Electric Man Film Special Screening In Sheffield

The Sheffield Space Centre comic shop is helping to promote The Electric Man independent film we've covered in the past on downthetubes, which is having a special screening at the Showroom Cinema Sheffield on Thursday 22nd November at 6.00pm.

In Electric Man Movie (12A), Jazz and Wolf run Deadhead Comics. They owe their landlord £5,000 but they don’t have it and it seems the shop is doomed. But, when Issue No 1 of Electric Man mysteriously appears in the shop it seems their problems are solved.

Far from it. Worth £100,000, the comic is being sought by a number of people who’ll stop at nothing to get it for themsleves - the strange and alluring Lauren McCall, Electric Man obsessive Edison Bolt and Lauren’s Uncle Jimmy, a violent thug.

Add to the mix, the return of Wolf’s girlfriend Victoria and you have all the elements for what’s been described as The Maltese Falcon meets Clerks.

Writer Scott MacKay and Director David Barras will be at Sheffield Space Centre, 33 The Wicker, Sheffield S3 8HS between 2-3.00 pm Thursday 22nd November and will be available to chat, answer questions and sign copies of the DVD of the film, we will then have a free prize draw for 2 free tickets to see the film at the showroom that evening at 6.00pm.

The film will be shown at 6.00pm and this will be followed by a Q & A session at the Showroom with Scott Mackay and David Barras with a raffle for two £20 gift vouchers to use in the Sheffield Space Centre.

Hammer Films launches YouTube Channel

To the delight of fans worldwide Hammer, Britain's most celebrated genre film brand which recently produced box office smash The Woman in Black and the acclaimed Let Me In, today launches its first dedicated YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/hammerfilms.

For the very first time, exclusive new content from current Hammer productions as well as carefully restored classic Hammer feature films will be available to stream online.

The Hammer Films Channel will carry a range of exclusive new content, previews, commentary and behind the scenes material from upcoming new productions such as The Quiet Ones starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin and The Woman in Black: Angels of Death, the follow up to the worldwide box office hit, The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe.

In addition, the Hammer Films Channel will stream a collection of Hammer’s well-known classic feature film titles including The Quatermass Xperiment, The Man In Black and Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter some of which have been newly restored and digitally re-mastered. As additional titles are added to the new platform, this will be the first time fans can view other digitally re-mastered classic Hammer films online under a restoration initiative launched earlier this year by Hammer’s owner Exclusive Media.

From the historic library, the Hammer Films Channel will also carry Classic Hammer TV series such as Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, as well as new on-air commentary and film introductions from official Hammer historian, Marcus Hearn and Hammer archivist, Robert J.E. Simpson.

Newly created featurettes and original trailer material, not seen by the public for many years, will also be added to the Channel’s far reaching content. The Hammer Films Channel will continually expand its range of programming as it becomes available, with the full schedule to be published and regularly updated at www.hammerfilms.com

Simon Oakes, President and CEO of Hammer said, “The launch of our dedicated YouTube channel truly encapsulates how we have positioned Hammer as a dynamic British genre label with a great heritage. We hope this new platform will allow us to continue to reach fans who have responded so well to films like Let Me In and The Woman in Black, while continuing to honour the great filmmaking history of our company."

Hammer were advised by the London based digital distribution and marketing agency Showstream Media Limited (www.showstreammedia.com).

 

Electric Man Now Recruiting Volunteer ‘Champions’ in England

Electric Man: Volunteers Wanted...

The team behind indie comic book movie Electric Man are looking for volunteer ‘Champions’ to help promote their English theatrical screening tour this autumn, and are offering free tickets and other perks to successful applicants.

As we've previously reported, Electric Man is an indie comedy about a pair of comic book shop owners in Edinburgh who stumble across a rare and valuable comic book, and try to keep it out of the hands of a cast of baddies who want to comic book for themselves.

The film was recently selected out of hundreds to headline at the San Diego Comic Con, where it attracted rave reviews.

The volunteer champions will be in post for three months, working with their local cinemas and comic book shops to help spread the word about the film in their local areas. In return, they are offered a unique insight into modern day film distribution that includes online downloads, screenings, and social networks, and a package of perks that includes free cinema tickets and Electric Man goodies. Champions will even be invited to introduce the film at their local screening.

... Basques not essential (a scene from the movie, honest)

“We’ve found that hard core comic book fans really love the film, and are great advocates for it," explains Electric Man Director and co-writer David Barras. "Bringing these fans into the heart of Team Electric is not just an effective way to create a buzz around the screenings – it’s also our way of acknowledging that huge role that they already play in the film.”

