Warner Brothers is already in the business of adapting Japanese manga into live-action feature films having acquired the rights to Katsuhiro Otomo’s cherished Akira, and possibly even hiring the Hughes Brothers to direct (Read: The Hughes Brothers To Direct Two-Part Live-Action ‘Akira’ Movie). But the studio isn’t stopping there; it’s being reported that WB is currently working to obtain the rights to Bleach.

The manga, which is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, revolves around a teenage boy named Ichigo Kurosaki who can see ghosts and one day accidentally obtains the abilities of a Soul Reaper (the Japanese personification of death, much like the Grim Reaper). With these new found abilities — similar to our own superhero stories — he must learn how to use them, protect the innocent from evil spirits known as Hollows, and guide spirits safely to the other side.

If you’re not familiar with the manga, then you’ve probably still seen Bleach in episodic TV fashion. The series airs often on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in the darkness hours. [...]

Last month it was announced that director Tarsem Singh had cast Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto in his upcoming Greek mythology film, War of Gods. If that wasn’t enough for the budding actress, she has now landed an always coveted role: the world famous Bond Girl.

Pinto has been cast as the female lead opposite of returning star Daniel Craig in the upcoming 23rd installment in the massive James Bond franchise, which has now entered its truly astounding 6th decade of feature films. This latest chapter in the adventures of the super-suave spy will be directed by Sam Mendes, who is best known for fantastic films like American Beauty, Road to Perdition, and Revolutionary Road. Mendes has always been more of an awards-worthy film maker to date, and it looks like he’s ready to finally have a little fun with this new project.

Reports of Pinto’s casting indicate that Mendes is prepared to make the “most ambitious” Bond ever made, and that he wants to “reinvent the genre.” If this is true, especially considering his resume so far, Bond 23 could be a majorly intriguing project to follow. [...]

I’m going to do my best not to insult the many (dedicated) fans of Twilight who visit Geeks of Doom, but I will say that the only reason I watched the first movie was because there was a Rifftrax audio file available.

What’s Rifftrax you say?

It’s hilarious audio track featuring commentary of a recent movie. It’s also put together by the same guys who did Mystery Science Theater 3000 — the cult television program about a man and his robot sidekicks who are trapped on a space station by an evil scientist and forced to watch a selection of bad movies. Their commentary is what redeems those flicks.

While I’m not *saying* New Moon, which was released yesterday out on DVD and Blu-ray, is a horrible piece of garbage, there are people who feel this way. So, the Rifftrax team has released commentary for the film for them. For a reasonable $3.99, it can transform that experience to one of pleasurable ridicule and laughter [...]

Quirk Books is adding a new zombie tale to their collection with Night of the Living Trekkies, a novel by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall which sees Trekkies at a convention meet the undead!

The publisher, which is known for its literary monster mash-ups like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, hails the book as the “strange lovechild of Galaxy Quest and Dawn of the Dead.”

When hordes of the undead come to feast upon the attendees at a Star Trek convention, a group of Trekkies fight for their lives using everything they’ve learned from old Star Trek episodes.

Quirk plans to release the new book — which is available now for pre-order — on September 1, 2010.

There’s no final artwork for the book at this time. The header here at top is part of the preliminary cover [...]

Tim Burton is a constantly busy man; between writing, producing, and directing, he always has something on the table to work on. So what would the visual master take on next? According to recent reports from Deadline Hollywood, it could be a new stop-motion movie based on Charles Addams‘ The Addams Family, which originated as regular cartoons in The New Yorker from the ’30s straight on through to the ’80s when Addams passed away.

Most of us are only familiar with The Addams Family from the ’60s television series and the Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd movie remakes we saw in the ’90s. Burton supposedly wants to ignore all of those and go right to Addams’ cartoons from the New Yorker and make a much more sharp and witty movie. The project will bring Burton back to the world of stop-motion animation, which he was involved in as a writer/producer on The Nightmare Before Christmas, producer on James and the Giant Peach, and as writer/producer/director on Corpse Bride. [...]

Fans of Marvel’s previous motion comics (Astonishing X-Men and Spider-Woman) will be happy to know another is on the way.

Hot on the heels of the Iron Man 2 hype, the next motion comic will be Iron Man Extreme, which looks like it will be an adaptation of the Extremis story arc by Warren Ellis and Adi Granov. Fans will no doubt remember the Extremis story for its influence on the 2008 Iron Man film by Jon Favreau.

Robot 6 discovered this news in a Chicago Sun-Times interview with Marvel executives Ira Rubenstein and Tom Brevoort about the publisher’s digital-publishing initiatives [...]

If you have not yet watched the music video for Fuck Shit Stack by Reggie Watts, I would highly recommend doing so — pending that you aren’t easily offended by explicit language, are a minor or generally just have no sense of humor.

