Marvel Develops a TV Division

By |2019-05-25T14:42:42-08:00June 29th, 2010|

Marvel created a TV division to adapt its comic book characters into live-action and cartoons. There’s a lot of promise that it’ll bring all the characters under one universe, but with their own respective shows; which would make a lot of comic book fans happy — myself included.

The only odd thing about Marvel Television at this point is their decision to hire Jeph Loeb to run it. He’s contributed to both Smallville and Heroes, so he does know the medium — but he doesn’t exactly have a good track record. The disjointed mess that Heroes became can be partly blamed on Loeb; with the constant characterization changes, plot changes at the drop of a hat, and story-arcs that ultimately went nowhere.

Marvel is taking a chance with Jeph Loeb, but who knows? Maybe he learned from the mistakes made on Heroes. He might take the fan criticism to heart; especially from the comic fans. Nonetheless, Marvel’s intent on bringing its characters onto both TV and movies, and with the obsession of putting them under one universe is an exciting endeavor. It added a lot to the comic books, and it would definitely add to the other mediums as well.

Supernatural Becomes an Anime

By |2019-05-25T14:42:43-08:00June 14th, 2010|

Anime studio MADHOUSE (Death Note, Vampire Hunter D) is set to produce an anime version of Supernatural. It will be a twenty-two episode long season covering the first two seasons of the show along with original episodes created just for the anime. Episodes will be released beginning on January 12, 2011 on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan.

I didn’t expect Supernatural getting an anime version, but it makes perfect sense. The premise is just itching to be an anime: two brothers driving across the country fighting supernatural creatures and saving people. It’s a good fit for the medium. I just hope that it’ll include the classic rock and humor — and not focus too much on the drama. Otherwise it’ll lose the appeal the television show has.

Source: (Anime News Network)

“The Phantom” Returns on SyFy

By |2019-05-25T14:42:43-08:00June 10th, 2010|

If there’s one reboot I wouldn’t hesitate to advocate, it would be the Phantom. The premise itself justifies rebooting it every so often.

The Phantom first started as a comic strip created by Lee Falk in 1936 and still continues today. The character also found its way on the mediums of comic books, cartoons, and movies. It’s also the character that started the superhero trend of skintight costumes and masks that do not show the pupils.

In the story; in 1536, pirates attacked a ship that left Christopher Walker as the only survivor who washed ashore on a Bengallan beach. On the skull of his father’s murderer in the attack, Christopher swore an oath to destroy injustice, and that his sons and their sons will follow.

After his death, his son assumed the role of the Phantom. With the mantle being passed down from generation to generation, the Phantom gave the impression of being immortal, which earned him the nickname “The Ghost Who Walks”. Each incarnation of the Phantom has no powers, but instead relies on intellect; strength, and on the legend of being immortal, which places an underlining fear in his adversaries.

SyFy will be bringing the Phantom on TV with a miniseries starring Ryan Carnes; it will premiere on June 20, 2010.

You can view the Phantom trailer here: (SciFi Wire)

NBC’s “The Cape” Update

By |2019-05-25T14:42:43-08:00June 9th, 2010|

British actor Vinnie Jones has been casted in NBC’s new show, The Cape. He’ll be a series regular portraying a man with a skin condition that gives off the impression of green and gold scales, which earns him the nickname “Scales”.

Vinnie Jones will be joining David Lyons, Summer Glau, and Keith David in the new series.

I posted about The Cape a while back, and the news about Vinnie Jones joining the cast piques my interest even more. His character is outlandish, and it just might work since a carnival is integral to the plot. It fits.

Source: (Hollywood Reporter)

CEO of NBC Gets an Exit Package

By |2019-05-25T14:42:44-08:00June 4th, 2010|

Comcast is poised to acquire NBC from General Electric. Despite denials from General Electric, sources say that NBC’s CEO Jeff Zucker has been telling friends that a deal has been finalized to give him an exit package. It’s estimated at around $30 million to $40 million. Despite the 28 percent fall in profit, NBC is paying Jeff Zucker for being an effective failure. And keep in mind this is the same man who essentially made the call to bump Conan off the Tonight Show to pander to Leno. Maybe the true American dream is to fail upwards? It seems to be the trend nowadays with suits.

Source: (New York Post)

NBC Unveils “The Cape”

By |2019-05-25T14:42:46-08:00May 20th, 2010|

NBC recently released a trailer to their new show, The Cape:

“The Cape” is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons (“ER”) as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead.  He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, “Life on Mars”) and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, “Flash Forward”).  Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes “The Cape” his son’s favorite comic book superhero — and takes the law into his own hands.  Rounding out the cast are James Frain (“The Tudors”) as billionaire Peter Fleming – The Cape’s nemesis – who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David (“Death at a Funeral”) as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape; Summer Glau (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick (“Six Degrees”) as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday.

There’s a Batman influence on The Cape, but a little humor to not take itself too seriously. The fact that the premise isn’t, “My family was murdered and I must avenge them,” is a huge plus; it’s not typical; the hero will have to wrestle with the conflict of not reuniting with his wife and son.  

It’s also good to see Summer Glau back on a television show, and even better that it’s on NBC — Fox is notorious for killing off shows that have a cult following. And unfortunately for Glau, that’s been every show on the Fox network that she acted in. Hopefully the Fox curse won’t follow her — The Cape looks promising.

 NBC’s The Cape