Volunteers are particularly sought in Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle, London, Oxford and Cambridge, but fans of films, comedy and comics from elsewhere in England are encouraged to apply.

- For more information about Electric Man and details of how to apply, visit the official website: www.electricmanmovie.com



 

Get set for Dredd - the movie

Here's the a new promotional poster for the new Judge Dredd movie starring Karl Urban, due in UK cinemas on Friday 17th September.

The future. America is an irradiated wasteland. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC lies Mega City One a vast, violent metropolis of over 400 million citizens living in perpetual fear. The only ones attempting to impose order in the urban chaos are The Judges. Law enforcers, juries, judges and executioners rolled into one.

The epitome of these Judges is Dredd, given a mission by the Chief Judge, to road test a rookie Judge, the powerful psychic Cassandra Anderson. It is to be a training day.

The Judges head for a seemingly routine homicide in the notorious Peach Trees mega-block - a 200 storey vertical slum run by the pitiless Ma-Ma clan. But when the Judges attempt to arrest one of Ma-Ma’s chief henchmen, Ma-Ma shuts down the entire building and orders her clan to hunt the judges down.

Our two judges are now caught in a vicious and relentless fight for survival...

More info: www.dreddthemovie.com

 

Electric Man film heads for San Diego and London

The comics-inspired feature film Electric Man has been selected to screen at the San Diego Comic Con (full details here) and screens in London tomorrow night.

The movie was selected as only one of three feature films to play this year's San Diego event from over 200 initial entries and is a major boost to a small Edinburgh-based indie film company.

Toby Manley, Mark McKirdy and Fish, it's been described as "The Maltese Falcon meets The IT Crowd", a diverting mixture of romantic comedy and hectic chase thriller from co-writer/director David Barras.

Buddies Jazz and Wolf are the impoverished owners of Deadhead Comics and need £5,000 to save the business. When a mint condition copy of Electric Man issue 1 from 1937 turns up in their shop they think it's the answer to their prayers. But the coveted comic is hotly pursued by an American collector, the sinister Jimmy and a femme fatale by the name of Lauren McCall.

The dry wit of the screenplay and bantering relationship between the central duo are the star attractions in this impressive micro-budget production.

Reaction to Electric Man has been hugely positive, and it was BAFTA nominated in the script and score categories in the New Talent Awards and shortlisted as Best Feature Length drama at this year's Celtic Media Festival.

"An amusing hybrid of romantic comedy and hectic chase thriller” says Allan Hunter from Screen International of the film, while comic artist Frank Quitely calls it “A wonderfully twisty-turny comic caper, made and played with warmth, wit and genuine affection.”

"Shot in 19 days on a budget of £55,000, Electric Man is a good deal more polished and
confident than many recent micro-budget, independent Scottish efforts," notes Screen Daily. "... The dry wit of the screenplay and engaging performances help to carry the day. Attractive Edinburgh locations add to the appeal and the film should merit a realistic theatrical release."

"This isn’t simply a comics movie, it’s a terrific Indy movie set in Edinburgh that
anyone can enjoy," feels Joe Gordon over at the Forbidden Planet International blog. "... I really think you’re all going to enjoy..."

UK fans will get the chance to see the film this Sunday (8th July) at the Prince Charles Cinema in London, full details here. The production team are also running competitions for free tickets on twitter and Facebook - check out @electricmanfilm and http://facebook.com/pages/Electric-Man

Win Avengers Assemble merchandise

Marvel licensee Colantotte are giving UK comic fans the chance to win six of their limited edition Neo Legend wristbands, as featured in the new Avengers Assemble film.

Colantotte created the exclusive limited edition MagTitan Neo Legend bracelet as worn by Tony Stark (Iron Man) played by Robert Downey Jr. in Marvel’s Avengers Assemble movie, which opens in the UK today (26th April 2012).

The wristband, which you have the chance to win over on Facebook, is top secret gear Marvel's heroes used to maintain their edge while fighting off arch rivals on a new interactive website, introduces the Earth’s mightiest heroes.

In Avengers Assemble, as with the comic that inspired it, iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow join forces when an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security. Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

The film stars  Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and is directed by Joss Whedon.

The Colantotte/Marvel’s Avengers Assemble microsite enables fans old and new to meet the entire superhero team and learn about each of their unique powers through their in-depth profiles. It includes exclusive interactive comics, andthe chance to follow all the Marvel’s Avengers Assemble content from across the web via the Super Social Link List.

