Leonard Nimoy Hints at ‘Fringe’ Return

Just a few months into Leonard Nimoy’s retirement from acting and the famed actor is now set to return to Fringe and reprise is role as the mysterious William Bell.

As fans of the series know, William Bell was last seen providing a portal back into the original world for Walter, Peter, and the rest of the Fringe team. Considering Bell’s ability to travel between worlds, his molecular structure was weakened and did not survive the final transition – or so we thought.

In a short Twitter message, Leonard Nimoy revealed both that William Bell may not be as dead as everyone thought and that retirement is merely a word, one that can be prefixed with an “un“ at any moment.

“Plans developing for a William Bell return to Fringe. Stay tuned. LLAP”

Tagged with Nimoy’s famous phrase “live long and prosper” (LLAP), this message will most certainly have Fringe fans excited to see how and why Nimoy will return as Bell. While a full-on return is unlikely – especially since Nimoy’s cameos on Fringe have always been short – it does present some interesting questions.

Considering Nimoy is retired from acting, does saying that “William Bell” is returning mean that someone else could be playing the character – perhaps a young William Bell? If that is the case, why would Nimoy discuss it, as he obviously has more important things to do than discuss something he has zero involvement with.

If Nimoy’s message means what everyone hopes it does, he’ll return to acting and appear on Fringe, how is that going to happen? Considering William Bell is dead, there will either have to be another William Bell or perhaps a vision, memory or some other fantastical premise.

Whatever that premise may be and however William Bell is returning to the series, it looks like Fringe will continue to dominate its Friday night line-up. Hopefully this is a sign that the series will be returning for a fourth season – along with Lie To Me. Perhaps a Lie To Me & Fringe Friday night lineup.

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Fringe airs Friday @8pm, on FOX

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Source: Twitter [via: GeekTime]

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Russell Brand May Return To Singing In ‘Rock of Ages’

Russell Brand played the randy, often intoxicated superstar Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and last year’s Get Him To The Greek successfully enough, and now Katy Perry’s hubby may return to the music scene in the upcoming Rock of Ages adaptation.

Hairspray filmmaker Adam Shankman looks to begin production soon on his latest stage musical-turned-movie, which has already attracted the attention of three big names – potential leading man Tom Cruise being the most notable, of course.

A hit on Broadway, the comedically-inclined Rock of Ages tells the tale of a world-famous ’80s rock club called The Bourbon that is in danger of being shut down and destroyed by selfish land developers. Deadline says that Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 scriber Michael Arndt has refashioned Chris D’Arienzo’s original Rock of Ages musical book for the big screen adaptation, which will most likely feature Cruise as the cocky but charismatic (and aging) rock sensation, Stacee Jax.

Brand would play Lonnie, the Bourbon’s manager and manservant to club owner Dennis – a character that may be brought to life by Alec Baldwin. The former is fresh off starring as the titular playboy in this year’s Arthur remake and Warner Bros. has reportedly made it a priority to get him onboard for Rock of Ages as well. While Brand has arguably yet to play anything but… well, himself to some degree onscreen, the musically-inclined party animal shtick is one he certainly has down pat.

Rock of Ages features many bring-down-the-house musical numbers, including a rousing rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and tunes by fellow ’80s rockers like Pat Benatar, Poison, Journey, and REO Speedwagon. It will still be a musical pic with a plot that bears a strong resemblance to last year’s Burlesque (for the record – Rock of Ages was conceived long before the Cher/Christina Aguilera vehicle), so even the potential involvement of Cruise, Baldwin, Brand, and Gwyneth Paltrow will only go so far as to attract the attention of moviegoers usually not inclined to watching song & dance flicks.

Assuming there are no hiccups in the casting process, filming on Rock of Ages could get underway by this May. For more information about this and other upcoming projects, follow us on Twitter @screenrant and @feynmanguy.

Source: Deadline

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Smallville: Chloe And Black Canary Return in ‘Collateral’ Episode

While fans wait with bated breath for news that Michale Rosenbaum will reprise his role as Lex Luthor, original Smallville cast member Allison Mack will return as Chloe on the January 28th episode, entitled “Collateral”. Alaina Huffman, who plays the Smallville version of Black Canary, will also make an appearance. The two come into conflict with Oliver Queen/Green Arrow over Chloe’s intentions.

