News

Eastern European cinema is on the rise. Serbia is currently touring the festivals with a selection of remarkable genre films, Hungary is doing pretty well too with directors like Nimrod Antal already grounded on the shores of Hollywood. Nyocker! is just more proof of the cinematic talent housing in these parts of Europe, blasting itself on the European animation scene with much vigor and leaving a permanent mark.

From the very first frames of Nyocker! you know you're watching something special. The art style is a strange mix of Mini-Pato brought to a 3D environment using wax crayon drawings, semi-realistic faces and lots of two-frame texture animations. It's an eclectic mix that reminds me a little of Chinese short film See Through but still manages to keep a very distinct and unique feel.

The film itself plays like a raw mash-up of Rane and Kusturica's Black Cat, White Cat. Gauder's...

As I speculated earlier this week, Marvel Comics’ Heroes For Hire is, according to the Diamond Comics listings, set to return to the comic store shelves this December.

Earlier this week Marvel released two teasers (embedded below) - Elektra alongside the caption ‘Assassin for Hire’; and The Falcon with the caption ‘Wingman for Hire’.

At the time I speculated that this could be the return of the Heroes For Hire – albeit totally different from their previous 2006 “Civil War” incarnation which featured Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Tarantula, Shang-Chi, Humbug, Orka, Black Cat and Paladin.

Marvel have yet to officially announce Heroes For Hire, however an announcement is expected soon. More news as we have it.

Here’s the official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on September 1st 2010.

For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://marvel.com or contact your local comic book retailer. Come back each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite Marvel heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:

Amazing Spider-man Presents: Black Cat #3

Astonishing X-men: Xenogenesis #1 Director’S Cut

Avengers, Thor & Captain America: Official Index To The Marvel Universe #5

Avengers: The Children’S Crusade #2

Avengers: The Children’S Crusade #2 Charest Variant

Captain America: Forever Allies #2

Deadpool Pulp #1

Deadpool: Wade Wilson’S War #4

Franken-castle #20

Gorilla Man #3

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #4

Hercules: Twilight Of A God #4

Heroic Age: One Month To Live #1

I Am An Avenger #1

Incredible Hulks #612

Incredible Hulks #612 Shs Variant

Iron Man 2: Agents Of S.H.I.E.

Celebuzz got the full scoop from writer/director/actor Kevin Smith (Aka "Silent Bob") on his life as a geek, his new movie Red State, Justin Bieber's Canadian ancestry and understanding Twilight. Smith is reknowned amongst filmmakers and geeks alike for his films Clerks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and for his comic books, Spiderman/Black Cat or Batman: Cacophony. At the ceremony following this interview, Smith was given an award by AOL for being a "Movie Geek," so now Celebuzz can say we knew him when... Here's what he had to say: Celebuzz: Do you consider...

This week, the Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog learned of six possible candidates to play the love interest in Sony’s Spider-Man reboot. The lovely young ladies, ranging from ages 19 to 25, are meeting with director Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield within the month to discuss the role.

However, in a departure from Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Peter Parker’s girlfriend will not be the redheaded Mary Jane Watson. It seems the reboot will start with a different love interest, presumably Spidey’s first love Gwen Stacy.

Speculation is that Garfield’s age (27) could relocate the origin story from high school to undergraduate study at Empire State University, where he meets Stacy. In the comics, the two develop a romance until Stacy dies in a confrontation with the Green Goblin, and her untimely demise brings Parker closer to his eventual wife, Mary Jane. So it’s very possible they’ll both be introduced.

These days the casting process for many films - especially ones that are the focus of fanboy fixation - is played out in public, thanks to the leaking of information and the hunger for every scrap of gossip.

Who can forget the much-scrutinised search for actors to play such parts as Captain America and the new Spider-Man?

Eventually, the Spider-Man role was filled by Andrew Garfield. Now he needs his love interest and the studio's endeavours have been unveiled for all to see.

HeatVision reports that actresses have begun meeting director Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield.

The character they are being considered for isn't Mary Jane Watson - played by Kirsten Dunst in the previous films that starred Tobey Maguire - but likely to be Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3) or another character such as Felicia Hardy (who has an alter-ego as the Black Cat...

The search is on for Peter Parker's new love interest in the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot, with the list currently narrowed down to five young actresses — Lilly Collins ("Priest"), Ophelia Lovibond ("Nowhere Boy"), Teresa Palmer ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice"), Imogen Poots ("Fright Night") and Emma Roberts ("4.3.2.1."). Curiously enough, none of these women will play Mary Jane Watson, but a new love interest altogether.

In a special edition of Secret Identity, we're weighing in on the pros and cons of the five alleged front-runners for the "Spider-Man" leading lady!

