Marvel Studios Taps Chloé Zhao to Direct THE ETERNALS

Waiting for this movie will feel eternal.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that Marvel Studios has chosen Chloé Zhao as director for The Eternals, based on the classic Marvel comic series created by Jack Kirby.

According to the article, the search narrowed in the last few weeks, with a shortlist consisting of Watchmen TV pilot director Nicole Kassell, Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings), along with Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra (Birds of Passage).  Zhao "was already well known to Marvel as she went down the road with the company on Black Widow, the standalone featuring Scarlett Johansson's spy heroine.  That gig ultimately went to Cate Shortland."

In addition, the article states the film will include "the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans."

Zhao, 36, is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and producer who directed the acclaimed independent films The Rider and Songs My Brothers Taught Me.

Created in 1976 by Jack Kirby, the Eternals first appeared in The Eternals (vol.1) #1 as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth.  When the Celestials visited Earth five million years ago and performed genetic experiments on early proto-humanity, they created two divergent races: the long-lived Eternals, and the genetically unstable and monstrously grotesque Deviants.  These experiments also led to the capacity for super-powered mutations in humans.  They also performed this experiment on other planets (such as the Kree and Skrull homeworlds) with similar results.

Eternals can be killed if their molecules are dispersed over a large enough area and there are few Eternals due to their low birth rate.  Even though Eternals and humans are capable of having children together when they mate, when a child is born of such a union the baby will always be human.  Eternals have sworn to protect humans from their cousins, the Deviants, and also have higher technology than the human race.  

The Eternals faced a civil war over if they should conquer other races.  One side was led by Kronos, who said they shouldn't, while the other was lead by Uranos.  Kronos' side won, causing Uranos to leave Earth and travel to Uranus, where he and the rest built a civilization.  Uranos and his group built a spaceship and attempted to return to Earth to start another war, but they were attacked by a Kree ship.  The survivors among Uranos' group were forced to land on Titan, Saturn's moon, giving rise to an Eternal civilization there.  The Kree captured one of the Eternals and did experiments on him, which led the Kree to go to Earth and experiment on humans.  This led to another offshoot of humanity, the Inhumans, that were powerful but not on the Eternals' level.

When the Celestials returned to judge the worthiness of their creations, the Eternals found themselves clashing with the Deviants again, and decided to publicly reveal their existence to humanity.  Kronos' son Zuras feared what would happen if the Celestials judged unfavorably.  They encountered the Asgardian god Thor, and were attacked by Thor's father Odin and the Olympian gods, who tried to prevent their interfering with the gods' plans to attack the Celestials.  Eventually, the Eternals decided to help the gods and formed a Uni-Mind to assist the assault on the Celestials.  They were forced to dissolve back into Eternals by the Celestials, and the shock of the attack killed Zuras.  Before his spirit fully left the material plane, he instructed his daughter Thena to take his people to explore space.  Most of the Eternals did so in the form of a Uni-Mind, but a handful – those most heavily involved in Earthly affairs – remained behind on Earth.  Since then, the Eternals have helped Earth's heroes, particularly the Avengers, against several menaces.

CBS All Access Reveals STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Mini-Episodes

Get ready to discover more of Star Trek: Discovery.

CBS All Access has revealed the episodes for Star Trek: Short Treks, a new series of four stand-alone mini-episodes leading up for the Season 2 premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in early 2019.  Each mini-episode will run approximately 10 to 15 minutes and "will be an opportunity for fans to dive deeper into key themes and characters that fit into the Star Trek: Discovery and expanding Star Trek universe."

Each of the Star Trek: Short Treks episode will center on a key character, including familiar faces from Star Trek: Discovery:  Mary Wiseman (Tilly), Doug Jones (Saru), and Rainn Wilson (Harry Mudd), as well as a new character unfamiliar to fans, Craft, played by Aldis Hodge.

The four installments of Star Trek: Short Treks will roll out as follows:

"Runaway" – Thursday, October 4, 2018

Onboard the U.S.S. Discovery, Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman) encounters an unexpected visitor in need of help.  However, this unlikely pair may have more in common than meets the eye.  Written by Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman.  Directed by Maja Vrvilo.

"Calypso" – Thursday, November 8, 2018

After waking up in an unfamiliar sickbay, Craft (Aldis Hodge) finds himself to be on board a deserted ship, his only companion and hope for survival, an A.I. computer interface. Teleplay by Michael Chabon.  Story by Sean Cochran and Michael Chabon.  Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.

"The Brightest Star" – Thursday, December 6, 2018

Before he was the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, Saru (Doug Jones) lived a simple life on his home planet Kaminar with his father and sister.  Young Saru, full of ingenuity and a level of curiosity uncommon among his people, yearns to find out what lies beyond his village, leading him on an unexpected path.  Written by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt.  Directed by Douglas Aarniokoski.

