Sneak Peek! The Hobbit: An Unforgettable Journey

"True courage is not about knowing when to take a life… but when to spare one." 

Oh, Gandalf, how we've missed you. 

Check out the first clip from The Hobbit, in which Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) sagely hands a hesitant Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) a sword named Sting - and has some sage advice for the young hobbit to go along with it. 

 WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS FILM! 

The end. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 13 in the UK, and December 14 in the US.

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Star Trek Into The Darkness Plot Revealed

It’s been a long time coming Trekkies, but Paramount have finally decided put fans around the world out of their misery by revealing the plot behind JJ Abrams’ sequel movie, Star Trek Into Darkness. 

Hurrah! 

The official film synopsis for Star Trek Into Darkness reads: 

“When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. 

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. 

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.” 

Oooer! We’re intrigued, on myriad of levels, (Who's the insider Big Bad? Whose friendship will be torn apart? Could their costumes possibly get any tighter - we sincerely hope so) but above all we’re most curious as to how Benedict Cumberbatch’s villain fits into this story arc. 

With the first trailer set to debut during the release of The Hobbit on December 14, consider our appetites well and truly whetted. 

Returning cast in Abrams’ second Star Trek outing include Chris Pine as Captain James T Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Bones, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. As well as the Cumberbeast, new cast additions include Alice Eve and Peter Weller.

 Star Trek Into Darkness beams down into UK and US cinemas 17 May 2013.

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Snyder Vaguely Fuels Cavill Appearance In Justice League Rumours

There's nothing we love more than a vague comment. The briefest of smiles and most innocent of ponderings can be given special meaning by the merest of speculation.

And speculation, as you know, is what we journalists do best.

This latest over-interpreted statement comes courtesy of Man of Steel director Zack Snyder, who has intimated - albeit vaguely - that Henry Cavill's Clark Kent could be the Superman for Warner Bros' planned Justice League movie.

During an interview with the New York Post, 300 and Watchmen helmer Snyder spoke about the tremendous weight of responsibility he felt.

"I heard one time that the Superman glyph is the second or third most recognisable symbol on Earth after the Christian cross," Snyder said. "It's this crazy responsibility."

He went on to discuss the fact that the film is expected to launch a new franchise and presumably will tie in with Justice League, which is due for release in 2015.

"We approach the film as a single endeavour," Snyder explained. "There are a lot of gears that have to turn in the world of commerce and the world of the mythology we create to facilitate more adventures for this character. We'll see what happens."

"I don't know how Justice League is going to be handled. Honestly, I don't. But The Man of Steel exists, and Superman is in it. I don't know how you'd move forward without acknowledging that."

Asked if he and Warner had discussed integrating Man of Steel into a larger superhero universe, Snyder then added: "Um, how can I answer that? I can't really say anything to that, because that's a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course."

Far be it for us to fuel the flames of internet gossip and online rumour with mere supposition, so we'll leave you to interpret that as you wish.

It'd be great if it did happen, though, wouldn't it?

Man of Steel will be released on June 14, 2013.

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Merlin's End: The Stars Speak

GG♥SF awoke to sad news this morning, as the BBC revealed that one of our favourite fantasy shows is set to come to an end after its current series, to be replaced by an "ambitious" new drama in 2013.

The show will end, not with a whimper, but with a bang in a two-part special at the end of the year.

Co-creators and executive producers Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy confirmed the news, saying: "This is the series where the storylines truly reach their apex.

"We always felt the story of the legend was best told across five series, leading to a spectacular finale that draws on the best known elements of this much-loved story and brings to a conclusion the battle for Camelot.

"We'd like to thank the amazing cast and crew for their professionalism and dedication, the BBC, FME and all of our partners globally for their incredible support and encouragement across the last five series. But chiefly, our thanks go to Merlin's remarkable and loyal audience around the world for their enthusiasm for the characters and Camelot universe."

Show star Colin Morgan (Merlin), meanwhile, thanked fans for supporting the show to the end: "From the beginning, this was always going to be a five-year journey that we embarked on, and I think the show has run its natural course.

"The show has grown and grown each year and now we've arrived at its strongest point and we've achieved what we set out to do... I know this is the end, and I know this is goodbye, but thank you for being there on the journey with us because it has been a lot of fun!"

