Tomorrow, August 21, is Avatar Day, and on it, the much-anticipated trailer was to finally be release to all of us who were dying to see what everyone was raving about. In a lovely gesture, the studio has decided to unleash the trailer one day early, and you can check it out right this very moment!

With the release of this trailer comes good news and bad news. The good news, is that you can go and watch the trailer at Apple in the biggest and best HD player your computer can handle. The bad news, is that Apple is still one of the few who refuse to embrace the joys of the embed code, so you’ll have to go there to see it. Considering that even the above-mentioned biggest and best HD trailer will not do any justice to the footage people have seen in IMAX 3-D, it is suggested that you watch in the highest quality you can. [...]

Yesterday we found out that comedian Patton Oswalt had joined the cast of the Battlestar Galactica prequel series, Caprica. Now comes word that another well-known name to the geek community will be joining the cast as well. MTV News is reporting that Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star James Marsters has officially joined the [...]

It appears that director Oliver Stone will be branching off into the world of documentary film making with a new 10-part series called Secret History of America, which will air on Showtime in a one-hour episodic format. The show’s content is all-but-guaranteed to stir up controversy and get people fumed and debating.

The series will be narrated by Stone, and will cover many different hugely-important and “under-reported” events in American history of the last 60 years, revealing many “newly discovered facts and accounts” that we never knew about before. Of the project, Stone stated that “through this epic 10-hour series, which I feel is the deepest contribution I could ever make in film to my children and the next generation, I can only hope a change in our thinking will result.”

Topics that will be covered range from the Cold War and the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, to the Vietnam war, the Kennedy administration, and America’s impact on the world since Communism fell. [...]

It’s being reported that Warner Brothers have hired Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan to write a script based on the 1902 George Barr McCutcheon novel, Brewster’s Millions.

The concept for Brewster’s Millions is simple and really brilliant, yet incredibly complicated at the same time. Basically, it tells the story of a man who finds out that his super wealthy relative has passed away and left him a challenge which could see him inherit a massive fortune.

The challenge varied from movie to movie (seven movies before this eighth, to be exact), but the best-known is from the 1985 version that starred late greats Richard Pryor and John Candy. In this version, Monty (Pryor) is offered the chance to receive $300 Million, if he is able to successfully spend $30 Million within 30 days. This sounds easy at first, but there are some catches: mainly, he can’t own one possession when the money is spent, and he can’t just buy insanely expensive objects and destroy them, along with some other rules. [...]

Listen up, geeks. For at exactly 9:09 pm and 9 seconds on September 9, 2009 (yeah –> 9/9/09), we Geeks of Doom will be choosing FIVE lucky winners to receive supra awesome prize bundles from the upcoming animated film 9, which hits theaters that day. We’ve got sacks filled with 9-related T-shirts, books, soundtracks, and more swaggy goodness™ then you can possible shake a stick at (for all you stick shakers out there.. you know who you are)!

This is one of those times I wish I could enter our own contests because I’m really excited about this film and DO WANT much 9 goodies for me me me too. But I’ll have to settle for living vicariously through five of our lucky (and awesome) readers.

Five (5) winners will each receive:
One (1) 9 Prize Bundle containing a T-shirt, Book, Official Soundtrack, and more!

TO ENTER: There’s just two simple steps: (1) Make sure you’re subscribed to the Geeks of Doom email digest. If you’re not then click here and sign up. (If you’re already a subscriber, then go right to the next step.) (2) Fill out the entry form and submit [...]

Rumors seem to be in bloom as of late, and they’re never fun because we just don’t know how true or not they are. Sometimes these rumors happen to make a lot of sense, and even if not yet confirmed, they’re worthy of mention.

Cue MarketSaw.

The 3-D focused website has word from what they call one of their “most trusted” sources that the much-talked about bridge movie that would connect The Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings trilogy may still be happening as a third movie. On top of that, the source claims that the god of Middle Earth himself, Peter Jackson, could be the one to direct the third film.