"The Escape Artist" – Thursday, January 3, 2019

Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson), back to his old tricks of stealing and double-dealing, finds himself in a precarious position aboard a hostile ship—just in time to try out his latest con. Written by Michael McMahan.  Directed by Rainn Wilson.

In addition, CBS All Access released the following video teaser for Star Trek: Short Treks on their official YouTube account, which you can check out below...

STARGIRL Casts Brec Bassinger as...Stargirl

There's a Stargirl waiting in the sky. 

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Brec Bassinger in the lead role of Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore. The series will be thirteen episodes and will be written and executive produced by Geoff Johns, who co-created the character and based her on his deceased sister Courtney.

The official description for Stargirl states Courtney is "smart, athletic and above all else kind. This high school teenager’s seemingly perfect life hits a major speedbump when her mother gets married and her new family moves from Los Angeles, California to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Struggling to adapt to a new school, make new friends and deal with a new step-family, Courtney discovers her step-father has a secret -- he used to be the sidekick to a superhero.  'Borrowing' the long-lost hero’s cosmic staff, Courtney becomes the unlikely inspiration for an entirely new generation of superheroes."

Stargirl follows High School sophomore Courtney Whitmore, who inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. This new DC Universe series reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in a fun, exciting and unpredictable series premiering in 2019, produced by Warner Bros. Television, Mad Ghost Productions and Berlanti Productions.

"There is no other character in comic books more special to me than Stargirl," said Johns, "and after searching far and wide, I can say there is no other actor on the planet that embodies her more than Brec Bassinger. Brec’s warmth, strength, humor and positive energy are core to who Courtney Whitmore is. I’m so grateful she’s signed on for the role."

Bassinger, 19, is best known as Bella Dawson on the Nickelodeon series Bella and the Bulldogs, and has appeared episodes of the TV series The Goldbergs, School of Rock, and The Haunted Hathaways.

Created in 1999 by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Stargirl first appeared in DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 as Courtney Whitmore, the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, who once worked with the original Star-Spangled Kid, Sylvester Pemberton, as his crimefighting partner Stripesy.  Courtney found the original Star-Spangled Kid's gear in her stepfather's belongings and donned the costume to annoy Dugan, resenting his marrying her mother and moving the family from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  Dugan, a skilled mechanic, designed and built S.T.R.I.P.E., a robotic suit that he used to accompany and protect her.

Courtney later joined the Justice Society of America, and after being given Starman Jack Knight's cosmic staff, she changed her identity to Stargirl.  She soon discovered her biological father (Sam Kurtis) working as a common thug for an incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang.  They later confronted one another during one of the Royal Flush Gang's robberies.  Courtney was later approached by the Shade, who informed her that her biological father was dead.  This tragedy, and her experience of the relationship between Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick, prompted her to re-evaluate her family life.  She realized that she couldn't hate her biological father for his failings as a father and as a man, and also learned to accept Pat Dugan as her only real father figure.

In the current New 52 continuity, Stargirl joined the new Justice League of America, chosen by Amanda Waller as the public face of the JLA's PR campaign.  After the disbandment of the JLA following the Forever Evil crossover event, Stargirl joined Justice League United.

Bassinger will be the third actress to portray Stargirl in live-action, after Britt Irvin in several episodes of the WB/CW series Smallville, and Sarah Grey in the CW series Legends of Tomorrow.  The character has also appeared on the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Giselle Loren), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Hope Levy), and Justice League Action (voiced by Natalie Lander).

Stargirl is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in 2019.

New DOCTOR WHO Series 11 Trailer Shows Who's in Charge

When people need help, the Doctor never refuses.

The second trailer for Doctor Who Series 11 has been released, giving fans another glimpse of what to expect when the BBC series returns early next month.

The new 60-second full trailer opens with a shot of an asteroid field, followed by a sped-up sunrise of twin suns on a planet with two moons.  This is followed by an overhead shot of a parked alien spacecraft, and the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) emerging from a small sandstorm.

"I'm the Doctor," she says to someone off-camera.  "When people need help, I never refuse."

In a separate scene, the Doctor and her companions, Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) and Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), are arguing about what to do next with an unidentified man.

"What do we do?" asks Yasmin.

"Why are you asking her?" asks the off-camera man.

"'Cause she's in charge, bro," replies Ryan.

"Says who?" asks the skeptical man.

"Says us," Yasmin, Ryan and Graham reply in unison.

In another scene, the Doctor tells her companions "Let's get a shift on!" just before they all start running and dodging laser weapon fire.