Lilly Collins

Having recently wrapped work on "Priest" and currently shooting "Abduction" alongside Taylor Lautner, there's little doubt that Collins can handle the action component required from a "Spider-Man" heroine. Still, I'm not convinced that I could see her in too heavy of an action role like Felicia Hardy, alias Black Cat. She would work much better as a more grounded character such as Gwen Stacy.

Last month, Sony Pictures Entertainment officially announced that they have cast Andrew Garfield (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as the next Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Untitled Spider-Man Reboot, directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). Now, casting has shifted to the female lead.

THR reports that Emma Roberts (Scream 4), Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four), Imogen Poots (Centurion), Ophelia Lovibond (London Boulevard), Lily Collins (Priest) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) are a few of the actresses vying for the role.

The site reports that the actresses have been meeting with both director Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield. Apparently it wasn’t clear whether the actresses are auditioning to play Gwen Stacy or possibly Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, or some other new character because the script pages being given to the actresses have no name listed for the character.

Emma Roberts has reportedly flown from...

The Spider-Man reboot is looking for its female lead and Heat Vision claims to have the shortlist of actresses who have met for the part. The articles also states that the character of Mary Jane Watson will not be the film's love interest, leading to speculation that the storyline will add either Gwen Stacy, Felicia Hardy (the Black Cat), another of Peter Parker's past loves or may feature an all-new character created especially for the film. Heat Vision 's list includes the following (from left to right): Lily Collins ( The Blind Side , Priest ), Ophelia Lovibond ( Nowhere Boy ), Imogen Poots ( 28 Weeks Later , the upcoming remake of Fright Night ), Teresa Palmer ( The Sorcerer's Apprentice , I Am Number Four ) and Emma Roberts ( Hotel for Dogs , Valentine's Day...

Earlier this week, the long awaited "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" finally set a date for opening night on Broadway. And apparently the show may have added another female lead as well.

According to Superhero Hype, actress and singer Olivo posted a message on her Facebook page that stated she was "In training for Spider-Man" while over on Twitter she posted a link to the news of the show's opening.

When told by another user on Facebook that she would make an excellent Black Cat, Olivo responded "Black Cat? Ohh, I like... Humph... I don't know the Black Cat character. Who is she?"

If Olivo is portraying one of the leading roles, there is a strong possibility that she may be the new female villain introduced within "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark." Some of the earliest reports about the show listed the character's name as "Swiss Miss," while more recent...

It's getting to the point that Christoph Waltz might want to imprint "Villain for Hire" on his business cards. He seems like anything but in interviews, but between Inglourious Basterds and his upcoming roles in Water for Elephants, The Green Hornet, and The Three Musketeers, the new arrival on the American movie scene is becoming a first option for bad guys.

Enter Spider-Man, or whatever they wind up calling the reboot. The Playlist and Production Weekly have separately heard that Waltz is Sony's choice for The Lizard, which if it's true, will also answer the question about the villain to christen the new direction of the franchise.

What's curious about this is that one of the reported reasons Sony split with Sam Raimi was a preference for bad guys that still had human faces, making them more identifiable and presumably easier to market. That's when John Malkovich's name came...

Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck has come a ways from Alabama, through Athens, Georgia and the living room in Brooklyn where I first heard him singing alone -- three years ago to this day in fact. Seems like yesterday, just Houck with his guitar and 25 sweating, gorgeous people listening, loving every minute.

This new video, the first from the album "Here's To Taking It Easy," shows time and success have been kind and we see band fleshed out from three years of touring and recording together. Here's to some well earned confidence.

After their tour van and an estimated $40,000 in gear were stolen in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (including Houck's custom, 1955 Gibson) it's nice to see them back, and on tour. They're in Brew city tonight in a particularly seedy part of town (Riverwest, I'm talking about you). If you're there too, help watch their van!

Tour Dates

08/04/10 Milwaukee, Wi- Mad Planet w/ J.

The delightful Fol Chen just released a second free remix Ep entitled The Holograms to accompany their latest LP, Part II: The New December. Electronic acts Teen Daze, Primary 1, Hard Mix, and Fur offer up new interpretations of tunes extracted from the aforementioned LP. Both The Holograms and In Ruins, the first free remix Ep, may be downloaded from Fol Chen's Bandcamp site.

The same email announcing the new Ep also made mention of the group's touring schedule. From now until November, they will be criss-crossing the United States with rotating support from Baths, Light Pollution, Crocodiles, !!!, and the Apples in Stereo. Select dates will feature live Craigslist auditions for a singer, metal band Viscera covering Fol Chen tunes, and sampling the audience for use on their third album.

