Tony Scott, Fox & Nemesis

Twentieth Century Fox has acquired Nemesis, a creator-owned Marvel comic book series by Scottish writer Mark Millar and American artist Steve McNiven, the creative team behind Marvel’s popular Civil War series. According to Deadline Hollywood, no writer has yet been assigned to adapt Nemesis. Nemesis has an interesting premise. The hero of Nemesis, Matt Anderson, is a millionaire industrialist focused on avenging the deaths of his beloved parents, but the twist is that his parent were evil, and instead of going after criminals, Anderson attempts to eliminate top policemen all over the world.

Go, Go Gadget Graphic Novel

Viper Comics has acquired the comics rights to Inspector Gadget and plans to release a raphic novel featuring the property in 2011. Inspector Gadget originally ran from 1983 to 1986, spawned numerous spin-offs including a 1999 live action film starring Matthew Broderick, and still runs in re-runs. It was a DIC (now Cookie Jar) and Nelvana co-production, with animation work outsourced to Japanese and Taiwanese studios. The title character is a simple detective with bionic gadgets built into his body.

Urban Goes Dredd

Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich confirmed that Karl Urban - who played "Bones" Mccoy in the Star Trek reboot, was cast as Judge Dredd during BFI's Movie-Con III Q&A, which took place in London. "There's been a change in comic-book movies; they were treated unseriously and now they're treated seriously," said Macdonald. "We've cast a guy called Karl Urban to play Dredd. We'll be shooting in Johannesburg, it's being directed by Pete Travis, we're shooting with the people who did District 9—and if we get it right, Alex has a couple of ideas for other stories as well. It's not based on any one comic, and John Wagner is involved in every decision." Macdonald also talked about the feel and tone of the new movie: "The main thing about Dredd is that it's a fantastic comic that was completely messed up 20 years ago. Our idea is to make a very hard, R-rated, gritty, realistic movie of Dredd in Megacity, so we've got to get the tone right. He's not going to take off his helmet. His bike is going to feel real. He's going to hit people and it's going to feel real." Karl Urban promises his Judge Dredd will not make us puke our popcorn, and rumor has it that, like the comic, he will keep his fucking mask on this time.

Terminator Animated. . .Terminated.

It was reported that there would be a $70 million dollar Terminator film, titled, Terminator 3000. Terminator 3000, was supposed to begin filming in January 2011, and was being developed by Hannover House, the entertainment distribution division of Target Development Group Inc., and Red Bear Entertainment. The companies are promising a 3-D feature film based on the characters from the first Terminator movie. However, Hannover House received a cease and dissist from Lawyer for Pacificor, LLC claiming they had the rights and Hanover didn't. Move over Superman and Miracleman, looks like another popular property is going to held up by another dumb-ass court battle.

Episode 158 - Future Shock

In this somewhat drunken episode we take some time and give a Hideout's prediction of where comics, movies, technology, TV and books might be going in the future. From speculations at convention to a look at where things have come to since we were kids, as only the Hideout can do it. Enjoy.

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Who Watches the Mage?

Watchmen producer Lloyd Levin has acquired the rights to the initial “The Hero Discovered” arc of Matt Wagner’s Mage. First published by Comico from 1984-1986, “The Hero Discovered” was followed more than a decade later by “The Hero Defined,” which was released by Image Comics starting in 1997. Wagner has planned a third arc, “The Hero Denied,” but no firm publication date has been set.

Nolan’s Duck Tales

The Internet is abuzz with rumors that Christopher Nolan ripped off the concept for his mega-hit science fiction opus Inception from Don Rosa’s Uncle Scrooge saga, “The Dream of a Lifetime.” In Rosa’s mind-bending Scrooge adventure, by “using a Gyro Gearloose invention, those awful Beagle boys have invaded Uncle Scrooge’s dreams! There they’ll get his dream self to reveal the combinations to the locks on his vault door!”

SyFy goes Sci-Fi – Who’d have thunk it?

