GG♥SF @ The Sci-Fi Weekender

Here's the thing with the Weekender. We always have the best of intentions. We take our laptops and come up with cool and clever ideas for live blogging the event. But it always, without fail, goes wrong. Either the wi-fi is crappy, or gin gets in the way, or Eve Myles hands us a pint of wine and the world goes dark.

So this year, we're going to keep it simple. (What? Did you seriously think we were going to stay away from the gin? Are you crazy?)

We'll be tweeting ourselves silly for the next three days as we get stuck in at geek camp. Panels will be covered, photos posted, interviews conducted and good times had. And when we get back from Wales, we'll write up anything we missed in a calm, collected, soberly manner.

For all the gossip, and to see what an amazing time you could have been having with us if you were there, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or keep an eye on the snazzy little widget below.

Ain't technology grand?


Tweets by @GirlsLoveSciFi

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Is Downey Done With Iron Man?

As far as perfect casting goes, there's not many who'd argue that Robert Downey Jr. does a bad job portraying genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark.

But are we about to see the actor hang up his helmet and hand the role of Iron Man to someone else?

An interview in the latest issue of Empire sees the actor hint at it.

"I feel that the first time I played Tony, I did it best… how do you sustain something?" he said.

"I’m not stupid, I like to play ball, I love the company, I love the character, and the business side of things, I’m not too picky about that either… Tony’s going to carry on. Avengers 2 already has a release date… It would probably be the best thing in the world for me [to stop]… I don’t have to overstay my welcome…"

Just so we're clear, Bob, you could never overstay your welcome with us.

If, like us, you're a bit sad at the prospect of bidding farewell to Mr Downey Jr. make yourself feel better with these pics from Iron Man 3 - including the dramatic new poster featuring loads of Iron Men. 

Iron Man 3 is released in the UK on April 26th, then a week later in the US.

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A Dark Universe Update From Del Toro

We've been looking forward to seeing Guillermo Del Toro's take on DC's Justice League Dark ever since his Dark Universe project was announced.

But it seems we're going to have to wait a while before we see what he's got in store for the movie, based on DC's ongoing series which features a team of supernatural heroes led by John Constantine.

The filmmaker has told Total Film that he has has a writer on board, and is about to pitch to DC Comics and Warner Bros. But he's keeping details under his hat… for now.

"I am going to be presenting my storyline to DC and Warners of where I want to take this universe," he said. "We do have a writer, but until that is firmed up, I have to keep it a secret. I hope it happens."

Del Toro did reveal that he plans to draw from the origin stories of characters including Demon Etrigan, Swamp Thing and Deadman in the movie.

"I'd love to use the origins that are proper to each character. I love the idea of Jason Blood as a paladin and a knight," he added. "I love the entire Constantine mythology, the Deadman mythology, the Alec Holland Swamp Thing mythology. These are really rich things to well, and to dig."

Whatever happens, we're confident this is going to be all kinds of brilliant.

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The Moff Teases Doctor Who Tardis Episode

Series six's Tardis-centric Doctor Who episode, The Doctor's Wife, was one of our absolute favourites, so we're excited to hear what The Moff has in store for the Time Lord's most enduring companion this year.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Steven Moffat revealed that upcoming episode Journey to the Centre of the Tardis will feature "great visuals" as we finally get the chance to explore more of the Doctor's home.

"We've built the rest of the TARDIS!" Moffat enthused.

He continued: "The idea is in the title; we're going to journey to the centre of the Tardis. We've got some great visuals for that."

Ashley Walters, who guests star in the episode, added: "In our episode it'll be the first time people get to see so much of the Tardis."

Hmm… we wonder if we'll get a glimpse at the Eleventh Doctor's bedroom (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Doctor Who returns with the remaining eight episodes of series seven on March 30 on BBC One.

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Rapace Reveals Prometheus 2 Plans

The ending of Prometheus pretty much promised a sequel. So it's no surprise that Ridley Scott is busy working on the project… or that heroine Noomi Rapace wants to be involved.

The actress told The Playlist: "They're working on the script, [and] I met Ridley in London a couple of weeks ago. I would love to work with him again and I know that he would like to do another one. It's just like we need to find the right story. I hope we will."

Rapace went on to explain that she would hope for a second film to further develop many of the philosophical themes introduced in the first.

"It's interesting because people, most people I've talked to who see the [first] movie, see things that are quite different," she said. "Some people who see the movie many times... discover new things. There are all these religious aspects and there are very interesting conversations.

"And for me, if we do a second one, there are a lot of things to explore in there and to continue. I would love to do it."

One thing that does give us hope, is that Prometheus co-writer Damon Lindelof will not return to scripting duty due to *ahem* 'scheduling commitments'. Yeah, sure Damon, whatever.

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McAvoy Dashes Our X Team-Up Dreams

With both James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart being awesome, and equally brilliant in the role of Charles Xavier, we had been hoping to see a great meeting of the great minds on screen in X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

But McAvoy reckons it won't happen. Damnit.

"It'll be cool, but I don't think we get any scenes together, sadly," he told Empire magazine. "I don't think there's any future self talking to past self."

Meanwhile, the actor discussed the privilege of starring in the X-Men franchise, saying he's grateful to be able to take smaller parts in smaller movies.

"Having an X-Men in your back pocket, which hopefully will go for three movies, it makes you go, 'Right, it doesn't matter if I make 14 films that nobody sees... because in two years' time I'll make another X-Men'.

"Meanwhile, Fox are thinking, 'Why isn't this f**ker out there building his profile so he can make us more money on the second X-Men?' But that's their fault for hiring me!"

