Trailer: Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods
It’s been a long time coming (due to various legal issues, and MGM taking a nose dive), but Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon’s ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ finally has a release date (in the US anyway) – 13th April 2012. Hopefully that means we will get it over here not long after. And that also means we get a trailer!
Co-written by Drew Goddard (Buffy, Lost, Cloverfield) & Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, The Avengers etc…), then directed by Drew and produced by Joss, The Cabin in the Woods takes the standard teen slasher setup of a group of hot young teens staying out in the middle of nowhere, and adds a Goddard/Whedonesque twist to it… Cast includes The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford, Dollhouse’s Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy and Thor himself - Chris Hemsworth. Whedon alumni Tom Lenk and Amy Acker also apparently make an appearance.
Top 4 SciFi Shows We Want To See!
Over a chat with some fellow GeekTowners recently, we were mourning the loss (or long hiatus) of the Stargate franchise after the cruel cancellation of the actually rather good SGU, and it got us thinking… What scifi shows would we like to see – with the exception of the obligatory ‘bring back Firefly‘ obviously…
4. Star Wars – Live Action TV Show
We're waiting George!
Apart from from needing a decent title, and seemingly not having moved forward much since it was first announced a few years back, the Star Wars Live Action TV Show has been slowly bubbling along behind the scenes. Lucas says he has 50 hours written out of an initial run of 100. However, in a recent interview the big man himself has said it’s basically on hold until the technology manages to catch up with his vision of what he wants the show to be – i.e. we want it to be epic and we can’t afford to do it on a tv budget…
Really George?.. What the heck are you planning that you, the man that’s amassed a fortune selling everything from Star Wars lunchboxes to C3PO tape dispensers (yes, really), think it’s not cost effective to produce a Star Wars TV show?! Are you planning on blowing up an actual planet each episode? Genetically engineer real Ewoks maybe? I’m struggling to see how a Star Wars branded ‘anything‘ at this point won’t make you your money back, despite whatever fortune you spend on it! *Sigh* so while Lucas waits (presumably for someone to construct an actual Death Star so they can shoot it somewhere with that authentic ‘Death Stary feel’), we will get Robot Chicken’s Star Wars Sitcom which Lucas greenlit earlier this year. At least that’s something new (and I do expect it to be awesome!), but I’d still love to see the live action show move forward!
3. Mass Effect the TV Series
Mass Effect TV Show
BioWare have made a number of truly great computer games, but one of the strongest universes they’ve created was the one that Mass Effect resides in. There is a Mass Effect movie in development, but that’s no reason to not consider a TV series after that. Look at the success Stargate had (even though the the original writer seemingly hated the tv show!).
Mass Effect provides a vivid and interesting environment that could easily expand in TV. With so many varied races and characters to explore, I can’t help but think a tv show set in the Mass Effect universe would allow the story to expand far more than a film would every allow.
2. Fray the TV Series
Fray TV Show
Yes, I know we’re fanboys when it comes to Joss, but after he’s done sorting out Marvel’s men in tights, I’d really love to see him have something back on the small screen, and it’d be nice if it was something Slayer related. So how about a Fray tv series?
For those of you that don’t know about Fray, it was a series of comic book written by Joss about a new Slayer set in a hi tech future. In this timeline demons had though to have been banished from Earth, and the Watchers are a crazed cult. But when vampires (now know as lurks) start to re-appear in New York’s slums, a new Slayer is called in the form of thief Melaka Fray to battle the increasing threat… Vamps and Slayers in a futuristic scifi setting?.. What more could you want!
1. Slingers TV Show
Ever since the ‘sizzle reel‘ for Slingers popped up in 2009, we’ve been backing the show to get made! For those of you that have yet to catch the video – see above! Slingers is set set in 2263 A.D. An interplanetary war has left a section of humanity cut off from Earth by an impassible barrier. Some people are prepared to do as the military tell them, and make the best of a bad situation. Some have other plans… People such as Dominic ‘DM’ Monroe and his merry band of brothers decide to *ahem* borrow… the military’s experimental spaceship, which has the capability to ‘sling’ itself to any point in the universe. That means in theory, it is the only craft that side of the barrier has the capability of reaching Earth…
In terms of tone, it’s been described as “the action of Bullitt, the sophistication of Ocean’s 11 and the humour of M*A*S*H all wrapped in a futuristic package.” That description alone makes me want to see Slingers go into production! Things have been a bit quiet in terms of actual news on Slingers recently, other than the odd tweet from creator Mike Sizemore about “meetings in LA going well”, there’s not been much news recently. Looking at the stunning work the guys did on the the sizzle reel, I’m surprised it hasn’t been snapped up yet. Still, you know what they say… Good things come to those who wait… ;)
2 Preview Videos of David Greenwalt’s Grimm!
NBC today posted a couple of preview videos of their new commission Grimm from Buffy/Angel scribes David Greenwalt & Jim Kouf. Due to launch in NBC’s Fall season, Grimm is a dark twist on the cop genre, where characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales do exist.
The lead is taken by David Giuntoli (Privileged, Eli Stone) as Detective Nick Burkhardt, working homicide in Portland, Oregon. Things are going well for Nick until he started to see things he couldn’t quite explain… Following a panicked visit from his only living relative, Nick discovers he’s a descendant of an elite group of hunters known as “Grimms” who are charged with stopping the proliferation of supernatural creatures in the world! So, it’s sounding a little Buffy mixed with a little Supernatural, but overall an interesting new take on the cop show. Check out the previews below!
Worst. idea. ever. – Buffy, Rebooted… WITHOUT Joss Whedon
Buffy being remade
*sigh* we posted about this over a year ago, and I was hoping it would stay just a rumour. But unfortunately not…
The WB have announced they are ‘rebooting’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer – WITHOUT Joss Whedon.
Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Steve Alexander will produce the feature film alongside Doug Davison and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment (The Ring, How to Train Your Dragon, The Departed). Whit Anderson is writing the script.
Okay… first major thing to piss me off in the official press release:
“Warner Bros. Pictures optioned the rights from creators Fran and Kaz Kuzui.”
NO. no no no NO NO. They were just the producers. Joss created the Buffy we all know and love. If fact, the one time Fran actually got to go anything ‘creative’ with the franchise was when she directed the original, and dreadful Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie (if your a Buffy fan and have never seen it, it really is fascinating to see Joss’s script mangled so appallingly.) Unfortunately, due to the deal that was made when that movie was green lit, the Kuzui’s retain the rights to resell Buffy…
Next bit from the official press release to annoy me:
“There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen.”
Yes and no… We’d love to see Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy on the big screen, maybe continuing some of the awesome work Joss and the Mutant Enemy alumni have been doing on the comic books. What we’re not eagerly awaiting is someone to come along, unsanctioned by the show’s creator and rape its memory!
What Joss Says
See, all the ill will now pouring out from that ‘active fan base’ could have been easily avoided if someone had at least had a conversation with Joss about it, and try and get some sort of blessing from him. As you can tell by the following statements, Joss himself is less than impressed, saying “This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths – just because they can’t think of an original idea of their own…”
What the Cast Say
David Boreanaz's response on twitter to the news.
The ex-cast are also less than impressed with the news. Here’s a roundup of the cast comments from Twitter:
Eliza Dusku (Faith) says “Joss made the “Buffster” & w/out him… I just don’t trust the girl. Or the world.”
Juliet Landau (Drusilla) added “Buffy movie reboot without Joss. So uncool. :(“
Emma Caulfield (Anya) – “Buffy reboot? ahahahhaha..”
Amber Benson (Tara) had the rather more lighthearted “I told [Joss] that asking to play the title role would frighten the Studio Execs.”
Maurissa Tancharoen (wife of Jed Whedon, and co-writer of Dr. Horrible) – “Yet to comment on this Buffy reboot sans #Whedon because I can’t find the words. And the words I have so far are NSFW or for being a lady.”
David Boreanaz (Angel) also responded on twitter (see pic) when told by his Bones producer.
Robot Chicken Season 4 & Titan Maximum Review
Robot Chicken Season 4
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is back with it’s 4th Season, and the quality just gets stronger each time it comes back! From the opening episode that guest stars Joss Whedon, Ron Moore and Seth MacFarlane, through to the episode with cocaine fuelled Powerpuff Girls and the one with Dick Cheney as Iron Man (now there’s a frighting prospect!)
Each show may only be 12 minuites long, but they’re rammed full of more geek and pop culture references than you can shake an 80′s He-Man action figure at. Gag’s coming at you so quickly it’s easy to miss one, and end up going back to watch it again.
The DVD also contains some excellent commentaries from creators Seth Green & Matthew Senreich along with a host of guest stars from the various episodes, and some entertaining footage from the San Diego Comic-Con ‘08 and New York Comic Con ‘09 Panels.
9/10 – Funny, brilliant, and geeking awesome!
Titan Maximum Season 1
The creators of Robot Chicken are here to prove that leaving the fate of the world in the hands of idiot kids really ain’t that good a plan…
TITAN MAXIMUM
TITAN MAXIMUM is a riff on those japanese Power Rangers type ‘Saturday morning’ shows, but TITAN FORCE FIVE (the team that command the mighty Titan Maximum robot) are nothing like the teams you’ve seen before…
There’s Palmer (Breckin Meyer) – the dashing, if a bit dumb, leader with an ego the size of a planet. Sasha (Eden Espinosa) – the presidents (kinda slutty, and as subtle as a sonic boom) daughter. Jodi (Rachael Leigh Cook) – Cheerful and determined, but full of self doubt (not helped by Sasha costaint ribbing). Willie (Dan Milano) – Younger brother of Palmer, but with none of his smooth charm, he’s a lifelong super-nerd who’s suddenly living the dream. And finally Leon – He’s a monkey… Titan Force’s former monkey butler to be exact.
When a once peaceful solar system is threatened by a genocidal madman (voiced by Seth Green), the dispanded TITAN FORCE FIVE commanding the mighty TITAN MAXIMUM are pulled out of their enforced ‘retirement’ to save the day.
It’s robo-bashing, laser-blasting, monkey-flying, sometimes naked spacefaring action and adventure as only the creators of Emmy award winning ROBOT CHICKEN can deliver!
8/10 – Robo-bashing, monkey-flying, spacefaring action!
Joss Whedon All Over Marvel Movie Franchise
The Avengers
Haven’t had too much time to post recently, but a few interesting stories emerged last week which I thought deserved GeekTown’s attention. First up, lots of rumours that Joss Whedon is about to take over the writing/directing reins of The Avengers movie, as well as polishing the ‘Captain America‘ script.
This is a really smart move on Marvel’s part if it turns out to be true. Joss has proved he knows his Marvel characters with his superb run on the X-Men comics, along with his re-writes on the original X-Men movie. Given Captain America is being penned by the scribes behind the The Chronicles of Narnia movies, and Zak Penn (who’s previous efforts for Marvel were Elektra, Fantastic Four, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk…) is currently writing The Avengers, i rather suspect both scripts will be in dire need of some serious work.
Just makes me wish even more Nathan Fillion had been cast as Steve Rogers instead of Chris Evans.
Also thought i’d mention, for you tweeters wanting to keep up with the various actors and writers who’ve worked with Joss in the past, i’ve set up a ‘Whedon Alumi‘ list on Twitter, which you can see here. And of course, we still have our Joss Whedon related t-shirts over at the GeekTown Store.