Colantotte’s MagTitan Neo Legend bracelet combines a polished pure titanium core with an embellished, sleek, carbon fibre design, to deliver a stylised element of comfort and functionality.  This striking bracelet epitomises the essence of fashion and craftsmanship which makes it the ideal accessory for casual, business, and superhero attire alike.

The MagTitan Neo Legend is approved as a medical device by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and features a unique Alternating North-South Polarity Orientation (ANSPO) technology to create a larger magnetic field flow.

Colantotte International, Inc is Japan’s leading manufacturer of medically certified devices, Arc Quest Co. Ltd. Colantotte & Trion:Z launched its award-winning range of products in 1997 and is now a leader in providing magnetic ionic gear to the global health and fitness arena, with a presence in over 60 countries worldwide.

Their products are worn by hundreds of professional athletes including those in Triathlon Sports, Cycling, Cricket, Football and Tennis.
“We founded Colantotte in 1997 with the goal of providing the highest quality products to help restore the negative impact today’s lifestyle imposes,” said Katsumi Komatsu, President, Colantotte International Inc.

"After 15 years of doing just that, we are grateful to have been selected by Marvel to be involved in this Hollywood movie. We appreciate the support of our customers over the years and we hope they enjoy seeing the MagTitan Neo Legend in Marvel’s Avengers Assemble film and interacting with the Super Heroes on the website.
 • To win a Neo Legend Wristband Competition, go to www.facebook.com/ILoveTrionZ, click on the competition app, then submit your details and you’ll be rewarded with an exclusive 15% off all Colantotte and Trion:Z products, and have your name added to a prize draw to win one of six stunning Neo Legend wristbands, the same worn by Tony Stark (AKA Iron Man) in the new Avengers movie. 

• More information about the brands is available on http://www.colantotte.eu/ and http://www.trionz.co.uk

• Avengers Assemble URL and Facebook: http://uk.marvel.com/avengers-assemble / www.facebook.com/avengersuk

Warren Ellis film makers plan Image Comics documentary

Publishers Sequart and Respect Films, makers of films about comic creators such as Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis, have launched Kickstarter campaign to help fund their next documentary project charting the history of Image Comics.

Image was originally founded in 1992 by seven artists who left Marvel Comics to create their own company: Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Of those seven founders, only six opted to become full partners: Larsen, Lee, Liefeld, McFarlane, Silvestri, and Valentino. (Today, there are currently five: Robert Kirkman, Larsen, McFarlane, Silvestri and Valentino).

Since its inception, Image has gone on to publish work by several British creators, including Richard Starkings, creator of Elephantmen, as well as publishing a huge number of highly successful titles, including Spawn, Savage Dragon, Witchblade and The Darkness, now in its 100th issue.

Comics in Focus: The Image Revolution will examine one of the most important and daring moves in modern US comic book history as Image continues to influence mainstream comics and culture to this day.

"Image Comics began as more than just a publisher," say Sequart. "It was a response to years of creator mistreatment, and it changed comics forever."

The Image Revolution will tell the amazing story of this from-scratch company, from its founders’ work at Marvel, through Image’s early days, the ups and downs of the 1990s, and the publisher’s new generation of creator-owned properties like The Walking Dead (drawn by Britain's Charlie Adlard).

"We will tell this story through new interviews with the people who made it happen. And what better time than during Image’s 20th anniversary to do it?"

The film will be produced by the same Sequart / Respect team behind the critically-acclaimed documentaries Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods (now available on DVD) and Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts (out on DVD in mid March).

This will be the second (after Comics in Focus: Chris Claremont’s X-Men) in a new series of documentaries offering in-depth looks at significant works and moments that shaped comics history. These documentaries will be released through direct download and online DVD sales.

The producers have have turned to Kickstarter to help fund this project, hoping fans will support discussion about the merits of comics and to help document stories about the people who have had a part in shaping contemporary pop culture.

Rewards include the documentary as a DVD and / or digital download, a “Thanks” and other credits in the film, and digital access to extra interview footage that won’t be included in the film. Rewards also include books and feature-length films from Sequart's catalogue.

Sequart promotes research into comics-related topics, publishing books, producing documentary films, and maintaining online resources that encourage comics scholarship. They also seek to promote comics literacy by promoting the medium and encouraging others to experience the unique artform known as comic books.

- For more information, visit the project’s Kickstarter page or its page on Sequart

 

The Invisible Artist? film released

The Invisible Artist from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.