Chloe Sullivan’s last appearance on Smallville was the season 10 premiere, where she and long-time love interest Oliver Queen (played by Justin Hartley) were dramatically ripped apart. Chloe left with the knowledge of Doctor Fate after faking her own death and hasn’t been seen since.

“Collateral”, will see them reunited – though with only a handful of episodes left, they’ll have to talk fast if fans are to see a happy ending for Smalliville‘s original girl reporter. Dinah, AKA Black Canary, has made fleeting appearances this season, but will return in earnest as the series ramps up to the finale.

Chloe’s return won’t come without it’s own complications. Her intentions are far from clear, and Black Canary fears that Chloe may have turned traitor since the events in the premiere. The central conflict will revolve around Chloe’s mysterious disappearance, and whether or not Clark and the others can trust her. It’s not clear if Chloe will resume her duties at the Watchtower (or as Watchtower, for that matter) but given the character’s on-again, off-again powers, various interests and her recent disappearance, it would seem that anything is possible. The Suicide Squad will also make an appearance.

TV Line speculates that Black Canary and Green Arrow may be headed for a more serious relationship in the last few episodes. They offer the recent marriage of Black Canary and Green Arrow in the DC comic continuity as evidence. This seems unlikely, however, given Chloe’s more established role in Smallville‘s continuity and the fact that the show’s writers never feel compelled to use the comics as anything more than a guideline. We’ve seen over 200 episodes without Clark donning the blue tights, so why start walking the continuity tightrope now?

One thing’s for sure: those waiting to see Clark finally seize his destiny are in for a treat very soon. Comes the hour, comes the man – and there aren’t that many hours left. The recent promotional art for the last half of season 10 doesn’t leave much room for interpretation.

Smallville returns to the CW on Friday, January 28th.

Source: TV Line

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Return of the Sidekick – The Time is Now

Sidekicks have been a part of television and movie history since the very beginning of Hollywood’s timeline. Going back as far as Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid where the Tramp’s sidekick was a young Jackie Coogan as ”the kid”, sidekicks have been a popular and necessary part of any hero’s known associates.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the first sidekick appeared in cinema history, but one thing is for sure, most leading men or women wouldn’t be near as interesting, and sometimes, as effective without them. Recently Hollywood has made a legitimate effort to bring back the classic sidekick in shows like No Ordinary Family and movies like Kick-Ass and of course, The Green Hornet. But in order for the sidekick to make a proper return there are some questions we must answer: Why are sidekicks important? What different roles do sidekicks play? And why is this the right time to bring them back to the mainstream? Let’s discuss.

Sidekicks used to be a staple in just about every TV show or movie featuring  a hero in the lead, but over the past decade writers have been purposely leaving them out of storylines. It could be that writing a hero/sidekick dynamic is just too much to put into a script (see Batman and Robin). Burt Ward is probably the most famous of all sidekick actors as he played Bruce Wayne/Batman’s (Adam West) ward Robin – though he is typically the exception and not the rule when it comes to sidekick mythos.

One has to look no further than the past few superhero movies to see the decline of the sidekick first-hand. Spider-Man, Superman Returns, X-Men – none of them included a sidekick of any type. True fans of TV shows and movies will tell you that a sidekick plays a very important role in a story and can sometimes be a more integral part of the show than the hero himself.

What happens when the good guy is caught by the bad guy and is about to die a horrible death? If they have a sidekick then they survive after they are saved at the last minute. If they don’t have a sidekick – well it might be time to get a new good guy. You should never underestimate the importance of a well-written and well-acted sidekick.

Typically sidekicks can be broken down into five major categories: The Assistant, The Best Friend, The Brains, The Brawn, and The Comedy Relief. Of course there are going to be some outliers – sidekicks that don’t quite fit into any of those categories – but for the most part each sidekick listed below fills the role they have been assigned quite nicely.

