Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside)

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This post contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time season 4.

Meet The Dark Swan. That’s what Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, executive producers of ABC’s fairytale drama Once Upon a Time, are calling Emma Swan, now that she’s carrying the darkness that once lived inside Rumpelstiltskin (formally known as The Dark One). The image you see above is being used as the official key art for the upcoming fifth season of OUAT and was featured outside the convention center in San Diego during the week of Comic Con. It’s certainly a bold image to use as it stylistically transforms Jennifer Morrison’s character into something sinister. It might be hard to see, but along the side it reads, “Evil isn’t born. It’s made.”

“Emma went through a lot in her life,” Morrison said at the OUAT panel. “She had a tough childhood. She’s had to overcome a lot of things. She’s tried to be the bigger person. Now that she’s tethered to the darkness, she’s free of that…She’s going to face the darkness in herself and figure out how to overcome it.”

In the first of three clips embedded after the break, you will witness Emma’s storied journey from bail bondswoman to Storybrooke non-believer to The Savior and her eventual decent into darkness. Emma lost her love from the “real world” when Neil met his maker last season, and more recently she found out that her parents–Snow White and Prince Charming–lied to her about her Savior origins. When all of this came to head in the season four finale, The Apprentice accidentally released the darkness living inside Rumpelstiltskin unto Storybrooke. Emma sacrificed herself and allowed the darkness to consume her to save the town from death and destruction.

In the second clip, you’ll get a first look at Morrison playing The Dark Swan: slicked back, bleached blonde hair, deep red lipstick, and shiny sparkles make up her appearance. And oh yes, she’s evil alright: locked inside a cage (did the darkness transport her to the Enchanted Forest?), Evil Emma rips the heart out of a jailor and crushes it to smithereens without flinching. Want a closer look at Morrison in character? Click over to EW for two stills.

The third and final clip released from the Con introduces a brand new character from Disney/Pixar lore and it’s Merida from Brave. Amy Manson (Being Human) plays the red-haired princess of DunBroch who happens to be a master archer. How she’s connected to the rest of the Once gang has not been disclosed.

The search for Merlin the Sorcerer and a way to save Emma from the darkness (herself!) begins this September when Once Upon a Time returns to ABC.

[Via EW] Continue reading Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside) →

Comic Con: ‘Person of Interest’ aims to up the ante in shortened fifth (and possibly final) season

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This post contains spoilers for Person of Interest season 4.

The Machine now lives inside a suitcase. Team Machine, namely Finch, Reese, Root, and Fusco, are racing against the clock to bring it back to “life” so they can take down its nefarious counterpart, Samaritan.

Johnathan Nolan and Greg Plageman, the executive producers behind Person of Interest, are also on a tight schedule to produce even more gripping content for the show’s rabid fanbase. CBS renewed POI for a fifth season, thankfully, but it did so with a caveat: it’s 13 episodes this time around, as opposed to the typical 22 or 23. Cancellation whispers are in the air, and so Nolan and the creative team are prepared to go out with a bang if this is indeed the end.

“In terms of the reduced order, we’re going to make 13 kick-ass episodes, drop the microphone, and if we’re asked to pick it up again, we’ll have more stories to tell,” Nolan told fans at Comic Con. “We’re very, very proud of the show and very excited with the show we’ve been making. If it’s the last season, no one is going to be disappointed with the story that we tell.”

Viewers can expect a lot less filler (i.e. “numbers of the week” episodes) and a whole lot more story connected to the overarching battle for supremacy over Samaritan. “They’ve got to find a way to go on the offensive–attack Samaritan and hit them hard,” said Jim Caviezel, who plays Reese.

How will season 5 approach the Second Coming of The Machine? “If [Finch] has to rebuild it, he may not do it the way he did it initially,” said Michael Emerson. “He may give it more of the freedom that Root was always demanding for it. And maybe the new Machine is a greater warrior than the old Machine was.” In a video interview with TVLine (watch that here), Emerson adds that he hopes and expects Finch “to have a more personal relationship with The Machine.” He says the lines are blurring when it comes to The Machine serving as a tool and acting like a person. Intrigue!

Need more to chew on? Watch the 4-minute sizzle reel that premiered in San Diego above. It highlights the high stakes drama that’s been permeating throughout the series from the very beginning, and at the very end (wait for it!) it plays a recorded message from Root teasing a fight for the future. It’s epic, it’s cinematic, and it perfectly encapsulates just how great this show can be on a consistent basis.