Between Dave3 and I, we’ve probably watched the video at least 40 times. By the end of the night that number could easily double. The truth is, I can’t really explain what’s going on in the video because I don’t want to ruin the experience. I would call it the next viral version of I’m On A Boat if it wasn’t so much better.

Check it out (after the jump) and let us know what you think [...]

28 Days Later #8
Written by Michael Alan Nelson
Art by Declan Shalvey
BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99
Released Date: March 17, 2010

If you are a fan of anything zombie related, especially 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, then look no further than the 28 Days Later comic book series. If you were wondering what happened to those lone survivors between those two movies, then this is your chance to have the story laid out. BOOM! Studios along with writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu) takes this into his own hands and gives us a powerful conclusion to the story in these final pages to give us an “on the edge of our seat” read. With the help of Declan Shalvey’s art (Frankenstein – Classical Comics), you are sure to have your mind blown.

No guts, no glory (pardon the pun) are definitely words to live by, but also words to caution. What would you do if you had one machete and a gun with only nine bullets remaining? Selena and Clint find out real quick what they are going to have to do in order to survive the chaos in the world they once knew and do whatever it takes to save their friend Derrick, no matter what the cost [...]

Die Hard: Year One #7
Written by Howard Chaykin
Art by Gabriel Andrade Jr.
Covers: (A) Dave Johnson & Joe Jusko; (B) John Paul Leon
BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99
Released Date: March 17, 2010

As with the first six issues, Die Hard: Year One #7, based on the beginning of the character John McClane’s life from the hit movies of the same name, was a fun romp through the world of the Die Hard universe. Every issue of this comic book is like a brand new summer action movie.

Well I would like to start off by saying that the art on the book, by Gabriel Andrade Jr.,, is phenomenal and is the perfect mixture of photo reference and cartooning. John McClane looks like he should but not so much that every time I see him I think about how eerie it is that Bruce Willis is staring at me through the panels.

Another thing that I enjoy but most people probably don’t pay much attention to is the cover design for the series. It takes a very distinctive step away from the mainstream and I enjoy it a lot. It reminds me a lot of something Jonathan Hickman would design. The covers for this issue were done by Joe Jusko, Dave Johnson, and John Paul Leon [...]

The Disney Afternoon is slowly coming together, in comic form!

A few days ago I reported Darkwing Duck would be receiving his own miniseries later this year, and now BOOM! Studios has announced that it will be revisiting another iconic Disney Afternoon cartoon series — DuckTales!

If you want to find the inhabitants of Duckburg, look no further than Uncle Scrooge #392. The DuckTales storyline will be four issues, and starts shipping this June.

Here’s BOOM!’s full press release.

Don’t mind me if you hear me singing the theme song in the background as you read [...]

Please don’t be alarmed if you see me running through the streets, screaming like a maniac, I have a really good reason.

Six years, five volumes, and 1,000 pages. Oni Press and Bryan Lee O’Malley’s modern day classic, Scott Pilgrim will be coming to a close right before the release of the film this August. On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, comic shops and bookstores across North America will celebrate the release of Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour!

O’Malley spoke briefly about the long anticipated finale:

“It’s been quite a ride, and I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of the fans and the retailers. It feels great to be in the home stretch, and I think this is going to be the best Scott Pilgrim book ever!” [...]

As a video game, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men wasn’t the most popular ever to be developed. It also didn’t help at all that the team that made it is the same team responsible for the eternally popular Hitman game series, which hasn’t offered us a new installment in far too long, much to the dismay of its many fans.

Even in the mediocre showing of Kane & Lynch, a movie based on the game has always been in the works, with superstar Bruce Willis attached to star as Kane for just as long. Willis’s involvement went from expected to confirmed back in October, but we’ve wondering since then who would be playing the role of Lynch.

According to screenwriter Kyle Ward, we now have an answer to that question, and that role will be filled by Jamie Foxx.

Ward seemingly announced the casting on his Twitter account, saying which was then deleted. Unfortunately for anyone who didn’t want this to be known, it was seen and reported by many outlets not long after. [...]

Deadline Hollywood is reporting something that many have expected for a long while now, but it is no less painful to read. That’s right, Paramount Pictures has decided to remake the 1987 childhood classic, The Monster Squad.

If the project does indeed happen, Rob Cohen, who was a producer and executive producer on the original movie, already has high hopes to direct the remake. Considering that he’s emotionally attached to the old movie, you would think that he would be an ideal candidate to create a faithful reproduction here, but this might not be the case. Cohen does have plenty of directing experience since then, but with his credits including Dragonheart, The Skulls, The Fast and the Furious, xXx, Stealth, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, most Monster Squad die hards will shudder in fear at the thought.

The Monster Squad is pretty much only loved by those who saw it as a kid, and that’s why it’s so hard for us to swallow a remake. There’s no denying the massive amount of ’80s cheese it wears, but its nostalgia is part of its appeal. [...]