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These sidekicks are probably the most unsung of them all – they don’t fight, they do very little if any comedy, they aren’t the brains of the operation (meaning they don’t make the decisions) nor are they considered to be the leading character’s best friend. The main role of this sidekick is that of both trusted confidant and loyal supporter. They are usually, though not always, portrayed by a character in the service profession, such as a butler. Below are examples of our favorite Assistant Sidekicks:

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Every leading character, whether they are male or female, needs a best friend - someone who will keep them on the straight and narrow and is always there to help them regardless of the situation. Best friend sidekicks are among some of the most popular in TV shows and movies because each character usually incorporates a few qualities from multiple categories. Think of them as a “Jack of all trades and master of none.” Below are a few of our favorite choices that represent Best Friend Sidekicks.

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Continue to sidekick brains and brawn…

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Christopher Lee Will Return for ‘The Hobbit,’ plus More David Tennant Rumors

Hot on the heels of the news that Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, and Ian McKellen will reunite with director Peter Jackson for The Hobbit, we have some more casting information from Middle Earth.

According to Sir Christopher Lee’s official website, the 88-year-old actor will appear in The Hobbit to reprise his role as the wizard Saruman, as long as “he is in good health.” We haven’t heard that Lee is experiencing any particular health issues (and we certainly hope that continues to be the case) so this sounds like strong confirmation.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read The Hobbit, but I don’t recall Saruman being featured in the book. Nevertheless, when you have a thespian like Lee onboard, your movie is going to be markedly improved, so I’m all for it. After all, Jackson and company changed around many of the plot details for each Lord of the Rings film, and they are modern classics.

In addition to Christopher Lee’s likely return, there are also fresh rumors that former Doctor Who star David Tennant will join the cast of The Hobbit. In the past, Tennant was rumored to be up for a number of parts in The Hobbit, including the main role of Bilbo Baggins back in 2009, before Martin Freeman was cast in the film.

Now, according to an unsubstantiated rumor at MovieWeb, Tennant has allegedly joined the cast of The Hobbit as the Elf King Thranduil. Thranduil, for those not up on their Tolkien mythology, is also the father of Legolas (played by Orlando Bloom in Lord of the Rings). MovieWeb doesn’t say where it got the information about Tennant’s involvement in the film, but if Thranduil were in the film, it would make sense since Bloom was confirmed to be reprising his role as Legolas in December.

As The Hobbit continues to take shape, the project is beginning to sound more and more epic. I may just have to watch Lord of the Rings back-to-back-to-back to stave off my excitement.

The Hobbit: Part 1 hits theaters on December 19th, 2012. Part 2 comes out in December 2013.

Source: MovieWeb and Christopher Lee’s Website (via The One Ring)

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AMC Vice President: ‘Mad Men’ Will Return For 5th Season

It looks like AMC could use a little Don Draper-style negotiation savvy of its own. The cable channel’s highest profile show Mad Men still hasn’t been renewed for a fifth season, but Senior Vice President Joel Stillerman told reports that a return to 1960s Manhattan is being planned.

The hold-up is on multiple fronts: neither production house Lionsgate TV nor showrunner Matthew Weiner have agreed to continue their work on Mad Men. Stillerman told reporters at a TCA panel for The Killing that while AMC plans for the series to continue, he didn’t know when that would happen. When a Deadline Hollywood correspondent asked about the state of Mad Men, AMC president and general manager Charlie Collier said, “We’re negotiating, don’t know much more than that yet.”

AMC has leveraged its breakout success with Mad Men into more original programming, first with Breaking Bad and then The Walking Dead. Both shows will return in 2011 for seasons four and two respectively. In addition to The Killing which premieres in April, the network is currently producing a Reconstruction-era western show called Hell on Wheels. In the four years since Mad Men debuted AMC has become a major player for original cable shows, rivaling more experienced channels like FX and TNT, and even creeping up on premium channels like HBO and Showtime. They’ve come a long way from simply rerunning American Movie Classics, and the Madison Avenue boys are largely to thank for their recent success. Both Mad Men and Breaking Bad are multiple Emmy Award winners.

'Mad Men' cast and crew, cleaning up at the Emmys.

The interested parties found themselves in a similar situation between seasons two and three. In the summer of 2008 AMC announced the show’s renewal before deals had been struck with Lionsgate and Weiner. Both signed on after Mad Men won big at the Golden Globes in January of the following year. The show has been nominated for three Golden Globes this year, including Best Drama.

We previously reported that Matthew Weiner intends for Mad Men to last for six seasons. Between his creative intentions and the large amount of money on the line for both AMC and Lionsgate, I don’t think fans have too much to worry about.

