George R.R. Martin Teases Upcoming Character Deaths

We already know that George R.R. Martin isn't afraid to kill off a character or two - he's done it plenty in the past. And with only two books remaining in his Song Of Ice And Fire series, it comes as no surprise that the author plans to cut down his cast.

Speaking to SFX, the author revealed: “It’s my intention to cut down the number [of characters], so be afraid, be very afraid – your favourite may not survive the next book!”

So who's next for the chop? Daenerys? Jon Snow? Jaime Lannister? Surely some of the Greyjoys have got to meet their maker. And we don't think we'd be happy is the machiavellian Melisandre survived to the last.

Martin went on to discuss the TV series, the third season of which is currently airing on Sky Atlantic (Mondays, 9pm), and the difficulties of balancing his two audiences:

“There’s part of me that would like to be more involved with the television series, to write three or four scripts each season instead of just one, and to be on set every day,” he said. “But I still have two gigantic books to write and I can’t possibly take off time to do that. So the books are my babies.

“There are definitely two distinct audiences: the readers and the viewers. The readers have read the books first and some of them have practically memorised them. They’re watching the series now and in some ways they’re judging it through the prism of books. They’re very conscious of any deviation from what is in the books and of any changes or omissions, and they’re not necessarily pleased by those.

“On the other hand, there are the viewers who are watching the TV series first and then they may go on to read the books – or maybe they won’t… They’re just looking at it, as a TV series first, so their idea of the characters is pretty much the actors they see on TV, and the dialogue they see on TV is sort of canon to them. They’re looking through the other end of the telescope if you will, and sometimes the two different audiences have quite different reactions to a scene, a character or a particular plot development, and that’s fascinating as well.”

Check out the full interview in SFX's Game of Thrones bookazine, on sale now.

Hugh Jackman Is Occasionally Fully Dressed In New Wolverine Trailer

Ooh, the new Wolverine trailer is proper dramatic.

Logan's (Hugh Jackman) in a dark place as he heads to Japan to meet a figure from his past.

And it looks like he's going to get action aplenty as his adamantium claws meet more than one samurai sword… including that of the Silver Samurai.

But will the promise of an end to his immortal 'curse' lure Logan away from mutant life? Hopefully his hot new buddy Yukio (Rila Fukushima) can help him to find his inner Wolverine once more.

Without further ado, here's the international trailer, and the US trailer, featuring a teeny tiny bit of extra footage.



The Wolverine, based on the graphic novel by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, will arrive in UK cinemas on July 25.

Iron Man 3 Preview: What The Critics Said

Sadly, we weren't among the lucky few who attended a screening of preview footage for Iron Man 3 yesterday. We were doing other far less interesting and enjoyable things.

But, we do know plenty of people who did get to see Tony Stark under fire as Disney and Marvel showcased 20 minutes of footage from Robert Downey Jr's latest big screen outing as the Armoured Avenger.

Here's what they had to say:

**WARNING: This is a report about a preview screening of footage from a film that hasn't been released yet. Therefore, it contains spoilers. Look away now if you don't want to be spoiled!**

Digital Spy
"Shane Black may be a relative rookie when its comes to directing, but you wouldn't know if from the set pieces on display here. The helicopter assault on Tony's cliffside home pretty much tops anything we've seen before in the Iron Man films - yes, even that incredible Monte Carlo sequence from Iron Man 2."

Bleeding Cool
"We’ve seen shots of Tony’s home getting attacked. We’ve seen Tony summoning his new Mark Forty-Two armour. What we haven’t seen until now is, as his home is blown to smithereens, him summoning his armour to assemble… around Pepper Potts and not him. Squee number one. Squee number two is, as debris threatens to flatten Tony, for armoured-up Pepper to rush in and protect Tony’s prone body. With an 'I got you.' / 'I got you first' exchange."

Total Film
"Despite all of the ominous overtones and scenes of mass destruction, the main thing we took away from the screening was the fact that Iron Man 3 will actually be funny. Very funny. The early trailers led naysayers to believe that Iron Man 3 was ‘going dark’ in the vein of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films. Suffice to say, the footage we saw was packed with Stark’s trademark quippage: from his banter with Potts and Hansen inside his (pre-destruction) home, to his searing putdown of the kid in the cabin ('Dads leave - there’s no need to be a pussy about it…'). The result? There were more gags than explosions. Just."