After mastering the art of weaving in and out of procedural and serial episodes, Person of Interest is prepared to put the pedal to the metal, reaching deep into its mythos to resuscitate The Machine and save the world from Samaritan, in what may very well be the final string of episodes. POI returns in midseason to CBS.

[Via THR; TVLine]

Comic Con: ‘Sherlock’ time travels to Victorian era in upcoming Christmas special (video inside)

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Sherlock loves to go on long breaks between series, and so fans of the BBC/PBS show were pleasantly surprised when executive producer Steven Moffat dropped a first look at the upcoming Christmas special. The one-off episode drops Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) into the Victorian era, the very same era where Holmes and Watson do their investigating in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books. Moffat has no explanation for the time jump; it just is.

“We discovered there was some precedent for doing Sherlock in the Victorian era,” Moffat told the Comic Con crowd. “When we first did Sherlock, press asked how can Sherlock possibly survive in the world with an iPhone. And when doing the Victorian [era special], the press came in and said how can he do this without his iPhone?” He later added, “It’s very much the show you know. It’s the Sherlock as you know it, but in the correct era. It’s one of the best ones we’ve made. I think it’s really terrific.”

Eye the detecting duo in their 19th Century garb above. Be sure to then jump after the break and watch 1:27 preview that is very meta, indeed. Also shown at Comic Con and posted after the break is a special video starring Andrew Scott (aka Sherlock‘s Moriarty) addressing the crowd with a wink and a nod.

There’s no date set in stone quite yet for the Christmas special; Moffat hopes to premiere it “in the next year.” What’s neat is that in addition to airing on television, it will also come to the big screen in select theatres globally.

Curious about Sherlock season 4? Moffat hasn’t even finished writing it yet (pity!), but he warns fans of “shattering emotionally draining you’ll-never-be-the-same-again cliffhangers” that will “sucker punch you into emotional devastation.” Great.

[Via Deadline; EW] Continue reading Comic Con: ‘Sherlock’ time travels to Victorian era in upcoming Christmas special (video inside) →

Comic Con: ‘Heroes Reborn’ aims to reinvigorate the old-school superhero series

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Following those two initial teasers, Heroes creator Tim Kring unleashed an extended trailer at Comic Con for his upcoming NBC event series Heroes Reborn. And I’ve got to say, it looks pretty damn good to me. I consider the first season of Heroes, which aired way back in 2006, one of the most exciting and gripping debuts for a TV series (even with the somewhat anti-climactic conclusion with Sylar slithering away). The show wavered in its ability to remain creatively charged over the course of its next few seasons, and it eventually fizzled out and was cancelled after its fourth batch of episodes aired in 2010. Now, Kring is back with a truncated 13-episode count and a tight story promising a beginning, middle, and end to wholly satisfy viewers. Kring is pushing for Reborn to harken back to the series’ season 1 roots, featuring a new cast of characters discovering extraordinary abilities for the very first time and dealing with the ramifications. Tying Reborn to Heroes proper are returning characters such as Noah “HRG” Bennet (Jack Coleman), among others. They all get nods in this trailer.

At the Heroes Reborn panel at Comic Con, Kring confirmed that the event series takes place 5 years after the conclusion of season 4 when–spoiler alert–it was made public that “EVOs” or evolved humans have powers. “The world knows about these people, so it changes the story considerably,” said Kring. “When you discovered you had a power, it was mystical journey of discovery. Now, if you wake up with a power, you know it’s a very bad thing because you’ll be exploited.”

Longtime viewers will find out what happened to fan-favorite characters, even the ones who aren’t returning to reprise their roles, such as Hayden Panettiere (who played cheerleader Claire Bennet) and Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli). “The universe that we’re building around the show does all that,” Kring said. “We do unpack what happened in the previous years. By the time you watch the finale, you’ll have a big chunk of that answered for you.”

While you’re waiting for Heroes Reborn to premiere this fall on NBC, there’s a digital web series that servers a prequel for what’s coming up. It actually stars Henry Zebrowski as Quentin Frady, a character who also has a major role in the event series. To watch the multi-part Dark Matter series, download the free Heroes Reborn app.

“Dark Matter tells a story that connects up with the show in a really unique way,” says Kring. “I don’t think anybody’s ever quite done a series that connects up to the show in the way this does.” Sounds to me like Heroes fans know what they’re going to do tonight.

[Via Deadline 1, 2; TVLine]

Comic Con: Bruce Campbell is spectacular in small-screen adaptation ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’

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The band is back together. Director Sam Raimi, producer Rob Tapert, and star Bruce Campbell have reunited to summon the Deadites again in a TV adaptation of The Evil Dead. 57-year-old Campbell starred in the original trilogy of Evil Dead movies from 1981-1992, and now he’s back to reprise his iconic role as Ash Williams in Ash vs. Evil Dead for Starz.

