More From Mark Hamill on 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

ComingSoon.net and E! caught up with Mark Hamill last night at the LA premiere of his new film Sushi Girl, and it goes without saying that an update regarding Star Wars: Episode VII was on the hot topic list.

He doesn't appear to know much about any of the latest developments, or may just be keeping things to himself, but an update is nonetheless an update.

"We have questions about it," Hamill told E! about the next wave of Star Wars films under the new Disney banner, and presumably speaking on behalf of himself and Carrie Fisher, who also met with George Lucas last summer.

"I don't have any information that isn't already out there. And I'm in a place where sometimes I forget what's classified and what's not," Hamill told Comingsoon.net at the same premiere. "I said to my son – because my son is really the Star Wars fanatic in my family, of my three kids – I said, 'How come you know more about Star Wars than me or even Lucasfilm?' He goes, 'Well, Dad, I go to StarWars.com.' He knew about the new writer, Michael Arndt, before I knew about that," he revealed.

As far as exactly what he knows, Hamill isn't admitting to much according to Comingsoon's interview.

"I'm not holding out on you. I just know that nothing's been decided, whether we're in or out. I was surprised at how George announced it, because he told me about this last summer. Not about Disney, but just that they decided after all these years that they were gonna go do VII, VIII, and IX. We were just shocked. But it's so in the early stages… I thought he announced too early. I don't know what the timing was in terms of the Disney deal. But we don't know what's going on really. And when we do, believe me, we'll let you know!"

He also told E! he wasn't sure of what is in store story-wise. "And really, they're not even at the stage where they're able to answer those questions because, as far as I know, is there a story yet?" he continued. Though to answer that question, Lucas has treatments written for an entire new trilogy, so there is story enough in place for announced Episode VII screenwriter Michael Arndt to polish up.

Even though all rumors point to Hamill returning as an elder Luke Skywalker for the planned 2015 sequel to Return of the Jedi, E! asked what he thought about the possibility of re-casting the Tatooine farmboy turned Jedi Knight. "If they were going to do a story where Luke was too young or too old for me to play, they would get an age appropriate actor," said the 61 year-old sci-fi icon. "There's so many good people."

"Until I know more about what they have in mind, I think it's better to let Lucasfilm make the announcements," he said.

SOURCE: Comingsoon.net, E! Online

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Sirs Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart Set To Return In 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

Director/ Producer Bryan Singer took to his Twitter account to let everyone know that he won't be the only one returning to the big screen X-Men world in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the follow-up to X-Men: First Class.

Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will be joining First Class cast members James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and Nicholas Hoult in the sequel set to hit theaters on July 18, 2014.

Singer, who directed 2000's X-Men and 2003's X2, had to bow out of 2011's X-Men: First Class to instead helm Jack the Giant Slayer (which has yet to be released). Ironically Singer is now back in the mix after First Class director Matthew Vaughn abruptly stepped away from Days of Future Past (those Star Wars: Episode VII rumors persist).

X-Men: First Class was a 60's set quasi-prequel to the 20th Century Fox's blockbuster X-Men series starring Stewart as Charles Xavier, McKellen as Magneto and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. First Class recast McAvoy and Fassbender as younger versions of Xavier and Magento, and managed to squeeze Jackman in for a quick cameo as well. The alternating time line aspects involved with the plot of Days of Future Past (inspired from a comic book story arc), will allow both versions of the popular Marvel Mutants to share screen time within the same film.

“The movie is called X-Men: Days Of Future Past, use your imagination,” Singer told Deadline. “More to come,” he added.

Hugh Jackman can't be far behind. Expect more updates when Jackman is thrown into an international press circuit grilling in New York City for Les Misérables later this week. The Wolverine, a sequel to ALL of the previous X-Men films hits the big screen next July, and has a hot rumor of Famke Jannsen reprising her role as Jean Grey (most likely in a flashback). How this all may eventually fit in with Days of Future Past will be revealed in due time...

Thrilled to announce @ianmckellen118 & @sirpatstew are joining the cast of #XMEN #DaysOfFuturePast #magneto #professorX More to come...
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 27, 2012

I'd like to officially welcome back James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, & Nicholas Hoult to #XMEN for #DaysOfFuturePast
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 27, 2012

SOURCE: Twitter, Deadline

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Will Joseph Gordon-Levitt Bridge Christopher Nolan's 'Batman' Trilogy and 'Justice League' ?