The delicious Anthony Head (Uther) added: "Hats off to Julian and Johnny, the producers, for sticking to their guns with the five-season story arc of Merlin. It would have been too easy to give in to demand and stretch the show on beyond their original plan because of its incredible success. Instead, Merlin finishes at the height of its success and will, therefore, live on in people's memory. That's certainly what happened with Buffy - and it really doesn't happen that often.

"As for myself, I really miss working with such a talented and warm-hearted bunch of people - cast, crew, production. Everyone in London, Wales and France made the Merlin experience a very, very special one. Thank you all."

And the even deliciouser Bradley James (Arthur) had this to say: "The Merlin years have provided me with fond memories, great experiences and beloved friends, and all the while we were supported by a devoted fan base who made the show a unique, surreal and special experience.

"My words won't do justice to the honour of being King Arthur, so I shall just say that it has been an exceptional one, and that knowing the show has been a part of so many people's lives has been humbling."

Katie McGrath (Morgana), meanwhile, promised a "breathtaking finale", adding that she thought it was the right time to draw the series to a close: "I have always said the success of the show has stemmed from our audience being able to relate to the characters on different levels - being based on the universally-loved Arthurian legend is only a tiny part of its success - it's a story about acceptance and growing up," she said.

"The breathtaking finale of this series leaves you with no doubt that characters have been on their journeys and had their stories told - it's completely the right time to draw our telling of the story to a close."

Angel Coulby (Guinevere) echoed her co-stars' sentiments: "It has been a very special and memorable five years making Merlin. I feel extremely proud to have been part of such a brilliant show and such a great team.

"I think we've told the story we set out to tell, which ends with the fantastic two-part finale, by the way! I believe the key to any successful show is making sure you leave people wanting more!"

And Richard Wilson (Gaius) was gracious as ever: "Firstly I would like to say that I'm extremely sad that Merlin has come to an end.

"Speaking as Gaius, I feel I have mentored the young wizard as far as I can - he is much smarter and greater than me now and I am simply exhausted!"

As sad as we are, we've got to admit it's refreshing to see a series end as it was always planned to, rather than being dragged on for the sake of popularity and profit (*cough* Lost *cough*).

By golly we'll miss those knights*, though.

So all that remains to do, it seems, is start thinking about how the drama will come to a close. We suspect Arthur might find out about Merlin's magic at some point soon…

Merlin's final series is currently airing on BBC One on Saturdays.

*As we've only a few weeks left to legitimately post gratuitous shirtless images of Camelot's finest, here's a little something to help you cope with the news…

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Iron Man 3 "Not Serious" Says Kevin Feige

Following the release of the first Iron Man 3 teaser trailer, many (including us) had assumed the third Tony Stark installment would take a darker tone.

But not so, according to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

In an interview with The West Australian, he revealed that Iron Man 3 is "not a serious movie," but went on to add that the film will "dig into exploring more of Tony".

"The trick is just trying to make great movies. We try to make them all great, all different and all fresh. What you'll see in Iron Man 3 is some very unique directions that were taken," he continued.

In an earlier interview with USA Today, Feige also praised Ben Kingsley's performance, saying: "On his last take of his first full day as the Mandarin, when they yelled, 'Cut!', the entire crew burst into applause, spearheaded by Mr Downey himself. It was pretty amazing to see that."

With Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black at the helm, we're expecting good things.

Iron Man 3 will be released on April 26, 2013 in the UK, and May 3 in the US.

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Jackson Unveils New Hobbit Production Diary

As we're now just weeks away from the film's cinematic release, King of the Hobbitses Peter Jackson has seen fit to release a new production video from the set of The Hobbit.

In the ninth behind-the-scenes film, we see Jackson and his crew discuss the ongoing process of editing the first film in the trilogy, An Unexpected Journey, which is due to be completed just two days before its world premiere. 

Two days? Are they mad? 

Regardless of their mental state, the post-production team must certainly be knackered as they work round the clock to get the movie ready. 

But it's good to see that success hasn't gone to Mr Jackson's head - he's still happy to put the kettle on and make a brew when it's required of him. 

