‘Harry Potter: Magical Places from the Films’ By Jody Revenson Will Show You Details About The Harry Potter Movie Sets You Never Noticed Before
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News/Getty Images
There’s no question that the world of Harry Potter is a sparkly magical wonderland where all one need worry about is not getting eaten by a Dementor (but how bad could that be, really?). But have you ever thought about the real-life wizardry that went into creating and building the eight HP movies’ intricate sets?
Jody Revenson’s Harry Potter: Magical Places from the Films, a gorgeous leather-bound tome, offers an inside look at the films’ comprehensive set designs, detailing the studio’s creative process from sketches through to fruition. The book is organized chronologically, including beloved spaces and places from each of the eight movies. The first chapter, for example, displays artists’ sketches and film stills from the Dursleys’ House; while later chapters display magical indoor spaces, like the Herbology Greenhouse; the Ministry of Magic; and The Burrow, as well as Hogwarts’ fantastical grounds, including the eerie Forbidden Forest and the lively Quidditch Pitch.
Each detailed look at the films’ environments includes accompanying “behind-the-scenes photographs” and “supplementary text that highlights filmmaking secrets from the Warner Bros. archives.” Like, for example, that set decorators encouraged the many extras to carve their names and doodles into the long tables in the Great Hall, in order to make the tables look authentically aged.
The images below are pulled right from Revenson’s book: think of them as a teaser trailer to the book, which shows how the muggle magic of film combines with Hogwarts’ wizardry to create something truly amazing. All of these images contain details that even the most die-hard Harry Potter fan probably wouldn’t have noticed — but definitely needs to see.
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes
Flourish and Blotts
Gryffindor Common Room
Potions Classroom
Honeydukes
The Burrow
Lovegood House
“The interior of the Lovegood house set was designed to appear ‘lovingly vandalized’ by Luna Lovegood.”
Images: Courtesy of Harper Design
Accio Sneakers! These Harry Potter Shoes Are Sure To Help You Pass Your O.W.L.s
Accio Sneakers! These Harry Potter Shoes Are Sure To Help You Pass Your O.W.L.s
On the rare occasion a spell or two escapes my mind, these would be perfect as a quick reminder in the case of emergency.
You can purchase them here if you’ve been able to stop at Gringotts and collect some of your wizarding money.
It might be too matchy matchy when paired together, but these leggings available for purchase here are also insanely adorable as well.
Not to mention they make your legs look incredible.
I think I’d like to take those shoes as well. Okay, I better slow my roll. I can’t get crazy like a werewolf on a full moon and buy every cute Harry Potter outfit I see.
Or can I? What’s the spell for doubling the money in your bank account?
Accio Sneakers! These Harry Potter Shoes Are Sure To Help You Pass Your O.W.L.s
Eddie Redmayne may star in Harry Potter spin-off
If all goes well, Eddie Redmayne will play Newt Scamander in the film series, which takes place 70 years before the Harry Potter films. — Reuters picLOS ANGELES, May 13 — Official negotiations have begun to secure actor Eddie Redmayne as the lead for the Happy Potter prequel “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them”.
According to the latest reports from Deadline, talks are in motion to solidify long-time favourite Redmayne in the starring role.
The story goes that Warner Bros, also responsible for the hugely successful Harry Potter franchise, has extended the formal offer, following weeks of speculation that Redmayne was indeed their top choice.
If all goes well, the Oscar-winning actor (who also starred in “The Theory of Everything”) will play Newt Scamander in the film series, which takes place 70 years before the Harry Potter films.
Author J.K. Rowling has also reportedly progressed through her first screenplay, with previous collaborator David Yates expected to direct the movie and David Heyman back on board to produce. — AFP-Relaxnews
Marvel Reveals the Identity of the New Female Thor
Marvel isn’t waiting until the release of Thor #8 tomorrow for people to find out who exactly the new female Thor is. The comic book publisher decided to leak it early so that no one else could. For those of you who have eagerly been waiting for confirmation on the identity of the woman who took up Mjolnir, the wait is over.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
It’s been a mystery in the comics since her first appearance, but now we know who the new God of Thunder is. It’s unsurprisingly Dr. Jane Foster, the former girlfriend of Thor, who was played by Natalie Portman in the movies. Like many of you, I kind of figured that this was going to be the case early on. Of course, there was also a lot of speculation that it could have been Thor’s sister Angela.
It makes sense to me that it would be Jane. Comic writer Jason Aaron had this to say about the reveal:
“Jane Foster has been part of the Thor comics and the Thor mythology from almost the very beginning. The very act of picking up this hammer, of becoming Thor, is killing her. Where we go from here is the real story.”
Sounds like things are going to get even more intriguing. Who knows where exactly the story will go from here? She will be teaming up with the Avengers in the Secret Wars crossover event, though.
It makes me wonder if this is where the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be headed, as well. Is it possible that one day Natalie Portman could be the new Thor? I think that would be pretty badass. What do you all think of Jane Foster as the God of Thunder?
