Syd Mead Hired To Design Sets For Neill Blomkamp's Elysium

Deadline reports Neill Blomkamp has reached out to legendary science fiction designer Syd Mead to create sets for next film Elysium. Mead is a hard get as he doesn't often do work for films. His previous design work includes sets and vehicles for Aliens and Blade Runner. Syd's detailed set work is one of the major reasons I love those movies. Blomkamp seems to be throwing down a gauntlet reserved for directors like Ridley Scott and James Cameron. Expect big things from this gestating project which is set 100 years in the future and on another planet.

This seems like the next step for the epic sounding science fiction thriller. Blomkamp has written the script with Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley locked in to star in the film. The site also mentions an intention for the release date to be sometime during the holiday season of 2012. This could be the first competition to part one of Peter Jackson's Hobbit.

John Carter of Mars' Release Date Moves Up To March 9th 2012

While Disney is slowly getting a successful return from Tron Legacy their next big science fiction film John Carter of Mars could be the studio's most ambitious film in recent memory. The adaption of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels is getting being moved up to a release date of March 9th 2012. It will go up against Ridley Scott's Prometheus which was announced last week.

Civil War vet John Carter is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a lush, wildly diverse planet whose main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, who is in desperate need of a savior.

Taylor Kitsch (Wolverine, Battleship) plays John Carter, Lily Collins (Wolverine) is Dejah Thoris and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Martian inhabitant Tars Tarkas. The rest of the impressive cast includes Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3), Polly Walker (Clash of The Titans, Patriot Games), Samantha Morton (Minority Report, Control), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Green Lantern), Ciaran Hinds (Munich, There Will Be Blood), Dominic West (300, The Wire), James Purefoy (Resident Evil, Rome) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Drive).

Anne Hathaway Is Catwoman & Tom Hardy Is Bane In Dark Knight Rises

Warner Bros. has sent out the official press release that Anne Hathaway has joined The Dark Knight Rises. Anne will play Selina Kyle the sleek thief that is also known as Catwoman. Also in the press release they announce that Tom Hardy will play the villain Bane. It will be interesting to see which versions of the characters will be in the film. Knowing Christopher Nolan's love for large casts I believe we could be seeing more characters and actors announced in the coming weeks.

We've seen some supernatural elements involved with Catwoman's origin in Batman Returns. Yet I expect we'll see Selina Kyle as more of a regular love interest and possible ally of Batman. On the other hand Kyle could also end up playing both sides playing both lover and enemy.

It should be a redemption for the character of Bane since he's been portrayed as mindless muscle bound brute. This goes against the original character who is brilliant and also plays both sides. Even working alongside Batman on a few occasions.

What Do You Think Of The Addition Of Anne Hathaway As Catwoman? What About Bane? Should He Be The Only Villain? Who Else Should Be In The Film? Leave Your Comments!

FIRST LOOK: X-Men First Class Cast In Costume

DailyBlam has what it appears to be the first cast photo from X-Men First Class. While they say it's from 20th Century Fox it's odd other blog outlets haven't posted the image. If it's from a magazine why not mention it? I assume this could very well be fan art but until there is confirmation in either case it's cool none the less. It does give off a very 60's X-Men meets Kick-Ass vibe.

UPDATE: A friend over at ComicBookMovie has alerted me that the image comes from a hosted image by MSN. So this very well could be the real deal. It's odd that DailyBlam didn't credit finding it on MSN which could have stomped the idea it was fake.

What Do You Think Of The 1960's Look For The First X-Men Team? Leave Your Comments!!

TRAILER: Jon Hewitt's X

Duncan Jones's Blade Runner Homage "Future City Film" Is Next, Mute Is Dead?

Writer/director Duncan Jones is becoming the next big name in science fiction films. His first film Moon is one of the best from the genre in the last 10 years and his upcoming Source Code looks to be just as interesting.