And make sure you watch til the end - as well as a sneak peek at the goings-on in post, we also get a glimpse of the score for the movie being recording. It's spine-tingling stuff. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits cinemas on December 14.

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Jack The Giant Slayer: New Trailer

We love fairy tales. We love Stanley Tucci. We love Ewan McGregor. And we're a little bit in love with Nicolas Hoult. So Jack The Giant Slayer is all win as far as we're concerned.

And this new trailer for Bryan Singer's 2013 release (formerly titled Jack The Giant Killer, but presumably changed so as not to offend oversensitive, politically correct Americans) only heightens our enthusiasm.

Check it out and let us know what you think.  

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Star Trek Stars Masterson, Intiraymi Join Sci Fi Weekender Line Up

The guest list for next year's Sci Fi Weekender grows ever longer, more exciting, and increasingly attractive.

Today, the team announced that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actress Chase Masterson and Star Trek: Voyager star Manu Intiraymi have signed up to appear at the event, now in its fourth year.

Masterson's break-out role as Leeta on Deep Space Nine led to her being voted into the Top 10 Sexiest Aliens in TV History on AOL. She has also appeared on the big screen in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men and Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, and recently starred opposite Sylvester McCoy in the audio adventure Doctor Who: the Shadow Heart - the success of which has prompted the company to create a spin off series for Chase - Vienna will premiere in early 2013.

Manu Intiraymi, meanwhile, is best known for his recurring role as Icheb in seasons six and seven of Star Trek: Voyager.

Mad Max and Farscape actress/model Virginia Hey, best known though for her role as the blue priestess Zotoh Zhaan in Farscape, will also appear. And comic artist Glen Fabry (Slaine, Hellblazer, Preacher) will return to Wales to talk about his latest DC Comics project Lot 13 (written by Steve Niles) amongst others.

These representatives of sci-fi and comicdom's great and good join Game of Thrones stars Richard Madden (Robb Stark) and Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Brian Blessed, Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, Weekender regular Craig Charles and Robert Rankin on the roster.

We can't wait.

Tickets for the 2013 Sci Fi Weekender, which takes place at Hafan y Mor Holiday Park in Pwllheli, North Wales from March 1st to 3rd, are available now. You can get them here.

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Doctor Who: More Tennant Return Talk

This isn't really news, so much as slightly more trustworthy speculation. But it's nonetheless something to get excited about.

Our buddies at Bleeding Cool have had confirmation of David Tennant's return to Doctor Who from what they call a "solid source".

The lads were told: "Yes. David Tennant will be back in time for the Doctor Who anniversary. Be prepared to be surprised…"

It's not much to go on, but it seems like the multi-Doctor hopes and dreams of Whovians everywhere are becoming more and more likely to be made reality by Steven Moffat.

Still, he's a tricksy man that one, so we're waiting for a press release from the Beeb before we decide to pop open a bottle of champers and go streaking down Oxford Street in celebration.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One on Christmas Day.

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The Search Is On For The Amazing Spider-Man 2's Harry Osborn

Rumour has it that four actors are being lined up on Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 casting couch, all hoping to win the part of Peter Parker's best buddy-turned-enemy, Harry Osborn.

And, we've got to say, we approve of all of those in contention.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sam Claflin, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth and Boyd Holbrook have all filmed screen tests for the part.

Each of the lads boasts impressive CV, but Sony have so far declined to comment on which might be favourite for the role.

What we do know is that Webb is said to be reviewing the part, which originally called for a well-built, athletic character, instead opting for a more "dark and edgy" actor.

Erm, Marc, give us a call if you need any help deciding, yeah?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits cinemas on May 2, 2014.

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Amy Acker Hopeful For S.H.I.E.L.D. Role

Joss 'The Great' Whedon (all hail, all hail, etc, etc) is known for having favourites among the acting community, and using them over and over again.

So it wouldn't surprise us in the slightest if we saw a few Buffy, Angel, Firefly or Dollhouse alum pop up in his new S.H.I.E.L.D. series.

And we know at least one actress is keen to get involved.

Speaking to TVLine, Amy Acker (who has appeared in Whedon's Angel, Dollhouse and Much Ado About Nothing) said she's unlikely to be a regular cast member, but would love to guest on the show.

"I'm in between the age ranges of the [regular] parts," she explained. "Hopefully I'll get to do something.

