Rhys Ifans explains why his Amazing Spider-Man character is no ordinary villain!


Henry Cavill discusses how Immortals prepared him for Superman. James Mangold drops some more Wolverine story hints. Familiar actors are spotted on the Hobbit set. And is Scarlett Johansson's alien sex movie Under the Skin really an alien sex movie?

Spoilers from here on out!

Top image from The Dark Knight Rises.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Rhys Ifans explains how the Lizard's alter ego Curt Connors isn't a standard villain, and how that plays into the larger Spider-Man mythos:

"The majority of comic book villains are pure evil, but Curt Connors is an exception. Curt Connors is a good man who initially wants to save the world but he gets hungry and greedy and reckless and he pays the price for that. I just love the whole Spider-Man thing because Superman is so kind of godlike, he comes from another planet, Batman is this inaccessible, unapproachable millionaire, and Peter Parker is this schoolboy who's bullied and I think that's the kind of enduring appeal to that story. We can all relate to his bullying and the kind of flux that puberty induces in a young boy becoming a man."


He also confirmed the relationship between Curt Connors and Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy, as played by Emma Stone:

"Emma works with me. Emma's character Gwen Stacey is a student who works at my laboratory."


[MTV Splash Page]

The Dark Knight Rises

Here's a set video.

Man of Steel

Henry Cavill explains how his role as the ultra-muscled Greek warrior Theseus has prepared him for Superman:

"Any experience on an acting job is good experience because you can take it to the next [job]. The physical experience (on "Immortals") was obviously wonderful because it's prepped me for this ("Superman") physical experience. I've learned that when you go to this kind of level, it's no longer about the physical, it's more about the mental. It's about the will power to push yourself into that very dark place. You're standing next to the precipice, and you've got that weight on your shoulders, and you're only halfway through the workout and you need to push yourself off and just go into that big black hole and keep on pushing. "Immortals" prepped me for that emotionally and mentally... in the physical sense, if that makes sense.


[Superman Super Site]

The Wolverine

Director James Mangold promises there will still be "serious action" in this movie, but that's just part of it:

"It's also more of a journey for the character in a completely foreign land and more of a mystery and an adventure than it kind of is another save the world 'X-Men' film. I think it also goes more deeply into some really great questions about Hugh's character and his journey and where he's going. In many ways, the storyline makes me think even of Asimov's 'The Bicentennial Man.' The man who's here forever must watch mankind make all of its mistakes and also lose everyone they ever love, because we all either get killed or die in some way. We pass and they endure. At some point, do you ever get tired of it?"


He had me at randomly referencing Isaac Asimov. [MTV Splash Page]

The Hobbit


Here's a set photo that appears to show Elijah Wood and Ian McKellan as Frodo and Gandalf at the Hobbiton set, presumably filming the wrap-around segments for the movie. According to the set report, one of the signs on set reads "No Admittance Except On Party Business", suggesting this segment is set during Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday party at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring. [Ain't It Cool]

Under the Skin

Filming has moved to the Scottish coastal village of Auchmithie for the film in which Scarlett Johansson plays an alien who seduces men and then kills them... or, at least, that's what we thought the movie was about. According to producer James Wilson, that might not be exactly the case:

''This is essentially a road movie that has a sci-fi element to it. I would say it is part road movie, part sci-fi and part real — a lot of what has appeared on the internet about it so far is not accurate.''


He also confirmed that the movie is set in Scotland, and that Auchmithie was chosen because of its ruggedly beautiful harbor. [The Courier]

The Host

Casting has begun for the adaptation of Twilight author Stephanie Meyer's other book about a human fighting a race of parasitic aliens, even as she's trying to ward off a super-powerful parasite from burrowing insider her brain and slowly erasing her personality. Hanna star Saoirse Ronan is already attached to star, with In Time's Andrew Niccol directing. Now the movie is reportedly looking for the two male leads: Jared, the boyfriend of Ronan's character Melanie, and Ian, a human who attacks and then falls in love with the parasite-controlled Melanie. The actors up for Jared reportedly includes Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones), Jai Courtney (Spartacus: Blood and Sand), and Max Irons (Red Riding Hood) are set to test for a character named Jared. Jake Abel (The Lovely Bones), Dane DeHaan (The Place Beyond the Pines), Thomas McDonnell (Prom), and Augustus Prew (Charlie St. Cloud) are reportedly reading for Ian. [/Film]


