‘Halo’ Web series to bow before next game

By Marc Graser, Source: Variety.com

While it will take years before a “Halo” movie ever makes it to the bigscreen, Microsoft could revive the idea again with a live-action Web series it will launch ahead of “Halo 4″ this fall.

The company’s Xbox gaming division is putting considerable coin behind “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn,” which will play exclusively on male-skewing entertainment website Machinima and online community Halo Waypoint in the weeks leading up to “Halo 4′s” release Nov. 6.

Project represents “the largest investment” Microsoft has made in live action to date, the company said.

CONFIRMED: Benedict Cumberbatch is [redacted] in Star Trek 2!

By Nathalie Caron, Source: Blastr.com

After months of endless speculation, we finally know which super baddie British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is playing in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek sequel. Are you guys ready for some major squeeing (or some cursing)?

Just to make sure: SPOILERS ahead!

Last chance to turn back.

Peter Jackson strikes back at The Hobbit criticism

By Nathalie Caron, Source: Blastr.com

Last week, Peter Jackson showed 10 minutes of footage from the highly anticipated The Hobbit. What should have been a moment of crowning glory for the director turned into a flurry of criticism regarding the look of the film. So what’s Peter Jackson to do? Why, respond to those criticisms, of course.

During CinemaCon last week, Warner Bros. showed off 10 minutes of footage from The Hobbit. While critics were rather ecstatic about the scenes that were shown, they weren’t happy with the look of the footage — which is apparently more “realistic” in appearance than Jackson’s previous Middle-earth opus, The Lord of the Rings.

NEW INTERVIEW WITH WRITER BOBBY NASH

ESO’s Bobby Nash was interviewed by Morgen Bailey for her writing blog site.

You can read the full in-depth interview at http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/author-interview-no-355-with-writer-bobby-nash

 

Chronicle writer spills some juicy details on the sequel

By Trent Moore, Source: Blastr.com

Max Landis, writer of the found footage superhero hit Chronicle, is already hard at work putting together his plan for part two—and it sounds even cooler than the first installment. Spoilers ahead for the first Chronicle!

Landis said the found footage that made up the first film will be public knowledge, meaning Chronicle 2 will be set in a world where people know there may be super-powered teens flying around.

Sam Raimi to Produce MGM’s ‘Poltergeist’ Remake

by Borys Kit, Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sam Raimi is boarding MGM’s Poltergeist.

The filmmaker, who got his start with the Evil Dead horror movies, will produce the remake of the 1982 film — which Steven Spielberg produced and co-scripted from his original story — with Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee, and Robert Tapert.

Disney and Henry Selick will bring Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book to the big screen

By Lauren Davis, Source: iO9

We loved Henry Selick’s stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s creepy Coraline, and now the Nightmare Before Christmas director is taking on a second Gaiman tale, with a Disney-backed version of The Graveyard Book.

That Carrie remake might be (partially) filmed on a camcorder

By Don Kaye, Source: Blastr.com

Now that the remake of Carrie is officially underway, the head of the studio producing the film has revealed some interesting details about what direction it might take.

During a speech at his alma mater, MGM CEO Roger Birnbaum spoke about some of the company’s upcoming projects, with the new version of Stephen King’s classic first novel among them. According to a Reddit report on the speech, Birnbaum revealed that at least part of the new Carrie will be filmed as “found footage,” a la films like Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity.

Next on Earth Station One…

Next week, the Earth Station One crew grabs some popcorn, sodas, and snacks as we head back to the theater for our annual Big Summer Movie Review. That’s right, we’re looking ahead at the upcoming releases and picking our favorites. And we would love to hear from you. What movies are you looking forward to this summer? And why? Let us know at www.esopodcast.com, at the ESO Facebook Group, email us at esopodcast@gmail.com, or call us at 404-963-9057. We might just read yours on the show.

And if that wasn’t already enough for a full show, IDW editor Jeff Conner joins us to talk about the new Zombies Vs. Robots prose project along with other upcoming goodies from the publisher. Plus, the usual rants, raves, shout outs, and Mike’s Khan Report! It’s going to be an action-packed episode next week at Earth Station One.

The ESO Crew

Earth Station Who Episode 4: The War Games

The 50th story in the franchise is a marathon, not a sprint, to the finish of the Patrick Troughton era. Mike, Mike, and Dave enlist in The War Games with some assistance from “The Ten Doctors” cartoonist, Rich Morris. As we say goodbye to The Second Doctor, we say “Howdy!” to the Time Lords and some other important elements that would shape the DWU for years to come.