Here's the schedule:

08/02 Los Angeles, CA The Echo

08/03 New York, NY Mercury Lounge *

08/04 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool *

08/05 Philadelphia, Pa Johnny Brenda's *

08/09 Los Angeles,...

Here’s your first look at Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3, from the acclaimed creative team of Jen Van Meter and Javier Pullido.

The Kravens have set their sights on the Black Cat! Now, Felicia Hardy must face down the family who has made it their mission to take out Spider-Man and everyone he holds dear! Will the Black Cat luck out or will she fall before the dreaded Kravinoff family?

Find out in Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3!

Amazing Spider-man Presents: Black Cat #3 (JUN100547)

Written by Jen Van Meter

Penciled by Javier Pulido

Cover by Amanda Conner

Rated T+ …$3.99

Foc – 8/5/10, On-Sale – 8/25/10...

Here’s the official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on July 28th 2010 from Marvel Comics. For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://marvel.com/catalog/?date=2010-07-28

Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:

Amazing Spider-man #634 Second Printing Variant

Amazing Spider-man #635 Second Printing Variant

Amazing Spider-man Presents: Black Cat #2

Anita Blake: Circus Of The Damned – The Charmer #3

Avengers #2 Second Printing Variant (Ha)

Captain America: The 1940S Newspaper Strip #2

Deadpool Team-up #891

Fantastic Four #581

Franken-castle #19

Iron Man: Extremis Director’S Cut #6

Marvel Previews #84 Gatfold Cover

Marvel Vampires Poster Book

New Avengers #1 Second Printing Variant (Ha)

Peter Parker #5

Punishermax #9

Secret Avengers #3

Secret Avengers #3 Deodato Variant

Sense & Sensibility #3

Shadowland #1 Second Printing Bullseye Assault Variant (Shl)

Shadowland #1 Second Printing...

The game development team calling themselves Black Cat was hired by Valve a while back to work on Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead 2. During this time, they were working on a promising looking title based on Valve's Source Engine entitled Alien Swarm. Once they were actual Valve employees, Alien Swarm was pushed to the side ... until now.

As of today, those with the Steam Client installed may download Alien Swarm for the cost of free. In addition to that, you may download the game's source code and mod it to your liking.

To find out more about the game and how to acquire it, visit AlienSwarm.com.

The Fantasia Film Festival is now officially underway, and while the festival may not be as well known as its brethren, at least here in the states, it features one hell of a line up.

One film in particular, that’s currently being released by Janus Films, that is getting a lot of buzz, particularly in Criterion circles, as the film is looking at a probable Criterion release after its theatrical run. Kuroneko, also known as Black Cat, follows a woman and her daughter who are raped and murdered by a group of soldiers, and get their revenge on samurai who pass through their area in what is best described as an Onibaba-esque ghost story, based on a Japanese folktale known as The Cat’s Return.

The film is from director Kaneto Shindo, who also directed the aforementioned Onibaba, and while I haven’t seen Black Cat, the premise, and...

Another week, another This Week in Comics, where we bring you a breakdown of some of the comics that are out to buy, or just read off the shelf, in your local comic store each and every week. And don’t forget to check out Pull List feature every fortnight where we take a closer look at some of the comics worth buying, and some not.

Note: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores due to shipping and fulfillment issues, etc.

Gn = Graphic Novel; Hc = HardCover; Tp = Trade Paperback

Aspen

Executive Assistant Iris #5 (Joe Benitez Cover)(resolicited)

Executive Assistant Iris #5 (Eduardo Francisco Cover)(resolicited)

Executive Assistant Iris #5 (Ale Garza Cover)(resolicited)

Avatar Press

Crossed Family Values #2 (of 6)(Jacen Burrows Regular Cover)

Crossed Family Values #2 (of 6)(Red Crossed Retailer Incentive Cover)

Crossed Family Values #2 (of 6)(Paul Duffield Torture Cover)

Crossed Family Values #2 (of 6)(Jacen Burrows Wraparound Cover...

"The Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat" #1 will be available June 16 from Marvel Comics, written by Jen Van Meter and illustrated by Javier Pulido with covers by Amanda Conner/J. Scott Campbell.

"...The 'Black Cat' is back in her own series, with international intrigue at its sexiest. As 'Spider-Man' is stalked during the 'Grim Hunt', the world's slyest, smartest and sneakiest jewel thief's latest heist puts the Cat face-to-face with the family that has been terrorizing Spider-Man's dreams and threatening those closest to him..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Marvel Comics have unveiled the latest work by superstar artist J. Scott Campbell – a gorgeous variant cover to Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #1.