Syfy Channel announced that it is developing seven new scripted series including Ball & Chain, the story of 2 ex-lovers who are given superpowers when they narrowly escape a meter impact. The twist is they only have the powers when they are in close proximity with each other. Another new series Me and Lee stars former Six Million Dollar Man Lee Majors in a show that echoes the adventures of TV’s original bionic man. Three other science fiction-inflected series include Orion, a swashbuckling space opera about a female relic hunter that is described as “National Treasure meets Firefly,” Sherwood, a Robin Hood saga set in the 23rd Century, and Human Relations, which focuses on an office temp in a high tech ad agency who discovers that his boss and co-workers are all aliens scheming to conquer the world. Legendary is a half-hour mockumentary featuring Kevin Sorbo as an exaggerated version of himself, a former syndicated TV star who uses his knowledge of the myths of Hercules to defeat an assortment of modern day monsters. And, If AMC’s adaptation of The Walking Dead is a hit, Syfy will be ready with its half-hour series about the ZEROS (Zombie Extermination and Removal Operations) squad charged with defending Marshall City from a constant stream of zombie invasions.

Pilgrim Animated

At the behest of Universal the folks at the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim have created a four-minute animated sequence from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. The short, which animates a flashback that was not included in the Scott Pilgrim movie, chronicles the beginning of the friendship between Scott and Kim Pine, who eventually becomes the drummer in his band. The four-minute short, entitled “Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation,” will air on Adult Swim on Thursday, August 12th in two parts between 12 midnight EST & PST and 12:30 am. Edgar Wright’s film adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World opens in theaters across North America on August 13th.

Episode 157 - Geek Mecca

San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest event for geeks since Revenge of the Nerds VI: Children of Nerds. Those who can go, those who can't didn't have the money so they followed it on the internet, on podcasts and on some obscure should-be-basic-cable channel where fake nerds dwell. Here is the Hideout's take on SDCC 2010. No alcohol was harmed in making this show. Enjoy.

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Mark Ruffalo Is 'The Hulk'

Marvel Studios has managed to snag Mark Ruffalo for the key role of the Hulk/Bruce Banner in the upcoming Avengers film to be directed by Joss Whedon. Ruffalo, who is enjoying wonderful notices in The Kids Are All Right, is an “actor’s actor” with plenty of indie cred from performances in films like You Can Count on Me, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Zodiac.

Astro City Flicks

Working Title Films has picked up the rights to turn up the rights to turn Kurt Busiek’s Asto-City into a live action film.

Guggenheim Comics

Marc Guggenheim is launching “Collider Entertainment” a new imprint through image which aims to attract Hollywood screen writers to write comics.

Joss Whedon Confirmed to Direct Avengers

Joss Whedon confirmed at Comic-Con on Thursday that he is, indeed, directing "The Avengers." "It's not an official thing, I think because Marvel couldn't afford a press release," the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator said during a panel with fellow fanboy favorite J.J. Abrams. "So can we make that an official thing? I'm directing 'The Avengers.'" The project is based on a Marvel comic all-star series that brought together Captain America, the Hulk and Iron Man, among others.

Marvel Anime on G4

At the San Diego Comic-Con Marvel’s new Head of TV Jeph Loeb announced that the G4 gaming network (whose Attack of the Show provides the best televised coverage of Comic-Con) would be broadcasting all four of the 12-episode Marvel Anime series written by Warren Ellis and produced by the noted anime studio Madhouse. The first Marvel Anime series, Iron Man will debut in the spring of 2011. The first episode in the series was shown at Comic-Con in Japanese with English subtitles. It is not exactly clear at this point whether it will be broadcast in the same way or with an English dub.

Episode 156 - The So Far Show

Summer TV has begun, the Summer movies are here and we at the Hideout discuss how they are doing so far. Enjoy.

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Episode 155 - Epic Bests

The Epic is a part of all media, be it the big Bible story with shirtless men defying men in skirts or the heroes journey from sand farmer to space avenger. On this episode we discuss the epics we loved the most, from midgets with hairy feet and jewelry to bald headed Billy-Badasses and the women who want to make them their love toys. Enjoy.