Yahoo Movies
"Now that Stark and Pepper Potts are finally an item, Downey Jr. and Paltrow will have a good time playing the bickering lovebirds. Before the attack, they are shown good-naturedly arguing in the shadow of an enormous bunny with breasts (a Christmas present, apparently) and it’s clear their relationship will propel this film. The two actors have great chemistry already, and hopefully they’ll have lots of screen time together."

By Odin, we're looking forward to this film. 

And more Iron Man treats come in the shape of new armour reveals.  Following the sneak peek at Silver Centurion and Shotgun earlier this week, we now meet the Mark 17, 'Heartbreaker', and the fearsome looking Mark 38, 'Igor'.

We expect more will be revealed in the coming days…

Iron Man 3 will be released on April 26 in the UK, and May 3 in the US.

Game Of Thrones Season 3 Premiere: The Q&A

Last night was a pretty special night for GG♥SF. 

We were invited by the lovely people at Sky Atlantic to the premiere of the third season of Game Of Thrones, at which we joined the cast to see the first episode and drank some lovely wine. 

We were also treated to a Q&A with cast members Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark), Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and the totally brilliant Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), who we now want to meet and make friends with. 

For your benefit as much as theirs, Sky Atlantic have asked that we spoil nothing about the series' return - suffice to say it's a cracking premiere episode with the promise of much more cracking stuff to come. 

We can, however, share the strictly spoiler-free Q&A hosted by Grace Dent, in which the cast discuss their characters and what they love most about working on the show… and Ms Christie tells half of what sounds like a very interesting tale from the set... 


(Our audio player is pretty temperamental, so if you can't get it to work, click here to listen to the interview.)

Game of Thrones returns to HBO in the US on March 31 and will debut in the UK on Sky Atlantic a day later on April 1.

Hit-Girl Kicks Ass In New Kick-Ass 2 Trailer

We have many heroes here at GG♥SF HQ, and Chloë Grace Moretz's Hit-Girl places high on that list. She's just a bit awesome. Terrifying, but awesome nonetheless.

The new Kick-Ass 2 trailer focusses squarely on Mindy Macready, as she tries to navigate the perils of high school whilst simultaneously struggling with her secret identity as a kick ass schoolgirl superhero.

We also get a closer glimpse at Justice Forever, the group of crime fighting vigilantes presided over by Jim Carrey's Colonel Stars & Stripes.









Kick-Ass 2 will open in the US on 19 July 2013.

BBC Announce Atlantis Cast

The Beeb have rounded up a whole host of talented folk to star in their new family drama, Merlin replacement Atlantis.

Mark Addy (The Syndicate, Game of Thrones), Juliet Stevenson (White Heat, The Hour), Sarah Parish (Doctor Who, Mistresses, Monroe), Jemima Rooper (Lost In Austen, Hex), Robert Emms (War Horse, Mirror Mirror), Aiysha Hart (Djinn, Honour) and Jack Donnelly (Dancing On The Edge, House Of Anubis) will all take on key roles in the fantasy series, set in a land of myth and a time of magic…

Oh… wait. Sorry, we got confused for a minute there.

Seriously, though, we're hugely looking forward to Atlantis, which will see legendary heroes, mythical creatures and gods come to life as ancient Greek myths and legends are re-imagined for prime time viewing. And it comes from Howard Overman, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy - who are basically telly royalty with shows including Misfits, Dirk Gently, and yes, Merlin among their credits.

Although his role hasn't yet been announced, star Mark Addy says: "I am very excited to be invited along on this epic adventure. The scripts bring to life ancient myths with such a vibrancy and sense of humour; I knew I wanted to be a part of it."

Sarah Parish adds: “I am thrilled to be part of Atlantis. It's a very exciting project and I can't wait to start filming.”

And Juliet Stevenson is proper excited too, saying: “I am delighted to have joined the cast of Atlantis, and very excited to be working with the team. This genre is new to me, so I am looking forward to a great adventure.”

Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, Ben Stephenson, couldn't resist piping up either: “The fantastic cast announced for Atlantis is testament to the ambition and scale of Howard Overman’s scripts. Some of the UK’s best loved actors are joining our newest talent to take the BBC One audience to a rich and wonderful world where any adventure is possible.”

Filming on set in Wales and Morocco will start this April, while we can expect to see Atlantis on BBC One sometime this autumn.