If rumours are true, though, McAvoy's next project won't be low-profile as far as we're concerned. The actor has been connected to the new adaptation of James O'Barr's famous comic, The Crow.

Curiouser and curiouser…

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The Great Whedon Reckons Hulk Movie Is "Tricky"

If anybody could do anything well, it's Joss Whedon.

But even our hero thinks it would be difficult to get Bruce Banner right on the big screen, explaining why so many have tried and failed.

"It would be very, very hard," said Whedon when asked about the possibility of making a good Hulk film during an appearance at the Glasgow Film Festival.

"Hulk is a tricky son of a bitch. He's the Claudio of superheroes.

"Because the problem is it's a very popular character, but it's not a superhero. Half of it's a superhero, half of it's a werewolf. And you can't structure it like a superhero movie, you can't light it like a superhero movie.

"How do you develop that? It would be extremely difficult. The one thing you would have in your favour would be Mark Ruffalo. But right now I don't know if they have plans to do that or not, because he works so well as part of a greater whole, but by himself, it's tough. I don't envy the guys who went before."

Oh, but Joss. Wouldn't you love to give it a go?

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New Wolverine Image Released

The X-Men's resident grumpy guts is looking mighty pissed off in the latest image released from The Wolverine.

The pic was released on the film's official Facebook page accompanied by the caption "The past is always behind you, but the memories still remain."

Rumour has it the first trailer for Hugh Jackman's second solo outing as the beclawed superhero will hit cinemas in late March. We'll see Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and Brian Tee round out the film's cast for James Mangold's emotional exploration of Logan's life before he discovered the delights of lycra. 

The Wolverine will be released on July 25, 2013.

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Moffat Reveals Ice Warriors Uncertainty

We thought Steven Moffat was the brains behind all Doctor Who greatness. But it seems sometimes even The Moff needs a bit of help.

The showrunner has admitted that Mark Gatiss had to work hard to convince him that the "rubbish" Ice Warriors should return in the Sherlock collaborators upcoming episode provisionally titled The Cold War.

"It was Mark Gatiss's idea - it was very much his pitch," The Moff revealed at the Gallifrey 2013 convention in Los Angeles.

"He'd been pitching for Ice Warriors for a while [and] I wasn't tremendously persuaded, I'll be honest.

"I thought they were maybe the default condition for what people thought of as rubbish Doctor Who monsters - they moved very, very slowly and spoke in a way that meant you couldn't hear a word they said."

But Moffat explained that he was eventually turned around when Gatiss pitched a number of "really stormingly good ideas" for the creatures' comeback, saying: "It's an absolute cracker of an episode."

Doctor Who will return to BBC One with a new eight-episode run from Saturday, March 30.

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Marc Webb Tweets Mysterious Spider-Man Teaser

What might the 32nd President Of The United States have to do with the plot of The Amazing Spider-Man 2?

That's not a rhetorical question. We're genuinely asking, we have absolutely no idea.

But there's got to be a purpose behind Marc Webb's mysterious tweet - a collage of Franklin D Roosevelt accompanied by the message Day 12 #thepassage.

This isn't the first intriguing image the director has posted to tease fans. Day 11's image of some stern looking FBI agents was accompanied by the hashtag #knockknock, while the third day of shooting gave us an image of what looks to be a cooler locker at a morgue accompanied by the message #happybirthday.

So what does it all mean? Any guesses, people?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will arrive in cinemas on May 2, 2014.

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Hamill Talks Star Wars: Episode VII

Since Star Wars: Episode VII was announced, the internet has been one big rumourpalooza surrounding the possible returns of original cast members Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

Mark Hamill has kindly spoken up to clear up the speculation, revealing that he's in talks, but nobody has signed on the dotted line… yet.

"They're talking to us. George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested," Hamill told Entertainment Tonight. "He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed — on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."

The actor went on to ascertain that he reckons the film will explore the next generation of the Skywalker clan - though they're more likely to be Leia and Han's kids, rather than Luke's.

"I'm assuming, because I haven't talked to the writers, that these movies would be about our offspring — like my character would be sort of in the Obi-Wan range [as] an influential character," he continued."When I found out [while making the original trilogy] that ultimate good news/bad news joke – the good news is there's a real attractive, hot girl in the universe; the bad news is she's your sister – I thought, 'Well, I'm going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I'm going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.'"

And finally, Hamill had a few words of advice for director JJ Abrams regarding the tone and feel of the film.

"I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous – in my opinion, anyway," he said. "And another thing I'd want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Tony Daniels, everybody that's around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody's on board here, rather than just one...

I hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings — I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that's unfortunate. … If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.'"

Star Wars: Episode VII is tentatively set for a 2015 release.

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Geeky Dates For Your Diary: March

Earlier this month, we started a brand new tradition for 2013, sharing some significant dates for your diary - from cinematic releases to TV air dates, events and exhibitions. 

We thought you might appreciate a bit more warning for March, so without further ado here it is.