The comic booklet: once a mass market media form, some would argue it has all but disappeared from newsagents shelves in the last 20 years - but comic creation continues apace across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

A new film released via Vimeo online, featuring comic artists such as 2000AD and STRIP Magazine artist PJ Holden, explores the hidden heritage of Belfast-centric cartooning that goes back centuries.

More recently, the vibrant underground publishing scene there, from The Belfast People's Comic (1977) to Patrick Brown's The Cattle Raid of Cooley (2011), has begun to attract attention from establishment arts bodies. The Invisible Artist look at the stories of committed creators in this black sheep media and how they have informed our contemporary culture.

The Invisible Artist was written by Andrew Luke and filmed and edited by Carl Boyle of Greater Belfast community group Northern Visions TV. Once a training ground for Channel 4 film-makers, NVTV is free-to-view, and hosts its programmes on Channel 62/799.276MHz in Belfast, with a weekly and omnibus edition, before joining the archive screenings looped rotation.

Shows also appear online in the months after airing. NVTV are hoping to raise their broadcasts to appear on Freeview next year. This film was originally screened on 7 November at 4:30pm, and again on 12th, at approximately 12:30.

"I'm indebted to Carl Boyle for stepping in to cover the editing and production when my workload became too heavy to cope," says Andrew of the production. "The documentary was shot in a short space of time in early 2011 and captures the vibrancy of the time.

"In many ways, The Invisible Artist? is also the story of Davy Francis, a man at the crossroads of four decades of comics creation in Belfast. I'd like to thank Carl, Davy, Paddy Brown, PJ Holden (who called by at the last minute to help out), and everyone who gave their time to make this film happen."

• View the film on Vimeo here

Hammer Films launches 'Print on Demand' site

Hammer Films has launched an official print-on-demand online store today, featuring iconic UK quad artwork from legendary horror titles including The Mummy, One Million Years B.C. and The Devil Rides Out.

The store features high-quality reproductions of UK quads from the extensive Hammer library including the latest titles Let Me In and Wake Wood,  along with newly-restored posters for such beloved horror classics as X The Unknown, The Abominable Snowman and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, all of which are reproduced for the first time and exclusively available.

Each classic poster featured on the site will be available in two styles; "restored", appearing as new, and "aged", subtly weathered to create a retro aesthetic.

Designed by renowned film poster artists Bill Wiggins, Mike Vaughan, Vic Fair and the legendary Tom Chantrell, and curated by Marcus Hearn, Hammer's official historian, the artwork will be available as posters (paper or canvas; framed or unframed), prints, greeting cards and postcards.

To celebrate the launch, Hammer will be giving 15% off all orders through 10th December 2011 at http://art.hammerfilms.com

Additionally, to coincide with the release of Marcus Hearn’s new official book The Hammer Vault which hits stores on 2nd December 2011, Hammer is releasing online exclusive content from The Woman in Black at www.hammerfilms.com at Noon on the same day.

The Hammer Vault, published by Titan Books, features double-page spreads of classic Hammer titles in addition to recent releases Wake Wood, Let Me In and The Resident.

Hammer will publish online exclusive content from The Woman in Black in the “Hammer Vault” style, as part of a three-way promotional tie in for the Hammer website, the book launch and the upcoming film release.

The exclusive “Hammer Vault” content, available via a password gate only to those who buy or browse “The Hammer Vault”, will feature interviews with director James Watkins and production designer Kave Quinn, along with exclusive stills, storyboards and photography of production assets and props.

The Woman in Black will be released theatrically in the US on 3rd February 2012 through CBS Films and in the UK on 10th February through Momentum Pictures.

I'm ready for my close-up: Autumn Sci-Fi

As the Autumn nights start to draw in, ace podcast Panel Borders - who normally do comics stuff, but we think this item will appeal to our readers, too - has a couple of recommendations of DVDs worth staying in for, as Alex Fitch interviews a pair of directors who have both earned cult followings for their work in the SF genre.

Duncan Jones talks about his new film Source Code, a time travel thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and about how themes in his new movie consciously and unconsciously reflect some of his concerns of humanity dislocated by technology in his debut Moon.

Alex also chats to John Hough, director of the classic Disney film Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), starring Ray Milland and Donald Pleasance. Hough followed his first family film with a couple more for Disney – Return from Witch Mountain and The Watcher in the Woods – and talks about how the company’s approach to live-action film making has changed over the years.

