Author: Stephen Schleicher

Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that the comedy duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have been cast as Thomson and Thompson, the detective duo in Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson’s 3D Tintin movie.  The site’s announcement also included Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, with more confirmed actors expected to be announced soon. I would normally say, “File this under rumor,” but considering the huge number of insiders AICN has in the industry, this is more than likely information that is spot on.  Any H’wood Insiders wanna be the Major Spoilers inside guy?  You know who to contact… The movie is…

Apparently Astonishing Tales #1 features an assortment of astonishing stories from the Marvel Universe.  To promote the release, Marvel has sent Major Spoilers the variant cover to the issue by artist Mark Silvestri.

Over at his blog, screenwriter John August gives a breakdown as to what happened to his Shazam! movie and how the execs at Warner Bros. cancelled the movie. When we turned the new draft in to the studio, we got a reaction that made me wonder if anyone at Warners had actually read previous drafts or the associated notes. The studio felt the movie played too young. They wanted edgier. They wanted Billy to be older. They wanted Black Adam to appear much earlier. His first draft, turned in before the writer’s strike, was more of a comedy than the…

Last year’s writer’s strike played havoc on our television viewing.  Heroes got chopped at the knees and probably ruined the series for all time.  Nearly everything but reality shows took a hit.  The movie industry was not excluded from this really fun time, as studios scrambled to get scripts finished before the strike began.  Those films are scheduled to arrive in theaters this year, and io9.com has a fascinating look at upcoming movies, and what movie goers will likely encounter when these flicks hit theaters. On X-Men Origins: Wolverine What’s the damage? We know the script was bad enough that…

Dynamite Entertainment kicks off the new year with two new titles arriving in stores this week. Take the jump for sneak peeks of The Boys #26, and Xena vs. Army of Darkness: What, Again? #3.

Radical Comics has released a trailer for its upcoming Shrapnel series. Venus. The last free colony in the system is about to fall. Unbeknownst to the attacking Marine Force or even the Venusian colonists themselves, one of the most infamous heroines of the war is hiding in exile on their planet, hoping to forget her past as a Marine Officer. Now, she must organize a revolt against the very Marines she once fought alongside and lead the colonies to independence and freedom. SHRAPNEL is the first book of an epic solar war trilogy set on Venus, the Jovian moons, Mars…

Jimmy Hayward, the director behind the animated Horton Hears a Who feature, has been selected to direct DC Comics’ Jonah Hex movie. This follows the exit of scriptwriters Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who were previously scheduled to co-direct the film. The character of Hex, known for having the right side of his face disfigured and wearing a Confederate army uniform, was a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood. One incarnation of his comic book series saw the Western genre combined with supernatural elements, and it’s this aspect that was featured in Neveldine and…

Next week, on the Major Spoilers Podcast, the crew is breaking down the best and worst comic book and pop culture moments of 2008. Does the Dark Knight make the cut?  Which list will Dan DiDio land on?  What about Secret Invasion and Final Crisis?  What other moments struck the show’s hosts as they look back on what happened over the past 12 months? As you know, the Major Spoilers Podcast is nothing without feedback from great readers and listeners like you.  You can use the comment section below, drop us a voice mail by calling (785) 727-1939, or record…

Here is the New Comic Release list for comics scheduled to be in stores January 7, 2009. There may be items on this list that are not shipped at the last minute, or new material may be added. Check with your local retailer for more details. This list was last updated January 5, 2009.

Red, Yellow, Green, Violet and Blue… What Kind of Lantern are You? Geoff Johns has been spinning a tale of epic proportion across the entirety of the DC Universe, and it will hopefully pay off in this summer’s Blackest Night.  Until then, readers have been given a rebooted origin story of Hal Jordan, and are currently being fed the origin stories of the rainbow corps of lanterns.  We’ve seen the birth of the Red Lanterns in their blood spewing conversion, and continue to see the Yellow Lanterns and their baby stealing ways in Green Lantern Corps, but it isn’t until…

Here’s the teaser we’ve been waiting for – the one I would bet money on featuring Storm as the new Black Panther. Of course Bea Arthur is probably a close runner up. via Marvel

Set to arrive this week is the final tie-in book to Top Cow’s Broken Trinity series.  Angelus is written by Ron Marz, with art by Brian Stelfreeze.  Top Cow has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of the issue, that you can read after the jump.

In its eigth year, Free Comic Book Day gives away thousands of comics to new and old readers alike, and this year, Archie Comics will have two titles to offer up to comic fans.

Archie Comics has announced that Stan Goldberg will be speaking at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) this Thursday (January 8, 2009) beginning at 8:00 PM. Stan’s appearance is in conjunction with the exhibit “From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch:  The Art of Harvey Comic” that began December 18, 2008 and runs through March 15, 2009. For more information, contact MoCCA at www.moccany.org. via Archie Comics