Friday 1 March - Stoker
After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him. Starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode.
www.stoker-movie.co.uk

Friday 1 - Sunday 3 March - Sci-Fi Weekender
Back for a fourth year in 2013, the Sci-fi Weekender (formerly the SFX Weekender) promises the ultimate sci-fi experience for people who love science fiction and fantasy. Packed with activities for fans: big-name guests, interviews, Q&A sessions, movie screenings, comic workshops, videogaming, music, book readings and plenty more, it's a two day geekgasm of the highest order.
www.scifiweekender.com

Friday 8 March - Oz The Great And Powerful
A small-time magician with questionable ethics arrives in a magical land and must choose between becoming a good man or a great one. Starring James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis.
disney.go.com/thewizard
 
Friday 8 March - Emma Newman Signing @ Forbidden Planet
Emma Newman will be reading from and signing her debut novel Between Two Thornes - a very English urban fantasy that weaves magic, mystery and parallel worlds together.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/2013/03/07/launching-emma-newmans-between-two-thorns-bristol/ 

Saturday 9 March - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Signing @ Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet are celebrating the 50th anniversary of DOCTOR WHO with a special signing of the 50th Anniversary Collection from BBC Books - eleven classic novels, one for each Doctor, repackaged with new introductions.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/2013/03/09/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-signing

Saturday 9 March - Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill @ Gosh! Comics
Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill visit Gosh! to sign copies of their thrilling new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen book — Nemo: Heart of Ice, a full-colour 56-page adventure in the classic pulp tradition.
www.goshlondon.com/events

Saturday 9 - Sunday 10 March - BritSciFi3
The annual event BritSciFi event at the National Space Centre returns, celebrating Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and The Minister of Chance, and promising to be the biggest and best yet.
www.spacecentre.co.uk/special-events/britscifi3

Saturday 16 - Sunday 17 March - Birmingham MCM Expo
The MCM Expo moves to Birmingham for a weekend packed full of gaming, films, TV, anime, manga and comics. Highlights include cosplay competitions and special celebrity guests, to be announced in due course.
www.mcmcomiccon.com/birmingham 

Sunday 17 March - Demoncon 5
Maidstone comic shop The Grinning Demon hosts its fifth convention, packing out the town's Exchange Studio with loads - 49, to be exact - of artists, writers and... people. We've never been, but we've only heard good things about this event, plus some of our very talented friends will be flogging their wares so you should probably go and buy them. Admission is £6, though you can pre-order on the website for just a fiver. Bargain.
thegrinningdemon.com/demoncon-5

Sunday 17 March - In The Flesh (BBC Three, 10pm)
Four years after the Rising, the government starts to rehabilitate the Undead back into the society including teenager Kieren Walker, who returns home to his small Lancashire village to face a hostile reception as well as his own demons, in this brand new supernatural series.
www.bbc.co.uk/intheflesh 

Friday 22 March - Jack The Giant Slayer
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and loads of other famous people.
jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com

Friday 22 March - Revolution (Sky 1, 9pm)
A group of revolutionaries must battle a governing dictatorial militia 15 years after an instantaneous global shutdown of all electronic devices known as the Blackout, in this epic adventure thriller from Supernatural's Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams.
sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/revolution

Monday 25 March - Grimm Season 2, Part 2 (Watch, 9pm)
Nick investigates the case of a missing girl and inadvertently uncovers a copycat Grimm close to home, as the series returns to UK screens. Meanwhile, Juliette finally realises the identity of the Prince Charming who roused her from her coma.
uktv.co.uk/watch/homepage/sid/9022

Friday 29 March - The Host
Twilight fans will be well excited to see Stephenie Meyer's other book hit the big screen. A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race's mission of taking over the Earth, "Wanda" (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.
www.facebook.com/thehostmovie

Saturday 30 March - Doctor Who Season 7, Part 2 (BBC One, TBC)
The Doctor is back for more monsters, mayhem and magic. The first returning episode of the series is directed by Colm McCarthy whose previous credits include Hustle, Spooks and Endeavour.
www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

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.

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Downton Abbey: The Comic Book! What Will Carson Say?

Those who follow GG♥SF on Twitter (and if you don't, what the hell are you waiting for? Forget the rest of this post and have at it!) will know that we're big fans of a period drama. Dancing on the Edge has us in all sorts of excitement at the moment. And another addiction of ours is the wonderfully classy soap opera Downton Abbey.

So imagine our delight when we heard that the series is set to become a comic book. Oh, how we love it when things that we like smush together to become a thing we like even more.

Lady Almina: The Real Downton Abbey comes from Bluewater as part of their Female Force series, and will tell the tale of the somewhat scandalous life of Lady Almina, the real-life inspiration behind the show.

Saucy.

Writer Michael Troy said: "I've always had a fondness for snooty British aristocracy and scandal - so this one was a guilty pleasure to work on for sure."

As far as we're concerned, this is one pleasure that's not guilty in the slightest.

With art by Giuseppe Latanza and a cover by Philip Horton, the book will be available digitally and can be ordered from Comic Book Flea Market. 

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The Great Whedon Says S.H.I.E.L.D Is "Hopeful"

Shooting on the S.H.I.E.L.D pilot has wrapped, and we're pleased to report that writer and director Joss 'The Great' Whedon has stayed true to the series' comic book roots.

Speaking to TVLine, Whedon revealed that the series, should it get picked up of course, will stay true to Marvel - adding that it has a "hopeful" tone.

"I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show," he said.

"It’s not about murder, and it’s not about crime, and it’s not people looking into their own belly buttons. It’s about people who are trying to help each other, and that’s one of the things I loved about comic books. They had costumes and the villains were cool [but] they stood for something, and I like doing a show that does that."

"We’re trying very hard to be true to [Marvel's] ethos and also to the structure of their universe. So it is definitely a Marvel show," he continued.

But with the old, must come the new. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D's main characters are new creations, with the notable exception of Clark Gregg's much-loved Agent Phil Coulson.

"Right now, I want to involve people in the characters that we’ve created for the show and then we’ll worry about [the other stuff]," explained Whedon.

Though he did add that fans hopeful for a cameo from a familiar face or two might get a nice surprise. "There’s a little bit of talk of that," said the director, revealing he's hoping Cobie Smulders will find a break whilst filming Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother to put in an appearance as Agent Maria Hill: "If we can get a hold of her anytime, we will."

