Sandman's 20th anniversary is this fall -- and with no "Sandman" or "Death" movie in sight, how is Neil Gaiman celebrating? By delegating -- tons of new Sandman stuff is coming out, and he didn't have to do all of it for once.
First, the commemorative poster. "What we're doing right now is proving to be a logistical nightmare right up there with invading Normady," Gaiman said. "We're doing a poster with every 'Sandman' artist trying to draw more or less every 'Sandman' character. Mark Buckingham designed it, so all over the world, you have people drawing characters."
Then, the collectible object. Buckingham also designed cold-cast porcelain bookends -- sturdy enough to hold all ten volumes and/or the Absolute collections -- in the form of Dream and Death. Read more...
Jessica Alba has her Sue Storm, Jennifer Garner her Elecktra. Kirsten Dunst, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, – heck, even Ellen Page – have all had their moment in the comic book spotlight.
Just how many roles for female superheroes could possibly be left?
Maybe the best one of all, insisted "Notebook" star Rachel McAdams.
"I just read this book 'Black Orchid' and it's a really interesting character," the actress said. "She's a superhero that's a flower. I don't know if that would work or the audiences would be interested in that, but she was kind of cool." Read more...
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt to headline live-action "Akira" adaptation. (AICN)
- The Curious Case of the Teenage Plague: David Fincher to direct "Black Hole" from a script by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman. Story centers on a radical STD sweeping through American high schools. (Hollywood Reporter)
- On golden wings: Former hobbit Dominic Monaghan makes a break for "Wolverine." Will play mutant Beak. (Just Jared)
- "I can say with absolute certainty that you will see stuff you've never imagined." James Cameron checks in to give a status report on "Avatar." (AICN)
- Behind the scenes video from Richard Kelly's "The Box." (/film)
Something tells me that "Stardust" will ultimately be remembered much like "Moulin Rouge" or "Mulholland Drive" - everyone will either love, love, love it, or despise it to its very core.
Nevertheless, it's hard to dispute the genius of Neil Gaiman, who recently unveiled twenty minutes of footage from his upcoming flick "Bewoulf" - and said that its groundbreaking mix of CGI, motion-capture and 3D might just convince Robert Zemeckis that the time is finally right for "The Fermata."
"I hope very, very much that 'The Fermata' is going to come back to life," Gaiman said of his adaptation of Nicholson Baker's sci-fi novel about a dark-intentioned man who can stop time. "I was very proud of it. It's a very strange script - very extreme. Very odd." Read more...
When I caught up with Neil Gaiman recently (watch our complete "Rough Cut" interview here), I had only about a hundred questions to ask about probably just as many projects, but only 30 minutes in which to ask them.
So what do you do when the crew is wrapping after the cameras have stopped rolling? Ask more questions! That's how we're able to add "Neverwhere" to the list of Neil Gaiman works about to be adapted to the big screen -- despite its placement in development hell all these years. Many people who have read the book think the BBC "Neverwhere" miniseries was an adaptation, but it's the other way around: Neil wrote it for the small screen, and started writing the book on set (in the never-seen kitchen of Richard Mayhew's apartment). Probably because he knew the low budget series, which was shot on video but lit for film, was going to look like a cheesy soap opera from the '80s.
Read more...
One man launches a quest to retrieve a fallen star in "Stardust," the whimsical upcoming fantasy flick based on Neil Gaiman's acclaimed graphic novel. In the exclusive clip below, our hero Tristan (Charlie Cox) discovers an unlikely visitor (Claire Danes) at the bottom of a crater. "Stardust" opens August 10.
As Comic-Con continues, Wednesday evening had comic book legend Neil Gaiman and indie film vet Roger Avary unveiling a groundbreaking 20 minutes of their November release "Beowulf". This is the oldest story in the English language," Gaiman told the crowd of press and VIPs. "And it's told with the most modern technology available," Avary finished.
After a few hundred people strapped on their 3-D glasses, the verdict was in. While scenes featuring Anthony Hopkins and a near-nude Angelina Jolie are astonishingly photo real, the fantasy epic still occassionally suffers the "Dead Eyes" look of Robert Zemeckis' "Polar Express"."It's like being at Disney World," Gaiman said of the revolutionary 3-D experience that's a long way from something like "Freddy's Dead".
The flick, which costs $1 million per minute, is aiming for a PG-13 take on the tale we were all forced to read in high school. "That was my reason for doing this," grinned Avary. "I wanted to make it easier or future generations."
July Fourth is around the corner, meaning a batch of links of the people, by the people, and for the people. Celebrate your independence with news on "Hellboy 2," "Harry Potter," "Batman," and "James Bond."
- Neil Gaiman goes to "Hell" and back. Author visits set of "Hellboy 2," posts pictures on his blog. (Neil Gaiman)
- And "Justice" for all? Bale won't say no to playing Batman in Justice League movie. (IGN)
- Rob Zombie's "Halloween" gets new ending, six (six!) new death sequences. (Bloody-Disgusting)
- Let's play a little game: "Saw IV" plot synopsis revealed. (Shock Till You Drop)
- Eddie Murphy looking's for a daughter; apply during open casting call for "Nowhereland," about exec who escapes into daughter's fantasy world. (ComingSoon)
- Tennis star Maria Sharapova wants to be a Bond girl. (Times of India)
- Harvard Square to transform into Hogwarts Square for newest Harry Potter book, "Deathly Hallows." (Cambridge Chronicle)