Looks like we will take a break this week from the Star Wars: Episode VII rumor mill and move over to the rumblings regarding Warner Bros.' Justice League. With Man of Steel director Zack Snyder admitting to staying the course with his reboot of Superman leading into Justice League, a new rumor has surfaced today.

If you haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises, you may want to stop reading here...

According to sources talking to Hitfix, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to 'absolutely' appear as the new Batman in Justice League, which is looking to hit the big screen in 2015.

Since director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale have retired their take on Batman, and Nolan has stated he will have no involvement with Justice League, it has been widely assumed that a rebooted version of the Caped Crusader would have to be introduced in the DC all-star team up film. But with Levitt's Officer John Blake inheriting the cape and cowl at the conclusion of TDKR, the decision to carry the character over and into Justice League would not only bring an additional familiar face alongside Henry Cavill's Superman to Warner Bros.' big screen answer to Marvel's The Avengers, but would more importantly provide a quick and easy shortcut to incorporate Nolan's entire Batman trilogy into the ongoing big screen DC Universe.

According to Hifix's Drew McWeeny:

"Now here's where things get interesting. The more insistent the drumbeat has become, the more poking around I've been doing, and it's looking like we may see Gordon-Levitt in the suit earlier than that. They're a long way from filming anything Justice League related, but they appear to be solidifying deals for Gordon-Levitt and, potentially, at least one other actor from the Nolan films to do… something."

Now the implication here is that there are plans for a big reveal cameo in next summer's Man of Steel, linking Gotham and Metropolis well before Justice League hits theaters. Though Man of Steel is the only big screen opportunity for WB on the horizon as of now, so it's either this or nothing.

Additionally, if another actor from the Nolan films were to join Levitt (according to Hitfix's source), you could conceivably place Michael Caine (Alfred) with him in Wayne Manor or the Batcave (perhaps watching a news report of Superman), or have Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon) stand along side Levitt's new Dark Knight as Superman flies over Gotham with the Batsignal in the sky. Taking a heavy cue from the Marvel Studios post-credits cameos, a brief shot is all it takes to get the ball rolling and neatly wrap these films together.

Factor in as well that Nolan is producing Man of Steel, so none of this would go forward without his knowledge, or blessing. Obviously all of this is complete rampant speculation, but for WB it would provide a solution to not having to start a entirely new big screen DC Universe from scratch with next year's Man of Steel, and incorporate Nolan's brilliant body of work. 

Another other option is to also include Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in Justice League, and not scrap the ambitious sci-fi groundwork laid down in that 2011 film. And with thousands of active members in the Green Lantern Corps, Reynolds could easily do a quick cameo and step aside for another to join full time in Justice League (though its highly likely Reynolds and the GL cast signed a multi-picture deal with WB).

Where Marvel masterfully built their big screen universe one film at a time, cross-over cameo by cross-over cameo beginning in 2008's Iron Man and leading into The Avengers, DC/WB does not have the luxury of time or a busy upcoming film slate to mirror that feat before Justice League hits in 2015.


SOURCE: Hitfix

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Chilling New Image of the Snowmen From The 'Doctor Who Christmas Special' Revealed

BBC America revealed two new images from the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special - The Snowmen, the official poster for the episode and a chilling look at the Jack Frost-esque villains themselves.

Per BBC:

"This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Snowmen, features a new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen. This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres Tuesday, December 25, 9:00pm on BBC America."

SOURCE: BBC America

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Zack Snyder Hints At 'Justice League' Ties To 'Man of Steel'

Talking to the New York Post, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder did not deny that there may be something cooking in his Superman reboot as far planting the seeds for the big screen Justice League movie is concerned.

“I don’t know how Justice League is going to be handled. Honestly, I don’t,” Snyder said. “But The Man of Steel exists, and Superman is in it. I don’t know how you’d move forward without acknowledging that.”

When grilled further on whether Man of Steel would lay down the groundwork to setting up the DC Universe on the big screen, as in a possible post-credits surprise cameo (a staple that built Marvel's well paced lead into The Avengers), or even a simple reference to Gotham City, Snyder did not directly answer, but his pleading the Fifth had him acknowledging the actual answer would in fact be spoiler material.

“Um, how can I answer that?” he wonders. “I can’t really say anything to that, because that’s a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course.” And that fans, would be a perfectly deflected 'Yes.'