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Protest of the Planet of the Geeks

The Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, which is headed by Fred Phelps and which has made headlines over the past few years for a series of protests of events such as the funerals of Meet the Press host Tim Russert - because of his Catholicism and what they termed his "tolerance of homosexuality" - and Jerry Falwell - whom they termed a "false prophet' - and perhaps most notably the funerals of American servicemen killed overseas, have announced that they plan to picket the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con from 1:15 pm to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 22.

Darth Vader Banned from Star Wars Cons

The actor behind the mask of Darth Vader has been banned from the Star Wars Celebration V convention and any other Lucasfilm-associated events, he said on his site:

"It is with regret that I have been informed by my friends at C2 Ventures, Ben and Phillip, that I am not to be invited to C5 this year or any other Lucas Film associated events. After enquiring, the only thing I have been told is that I have 'burnt too many bridges between Lucas Film and myself' - no other reason given...I have also been advised by the promoter of Paris Manga in September that LFL (Lucas Film Limited) have requested no photo opportunities with the 501 Squadron, even though I am commander in chief of the 501"

There is a lot of speculation online about what "burnt too many bridges" means, but no one seems to know and Lucas and Prowse aren't saying.

Kirby Goes Tupac

Dynamite Entertainment will release works based on the creations of Jack "The King of Comics" Kirby, according to a tease released Tuesday. Alex Ross is involved, and “he’s bringing a friend,” according to the tease. More info is promised soon.

Episode 154 - The Wild Bunch

The topic was supposed to be about parody songs, but one thing lead to another and. . .well we almost got to the topic, instead things just got wild. Enjoy.

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Super Lawyers

Marc Toberoff, the controversial lawyer in the high profile Superman litigation, has hired his own lawyer to defend him against a counter suit from Warner Bros. charging that he improperly influenced the heirs of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. This legal battle is shaping up to be one of the legal Donnybrooks of the decade!

Eve of Frost

It looks like the stunning Alice Eve – the hot chick from She’s Out of My League - will play Emma Frost in Matthew Vaughn’s reboot of the X-Men film franchise, X-Men: First Class, which features a younger version of Professor Xavier’s mutant team than the one depicted in the first X-Men trilogy.

Cap and Jones

Marvel Studios announced that Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones will play Colonel Chester Phillips in Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Jones will join a cast that includes Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan and Stanley Tucci in the Marvel Studios production that will debut on July 22nd, 2011.

Superman/Batman Animated. . .Again

The next direct-to-DVD DC original animated film in the Warner Premiere series will be Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, which will be based on the second Superman/Batman storyline. The animated feature will be released on September 28th in three different formats, a single-disc bare bones edition, a double-disc Collector’s DVD version, and on Blu-ray.

Loeb Rules

Marvel Entertainment announced the appointment of Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, Head of Television a newly created department. In his new role Loeb will work with Dan Buckley, Publisher of Marvel’s Print, Animation, and Digital Divisions, to create both live-action and animated shows based on Marvel’s extensive catalog of characters.

Episode 153 - Geeking Ahead

On this episode we look at the upcoming genre TV and movies for 2010 and 2011. Enjoy.

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Strange Movie

Marvel Studios has assigned Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write a script for a Dr. Strange movie, according to Deadline Hollywood. Donnelly and Oppenheimer wrote the Conan movie and an early draft of Cowboys and Aliens. A Dr. Strange movie has been in development for a long time, including a brief period when Neil Gaiman was moving toward writing a script for a version to be directed by Guillermo del Toro.

June Apps

By the middle of June, Comics are three of the top 10 Free ebooks Apps for Apple’s iPad, holding positions #6, #7, and #8. Marvel’s is #6, the just-launched BOOM! Studios app is #7, and Comics by ComiXology (which also created the apps for Marvel and BOOM!) is #8. This is heady territory for comics, among the top free book readers for the iPad. The BN Reader is #5, and Stanza, also a book app, is #9, bracketing the comic apps.