There had been talk from Jones his next film would be Mute. A film noir set in a futuristic Berlin with a lead character that is unable to speak. Mute is apparently having issues with finding fiances and could be stuck in limbo. In a new interview with WeGotThisCovered , Duncan says that his next film will be Future City Film (working title) and talks on Mute's issues. Another homage to the work of Ridley Scott taking inspiration from Blade Runner. Mute was also to take some elements from the classic android film. His first film Moon takes a lot of it's tone and imagery from Ridley's Alien.

While I'm upset that Mute is being put on hold as long as Jones is sticking with science fiction I'm happy. Plus any film that is influenced by Blade Runner is going to interest me. I'll be curious to see if the noir elements which were going to be used in Mute will also be involved with the new project.

New Captain America Still

RUMOR: Clive Owen The Next 007 In Bond 24?

While Daniel Craig will be playing James Bond in the 23rd installment there is talk it could be his last film. TheExaminer reports that MGM was going to try to have Clive Owen replace Craig but with the actors two picture contract it would have been a costly buy out. The only problem is that Owen is rumored to be asking for a three picture deal which the studio might not want to commit to.

You might remember Clive Owen was originally on the shortlist to play 007 in Casino Royale before Daniel Craig was eventually cast. It's expected that he would end up in the role in Bond 24. There has been rumored and confirmed interest from directors like Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino and Danny Boyle to make a Bond movie. You never know these directors could end up taking on Bond 24.





Do You Think Clive Owen Should Replace Daniel Craig? Who Should Be The Next 007?? Leave Your Comments!

Noomi Rapace Cast In Ridley Scott's Prometheus Coming May 9th 2012

Deadline reports that Fox and Ridley Scott have cast Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw in Prometheus which is set for release on March 9th 2012.  The project was originally set to be a prequel to Alien but has become an original project. Ridley hasn't made an original science fiction project since the greatest film of the genre Bladerunner. While story elements are unknown Ridley states there will be familiar Alien DNA and promises a grand mythology/universe. I gather he means it will be a science fiction horror film and could likely involve aliens just not the Xenomorph.

Rapace had been championed by Ridley while Fox had their doubts but it looks like the director has got his way. Interesting enough is their new announcement that Angelina Jolie is going up against Charlize Theron for the role of Vickers. I'm curious to see who comes on top either way it should be enough for Fox to fit the bill for rather expensive production's budget. While I'm worried about Jolie's abilities, with Ridley in charge I have faith it could be amazing none the less. The only other name not mentioned is Michael Fassbender who had been linked for the role of the ship's android David.

To be honest this new information gives me the relief that our love for Alien won't be tarnished by a possible bad prequel. Now there is hope that we'll have yet another epically scaled science fiction classic from Ridley. I'm fully on board with this and will be following this closely and will post non-spoilers plot details when they surface. 

POSTERS: Sucker Punch & Thor

FIRST LOOK: Andrew Garfield As Spider-Man

FIRST LOOK: Captain America's Full Costume

RUMOR: X-Men First Class Trailer Attached To Green Hornet?

BrandX (Geoff from HeroComplex) reports that the first trailer for X-Men First Class is going to be attached with The Green Hornet. This has yet to be confirmed by other sources mainly 20th Century Fox. There are conflicting rumblings that Fox hasn't set the release date which had been announced for June 3rd previously. If Fox needs more time post-production which is possible they could push the film to late summer or the holiday season in December. I've been expecting our first glimpse would be during the Super Bowl on February 6th.

Basement Jaxxx Scoring Attack The Block

Edgar Wright just spilled the beans on Basement Jaxxx's involvement with Joe Cornish's directorial debut Attack The Block. The science fiction action comedy will feature Nick Frost (Paul, Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) and focuses on a teen gang in South London defending their block from an alien invasion. Wright Tweeted about enjoying Basement Jaxxx's score for the science fiction comedy. Cornish is a good friend of Wright's and the two worked together on the script for Steven Spielberg's Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn. I love the work of Basement Jaxxx with their blending of British Hip-hop, Trip-hop, Bollywood and Electronic music.

FIRST LOOK: Rooney Mara As Lisbeth Salander