There are new rumors about who’s replacing Daniel Craig as James Bond. A familiar mutant face won’t be showing up in Gambit. Robbie Amell wants a Batman Beyond film. Doctor Who casts a bizarre vocal cameo. Plus, new details on the online Walking Dead spinoff, and a new look at Agents of SHIELD’s new ride. So Many Spoilers!
James Bond
Recent reports about Damien Lewis replacing Daniel Craig as James Bond have resurfaced, this time a sourced rumor from the British tabloid The Mirror (so, as ever with tabloids, take it with a healthy dose of skepticism), claiming that Lewis is already a shoe-in among producers, should Craig decide that SPECTRE will be his fourth and final Bond film.
Gambit
Perhaps unsurprising—but speaking to fans on twitter, actress Anna Paquin has confirmed she will not reprise her role as Rogue in the Gambit standalone film:
Batman v Superman
Once again Michael Shannon has came out and said he’s just making things up about Zod’s role in the film in interviews:
Flippers? I think that might be a prime example of my scatological humor. People ask me a lot about Batman v Superman and I really don’t have anything to say about it, so sometimes I just make up stuff, which I’m sure Warner Bros. is really happy about.
Wolverine 3
Mark Millar discusses how the film’s adaptation of the “Old Man Logan” comic storyline could sidestep the inclusion of non-mutant Marvel heroes seen in the original comic:
They’re not important to the story. The way I worked that thing is I actually structured it as, I broke it down mechanically – I figured out going from this part of America to that part of America and what he would encounter along the way, and then I added in the adversities later. Basically Wolverine doing The Road movie is the important thing and he has a friend [a blind Hawkeye] with him. But that friend could be Cyclops and he could be blind by the fact that his ruby-quartz visor is broken and he has to keep his eyes closed the whole time and everything, but still insists on driving the car they’re crossing America with. There’s lots of stuff. Instead of the Hulk, you could have the Blob or something.
Honestly, the continuity stuff is the most boring side of it. I kind of like it, keeping it in the X-Men universe a little, too, because comic fans are different from the mainstream world. I know this stuff backwards because I’ve lived my whole life loving this stuff, but most people don’t know all the minutia and everything so I think keeping it simplified and keeping it generally X-Men universe is a smarter thing to do.
[/Film]
Batman Beyond
Although there’s no Batman Beyond film planned at the moment, actor Robbie Amell says he’d like to be involved in one:
I’m a huge fan of that idea. I think the problem is because they have Batman going on right now, they won’t make the ‘Batman Beyond’ movie until I’m too old to be Terry McGinnis. By then I’ll probably be the old, crusty Batman. I’m a huge fan of that idea. I think it would be a great property. I think the smartest idea for them would be to make it like a $30 million movie, don’t do the big $200 million blockbuster. Do like a dark, gritty version of ‘Batman Beyond.’ The visual effects have come so far that they don’t need $200 million to show the technology that they have. Make it like a nice, grounded character piece. But I don’t run a studio, so that means nothing!
[CBR]
Pan
This Japanese trailer includes a ton of new footage from the film.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Animated synopses of two of the recent young reader novels Weapon of the Jedi and Smuggler’s Run have been released, and although neither have any solid ties to The Force Awakens, the Weapon of the Jedi video does include a mysterious character called Sarco Plank, who will appear in the movie. You can check out the Smuggler’s Run video at the link. [/Film]
Game Of Thrones
The Spanish fan site Los Siete Reinos (translated by Watchers on the Wall) has an extensive report of filming at the Castillo de Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain—heavily rumored to be standing in as the Tower of Joy, the tower Ned Stark’s sister Lyanna Stark was kept by Rhaegar Targaryen before her death (and oft speculated to be the site where Lyanna potentially gave birth to Jon Snow).
Although recent speculation pegged scenes shot at the Castillo to be a flashback in the vein of the “young Cersei” sequence in season five, Los Siete Reinos reported that Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran Stark, was spotted filming at the location, leading to speculation that any potential scenes there are in fact visions seen by the young man—and if they are visions, they must have deep ties to the Stark family. Two unidentified actresses have been spotted at the location as well, with speculation putting one of them as Lyanna Stark.
Meanwhile, new details on the humongous battle being filmed at Saintfield, Northern Ireland (where Kit Harington is currently filming) have gotten out to Watchers on the Wall. An image of Northern Soldiers leaked onto the web features banners for men from House Stark, House Mormont, and another House speculated to be House Hornwood from the books. According to Watchers, the battle is apparently being filmed for the ninth episode of season six, and is one of, if not the largest battle ever filmed for the show—dubbed “The Battle of the Six Armies” by production staff.