Jackson's Has Good Hobbits

What we hoped would happen, but didn't dare to think actually would, seems to be coming true. Peter Jackson, who pulled off the impossible with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has decided to direct two installments of The Hobbit after all, Deadline New York reports. Earlier this month, after Guillermo del Toro quit his Hobbit directing gig, Jackson said his taking over was unlikely due to current commitments. But he did leave open a slim possibility—and we say "slim" because he sounded a bit reluctant—by saying: "If that's what I have to do to protect Warner Brothers' investment, then obviously that's one angle which I'll explore." Apparently, explore he did, because his deal is reportedly being negotiated right NOW with Warner Brothers, New Line and MGM. There are no further details as yet, other than the fact that Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are scheduled to head to London the week of July 4, after which they'll be going to Los Angeles to meet with the actors who've impressed them the most from those that have been taped by casting directors.

Al Williamson Passes

Mr. Williamson died on June 12, 2010 in upstate New York, his wife, Cori, said. He was 79. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, Mr. Williamson worked for nearly every major comics publisher, including EC, Marvel, King, Classics Illustrated, Dark Horse and Dell.

Episode 152 - C3 2010

E3 May have passed, but we did have a thought or two on it. After a bit of a break the Hideout comes back with episodes recorded but held back because of computer problems, and we have a conversation about the lastest in video tech and computer games - and of the coverage of E3. Enjoy.

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Nintendo 3DS

At this year’s E3, Nintendo revealed new details about the Nintendo 3DS, the true “sequel” if you will, to the original lineup of Nintendo DS handhelds. While we already knew that the handheld would allow you to play games in 3D or in 2D, many other details were held back until now. First and foremost is the change in the overall design of the unit. The top screen is now a 3.5 inch widescreen, while the touch screen remains smaller. The 3D depth slider is located to the right of the top screen, and allows you to change the degree of 3D presentation you see – going from full 3D, to full 2D, with a broad gray area in between, letting players customize their experience.

X-Box Natal now called Kenect

The big announcement from Microsoft was of course the changing of Natal to Kinect with many of the launch titles announced and demoed to everyone. In case you didn’t know Kinect is going to change the way people play games in that you do not need a controller to play! Hardcore Xbox fans are going to get pretty bored of sports games that are only slightly better than the Wii sports games but this is where a sneaky trailer was revealed to the world that is going to change the way Star Wars fans see games.

X-Box Redesign

At this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft had several new game announcements, but the remodeled Xbox 360 stole the buzz of the conference. Dubbed the Xbox 360 Slim, the new redesigned system sports several new features including a new, sleek outer casing. Other than the new look, the updated system includes a 250GB hard drive, built-in wireless network adapter and touch-sensitive face buttons. The outer casing has additional cooling vents on both sides, adding a new visual flair. A dedicated port for Microsoft’s Kinect, a motion-sensing camera set for a holiday release, has been added to the rear of the console as well. Green thinks the $299 price tag is perfect for newcomers to the Xbox 360, as well as people looking to upgrade older consoles.

Return of Twisted Metal

Turns out that David Jaffe is working on a Twisted Metal game. He and studio Eat Sleep Play are building something of a return to form for the long-running franchise, as revealed at Sony's E3 2010 media briefing. Twisted Metal will feature the usual car combat and seriously bent characters such as the disgusting clown Sweet Tooth and Calypso. Inside this dark wrapper, you'll be controlling over a dozen cars armed with weapons like rocket launchers, giant magnets, and even "flying mascots." You'll also be able to change environmental layouts via destruction. The game's campaign will feel familiar for those who bothered with the franchise in some shape or form. Evil man Calypso is the host of a twisted tournament that will pit you, tiered-style, against bent opponents across an array of arena maps.

Mortal Combat in 3D

One of the biggest fighting game headliners at E3 this year is the newest Mortal Kombat, with fans and press alike lining up to see the latest game footage. The hype surrounding the new MK title has been intense in the last few weeks, what with the official announcement and game trailer coming out a little more than a week ago and the official movie pitch that hit the Internet earlier this summer, all becoming instant online sensations. This excitement filled the air at the Warner Bros. booth, and we at Skatter Tech couldn’t wait to check it out. As Skatter Tech’s senior reporter Dominic and I sat down to watch an exclusive demo of the legendary fighting game, we noticed that I was the only girl in a room of upwards thirty people. As such, I feel it is my duty to adequately represent the finer sex’s Mortal Kombat fan base, and I’m pleased to report that the new Mortal Kombat looks (literally) bloody fantastic.