See BLACK Ange, The Lost Short That Debuted with the Empire Strikes Back
I’d never heard of “Black Angel” before today, but there’s a fascinating story that accompanies the 34-year-old short film. It was directed by Roger Christian, the Oscar-winning art director of Star Wars and Alien, and George Lucas commissioned the short to be made so it could debut in front of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in theaters in Europe. It’s a fantasy film that had a big influence on sword and sorcery movies that followed, including John Boorman’s Excalibur (Boorman showed it to his entire crew before filming that movie), and also impacted Empire itself, since Lucas used Christian’s “step-printing” technique to slow down one of the lightsaber fight sequences.
The short was lost for decades and was recently unearthed, and now io9 points us to the full film that you can watch below, including a cool introduction from Christian himself that fills you in on the whole backstory:
See BLACK Ange, The Lost Short That Debuted with the Empire Strikes Back
The Devil Wears Prada musical in the works
Ed Sheeran gives fans a peek at his childhood as he shares family home videos for new single Photograph
His past music videos haves seen him casting a Harry Potter star to play his lookalike and enlisting top dancers to take the spotlight.
But in Ed Sheeran’s latest video for new single Photograph, the singer is very much the lead star.
The heartfelt music video is made up of home movie footage from the Brit musician’s childhood to his present superstar status.
What a cutie: Ed Sheeran has shared videos from his childhood for his new music video Photograph
Fans have been given a rare glimpse into Ed’s childhood in a montage of videos, which show him as a newborn nestling in his parents’ bed and as a chubby-cheeked baby crawling on the carpet.
The home movie clips, which also feature the singer learning to play the piano and guitar and him busking as a teenager were shot by the Thinking Out Loud singer’s parents.
The 24-year-old shared the music video for the track, the final single to be taken from his second album x, on his Twitter account over the weekend, adding: ‘p.s its me.’
Then and now: The heartfelt video takes fans through the 24-year-old’s life from his childhood to present day
After progressing through his life, the Photograph video ends with a young Ed clambering up some rocks and being asked by his dad, ‘Are you at the top of the mountain?’, before cutting to the star on stage playing for a massive festival crowd.
Ed usually hands over the leading role in his videos to others, with Harry Potter star Rupert Grint playing his look-alike in Lego House.
Earlier this year the singer revealed that he was hoping his pal Benedict Cumberbatch would star in his video for hit single Sing.
Family: The videos were shot by Ed’s parents and see him playing in his childhood home
Talent: There’s footage of a young Ed learning to play a variety of instruments
The star said he planned to have the Sherlock star dancing ‘in a karaoke bar with a load of Korean dudes’.
‘We had a few conversations about it, some dinner – we ate roast chicken. A conversation was about as far as it got,’ explained Ed to the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in February, adding that he hopes to team up with Benedict in the future.
‘I’ll find a better idea and approach him with it, but he’s Oscar nominated now, I don’t know if he’s up for dancing around with Koreans in a music video,’ he joked.
Ed, whose album x has been certified seven times platinum, is currently on tour in the US before returning to the UK for three sold-out Wembley Stadium shows in July.
Dreaming big: Ed’s red locks make him instantly recognisable in the very personal music video
Story of his life: Ed normally stays in the background for his music videos
AN INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORY FOR MOTHER’S DAY
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.
He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother.
But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”
The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.”
He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.
She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.”
She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.
To all mothers, A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!
The Future of Quicksilver Discussed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon
Avengers: Age of Ultron introduced a few great new characters into the MCU. Two of them include Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I really liked these characters, and in separate interviews with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon, they discuss the future of Quicksilver in the MCU.
I can’t really talk about this without going into SPOILER territory, so you’ve been warned:
Those of you who have seen Avengers: Age of Ultron are probably thinking, “what kind of future does Quicksilver have!?” The character met his demise while running into some enemy fire, saving Hawkeye and an awkward little boy from being killed.
But Taylor-Johnson suggested in an interview with CinemaBlend that he may not be done with the character:
“I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed working on [this movie], and I would love to be doing more movies with the guys at Marvel. Maybe there will be some case where that might happen.”
After it was pointed to him that characters in the MCU return from the dead all the time, Taylor-Johnson responded:
“I’d love to find what that loophole is, because I think they’re the best guys I’ve worked with in a long time.”
The actor obviously really enjoyed his time working with Marvel, and he really wants to work with them again, but Whedon says he intended for Quicksilver to stay dead. Talking to the Empire Film Podcast, he said:
“It felt very disingenuous for me, especially the second time around, to make what I refer to as ‘a war movie’ and say that there is no price and everybody walks away. In this movie, we’re saying, ‘Prove to me that you guys are heroes.’ And he’s the guy that does it.
“I knew it would be resonant, and make everything else work better and matter more. The city in the air, that’s just an explosion… Wanda’s grief, that’s extraordinary.”
In the end it’s not really up to Whedon if Quicksilver stays dead or not. That’s up to the executives at Marvel and Disney. He did prepare for Quicksilver to live through the ordeal and even shot some alternate footage for the ending.
“I said to Aaron, ‘The only way you’ll stay alive is if the Disney executives say, ‘Hey idiot, this is a franchise, and we need all these people and you’re not allowed to kill them off!’”
“We did actually shoot him in the last scene, in an outfit, with his sister. We also shot him, waking up, saying, ‘Ah, I didn’t really die from these 47 bullet wounds!’”