At that moment, the song "Glorious" by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey begins to play as we're barraged by quick flashes of Graham pressing a detonator with his thumb and causing an explosion, the Doctor staggering through corridors that are sparking for some reason, Ryan opening a cabinet and being shocked by something, the Doctor and her companions silhouetted against an alien coastline, the Doctor wearing welding goggles, and the Doctor and her companions walking through a London park while the Doctor studies her Sonic Screwdriver.

Next, we see the Doctor, still wearing the Twelfth Doctor's shredded clothes, telling someone off-camera, "I'm just a traveler."  This is followed by glimpses of the Doctor entering a room where her companions and two other men are waiting, and the Doctor using her Sonic Screwdriver as Ryan and another young woman look on.  "Sometimes I see things need fixing, do what I can."

Then, we see the Doctor and some armed people being confronted at night by a giant black spider-like creature, followed by Ryan and Graham running from said creature.

This is followed by Yasmin kicking a tied-up bag of clothes or a small blanket down a corridor, the spaceship from earlier dropping out of warp in space, the Doctor watching as a strange mass of cables scuttles along above her, and finally, the Doctor in a bright white room, kissing her hand and waving goodbye to someone off-screen.

If you'd like to view the new trailer, you can check it out below, thanks to the official Doctor Who account on YouTube...




Doctor Who returns to BBC America for Series 11 on Sunday, October 7th.

GHOSTWOOD 041: "The Last Evening" is Up!

"One more question, Jacques.  You know, Leo told me all about that night up at the cabin with the girls.  I’m curious about the chip, how’d that happen?"

"(Laughs) It was that crazy bird."

"Bird?"

"It had a thing for Laura.  Sayin' her name all the time like he’s in love or somethin'.  So we’re all partying, girls are all getting pretty high, everybody’s pretty crazy."

"You, Laura and Ronette."

"Leo lets Waldo out of the cage and the bird, he lands on her shoulder.  (Laughs) Laura, she’s all tied up.  Oh, she like that.  The bird, he starts peckin' on her shoulder, peckin' like, love pecks or somethin', (Laughs) you know what I mean.  So Leo, he’s doin' a number on her and Laura, she’s screamin' about the damn bird.  So Leo takes out a chip, puts it in her mouth, and says 'Bite the bullet, baby, bite the bullet'.  (Laughs)"

"Thanks for clearing that up."

-- Dale Cooper and Jacques Renault, Twin Peaks: "The Last Evening"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we continue our commentary tracks as we watch "The Last Evening," the Twin Peaks Season One finale, featuring the arrest and murder of Jacques Renault, the Packard Sawmill going up in flames, and the cliffhanger shooting of Special Agent Dale Cooper!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like the MC Chris "Twin Peaks" song, my Star Trek: The Next Generation Monopoly set, the passing of Burt Reynolds, Grandpa Beers, Paul Williams as The Penguin, the results of my first ten Twin Peaks 2018 trading card packs, "The Last Evening" deleted scene, Xan's hatred of Claude Rains, tuning out the floor-sweeping scene in "The Return", Dr. Jacoby's drink umbrella collection, Dr. Jacoby's parallel to Miriam Sullivan, Cooper playing blackjack, Blackie's card tricks, the creepy close-up on Jacques' mouth, Leo liking his women blinded by shampoo, Jack Palance in Batman, Andy's most badass moment ever, me being a Latchkey Kid to the extreme, Leo blaming Shelly for breaking his non-existent heart, Nadine's suicide attempt, Hank Jennings having antlers, Josie Packard's new AB+ lipstick shade, more of Catherine being a sociopath, Andy finding out Lucy is pregnant, Hank manipulating Norma's emotions, James making Cooper a mix tape, Leo not being able to set a VCR clock, One Eyed Jack's hunchback seamstress, Cooper literally leaving Andy hanging, the John Justice Wheeler Saga vs. the James Hurley Saga, Xan preparing for her trip to South Africa, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in three weeks as Xan and I continue our commentary tracks as we watch "May the Giant Be with You," the Twin Peaks Season Two premiere, featuring the first appearance of Carel Struycken as The Giant, Audrey Horne's awkward encounter with her father at One Eyed Jack's, and Ronette Pulaski waking up from her coma!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

First CAPTAIN MARVEL Trailer Teases Young Nick Fury & The Skrulls

She's not what you think she is.

Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Captain Marvel, the upcoming film based on the Marvel Comics character, starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn.

The one-minute, 55-second teaser trailer opens with Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Larson), a former U.S. Air Force pilot, plummeting to Earth from high above and crashing into...a Blockbuster Video store.  Yep, this is the '90s, all right.

As Captain Marvel recovers while surrounded by VHS tapes, we hear a voiceover from Nick Fury (Jackson), who says, "War is a universal language.  I know a renegade soldier when I see one.  It never occurred to me that one might come from above."