S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Brett Dalton and Chloe Bennet. An air date and series pick-up have yet to be confirmed.

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The Cumberbeast Stars In Awesome And Ominous New Star Trek Motion Poster

Oh, Mr Cumberbatch, you do know how to stir us with your dulcet tones.

"You think your world is safe… it is an illusion," monotones the Cumberbeast sexily in the intro to the impressive new motion poster for Star Trek: Into Darkness.

The atmospheric, foreboding teaser is positively dripping with malevolence as his character, mysterious villain John Harrison, promises to wreak havoc on Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) et al in JJ Abrams' upcoming space-set sequel. 

Still, it's pretty sexy, isn't it?



Star Trek Into Darkness hits cinemas Stateside on May 15 and lands in UK cinemas on May 17.

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Shearsmith Takes On Troughton In Doctor Who Biopic

As we hurtle ever closer to Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, much in the manner of a Tardis hurtling through space-time, there's news aplenty to get us excited about the Beeb's plans for celebrating the milestone.

The latest of which is that Reece Shearsmith is set to play Patrick Troughton in League of Gentlemen co-star Mark Gatiss' biopic, An Adventure in Space and Time.

And it seems that, like much of Gatiss' plans for the upcoming special, this has been a casting years in the making.

"I first asked Reece [to play this role] about 12 years ago when I started thinking about this project," Gatiss told the Radio Times. "We were in the midst of League of Gentlemen and I just remember thinking, if anyone plays Patrick Troughton, it should be Reece.

"Like the second Doctor, he's small, saturnine and a comic genius. The complete package. He thought it was a fantastic idea and I've kind of nurtured it all this time."

Troughton, of course, played the second Doctor between 1966 and 1969, inheriting the role from original star William Hartnell (who will be played by Harry Potter's David Bradley).

"Reece [is] not steeped in Doctor Who like I am, but has been lightly dipped over the years," Gatiss added. "I know he's delighted to be a part of An Adventure in Space and Time."

Well, who wouldn't be?

Also starring in Adventure are Brian Cox (BBC head of drama Sydney Newman), Jessica Raine (Doctor Who's first producer Verity Lambert), Jeff Rawle (Doctor Who's associate producer Mervyn Pinfield), Jemma Powell (actress Jacqueline Hill) and Claudia Grant (actress Carole Ann Ford). Waterloo Road's Jamie Glover will play actor William Russell, while the real Russell will make a cameo as a character named Harry.

Matt Strevens (Misfits) is producing the project, with Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad) serving as director.

And in other Doctor Who news, Nick Hurran will direct the show's 50th anniversary episode - scripted, of course, by the one and only Steven Moffat.

Hurran, who has previously helmed the episodes The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Asylum of the Daleks and The Angels Take Manhattan, confirmed the news at the Glasgow Film Festival over the weekend.

Get a gander at what's in store for the Time Lord and his new companion Clara in the BBC America trailer below.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One with new episodes from March 30.

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Guardians Of The Galaxy: Momoa To Play Drax?

It seems that showing off his toned buttocks in Game Of Thrones did wonders for Jason Momoa's career.

His turn as Conan the Barbarian might've been questionable, but if rumours are true that hasn't stopped James Gunn from signing him up to play Drax The Destroyer in the director's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy adaptation.

According to Latino Review, a screen test last week has led to 'talks', meaning fellow contenders Isaiah Mustafa, Dave Bautista, and Brian Patrick Wade could all be out of luck.

If he's successful, we'll doubtless see more of those rippling muscles from Momoa, who'll join Chris Pratt on set when the movie starts shooting in June.

Guardians of the Galaxy is scheduled for release on August 3, 2014.

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Oh, Harrison. Please Don't Do It

So. First things first. We love ourselves a bit of Harrison Ford. The guy's a silver fox. And he's a good actor. The original Star Wars trilogy, Blade Runner and the Indiana Jones films are all testament to that.

But sometimes, no matter how good and hot you are, you should leave well enough alone. And this rule, we're afraid, applies to the actor's decision to reprise the role of Han Solo for JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Wars project, Episode VII.

Now, it might be we're getting our knickers in a twist over nothing. Reports so far suggest he's signed up, but Latino Review don't detail whether Ford's appearance would be a substantial role or a simple cameo. So we'll state now that a cameo is something the Geeky Girls are wholly on board with - excited about, even.

But a substantial part? No. We can't sanction that.

Why? You ask.

Erm, did you see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? That's your answer right there, friends.*

Of course, the car crash that was the last Indy movie wasn't totally poor Harry's fault, but there's no arguing it proved he's past his action hero days - cool 90s earring or no. We'll admit he didn't fare too badly in Cowboys & Aliens, and the guy delivers a witty one-liner like few others, but we just don't think he's going to be able to recreate the magic of roguish charmer and dreamboat Han at 71.

Take our advice Harrison, keep it simple. A small scene and a few lines would be perfect. But stay away from the blasters. 

*For the record, this argument also applies to Indiana Jones 5.

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Coming Soon From Titan Comics

Since the mighty Titan announced its new imprint, Titan Comics, our inbox has been inundated with press releases about original, creator-owned titles coming in the next few months.

And if what we've seen so far is anything to go by, 2013 will see a deluge of exciting stuff from many of British comicdom's great and good.

Titan Comics' publisher Nick Landau has promised: "This is the start of something very special. We’re searching out fantastic new voices and astonishing new artists, and helping them bring their dream projects to fruition – as well as remaining a world-leader in the field of classic comics restoration and republication."

It's a big promise, but with these titles and more to be announced, we reckon Titan can deliver.

DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles
By: Guillaume Dorison aka Izu, Robin Recht, Patrick Pion
Coming: May 2013
Based on the all-new reimagining of the world-famous Devil May Cry videogame saga, this two-part tie-in story is already available digitally, but will hit stores in print later in the year. Taking place before the game, the story reveals the unmissable backstory of Vergil and Kat; with never-before-seen revelations! Featuring chilling and resplendent art, The Vergil Chronicles takes the characters into stratospherically blockbuster dimensions of hellish action and atmosphere.

A1
Coming: June 2013
The award-winning anthology series by Dave Elliott returns with three ongoing strips:
Weirding Willows
By: Dave Elliott, Barnaby Bagenda, Sami Basri, Sakti Yuwono & Jessica Kholinne
Weirding Willows sees the worlds of Wonderland, OZ, Neverland, Mars, Pellucidar and Elysium leak through portals into the little English town of Willow Weir, as Alice and her allies defend her world from the things that would come through those portals to destroy them!
Odyssey
By: Dave Elliott, Garrie Gastonny, Sakti Yuwono
Odyssey follows an immortal military superhero, out of place and time, who finds himself in the middle of an eternal war for mankind between Angels and Demons!
Carpe DIEm
By: W. H. Rauf, Rhoald MarceliusCarpe DIEm follows an offbeat group of the world’s seven greatest assassins: one for each day of the week! Their leader is always a Sir Monday… but the rest of the team always hate Mondays! A riot of colour and concepts in a Tank Girl vein.

Chronos Commandos: Dawn Patrol
By: Stuart Jennet
Coming: July 2013
Described by writer/artist Stu Jennet as "a pumped up, bullet-strewn, bloody celebration of my childhood obsessions," Chronos Commandos is a five-part time-travelling World War II pulp action extravaganza. When the Allies and Nazis develop time-diving technology – one that could see the course of the Second World War derailed by creatures from the Cretaceous – only a cigar-chomping Sergeant and his band of misfit soldiers can counter Nazi incursions and save the future. Expect dinosaurs! Giant crocodiles! And, erm… Albert Einstein with a machine gun!

Numbercruncher
By: Si Spurrier, P.J Holden, Jordie Bellaire
Coming: July 2013
An off-the-wall romance mixing time-travel, life-after-death and coal-black comedy? We're sold. Si Spurrier's utterly unusual, vaguely insane, and unexpectedly heart-warming tale follows a brilliant Mathematician who dies young, enters the afterlife and discovers a way to cheat the terrifying Divine Calculator. He schemes to be endlessly reincarnated within the lifespan of the woman he loves, no matter how often the violent bailiffs of the Karmic Accountancy cut short each life. It falls to one such bailiff – the surly Bastard Zane – to put a stop to the time-twisting romance once and for all, before the Mathematician can pull-off his greatest trick and escape Existential Justice forever.

It Came!
By: Dan Boultwood
Coming: August 2013
As he's a mate of ours, we're proper pleased to see Dan Boultwood's gorgeous four-issue, 50s B-movie style mini-series finally announced. It Came! harks back to an era of good old-fashioned, low-budget misogyny and adventure as a day out in the countryside for space scientist, Dr. Boy Brett and his companion Doris Night is interrupted by a most unwelcome visitor. Grurk, an indestructible, rampaging robot from outer space is on a mission to harvest the British Blitz spirit for energy. Pursuing Grurk in their Morris Minor, will Boy and Doris be able to save the British from a life without stiff upper lippedness, or will Her Majesty's Kingdom be forever resigned to an eternity down in the mouth?
 

To find out more about Titan Comics' exciting plans for 2013, head to the official website.

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Peter Dinklage Joins Days of Future Past Cast

Peter Dinklage's award-winning performance in Game of Thrones has impressed fans the world over. And it seems he's caught the eye of Hollywood, too.

Bryan Singer has recruited the actor to star in his upcoming X-Men sequel, Days of Future Past.

The director took to Twitter to confirm the news, saying: "Officially like to welcome #PeterDinklage from #GameOfThrones to #XMEN #DaysofFuturePast Very very excited!"

There's no word yet on which character Dinklage will play in the 1973-set movie, but the interweb is already ablaze with rumour and speculation.

X-Men: Days of Future Past will see Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page and Shawn Ashmore return to the series alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, and is due to debut on July 18, 2014.

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Jackman To Hang Up His Claws?

When it comes to the big screen, Hugh Jackman has been the most consistent player in the X-Men world.

But his incarnation as Wolverine could be about to come to an end.

The actor has revealed that following this year's The Wolverine, and next year's X-Men: Days of Future Past, he won't be committed to reprise the role of Logan in future projects.

Of course, that's not to say he won't.

The actor told The Hollywood Reporter: "First heard about [X-Men: Days of Future Past] around October or November [2012]. I was literally finishing The Wolverine and dreaming about lasagne, and about three weeks before the end, they told me. There was no way I was not going to be part of that."

The actor went on to reveal that he still hasn't read a finished screenplay, and has seen only a synopsis of about eight pages.

Jackman's second solo outing as the mutant anti-hero, The Wolverine, is currently in post-production ahead of its July 26 release.

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BBC Announces Atlantis

Ever since the Beeb announced its decision to axe Merlin, we've been wandering what would take its place in that all-important autumnal Saturday night slot.

Well, now we know.

13-part series Atlantis comes from Misfits creator Howard Overman and Merlin co-creators Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, and looks set to fulfil our need for good-old fashioned fantasy drama.

The series synopsis states: "The city of Atlantis is a mysterious, ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants.

"It's into this strange, compelling realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends re-imagined for a new generation."