Mad Men will (hopefully) return in July or August on AMC.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

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Two Trailers For ‘Family Guy’ Return of the Jedi Spoof ‘It’s A Trap!’

Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy has been synonymous with “pop culture parody” for years now, so it was appropriate enough that the show’s creators are now unleashing their Return of the Jedi spoof, Family Guy: It’s A Trap!, having already “skewered” the first two entries in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Two new trailers have been released for It’s A Trap!, which offers the same kind of low-brow humor and jokes (here, not subject to TV censors) that has helped Family Guy attract a solid cult following.

It’s A Trap!, replaces the classic Star Wars characters (Han Solo, Luke and Leia Skywalker, Darth Vader, etc.) with the characters from MacFarlane’s cartoon creation, but otherwise leaves the threequel’s plot intact. These Star Wars-inspired Family Guy movies don’t so much satirize George Lucas’ space opera; they mostly just stick to the formula of the original Scary Movie: re-enact scenes from a classic movie, but throw in some raunchy humor or pop-culture references for comedic effect.

While this formula can and has worked in previous movie parodies, it’s arguably a rather lazy approach to humor and when it fails the results can be painful. This first trailer for It’s A Trap!, for example, doesn’t even contain any legitimate jokes and revolves around the idea that seeing Family Guy characters recreate scenes from Return of the Jedi is inherently hilarious in and of itself.

Check out what we mean below:

The second It’s A Trap! preview does actually offer a glimpse at what the cartoon pic will offer in terms of comedy, which looks to include lots of innuendo, crude bits of bathroom humor, and references to a wide range of pop-culture items (like the internet meme/Admiral Ackbar quote from which the title originated).

Watch that trailer below:

Family Guy fans -- this movie is for you. Everyone else will have to either re-watch Spaceballs or go on YouTube to get their share of laughs at the expense of the Star Wars saga.

Family Guy: It’s A Trap! arrives on DVD on December 21st, 2010.

Source: THR, iTunes Movie Trailers

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Stephen Fry Talks ‘Sherlock Holmes 2′; Will Rachel McAdams Return?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous literary creation will next grace the big screen in director Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes 2, which will star non-Brit Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role once again.

Joining Holmes on his latest cinematic adventure will be his older brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), and possibly his old flame Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), though the latter’s return in the Sherlock Holmes sequel is not yet a sure thing.

McAdams was fun in her few scenes as Sherlock’s old flame, but Sherlock Holmes 2 already has a leading lady (Noomi Rapace). MTV sat down with McAdams recently and the actress admitted that the script for the sequel is still being worked on, so her return is very much up in the air. Irene was caught up in a bit of business with the mysterious Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) in the first Sherlock Holmes, but looks to play a much less pivotal role in the second movie – assuming that she shows up at all.

Shooting has commenced on Sherlock Holmes 2 overseas in London (see the first production photos), so we’ll keep an eye out for any images of McAdams back in costume on the set that might pop up in the near future.

Will Irene Adler return in 'Sherlock Holmes 2'?

Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother, was portrayed in Doyle’s original novels as a gluttonous fellow who seemed almost allergic to labor of any sort, but still possessed mental faculties that were equal, if not greater than, those of his sibling. It’s a role that comedian Stephen Fry is very much looking forward to playing.

Here are Fry’s thoughts on his part in Sherlock Holmes 2:

“Historically [Mycroft is] a very interesting character, and as a lover of Sherlock Holmes since I was a boy I’ve always enjoyed that character myself. I hope that people enjoy it.”

Richie’s “updated” take on Sherlock Holmes sat quite well with Fry as well, as the actor also admits that he “loves the way that [Ritchie] uses the camera… the fluency and speed and the wit and the drive of it. It’s not exactly Steampunk, but there’s a very 21st century angle on Victorian England [in the first 'Sherlock Holmes'].”

For more from the British thespian, including his thoughts on an American like Downey Jr. tackling the role of Sherlock Holmes, read his full interview with Coming Soon.

Mycroft Holmes will be brought to life by Fry, right, in 'Sherlock Holmes 2'.

Sherlock Holmes 2 is slated to hit theaters on December 16th, 2011.

Source: MTV, Coming Soon

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