The internet is abuzz today as it is being reported that Fantastic Four star Chris Evans has been offered the role of Captain America in The First Avenger: Captain America.

The report is a bit strange because, as is the popular fad these days, the casting is not yet confirmed, and both Marvel and Evans’ representatives declined to comment or confirm the offer being made. If true, and if the actor accepts the offer, it appears that he would not only be entering into an agreement to star in First Avenger as well as The Avengers the following year, but he would also be contracted to appear in two more potential Captain America films and other possible Marvel films — likely of the cameo variety.

Evans is popular for his excellent ability for dry, sarcastic comic delivery, much in the same vein as Ryan Reynolds, who is also very popular in the realms of comic book movies these days. Considering the roles that he’s usually seen playing, this casting will see some people scratching their heads for sure, but it could end up working out. It is unarguably better than Channing Tatum…never forget this, you comic book faithfuls. [...]

It’s time once again to see one of your favorite properties in the form of LEGO building blocks!

Previously Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones have gotten the video game LEGO treatment and now it’s Harry Potter’s turn.

Check out the awesome opening cinematic for LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 here below.

An interactive retelling of Mr. Potter’s first four years at Hogwarts — in all, he spent seven years at the educational institution — TT Games’ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 will be available on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PSP this May [...]

The Fourth Kind
DVD | Blu-ray
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, Elias Koteas
Universal Home Entertainment
Released date: March 16, 2010

The Fourth Kind is the latest in a long line of sci-fi/suspense thriller. Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) uncovers a curious link between several of her patients while videotaping their therapy sessions. Not only do each of the patients have trouble sleeping at night but when they do fall asleep, they both dream of the same white owl that haunts their dreams. As Abigail digs deeper into these dreams, she discovers these dreams could be linked to an alien encounter of the fourth kind.

While The Fourth Kind is definitely a watchable film, there is something about it that prevents me from fully enjoying the picture. It is not the acting that throws me off. All the actors in the film do a pretty good job, especially Jovovich. She shows a lot of range as a doctor and mother, which surprised even this humble writer. I am use to seeing Jovovich fighting a monster or a zombie, so it was a nice change of pace to see her hold a child instead of a sword. It is also not the directing or writing that throws me for a loop. Writer and director Olatunde Osunsanmi writes an entertaining script with some nice scares and dramatic moments. The direction of the film is also fine [...]

Universal Orlando Resort has released a sneak peek video of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, an attraction that will be part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios Orlando theme park.

Watch the one-minute sneak peek video here below.

The grand opening date for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be revealed on March 25 at noon EST, along with details about the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction. So far, its only been announced that the area, which is part of the Resort’s Islands of Adventure theme park, will be open this Spring.

The video shows the Harry Potter film stars — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and many more — shooting scenes for the upcoming attraction, along with other behind-the-scenes clips.

Tip: Pause the video at the 33-second mark for a glimpse at group cast shot [...]

Fans of the X-Men universe were very saddened when Bryan Singer left to do Superman, leaving Brett Ratner to take the wheel for X-Men: The Last Stand (which was hated but still made the most Xmoney of the trio). Then came X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which also wasn’t very well-received, but still made a massive amount of money at the box office. Funny how all that works, eh?

Singer and producer Lauren Shuler Donner recently spoke to Hero Complex while there to talk about the 10-year anniversary of X-Men in 2000. The discussion, however, resulted in many interesting hints at the future of the franchise, including X-Men 4 and Wolverine 2!

This past December, we were informed that Singer was in fact returning to the world that he had made so popular to direct X-Men: First Class, which is based on the comics about the -Men when they were first brought to Professor Xavier’s special school. The problem with this is that people didn’t seem to care so much about this project as they did getting another great X-Men flick. [...]

I love TV theme songs. They can be iconic, memorable, and nostalgic all at the same time. Some tell the tale of the show, some work only in context of the show, and some are actually better than the show they are attached to.

College Humor has a great video of 22 television theme songs being played in 7 minutes and I thought all of our faithful TV watchers would enjoy it. Watch the video — 22 TV Themes in 7 Minutes — here below.

It’s not just any 22 theme songs, it’s some of the best like The Office, Firefly, That 70′s Show, and Family Guy.

If you like this style, check out the original, 32 Songs in 8 Minutes. Both videos were done by Fredrik Larsson (and only him, no matter how many of him you see in these videos). Check out his site at freddegredde.com [...]

Back To The Future is my favorite film of all time, hands down. I think the first film is the best, with parts two and three following closely as one big movie.

One of the things I’ve always wondered about is why Crispin Glover (who I loved as George McFly) was not in the sequels. If you’re like me, then you will definitely want to check this out.

Syfy has a very interesting article where Crispin Glover finally opens up on some of the noted Back To The Future controversies that kept him out of the sequels and fairly silent on the matter for the last two decades.

Glover had this to say to a group of reporters at this weekend’s press junket for Hot Tub Time Machine [...]