FRAK EARTH

Marvel Teases 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

During the Once Upon A Time season finale last night fans were treated to their first glimpse of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although it's fairly short, it does show that Coulson indeed lives. I have no idea how Marvel is going to explain his being alive after his obvious death in Avengers, but I'm sure fans will love it. Coulson is one of my favorite parts about the Marvel universe, and a rather important one to make all the films cohesive. It did feel odd that he wasn't in Iron Man 3.

Although the series has been picked up by ABC, there have been no word yet on any possible cameos by the Avengers. Robert Downey Jr along with Cobie Smulders have both expressed interest in being open to cameo in the series. It would be pretty damn cool if some of the Avengers were able to drop in and out of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Check out the promo below:

Although Marvel has been mum on who J. August Richards is playing, many are starting to believe that he may be Luke Cage! The trailer seems to indicate that he has some type of super power, but of course, with Joss at the helm, I'm sure we will be madly speculating until the show premieres in the fall.

Check back for more updates on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Black Widow and Falcon Spotted on Captain America 2 Set

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:50:00 +0000

Along with the opening of Iron Man 3, Marvel is treating fans to some awesome Captain America 2 set photos. Although Captain America has only been in production for a few weeks, it looks as though Black Widow and Falcon will be playing a major role.

I'm excited to see Anthony Mackie as Falcon, even if he won't be doning the tight red pants or red wings... It seems that like Hawkeye, Marvel is planning on making a more modern military look for Falcon. Check out some photos from the set:

Black Widow was also spotted on set along with Captain America himself. Perhaps the two will become close friends throughout the film? At this point Captain America has yet to adjust to modern life in America. The two Avengers seem to be in an altercation with a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the set photos below.

We've yet to see any photos of the Winter Soldier himself, so check back for more updates. Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier opens April 4, 2014.

Sources: Collider Collider

Wondercon: Ten Panels You CANNOT Miss!

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:15:00 +0000

Well nerds, Wondercon is only days away!! Take a look at my list of ten panels you can't afford to miss this year!

10. Arrow on Sunday at 1:00

CW is bringing their smash hit, Arrow, to Wondercon. The series stars Stephen Amell as billionaire-turned-hero who dawns the green mask to get revenge for his dead father. The panel is sure to be informative and helpful in setting up the exciting season finale.

9. The Disney/ABC’s of TV Writing on Friday 2:00

If you’re a creative mind like me and want to find anyway to break into the comic/film industry, than give this panel a chance. It’s full of awesome, well-connected individuals who have learned to make it in the industry. Obviously, thispanel will mostly be focussed on writing, but during the open question section don’t be afraid to ask for advice on how to break into the industry.

8. WB Pictures is bringing Pacific Rim and The Conjuring!

Although I haven’t heard much about The Conjuring, I’ve been hearing loads of great things about Pacific Rim since Comic-Con last summer.

7. TV Writing Room Secrets Revealed on Saturday at 1:00

This panel is more about: how-to-get a job in Hollywood as opposed to actually learning how to write for television. I personally really want to get into Hollywood on the producing side so this panel is really exciting to me. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask the panelists for any advice on how to break into the industry.

6. Revolution Panel on Saturday at 1:15

I would consider going to this panel just to see Elizabeth Mitchell in the flesh. Although I haven’t added Revolution to my watch list, I’ve heard the JJ Abrams ran show is getting pretty awesome.

5. Sony Pictures on Saturday at 2:30

Sony is bringing out the big guns for Wondercon! Sony is lined up to bring City of Bones, Evil Dead and This Is The End. Evil Dead stars Jan Levy and Jessica Lucas and is produced by one Bruce Campbell! I’m personally excited to see This Is The End which stars Danny McBride and Seth Rogen.

4. TV Guide on Saturday at Fan Favorite Showrunners on Saturday at 4:30

At SDCC, this panel will be one of the most popular and will be renamed actors instead of showrunners. But this Wondercon panel is sure to excite some spectacle as fired Walking Dead showrunner, Glen Mazarra, will be talking about that very show!