As much as I enjoyed Quicksilver in this movie, I really hope that Marvel keeps him dead, otherwise his sacrifice means nothing. It would really take the power out of that scene. I’m done with the Marvel death fake-outs.
The Future of Quicksilver Discussed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon
Diary of a Wimpy Kid translated into Latin by Vatican cleric goes on sale in UK
It has sold millions of copies around the world but now Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a book about the travails of school life, has been translated into Latin – by the Vatican cleric who handles Pope Francis‘s Twitter account in the ancient language.
The book, known in Latin as Commentarii de Inepto Puero, was rendered into the language of Cicero and Seneca by Monsignor Daniel Gallagher and is to be published in Britain on Wednesday.
It is the first time that the Vatican has involved itself in translating a popular work of fiction into Latin and forms part of a broad effort to try to keep the language alive.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid follows the misadventures of Greg Heffley, who is bullied by his older brother, irked by his teachers and frustrated by the challenges of scholastic routine.
The book is the first in a series written by American author Jeff Kinney which have sold around 150 million copies.
Rendering schoolboy slang and contemporary vocabulary into Latin was not an easy task, Msgr Gallagher said.
He translated “computer” into “computratum”, “video game” into the relatively straightforward “video lusus” and “heavy metal music” into the literal “musica metallica gravis”.
“It was hard work but it was a lot of fun,” Msgr Gallagher, 45, originally from Michigan, told The Telegraph.
Jeff Kinney, left, and Monsignor Daniel Gallagher (Rex/Giuseppe Fantasia)
He came to Rome as a seminarian 20 years ago and gradually developed a passion in Latin, despite not being taught the subject at school.
“The challenges were not so much finding the right vocabulary, but rendering the modern English into a Latin that captured the spirit of the ancient Romans,” he said.
“Exclamations like “Darn!” were tricky – you try to get as close as possible with the translation.
“It may not read like Cicero, but I hope it demonstrates that everything can be said Latinly – omnia dici possunt Latine – even the hapless but ultimately happy adventures of an undersized weakling like Greg Heffley,” said Msgr Gallagher, who works in the Vatican’s Office for Latin Letters, part of the Secretariat of State, which handles Latin documents and correspondence for the Pope.
The papal Twitter feed in Latin, with the handle @pontifex_ln, has proved surprisingly popular and has nearly 350,000 followers.
It was satisfying to be able to write at length, beyond the maximum 140 characters demanded by Twitter, he said.
The book is aimed at anyone with a working knowledge of Latin, from school pupils and university undergraduates to adults.
The project has the blessing of the Vatican, which is keen to see Latin flourish.
“Latin continues to be the official language of the Vatican because it’s universal, it doesn’t belong to any one country or culture. It doesn’t privilege or favour any one nation, it’s trans-national,” said Msgr Gallagher.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid translated into Latin by Vatican cleric goes on sale in UK
Harry Potter exhibit set for May 13-June 19 at UMF Mantor Library
FARMINGTON — “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine”exhibit will run from May 13 through June 19 at Mantor Library, 116 South St. The event is hosted by The Shiretown Bookers in affiliation with the University of Maine at Farmington and presented in cooperation with the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and including related books from local collections, according to a news release from Reid Byers, president of Shiretown Bookers.
In 1997, J.K. Rowling introduced the world to Harry Potter and a literary phenomenon was born. Millions of readers followed Harry to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he discovers his heritage, encounters new plants and animals, and perfects his magical abilities.
“We are very grateful to Mantor Library for the opportunity to share the NIH exhibition and these fascinating books with the community. The Library provides a lot of other important services to the Farmington community that we hope to make known more widely,” Byers said in the release.
The Shiretown Bookers are a group of book lovers and collectors who support the university library by fostering its relationship with the community. The group provides exhibits and lectures on literary and library subjects as a way to promote community understanding of UMF Mantor Library and its services.
“We are delighted to welcome the Shiretown Bookers inaugural exhibition to campus,” said Kathryn A. Foster, UMF president, in the release. This is a wonderful opportunity for UMF and the community to come together and share their love of literature. Collaborative programming such as this supports all of Farmington and invigorates both the campus and the community.”
A summer exhibition, “The Joy of Booking,” highlights from members’ collections will run from June 22 through Sept. 30. As the group’s personal exhibition, it will introduce some of the members’ specific collecting interests and additional community opportunities at Mantor Library.
Harry Potter exhibit set for May 13-June 19 at UMF Mantor Library
10 Non-MARVEL or DC Comics From the 1990s that need Film Adaptation
Right now Marvel and DC have cornered the market of comic book superhero movies in Hollywood. Marvel is currently kicking ass, and DC seems to have a plan in place that they are finally executing with the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But there are still a ton of great comic book characters out there that are not a part of Marvel or DC that would make awesome movies, and I’ve put together a list of other comics that I was a huge fan of in the ’90s.
I spent a lot of my time as a teenager in the early ’90s at my local comic book shop, Legacy, in Glendale, CA. It was there that I was introduced to a ton of comic books that I got hooked on in that era. Image Comics was exploding at the time, and that’s what I was reading a lot of along with several other comics that weren’t a part of the Marvel and DC universes.
Here are 10 comic books that I would love to see eventually get film adaptations:
WILDC.A.T.S – Wildstorm/Image Comics
WildC.A.T.s is about a team of superheroes created by comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi in 1992. The team consisted of the characters Spartan, Zealot, Voodoo, Grifter, Warblade, Void, and Lord Emp.
