cruise, but to continue the Jason Bourne series as a replacement for Matt Damon's titular character. Hawkeye had a cameo appearance in Thor and plays an important member on The Avengers roster alongside Black Widow ' both lack superpowers, both have elite military training, and both characters are being explored by Marvel Studios as potential stars of their own spin-off Hawkeye and Black Widow movies.

While I do not believe Hawkeye will ever get to headline his own film, Black Widow has a slightly more realistic chance of doing so. In chatting with Movieline during The Avengers press tour, Feige addressed the potential of the studio exploring more of Black Widow's story and whether or not the character could earn her own solo film among Marvel's packed slate.

'Well, I think you saw it in Avengers. I think that's one of the many amazing things Joss Whedon can do. I think people are going to be surprised by how powerful Scarlett is in this movie, and how evolved her role is. We have already planned her next appearances and where to take that character because we believe in it and we believe in her in a big, big way. When will there be a standalone? Both is what we're heading toward. A lot of it is that we're only going to make two movies a year, maybe sometimes it'll be one movie a year like this year, maybe someday it'll be three movies a year just depending on what comes together. But really, it's two movies. So there's kind of a backup on the runway right now in terms of when can something go. We do like when some of the characters appear in other people's movies.'

Marvel Studios is making each and every film to serve a greater purpose as a device to introduce and expand the franchise or to make bank at the box office. A Black Widow film would need to somehow tie into an Avengers sequel or with the widely talked about SHIELD movie, so it's more likely that a SHIELD-centric story will be where characters including Black Widow and Hawkeye would get their own adventures and more screentime. We know from chatting with Johansson ourselves that she will not be appearing in Iron Man 3, but from Feige's words, she will show up in something over the next two-three years before The Avengers 2.

With Kevin Feige confirming that Marvel Studios will only be doing two movies per year going forward (possibly even three if Ant-Man can get off the ground), there's very little room for additional solo character pieces, especially with Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 releasing next year, Captain America 2 in 2014, and according to the latest rumors, potentially a third Hulk film in 2015. Marvel must fit in The Avengers 2 somewhere in there (2015) as well as Edgar Wright's Ant-Man, and Feige is still name-dropping Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange and Inhumans as other films Marvel is developing.

Not too mention Black Panther, Heroes For Hire, etc. If Black Widow and/or Hawkeye is to have their own stories told, it makes the most sense to push ahead with a SHIELD film that could focus on them, their partnership and histories, and it could work to setup The Avengers sequel. Such a film would fit very well alongside Captain America 2 (and Ant-Man) in 2014. Just saying.

And if Ant-Man is about a SHIELD spy, what a great way to tie all of those 2014 movies together and give more opportunities to boost the Black Widow/Hawkwye branding'

The Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgard. It is of course written and directed by Joss Whedon, opening in North American theaters on May 4, 2012.

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Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes if you're a Marvel fan.

Source: Movieline

'Daredevil' Reboot Getting a Rewrite

Little progress has been made on 20th Century Fox's Daredevil reboot since David Slade was brought aboard to helm the project ' so little that the 30 Days of Night and Eclipse filmmaker has found time to direct an episode on Breaking Bad and the pilot for Awake, while also preparing to oversee the pilot for Bryan Fuller's Hannibal series.

However, the Daredevil reboot's engine looks to start puttering once again, now that Fox has recruited a little-known writer in the form of David James Kelly, to rework the screenplay for the Marvel comic book movie project.

Deadline has the scoop on Kelly being hired on to revamp the current script draft for the Daredevil reboot, penned by Brad Caleb Kane (a former co-showrunner and writer for Fringe). Slade, as it were, is still poised to direct the project, once he completes his additional television show production duties.

Kane's screenplay is reportedly based on a famous Daredevil comic book storyline written by Frank Miller ' dating back to a time when that was a good thing ' titled 'Born Again', wherein The Kingpin systematically destroys Matt Murdock's life, after discovering that he is the face behind 'The Man Without Fear.' Such a plot setup would tie in organically to the conclusion of Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 Daredevil movie, where The Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) was on his way to prison, after having learned the titular, devil-costumed hero's (Ben Affleck) secret identity.

Hence, Slade's Daredevil project could ultimately prove to be more of a rebooting sequel that maintains continuity with its predecessor, along the lines of The Incredible Hulk or this summer's G.I. Joe: Retaliation ' as opposed to, just a rehashing of Daredevil's origin story.

While the writing talent associated with the Daredevil reboot doesn't do much to generate excitement, Slade being set to direct has provided good reason for fans to expect a movie that genuinely deserves the label 'darker, grittier and better.' Here, that would actually be appropriate too, given the nature of the Daredevil universe and Murdock's life in general ' to say nothing of the brutal twists and turns found in Miller's 'Born Again' storyline.

Similarities between the 'Born Again' plot and the acclaimed 'Batman: Knightfall' comic book storyline (thought to be partly the basis for The Dark Knight Rises) could be interpreted as an encouraging sign for Slade's movie ' or a sign of a lack of creativity, depending on how you approach it. If nothing else, though, at least the Daredevil requel (rebooting sequel) shouldn't be lacking in substance to go with the 'edgier' style (Ghost Rider 2, looking at you).

We will continue to keep you up-to-date on the status of the Daredevil reboot as more information is released.

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Source: Deadline

'Daredevil: Shadowland' Header Image Artwork by Ben Oliver