Apparently, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are huge Invincible fans and brought artist and friend of Big Shiny Robot! Ryan Ottley out to New Mexico to be an extra in their latest film, Paul. It wasn’t just Ottley, though, Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, Joe Keatinge, Andy Kuhn were all brought out.

Details about how these comics-creators figure into the film are sparse, though Ryan did mention on his website that producers recreated the Comic-Con out there in New Mexico.

He also mentioned that Frost is a gigantic Invincible fan and that he and Cory gave Nick Frost some Invincible covers and…well…  the word he used was “Orgasm.”

For those who don’t know, Paul is the new movie from Greg Motolla (director of Superbad and Adventureland) and is about two geeks (Frost and Simon Pegg) on a road trip to Comic-con who end up at Area 51 where they find a little alien named Paul whom they need to help get home. The framework is there for something truly great. And the inclusion of anything that has to do with one of my favorite books just makes me happy, even if they are just extras…

And this movie will most likely be great, since it’s been cited as the reason Simon Pegg dropped out of Tarentino’s Inglorious Basterds…

We’ll report more as soon as we find out more.

In part 3 of our conversation with Chris Claremont, we started off by discussing the death of Kitty Pryde at the hands of Joss Whedon and what it’s like for him as a reader and a creator to see what others do with his characters and stories.  The topic then moved onto the movies and we spoke of the adaptation of his classic take on Wolverine (along with Frank Miller) for the next Wolverine: Origins movie.  Long story short, he hopes to be involved more and would like to remind Fox that they’ve always had his number.

Talk then turned to X3, and what worked and what didn’t so much…

Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 and watch out for more parts soon!

There was a lot of concern after Comic Con that Kick-Ass may not get picked up by a studio, or that if it did it would have to be toned down… a lot.

Well, it seems that those concerns can more than likely be laid to rest as Lionsgate has picked up the distribution rights for the film.

Official Press Release from Lionsgate:

LIONSGATE(R) Set To KICK-ASS With Filmmaker Matthew Vaughn’s Hotly Anticipated Superhero Action Comedy

Studio Acquires U.S. And Canadian Rights To Comic Book Adaptation From Director of LAYER CAKE and STARDUST

Buzz Sensation At 2009 Comic-Con, It Stars Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Breakout Stars Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — LIONSGATE((R)) (NYSE: LGF), the leading next generation studio, announced today that it has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to KICK-ASS, the hotly anticipated action-comedy from writer/director Matthew Vaughn (LAYER CAKE, STARDUST). Based on the groundbreaking, best-selling comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., KICK-ASS stars Nicolas Cage (the upcoming SEASON OF THE WITCH, KNOWING, NATIONAL TREASURE), rising star Aaron Johnson (the upcoming NOWHERE BOY), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (SUPERBAD) and Chloe Moretz ((500) DAYS OF SUMMER). The screenplay is written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman. The producers are Matthew Vaughn, Brad Pitt, Tarquin Pack and Kris Thykier; Millar and Romita Jr. are co-producers. The announcement was made today by Joe Drake, Lionsgate President, Motion Picture Group, and Co-Chief Operating Officer, and Jason Constantine, Lionsgate President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions.

KICK-ASS was the buzz sensation of the July Comic-Con in San Diego, where early footage was shown to wildly appreciative fans. The film is a privately financed independent production from Vaughn’s Marv Films and Plan B Entertainment, and is currently in post-production. Lionsgate anticipates a wide release in 2010.

Said Constantine, “Matthew Vaughn is an amazing talent and a true original, and he has brought a whole new mindset to the action genre with KICK-ASS. KICK-ASS redefines the boundaries in terms of humor, action, story, character and tone — it’s the kind of movie that reminds us of why we go to the movies in the first place. Lionsgate is thrilled to bring KICK-ASS home to give it the next-generation launching pad it deserves.”

Said Vaughn, “Making and financing KICK-ASS has been an amazing experience, and we’ve had two important goals from the start: make a singularly entertaining film and find the right studio to release it. With Lionsgate, I know that I’ve got a supportive and fearless team behind me. It’s going to be fun working together to bring the film to audiences and those who are already fans of the comic book.”