As Spider-Man is stalked during the Grim Hunt, the world’s slyest, smartest and sneakiest jewel thief’s latest heist puts the Black Cat face-to-face with the family that has been terrorizing Spider-Man’s dreams and threatening those closest to him!

Amazing Spider-man Presents: Black Cat #1 (of 4) (APR100535)

Amazing Spider-man Presents: Black Cat #1 (of 4) Campbell Variant (APR100536)

Written by Jen Van Meter

Penciled by Javier Pulido

Cover by Amanda Conner

Variant Cover by J. Scott Campbell

Rated T+ …$3.99

Foc—5/27/10, On-Sale—6/16/10...

"Nikita" is bringing danger to The CW on Thursdays.

Nikita (Maggie Q) was given a new lease on life as a teenager when the Division rescued her from death row and then trained her as a spy and assassin. After she was betrayed though, she went rogue, hiding out for three years. Now she's back, ready to take them down, but the Division has already been training its next crop of young killers.

We're actually pretty psyched for "Nikita." Not only are we happy to see the gorgeous Maggie Q (a kick-ass female Asian in a lead role!) in the spotlight, but we think The CW needs to add more action to their lineup.

Check out Maggie Q in action:

"Nikita" is based on the original french film "La Femme Nikita," which has been remade at least twice for the big screen (Hong Kong's "Black Cat," America's "Point of No Return...

This week has been a nostalgic one for me. Two days after I moved to Austin in 1993, I saw Bob Schneider as the hair-slinging, shorts-dragging frontman of Joe Rockhead at a Fourth of July outdoor concert at Zilker Park. I became better acquainted with Schneider that same year as a regular at the Steamboat 1874 and the Black Cat, two historic Sixth Street music venues that are long gone (although there's a huge Steamboat reunion at Threadgill's on May 16). After Joe Rockhead left the scene, Schneider fronted Ugly Americans and then The Scabs before striking out on what's proven to be quite a successful solo career.

Schneider has always been good about releasing live recordings of many of his performances, but until now the Austin musician has not really explored much on the video side of his music. That's changed recently with the help of one of Austin's busiest and most well-known filmmakers,...

Anthony Steffen, Sylvia Koscina starred in The Crimes of the Black Cat aka Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk Anthony Steffen Q&A Part II: Django Inspired Clint Eastwood What happened to Anthony Steffen’s career after the demise of the Spaghetti Western in the mid-’70s? Did he attempt to pursue other film genres or more "mainstream" work? Before the Spaghetti Westerns, the "sword and sandals" films were the real box-office hits. They would often use leftovers from every Hollywood biblical or historical spectacle, films such as Quo Vadis, Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, etc. Antonio appeared in Robert Aldrich’s Sodom and Gomorrah — and he didn’t have many good things to say about Stewart Granger. Anyway, when that genre faded, the Spaghetti Western took its place. Now, [...]...

Dearest CriterionCast listeners,

If you haven’t heard through pensive whisperings, in Ustream, or in our latest episodes, Episode 29 and 29.5 will be my last appearances on our podcast for a few months. In my personal life (rather, in that minuscule part in which I am not in front of a movie or television or computer screen), I am making a big move from Portland, Oregon and back to North Carolina from whence I came. My motivations are in very large part for family, but I will have added bonuses of warm weather, sweet tea, and good ol’ Southern hospitality.

As a last hurrah to the Pacific Northwest, though, I will be leaving on tour with my good friends in Horse Feathers (who are featured in our main episodes’ closing music). We’ll be all over the United States and Canada for quite a few weeks, so if we are in your area,...

French actor Tahar Rahim is in negotiations to take the lead in Serbian director Emir Kusturica’s Cool Water.

If you had a chance to see Rahim’s performance in Oscar-nominated drama A Prophet this year, then you’ll agree that he may be the young actor but he’s definitely the talented one.

On the other hand, Kusturica could be just a perfect director for this kind of movie.

And yes, we already know that he’s busy with that Pancho Villa movie, together with Johnny Depp (or if you prefer the full title Seven Friends Of Pancho Villa And The Woman With Six Fingers huh?) but we are really happy to hear he’s already having a new project like this.

And, if you are familiar with his work, then you know he’s best known as a man controversial at home and abroad, but he’s definitely...

Marvel Comics has announced the four-issue Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat miniseries. Jen Van Meter (Hopeless Savages) will pen the Javier Pulido (Human Target) illustrated series, which will tie in to the Amazing Spider-Man 'Grim Hunt' storyline. The story will introduce Black Cat's crew to the Marvel Universe. "She is a solo thief. She goes in alone. I think that's part of who she is," Van Meter told Newsarama. "But you can't ask me to write anything and leave out family for (more)...