The comic book’s premise revolved around the centuries-long war between aliens called Kherubim and Daemonites. Kherubims were a nearly immortal and human-looking alien race with exceptional powers and skills. They traveled to Earth where they breeded with humans, populating the planet with “Half-Breeds.” Daemonites had a fearsome appearance, and also possessed various superhuman abilities including body possession and mental control over human beings.
The comic did spawn an animated TV series in 1994 that I had a blast watching during its short-lived 13-episode run. There was also a toyline at the same time, and I still have some of the action figures in their original packaging.
DC Comics now owns the rights to the characters, but it wouldn’t fit in with any of the films that Warner Bros. is currently developing. This would have to be a stand-alone film franchise.
Danger Girl – IDW Publishing
Why in the hell don’t we have a Danger Girl movie yet!? It seems like a no-brainer. This is a comic book that any teenage geek would love. I had poster art in my room, and even have the action figures that were made, still in the original packaging. There was also a video game adaptation for the original PlayStation, but unfortunately it sucked.
The comic series was created in 1997 by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell, and it centers on an anonymous group of female secret agents who are sent on adventurous missions that are in the same vein of James Bond and Indiana Jones. They are led by a former British Secret Service Agent named Deuce. The characters include Sydney Savage, Natalia Kassle, and Silicon Valerie.
I think a movie based on this comic would be epically popular. Three hot secret agents kicking ass could go so wrong, but could also be so right if the right talent was brought on board to develop it.
The Maxx – Image Comics
The Maxx was created by Sam Kieth in 1993, and his first appearance was in Primer #5, published by Comico Comics. I thought the storyline for this comic was incredibly cool, and the main character just had this insane look that would be cool to see brought to life on the big screen.
The series followed the adventures of the hero who was a part of both the real world and an alternate reality referred to as the Outback. In the real world the Maxx is a vagrant, a “homeless man living in a box,” while in the Outback, he is the powerful protector of the Jungle Queen. The Jungle Queen exists in the real world as Julie Winters, a freelance social worker who often bails the Maxx out of jail. While the Maxx is aware of the Outback, Julie is not, though it is integral to both of their stories.
MTV had an animated series of The Maxx back in 1995, and it was pretty damn cool. I really liked the style of it. It translated really well to animation, and if they made a feature film, I think it would work best as a CG animated film.
PITT – Image Comics/Full Bleed Studios
Pitt is a human/alien hybrid that was created by an alien race known as the Creed. Well, he was actually created by artist Dale Keown, but you know what I’m saying. Pitt is a genetically engineered killing machine, and if you couldn’t already tell, he’s more alien than human. The character has red pupil-less eyes, gray skin, insanely sharp oversized teeth, and claws.
Pitt has crazy superior strength, and uses pain as a stimulant. He can leap 10 km in one bound. He also has razor sharp claws that can possibly tear through anything. The character is extremely durable, and is able to survive attacks that would kill or disable superhuman beings with relative ease. Pitt can heal near fatal wounds very quickly. He also has limited psychic powers, and uses his opponents’ aggression to lock on to his enemies.
Pitt goes through life protecting the Earth and his half-brother Timmy from the Creed alien race. With the special effects that we have today, and seeing what ILM is doing with the Hulk, it would be so cool to see Pitt brought to life in the same way.
The Darkness – Top Cow Productions
This comic series was created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl. He made his first appearance in Witchblade #10 in 1996. The Darkness tells the story of a Mafia hitman named Jackie Estacado who became became the bearer of the Darkness on his 21st birthday. He is an elemental force that allows him to wield a power that gives him access to an otherworldly dimension and control over the demons who dwell there.
The character has a ton of abilities that includes superhuman strength, agility, speed, and invulnerability. He also has the power to fly, shape-shift, and teleport, as well as telepathy, accelerated healing, and martial arts.
Dimension Films was supposed to make a movie back in 2004, but it never happened. Then in 2009, Top Cow announced that a live-action film was in development, but that seems to have fallen apart as well. Someone just needs to get their act together and make it happen!
Youngblood – Image Comics
Youngblood is a superhero team that was created by writer and artist and Rob Liefeld, and they made their debut in 1992. The superteam is overseen by the United States government, and the members of the team include Shaft, a former FBI agent and archer whose bow uses magnets to propel its arrow instead of a string; Badrock, a teenager transformed into a living block of stone; Vogue, a Russian fashion model with purple and white skin; and Chapel, a government assassin.
Youngblood also had a cool action figure line, many of which I own. There was also supposed to be an animated series in 1995, but it never happened. You can see a clip that promoted the series on FOX below.
In 2009, Reliance Big Entertainment acquired the feature film rights to the comic book, and Brett Ratner was attached to direct. Thankfully that didn’t happen.
Astro City – Image Comics/Vertigo Comics
Astro City is one of those comics that had such awesome potential to be an incredible film. The comic was co-created by Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson. The character designs and cover for the comic come from Alex Ross. It was first published in 2005, and a movie version of this needs to happen. It would be quite the undertaking since there is a large cast of characters living in such an interesting and vast world. It would be so amazing, though.