• I'm ready for my close-up: Autumn Sci-Fi airs tonight at 6.30pm, Wednesday 6th September 2011 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast online, featuring an additional interview with John Hough on Sunday 10th September at www.scifilondon.com/podcast

Panel Borders: Gosh! It’s Electric Man!

Concluding radio show Panel Borders month of shows looking at comic book shops, later today Alex Fitch talks to Josh Palmano and Andrew Salmond, the proprietors of Gosh! Comics in London which, after 25 years, has relocated from Great Russell Street to the heart of Soho; and to Dave Barras, director, and Scott Mackay, co-writer, of the new UK comedy film Electric Man about a rare stolen comic, set in the Edinburgh independent shop, Deadhead comics...

• Panel Borders: Gosh! It’s Electric Man! airs at 5.00pm, Thursday 25th August, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Dredd movie release date set for September 2012

Karl Urban as Judge Dredd. Via IM Global

(with thanks to Everything Comes Back to 2000AD): Variety is reporting that the release date for the Judge Dredd movie - titled simply Dredd - starring Karl Urban as 21st September 2012.

At this stage, it's unclear whether this is just the US  release - British comic fans are clearly hoping for a simultaneous UK debut.

Produced by Lionsgate and set for a 3D release, Dredd will follow The Expendables 2 into cinemas, which is set for release on 17th August.

Directed by Pete Travis, director of Endgame and Vantage Point, Dredd stars Karl Urban as Judge Dredd, Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson and Lena Headey as "Madeline Madrigal".

Shot in South Africa, Variety notes the film is produced by DNA Films' Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich and Alex Garland, along with Stuart Ford's IM Global.

Reportedly a day in the life as of Dredd as he trains rookie Anderson, "Alex Garland's script is faithful to the original concept that made Judge Dredd a favourite bad-ass hero," Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner revealed last May (reported here on ReelzChannel). "It's a high-octane slay ride through the dark underbelly of the vast future city. A fan pleaser."

The official synopsis of the film, published on the IM Global site, reveals Dredd takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth.

"Judge Dredd is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot — if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Pete Travis bring Dredd to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's revered comic strip."

"I grew up reading Judge Dredd," said script writer Alex Garland. "The incredible writers and artists of 2000 AD were formative influences on me. Andrew, Allon and I have developed this adaptation of Judge Dredd with an emphasis on adrenaline and realism, but with all the scale and spectacle of Mega-City One."

Of director Pete Travis he commented: "We think Pete's propulsive, edgy style is a perfect match for the project."

Dredd will be competing with Hotel Transylvania, an animated film from Sony on its US release weekend.

Commenting on the news, 2000AD fan site ECBT2000AD noted: "It doesn’t confirm if that's just the US date or if we’ll get it over in the UK at the same time. If anyone from Lionsgate reads this I’d just like to point out that if there is one of those 'It's released in America today, you guys get it in three weeks' announcements you can expect some serious kicking off. Just for the record."

We're sure there will be more news on the film and its release date this weekend at the San Diego Comic Con, where Rebellion and 2000 AD have a big presence as they step up their US activities.

Karl Urban as Judge Dredd. Via IM Global

Diesel launches Only the Brave Captain America fragrance

Well, Parliament has wound up for the summer and it's time for the traditional 'silly season' of stories, as the news media scrabble for stories to fill both print and electronic pages.

We just didn't think things would start here in comics world with the launch of a superhero fragrance.

Still, you've got to admire DIESEL, who have created this "new and utterly cool limited edition fragrance" Only The Brave: Captain America Edition. It's a sign of great faith in the potential popularity of the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger film, which was partly shot in the UK - and the enduring appeal of the good Captain himself, discussed here on USA Today.

Still, we have to say the PR hype for this new license is a bit OTT. Created to celebrate the release of Captain America: The First Avenger, we're told this fragrance "signifies the ultimate encounter between the most iconic men’s fragrance and the most legendary superhero".

Our astonishment aside, you can't knock the product design - ace British comics artist Bryan Hitch designed the comic box the fragrance comes in and, in celebration of this momentous occasion, the Only The Brave fist will don Captain America’s iconic shield in a pop style: strong, fun, arty – heroic!

Yes, it's gloriously daft. But hey, it's clearly been done in style.

X-Men First Class arrives in UK Cinemas

X-Men First Class, which was mostly shot in the UK, arrives in cinemas here next week (1st June) and here's a trailer for the film, courtesy of the distributors.