3. MTV’s Teen Wolf on Saturday at 6:00

MTV’s Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien will be stopping by Wondercon to promote Teen Wolf!

2. Under the Dome Sneak Peek and Q&A

Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the series stars Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight) and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad). It is produced by Neal Baer (Law and ORder) and two LOST vets, Brian K. Vaughan and Jack Bender. I definitely want to check out this panel to see what clues it leads to the series. Could this show be my next LOST????

1. Much Ado About Nothing on Sunday at 11

It was announced Friday that Joss Whedon will be bringing most of his crew, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Sean Maher, Fran Kranz and Tom Lenk to Wondercon! The panel is sure to be awesome, funny and inspirational. Be sure to get there early because I’m sure every fan plans to attend this panel.

Matt Smith Set to Leave Doctor Who After Christmas Special?

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:15:00 +0000

Although I may not be ready to party with Matt Smith as the Doctor, sources say that Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who after this years Christmas Special. This means that he will regenerate into the 12th (and final?) after Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary. His contract is through 2013 which would mean that unless an extension is made, he would be contractually complete by the Doctor Who Christmas Special. The Sun is reporting that Matt is leaving Doctor Who to focus on his film career. Who bosses currently have no one in mind to fill his place.

This news has not been officially confirmed by Matt Smith or BBC. BBC's current statement is: "Sorry folks but even we don’t know what’s going to happen at Christmas. It’s not been written yet! But Matt loves the show and is to start filming the unmissable 50th anniversary, and the new series starting on Easter Saturday."

Although this news is unconfirmed, it is most likely to be true. Matt Smith has been a Doctor for three seasons, and audiences grew to know and love him through the Ponds and now Clara. I'm a huge fan of Matt's and I'm going to really miss him once he's left the show. But I'm ready for a new Doctor. I almost wish he would have regenerated when the Pond's were killed... Either way, I'm excited to see how Who bosses plan to write the 50th Anniversary and then a Christmas Special involving the regeneration from the 11th to the 12th Doctor.

The second half of Season 7 of Doctor Who returns on Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m. on BBC America.

SDCC 2013 Will Have a Marvel Hall H Panel!!

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:10:00 +0000

It seems like every time I’m in the middle of writing a new piece, breaking news makes the entire thing irrelevant!! This morning, twitter user elmayimbe broke the story that Marvel will be bringing Captain America 2: The WInter Soldier to Comic-Con this summer!!!

This news follows various reports (and loud fan backlash) that Disney might chose to not bring either Marvel or Star Wars to SDCC and instead take both to D23. When word broke that Marvel wasn’t bringing a panel to Wondercon, many thought these rumors were beginning to look more and more real. And with the release of Iron Man 3 less than a month after Wondercon, it seems only logical to at least bring a booth to hand out official poster or do signing. Simply shutting Marvel, one of the largest comic book companies in the world, out of a comic convention is not going to help with the fanbase nor promotion.

Since Marvel had already given Captain America 2 the green light for Comic-Con, is there a possibility they are going to bring Iron Man 3 to Wondercon? Marvel’s cinematic mastermind, Joss Whedon, will probably (it hasn’t been confirmed) be at Wondercon for Much Ado- and I’d be shocked if he didn’t talk Marvel into sending Downey to talk with fans, or possibly doing an early screening??

The source has also said Marvel plans to have Guardian’s of the Galaxy and Thor 2 have a presence at SDCC. These two panels are currently unconfirmed. Marvel could always do something small for either film, such as announce casting or show footage, without having to bring the entire cast. If Marvel’s Hall H panel goes from 3-6, they have time to bring at least three different films. And we’re forgetting Marvel’s presence in the Television genre at Con. Chances are Marvel/ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. will be getting its own panel (and screening) in Ballroom 20.