"I think they're putting together a pretty great cast. I'm excited to watch it."

The great cast she's referring to includes Clark Gregg (The Avengers), Ming-Na Wen (ER), Iain De Caestecker (The Fades) and Elizabeth Henstridge (Hollyoaks).

Fellow Whedon favourite Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity, Angel, Dollhouse) has previously expressed a wish to appear in the series, telling IGN: "I have my fingers crossed behind my back.

"I try not to say anything to Joss about anything he's doing because he has so many actors, and I know we all want to work for him. So I don't know, but if I could be a part of it in any way, of course, you know I want to."

Sigh… what we would give to be part of Whedon's inner circle. We'd do almost anything. (Seriously Joss. Call us.)

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Dark Horse's Mr Hyde For Movie Adaptation

Fans of Cole Haddon and MS Corley's The Strange Case of Mr Hyde will be pleased to hear that their favourite series is the latest comic book to be snapped up by film studios for a movie adaptation.

Henry Poole Is Here scribe Albert Torres has been hired to pen a screenplay based on the Dark Horse title, according to The Wrap.

The story sees Scotland Yard enlist the help of Henry Jekyll after a serial killer seemingly fuelled by the same serum that unleashed Mr Hyde begins terrorising London.

Skydance Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment and the Mark Gordon Company will produce the film, though no release date has yet been set.

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Game Of Thrones Season 3: A Brief Vid-Tease

Sadly, there are actual months to wait until the third season of Game Of Thrones hits screens. 

But HBO are doing their best to keep us pant-wettingly excited, nevertheless. 

The latest teaser trailer doesn't have much in the way of visuals, but features a sexy voice over lady telling us that a war must be won. 

"A great war is between death and life, ice and fire," she says. "If we lose, the night will never end." 

Ooh, our spines are positively tingling. 

Game Of Thrones return on March 31, 2013.

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GG♥SF ♥ Hyper Japan

It's that time of year again and we're excited to be heading over to Hyper Japan in London this weekend.

We're always excited to share our love of all things Japanese with like-minded folk (plus eat lots of sushi and sweet treats and drink sake cocktails). 

As always, Hyper Japan showcases ancient Japanese traditions mixed with a modern day edge. For the first time in over 10 years, Hotei (best known for his theme tune to Kill Bill) will be performing on Friday 23rd November at 6pm. Plus, talking of Kill Bill, you can see Japanese Samurai Sword Artists KAMUI perform their swordsmanship skills. Not to mention the fashion, Cosplay and Christmas shopping! 

We have a feeling a lot of our Christmas presents will be bought this weekend!

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First Look! Doctor Who: The Minisode & Christmas Trailer

As has become traditional for the BBC appeal, Doctor Who was a firm fixture for Children In Need tonight, showcasing a specially filmed prologue for this year's Christmas Special, The Snowmen, as well as the first trailer for the episode. 

So here it is, featuring an intro from Matt Smith himself and Jenna-Louise Coleman, who makes her debut (sort of) as the Eleventh Doctor's new companion… Clara. 

Yep. 

We're expecting lots of wibbly wobbly timey wimey tricksy twists from Mr Moffat come Christmas Day. 

 

Ooh! And there's new piccys too! 

Want to get involved with Children in Need? You can find out more, including how to donate and what’s happening in your local area by visiting the Children in Need site now!

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Hiddleston Talks Thor: The Dark World

Along with the rest of geekdom, we totally fell in love with Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Thor and The Avengers.

But we're intrigued to see where the actor will take the villain next after being bested by his brother twice.

Happily, Hiddleston believes that there's plenty of life left in the old boy yet.

Speaking to GQ, the actor revealed that The Avengers will act as a springboard for the sequel, centering on Asgard.

I remember Chris [Hemsworth] and I saying over the summer when Avengers came out, where do we go now? Going into this one we were - very flatteringly - involved in big creative conversations about tone, and story.

"Thor and Loki are these two characters that people know and love and understand - so we have to take this in the right direction. You want to do something new - you don't want to re-heat the same recipe in the microwave, you want to cook up something different and exciting - but you don't want to lose the things that worked the first time. So we're our own slave drivers, in a way. Complacency is the enemy. But that's exciting and it's going well. I have never seen a group of actors or a crew work harder.