Set in the 1960s and focusing on the relationship between Professor X and Magneto and the origin of their groups, the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, the film stars James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Other cast members include Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Zoë Kravitz, and Lucas Till.

The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn (who also directed the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Stardust in 2007) and the screenplay's writer credits include Jane Goldman, who is partner to comics writer and TV presenter Jonathan Ross.

Other British connections for the film include its official single, 'Love Love', by Take That, released via Polydor Records. (Stardust which featured Take That’s massive hit 'Rule The World', one of the biggest-selling singles of the year).

Twentieth Century Fox envision this film as the first in a new trilogy to reboot X-Men on the big screen.

MCM Expo Reveals X-Men First Class Panel

X-Men: First Class writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz are to appear on a panel at the next MCM Expo London Comic Con at ExCel London on 27-29 May, show organisers have announced.

A prequel to the popular superhero franchise from Marvel and Twentieth Century Fox, X-Men: First Class focuses on the relationship between Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and the origin of their groups, the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

Miller and Stentz also collaborated on the screenplay of another soon-to-be released Marvel Comics film, Thor, which stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, as well as sharing writing and production credits on hit sci-fi shows such as Fringe, Andromeda and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

“We’re delighted that Ashley and Zack will be part of our X-Men: First Class panel,” said MCM Expo co-organiser Bryan Cooney. “As London’s Comic Con we play host to tens of thousands of comic book and film fans, so to have the writers of two of the biggest superhero movies of 2011 at the show is perfect.”

“Only last week we announced much-anticipated action-adventure Green Lantern as the MCM Expo’s official title sponsor, and the addition of two such talented writers helps ensure that this May’s show will be one to remember.”

• For more on X-Men: First Class, visit www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com

• For more on the London MCM Expo, visit www.londonexpo.com

Warners nabs Dan Dare, Sam Worthington to star

(with thanks to Lizzie Bennett, last updated 28/7/10): Variety, Dark Horizons and other web sites are reporting this morning that Warner Bros. Pictures has closed the deal for its film version of Dan Dare starring Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans).

The new film will reportedly be based on the Garth Ennis-Gary Erskine mini-series published by Virgin rather than the original and much-loved original 1950s series from Eagle.

Given the Warner Bros. involvement, downthetubes wondered if a new Dan Dare comic may be on the cards, perhaps produced by DC Comics, but the Dan Dare Corporation tell us: "DC comics have absolutely nothing to do with the Eagle or Dan Dare or any deal."

Rumours of this latest attempt to bring Dan Dare to the big screen first surfaced back in March, but the Dan Dare Corporation has been trying to get a movie version of the 1950s Eagle hero going for a number of years.

Back in 2005, the DDC indicated their aim was to feature live actors superimposed over computer generated backgrounds. Coincidentally perhaps, this is the technique that ATV planned for their aborted 1980 Dan Dare television series, electronically keying actors over a drawn comic strip background, and which has perhaps been used most successfully on the big screen for films such as the 2004 SF feature Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which was shot digitally in just one studio against a blue screen. (see our previous news story)

While Dan Dare has never been a popular character in the US his adventures were widely republished in Europe and Australia. New adventures of the original Dan Dare feature in the comic magazine Spaceship Away, while the latest revamp - there have been several - was published by Virgin, written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Gary Erskine.

It is reported that the new film will be based on this version, which attracted its own fans but did not sell huge numbers.

Worthington (who recently announced a deal with Radical Publishing under which his Full Clip Productions will create content for comics and films) has been attached to the project. It will be produced by Basil Iwanyk, who also produced Clash of the Titans and will team again with Worthington on Clash of the Titans 2.

Dan Dare Corporation owner Colin Frewin is attached to executive produce the film, along with Dan Lin. (Frewin oversaw the enjoyable 22-episode animated version of Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future released in 2002.

Variety reports the Warner executives attached are Sarah Schechter, Ollie Madden and Matt Milam.

• Official Dan Dare web site: www.dandare.com

Comic-inspired movie Largo Winch comes to London

Successful Belgian bande dessinée series Largo Winch has been made into a live action film. Its writer and creator Jean Van Hamme was on hand at the Institut Francais in South Kensington in London to answer questions after a screening of the film. Joel Meadows reports...

Largo Winch, a co-production between France and Belgium, is in English with selected French and Croatian subtitles and captures the flavour of the graphic novel pretty effortlessly.