Deadpool Test Footage "The Greatest Three Minutes Ever"

Enthusiasm for the much-delayed Deadpool project has somewhat waned following Ryan Reynolds' very incredibly 'blah' outing as Green Lantern.

But writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick reckon we ought to have faith that the Merc with a Mouth will make it to the big screen - and in spectacular fashion.

"We have a phenomenal director in Tim Miller, who did about a three minute test for Fox, and Ryan came in to do the mo-cap for it and the voice," Reese explained in an interview with Collider. "And it’s like the greatest three minutes ever.  I look at the three minutes and I’m like, 'That’s the movie, and it has to get made.' I think the biggest hurdle right now is convincing the-powers-that-be that it’s okay to have a hard-R rated movie within the Marvel Universe."

Speaking about how this movie might fit in with the Marvel universe, Reese added: "I think there just has to be a tolerance for the outlier. There has to be a tolerance for this one project that’s not like all the other Marvel projects." 

Mr Reynolds himself echoed that sentiment in a recent chat with Empire, saying: "I love Deadpool and there is a script that's in development. But it's so, so far into the R-rated zone... it's a nearly NC-17 world and I just don't know if the studio would ever risk their reputation doing it. We've been developing it and we would never wanna do it unless you could it that R-rated way, so…"

The actor went on to reveal that the movie has a similar tone to Reese and Wernick's previous project, Zombieland: "They wrote it and they developed it as well and, you know, it's sitting there. You could do it for a pittance compared to the modern sort of epic scale superhero movies, but it's about a guy who knows he's in a movie and knows he's in a comic book who is deeply mentally disturbed and hyper violent. And that's tough to get by a studio."

And as for how he thinks the movie would tie-in to the Marvelverse: "I don't think you can do that, because that character would really sully that whole world. The script is one rewrite away from Deadpool jumping across the desk at the studio executive and attacking him.

"But I've always wanted to do the movie if only because Deadpool would get to do his own movie trailer. So that's a thing that we were dying to do and we would love to be a part of that. I don't know how it would fit though, no. In the current iteration of the script, it doesn't address Wolverine - though it does address Deadpool's appearance in Wolverine. Deadpool was not happy with Deadpool in Wolverine. He has a sort of a WTF!? moment with that."

Speaking, meanwhile, of his ties to DC as Hal Jordan, the actor was somewhat negative about the prospect of signing up to co-star in Warner Bros. planned Justice League movie.

"I don't know. If you're gonna do comic book movies in that vein, you really have to get them right. I believe that Joss Whedon is the guy that just nails it and Christopher Nolan obviously nails it. So if they were gonna do it like that, it would be an interesting thing to do," he said.

"It's just that... working on Green Lantern, I saw how difficult it is make that concept palatable, and how confused it all can be when you don't really know exactly where you're going with it or you don't really know how to access that world properly - that world comic book fans have been accessing for decades and falling in love with. So at this point I have very little interest in joining that kind of world. But, you know, a great script and a good director can always turn that around."

Uh-huh. We'll see what happens, eh Ryan?

Hugh Jackman Half Naked... Again

You know, we never thought we'd get bored of Hugh Jackman half naked.

But we have to admit, there's been a hell of a lot of it lately.

Following yesterday's poster and six second teaser reveal, the internet now has a 20-second trailer for the trailer and a new motion poster.

MTV unleashed the teaser trailer to Stateside fans earlier today, and now we have a version playable in the UK. 


Oh, and there's also the small matter of the X-Man semi-nude and clutching a samurai sword below.

Horrible, isn't it?




The Wolverine will open in UK and US cinemas on July 26.

Doctor Who's 50th Will Be "Epic", Says Smith

Matt Smith has said that Doctor Who's 50th anniversary story will be "the biggest event in the show's history" and will pay tribute to his predecessors.

He told SFX: "I've read the first draft. I think the whole of this season leads brilliantly up to what will be the biggest event in the history of the show. I say that with no hesitation, really. Steven Moffat is on top form and has delivered a thoroughly exciting, epic, vast science-fiction script. It's really exciting.

"We start shooting that very soon, and there'll be a lot of surprises coming your way, let me tell you. A lot," Smith continued. "It's one of those scripts that you read and you go 'Whoa, here we go… what's he done? What has Steven done with it?' You wouldn't really want anyone else writing it, would you? He's a proper fan, and, to my mind, one of the greatest science-fiction writers around.