Bringing their movies and casts’ to SDCC shows fans that Marvel respects them, and cares enough about their opinion to show them awesome-exclusive-shit early. In 2011, I was personally angry with Marvel for having no panel presence their awesome showing at the 2010 Con. It seems like they’ve read our angry tweets or figured out that by not bringing a panel to Con, Marvel would be pissing off a ton of nerds.

Check back for more updates on panel speculation.

Comic-Con is set to take over San Diego July 18-21, 2013.

Has Veronica Mars Changed the Movie Business?

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 01:45:00 +0000

It seems that someone is listening to our nerd prayers... Although Veronica Mars has been off the air for six years, there's an excellent chance that it can be brought back with your help!! Creator Rob Thomas, alongside with Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell, created a Kickstarter campaign to get funds from the fans for a Veronica Mars movie!! The original goal of $2 million was reached in just four hours!! Currently the pledged amount is at $3.5 million, but the project is backed by over 53,000 fans!

After I squealed and texted a few friends the good news, I decided to read the fine print and find out how this movie could actually get made. On the Kickstarter page, Rob Thomas wrote about how the studio was willing to give them the rights to make the movie if the money was there. Now that the money has been made, the process to begin pre-production begins. As the cast states in the video on Kickstarter, they plan to shoot the movie this summer with a release in early 2014. A release on-demand and other streaming services will follow soon after the official release!

I know. Doesn't it seem like we're all going to wake up and realize this is some awesome dream we were all having? But, no, in fact, the impossible has happened and we are getting a VERONICA MARS movie!!!!

Now that Veronica Mars has been able to receive an almost 'second life' because of its fans, countless other canceled or ended cult TV shows have began to stir. Shows like Chuck, Pushing Daises, etc, have a very strong and vocal dedicated fanbase, with a creative team that has a strong desire to have their show back on the air in anyway. Since the success of Veronica Mars, Zachary Levi has tweeted several times about the possibility for a Chuck movie. Like Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell with Mars, Zachary Levi and crew want to keep making Chuck as much as we keep wanting to watch it.

But, not every show may be quite as lucky as Veronica Mars. Although V-Mars fanatic, Joss Whedon has been quoted saying a Firefly Kickstarter wouldn't work. There's always the possibility that the network won't give up the rights to the show, but in Joss's case, he's far too busy. He's signed a contract with Marvel until 2015 and is probably going to have to hold back even working on Dr. Horrible 2 until Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is complete.

But, let's just say, for the sake of our dreams, that every studio would allow creators the right to make either a movie, miniseries, or full season of TV with money funded by the fans. Would shows with large enough fanbases (or large enough checkbooks) be able to make almost any movie they want? Could shows such as Chuck, Pushing Daises, Gilmore Girls, Angel, or even X-Files see a new dawn? With the popularity of Netflix, shows like Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, Angel, X-Files, Lost and Firelfy have found a new, young audience.

How will networks respond to the success of The Veronica Mars Movie? Will networks allow creative rights back to showrunners if there is enough fan support to actually make the film. The future of the film industry could very well be changed if studios work with the creative team as well as WB has worked with Rob Thomas.

How do you feel about this possible future of movie making? Is it exciting or dangerous that fans can possibly have this much control over a project that they love? What happens if fans are happy to fund the project but then unhappy with the final product?

You can donate/support the Veronica Mars kickstarter here.

Five Things We Want Now That Disney Owns Star Wars

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:45:00 +0000

To say I'm excited for the next bundle of Star Wars movies would be a vast understatement. I've spent more class time debating myself over the thousands of plot-lines JJ Abrams might make for the latest Star Wars movie. Below is my list of five dream movies that JJ should consider making into a major blockbuster:

1) Han Solo- Solo Movie

Han Solo was always my favorite character (sorry Luke) in all of Star Wars when I watched when I was younger. And if I'm being honest, I think he'll always be my favorite for many reasons; cockiness, brass, scruffy-lookin, nerf-herder.... An origin story about how Han became the smuggler who made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs is going to be entertaining and with the right casting, can join together generations of Star Wars fans to love the same film. And I'm really hoping we get to see a scene where a young Han steals the Millenium Falcon from Lando during a game of Sabacc!

