Tag: Zack Snyder

Zack Snyder, the director of the upcoming “Man of Steel,” remained tight-lipped about the 2013 Superman film, despite persistent teasing from “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman during a Q&A Friday night at the Hero Complex Film Festival. The Q&A — at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles — followed a screening of Snyder’s 2004 remake of  “Dawn of the Dead” during a zombie-themed opening night, which also included a highlights reel of “The Walking Dead” Season 2, a screening of “Shaun of the Dead” and a Q&A with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. “I’m only here to ask him about the Superman movie,” Kirkman joked when he was introduced to the festival audience. But Snyder would only say he is in the editing process for the film. “It’s going really good, actually. I’m just cutting right now,” Snyder said. ...

It’s almost here — we’re just one week from the start of the 2012 Hero Complex Film Festival and with the franchise in its third year we’ve moved to a sweet new home (Regal Cinemas at LA Live, where in September we brought you a 30th anniversary screening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with Steven Spielberg and surprise guest Harrison Ford) and expanded the program (four days now with more than a dozen guests, including three that haven’t been announced). To get a bead on the festival, peruse the photo gallery above — be sure to click the “CAPTIONS ON” option if you don’t see text across the bottom of each image – and you’ll get a snapshot description of all of eight of our separately ticketed screenings. The box here on the right leads to the ticketing page. And how about those fun images in the gallery? ...

2012 HERO COMPLEX FILM FESTIVAL The zombie business isn’t for the meek. Just ask Zack Snyder, who ran in the face of genre tradition with his daring “Dawn of the Dead” remake, or Robert Kirkman, who shattered core assumptions about marketplace and medium with “The Walking Dead,” which began as a comic book epic (the Image Comics series is now closing in on its 100th issue) and found second life on television (last month’s second-season finale drew 9 million viewers, making it the most-watched basic cable drama telecast in history). Snyder and Kirkman will take the stage together on May 18 at the 2012 Hero Complex Film Festival to discuss, celebrate and debate zombies and a horror subgenre that seems to possess an undying appeal. The pair also will share their Hollywood survival tales and share tidbits about their upcoming projects — including Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” which arrives in theaters next ...

Jean Giraud, the artist best known as Moebius, died last weekend in France but leaves behind a rich, singular legacy with his comics, his paintings and his work in film on projects such as “Alien” and “Tron.” To learn more about the contours of his legacy, we talked to filmmakers Zack Snyder and Steven Lisberger as well as Jim Lee, the most celebrated comic book artist of the last 20 years. Zack Snyder, director of “Man of Steel” and “300″ I was first exposed to Moebius when I was a freshman in high school and in the pages of Heavy Metal magazine; for me it was all the things I needed to see at that point in my evolution. It was sexy and wholly original and intense and the images were about storytelling. It was super-influential on me. There was cinematic quality in the ...

BAT FILMS OF THE FUTURE? The end is near — when the credits roll on “The Dark Knight Rises” this July, it will mark the close of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the final adventure for Christian Bale as the caped crusader of Gotham City. Warner Bros. executives have made it clear they won’t leave the iconic property sitting on a shelf, however, and a new director and star tandem could be inhabiting Wayne Manor by 2014. But how on Earth will any filmmaker follow the work of Nolan and company? Working together, Hero Complex lead writer Geoff Boucher and graphic artist Sean Hartter came up with 15 imaginary Batman reboots — and, yes, they did it with tongue in cheek. Tim Burton’s “The Dark Knight Returns” Long before Christopher Nolan set foot in the Batcave, iconic director Tim Burton made Hollywood ...

“Watchmen” didn’t just make comic-book history in 1986 with its sprawling, subversive doomsday tale, it became something close to a holy text for comic-book fans. That’s why the publishing news out of New York today will make some purists feel like it’s the end of the world. DC Comics is going back to the universe of “Watchmen” this summer by launching seven new prequel series that will collectively be referred to as “Before Watchmen,” marking the first time that characters such as Doctor Manhattan, Rorschach and the Comedian have appeared anywhere in comics since the original 12-issue series, which in a single-volume collection became the bestselling graphic novel of all time. For some fans, the project will be viewed with deep cynicism because of the absence of the “Watchmen” creators, writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, but others will ...

Michael Shannon is known for playing intense characters, including a dogged but unstable federal agent on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and a mentally ill mathematician in the 2008 film “Revolutionary Road.” But those could pale in comparison to his upcoming role as General Zod in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman adventure “Man of Steel.” During a recent interview with Hero Complex contributor Oliver Gettell to promote his new film “Take Shelter,” opening Friday, the actor hinted that “Man of Steel” will be a truly cosmic adventure. OG: What can you tell us about the scale of “Man of Steel”? MS: It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done. It’s massive sets. It’s literally another world. It’s the first time I’ve acted on another planet. OG: What is it like acting on a set like that? MS: As much green screen as there is and ...

On the heels of yesterday’s news that Laurence Fishburne will play Daily Planet newsman Perry White, today we have our first glimpse of Henry Cavill as Superman in “Man of Steel.” In the picture from Warner Bros, the suit looks like it has an armor-like sheen  instead of a flat spandex quality, but Cavill still has the boots, cape and trademark “S” on his chest. The Zack Snyder-directed film, slated for June 14, 2013, also stars Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents Martha and Jonathan Kent. Superman’s Kryptonian parents Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van will be played by Russell Crowe and Julia Ormond. Superman’s villains include Michael Shannon as the evil General Zod and Antje Traue as Zod’s partner, Faora. Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher ...

This post has been corrected. Please see the note at the bottom for details. Laurence Fishburne is going to Metropolis. The Oscar-nominated actor will join the cast of “Man of Steel” in the role of Perry White, the abrasive, ever-ethical old-school newsman who lords over the newsroom of the Daily Planet. Fishburne is the first African American to take on the role in any of the many film, television and cartoon versions of Superman’s adventures. Last year was the 70th anniversary of the newsroom character, who first appeared on “The Adventures of Superman” radio serial and then a few months later made his on-the-page box in the seventh issue of “Superman.” Fishburne, whose credits include “The Matrix,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Mystic River,”  has just left the cast of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” after just 2½ seasons as Dr. Raymond Langston. He celebrated his 50th birthday ...

Henry Cavill, the title star of “Man of Steel,” is as interested as anyone in the news that the Superman relaunch from Warner Bros. will push back to 2013, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to chat about it. I took a shuttle ride with Cavill on Saturday from the Hard Rock Hotel over to the San Diego Convention Center — where I moderated the “Immortals” preview panel at Comic-Con International and Cavill appeared as a star of the Greek mythology epic). With 10 minutes of slow-moving traffic, there was no way I wasn’t going to ask him what he’s hearing about the postponment. “I don’t know much about it and I can’t talk about it,” Cavill said with smile. “Everything is top secret. I can say we’re shooting soon. I’ve been in Chicago working on it.” He added: “I can tell you this: I love the script, it’s fantastic.” ...