"The springboard for us in the second Thor film is at the end of Avengers you see Thor and Loki beamed up back to Asgard. The first question that we all asked was 'what happens next? What does Odin have to say about the events of Avengers?' 'What's Jane Foster been up to while she wasn't involved?' It's really exciting, actually. We're literally half way through - we started at the start of August and we should be finished by Christmas. It's going beautifully."

Talking of The Dark World, more set photos have emerged, showing the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth and/or his stunt double) doing battle with Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston and/or his stunt double).

Thor: The Dark World will be released on November 8, 2013.

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Doctor Who Xmas Special: First Picture Released

Christmas, as we all know, is primarily about chocolate, Doctor Who and Victoriana.

So we're extremely pleased to see that the Eleventh Doctor will be suitably dressed for the occasion.

Check out Matt Smith looking gorgeous in his new threads, comprising a luxurious purple coat and pocket watch. Very heritage chic.

"It does the sort of wonderful Doctor Who-ey Christmas things - you know, snow, aliens, good will, good cheer, someone trying to take over the world. Hopefully it makes for good Christmas Day telly," Smith has said of the episode which features guest appearances from Richard E Grant and Silent Witness actor Tom Ward.

A prelude to the sci-fi drama's traditional festive episode will air as part of this year's Children in Need appeal tonight along with a new trailer.

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Official Synopsis For The Wolverine Released

Having done the important bit and released promotional images of Hugh Jackman half naked, 20th Century Fox has finally seen fit to treat us to an official synopsis for The Wolverine.

"Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern-day Japan," the synopsis reads.

"Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed.

"Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before."

More powerful, eh? Guess that explains all the scary veins... 

The Wolverine will be released on July 25, 2013 in the UK, and July 26, 2013 in the US.

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Boromir Versus Ned Stark? Ooh… Interesting

We love a good theoretical game here at GG♥SF HQ. Imaginative outs of 'Would You Rather?' or 'Who Would Win?' are often played over lunch. But we bow to George R.R. Martin for coming up with the most debatable one yet. 

So who would win in a very Sean Bean-y face-off between his Lord of the Rings character Boromir, and Game of Thrones' Eddard Stark? 

It's a tough one, eh? And one we imagine could be debated for hours by fantasy fans. 

But for his part, Mr Martin has spoken. And he's come down on the side of Tolkien's man. 

"I think Boromir is probably more of a warrior than Ned was," the writer told MTV Geek during a wonderfully fun game of 'GRR Versus JRR'. "Ned was more of a lord, a ruler, a diplomat, a general." 

He added: "In simple physical one-on-one combat, Boromir probably [would win]." 

Ooh… we've got to say, we agree. 

Martin went on to bet that Jaime Lannister would best Aragorn in battle (hmm… not so sure, to be honest), that Smaug would beat Balerion, Saruman would kill off Melisandre and that Frodo would have no chance whatsoever against Tyrion (bit obvious, that).

 Check out the full video below. 

Get More: MTV Shows

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for a third season on March 31, 2013 and airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK.

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Transformers 4 Moves Forward Four Years

That Mark Wahlberg will be starring in Transformers 4 has given us a glimmer of hope for the franchise, which seriously lost its way with last instalment, Dark of the Moon (yes, we know he did this, but he also did this and this so we reckon he deserves our faith).

And it seems Michael Bay actually has a plot in mind for the movie, which is progress.

In an interview with TMZ, the director revealed: "The movie is going to continue four years from the attack on Chicago, which was in the last movie.

"It's going to have the same lineage, but it's going in a full new direction. It actually feels very natural how it's going in that direction... We're doing a lot of things that are really going to make it fresh and feel new."

Alright, alright, it's vague. But we're clutching at straws here.

Bay went on to praise Wahlberg, who he said had joined the cast following an original, untrue rumour that he was already in the running.

Announcing the news on his website earlier this week, Bay said: "Mark is awesome. We had a blast working on Pain and Gain, and I'm so fired up to be back working with him.

"An actor of his calibre is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers legacy."

We hope so, Mike, we really do.

The fourth Transformers movie is due to start filming in spring 2013 for a 2014 release.

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