If you’ve seen the Evil Dead movies, you know that the franchise is best known for its equal balance of gruesome horror, campy fun, and ultimate one-liners. Despite the opening sequence in this trailer, Campbell falls back into the role quite snuggly and fans from before are going to eat this up. Missed out on the movies? That’s okay. If battling evil undead forces with more than a pinch of campy mayhem sounds entertaining to you, then Ash vs. Evil Dead is a must-see. And, as witnessed in the trailer, Ash gives his younger compatriots (and the audience) a history lesson about how he unintentionally woke the creepy crawlers 30 years ago.

Starring alongside Campbell are Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Ray Santiago (Bad Judge), Dana Delorenzo (Barely Famous), and Jill Marie Jones (Sleepy Hollow).

Ash vs. Evil Dead, appropriately enough, premieres this Halloween on Starz. Now go watch the trailer like five more times because it is that good.

Comic Con: Lady Gaga enters ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ with flair

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Here’s a first look at Lady Gaga in American Horror Story: Hotel. The fleeting tease titled “Front Desk” features Gaga’s hand wrapped in a silver glove with protruding razor-sharp nails. Ding goes the concierge bell and the unmistakable AHS theme music plays the clip out.

At Comic Con, creator Ryan Murphy and the rest of the AHS panel kept season 5 details under lock and key. They did, however, reveal the names of some of the new characters. Kathy Bates is Iris, Angela Bassett is Ramona, Evan Peters is Mr. March, Matt Bomer is Donovan, and Sarah Paulson is Hypodermic Sally. Got to love that last one.

Ever notice that Paulson’s character always makes it to the end of every season? This year might break that unspoken rule. “I always want to write the opposite of the season before,” said Murphy. “Someone said to me, ‘Paulson is the only one that always lives,’ and I said, ‘We’ve got to change that right away.’” If she meets her demise, Murphy added, it will be done in “a very fun way.”

Gaga’s character’s name was not disclosed at the panel, but Murphy confirmed she’s playing evil. “She’s been very collaborate and incredibly fun. When you work with somebody like her, you sign up for something that I think is larger than life. Part of her role involves fashion. You want Lady Gaga to look a certain way so the designers have been coming out of the woodwork.” This peek at Gaga’s shiny, edgy glove speaks volumes.

What else? Despite Gaga being a singer/songwriter superstar, Hotel will not take advantage of her pipes; Murphy is looking to subvert expectations here. Also, “I felt I got that out of my system,” he said, most definitely referring to Glee and AHS: Freak Show.

Need further proof that all of the AHS seasons are connected? Murphy confirmed, “It’s part of a very connected universe with a very cool thesis statement at the end of the run.” Expect lots of familiar faces from previous seasons to check into Hotel when it premieres on FX in October.

Update: Gaga posted to Instagram a bloodied script revealing the name of the first Hotel hour: “Checking In.”

[Via THR; TVLine]

Comic Con: Watch Tatiana Maslany & co. crack up in ‘Orphan Black’ blooper reel (Parody clips inside)

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The latest season of Orphan Black started off admittedly convoluted with a literal ton going on: Projects Leda and Caster came to a head, and then the Tatiana Maslanys had to deal with Delphine at Dyad and Ferdinand at Topside. With so much action and drama to follow, it’s certainly nice to take a breath, relax, and laugh even. So, without further ado, here’s an official compilation of season 3 bloopers, originally presented at the Orphan Black panel at Comic Con.

The cast and crew of Orphan Black decided to have even more fun by putting together genre-smashing parodies starring Alison and Donnie Hendrix in a telenovela, a horror film, and a 90s sitcom. If you thought their storylines were entertaining in Orphan Black, just wait until you see the Hendrix’s  in “Donnie & Alison 2 : Seestra Sineestra.” It’s all waiting for you after the break. Continue reading Comic Con: Watch Tatiana Maslany & co. crack up in ‘Orphan Black’ blooper reel (Parody clips inside) →

Comic Con: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and the Joker assemble in ‘Suicide Squad’

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“I want to assemble a task force of the most dangerous people on the planet who I think can do some good. And if anything goes wrong we blame them; we have built in deniability. Getting people to act against their own self-interest is what I do for a living.” That’s Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) channeling her inner Annalise Keating, and succinctly summing up the premise for DC’s upcoming super-villain flick Suicide Squad.