2) A Female Protagonist

Here's looking at you, Mr. Abrams. Now that JJ has been handed the reigns to the new Star Wars saga there's a great chance he'll pull from his usual story telling and tell the story of a bamf young girl who knows how to wield a lightsaber. My two current favorites for a young female lead is a complete tie between Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis. If JJ's story takes place post-ROTJ, the story could stare Han and Leia's daughter, Jaina Solo. After seeing Alias, Fringe and Felicity, I have faith in JJ to deliver a strong woman to the big screen.

3) Expanded Universe- Post-Return of the Jedi

I can't be the only Star Wars fan who read the Young Jedi Knights and all the Post-ROTJ expanded universe books and prayed every night that George Lucas would make a 7th Star Wars movie. How awesome would it be if we got to see Luke and Mara's kid, Anakin (hey and maybe JJ can add in a daughter?) And I can't be the only one that wants to see Han and Leia with the 3 cutest, yet cockiest kids in the universe. Once again, the campaign for Jennifer Lawrence for Jaina Solo starts here.

4) Possibility of a Yoda/Creation of the Jedi Order Movie

Now that Disney has acknowledged and confirmed that their making stand alone Star Wars films- the rumors have began to circulate over what characters they would focus on. Of course everyone wants a Han and Boba Fett movie, but a stand-alone Yoda movie seemed to get a lot of respect and love from fans. I want a Yoda film that shows the creation of the Jedi Order. How did Yoda go about finding the first Jedi Knights? Did he teach them all how to build their own lightsabers? (And can we please see?!!) And it'd be awesome to see how different Corusant looked and operated over 800 years before we see it for the first time in Phantom Menace.

5) 150-200 Years Post-Return of the Jedi

Maybe four or five generations of Skywalker’s post-Luke in the Jedi order is enough time for a new terrible evil to grow. I don't necessarily care if any Skywalker or Solo were to be in the film, or the hero necessarily, but seeing how Luke's Academy, and the peace of the universe, is holding up 200 years after his death would be a great time to see what's going on within the Star Wars universe. Maybe this story would be about a young girl with powers similar to Anakin, but equipped with the lack of discipline and respect that would rival even Watto. Can you see a smack-talking, thrill-seeking, cocky (nerf-herder), yet brilliantly talented 17 year-old-girl who can hold her own in a galaxy filled with fear, anger, power and the always seductive Dark Side?? YES, PLEASE.

Marvel Releases New Iron Man 3 Trailer

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:40:00 +0000

Marvel has released the latest full-length Iron Man 3 trailer. The trailer shows Tony fighting for his life against the Mandarin. The trailer wasn’t focused on Tony Stark’s normal sarcasm and wit, instead it focussed more on Tony attempting to survive and protect Pepper. Check out the full trailer below:

The trailer also shows more into the already confirmed Extremis story line- and essentially shows how Tony has turned his Iron Man armor into an Iron Legion. Pepper Potts will be playing a larger role, and as the trailer alludes to, Pepper may join Tony in suiting up. There’s an off shot of a scene where Pepper isn’t wearing a shirt, which may lead to her putting on her own suit.

Although I just read an interesting story about Shane Black commenting on this film leaving the door open for a possible 4th Iron Man movie. But, currently, Iron Man 3 is the final film in Robert Downey Jr’s Marvel contract. He’s recently spoken out about leaving the Iron Man saga and even said he’s be okay be being recast. If I were Marvel, I’d resign Downey for Avengers 2. Killing off Tony Stark in Avengers 2 would allow for him and Pepper to have a son who could one day restart the Iron Man saga.

Joss Whedon’s comments about Avengers 2 being filled with ‘death and more death‘, I feel like we’ll be losing more than one beloved Avenger next time around. Killing Robert Downey Jr off a series that he can essentially get credit for jump starting is dangerous, but also something I can see Joss Whedon doing. Not only would it be shocking for movie goers, it would change the make-up of the Avengers as a unit, and the Marvel cinematic universe as a whole.