If you’re not familiar with the tale, it began long ago when we were told that we would be getting two new movies in that world: one, an adaptation of The Hobbit, and a second one that bridged that world to Lord of the Rings. After months of speculation, we finally were informed that visionary master Guillermo del Toro would be taking up the reigns to direct the two films. [...]

The MP3 deal of the day over at Amazon today is the Tron Soundtrack for only $1.99.

This is the original motion picture soundtrack to Disney’s 1982 scifi film, featuring two songs from the rock group Journey — “Only Solutions” and “1990′s Theme” — along with a score by composer Wendy Carlos.

The 19-track score contains analog Moog synthesizer and GDS digital synthesizer compositions, along with non-electronic pieces performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

A sequel to the original Tron, titled Tron Legacy, is scheduled for release in 2010 and will contain at least one Journey song (“Separate Ways”) and feature a film score by electronic artists Daft Punk — a sample of it was debuted at the Tron Legacy viral marketing event at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con [...]

Director F. Gary Gray sent posted a link today via his personal Twitter account to a video of an explosion just shot for some added special effects sequences in his upcoming film Law Abiding Citizen.

Watch the video, as well as the film’s trailer, here below.

Law Abiding Citizen, scheduled to his theaters on October 16, 2009, stars Gerard Butler as a family man whose wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion. After the killers are caught, a young hotshot prosecutor (Jamie Foxx) is put in a difficult situation after he’s assigned to their case.

The R-rated film also stars Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby, Regina Hall, and Viola Davis [...]

A huge rumor set fire to the ‘net yesterday, claiming that Brad Pitt had joined the cast of Guy Ritchie‘s Sherlock Holmes as suspiciously-missing Moriarty. The report came from London’s not-so-trustworthy tabloid, The Daily Mirror, and within hours, Warner Brothers had issued a statement denying the report.

No word yet on if the well-known villain will be cast at all in the movie. Considering it’s an origins movie and they have a villain in Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), one would assume that if Pitt (or someone like him) was cast as Moriarty, they would likely show up in Nick Fury fashion, at the end or after the credits, in order to set up the sequel. We already know that this has every intention of becoming a franchise, so it would make sense to do. Better yet, the statement issued by Warner Bros. confirms that they will be shooting some extra scenes for the movie, though they are still planning a Christmas Day 2009 release. So while the Brad Pitt report is completely false, it wouldn’t be shocking if they were putting together some kind of Moriarty introduction cameo. [...]

Director Peter Berg‘s superhero dramady Hancock was a box office hit on 2008′s Fourth of July weekend, earning over $107 million its opening week and has since grossed over $200 million.

So, it’s not surprising that talk of a sequel to the film, which starred Will Smith in the title role, has been creeping up ever since.

But, does the film’s ending leave room for a sequel? Berg spoke with SciFi Wire and gave up some spoiler-filled ideas for a sequel, if one ever comes to pass [...]

Patton Oswalt is hitting on all cylinders lately, starting as a hilarious stand-up comedian who also appeared in multiple movie and TV comedies. He then went on to voice the culinarily inclined rodent Remy the rat in Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille before showing off his dramatic chops in the upcoming Big Fan. Now, it’s being reported that Oswalt will add the science fiction genre to his resume, as the actor has joined the cast of Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica prequel series, Caprica.

Though this will be a whole new genre for Oswalt, his character will still be more fitted to his roots. The actor will play Baxter Sarno, who is a humorous talk show host on the planet Caprica. At some point in the show, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Amanda Graystone (Paula Malcomson) will appear on Baxter Sarno’s show — likely to talk about their daughter and the remarkable breakthrough that Graystone has had. No word on exactly how extensive the role will be, but we do know that it will be more than just one episode, which means we’ll probably see Mr. Oswalt on a lot of TVs and billboards in the background. [...]

Hum
Graphic Novel
Written By Scott Marcano and Tom Lenoci
Illustrated by Renzo Podesta
Diablo Productions
Cover price: $15.95; 250 pages, B&W w/ partial Color
March 2009

Throughout the history of humans, also apparent in our own everyday experience, the affluent have taken advantage of the downtrodden. Humans are also great adapters. We eventually, as a people, make the best of the situation we find ourselves in. We are also susceptible to the promise of ease and ecstasy. Well, off world and in the future people are no different.