The comic was really interesting in that it explored how ordinary people, heroes, and villains lived in a world full of super-powered beings. Some of the heroes that reside in the universe included Samaritan, an extremely powerful hero and Superman analog; The Confessor, a mysterious vigilante detective; Crackerjack, an egocentric, reckless crime-fighter with amazing agility and a staff weapon; The Hanged Man, a ghostly figure who appears as a floating apparition with a burlap sack over his head and a noose around his neck; The Gentleman, a super-strong, immaculate, and unfailingly-polite hero active in Astro City who is always impeccably dressed in a tuxedo; Jack-in-the-Box, a clown-themed vigilante with no known powers but agility and an arsenal of clown and toy-inspired weaponry; and more.
In 2003 there was an attempt to make an Astro City movie at Working Title Films, who acquired the rights. The option they had eventually lapsed and the creator took it to other parties, but nothing has happened yet.
Magnus Robot Fighter – Valiant Comics
This comic was originally created by writer and artist Russ Manning in 1963 for Gold Key Comics, but it made a comeback to comics in 1991 thanks to Jim Shooter and Valiant Comics. It was later rebooted in 2010 by Dark Horse Comics. I was first introduced to the comic in the ’90s, and freakin’ loved the characters, story, and style.
The story is set in the year 4000, in a world in which humanity has become dependent on robots. Magnus is trained from infancy by his robot mentor to protect humans against both rogue robots and humans who used normal robots for evil purposes. The guy is a skilled martial artist who can break steel with his bare hands. He’s a complete badass!
I think this could be an amazing film franchise. I’m surprised after all of the years that this has been around it hasn’t happened yet. It seems like a golden opportunity to do something incredible.
Harbinger – Valiant Comics
This 1992 comic book was created by writer Jim Shooter and artist David Latham. It is about a group of super-powered teenage outcasts known as Harbingers. The main character is Peter Stanchek, who is a psionically-charged harbinger that has the power to potentially reshape the course of human history.
I always thought that this series would make for a great film. Back in 2008 Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to it and hired Brett Ratner to direct. Luckily that all fell through. I would hate to see Ratner try and do something like this. It was recently announced that Sony Pictures picked up the rights with Valiant Entertainment’s Dinesh Shamdasani and Eric Heisserer writing the film.
Hopefully the project actually makes it into production, and it doesn’t fade away like many of these other film productions have that are on this list.
Solar: Man of Atom – Valiant Comics
Solar is a superhero that was first created by writer Paul S. Newman and artist Matt Murphy in 1962 by Gold Key Comics. It reemerged in 1991 at Valiant Comics, and it was pretty spectacular. The comic landed on Wizard’s top ten list of best comics in the last 15 years.
The story centers around a character named Dr. Raymond Solar aka Phil Seleski, who is a scientist that specializes in nuclear physics. When trying to stop a nuclear fusion reactor from melting down by jumping in and banging on it with a hammer, he is turned into a being of pure energy. He has the power to draw upon his stored-up energy at will, and he can release it into any form he wants. He can also use it to defy gravity, manipulate matter, and even travel through time. His powers are limited by his mind’s ability to think them up.
The comic isn’t really well known, but it features some epic storytelling that used real science and complex ideas that would sure make for an amazing film. It follows the character as he tries to fix the events that led to his change and find a way he can fit in with the world with what he has become. In a nutshell, it’s about him coming to terms with the fact that he now has the power of God.
So what do you think? Do you want to see any of these comics turned into movies?
10 Non-MARVEL or DC Comics From the 1990s that need Film Adaptation
Impressive ULTRON Cosplay for AVENGER: Age of Ultron
Check out this mind-blowing Ultron cosplay inspired by the character design from Joss Whedon‘s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The costumes were created by Village’s Hope, who partnered with Disney to show up at the premiere of the film in Thailand.
What’s amazing about these costumes is the fact that they were created out of EVA foam, PVC leather, and LED lights. It’s crazy to think that the shiny metal armor that you see in these photos are actually made out of foam. These are some talented individuals.
Via: Fashionably Geek
Cast Photo Assembles Task Force X
Suicide Squad director David Ayer has released the first official photo of the Task Force X team all decked out in their costumes and ready to kick some ass.
The characters assembled in the photo are Adam Beach as Slipknot; Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang; Cara Delevingne as Enchantress; Karen Fukuhara as Katana; Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg; Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn; Will Smith as Deadshot; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc; and Jay Hernandez as El DIablo.
Everyone seems to look great in their roles. I’d love to see more detailed shots of all of them, especially Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Apparently she will have several different looks throughout the film, so this is just one of them.
The actors who are not included in the image are Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Raymond Olubowale, Alex Meraz, Jim Parrack, Common, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and Jared Leto’s Joker.
I’m excited to see all of these characters in action, and knowing the type of films that Ayer makes, I think this one is going to be incredibly exciting. Suicide Squad will be released on August 5th, 2016.
Extended Trailer for THE FLASH – Flash battles Gorilla Grodd
We have three new episodes of The Flash left in Season 1, and things are getting crazy! We have an exciting extended trailer for you to watch for the upcoming episode “Grodd Lives.” It focuses on Barry Allen and Reverse Flash, who have their work cut out for them when they have to go up against Gorilla Grodd. The promo also includes a pretty big SPOILER, so watch at your own risk.