"It's about celebrating everyone that's been involved with it, all the wonderful actors that have taken part before me.

"I feel in a very privileged position, having had people like David and Chris, Tom, Patrick, Jon, William Hartnell… great, great actors behind me... It's about all of us who got it here..."

Don't you just want to hug the guy?

In other Doctor Who news, have you ever wondered how Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax ended up together?

Well, here's the rather lovely and giggle-worthy backstory, in which we see the trio's beginnings after the events of Demons Run and before we saw them again in last year's Christmas special, The Snowmen.


Cute, eh?

Doctor Who will return to BBC One on Saturday 30th March at 6.15pm.

Iron Man's Iron Man 3 Armour Revealed: The Triangle Is Back

"The triangle is ass."

These are the words of Joss 'The Great' Whedon, who went to great pains to introduce a new Iron Man suit in The Avengers Assemble, replacing the triangular version of Iron Man 2 with the classic circle - and in mid-air, no less.

He told Empire last year: "Marvel said, 'We like to see the suits evolve,' and I said, Great! Then you're going back to the circle because the triangle is ass'. I'm a classicist. The circle has meaning, the triangle does not."

But it seems that Marvel have decided to change it up once more…

A sneak peek at the new armour for Iron Man 3 shows the Mark XXXIII, an Enhanced Energy Suit dubbed Silver Centurion and the Mark XL, a Hyper Velocity Suit nicknamed Shotgun featuring a weird rectangular chest plate.

Of course, given that the film will feature what looks to be a gajillion Iron Men as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) faces off against Ben Kingsley's villainous Mandarin, we don't quite yet know which suit the man himself will don. But nevertheless, we live by the words of Whedon - the triangle, friends, is arse (well... we are Brits after all).

Should the triangular armour survive to see The Avengers Assemble 2, will Whedon allow it to live? A tiny part of us would kind of love to see a battle of wills between The Great Whedon and Marvel play out on screen.

In other Iron Man armour news, a new new TV spot sees Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) try on the suit for size, prompting speculation over whether we'll see the character take on her comic book alter-ego Rescue in the movie.


Iron Man 3 will be released on April 26 in the UK, and May 3 in the US.

**UPDATED** 'Huge' Jackman Is All Angry And Muscly And Erm… Huge In New Wolverine Promo And Poster

Hugh Jackman has somehow lost his shirt once more in the latest promo for The Wolverine.

He looks devastated about it - particularly, we imagine, as it's all rainy in Japan and he must be cold. We, on the other hand, aren't so sad.

As if releasing a rather naked poster weren't enough, The Wolverine director James Mangold has also treated us to a six second teaser for the movie's upcoming trailer - featuring a rather geekgasmic cameo.

The tweaser. vine.co/v/bDExaiMjJ1F
— James Mangold (@mang0ld) March 25, 2013

We are, however, somewhat relieved to find out that he doesn't spend the entirety of the movie in a semi-nude state - it would make cinema-going all kinds of awkward for us.

A bunch of new stills from the film have been revealed by Entertainment Weekly, giving us our first in-character looks at Yukio, Viper and Mariko. And, of course, more opportunity to gawp at Logan - who looks spectacularly hawt in a suit.

"At the time this movie opens, there's a kind of gangland war going on between law enforcement and the Yakuza, and there's been a lot of kidnappings and extortion," explained director James Mangold. "So she's someone who's under threat."

Comic book baddie Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) is brought in to help another one of the film's villains. Teases Mangold: "As her name would imply, she's kind of snakelike. She likes to play with toxins. She's immune to toxins. She's kind of formidable.

"Viper views Logan like a great hunter might view hunting a lion in his quarry. There's kind of an admiration, a desire to destroy and a desire to consume and to have and to hold."

Of Wolverine's new buddy Yukio (Rila Fukushima), Mangold says: "I would say they have a unique relationship. She's lethal herself. She's a tremendous fighter. She's both sexy and almost kind of sprung from the anime world. It's a real badass character."

She's also got really good hair. 

The Wolverine will open in UK and US cinemas on July 26.

Loads Of New Doctor Who Things

We're now just days - days! - away from the return of Doctor Who. Which means, among other things, that there's loads of news and trailers and images and things doing the rounds. 