The Last Days on Mars

Ruairi Robinson, who earned an Oscar nomination for the 2001 short Fifty Percent Grey, is set to make his feature film debut with this sci-fi action film from a script by Clive Dawson and design work from WETA. Pitch Black producer Michael Kuhn is producing the film, along with Andrea Cornwell. Here's a description of the project:




Wanted 2

Writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas discuss where the long-delayed and seemingly abandoned sequel is currently up to:

Brandt: Hopefully, [ Wanted director] Timur [Bekmambetov] will come back on to direct. You write it with Timur's sensibility and try to give him the most leeway to do what he does really well.

Haas: We're just writing the script right now. We're hoping that it's going to be Timur directing. I think Michael and I are going to strong-arm him into Universal and make him do it. We're writing and basically picking Wesley up a few years after the events of the first movie and throwing him back into that world.



300: Battle for Artemisia

Producer Mark Canton discusses the planned 300 follow-up:

"We have a great director, Noam Murro. Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstead have written an absolutely awesome screenplay and we're working on moving forward with Warner Bros. and Legendary, and it's getting serious. And it's not a sequel or a prequel… it's another story in the 300 universe, and it's pretty great."


He also suggests characters from the original movie will be back:

"There's a plan and — look, it's about the story. In the story that Frank [Miller] and Zack and Kurt Johnstead have fashioned, the likelihood is we'll see some of those favorites again."



Doctor Who

Karen Gillan says she'd be up for an end to Amy's character that precludes her from constantly being brought back:

"Death would be an option. I don't want Amy to pop up again every so often, because for me it would take away from the big, emotional goodbye. Once she's gone, she's gone — I want people to remember the Amy Pond era as a good one."


[Doctor Who News Page]


Here are some promo photos from the November 11 episode, "And Those We've Left Behind." [KSiteTV]


And here's a spoiler-y set photo from the filming of episode ten. [SpoilerTV]

The Walking Dead

The show will resolve whether or not Lori is pregnant in the next episode. [E! Online]


True Blood

The fifth season premiere will feature a return to Sookie's childhood, in which she uses her powers to exact vengeance on a couple bullies... who didn't pick her for the kickball team. [E! Online]


Stephen Moyer is pretty sure there will be (at least) six seasons:

"There is certainly enough material for us to keep going and going. And as you know, television contracts are six years, so I don't think there is any need for it to be the last season. I don't see any need or reason for it to stop when it is as successful as it is."


[E! Online]

Terra Nova

Here's a promo for the next episode, "Nightfall." [TerraNovaTV]


One of the more unexpected - and potentially dangerous - effects of Morgan having the Intersect will become clear this week, when Chuck discovers Morgan no longer knows who Luke Skywalker is. [E! Online]


Once Upon a Time

Here's a quartet of sneak peeks from episode three, "Snow Falls." [KSiteTV]


Here are some photos from episode two, "Bears Will Be Bears." [BuddyTV]

And here are some promo photos from episode three, "Beeware." [KSiteTV]

Here's the official description for episode four, "The Three Bad Wolves":




Bitsie Tullock explains how her character Juliette will figure into future stories:

"I am a veterinarian on the show, which hasn't come into play too much, but down the road I know that it is going to come in handy as far as some of the creatures are concerned."


[E! Online]


Here's a sneak peek and promo from this week's episode, "The Mentalists." [BuddyTV]

American Horror Story

Here's a sneak peek for the conclusion of the "Halloween" two-parter, which was written by Angel's Tim Minear.

And here's a behind-the-scenes video on the making of the two-parter.


Here are some promo photos from episode five, "Resistance." [SpoilerTV]

The Vampire Diaries

Here's a promo and sneak peek from the next episode, "Ordinary People." [BuddyTV]

The Secret Circle

Chris Zylka explains that Jake is staying in the circle because of his relationship with Isaac:

"The way I care and that Isaac cares for me…it really is going to be sort of the middle ground of what is going to happen, what choices he is going to make, and it plays off better and better with the witch hunters in every episode."


[E! Online]

Additional reporting by Natalie Baaklini and Charlie Jane Anders.


Share This Story