Largo is the adopted son of business magnate Nerio Winch who is incapacitated and so his multimillion dollar business is up for grabs from all comers. A playboy, Largo travels the world rescuing women in distress and generally living it up in a pulp adventure cut from the same cloth as something like The Shadow, with a dash of Bruce Wayne and James Bond thrown in for good measure.

Director Jerome Salle makes good use of the European settings in the film and Tomer Sisley as the eponymous hero is decent value. While the plot is a little convoluted at times, it rewards the viewer’s concentration and you are left with a satisfying romp of a film.

Despite the fact that it is predominantly in English, Largo Winch manages to preserve that very European feel that makes the graphic novels such a joy to consume.

The Q&A afterwards shed quite a lot of light on the adaptation process, with Van Hamme coming across as a passionate and intelligent man. Even though the film only received a week’s theatrical release, at the Institut Francais, it is coming to DVD at the end of July from Optimum Releasing, and a sequel is already being made, so the name Largo Winch is one that the English-speaking world will no doubt be becoming more familiar with over the next few years.

Pictures from the screening by and © Joel Meadows

• Largo Winch is available to buy in English from Cinebooks and the film will be on DVD from Optimum Releasing in August.

• Read Jeremy Briggs review of Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Aymond's Lady S


• Joel Meadows is the editor-in-chief of TRIPWIRE, Britain’s only features-driven comics and media magazine as well as having written about comics and genre for many of the world’s best-known publications including Time Magazine, The Times, Variety, Empire and many more.

• Tripwire official website: wwww.tripwire-magazine.com

• Walls and Bridges blog: http://joelm1-joelmead.blogspot.com/

Hammer Films Bray Studios Faces Demolition

Bray Studios - considered the spiritual home of cult British films and the home of Hammer Film Productions for years - could be turned flattened and turned into homes, unless a new campaign to save it succeeds.

Earlier this month, the Maidenhead Advertiser reported that current owners the Bray Management Company says the the operation - set to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year - is struggling to keep up with technological advancements.

Once the home for Hammer Film Productions, a planning application was recently submitted to the Royal Borough for repairs to Grade II listed Down Place, the site’s central building. The application notes that the studios, formerly used to provide offices and facilities in connection with the film business, have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are no longer a viable business - and hinted at plans to turn the historic site into housing.

Down Place was originally bought by Hammer Film Productions for use in their horror films, and then was gradually enlarged to become the studios that exist now. Films shot there include The Mummy, The Curse of Frankenstein, the Dracula film series and many more.

Other films and television shows have used the studios down the years, including a number of shows produced by Gerry Anderson such as Space:1999 and for effects work on various Doctor Who stories such as Frontier in Space and The Invisible Enemy.

The studios were sold in November 1970, but are still in use for recording, but, as a result of the current recession, faces stiff competition for business from nearby Pinewood Studios and elsewhere.

The plans to level the site for housing came to light in an application to replace the roof and windows of Down Place which were discussed and approved at a Bray Parish Council meeting earlier this month. The documents discussed revealed a further application is likely for extensive work to convert the site into housing.

Fans of Hammer Films and British film history have moved swiftly to highlight the threat, starting a Facebook campaign group, blog and Twitterfeed to raise awareness about the studios' plight,

"We quickly must look at the question of what can be done to help save the Studio," urges campaign organiser and Hammer Films expert Robert Simpson.

"In the first instance we have to assume that a huge volume of cash is needed - Down Place itself is in an unhealthy state of repair. It needs a large amount of work done if the Grade II listed building is to be preserved.

"...According to the information released Bray Studios is no longer viable as a business model - though we would suggest that the Studios need new capital investment to upgrade the equipment and allow it to compete once again," he continues. "The present owners clearly have no intention or desire to do that. Instead they see the chance for a quick profit in residential accommodation that will unburden them of their responsibility. Bray Management Ltd looks at the studios as property rather than a cultural landmark and facility.

"We are open to ideas and suggestions, and ways of raising funds to keep the studios alive and within the film industry," he says, appealing to Hammer Films fans and the wider British film community for support. "We want to maintain its historic integrity, and allow it to flourish. We want it to remain distinctive.

"Perhaps investors can be found with millions to spare on developing, upgrading and protecting the site? Perhaps there is a way we can find for a stay of execution allowing a campaign to build and find the resources before the site is compromised.

"...Bray Studios is a true independent studio space, and some fine examples of British film and television have been made here. Don't let that be destroyed."