“We approach the film as a single endeavor,” he said of the obvious plans beyond Man of Steel. “There are a lot of gears that have to turn in the world of commerce and the world of the mythology we create to facilitate more adventures for this character. We’ll see what happens.”

Warner Bros. has a interesting path to take with building towards Justice League, which would presumably team up the big DC Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman along with possible popular candidates like Green Lantern, Flash and Aquaman. WB just concluded its current run with Christian Bale as Batman with The Dark Knight Rises, so a new Caped Crusader will be on board from here on in. 2011's Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds was far from a hit with fans, critics or the box office. Moving forward from that film is up in the air, but including Reynolds would at least add a second familiar face to a team of rebooted big screen heroes. Wonder Woman has stalled over the years attempting to get to either the small screen and big screen, so her re-introduction will likely fall within Justice League.

The new big screen Superman, Henry Cavill, is signed on for three films, which is not uncommon for big potential franchises. Whether Justice League is a part of that deal remains to be seen, but looks like a sure bet he will headline it. Though even committing to three pics seems like a light load next to the contract Chris Evans signed with Marvel Studios to play Captain America, whose whopping nine picture deal was talked down to six, and that included appearing in The Avengers and its sequels. In addition, it is highly likely Ryan Reynolds also signed a multi-picture deal for Green Lantern, so whether WB holds him to that in regards to Justice League or not is another factor to weigh in on.

But whatever the exact plan may be, its is more likely than not that Warners will use Man of Steel as a springboard for the big screen DC Universe considering its the only live action project on the horizon set for release in the next two years.

Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill (Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Russell Crowe (Jor-El), Michael Shannon (General Zod) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), is set for theaters on June 14, 2013.

The highly anticipated first full-length trailer will be attached to The Hobbit, which bows on December 14th.

SOURCE: New York Post

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Happy Thanksgiving From NerdyRottenScoundrel.com!

We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Today we offer a collection of images and videos starring old friends from Star Wars to The Muppets to Superman, Friends, Peanuts to How I Met Your Mother. Hopefully a classic SNL wish from Tonto, Frankenstein and Tarzan or the true meaning of Slapsgiving will bring with them some of the warm and fuzzies that are synonymous with this holiday.

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New 'Evil Dead' Poster Promises Biggest Terrors Ever

Here is the official synopsis of the remake of the iconic 1981 horror film:

"Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin where they discover The Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival." 

Directed by Fede Alvarez, Evil Dead stars Jane Levy (Suburgatory), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), and Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place). Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi both serve as producers, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody shares a script credit with Raimi and director Alavrez.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 12, 2013.

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TEASER TRAILER - 'Game Of Thrones' Season Three

A fifteen-second teaser promo for the upcoming third season of Game Of Thrones was released today. That just about sums it up.

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SOURCE: Game Of Thrones Official Website

If The CW Made A High School Prequel To 'The Dark Knight,' You'd Have 'GOTHAM HIGH'

File this under 'The Internet Is Awesome." Check out this brilliant mash-up of teen comedies that could not have done a better job of placing the all-star team of Gotham City's heroes and villains together in high school during their awkward teen years.

The gang's all here: Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), Bane (Tom Hardy), Harvy Dent (Aaron Eckhart), The Joker (Heath Ledger), John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and other subtle surprise appearances from the Batman universe.

This is by far one of the better made faux film trailers, and one that makes you wish it were actually real.

SOURCE: Movie Clips Trailers

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Cross Brad Bird Off That 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Director Wish List

The first round draft of dream directors on the fans lists to helm Star Wars: Episode VII is dwindling fast. Sorry, but we can now officially count Brad Bird out of the running too.

When grilled on his Twitter page, the director behind Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol shot down the talk that he will tackle the first sequel to Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, set to hit the big screen in 2015.

Where do these rumors start concerning Bird? Well, the director has been previously confirmed to direct a "super secret" sci-fi film called 1952 for Disney (which recently purchased Lucasfilm), written by Lost and Prometheus writer Damon Lindelof. Add in the fact that Disney also owns Pixar, and Toy Story 3 scripter Michael Arndt is penning the Episode VII screenplay. In this case there was ample rumor fuel available to throw onto fire that 1952 was a cover, and Bird was in fact instead on board for the Star Wars gig.  