So, without further waffling from us, here be they: 


#1 New Trailer 

We knew we liked that Clara Oswald. Here's a trailer for the returning episode, The Bells Of Saint John, which mostly makes us happy because of new companion's reaction to the Doctor telling her what to do at around 16 seconds. 



#2 The Bells Of St John: The Prequel
 
Aw, a sad Doctor is something no one wants to see. But there's no mood so despondent it can't be cheered by a visit to a playground. After all, there are always new friends to meet. 



#3 Kingston Reveals She'll Always Return 

We were already well aware that Alex Kingston would reprise the role of River Song in the new series, but rather sweetly the actress has revealed that she's unlikely to give up the part any time soon. 

She told Radio Times: "I’m so attached to that character. I never expected her to grow and develop in the way she has. You never know whether she’s going to be hard-ass or good. As long as Steven Moffat has storylines that include her, I will always say yes." 


#4 Bad News About The 50th Anniversary 

Gah! We should've known better than to take that tease John Barrowman's word as gospel. After getting our hopes up by implying he was in talks to return for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, the Torchwood star dashed them on Twitter. 

Barrowman hinted at an "important" reveal on his official Twitter account, before breaking the news, posting: "I will not be involved in the 50th Anniversary Episode of Dr WHO. JB" 

Yeah, we're pretty disappointed too. 


#5 Good News About The 50th Anniversary 

BUT, we're still expecting plenty of brilliant stuff from Mr Moffat et al, as the 50th anniversary episode starts shooting soon. 

In an interview with Digital Spy, Matt Smith said that fans should expect an "epic", "ambitious" and "badass" episode that celebrates both the show's past and its future. 

"I think we've got a story about the Doctor - and what it takes to be the Doctor," added Moffat. 


Doctor Who returns to BBC One this Saturday (March 30) with new episode 'The Bells of Saint John'.

Yet More Star Trek 2 Images

Right. So it seems the only thing we really need to know about Star Trek: Into Darkness is that Benedict Cumberbatch is basically the most badass bad guy ever imaginable.

So badass, in fact, that at one point in the movie Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) look like they're in proper, might not live through this-type trouble (though they probably will). Have a look at the pic below from Empire Magazine's Star Trek 2 special and you'll see what we mean.

Because she's a girl and also brilliant, Uhura looks like she's got it a little more together as she wields a phaser-like weapon in the second image - and we're loving the cover featuring the whole cast, too.

Lovely stuff.

Star Trek Into Darkess warps full speed ahead on May 17th.

New World War Z Trailer

Pedantic tomato / tomato-type arguments over whether it's pronounced World War Zee or World War Zed aside, (World War Zuh? No?), buzz about Brad Pitt's upcoming zombiepocalypse blockbuster has been thin on the ground.

That said, it's not out until June, so there's plenty of time to get excited.

The good news is that this new trailer goes a little way further to piquing our interest - though it doesn't give us much more hope for Brad's hair.

Based on Max Brooks' best-selling novel, Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a United Nations worker who finds himself confronted by waves of the undead after a worldwide zombie pandemic. Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster is at the helm of the cast which includes The Killing's Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale and Lost star Matthew Fox.

So far so good. The bad news? Damon 'Prometheus' Lindelof was drafted in to rewrite the film's finale ahead of re-shoots before the final cut was put together.

*Sigh*


World War Z hits cinemas on June 21.

New Star Trek Trailer Gives Us Tingles

Er, so has everyone seen the new international Star Trek trailer?

It's flipping brilliant.

Revealing more about Benedict Cumberbatch's mysterious villain, John Harrison, the latest preview from JJ Abrams sees the silken-voiced villain threaten the destruction of the Earth. Will Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) et al be able to stop him?

Er… probably. But it looks like it's going to be a bit hard. And did we mention brilliant?

And there's a hidden Easter egg for... well, let's say 'eagle-eyed fans' and leave it at that. Those who just happened to pause at the precise moment at which we see Alice Eve in her undies have spotted a bit.ly link in the background (top right) which, when followed, leads to the new poster below. We're saying nothing.

 

Star Trek Into Darkness will be released in the UK on May 9, and in the US on May 17.

Doctor Who 'The Bells Of Saint John': What The Critics Said

Sadly, we weren't lucky enough to be invited to the preview screening of Steven Moffat's returning Doctor Who episode, The Bells of Saint John.

But loads of other people were, and their reports from said screening have got us very excited to see the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and new companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) back on our screens.

