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Which Comic Book-Inspired Movies Are the Best? (No Capes!)
Superheroes were in demand among moviegoers in 2012, claiming the first, second, and fifth spots on the list of the highest-grossing movies of the year, but the recent announcement that rising star Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises) has joined the cast of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For reminded us that some of the best comic-based movies don't have anything to do with superheroes at all. A fertile ground for movie adaptations, the comic book medium encompasses every imaginable genre of fiction and even non-fiction, with stories that deal with everything from the mundane — a pair of geek girls rage against, well, everythig — to the fantastic — a secret police force exists to monitor alien activities on Earth — to the sublime — the son of a princess ventures into a magical land to recover a fallen star. Forget Batman, Iron Man and the rest for now and help us choose the best non-superhero comic book movie adaptations.
Rate the Top 10 Comic Book Movies >>
Posted 01.15.13 by BrentJS -
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
Fans of high fantasy — fantasy that takes place on an epic scale in an imaginary world in which otherwise supernatural creatures and forces are simply a part of the natural environment — were all but left out in the cold in 2012, while superheroes, aliens and secret agents were free to run amok on the big screen. Where were all of the wizards, dragons and elves? Except for animated movies and the pair of Snow White adaptations, high fantasy movies have been noticeably absent from the Cineplex of late.
Thankfully, fans of the fantasy sub-genre will not have to wait much longer with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opening in only a matter of days and Russian director Sergei Bodrov's (Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan) new fantasy adventure, Seventh Son — that's a begrizzled Jeff Bridges in the hood and cloak above, playing an aging knight who must train a new apprentice (Ben Barnes) to help him battle a malevolent witch (Julianne Moore) that seeks to destroy him — debuting next year. In anticipation of the return of magic to movie theaters, help us rate the best high fantasy movies of all time (beyond time).
Rate the Top 10 Best High Fantasy Movies >>
Image courtesy Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures
Posted 12.05.12 by BrentJS -
The recent action movie Haywire hasn't fared as well at the box office as it did with critics (though it has made back its budget), but its star, MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano, has already lined up another action project.
THR reports that Carano has joined the cast of the action-thriller In the Blood for director John Stockwell (Blue Crush, the upcoming Dark Tide). Carano will play a wife whose husband disappears while vacationing in the Caribbean, so she recklessly pursues the men she thinks are responsible. "This role will showcase not only Gina’s fighting skills, but also her acting abilities as her character struggles to reign in her violent past," said Stockwell.
In the Blood was written by Bennett Yellin and James Robert Johnston (Joy Ride 2). Production is set to start in Puerto Rico in early spring or summer. Carano's Haywire stunt team is in discussions to reteam with her on In the Blood.
more cast for Oblivion and 300: Battle of Artemisia >> Posted 02.15.12 by Ryan -
Ever since director Zack Snyder first expressed his interest in directing a sequel to his 2007 sophomore effort 300, the question that has been bedeviling fans has been whether or not Gerard Butler would somehow be able to reprise the role of Leonidas, king of the Spartans, despite the fact the character died at the end of the first movie. Butler said that he would be game for a return to Sparta, and Snyder teased the possibility of Leonidas' return when he revealed that 300: Battle of Artemisia (formerly Xerxes) takes place during "the exact same three days" as the events in 300. Now, we have the first confirmation that not only Leonidas, but also his wife, Queen Gorgo, were written into the sequel, opening the way for both Butler and Lena Heady to return.
who will be in 300: Battle of Artemisia? >> Posted 09.13.11 by BrentJS -
Warner Bros. (WB) has put the pedal to the metal on two long-in-development properties this week. First, the studio tapped Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) to take the reins of Akira, the live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's acclaimed manga series that Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way production company has been developing since 2008. Now, THR has reported that WB has "zeroed in on" Israel-born director Noam Murro to direct 300: Battle of Artemisia (formerly Xerxes), the sequel to 300 that has been waiting on the completion of creator Frank Miller's graphic novel source material since 2007.
more about the sequel to 300 >> Posted 07.16.11 by BrentJS -
For a while, it looked like director Zack Snyder was going to follow-up this year's Sucker Punch with Xerxes, a spinoff of Snyder's 2007 hit, 300. Like 300, Xerxes is based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller. Last July, Snyder said that he and co-screenwriter Kurt Johnstad were busy writing the script, using Miller's comic book frames for reference. The script was finished earlier this year.
Yet, when Snyder was hired to direct Warner Bros.' Superman reboot, Man of Steel, producer Mark Canton was left to contrarily state in April that Snyder was "very much at the helm" of Xerxes and that he might be too "busy" to direct it as well. We know, it was confusing to us too. It's all cleared up now that the movie has a new title and two new possible directors.
who could direct? >> Posted 06.29.11 by Ryan -
Before Zack Snyder became the director of Warner Bros.' Superman reboot, the director was talking about helming Xerxes, a sequel to his 2007 hit movie, 300. Like 300, Xerxes was to be based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller.
Snyder revealed last July that he and co-screenwriter Kurt Johnstad were using Miller's comic book frames for reference to write the screenplay while Miller worked on the graphic novel, and, in September, said that Xerxes would take place concurrently with the events depicted in 300.
In October, already attached to Superman, Snyder discussed the sea battles of Xerxes, and, recently, Snyder admitted to MTV that he and Johnstad had "finished the script," though he wasn't sure if he would be the one to direct it. "If I have time," said Snyder.
The latest Xerxes news comes from 300 producer Mark Canton, who told MTV that Xerxes is no longer Xerxes.
Will Snyder still direct? >> Posted 04.06.11 by Ryan -
In a surprising turn of events, Vulture has revealed that Warner Bros. (WB) has pulled the highly-anticipated sequel to 300 from 300 and Watchmen director Zack Snyder and offered the directing duties to Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie. The sequel, titled Xerxes after the Persian king (played by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro) who harried King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his Spartans in the first movie, will be adapted from an as-yet-unfinished graphic novel from creator Frank Miller and take place take place concurrently with the events depicted in 300.
why did Snyder get the boot? >> Posted 02.16.11 by BrentJS -
Even though director Zack Snyder has said repeatedly that he is patiently waiting for creator Frank Miller to finish writing and drawing Xerxes, his follow-up to the 300 comic books that Snyder used as inspiration for the movie of the same name, that doesn't mean that the Xerxes movie adaptation is not on his mind. In fact, Snyder offered up a synopsis of Xerxes, revealing it won't be a sequel or a prequel. Rather, it will take place concurrently with the events in 300. Unfortunately, even though this means that everyone's favorite Spartan king, Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler), could technically appear in the movie, the focus will instead be on another Greek hero doing battle with the tyrant king of Persia.
read the synopsis >> Posted 09.04.10 by BrentJS -
One of the movies that received the biggest boost at this year's Comic-Con was director Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, which surprised the audience with an action-packed teaser trailer full of martial arts battles, guns, sword fights and missiles used to fight dragons. Snyder, who co-wrote the original script after directing the comic book adaptations of 300 and Watchmen, told ComicBookResources that the crowd's reaction "was exactly what I would hope for," though he admits he was checking in on cast members Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and Carla Gugino to gauge the response from a more personal angle.
"They hadn't seen the footage, either. They had no idea what they were going to see," said Snyder."They were shaking and out of their minds. That was good." Snyder says the trailer gives audiences a sense of what they can expect from the movie.
MORE >> Posted 07.31.10 by Ryan