“@rsavenell: You are on people's lists as top choice for Star Wars, yet haven't confirmed. Please end this tease!”Not doing Star Wars.
— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

“@clarkgoble: tell me your next one is the new Star Wars!”Nope. A science fiction film. Not Star Wars.
— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

“@geoffbreedwell: You're not doing EP7? Why not? You're perfect for it!”Thanks. But the science fiction film I AM doing is gonna be cool.
— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

That said, Michael Arndt is a fantastic writer and Kathy Kennedy is a brilliant producer. I will be first in line to see the new STAR WARS.
— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) November 18, 2012

Most of us would agree Bird would have been a perfect fit in the Star Wars universe. Although the wait continues, it may not ne much longer. Producer Frank Marshall claims he knows the identity of the chosen one, and obvioulsy is under the strictest orders of secrecy. "I do," he said when asked by MTV, "But I can't reveal it, or I won't be alive tomorrow."

Marshall added that he doesn't know exactly when the director will be announced, but the search is down to "a couple of candidates, but I don't know how soon that will be revealed." Thankfully we can count Marshall as a solid source for information, he married to Kathleen Kennedy, the new head of Lucasfilm and George Lucas's sucessor as Executive Producer to all things Star Wars, including the next slate of films.

SOURCES: Brad Bird Twitter, Collider

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Check Out 'The Great Detective,' The Doctor Who Christmas Special Prequel

BBC is gearing up big time for the holiday with the Doctor Who Christmas Special set to air on December 25th.  We have seen a darker new look for Matt Smith's Doctor, and were treated to the trailer to the annual special, titled The Snowmen.

We also now have a short warm-up in the form of a prequel mini-sode set in Victorian-era England. The Great Detective, which made its broadcast debut during BBC's Children in Need Special, follows the tragic events of October's mid-season finale, The Angels Take Manhattan. The shattered Doctor is dealing with the terrible loss of the Ponds, and to continue on without his companions is not on his priority list. We are witness to a broken Time Lord here, and the darker turn for Smith's eleventh Doctor is not a complete surprise, with heavy hints dropped throughout the last season and a half of his other side.

Whether his old friends Vastra, Strax, and Jenny can convince him to come out of retirement remains to be seen, but its safe to assume the TARDIS will be hopping about again when Jenna-Louise Coleman makes her long awaited debut as the Doctor's new companion Clara on December 25th.

Check out this early Christmas gift for Whovians, which also has a special intro by Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman.

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SOURCE: BBC

TRAILER - Doctor Who Christmas Special: 'The Snowmen'

Following the release of the first image revealing the Doctor's darker bow tie-less new look in the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special, the title of this year's annual special has been revealed in addition to the full trailer.

Matt Smith and new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman provide a special introduction to the new look at The Snowmen, which is scheduled to air here on BBC America on Christmas Day.

Jenna-Louise Coleman made an unexpected appearance as Oswin in the seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, and apparently playing a completely different character than Clara, the new companion set to be introduced in the Christmas Special.

Smith and Coleman do not ignore this fact in the fun video intro to The Snowmen's sneak peek. And undoubtedly, these pieces will all fit together perfectly in the grand scheme of the Doctor Who puzzle. 

According to BBC: "A new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster will all be introduced in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen. "

"The Doctor at Christmas is one of my favorite things - but this year it's different. He's lost Amy and Rory to the Weeping Angels, and he's not in a good place: in fact, he's Scrooge. He's withdrawn from the world and no longer cares what happens to it," said Steven Moffat, Who's Executive Producer and head writer in a press release.

"So when all of humanity hangs in the balance, can anyone persuade a tired and heartbroken Doctor that it's time to return to the good fight. Enter Jenna-Louise Coleman...”

Matt Smith added, “For this year’s Christmas special we have the wonderfully villainous Richard E Grant as Doctor Simeon. As well as lizards, Victorian assassins and deranged warriors from the future, who all return to convince the Doctor that he should board the TARDIS again and save the world. Add to that Jenna-Louise Coleman and so begins the Christmas Special 2012. I hope everyone enjoys it!”

The Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres December 25, 9:00pm ET.

  

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NEW YORK COMIC CON 2012 INTERVIEW: Rob Corddry Talks Tonight's 'Children's Hospital' Season Finale

The season four finale of Children's Hospital airs tonight on Adult Swim, and according to the hit show's creator, star, and producer Rob Corddry, "An event rocks, ROCKS the Children's Hospital universe. Maybe even the television universe," he said. By the looks of the teaser trailer and preview pics for Eulogy, things don't look too good for Doctor Blake Downs. "Wear a seatbelt," he warned.