With Wondercon only a mere 3 weeks away, I’m hoping Marvel has a large presence (at least on the floor) and has some awesome Iron Man 3 swag. Although we here at Frak Earth are trying to stay spoiler free- check back for more unspoilerly updates on Iron Man 3. Iron Man 3 is set to hit theaters May 3, 2013.

2013 SDCC Badge Sales: An Overview

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:25:00 +0000

San Diego’s annual nerd mecca, Comic-Con, has sold out in only 90 minutes this past weekend. Comic-Con has taken steps to ensure that as many fans as possible have a chance to purchase a badge. But, with SDCC already selling several thousand badges this summer to 2012 SDCC ticket holders, even less fans had a chance to purchase tickets this Saturday. I had already purchased a badge this summer, but its my roommates first Con and this was going to be her first time attempting to buy a badge.

We’d talked through various strategies about maneuvering into the dreaded Epic waiting room. Saturday’s morning traffic was slightly cut down by Comic-Con only allowing those with a member ID to purchase a badge. After watching the informational how-to-purchase-con-tickets video from SDCC’s website and saw that they would no longer be linking the entrance to the waiting room directly from their website. I knew instantly that traffic was going to be even higher.

At exactly 9:00, I tried to enter the waiting room on five different devices. Instantly, the page clocked and wouldn’t load. I sprang onto to Twitter and began reading frightening messages such as people were getting an error message, and the page loading and saying the waiting room was at capacity. It was only 9:05 so I assumed the servers were overloaded and that the page’s message was incorrect. By 9:10, people began tweeting that their white screen was now refreshing directly into the waiting room. I instantly refreshed several of my screens and one of them loaded me directly into the waiting room.

But that strategy didn’t work for everyone. Comic-con even had a customer service number available, but according to Twitter, it was busy the entire morning. Some people struggled to get into the waiting room. Once we were in, it only took 45 minutes before we were taken to the screen to by badges. The system was a bit out of whack since it only allowed me to purchase 4 day badges, or 4 day plus preview night, and claimed that all single day badges were sold out.

Saturday badges were the first to go after all 4 day badges were gone. I’m sure most fans expect this to be the biggest day at Con, especially for Hall H. It’s far too early to tell what studios will be showcasing to fans, but with Thor 2, X-Men Day’s of Future’s Past, or the second Hunger Games, Catching Fire- it’s safe to assume that Hall H on Saturday is going to be magnificent.

By 10:30, all badges for Comic-Con 2013 had sold out. Although it was a successful day for some fans, others are contemplating ways they can purchase a badge online. First off, let me warn you: DO NOT purchase a badge online from Craiglist or Ebay. The only way this strategy can work is if you purchase a complimentary badge. If you purchase a complimentary badge, you can put your own name on the badge, making it legally yours! Buying a badge from someone online won’t work since you need a photo ID in order to pick up your badge at comic-con.

If you were lucky enough to score a badge, then you’ve got a few months to plan out the greatest weekend of your life. If you weren’t able to get a badge, Comic-Con is sure to have a badge resale day. No official word on if or when this sale will be happening, but check back to Frakearth for any news from Comic-Con about badge resale days.

WonderCon Badges On Sale

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 02:05:00 +0000

Tickets for Wondercon in Anaheim, California have offically gone on sale. Wondercon is set to take over the Anaheim Convention Center March 29-31. In order to purchase badges, one must have a Member ID. Although Wondercon tickets won't sell out or be nearly as coveted as SDCC badges, it seems as though Comic-Con is trying to move everything over to the new system by forcing all badge holders to have a Member ID.

There's no rush to buy tickets right this second, but the $40 early bird 3-day badge is a great offer. Although panels and special guests won't be announced for a month or so, check back for updates and rumors on Wondercon 2013.