We see Carol wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. ball cap exploring a secret facility, as Nick Fury continues with his voiceover.  "Space invasion...big car chase...Truth be told, I was ready to hang it up, 'till I met you today."

The much younger, '90s Nick Fury comes into full view as we cut to a scene of he and Carol driving along a remote desert road.  "So," Fury begins, "you're not from around here."

"It's hard to explain," replies Carol.

She continues in a voiceover.  "I keep having these...memories," she says as we see a fleeting image of Carol in a flight uniform with her fellow pilot, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), the mother of another Captain Marvel from the comics, Monica Rambeau.  "I see flashes.  I think I had a life here...but I can't tell if it's real."

We see another quick image of Captain Marvel hanging upside down, forcibly restrained, as an alien device is doing something to her mind.  We also see Captain Marvel with other members of the Kree military group known as Starforce, followed by a brief shot of Mar-Vell (Jude Law), Carol's mentor and commander in Starforce.

As we glimpse the film's big bad Talos (Mendelsohn) and some other alien shapeshifter Skrulls on a beach, we hear Fury's voiceover say, "We have no idea what threats are out there."  Captain Marvel sizes up an old woman on a bus, and (presumably knowing she's actually a Skrull in disguise), suddenly punches her hard.

We see a fleeting image of a much younger, '90s Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), Fury continues with "You can't do this alone.  We need you."  More images follow, including Captain Marvel and other Starforce members traveling underwater, with Carol wearing the helmet from the comics that gives her hair a "fauxhawk" look.

In a separate scene, Carol tells someone, "I'm not what you think I am."

The trailer ends with very dramatic music, as Captain Marvel powers up with glowing energy, her eyes blazing with power, and gets ready to pound some Skrulls.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Marvel Entertainment account on YouTube...



Captain Marvel is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 8, 2019.

JOKER Recasts Brett Cullen as Batman's Father, Thomas Wayne

Looks like someone else will get to be murdered in Crime Alley instead.

ComicBook.com is reporting that Todd Phillips' upcoming Joker origin movie starring Joaquin Phoenix has recast Brett Cullen as DC Comics character Dr. Thomas Wayne, the father of Batman himself, Bruce Wayne.  In addition to Phoenix, Cullen joins a cast that includes Robery De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, and Frances Conroy.

Last month, Alec Baldwin was cast as Thomas Wayne, but shortly dropped out due to a scheduling conflict.  According to previous reports, this version of Thomas Wayne will depict him as "a cheesy and tanned businessman who is more in the mold of a 1980s Donald Trump."

Cullen, 62, has appeared in dozens of films, including The Dark Knight Rises as Congressman Byron Gilley, Ghost Rider as Barton Blaze, Apollo 13, Wyatt Earp, Red Dawn (2012), The Runaways, 42, and National Security.  His television appearances include episodes of Lost, The Incredible Hulk, Tales from the Crypt, M*A*S*H, V: The Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Outer Limits (1998), Under the Dome, Castle, Ally McBeal, Walker, Texas Ranger, Once and Again, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Falcon Crest, Monk, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, The Young Riders, Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, and Friday Night Lights.

Created in 1939 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, Thomas Wayne first appeared in Detective Comics (vol.1) #33 as a gifted physician and philanthropist to Gotham City, who inherited the Wayne family fortune after Patrick Wayne.  In the maxi-series Batman: The Long Halloween, a flashback revealed that Thomas Wayne saved the life of gangster Carmine Falcone.  Falcone's father, Vincent Falcone, came to Wayne Manor and begged Thomas to save his dying son, who had been shot by rival gangster Luigi Maroni.  Thomas wanted to take the younger Falcone to the hospital, but Vincent insisted that nobody know about the shooting.  After saving Carmine's life, he was offered a reward or favor, but refused to accept any form of payment.

One night, when exiting a movie theatre, Thomas and his wife Martha Wayne were murdered by a mugger named Joe Chill, right in front of their son Bruce. This tragedy shocked Gotham and led to Park Row, the street where the murders occurred, being labeled Crime Alley.  The Wayne murders were the main cause of much of the corruption and crime in Gotham City.  Once it became clear that even wealthy, important people could be murdered so easily, citizens began to lose faith in the police, and the police themselves started to lose faith in their importance, leading to corruption within the force.  More importantly, however, the murders deeply affected Bruce as a child, later serving as the motivation for Bruce to eventually to fight crime as the superhero Batman.

Cullen will be the sixth actor to portray Thomas Wayne on screen, after David Baxt in the 1989 film Batman, Michael Scranton in the film Batman Forever, Linus Roache in the film Batman Begins, Grayson McCouch in the Fox series Gotham, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Joker is currently expected to arrive in theaters on October 4, 2019.