Tag: Yvonne Villarreal

The post-apocalyptic drama “The Walking Dead,” which resumes its second season Sunday on AMC, prides itself on its sprawling ensemble cast: one part zombies looking for their next meal, the other part survivors trying not to become dinner. Although all the survivors have struggled to maintain a semblance of humanity and sanity, no one has struggled with it more than Shane, played by Jon Bernthal. (Spoiler alert: If you’re not caught up on this season, you may want to stop reading now.) In the midseason finale, the incessantly brash Shane initiated a zombie shooting spree, enraged that the owner of the farm where he and a group of survivors were staying had been housing a swarm of the living dead in a nearby barn. After opening the barn doors, Shane shot the creatures as they stumbled out, to demonstrate his ...

With great power comes great responsibility, and maybe that’s why Andrew Garfield’s expression alternated between somber and seasick an hour before he faced the spotlight glare of Comic-Con International. “We all know how big a deal this is,” said the 27-year-old British-bred actor who will wear the mask in “The Amazing Spider-Man” next summer as Sony Pictures tries to reboot the franchise that has earned close to $2.5 billion at the box office. “We don’t need to talk about it. We know what is at stake. We know the fans are everything.” That’s the potential burn — and signature sizzle — of Comic-Con, the annual, four-day San Diego pop culture expo that concluded Sunday. Dating back four decades, the event has grown from its scruffy comic-book swap meet beginnings into an extravaganza attracting 120,000 people, and Hollywood has come to ...

“I am Spartacus!” Liam McIntyre delivers the line ferociously in the Season 2 trailer that played during the “Spartacus: Vengeance” panel Friday night at Comic-Con International. And there was no refuting his declaration. His new disciples in the room cheered him on. McIntyre takes over the role originally played by Andy Whitfield, who left the Starz period drama due to his ongoing battle with cancer. “It’s an absolute mind-bending journey so far,” McIntyre said. “It’s a great privilege. A Great honor … a great responsibility.” And the cast has been supportive of his arrival—hazing the newbie would have been kind of difficult: “There’s not a lot of pants [on the show] to pull down.” Still, he couldn’t help note the bittersweet aspect of taking on the role that fans identify with someone else. “It’s hard. You kind of wish you ...

At the “Torchwood: Miracle Day” panel held Friday at Comic-Con, death from laughter was a definite possibility — even though Capt. Jack (and dozens of folks dressed like him) were in the room. From bouts of singing to sexual innuendos, the cast (mostly Barrowman) had the full room chuckling heartily. Not the sort of thing we usually see on the sci-fi series, created by Russell T. Davies. In the fourth installment of the “Doctor Who” spinoff, which premiered earlier this month on Starz, no one on Earth is dying and it’s up to immortal, time-traveling Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and company to figure out why. After “Torchwood: Children of Earth” ended its run on BBC America, Barrowman was pleased when he heard “Miracle Day” was a go — on a different channel.  “I thought they’d be stupid not to ...

Los Angeles Times television writer Yvonne Villarreal looks at Nickelodeon’s new fight club… Eighteen years — and 15 iterations — after they premiered, the Power Rangers are still demonstrating their mighty morphin’ abilities. Now Nickelodeon is introducing a new generation of kids to the long-running franchise of teenage costumed heroes with the prime-time premiere Monday of the live-action series “Power Rangers Samurai.” “The show has been a point of entry into action adventure, sci-fi and fantasy for young children for so many years,” said Pete Danielsen, executive vice president of programming for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “And we hope that remains true as we add it to our lineup.” In the new edition, shot in New Zealand, five spirited teens battle monsters under the guidance of a samurai mentor to save the world. “There’s no other show for kids ...

Yvonne Villarreal is back on the Hero Complex with a story about John Morris, who grew up in the role of Andy, the heartfelt human at the center of a “Toy Story“ that began in 1995.   His own toy story began 18 years ago. John Morris was a little boy, just 7 years old, and when he became part of Hollywood history he wasn’t even paying attention — he was too busy playing with some X-Men action figures to notice that he had won the voice role of Andy, the earnest and imaginative youngster at the center of Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise. “It was an open casting call for boys,” Morris, now 25, recalled. “I knew I was there for a job. But, I mean, at that moment, it was just about me and my toys. I was playing and was in my own world. I think that’s what got ...

The fans have spoken. Hero Complex contributor Yvonne Villarreal covered the big premiere for “Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” and the reviews from the fans are in. Here’s a snapshot of the fanfare and a taste of what true believers have to say about the film, which opens June 30.  After turning the space outside the Nokia Theatre into a tent city earlier this week, hundreds of screaming “Twilight” fans — many toting posters with messages such as “I want to play ‘Pat the Pattinson’ ” or “My heart goes nutz for Lutz” scrawled in brilliant colors — got their wish at the world premiere Thursday of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”: photos with Robert Pattinson, a glimpse at Kellan Lutz’s Calvin Klein underwear and, for a few, last-minute tickets to see the film. “It’s still such a struggle in the car on the way here,” ...

Robert Pattinson has dealt with his fair share of hyperventilating girls since he burst onto the scene as the vampire world’s heartthrob Edward Cullen. But all the screaming girls and posters demanding “Suck my blood, Edward” have made the English actor a wee bit anxious … to the point where he, too, is hyperventilating.  Here’s what he had to say at Thursday’s premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” –Yvonne Villarreal RECENT AND RELATED Here’s the scoop: Six new “Twilight: Eclipse” star interviews MINISTRY OF GOSSIP: “Twilight” glows at Young Hollywood Awards “Twilight” the musical? No but “Breaking Dawn” director is auditioning Taylor Lautner on Pattinson: “Sadly, we don’t hate each other” The Wolf Pack weighs in on Robert vs. Taylor Stephenie Meyer and the future of ‘Midnight Sun’ ‘New Moon’ premiere shines in Westwood 24 FRAMES: Is “Stretch Armstrong” director a ...

It’s the franchise that has fans everywhere thirsty for any bloody detail. The latest installment, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” in theaters Wednesday, sees Seattle plagued by an army of newborn vampires controlled by the vengeful Victoria, who is out to destroy Bella Swan, whom she holds responsible for her lover’s death. To safeguard Bella from the oncoming threat, her boyfriend, Edward Cullen, and his family must band together and join forces with their shape-shifting foes, the wolf pack, who are sworn to defend humans from all blood suckers. But it’s not all fang baring and claw clenching; there’s also an explosive love triangle this time around. And lots — lots — of shirtless roaming by the muscled members of the wolf pack. To gear up for the third feature to be adapted from the wildly popular Stephenie Meyer “Twilight” books, ...

FIVE QUESTIONS: SHANNEN DOHERTY A few weeks ago, we brought you the exclusive first look at “Mari-Kari,” the new animated series from FEARnet, and the series makes its cyberspace premiere Thursday.The anime-inspired webisodes feature Shannen Doherty as the voice of identical twin sisters Mari and Kari; both are adorable and wide-eyed grade-school students, but one of them also happens to be a ruthless ghost who slices and dices anyone who crosses her living sister. Hero Complex contributor Yvonne Villarreal caught up with Doherty for a round of five questions — but the actress asked for your help answering one of them.   YV: You’re no stranger to television: If people don’t know you as Brenda Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” they know you as Prue Halliwell on “Charmed”… or even as the chick who frightened people on SyFy’s “Scare Tactics.” What prompted you to take on ...