Such is the story of Hum which is slowly, masterfully untwined over the first few chapters of the book. Earthling colonists travel through space and find what they believe to be a perfect new world. However, most of the population is debilitated by a natural element of the planet. The non-afflicted take this as a sign of their superiority and use the disadvantaged to do their bidding. This is a story all too familiar in our human history. It seems like a natural extension of our progeny. Just as it is that the afflicted rise to overcome their disabilities and begin to live life anew and begin…hum. But the masters won’t give up easily, using their own people with the vices of the time and planet, to fight their battles for them [...]

The Expendables could quite possibly be one of the really special movie projects that we see in the near future. Written, directed, and starring Sylvester Stallone, the movie has attempted to gather pretty much every massive action star and put them all in one film. We still don’t know exactly what kind of movie it will be, but it sounds like it’s going to be pure, full-speed action with no rules — at least that’s how it feels like it should be done. While he wasn’t able to get all of them (Jean Claude Van Damme), he has put together one of the best action casts ever seen, and it has folks very excited to see what comes of it all.

Now comes word that two of the biggest action stars ever to live will be filming a small cameo for the movie with Stallone: Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Willis spoke to MTV News recently about if he’s filmed the “very special” cameo and what it might involve. [...]

Last week, the French version of the new trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon was leaked online, and though it was quickly yanked, the description of the footage was posted all over the internet (read The Twilight Saga: New Moon Trailer In Theaters…”).

Now, Summit Entertainment has officially released this trailer, titled “Meet Jacob Black,” which is actually more of a preview with interview clips with the film’s young star Taylor Lautner interspersed.

Watch the new trailer here below.

As previously reported, this new footage is the first to reveal Dakota Fanning as Volturi vampire Jane, as well as the shirtless Wolf Pack.

About The Twilight Saga: New Moon…

In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful TWILIGHT series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as BELLA SWAN (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of—only to find herself in greater peril than ever before [...]

A rumor that has been making the rounds is one that involves the possibility of a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel. Director Robert Zemeckis, while out promoting his motion-capture remake of holiday classic A Christmas Carol, revealed that with all this new technology and options, that he thought it might actually be time to finally revisit his insane cartoon rabbit. He even went as far as to promise that though some things might be computer animated or 3-D, Roger and the other cartoon elements would remain as cartoons. Zemeckis then spoke to AICN, and happily explained that he had talked to star Bob Hoskins plenty of times and that he would definitely be up for another go as stressed and depressed detective Eddie Valiant.

This happy news didn’t last too long, though, as Hoskins himself has spoken to MTV News and pretty firmly stated that he wouldn’t be returning for the movie.

Here’s what Hoskins had to say while also out promoting Zemeckis’s Christmas Carol, in which he appears as Fezzywig. [...]

District 9
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring Sharlto Copley, Nathalie Boltt, Jason Cope, John Sumner, Sylvaine Strike
Rated R
Release date: August 14, 2009

District 9 is the cinematic find of the year and signals the arrival of a bold new talent in the realm of visionary filmmaking. Director Neill Blomkamp, a native of South Africa expanding on his earlier short film Alive in Joburg, has given us a wondrous creation that merges the cautionary science fiction cinema of the 1950’s, the satirical scarefests of the 1970’s, and the imaginative cross-genre gross-outs of the 1980’s into one audacious and eerily thought-provoking package. Best of all he accomplished this on a budget most so-called “event films” cranked out from the Hollywood sweat shop would have blown on an overabundance of computer-generated imagery and slumming big name stars. District 9 is a marvel of modern storytelling.