"Well that's silly, you'll want to move around."

It's been another banner year for Cartoon Network's edgy ground breaking show, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class: Short-format Live-Action in September. When I caught up with Corddry at New York Comic Con last month, he assured me that the sweet success associated with winning Emmy gold would not affect the show one bit.

"Now it's going to be Emmy Award Winner Rob Corddry's Children's Hospital," he revealed. "I'm not going to mess around. Why be falsely modest about that? I'm super elegant," he laughed.

Some of this season's absurd highlights included an episode set in a British Children's Hospital (complete with an entire cast of UK thesps, including Lost's Dominic Monaghan), a Law & Order parody show, another memorable cameo by repeat offender Jon Hamm, a long awaited on-camera appearance by the never-seen Michael Cera (who voices the hospital's PA system announcer Sal Viscuso), and Rob's brother Nathan Corddry finally stopped by, whom he says "was the hardest to get" as a guest star.

"I don't know if I can say I have a favorite guest star. Believe me I'm willing to pick favorites," he said of walk-ons including Eva Longoria, Ed Helms, Kate Walsh, Jason Sudeikis, Nick Offerman, and Paul Scheer.

"It's always pretty cool, I've never had a bad experience with the guest star. It's pretty awesome, and an honor. And I'm really grateful that they'll do it." 

He also shared the secret to keeping a straight face on the set of such an off-beat comedy loaded with masters of improv, even if the episodes run only twelve minutes in length. "The whole secret to absurdity is that you can't wink. You have to treat it like it's the most important thing ever. You're saying really really dumb things with a straight face. It's fun though."

However, a signature gruesome costume accessory on the scrubs of his dark character Dr. Blake Downs, wet stain smears of patients' blood, appeared to be noticeably tamed down last season. I asked Corddry if the higher-ups were concerned with the graphic imagery, or if he made the conscious change to his clown Doctor's look (who also has a strict belief in the healing power of laughter).

"It looked like a costume. It looked fake and it drove me crazy !" he said of last season's less bloody scrubs. "Then I talked to the wardrobe supervisor, and she was like "Oh, I'll have to look at it. I don't know what you mean.'"

"Then she was like 'Oh God, you're right!' and then this season we righted that egregious wrong." Which to his credit, yes, Downs scrubs are back to their former disturbing graphic glory.

Tonight's episode, Eulogy, airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim at 12AM, and also stars Ken Marino, Henry Winkler, Megan Mullally, Malin Ackerman, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, and Lake Bell.

According to Adult Swim, the season finale promises "The death of a co-star turns out to be a perfect opportunity for the cast and crew to make a Documentary special," and sees the return of the behind-the-scenes show-within-a-show Newsreaders hot on the case.

Rest assured, Children's Hospital has been renewed for a fifth season, so there is much more to look forward to in 2013. If you haven't checked out the show yet do yourself a favor and put it on your must-see list.

SOURCE: Adult Swim

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The Circle Is Complete, Carrie Fisher Wants In For Next 'Star Wars' Trilogy

So we've heard sorta rumblings from Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford regarding their reactions for a return in Star Wars: Episodes VII, VIII, and IX. Last in line to complete the SW Trinity reunion is Carrie Fisher.

OK, not to slight Chewbacca, C-3P0, and R2-D2 on this, but Peter Mayhew reprised his role as the iconic Wookie in Episode III, and Anthony Daniels has been actively portraying C-3P0 in various forms since 1977. Original Trilogy fans are ecstatic at the possibility of finally seeing Luke, Han, and Leia back on the big screen together thirty years after Return of the Jedi, wrinkles and all.

TMZ caught up with our Princess Leia at LAX (caught up with as in stuck a camera in her face), and let loose with their form of assault 'journalism.'  The good news for us is they went right for the Star Wars jugular.

When asked how she felt that Leia is now a Disney Princess, she answered, "Fantastic. Made my day."

As far her response to if she wants to appear in the new Star Wars movie, Episode VII, "Yes, sure. Wouldn't you?" That'a a big 'yes' in my book, knowing she is sworn to secrecy to whatever she knows so far.

Although Mark Hamill revealed to Entertaiment Weekly that he and Fisher met with George Lucas last summer, and the sequel trilogy was indeed discussed, this is the first we have heard from her regarding anything to do with the new films since Disney bought Lucasfilm last week.

Good work TMZ, journalistic integrity be damned.

SOURCE: TMZ

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