Save Bray Studios Campaign

• Save Bray Studios Facebook Campaign Group

• Campaign Blog: braystudios.blogspot.com

• TwitterFeed: http://www.twitter.com/braystudios

Bray Studios Web Links

• Bray Studios: The Studio Tour
Unofficial guide to Bray Studios and its history

• David Rattigan's Bray Studio Guide

Dan Dare Film: Latest News

(UPDATED: Steve Holland over on Bear Alley has discovered the mentioned Cinemas-Online item about a possible Dan Dare film is not a new item about the project - it was first posted in 2005. The story below has been updated to reflect this. My apologies, but there was no obvious date on the page).

Development on a Dan Dare movie is now at script stage - and actor Sam Worthington, star of films such as the new Clash of the Titans and Avatar - is being considered for what is probably a key role.

It has been a month since we first reported on rumours of new attempt to get a Dan Dare movie off the ground, but the Dan Dare Corporation has made little comment on stories across the web, which began when reviews site Pajaba reported that British-born actor Sam Worthington has been cast as the lead in a Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future film.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Since then, Worthington, who is on board for another comics-to-film project, The Last Days of American Crime, based on the Radical Publishing series by Rick Remender, has confirmed his interest. In a video interview for MTV he confirmed he was involved, but stopped short of explaining his role.

Interestingly, he referenced Grant Morrison as writer - which could either be a mistake on the actor's part, as he might also be referring to the most recent Dare reboot by Garth Ennis - or a deliberate reference to Dare, Morrison's re-telling of the Dan Dare mythos for Revolver in the 1980s, drawn by Rian Hughes. (Hughes was reportedly attached to an earlier attempt to make a Dan Dare film, directed by Ridley Scott).

"We're seeing how they're going to develop it and where they want it to go," Worthington said. "I'm at that stage now where I want to do movies where I get my $16 worth ... Something like Dan Dare, there was something in the reboot by Grant Morrison that was amazing."

Since Worthington seems well versed in comics and characters, it seems possible the mention of Grant Morrison may not be the mistake MTV thinks it is in its reporting.

A new Dan Dare film has been "in development" for some time. Back in 2005, website CinemasOnline reported on a possible Dan Dare film project, which the Dan Dare Corporation, producers of the Dan Dare animated series back in 2001, said was at script stage.

The aim was to feature live actors superimposed over computer generated backgrounds. Coincidentally perhaps, this is the technique that ATV planned for their aborted 1980 Dan Dare television series, electronically keying actors over a drawn comic strip background, and which has perhaps been used most successfully on the big screen for films such as the 2004 SF feature Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow', which was shot digitally in just one studio against a blue screen.

CinemasOnline reported the movie is being represented by of Hollywood's biggest agents, which DDC chairman Colin Frewin counts as a 'real success'. But it would appear development stalled, so perhaps the new project will be entirely different.

With the 60th anniversary of Eagle this week, let's hope some official announcement about a Dan Dare film is not too far off.

Scottish superhero film in the works from Mark Millar

Wanted and Kick-Ass writer Mark Millar has told Scottish TV network STV he is aiming big for his first directorial outing which will shoot later this year, taking his cues from the South African feature District 9.

In a video interview on the STV web site, the former 2000AD writer says he wants to create an epic Scottish superhero movie that will have a 21st-century Trainspotting vibe while being “as cool as X Men 2”, with plans to shoot this summer using a local cast and crew.

In first part of STV's extensive interview with Millar about all his projects, he explained: “The plan with the Scottish movie was that I realised that everything I’d written, even though I’m a Scottish guy from Coatbridge, everything I’d written was set in New York or Los Angeles. I just thought that’s quite weird; normally people will do something that is a wee bit to do with where they came from, so I thought that it was quite odd that I’ve never done that.

"It’s a lazy shorthand to always set something in America that everybody understands.

The film will shoot this summer, Mark reveals.

"... My plan is to start directing [the film] in June, June and July," he continues. "We’re prepping it just now. We want to do it with an entirely new cast, people nobody have seen before, young people from Glasgow and Edinburgh and work with local teams. Everyone that works on the movie we want to try and keep Scottish and just create a superhero movie with its own unique flavour.”

Millar is reconciled to the way his comics work has been adapted for the silver screen. “You compromise in film, it’s just the way it goes," eh says. "Sometimes you write a black character that when it comes out in the movie it’s a white character and so on. It’s a collaborative process and everybody’s got an opinion, and if you do something in the studio system you have to defer sometimes.

• View the first interview here on the STV web site

• In the second part of the interview, Mark talks about how Kick-Ass’s independent status was preferable to the studio system behind the likes of Superman.