Said Pack, “The massive response we received at Comic-Con has been hugely important in launching the next wave of momentum for the film, and Lionsgate’s marketing and distribution talents are a perfect fit for us. Lionsgate is a studio that is not afraid to do things differently, and that is the attitude that has characterized KICK-ASS from the very start.”

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Constantine, Eda Kowan, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Wendy Jaffe, Executive Vice President Business & Legal Affairs, Acquisitions and Co-Productions; and by WME and Matthew Johnson of Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie, Stiffelman, Cook, Johnson, Lande & Wolf LLP, on behalf of the filmmakers.

SYNOPSIS

A twisted, funny, high-octane adventure, director Matthew Vaughn brings KICK-ASS to the big screen.

KICK-ASS tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name — Kick-Ass — assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There’s only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers.

His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage).

So, there you have it! Seems like it’s going to be a good partnership, and I can’t think of a better main-stream studio to distribute this film…

If you missed the Comic Con footage of how awesome this movie is going to be, you can check it out here.

Production hasn’t even started on Spider-Man 4 and already Variety is reporting that the higher-ups have re-hired James Vanderbilt to pen the script for Spider-Man 4 & 5, which would have a connected story line. If you remember, Vanderbilt was actually snagged to write Spider-Man 4, and he turned in a draft, but it seems as if Raimi didn’t agree with everything in the script.

Vanderbilt was the first writer on “Spider-Man 4.” Director Sam Raimi brought on “Rabbit Hole” playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to rewrite him, and Gary Ross is now rewriting that script. The studio is enthusiastic about where it stands as the picture begins prepping for an early 2010 production start for a May 2011 release.

Raimi didn’t embrace all of Vanderbilt’s ideas, but execs at Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have. Vanderbilt has been hired to pen the fifth and sixth movies, which have an interconnected storyline. That’s what was originally discussed when Vanderbilt signed on to write “Spider-Man 4,” but the idea of shooting a fourth and fifth film back to back with the original cast was scrapped.

Sources said it was unclear whether Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will be back. If they aren’t, Vanderbilt’s script would be the blueprint for a franchise reboot…

That last little bit is especially interesting. I know this is how things go in Hollywood, jumping the gun for projects who’s predecessors haven’t even began production yet… but still… it’s awfully early to be talking about 5 & 6 and reboots already, don’t ya think?

You can check out the full article via the Variety link above.

One thing is certain, Singer knows how to execute a thoughtful and relevant adaptation, I’d find it hard for even the most jaded fanboy to deny that.

Good news on the Battlestar front for sure, but this announcement sends into question whether Singer will return to Fox for another crack at our beloved X-Men as rumors have suggested. One can hope that he’s able to do both and that Fox has the patience and wisdom to wait for him, or at very least a worthwhile script.

Read more about the announcement here.

Christopher McQuarrie, the writer of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie, has been tapped to write the sequel to Wolverine: Origins, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to write the script for Fox’s sequel to its “Wolverine” movie.

Hugh Jackman is set to return as the Marvel Comics character, a mutant with healing powers and a skeleton laced with the indestructible metal known as adamantium. Jackman is also producing via his Fox-based Seed shingle along with Lauren Shuler Donner.

The movie’s story line will take its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, which is set in Japan and features Wolverine dealing with ninjas as he struggles whether to follow his animal killer instincts or the life under a samurai’s code of honor and respect.

We actually spoke to Claremont yesterday about the Wolverine sequel and he offered himself up for the screenplay and shared his thoughts with us about it. (Part 1 of the video interview is here, the full audio can be downloaded from the Geek Show Podcast’s iTunes feed here.) When we post that portion of video from the interview, we’ll have a transcript to go with it.

In the meantime, I think this is good news. McQuarrie is a competent writer and I’ve enjoyed most of his movies. The ones he directed? Not so much, but I like him.

So, take this as you will.