The sixth episode of the show's seventh series sees the Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a wifi soup. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.

Here's what the critics had to say:

**WARNING: We've done our best to avoid major spoilers, but those who don't want to know anything about the episode probably shouldn't read on.**

Digital Spy
"Moffat's latest episode delivers what was promised - 'Bells' is a contemporary urban thriller given a sci-fi twist, like Skyfall or The Bourne Identity spliced with Time Lord DNA and with a classic Who concept at its core."

The Telegraph
"Smith is as frenetic as ever, with his comic timing improving with every series. Most exciting is the gleeful use of central London’s landmarks by the Doctor and his fast-talking new assistant, who speed around the city in a bid to battle the malevolence lurking in the Wi-Fi. In all, Moffat has penned a witty nail-biter, liberally sprinkled with clever, modern ideas."

Radio Times
"It’s being sold as an 'urban thriller' but is more of a pulse-racing joyride with modern London as a backdrop, taking in St Paul’s, Westminster Bridge, the South Bank and the Shard. There’s also time for a perilous plane ride, a motorcycle with unexpected features, creepy inventions called Spoonheads, a dip back to a monastery in 13th-century Cumbria… plus we find out where the Time Lord keeps his clothes. (Expect a rush in the shops for purple tweed!)"

Sci-Fi Now
"The wonderful Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Borrowers) has terrific as the sharp-suited Miss Kislet, the administrator of the Wi-Fi menace. She’s got some fantastically cruel one-liners, all delivered with a bone-dry deadpan and just the beginnings of a wicked grin. It’s difficult to talk too much about her character without straying into spoiler territory, but let’s just say that a high bar has been set for the other villains in Series 7 Part 2."

SFX
"There’s a pinch of Black Mirror about this tale. It’s powered by some very contemporary concerns about the inescapable rise of social media and our Apple-worshipping world – and still finds room for some delicious pops at surveillance cam culture and Burger King."

So. There you have it. All in all, we're expecting greatness.


Doctor Who returns to BBC One at 6.15pm on Saturday 30th March.

New Star Trek: Into Darkness Images Released

Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are looking all serious and brooding in these two new images from Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Something heavy must be going down. 

We'll find out what when the film hits UK cinemas on May 9, a week ahead of its US release date on May 17.

Chris O'Dowd In Thor 2 Cameo

He's come a long way from The IT Crowd.

Irish actor Chris O'Dowd has revealed that he has filmed a single scene for Thor: The Dark World.


The actor made himself the the envy of men the world over, tweeting: "So today I'm filming a date scene with Natalie Portman. #UpTheRossies"

He also told Indiwire: "I don't know if I'd do an action movie, because I don't know if I could keep a straight face honestly, I just think it's so silly. Like I love watching them but I can't imagine me doing one.

"Actually, you know what I've done, just for fun because I didn't think there was any way that I could be in a superhero movie... I've done a scene in the new Thor movie, just for that. I just do like one scene, which was quite fun."

O'Dowd is rumoured to be playing Dr. Donald Blake, the ex-boyfriend of Natalie Portman's character Jane Foster. But, assuming that he is taking on an established Marvel character, internet speculation also surrounds the roles of Jake Olson, Eric Masterson and Keith Kincaid.

Thor: The Dark World hits UK cinemas on 30th October, and goes stateside on 8th November, 2013.

Geeky Dates For Your Diary: April

K-blimey there's a lot of stuff going on in April. Frankly, after compiling this list we're too exhausted to get excited about doing any of it - but we're sure we'll get over that soon enough. There is, after all, quite a bit to get excited about...
 
Monday 1st - Game Of Thrones Season 3 (Sky Atlantic, 9pm)
Roughly based on the first half of George R.R. Martin's A Storm Of Swords, the third season of Game Of Thrones promises lots and lots of sex and violence and… well, excellent telly.
skyatlantic.sky.com/shows/game-of-thrones

Tuesday 2nd - Touch Season 2 (Sky 1, 8pm)
Kiefer Sutherland returns as single father Martin Bohm, who's still trying to unravel the mystery behind his son Jake’s (David Mazouz) seemingly preternatural abilities.
sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/touch

Wednesday 3rd - Dark Skies
As the Barret family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them. Stars Keri Russell, Jake Brennan and Josh Hamilton.
www.darkskiesfilm.com