“Grodd Lives” – Barry (Grant Gustin) must deal with the Reverse Flash’s (Tom Cavanagh) latest threat to a member of the group. To make matter worse, Dr. Wells unleashes Grodd on the city in order to distract Barry and the team. Joe (Jesse L. Martin), Barry and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) head down into the sewers to catch Grodd but the gorilla quickly gets the upper hand after he kidnaps Joe. Iris (Candice Patton) and Barry have a heart to heart talk. Dermott Downs directed the episode written by Grainne Godfree & Kai Yu Wu.
Extended Trailer for THE FLASH – Flash battles Gorilla Grodd
Watch: 10 AVENGERS: Age Of Ultron Facts
Avengers: Age of Ultron is in theaters now. You can read our written review, and we’ll have a podcast review coming for you later this afternoon. If you’re into trivia, WatchMojo has put together a list of 10 facts from the film — although from the sound of it, they hadn’t actually seen the movie yet when they put this together. But that doesn’t stop them from pointing out some truths about Joss Whedon’s blockbuster sequel, and if you’re looking for some water-cooler talk for early next week, you may be able to impress your non-comic-book-loving friends with a few of these tidbits.
The Avengers Reimagined in a Dark Fantasy Realm
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to enter the world of sorcery, magic and the occult with the addition of Doctor Strange. He’s one of my favorite characters in the Marvel universe, and I’m so stoked that he will finally be coming to the big screen!
While we wait for that, here is an awesome series of art created by artist Daniel Kamarudin, which reimagines several characters from the Marvel universe in a dark fantasy alternate universe. The series is called Avengers: Dark Fantasy, and I think you’re really going to like what you see.
The character designs are pretty damn cool. To see some similar art click on the following link: THE AVENGERS as Medieval Fantasy Warriors.
World Book Night: how poetry helps reluctant readers take flight
A detail from a fresco taken Monday, November 6, 2000, shows the roman divinity Calliope, Muse of epic poetry, portrayed on the walls of the recently rediscovered ruins of what is believed to be the ancient guest house of Roman Pompeii, Italy. Excavations for an extension of the Naples-Salerno highway brought light on a 1000 square meters construction, forgotten since its first discovery in 1959. Archeologists believe that these frescoes, of extreme importance for their beauty and technique, could prove that the Roman Pompeii was not declining in importance when covered by ashes in 79 a.D. (AP Photo/Pasquale Sorrentino)
World Book Night: how poetry helps reluctant readers take flight
This year, the annual event to promote reading is giving away an anthology of poems for the first time, and the response has been extraordinarily positive
“Is it mine? Can I keep it?” Kieran has just read a poem aloud in the foyer of St Mungo’s Broadway hostel for the homeless in London’s Covent Garden. Silence by Mourid Barghouti begins: “Silence said: / truth needs no eloquence.”
Why did he choose that one? “Because I like silence. There’s not enough of it.” Kieran, 24, has lived in the hostel for more than a year since a serious motorbike accident interrupted his working life as a mechanic. Soon, he hopes to leave, to find a job, a place of his own.
He is holding a copy of a specially printed edition of the poetry anthology Essential Poems, edited by Neil Astley, one of 250,000 books that is being distributed to mark Thursday’s World Book Night. This annual event, run by the Reading Agency, sees thousands of volunteers share their love of reading by pressing books into the hands of others. The aim is to reach people who rarely read and don’t own books.
But how to tell who reads, who doesn’t? I wonder how the people I see daily on my street – the Irish builders, the Bangladeshi newsagent, the Italian hairdresser – will react to: “Psst! You look as if you rarely read. Can I interest you in a book?”
Oddly, it’s easier to offer a poem than a book. A novel or a biography requires a reader to start at the beginning, plough on to the end, persevering through interruptions. A poem delivers more, with fewer words. An anthology can slot into free moments in a chaotic day. You don’t have to like every page: just one. Seen this way, the quick hit of the single poem is a more promising gateway into reading than any other form of literature.
This is the first year World Book Night has included a poetry anthology in its giveaway – and the response has been extraordinarily positive. The initiative, supported by the Forward Arts Foundation and the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, clearly struck a chord with the 394 individuals and 224 institutions – homeless shelters, prisons, mental health trusts – who were offered a choice of 20 World Book Night titles, all but one written in prose, and went for the poems. 12,500 anthologies were printed: all have been snapped up. The givers’ enthusiasm, as seen on Twitter with the hashtag #shareapoem, suggests an unslakeable appetite for sharing poetry. Why?
Mass redistribution of words: World Book Night prepares for UK-wide book giveaway
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Simon Phillips, a basic skills tutor at St Mungo’s Broadway, tells of reluctant hostel-dwelling readers who have been kickstarted into writing their own poems by discovering a poem that works for them: “John Hegley is good that way, and Invictus – the poem that kept up Nelson Mandela’s spirits in prison. People who aren’t confident with spelling and punctuation seem happier writing poetry than prose: there’s a bit more freedom for them.”