Tuesday night's (March 9) "American Idol" began with an intense roll call that had each girl peeling off one by one as Ryan Seacrest announced her name. Is this "American Idol" or a video catalog for mail-order brides?

"Idol" wasted no time to get to the eight performances so why should I? Let's go!

Katie Stevens

Song: "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson

Verdict: Walk Away

Katie took the judges' advice and picked a song that young people listen to. Unfortunately, she didn't sing it well. Flat and behind the beat — like "From Justin to Kelly," it just didn't work. Katie's another one who would have been better off waiting until she was 21 before trying out for "Idol." But even after the judges slammed her for lacking life experience to pull off the soaring ballad, Stevens attempted to argue her way into the Top 12. "But the song mentions coming from a small town,...

Actor Sean Hayes did act the hell out of his role in Will & Grace as the gay sidekick…because he’s really gay!

And at the age of 39-years-old, he’s finally decided to confirm the rumor in the latest Advocate magazine. In his interview he said, “I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never.”

Eonline says that the actor never confirmed or denied his sexual orientation because it’s nobodies business. He’s right about that.

Did anyone have a feeling he was gay?

Related Posts:‘So You Think You Can Dance’ host Cat Deeley denies Playboy rumorDenied: Rachel McAdams will not be Black Cat in ‘Spider-Man 4′Josh Brolin replaces Sean Penn in ‘Cartel’Jessica Simpson Finally Responds To John Mayer’s Sex RemarksAtlanta Housewife Turns Gay...

In Disney's latest interpretation of "Alice in Wonderland," moviegoers are bound to have many bizarre sights to behold from smoking Caterpillars and talking rabbits to the viciousness of the Red Queen and her army. But if the viewer looks closely enough, he or she is likely to find something else that's entirely unexpected — connections to the world of comic books.

After the jump, we've got the rundown on some connections you'll see between Alice's adventures and comic books in your upcoming trip to "Wonderland."

Anne Hathaway: When Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were still attached to "Spider-Man 4," Anne Hathaway's name was mentioned as a contender for Felicia Hardy, better known as the Black Cat. After the film's cancellation, MTV News questioned Hathaway about the rumor, but she would only offer this cryptic answer: "It's best to leave [the rumor] in the past."

Johnny Depp: The erstwhile Mad Hatter has...

When it comes to the “Spider-Man” movie franchise these days, it seems like there are far more questions that answers. Are all these casting rumors accurate? Will the king of 3-D, James Cameron, have any influence on how Marc Webb tackles the gig? And did Sam Raimi ever get close enough to rolling cameras that there were concrete plans for the supporting characters ?

Over the years, we’ve spoken with Anne Hathaway many times and always found her to be exactly as you’d expect: Sweet, polite and never one to speak out of school. And when it came time to speak with her last week for the upcoming release of Tim Burton's “Alice in Wonderland” re-imagining, we remembered that it was our first time talking with the actress since Raimi’s “Spider Man 4” plans fell apart. So, it seemed reasonable that Hathaway might finally be willing to reveal...

The good folks over at Collider.com found a Japanese gem with this Kirsten Dunst music video shot by McG.

The song is by Dunst and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami titled Akihabara Majokko Princess and played at London’s Tate Modern museum as part of the Pop Life: Art In A Material World exhibit. Steve ‘Frosty’ Weintraub from Collider hilariously observed “If you’re a fan of Sailor Moon, Kirsten Dunst, cartoon boobs, and Tokyo, it’s a must watch.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Other Fused Film Related StoriesSpider-man 4">Black Cat Rumors Create Interesting ‘Web’ Conversation for Spider-man 4Spider-Man 4 To Be Released May 6, 2011 in Theaters and IMAX ">Spider-Man 4 To Be Released May 6, 2011 in Theaters and IMAX James Vanderbilt Wields Another Web with Spider-man 5 and 6 for SonyBand of Brothers: The Pacific">First Look at HBO’s Band of Brothers: The PacificFriday Fused Film Classic: The Bridge...

As mentioned in our initial "Watchmen 2" report, DC Entertainment is supposedly on the cusp of announcing some major news regarding their upcoming film plans. The upper echelon of the DC Universe's heroes, such as Wonder Woman and The Flash, are likely candidates to be included in these announcements, but what about some of the lesser known characters — like Zatanna, for instance?

Zatanna Zatara, the backwards-spelling magician, has already appeared in live action via "Smallville" and is on the cusp of getting her very own ongoing comic book series, making her hypothetical arrival on the big screen rather timely. Admittedly, a "Zatanna" film could be tricky to pull off without coming across as cheesy, but given the quality of "The Dark Knight" and the promise of "Green Lantern," I think that DC Entertainment is up to the challenge.