Wednesday 3rd - Terry Brooks @ Forbidden Planet
New York Times bestselling author puts in an appearance at Forbidden Planet's London megastore to sign his latest novel, Bloodfire Quest.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/terry-brooks-rare-uk-signing

Thursday 4th - The Big Bang Theory Season 6, Part 2 (E4, 8pm)
Sheldon, Leonard, Penny et al return for more japery and comedy geekdom.
www.channel4.com/the-big-bang-theory

Thursday 4th - Adam Christopher @ Forbidden Planet
The Empire State author comes to London to read from and sign an exclusive limited edition of his new novel, The Age Atomic - sequel to the superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/launching-adam-christophers-age-atomic

Thursday 4th - Preview: 009 Re:Cyborg (3D) + Q&A @ BFI
Director Kenji Kamiyama and producer Tomohiko Ishiia introduce a screening of their unique contemporary anime followed by a Q&A.
www.whatson.bfi.org.uk

Saturday 6th - Ian Whates & Chris Beckett @ Forbidden Planet
Ian Whates and Chris Beckett appear together to sign their respective new releases. Whates offers up Growing Pains, a collection of nine stories that slip effortlessly between science fiction and dark, humanesque fantasy and examine the gaps between reality and the spaces that hide within us all. Beckett, meanwhile, will be promoting his new short story collection, The Peacock Cloak.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/ian-whates-and-chris-beckett

Saturday 6th - Mike, Linda & Louise Carey @ Forbidden Planet
The family-cum-creative partnership gather to sign their new fantasy novel, City Of Silk And Steel.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/mike-carey-linda-carey-and-louise-carey

Thursday 11th - Being Human US (Watch, 9pm)
The US remake of one of our favourite BBC shows finally hits UK screens. Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington star as a vampire, ghost and werewolf who… well, you know the rest.
watch.uktv.co.uk

Thursday 11th - The War Of The Worlds Alive On Stage!
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds – Alive on Stage! The New Generation is coming to the big screen for the first time. Filmed in front of a sell-out audience at London’s O2 Arena on 15th December 2012, Alive! is a stunning musical multi-media extravaganza based on H.G. Wells’ dark Victorian tale of a Martian invasion of England. Starring Liam Neeson, Jason Donavan, Marti Pellow, and Ricky Wilson off of the Kaiser Chiefs.
www.thewaroftheworldscinema.com

Thursday 11th - Jeff Noon @ Forbidden Planet
Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award Jeff Noon comes to Forbidden Planet to autograph copies of his brilliantly innovative and highly entertaining novel, Vurt.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/jeff-noon-signing-vurt

Friday 12th - Oblivion
A court martial sends a veteran soldier to a distant planet, where he has to destroy the remains of an alien race. The arrival of an unexpected traveler causes him to question what he knows about the planet, his mission, and himself. Stars Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough.
www.oblivionmovie.co.uk

Sunday 14th - Double Bill Screening: Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) / The Good Mother (1988)
Part of the Cinema Museum's Star Trek season, here's a chance to see possibly the best of the original movies on a big screen, as well as an opportunity to re-evaluate Leonard Nimoy's rarely seen drama.
www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2013/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-the-good-mother

Tuesday 16th - Defiance (Syfy, 9pm)
An epic fantasy drama combining the scope of a sci-fi blockbuster with the intimacy of a small-town drama.  Set in the near future, the series introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this unknown and unpredictable landscape, the newly formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully in a town called Defiance.
www.syfy.co.uk/defiance

Thursday 18th - John Matthews @ Forbidden Planet
The author of the bestselling book Pirates and How To See Faeries, John Matthews, brings Faeryland - his new interactive book about faeries - to Forbidden Planet.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/john-matthews-signing-faeryland

Friday 19th - DaVinci's Demons (Fox UK, 10pm)
Written by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, the Blade franchise, and the upcoming Man of Steel), the series follows the 'untold' story of Leonardo Da Vinci: the genius during his early years in Renaissance Florence. As a 25-year old artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time as he begins to not only see the future, but invent it.
foxtv.co.uk

Friday 19th - Evil Dead
Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival, in this remake of the classic 1981 horror starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez and Jessica Lucas.
www.evildead-movie.com

Saturday 20th - Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill @ GOSH! Comics
Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill celebrate the release of Marshal Law: The Deluxe Edition - collecting the original series plus Fear and Loathing, Takes Manhattan, Kingdom of the Blind, The Hateful Dead, Super Babylon and Secret Tribunal.
www.goshlondon.com/2013/03/pat-mills-and-kevin-oneill-marshal-law-signing