In 1982, a city-sized spacecraft appeared in the airspace over Johannesburg, South Africa. Authorities forced their way into the craft and found a large number of alien creatures slowly dying. The aliens were transported from their ship to Johannesburg where a government organization known as MNU established a special camp for the aliens called District 9. The years passed as MNU attempted to figure out how best to exploit these new visitors, now being referred to as “prawns” because of their strange appearance, including trying to learn how to operate their weaponry. In the years since the aliens’ arrival, District 9 has devolved into a slum where crime, poverty, drugs, and prostitution run rampant, mostly due to Nigerian gangs lorded over by the powerful gangster Fundiswa Mhlanga (Mandla Gaduka) and the aliens are forced to trade practically everything they own in exchange for tiniest of Earth-manufactured goods [...]

I’m just going to lay this right out on the table per an observation I’ve made over the years: if you’re not into the old west and the western genre that’s known so well in the movies, then you’re probably not going to be too fond of the string of western style games that have been making their way to our video game consoles. But if you’re like myself and absolutely adore anything set in that quintessential old western setting with some great music backing it up, then this review is right up your alley.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is the follow-up to 2007′s Call of Juarez. The game is a prequel story about the McCall brothers, Thomas and Ray, and their desertion of the Confederate Army to help protect their family. When home becomes just too dangerous, they take their younger brother William, and the trio set off toward Mexico to search out a treasure of legend. As with any story that involves stubborn characters, especially brothers, greed and jealousy find their way into the mix and Thomas and Ray need to find a way to work together or die just another victim to the ruthless old west. [...]

Spider-Man 4 is nowhere near its May 2011 release, but Sony isn’t sitting around — the studio has hired James Vanderbilt to write the scripts for both Spider-Man 5 and Spider-Man 6 movies.

Vanderbilt wrote a draft for Spider-Man 4, but director Sam Raimi went out to David Lindsay-Abaire (Robots, Inkheart) for a rewrite on that, and then moved on to grab Gary Ross (Big, Pleasantville) for yet another rewrite.

While Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and Kirsten Dunst are all coming back for the fourth installment of the franchise, there have been occasions where it seemed like none would be coming back, so Sony is setting up for the long-haul with Vanderbilt as their screenwriter and fully-prepared to move on to a “franchise reboot” with new director and stars if the others don’t come back for future chapters.

Raimi in particular just recently signed on to direct a movie based on World of Warcraft, which could very likely become a franchise itself. Because of this, after Spider-Man 4, I doubt he’ll be back…and if he’s not coming back, neither is the cast. This means that this news is basically an announcement that the series will be rebooted after the quadrilogy is complete. [...]

Empire has exclusively premiered the poster for Dorian Gray, the big-screen adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. Check out the site to see the full version.

Last month, the international teaser trailer for the Oliver Parker film, starring Prince Caspian‘s Ben Barnes, was debuted at STYD, which you can watch here below.

The story revolves around the handsome young Dorian who’s swept away by a hedonistic lifestyle in Victorian London after meeting the charismatic Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth). After an artist paints his portrait, Dorian says he’d do anything to keep his youthful beauty captured in the painting, even sell his soul.

The film, which also stars Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Rebecca Hall, will be released in the UK on September 9; no date has been confirmed yet for the U.S. release [...]

The Strain
Book One of The Strain Trilogy
By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
William Morrow
Release date: June 2, 2009

Every so often, the world of fantasy literature will be rocked with a series of books that will forever change the way people read. Lord of the Rings did it. Harry Potter did it. Twilight (unfortunately) did it. Since all of those series are over now, many readers have been looking for a new book to devote their lives to.

Cue famed director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, the Hellboy films) and Chuck Hogan’s first effort together, The Strain. This 400-page tome begins what is to be a trilogy, with The Strain being followed by The Fall (in 2010) and The Night Eternal (in 2011).

In the opening of the novel, a Boeing 777 (one of the biggest passenger planes in the world) lands at JFK airport in New York City and shuts down completely not five minutes after landing. No radio transmissions are received from the crew. No calls are received from the passengers. No movement is detected inside. The police decide to open the doors of the plane, and find everyone on board dead. Of course, a post-9/11 media circus ensues, and Dr. Ephraim Goodweather of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is called on to investigate what is assumed to be a viral attack of some sort [...]