Assuming that Zatanna winds up in theaters eventually, either by way of her own movie or another character's,...

With the Spider-Man franchise about to be restarted on the big screen under the direction of the aptly-named Marc Webb, all talk has focused on who might play the next Peter Parker and other key characters.

The reboot was triggered by the collapse of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 after he fell out with the studio over which villains should be in the story. Raimi wanted Vulture, the studio wanted Black Cat (possibly changed into the newly-created Vulturess), while fans seemed to want other baddies such as Lizard, Kraven and Mysterio.

Which villains - and actors - will end up in Marc Webb's new film is unconfirmed at present, although Zac Efron has been linked to the lead role in at least one report.

With such a tangled web of possibilities, who better to ask for an expert opinion than actor Josh Keaton, who voices Peter Parker/Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series.

"La Femme Nikita" lives to kill again.

The CW has picked up the pilot for a TV remake of "La Femme Nikita" and a family drama by the producers of "Gilmore Girls," reports THR's Live Feed.

"Nikita, which centers on a young condemned criminal who's trained as a top-secret assassin, has already lived many lives. There's the original French movie in 1990 by Luc Besson, the Hong Kong film "Black Cat" (1991) and American remake "Point of No Return" (1993) starring Bridget Fonda and the USA Network TV series also called "La Femme Nikita" (1997-2001) starring Peta Wilson.

In The CW update, a new assassin is trained to replace Nikita, who's gone rogue.

In more gentle CW news, the network has also ordered a family drama from "Gilmore Girls'" producers Amy Sherman Palladino and Dan Palladino.

The as yet untitled drama is set on a Wyoming horse farm.

Both projects seem consistent...

Clive Owen has been rumoured to be playing supervillain Kraven the Hunter in the next Spider-Man film.

In the comic books, Kraven - real name Sergei Kravinoff - is a big-game hunter who sets his sights on Spider-Man and gains similar superhuman strength and agility by drinking a potion of jungle herbs.

But will he be in the next Spider-Man adventure?

Sam Raimi's planned Spider-Man 4 was scrapped after script battles over which villain to include. Raimi had wanted John Malkovich as Vulture while the studio was pushing for Anne Hathaway as Black Cat (or the newly-created Vulturess), plus another unnamed adversary.

Many fans have been wanting other baddies such as Lizard, Kraven and Mysterio to make an appearance.

Which villains are in James Vanderbilt's script for the new Spider-Man 4 - to be directed by Marc Webb - is not known at this stage, but Coventry-born A-lister Clive Owen...

The mean streets of Rumor Town have been filled with half-truths and speculation lately. Then again, in a place called “Rumor Town,” that sort of “bidness” is typical. While some rumors (Taylor Swift as Supergirl) are hilarious, other rumors make you stop and think a bit…only to have your dreams squashed by reality.

(500) Days of Summer star Joseph Gordon-Levitt kinda’-sorta’ talked about rumors swirling regarding the 28-year-old playing Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot of the series. MTV caught up with the actor on the red carpet at the 2010 Golden Globes and asked him about it.

“I’m honored and flattered that you would ask me that,” he said.

(sigh)

Speculation of Gordon-Levitt playing your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man may be fueled by talk of (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb reportedly being in the running to helm the project.

The new incarnation of Spider-Man is scheduled for 2012.

Related posts:Denied:...

The rumor broke out a few weeks back, but the question has re-arosen – could Tobey Maguire be playing Bilbo Baggins in Guillermo del Toro’s The Hobbit?

It’s all still a thin, vapory rumor, but things are starting to look interesting. Non-reliable Brit newspaper the Sun asserted today that it was set to happen, and John Campea of AMC Entertainment tweeted that his close source confirmed it as well. And one has to admit, Maguire isn’t exactly busy now that he’s walked from the now-dashed Spider-Man 4.

Still, I wouldn’t start taking these whispers too seriously just yet. But if anyone out there spots Maguire bathing his feet in Rogaine, drop me a line Asap.

Maguire doesn’t exactly scream Hobbit to me, but it would bring the world full-circle in justifying the title of Dan Deacon’s 2007 bleepy-bloopy album, Spider-Man of the Rings. Coincidence? I think n.

Even with the holiday today comics will still come out this Wednesday, so don’t worry. This week, as they usually do, the folks at marvel have some brand new books to share with us. Of the new releases, we’re particularly excited about the latest Uncanny X-Men, a new Captain America, Dark Avengers #13 and Wolverine Weapon X.

Be sure to check out previews of covers for some of these comics after the jump.