So far, we're kind of loving it. Particularly because we can see much opportunity for shirtlessness, and you know we love that kind of thing. #ShirtlessJason, anyone?

Atlantis is due to start filming in Wales and Morocco in April, a cast is yet to be announced.

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LSCC 2013 Schedules Revealed

We're now less than two weeks away from a weekend of geeking it up at the UK's biggest con, London Super Comic Convention. 

And finally the organisers have released schedules for both days, giving us a bunch of panels to look forward to, and an extensive list of creators to chat up at signing tables.

Check out the full timetable below and get your plan sorted - there's going to be loads to see and do.


SATURDAY PANELS
12.00 – 12.45    CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF MARVEL’S GREATEST CHARACTERS
2013 commemorates 50 years of Marvel’s greatest characters: Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, X-Men, Iron Man (with his introduction in Tales of Suspense #39) and Nick Fury (with his first appearance in Sgt Fury #1). Our panellists reveal the behind the scenes evolution of the characters.

13.00 – 13.45    DAREDEVIL THROUGH THE AGES       
David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz and Klaus Janson discuss the Man without Fear’s evolution from “sightless swashbuckler” to their collaboration with Brian Michael Bendis on “Daredevil: End of Days”.

14.00 – 15.00    DREDD AND BEYOND: THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD OF 2000AD
A chance to see Brian Bolland, Ian Edginton, Carlos Ezquerra, Alan Grant and John Wagner discussing all things 2000AD.

15.15 – 16.00    COSPLAY COMPETITION
Watch the cosplayers parade across the floor in their full regalia.  They will enter the panel room where attendees will pick their favourite costume.  Who will be this year’s London Super Comic Convention Cosplay Winner?

16.15 – 17.15    20 YEARS OF TOP COW
Celebrate 20 years of Top Cow with writers, Ron Marz (Artifacts, Witchblade), David Hine (The Darkness) and Matt Hawkins (Think Tank, Aphrodite IX), who will reveal the remainder of Top Cow's 2013 plans. For aspiring writers, Top Cow's now annual Talent Hunt is quite possibly the only opportunity for unknown writers to get published at an established publisher today. Find out about the 2013 plans. All attendees will receive a special limited edition Aphrodite, Darkness and Witchblade mini-lithograph that all three writers will sign for FREE!


SUNDAY PANELS

11.30 – 12.15    SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN
Doc Ock replacing Peter Parker as Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #700 definitely raised the interest levels and the first issue of Superior Spider-Man continues the debate to a new level.  With Dan Slott attending we couldn’t resist the opportunity to discuss the event and the reaction of comic readers everywhere.

12.30 – 13.30    COMIC GEEK SPEAK PRESENTS:  CREATORS VS FANS
Members of the audience will have their chance to compete against our panel of creators.

13.45 – 14.45    ZENESCOPE:  GRIMM FAIRY TALES ANIMATED
Zenescope Art Director, Anthony Spay, hosts a panel to show off the pilot episode of Grimm Fairy Tales Animated. Anthony will be on hand to share some details about the pilot and talk to the fans of the comics about what to expect next from Zenescope.

15.00 – 15.45    BATMAN THROUGH THE AGES
In Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, Gary Frank, and David Finch we are lucky to have 4 creators who can discuss Batman’s journey from the 1960s to present day.  Don’t miss this unique opportunity to ask them about the Dark Knight’s evolution.

16.00 – 16.45    JUDGE MINTY SCREENING
With the attendance at the show of Judge Dread creators Carlos Ezquerra and John Wagner, a screening of the not-for-profit fan film, Judge Minty, couldn’t be more opportune.    


PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
Portfolio reviews take place at the Portfolio Review Booth

Saturday:
13.30 – 14.30    MARKOSIA
15.00 – 16.00    ZENESCOPE
16.30 – 17.30    TITAN COMICS

Sunday:
12.15 – 13.15    2000AD
15.00 – 16.00    TOP COW


SATURDAY SIGNING SCHEDULE

11.45 – 12.45    SIGNING SESSION 1
JEREMY BASTIAN
BRIAN BOLLAND
MARK BUCKINGHAM
YILDRAY CINAR
KEVIN MAGUIRE

13.00 – 14.00    SIGNING SESSION 2
J SCOTT CAMPBELL
NEI RUFFINO
CARLOS EZQUERRA
GARY FRANK
GEORGE PEREZ

14.15 – 15.15    SIGNING SESSION 3
NEAL ADAMS
IAN CHURCHILL
EMMANUELA LUPPACHINO
BOB MCLEOD
JK WOODWARD

15.30 – 16.30    SINGNING SESSION 4
MARK FARMER
DAVID FINCH
BOB LAYTON
MATTEO SCALERA
TIM SEELEY

16.45 – 17.45    SIGNING SESSION 5
MAHMUD ASRAR
LEE BERMEJO
KLAUS JANSON
DAVID MACK
HERB TRIMPE


SUNDAY SIGNING SCHEDULE

10.45 – 11.45    SIGNING SESSION 6
BRIAN BOLLAND
DAVID FINCH
KLAUS JANSON
BOB MCLEOD
ROY THOMAS

12.00 – 13.00    SIGNING SESSION 7        
NEAL ADAMS
LEE BERMEJO
GABRIELLE DELL’OTTO
FRAZER IRVING
JOHN MCCREA

13.15 – 14.15    SIGNING SESSION 8
SIMONE BIANCHI
KEVIN MAGUIRE
GEORGE PEREZ
ESAD RIBIC
BILL SIENKIEWICZ

14.30 – 15.30    SIGNING SESSION 9
DOUG BRAITHWAITE
J SCOTT CAMPBELL
CARLOS EZQUERRA
DAVID MACK
HERB TRIMPE

15.45 – 16.45    SIGNING SESSION 10
JEREMY BASTIAN
MIKE CHOI
NEIL EDWARDS
GARY ESKINE
NICK SPENCER


EXHIBITOR TABLE SIGNINGS
Please check with Exhibitor timings where not noted:

ZENESCOPE:
Location: Publisher Area
Anthony Spay:  Saturday and Sunday 11.00 – 13.00
Guiseppe Cafaro
Jim Campbell

MARKOSIA:
Location: Publisher Area

Saturday:
12.00 - 13.00    Tony Lee
13.00 - 14.00    Annika Eade
14.00 - 15.00    Magnus Aspli
15.00 - 16.00    JL Straw
16.00 - 17.00    Martin Hayes

Sunday:
12.00 - 13.00    James Pearson
13.00 - 14.00    Valia Kapadi
14.00 - 15.00    Graeme Howard
15.00 - 16.00    Andy Briggs

LIMITED EDITION COMIX:
Location: D312-316, D329-333
Marco Turini
Signing the LSCC/ Limited Edition Comix Superior Spider-Man #1 Variant cover:
Dan Slott
Adi Granov

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS:
Location: D317-322
Stephen Mooney
Declan Shalvey
Will Sliney
John Watson

The London Super Comic Convention takes place on February 23rd and 24th at the Excel Centre, London. Get yourself some tickets and we'll see you at the bar.

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Geeky Dates For Your Diary: February

So here's something new for 2013. Each month, we're planning to put together a calendar detailing all the geeky activity going on around the UK - from TV air dates to cinematic releases, conventions and signings.

Here's what's going on in February:

Monday 11 February - Black Mirror Season 2 (Channel 4, 10pm)
International Emmy winner Black Mirror, written by Charlie Brooker, returns with three brand new films. Each story is in turn, disarming, suspenseful and darkly satirical, and all explore our modern reality.
www.channel4.com/microsites/B/black-mirror

Monday 11 February - Spartacus: War of the Damned Season 4 (Sky 1, 10pm)
Having built on the defeat of Commander Gaius Claudius Glaber with a string of major victories, Spartacus now leads an army of more than 30,000 rebel slaves, and he's set his sights on Rome's corrupt elite, as a new and extremely naked series begins.
sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/spartacus-war-of-the-damned

Friday 15 February - The Walking Dead Season 3, Part 2 (Fox UK, 10pm)
Hell hath no fury like a Governor scorned. Sporting a brand new piece of pirate couture following his eye-popping battle with Michonne (Danai Gurira), The Governor (David Morrissey) is taking his crazy on the road by hunting down the Atlanta survivors at their prison home as The Walking Dead makes its Season 3 mid-season return.
walkingdead.fxuk.com

Saturday 16 February - Midlands MCM Expo
Merlin's Eoin Macken (Sir Gwaine), Star Wars' Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Primeval's Andrew Lee Potts (Connor Temple) and Hannah Spearritt (Abby Maitland) are among the guests heading to Telford for the MCM Midlands edition.
www.mcmcomiccon.com/midlands

Tuesday 19 February - The Vampire Diaries Season 4, Part 2 (ITV2, 9pm)
Stefan, Damon and Elena continue to negotiate their hormones and defend Mystic Falls from various villains along the way.

Wednesday 20 February - SuperLAB!
Artists and scientists explore various thorny issues around the superabilities of comic book characters, looking at aspects such as the crime-fighting powers of the good and the brainwashing attempts of the evil, as well as giving demonstrations showing how close we are to owning extraordinary abilities ourselves.
www.timeout.com/london/attractions/superlab

Thursday 21 February - Lichtenstein: A Retrospective @ Tate Modern
The first full-scale retrospective of one of the great American artists of the twentieth century in over twenty years, this exhibition brings together 125 of his most definitive paintings and sculptures and will reassess his enduring legacy.
www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/lichtenstein

Friday 22 February - Cloud Atlas
The Wachowskis' epic drama explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future.
cloudatlas.warnerbros.com

Saturday 23 - Sunday 24 February - London Super Comic Convention
The biggest comic book convention in the UK returns to London's ExCel, with a line up that includes Neal Adams, J Scott Campbell, Doug Braithwaite, Kieron Gillen, Jamie Mckelvie, Dan Slott, Frazer Irving and tons more.
www.londonsupercomicconvention.com  

Tuesday 26 February - Elementary Season 1, Part 2 (Sky Living, 9pm)
Sherlock and Watson investigate the murder of the general manager of a high-end Manhattan hotel whose body is found inside an industrial laundry machine, as the Holmes-inspired series returns. Meanwhile, since Joan's time with Sherlock is almost up, he offers her an apprenticeship.
skyliving.sky.com/elementary

Tuesday 26 February - Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins @ Gosh! Comics
To mark the arrival of the new edition of Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins’ Unearthing, they'll be at Gosh! in conversation, talking about what originally began as a piece for Iain Sinclair’s London: City of Disappearances and grew from there into a series of live performances and eventually this 184-page full-colour photographic book.
www.goshlondon.com/events

Wednesday 27 February - Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters
In this re-imagining of the classic fairytale, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution, after getting a taste for blood as children.  Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches...their past.
www.hanselandgretelmovie.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.

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Is Ben Affleck The New Batman?

We thought Ben Affleck's superhero days were done with the huge, flaccid flop that was Daredevil. Of course, the actor has redeemed himself in recent years with projects like The Town and Argo, but we still find it difficult to imagine him carrying off a lycra suit nowadays.

But Warner Bros, it seems, feel differently.