Writing a poem can lead to other things: involvement in the St Mungo’s magazine, turning up to editorial meetings, co-operating, being punctual, taking pride in an achievement. “Lots of the clients here have troubles and don’t see anyone except others in the same predicament or professionals – doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, key workers. And they have to describe what’s happened to them again and again. It’s quite depressing. It can get them down. But the right poem gives them something else to talk about,” adds Phillips. Rumi, he says, works particularly well for a client with mental health issues: “He tells me the Persian version: we look at the words in English together. It makes him happier, no question.”
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It makes Phillips happier too: “When you read a poem like Frost’s The Road Not Taken with a group, they see their whole lives in it. They all find different meanings. The first time this happened, I’d never heard a conversation go so well: hierarchy goes out of the window.”
The World Book Night edition of Essential Poems includes Frost, alonside Cavafy, Rilke, Neruda, Elizabeth Bishop plus – in a special addendum – work by Emily Berry, Michael Symmons Roberts, Liz Berry and Kei Miller, all recent winners of the Forward prizes for poetry.
The language is current, fresh, vivid: my fears of coming across as a patronising missionary for culture are dissolved by the warmth of the book’s reception. Liz Berry’s poem, about a seven-year old girl pretending to be a boy, gets a hoot of recognition from my hairdresser, who immediately pledges to make her copy go further by offering it to customers with their blow-dries instead of Grazia and Hello! “I like a poem to make you laugh, make you feel good. Who doesn’t?”
World Book Night: how poetry helps reluctant readers take flight
A story to tell: Teen author shares experience at Eden Park
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Sean Fay Wolfe, teen author of the fan fiction title “Quest for Justice, a Minecraft Novel” (Elementia Chronicles, Volume 1), had the students at Eden Park Elementary School in the palm of his hand last week as he spoke about his journey from 14-year-old fan of the game to 17-year-old author of a fiction series of three action adventure books set in the world of the video game Minecraft.
Fay Wolfe’s first book in the series was originally created using Createspace, a self-publishing format, but has since been picked up by HarperCollins Publishing. The publishing house will release all three books, starting in July for the first, and following with the second book in October 2015 and the third in January 2016.
“When I first tell people that I wrote a story set in the world of Minecraft, their first question is always, ‘Why?’” Fay Wolfe said. “But let’s have a show of hand here as to how many of you like Minecraft.”
Nearly every hand in the room filled with upper-grade elementary students flew into the air, and Fay Wolfe had their rapt attention.
“I really like Minecraft. There’s so much you can do. A couple of years ago, I was on Minecraft constantly, non-stop,” Fay Wolfe said. “The game is just as much fun to play by yourself as it is to play with other people using multi-player servers. I like to play it with my friends and with hundreds and thousands of people playing together on the servers in online survival worlds. I realized though, as I was playing with other people, that people playing together encounter problems. Most problems are little and annoying, but I started thinking about other problems that could possibly take a Minecraft server and render it useless so that people can’t use it any more. I tried to think of what types of problems those could be.”
Fay Wolfe brought the discussion to the topic of resources.
“Every resource has its purpose. There might be diamonds, gold, stone, dirt, wood or water,” he said. “But I started to wonder what would happen if people who played the game were grouped together in their cities and their cities got so big that they used up all of the resources until there were no more and people who were the older, original players who had helped to found the cities decided that there could be no more new players and wanted the newer players to leave the cities. That wouldn’t be fun, would it? If someone gets you to leave, if you’re no longer welcome, that’s a problem, right?”
He told the students that considering such a problem led him to his idea for his first book.
“That single biggest problem that Minecraft could have became the seed in my head for my story,” he said. “It was the conflict, the issue of the story, and created an epic quest, a journey across the world of Minecraft for my characters.”
Fay Wolfe explained more about his writing process and how he created his three main characters.
“Without players, this would not be a good story. I started to think about who my main character should be, what should their traits be,” he said. “They should be brave, talented and care for their friends. I decided to name my first character Stan, and he’s a new player. He does all the questing. ‘The Elementia Chronicles’ is his story. Then I came up with his sidekick, Charlie. He’s a good guy, but he’s different than Stan. He’s smarter, and he has more common sense than Stan. He’s kind of a coward though, he’s a scaredy-cat. Together, they help each other and balance out each others weaknesses.”
Before introducing his third character, Fay Wolfe asked how many girls in the audience liked Minecraft. Dozens of hands went up.
“I realized that a lot of girls play Minecraft, too, and my main characters so far were just boys. So, they ran into Kat. They had a rocky start, but before long, the three of them travel together and the trio becomes good friends. Kat is wild, crazy, sarcastic, and she’s better at fighting than both of them put together from the start,” he said. “That was everything I needed to start my story. They encounter other characters along the way, but those were my three main characters. I was putting a lot of it together in my head, asking myself what would happen in this situation or that situation, how would my characters react?”
Fay Wolfe was in the ninth grade when he began to write his story.
“I was 14 years old and I was in love with the game. It was awesome, and I’d just started playing. But in the 10th grade I kind of forgot about my story and I took a little break. I’m a normal kid and I had other things going on besides Minecraft. I have homework, and chores and extracurricular activities, just like you. I couldn’t devote my whole life to Minecraft,” he said. “Then, in the winter of my 10th-grade year, I found the half-finished version of my Minecraft story. I showed it to my mother and my younger brother and they both liked it, and they told me to go right back upstairs and finish it so that they could find out how it ended.”
