X-Men: First Class screenwriter Simon Kinberg in a recent interview with MTV discussed the character of Magneto for the sequel. Although it could be argued that James McAvoy‘s Xavier was the main character of the first film, it Michael Fassbender‘s Magneto that left the bigger impression. That being said, it’s no surprise that he will be the focus of the yet to be titled sequel.

Here’s some excerpts of what Kinberg had to say:

That’s what was so cool about the first one and what we want to continue. Magneto becomes the villain ultimately of the franchise but he’s a much more complicated character as a young man. He’s someone you sympathize with, you care about you root for even though might not necessarily agree with his methods, you understand his philosophy.

On whether or not Magneto will be a total villain or still finding his way:

We’re still figuring that out. I think the truth is ultimately that because Michael [Fassbender] is such an interesting actor, he’ll never be full-on anything. He’ll have a villainous side and he’ll have a sympathetic human side you’ll be able to relate but you’ll also be afraid of him. He becomes Magneto, he says ‘Call me Magneto’ at the end of the first movie.

Personally, I loved Michael Fassbender as Magneto and I can’t wait for him to reprise his role. Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine understandably gets most of the X-Men box office draw but I think with Magneto at the forefront and Fassbender’s great acting, this sequal can rival that combo. Thoughts?

Deadline is reporting that actor Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, Hackers) has been cast as Sherlock Holmes in a pilot entitled Elementary for CBS. The Robert Doherty scripted pilot will be directed by Michael Cuesta and according to Deadline, will be “a modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes who now lives in New York City.”

Miller most recently starred in Danny Boyle’s staged adaptation of Frankenstein and did a story arc on the popular Showtime series Dexter. He will be seen next in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and Neil Jordan’s Byzantium.

Personally I think Miller is a good actor and will play Holmes well. What do you guys think, especially those of you who are fans of BBC’s Sherlock?

The project started at the WB as an adaptation of Robin McKinley’s version of “Beauty and the Beast” entitled “Beauty,” but it has since then evolved to become a much darker version. Del Toro has stated his desire in the past to direct a dark version of “Beauty and the Beast,” specifically with Emma Watson playing the lead. Here’s what he said in a past interview:

“It’s one of those landmarks, one of those holy grails, and I really hope to do it. We’re just starting the process.”

“It’s a movie that you have to make in the next few years for Emma to be perfect for the part. I think she is the perfect character to do that movie.”

The film tentively entitiled “Beast” will be penned by screenwriter Andrew Davies (“The Three Musketeers”). DiNovi Pictures’ Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan will produce with del Toro, who plans to write a treatment from which Davies will work off of.

The movie is adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith‘s novel and features Lincoln using his iconic axe to dismantle vampires who appear to have killed his mother. The film stars Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln, Mary Elisabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, and was directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

Expect to see it in theaters June 22nd, 2012!

Synopsis:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a re-imagining of the 16th President’s life that depicts him as an axe-throwing, highly accomplished killer of vampires — an obsession of his since those bloodsuckers supposedly took the life of his mother. Lincoln eventually learns that the vampires have fled to the southern states of the U.S. and are concocting a plan to conquer and enslave the entire country — this in turn leads to the Civil War between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter of which the vampires are aligned with.

Obviously the world of web video has exploded the past few years with the rise of YouTube and similar websites. In fact, there’s so much content out there now that it’s hard to find time finding the quality stuff, or many you just may get stuck watching adorable dog/cat videos for hours (who doesnt?). Worldwide Web-series is a segment where we introduce a great web-series to those who may not know about some of the best web video content out there today.

First up is an amazing sci-fi web-series I loved called The Mercury Men. The series draws from a very film noir look and experience as it is presented in black and white. Yet, that did not stop the series from winning the Best Visual Effects IAWTV award, and from SyFy.com featuring the entire series on their website.

Here’s a brief synopsis from their main website:

Pittsburgh, 1975. Edward Borman, a lowly government office drone, finds himself trapped, when the deadly men of Mercury seize his office building as a staging ground for their nefarious plot. Aided by Jack Yaeger, a daring aerospace engineer from a mysterious organization known as “The League,” Edward must stop the invaders and their doomsday device, the Gravity Engine.

Drawing from the same retro serials that inspired such films as Star Wars and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Mercury Men reintroduces audiences to the great mystery, danger, and suspense the stories were originally known for. The series consists of 10 online episodes, each approximately 7 minutes in length.

Watch the first episode from Hulu right here:

If you like the series you can watch the rest of it on Hulu, and I suggest you follow them on Twitter @TheMercuryMen. Enjoy and tell a friend about it!

At San Diego Comic-Con 2011 we just happened to walk by some of the coolest costumes on the floor. Check out this group dressed as original Cylon Centurions complete with red glowing eyes!

Photo courtesy of @jh0photo

There’s been a lot of hoopla lately regarding the possibility of Harrison Ford in talks to be a part of the new Blade Runner film (a rumor which has been officially shut down recently by producer Andrew Kosove). To shed even more light on the subject, EW recently interviewed with Ridley Scott where he updates us on the status of the film.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

Entertainment Weekly: What can you tell me about the Blade Runner project?

Ridley Scott: We’re still in discussions about whether it should be a prequel or sequel. It’s an interesting conversation. I’m meeting with writers and I’ve also gone back to [original Blade Runner screenwriter] Hampton Fancher and he still speaks the speak. He’s right there. I spoke with him this week. But we don’t even have a script yet.

Did you hear about the rumors online that you were supposedly in talks with Harrison Ford to be in it?

No. Don’t know yet. Don’t know yet.

But you wouldn’t rule it out?

Absolutely not. But I’m not sure that that’s going to be a story point, so I don’t know. But if it were, nothing would please me more. Honestly.

But it sounds like you don’t even know yet if there would be a Rick Deckard character?

No. I don’t know.

So, right now, all there is is the concept of doing a Blade Runner film? Nothing more than that?

Right. I just thought Prometheus was so enjoyable — returning to the world of science fiction was so fun — that I wanted to [go back to Blade Runner, too]. I’m also thinking about what the hell I might do for a Prometheus 2.

Do you think there will be one?

[Knocks the wood coffee table and grins]

Thoughts?