The all-star lineup includes Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, Adam Beach as Slipknot, and of course Jared Leto is the Joker. David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) writes and directs.

It’s a relatively quiet trailer, until Leto’s Joker comes out to play. “Oh, I’m not gonna kill ya. I’m just gonna hurt ya really, really bad.” Wouldn’t want to be on the other side of that interrogation. For a first look teaser, it hits all the right notes; I’m all in.

Suicide Squad hits theatres August 5, 2016.

Comic Con: Batman takes on Superman–with a pinch of Lex Luthor & Wonder Woman–in latest peek at ‘Dawn of Justice’

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During the climactic scene in Man of Steel, Superman (Henry Cavill) battles General Zod (Michael Shannon) and in the process decimates the city of Metropolis. Turns out Batman (Ben Affleck) was witness to the destruction, too. “He has the power to wipe out the entire human race,” growls Bruce Wayne. There we have it:  the “v” in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is clearer than ever now. Batman wants to take out Superman before he destroys us all. We, of course, know that Clark Kent’s intentions are good, but the mess he made in Man of Steel and the death toll to come out of all that tell a different story. What else does this positively jam-packed trailer tease? Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is up to no good and still has hair, and Gal Gadot looks fantastic as Wonder Woman. No sign of Aquaman (Jason Momoa) just yet.

If you were ever on the fence here, this latest peek at Dawn of Justice should reel you right in. A stellar trailer, indeed. Zack Snyder’s upcoming DC adventure is out March 26, 2016.

‘Homeland’ season 5 teaser reunites Carrie & Saul in Europe

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Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) gets kidnapped in the first teaser trailer promoting Homeland‘s fifth season. Also, Saul “The Bear” Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) calls Carrie “naive and stupid” to which Carrie replies, “I’m not atoning. I’m just trying to do good work.” And don’t fret–Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) will find himself in the crossfire this go-around, too. A brief synopsis of events follows:

Premiering this fall, Homeland will pick up two years after Carrie Mathison’s ill-fated tenure as Islamabad station chief. Struggling to reconcile her guilt and disillusionment with years of working on the front lines in the “war on terror,” Carrie finds herself in a self-imposed exile in Berlin, estranged from the CIA and working as the head of security for a German philanthropist.

Homeland returns to Showtime in September.

First look: Paul Feig’s ‘Ghostbusters’ gals are ready to kick some ass

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What’s better than hearing about Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones joining the cast of the new Ghostbusters? Seeing Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in action, that’s what! Nearly six months after it was announced that the SNL players plus McCarthy would star in Paul Feig’s upcoming relaunch of the Ghostbusters franchise, the director tweeted out this image (see above) featuring the ladies all geared up and ready to pulverize some nasty poltergeists. Feig has been ramping up anticipation for his next flick on social media; in addition to the costumed cast, he has also shared images of the costumes on a rack, some slimy green goo, and first-looks at the Ghostbusters’ iconic ride, Ecto-1, and the “modern” proton pack.

So far, so good. Itching for a trailer? Me too.

Ghostbusters returns to theatres July 22, 2016.

It’s official: Han Solo spins off in his own ‘Star Wars’ pic coming in 2018

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The Star Wars universe is growing. Today, Disney made official a second Star Wars “Anthology Series” film that will focus on the early days of smuggler-turned-hero Han Solo. “The story focuses on how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley,” reads the press release. I guess that puts the kibosh on Harrison Ford reprising his iconic character in this untitled prequel spinoff.

Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the witty and wickedly funny directors behind The LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and 21 Jump Street, and TV’s The Last Man on Earth are locked in to direct the Han Solo feature. Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon are penning the script together; the elder Kasdan is a Star Wars veteran having co-written the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and the upcoming The Force Awakens. And of course, Lucasfilm mainstay Kathleen Kennedy is producing.

“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with,” said Miller and Lord in a statement. “We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.”

“We’re so excited to be working with Chris and Phil, who will bring a fresh new dimension to the Star Wars universe,” added the Kasdans. “They’re two of the smartest, funniest and most original filmmakers around, and the ideal choice to tell the story of Han Solo, one of the coolest characters in the galaxy.”

Kennedy also shared enthusiasm for working with the now-prolific directors. “It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo, and I’m excited to say we’ve found the perfect team to handle the task. Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story.”

The Han Solo adventure sets its sights on a May 25, 2018 release. But first there’s J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens out this December 18, Gareth Edwards’ Anthology entry Rogue One out December 16, 2016, and Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII out May 26, 2017.

[Via Star Wars]