Comics On-Sale:

Amazing Spider-man #618 (Gntlt)

Amazing Spider-man #618 Quinones Variant (Gntlt)

Avengers Vs. Atlas #1

Avengers Vs. Atlas #1 Hardman Variant

Black Widow & The Marvel Girls #3

Captain America #602

Dark Avengers #13 (S)

Dark Wolverine #82 (S)

Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #7 Suydam Wraparound Cover

Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #7 Liefeld 2Nd Printing Variant

Deathlok #3

Doctor Voodoo: Avenger Of The Supernatural #4

Hulk #19 (Foths)

Hulk #19 Djurdjevic Variant (Foths)

Incredible Hercules #140

Incredible Hulk #606 (Foths)

Incredible Hulk #606 Djurdjevic Variant (Foths)

Mighty Avengers #33

Nova #33

Realm Of...

Oh boy, here we go. Just when we cut ourselves loose from the endless Black Cat/Vulture/Vulturess casting rumors as all of Spider-Man 4 got flushed down the toilet, we start a new phase of speculation about who will direct the Spider-Man reboot. Word on the street is that the #1 choice is Marc Webb even though there are delusional Sony execs hoping David Fincher or James Cameron will somehow sign on. And now Quiet Earth is hearing that Nimrod Antal, the director of Armored and the upcoming Predators is high on the list. For some reason they say Sam Raimi is the one who wants him, while I was thinking that Raimi has absolutely nothing to do with the franchise at this point. Even the Quiet Earth guys are saying that the only real news to take out of this is that Antal's Predators is getting good buzz, so...

With the fourth Spidey film pronounced dead, we look back on three years of development twists and turns.

By Larry Carroll

Tobey Maguire in "Spider-Man 3"

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Monday's shocking announcement that one of the decade's most successful film franchises has thrown in the towel on a fourth installment hit fans as hard as a Sandman punch to the face. Now, Raimi and Tobey and Kirsten and everyone else are going to move on to other projects, and all we can do is miss them — and, of course, look back on the better days.

Remembering back to the 2001 press conference in a wrestling ring that started it all — yep, I was there! — all the way up to Monday's sad goodbye, it somehow seems like "Spider-Man 4" was the most dramatic movie in the series, simply through its production twists and turns. And so, it is with great affection that...

Talk about the difference a few hours can make. As has been previously reported, Sony Pictures and director Sam Raimi have been at major loggerheads over how to proceed with the fourth film in the "Spider-Man" franchise. Now it seems that impasse has lead to a split, with Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios announcing today plans to essentially reboot the franchise with a whole new production team.

The story will use the pre-existing script by James Vanderbilt that returns Parker to being a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises. "Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots" says Sony chief Amy Pascal in an official press release.

As a...

Sony is still sorting through script issues on Spider-Man 4 that caused the indefinite delay just before the holidays. Director Sam Raimi hated the latest screenplay draft, according to reports, and the argument seems to be over which villain (or villains) should be included in the fourth installment.

John Malkovich has been rumored as the Vulture and Anne Hathaway’s casting as either Black Cat/Felicia Hardy or the Vulturess remains a question mark.

In an interview with Italian soccer TV show “Quelli Che il Calcio” (translated at ComingSoon), Malkovich did not deny his involvement in the sequel while confirming he’s waiting for the final script. Technically he never said “I am playing the Vulture,” though reports have linked him as the main villain and Raimi’s first choice for the new Spidey nemesis. Malkovich hopes shooting will begin as soon as possible.

Malkovich was originally considered for the...

Sure Spider-Man 4's production has been delayed, but that doesn't mean that rumors from the project can't leak and then be confirmed. So here we go! John Malkovich will be playing villain role as The Vulture, and this has been confirmed, verified and validated by the man himself. While speaking to an Italian sports show (Wtf?) Quelli Che il Calcio, Mr. Malkovich was asked flat out about the rumor that he was in the next Spider-Man project as the Vulture; at which point he didn't deny, and then confirmed so as fact by stating that he's awaiting the final script. The current hang-up on production will sound very familiar since yet again Sam Raimi is battling with Sony over the script form, and villain details. Great! Another Venom situation huh? Maybe Sony thinks that 4 villains need to be in part 4...jeez! So what does this all mean for Anne Hathaway...

With all the bad rumors plaguing Spider-Man 4, it's time for a little good news, don't you think? And some very good news has come from the mouth of John Malkovich himself. In an appearance on Italian sports show Quelli Che il Calcio, Malkovich confirmed that he had been asked to play Vulture in Spider-Man 4. Movieline first broke that rumor last month, along with the rumor that Anne Hathaway might show up as Black Cat.

BadTaste.it transcribed the conversation (if you're Italian is good, you can read it there) and reports that Malkovich didn't declare he was taking the role, but that he was waiting on the final script. He's definitely interested, though, and hopes that shooting will get back on track.