Last week IESB posted a “scoop” saying that Spielberg was interested in tackling the Halo movie:

IESB has learned exclusively (believe me this is solid and I’ve confirmed it three times over with studio executives and our close ties to CAA) that one of the biggest producers in Hollywood history is currently in active negotiations to develop the feature film adaptation and no it’s not Jerry Bruckheimer or Peter Jackson. It’s the man behind Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones and Transformers, Mr. Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg is blown away by writer Stuart Beattie’s take on the game in his script entitled HALO THE FALL OF REACH. This coupled with the fact that his Dreamworks umbrella is looking for a big tent pole to help launch their newly independant studio with distribution over at Walt Disney Pictures after losing Transformers to Paramount in the separation, it’s the perfect combination.

Well… it seems as if IESB may have jumped the gun a little bit here, as Kotaku is disputing this rumor with a “confirmation” of their own:

Responding to questions we had over the Spielberg rumour (and indeed the future of the movie itself), a Microsoft spokesperson told Kotaku:

“We’re glad there’s still a lot of enthusiasm in the entertainment industry surrounding the idea of a Halo movie. That said, the Halo feature film remains on hold as we focus on projects like Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach.”

Upon further questioning, Microsoft added that they had “nothing further to share with respect to plans regarding a Halo movie”.

So, it seems after a brief stint back on the interwebs, the Halo movie slips back into the dark on hold.

Now, I wouldn’t want to leave you completely high and dry, but as you all know, Neil Blomkamp, director of the forthcoming District 9, was attached to direct the Halo movie, and he even did a live action test scene back in 2007 in a landfill that I have embeded for your viewing pleasure (if you haven’t seen it already). I give you his vision -with the help of WETA- of what the Halo movie should look like:

MTV caught up with X-Men Origins: Wolverine star Hugh Jackman at the Teen Choice Awards and he gave what sounded like a pretty firm confirmation that Wolverine is heading to Japan for the next installment:

Offering an update of sorts for the sequel, Jackman told MTV News “Japan is where we’re heading, [and] we’re starting to work on it now. We’re in the … first steps of developing that story.”

Reiterating his desire to Miller and Claremont’s story arc brought to the screen, Jackman said he’s “made no real secret” of his fondness for that particular chapter of Wolverine’s history. “I think the fans love that saga. It’s my favorite saga of the Wolverine stories.”

“That’s a movie I’ve longed to make from the beginning, so that’s where we’re heading,” he said.

Okay. Allow me to geek-out and digress for a moment here.

Over the course of X-Men 3, X-Men Origins, and now the sequel to Origins, Jackman has continually mentioned something along the lines that “I really think this is what the fans want to see.” He kind of gets out in front of these movies and starts hyping them up that they are going to be true to the character etc. From my vantage point, fans haven’t been exactly thrilled with the last X-Men movie nor with X-Men Origins: Wolverine;l in fact, some have been quite upset. Are some of them oversensitive fanboys? Definitely. But even the average fan such as myself has been terribly disappointed by what’s been produced by FOX with regards to this franchise. Even more frustrating for me now is that Jackman gets up and starts toting that this is going to be what the fans want to see… well, he said the same thing about the first Origins, and look how that turned out.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Jackman as Wolverine, I think he plays the character well enough, but everything else about these movies have been mostly garbage. If Jackman and/or FOX has any idea what to do with this character and what the fans want to see, X-Men 3, and X-Men Origins wouldn’t have been the movies that they were.

My guess? Whoever is in charge of this sequel will not even come close to doing Frank Miller and Chris Claremont’s infamous storyline justice, and it will be another round of a bad X-Men/Wolverine movie. So send Logan to Japan, at this point, I guess it really doesn’t make a difference…

I’m sure you have all heard about the Iron Man 2 footage that played at Comic Con a few weeks ago, and we all knew it was only a matter of time before it was leaked. Well, as of right now, Gizmodo is the place you can watch it, and I would move quickly because Paramount is already on the move taking these down.

The video is a bit grainy and the sound is a bit lacking at times, but until they releases the official footage, this will have to do! Check it out at the link above!

UPDATE:Youtube is dead.

UPDATE 2: Here’s a website that has about 2 of the 5 minutes…

UPDATE 3: It looks like you can download it from this site.