Fay Wolfe emphasized that his book is fan fiction, not endorsed by the creators of the game itself, just set in the world of the game. He talked about the publishing process.
“I finished the book when I was 16, but publishing isn’t easy. I used Createspace, a self-publishing site, which means I published it on my own, without the help of an outside publishing company. I went around Rhode Island promoting the book, and before I knew it, it got noticed by HarperCollins. They’re about the same size as Scholastic Books,” he said. “So now, starting in July, they’ll be publishing and distributing my book and it’ll be distributed all over the country, all over the world, and in all different languages.”
He gave the students advice on how to get started writing their own books, encouraging them to use what they know and enjoy – such as arts and crafts or other hobbies – as topics. He asked the students to raise their hands if they had a hobby they enjoyed, and got a resounding response.
“Regardless whether or not anyone else also likes to do the hobby you like to do, your experiences and knowledge are unique to you,” he said. “Your hobbies are a good place to come up with your own story.”
He used the arts and crafts hobby as a story starter and mapped out for the students how to build a storyline around it.
“You can take all of the knowledge that you have about arts and crafts, whether it’s painting and brushstrokes, things that you know about because art is your hobby, and use that knowledge in your story. It makes it a richer experience for your readers because you know what you’re talking about, and it makes you more credible to your reader. The very best stories come from real life, from people who have built up their knowledge through experience,” he said.
Fay Wolfe told the students how to turn their idea for a story into a finished published product.
“The process is a lot like school,” he said. “You have a first draft and then you edit it and fix it, and then you have other people read it, just like when you do peer editing at school. Then you fix that draft and then you show it to your teacher, and she makes you fix it again. That’s what publishing is like. If everyone just submitted just their first draft though, the books wouldn’t be nearly as good.”
Fay Wolfe explained that his first draft was over 400 pages long and he edited it himself multiple times before it was published. Once HarperCollins took on the publishing, he had a new editor who gave him more recommended fixes and changes before the new edition comes out.
“It’s not all bad, though. If you’re willing to do the work and if you’re serious about it, there will be people willing to help you. You will have support from your parents, your teachers, and if you have a publishing company, you’ll have a whole team of people there to help you,” he said.
He emphasized that anyone in the room had the potential to accomplish what he had accomplished.
“If you have an idea for a story and you’re willing to put the work in, you could do this, too, if you really want to,” he said. “Publishing is much more accessible through self-publishing, and self-publishing is much more accepted than it used to be, making it all easier than ever. Even with social media, with the Internet, it’s easier to get the word out about what you’re doing.”
Fay Wolfe left the students with one last powerful and encouraging reminder.
“I was a normal kid,” he said. “I had a story to tell about something I really loved, and any of you can do the same thing.”
For more information about Fay Wolfe’s book series, or to pre-order his book, visit sfaywolfe.com.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Opens to Massive $201.2 Million at Foreign Box Office
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Avengers: Age of Ultron” debuted to a massive $201.2 million across 44 territories this weekend.
Disney and Marvel’s super team adventure was the highest-grossing film in everywhere it opened, and has now rolled out in 55% of the international marketplace, including such major locales as France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Korea and Australia.
Going into the weekend, Disney was projecting a foreign debut of between $160 million to $175 million.
“The bar was high, but this is a sign of unbelievable momentum in the marketplace,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution chief. “It all goes back to the strength of the brand and the incredible work the Marvel team does in telling stories in such a consistent way and creating these worlds.”
The hotly anticipated superhero sequel opens next week in the U.S., where it is expected to earn north of $200 million and could top the first “Avengers” film’s record-breaking $207.4 million bow. Bringing Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and other costumed heroes together isn’t cheap, and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” carries a $250 million pricetag.
The success of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a testament to the strength of the global market, which now accounts for 70% or more of a major film’s box office gross. Two decades ago, foreign ticket sales usually comprised less than half of a movie’s revenues.
“We are living in rarefied air with ‘Avengers’ to be even talking about these kind of numbers,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Rentrak. “A weekend like this is why a lot of people think it could be even bigger than the first one.”
What’s particularly impressive is that “Avengers: Age of Ultron” put up such big numbers despite currency fluctuations. The strength of the dollar and economic troubles in Europe and Russia have dramatically altered the exchange rate picture in the three years since the first “Avengers.” The euro has fallen roughly 20% in the ensuing time, while the ruble has plunged 46%. Yet the second film is still exceeding the first installment by 44% in today’s dollars.
Enthusiasm for the film gave Imax the largest international opening in its history, not counting China, with $10.4 million of “Avengers: Age of Ultron’s” gross coming from the widescreen locations. In a sign of the Imax’s popularity when it comes to comic book titles, its newly opened Denmark theater, its first venue in Scandinavia, did a staggering $172,000 on one screen.
“This picture is right in our wheelhouse,” said Greg Foster, Imax Entertainment CEO. “It’s a fanboy title, and those are the pillar titles that drive what we do.”
He likened Imax’s relationship to films in the Marvel universe to the one it enjoyed with the “Harry Potter” series.
“It’s building a similar relationship with audiences,” said Foster. “That became a tradition to let’s go see Harry Potter”
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Opens to Massive $201.2 Million at Foreign Box Office