Doctor Who
A bizarre tidbit of casting news: although the creature will be voiced by Peter Serafinowicz, the BBC have announced that the monster known as the Fisher King featured in the next two episodes, “Under The Lake/Beneath The Flood” will feature the vocal work of Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor. Taylor, a diehard Doctor Who fan, provided the screams of the monster while visiting the set of the show earlier this year.
Fear The Walking Dead
Showrunner Dave Erickson claims the series finale will be the deadliest episode of the show yet:
There’s a ticking clock. Travis, Madison, Daniel, Alicia and Chris are going to find out that their community isn’t safe anymore. They’re not going to have the protection that they thought they thought they would [with the National Guard] and they still don’t have their family back [with Nick, Liza and Griselda, the latter of whom they think is still alive].” But they won’t just give up, he assured fans, “What Daniel did worked and now he has information and pieces that are going to enable the group to hopefully take some action going into the finale and try to save their people — and themselves.
[THR]
Meanwhile AMC has officially unveiled their spinoff web series Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462, set during the time frame of Fear The Walking Dead as the zombie plague breaks out on an airplane:
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD: FLIGHT 462 tells the story of a group of passengers aboard a commercial airplane during the earliest moments of the outbreak. Over the course of the series, the plane and the lives of its passengers are put in jeopardy once they discover an infected traveler. The series is written by L. Signorino and Mike Zunic and directed by “Fear” director of photography Michael McDonough.
Gotham
Bruno Heller discusses how the show’s second season learns from the mistakes of the first:
Yeah, it’s as much learning from mistakes as it is learning from successes. We realized that we had to - season one had so many great stories to tell, and we tried to tell too many stories. This season, we’re able to sharpen the focus. It’s almost just a matter of airtime! People need to live in the stories for longer. You need to pay far more attention to the emotional weight of storylines instead of just going through a checklist.
Here’s the thing, from a writing perspective, there are so many wonderful moments in the DC mythology that you have to pay attention to. It’s an embarrassment of riches! For instance, discovering the cave underneath Wayne Manor, that’s not something you can just do as a plot point. It’s a huge moment in that young man’s life.
Cameron Monaghan discusses Jerome’s goals:
This season is “The Rise of the Villains,” and the first few episodes are really the rise of Jerome. He sees Jim Gordon as this emblem or paradigm of law and order, all the things Jerome resents and wants to destroy. He wants to make an example of Jim. He wants to inspire madness within the city. He wants everyone on the same page. Jerome has gone from committing a crime of passion to full-on acts of violence and terror.
[CBR]
The Flash
Speaking at Wizard World Nashville, Candice Patton discusses the show having a trifecta of Flash heroes now:
Wally is coming. Keiynan Londsale who’s been cast to play him is a great Australian actor. We’re really excited to have him. He’s not there yet so we don’t know much about what kind of role Wally will take in season 2, but I’m sure it’ll be good. We’ll end up having three Flashes on one season, which is really amazing, if you think about it. Jay, Barry, and Wally West.
The Walking Dead
Melissa McBride reveals what’s going on for Carol as the show heads into its sixth season:
When we left off in season 5 the Alexandrians were still unaware of her little undercurrents. So, I think when we get back there’s going to be the Alexandrian Carol and then she’s still got work to do. So we’ll see her other side.
It’s been a lot of fun to play both sides of Carol, and I feel like approaching the role is becoming more entertaining for me. Whereas I was just so close to her story from when we first met her in season 1, you know, and she’s moved beyond that and now she’s someone I feel like is a really good friend of mine. She’s super, super close to me, and she’s moving on — maybe faster than I am moving on with her.
Blindspot
NBC has ordered nine additional back-up scripts for the show—not a guarantee that the show will get an extended run of episodes, but certainly an early show of faith in the series. [THR]
Agents Of SHIELD
Here’s a better look at the team’s new flying HQ, called the Zephyr One:
Orphan Black
An official synopsis for season four has been released:
Season 4 of the drama will see leader-of-the-pack, Sarah, reluctantly return home from her Icelandic hideout to track down an elusive and mysterious ally tied to the clone who started it all — Beth Childs. Sarah will follow Beth’s footsteps into a dangerous relationship with a potent new enemy, heading in a horrifying new direction. Under constant pressure to protect the sisterhood and keep everyone safe, Sarah’s old habits begin to resurface. As the close-knit sisters are pulled in disparate directions, Sarah finds herself estranged from the loving relationships that changed her for the better.
[CBR]
Arrow
Finally, here’s a new promo for Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Heroes Reborn from Philippines network JACKtv, featuring some new footage—but most notably includes Oliver Queen referring to himself, at long last, as the Green Arrow:
Additional reporting by Gordon Jackson and Charlie Jane Anders. Top image: Game of Thrones.