Tuesday 23rd - Lost Girl Season 3 (Syfy, 10pm)
Bo risks her freedom to do a favor for Lauren, only to discover she’ll have to do it “au natural,” as the supernatural crime drama returns. Elsewhere, the new Ash is revealed and Bo’s new appetites shock… has she not recovered from last season’s battle after all?
www.syfy.co.uk/shows/lost-girl-season-2

Wednesday 24th - Tom Gauld @ GOSH! Comics
Cartoonist Tom Gauld appears at Gosh! to sign copies of his new Drawn & Quarterly book You’re All Just Jealous Of My Jetpack, which collects eight years worth of strips are collected in a handsome hardcover.
www.goshlondon.com/2013/02/tom-gauld-launch-party-signing-youre-all-just-jealous-of-my-jetpack/

Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th - Sundance London
The second Sundance London is set to present four exciting days of live music, the UK premieres of American independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, plus panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As and exclusive events. A must for movie fans.
www.sundance-london.com

Friday 26th - Iron Man 3
Robert Downey Jr. suits up once more in the concluding part of Marvel's Iron Man trilogy. When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, Stark starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
uk.marvel.com/iron-man-3

Saturday 27th - E=MC Geeked
The first convention for fans of The Big Bang Theory features panels, photo and autograph sessions, evening entertainment and promises lots of fun. Guests include Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Brian Smith (Zack), Alice Amter (Mrs Koothrappali) and Aarti Mann (Priya).
www.rogueevent.co.uk/e-mc-geeked

Sunday 28th - Vendetta
Arrow fans will love this one-day event packed full of panels, photo and autograph sessions, evening entertainment and featuring Paul Blackthorn (Detective Lance), Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen) and Emily-Bett Rickards (Felicity).
www.rogueevent.co.uk/arrow

Sunday 28th - Wales Comic Con
Fans of comics, film, art, sports and, well, just about everything get the chance to meet the stars from all fields at this one-day event. Guests include Robert Picardo, Billy Boyd, Nicholas Brendon, Neil Edwards, Lee Bradley, Andy Lanning, Mike Collins, and more.
www.walescomiccon.com

Monday 29th - Lauren Beukes @ Forbidden Planet
The winner of last year’s Arthur. C. Clarke award will be reading from and signing her latest novel, The Shining Girls - hailed as "a masterpiece of thriller writing, quite unlike anything else in tone and conception".
forbiddenplanet.com/events/lauren-beukes-launching-shining-girls

Tuesday 30th - Sunday 5th May - Sci-Fi London Film Festival
The UK’s leading genre event returns, with Brit vampire flick Byzantium opening proceedings. 
www.sci-fi-london.com

Feel free to get in touch if you've got anything to add to the list, or submissions for future months - just email geekygirlslovescifi@gmail.com. 

New Doctor Who Trailer Released

"Right then, Clara Oswald. Time to find out who you are." 

It seems the Doctor's set to indulge his inner Sherlock as the sci-fi show returns for its seventh series. He's on a mission to uncover the mystery behind new companion Clara, who we've so far seen in three incarnations (albeit one of them only in a trailer so far, but still). 

Get a sneak peek at the action in the Beeb's new trailer below: 

Speaking of the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith's been out and about quite a bit recently. First doing his thing for charidee in a sketch for Comic Relief: 

And second, on the Jonathan Ross Show, giving Wossy a cheeky hint about what's in store for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary celebrations. 

"I've got to be diplomatic... because if I give the whole game away I'll be screwed," he joked. "The thing is with Who, you'll understand this more when you've watched it." He then added: "Paintings. That's all I'm saying." 

The actor went on to say that he is "very happy" on Doctor Who and confirmed that he will shoot a 2013 Christmas episode following the 50th 3D special. 

"I go and I do the anniversary special, then I go away for a bit and then I come back and do the Christmas special," he explained. "It's one of those jobs that you have to take year by year, it's ten months a year, it's all-consuming. 

"So I don't think you can plan five or six years ahead, or even two years ahead. It's a year by year thing and at the moment it's 2013 and we'll see what 2014 holds."  

 Doctor Who returns to BBC One with eight new episodes every Saturday night from March 30.