Of course, this all depends as to whether Vulture can hang onto the villain status. That's who Sam Raimi wants for #4, but Sony reportedly wants Carnage.

What started out as a bizarre casting rumor might actually turn out to hold some weight, as "Jonah Hex" actor John Malkovich has apparently confessed to his pending casting as The Vulture in "Spider-Man 4."

Malkovich apparently owned up to his involvement in the fourth "Spider-Man" film during an appearance on Italian sports show "Quelli Che il Calcio," which was witnessed by a reader at Bad Taste.

According to an English translation of the report, Malkovich not only didn't deny his involvement when directly asked about "Spider-Man 4," he even said that he's currently awaiting a final script and hopes to begin shooting soon.

Back in December, a widely circulated rumor on Movieline suggested that Malkovich would join the cast of "Spider-Man 4" as the Vulture. The oft-rumored Anne Hathaway was allegedly the top pick for Felicia Hardy, but rather than turning into the Black Cat, she'd evolve into a new character called The Vulturess.

I won't blame you if you've lost track of the Spider-Man 4 rumor mill by now. After hearing rumors about Rachel McAdams playing Black Cat and Anne Hathaway playing Vultress and production getting delayed and then production actually being delayed, it's hard to know anything certain about the project beyond the fact that Sam Raimi and a handful of Sony executives are probably glaring at each other across a conference room table as we speak. But into the void steps John Malkovich, who has been rumored for months to be Raimi's choice to play The Vulture, the primary villain for this installment of the saga (but, if Sony has their way, not the only villain). According to Bad Taste, Malkovich was over in Italy on a TV sports show (???) and confirmed that he's on board the film, and is waiting for the final script to be sent along. Easier said...

So let me get this straight, Rachel Zoe dresses celebrities right? Then why does she look like someone’s 90-year-old grandma that’s being stored in a basement? Even celebs aren’t that skinny.

The fashionista to the stars was photographed vacationing in St. Barts with her husband.

She seriously needs an intervention and a double double with cheese asap because if homegirl gets any skinnier

I’m afraid she’ll break. If Lindsay Lohan keeps up her bad behavior, she’ll be looking like this in another five years. Hell who am I kidding, two years.

Related posts:Someone Stole from Lindsay Lohan…Again! Lindsay Lohan makes it official: Joins cast of ‘Machete’ Denied: Rachel McAdams will not be Black Cat in ‘Spider-Man 4′...

The loyalties between the superheroes of the Marvel Universe are apparently quite flexible, as Marvel Studios' "Thor" has officially moved in on "Spider-Man 4."

According to Variety, the Norse God of Thunder's big screen debut — originally set for May 20, 2011 — has been pushed two weeks earlier to May 6, 2011. The new date is the same as the original release date for Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man 4," the Sam Raimi-directed flick currently suffering through some delays that could put its release date in jeopardy.

With it now uncertain that Peter Parker's next adventure won't hit theaters on time as originally planned — though Sony has yet to officially move the release date — it seems that the powers behind "Thor" saw an opportunity for an early summer start.

Despite appearing like an act of internal rivalry, the report states that Paramount simply did not want to wait on an official release date change on "Spider-Man 4...

The latest installment of the famous Marvel comic and blockbusting franchise Spider-Man 4 is facing difficulties as Sony and director Sam Raimi are at loggerheads over the direction of the film, according to industry organ The Hollywood Reporter .

Having shoehorned two villains into the clumsy plot for Spider-Man 3, it's the baddies who are causing the crisis yet again: Raimi, who was disappointed with the direction of the last film and ashamed of its critical/fanboy reception, wants to leave the series on a high with a scary criminal called Vulture and not Black Cat, the romantic and more marketable antagonist Sony is demanding.

So far a list of formidable script-writers have unsuccessfully tried their hands at reconciling the two opposing views. They include the Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and Oscar-nominated Gary Ross (Seabiscuit); Alvin Sargent, famous for dramas such as Paper Moon and Ordinary People is now...

With the screenplay for Spider-Man 4 reported to be in a mess, comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis reckons he is the right man to untangle the web and craft a workable story.

At present, the film's director Sam Raimi is said to hate the script and a fourth writer - Alvin Sargent - has been brought on board to knock it into shape.

Bendis (pictured) said on Twitter that he knows how to fix the story. He also agrees with Sony's idea to make the movie 3D.

The scribe tweeted: "For those who asked, of course I would and could write Spidey 4 in a heartbeat. I know exactly what that movie should be - and it should be 3D."

Bendis has had a long association with the webspinning superhero. He launched the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series in 2001 and is still its writer.

In addition, he was co-executive producer...