Rumour has it the studio wanted him to both direct and act in their upcoming Justice League movie, thinking he'd be the perfect bloke to inherit the Batmobile from Christian Bale.  

Latino Review's Elmayimbe tweeted: "Fun and fabulous fanboy fact of the day: did ya know when Affleck was approached to direct Justice League they also wanted him to play Batman?"

But we're taking this news with a big pinch of salt. Affleck claimed back in December that he has never had any kind of discussion regarding the Justice League movie - with regard to acting, directing, or otherwise.

"I just want to make it clear because it's not like I had something to even pass on," he told HitFix. "Because someone will eventually do Justice League and they'll go, like, 'Ben Affleck passed on it', and it won't be true.

"So I don't mind setting the record straight. It's one of those things where the closest I came was some people talked to me about it like at a meeting. They were like, 'Here's the stuff we're doing', you know? 'Here's what we're looking at'. That kind of thing. And they suggested it. But I don't think there's a script. I don't think there's anything."

As recent reports suggest that WB has ordered a total rewrite of Will Beall's script, we reckon it'll be a while before we find out if there's any real truth to these rumours.

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Hoult Signs Up For Young Ones

With X-Men: First Class, Warm Bodies and the upcoming Jack the Giant Slayer under his belt, it seems Nicolas Hoult has no intention of moving away from the world of sci-fi and fantasy.

He has signed up for Jake Paltrow's science fiction project Young Ones, alongside Superman: Man of Steel actor Michael Shannon, Super 8's Elle Fanning and ParaNorman actor Kodi Smit-McPhee.

The film is described as a sci-fi thriller set in a violent world where water has become scarce and is treated as a precious resource, and the introduction of sci-fi technology threatens to claim more lives. 

The story centres on a cowboy grieving over the death of his father when he finds out that his father’s killer has just moved in with his sister.

Production has begun in South Africa, but there's no news yet on a release date.

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Should We Fear For The Justice League's Future?

After the success of Avengers Assemble, a box office hit for Warner Bros' Justice League of America movie should be a done deal.

But the big screen future isn't looking so bright for the DC team-up.

First, Fox creative consultant Mark Millar revealed that he thinks the project is a colossal waste of time and money, and now it seems the script is being unceremoniously scrapped by Warner Bros.

Eek.

The Kick-Ass writer told SciFi Now: "The characters were created 75 years ago, even the newest major character was created 68 years ago, so they're in a really weird time.

Singling out Green Lantern, he added: "His power is that he manifests green plasma from his imagination and uses them as weapons against someone?

"Even that in itself if you just imagine then watching a fight scene with a guy who's like a hundred feet away making plasma manifestations fight someone - it's not exactly raucous, getting up close and personal."

And he didn't stop there. The Flash and Aquaman also felt Millar's wrath: "You can get away with stuff in comics that in live action's just a bit sucky – the best one is definitely Aquaman. Aquaman can't even talk under water," he said.

"If you think about it in comics it's fine, you just have a speech balloon, but how do you have Atlantis and people talking under water? Are they gonna talking telepathically? Is it going to be body forms?

"The actual logistics of each member of the Justice League is disastrous, and you put them all together and I think you get an excellent way of losing $200 million."

We wonder if those were the problems Will Beall found while penning his script - a script which has apparently been ripped to shreds by Warner Bros, as sources say it's "terrible".

Badass Digest reports: "I’ve now heard from multiple sources that the Will Beall script for Justice League has been scrapped. The story from each source is the same: it’s terrible.

"Some sources seem to think the whole movie is going to fall apart and never happen, while some believe that Warner Bros will keep moving forward, unwilling to lose the superhero arms race.

"Beall’s script supposedly includes Darkseid and a heavy cosmic threat. But the script has been half-baked from the beginning, with reports saying that heroes (beyond the core five of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern) have been cut and added from the proceedings seemingly at studio executive will."

Eek again, eh?

WB had better sort themselves out if they're going to get the film finished in time for a 2015 release.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Official Synopsis Revealed, Rhino Confirmed

After months of speculation, Marc Webb has finally seen fit to share his vision for the follow up to 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man with us.

And it looks like Peter Parker will have to face more than one fierce foe.

The press release reads thus: "In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy - between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can't come quickly enough.

"Peter hasn't forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen's father to protect her by staying away - but that's a promise he just can't keep.

"Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past."

Colombia have also confirmed that Paul Giamatti will take on the role of genetically manipulated Russian gangster Rhino for the sequel, while Thor's Colm Feore will appear in an as-yet unnamed role.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will open in the UK on 18 April 2014.

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Snyder Wants Realism For Superman: Man Of Steel

Those who thought we'd see the same old origin story retold in Man Of Steel may be pleasantly surprised when the movie hits cinemas later this year.

Zack Snyder and the Man of Steel team have opened up to Empire magazine about their approach to the character, with screenwriter David Goyer revealing that he doesn't believe the past, idealistic versions with clingy spandex and primary colours would work with today's audience.

"We're approaching Superman as if it weren't a comic book movie, as if it were real," he said. "It just struck me that if Superman really existed in the world, first of all this story would be a story about contact.

"He's an alien. You can easily imagine a scenario in which we'd be doing a film like E.T., as opposed to him running around in tights. If the world found out he existed, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened in human history."

But that's not to say they'll take the 'super' out of the superhero. Director Snyder insisted that realism will make the film more profound, adding: "We're not trying to take the super out of Superman."

"[Superman] is looking for his place in the world," explained Deborah Snyder, who co-produced the film with her husband. "He is a little lost when we find him, trying to figure it out. That makes him very real. You can relate to the humanity in him."

Man of Steel, which stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe, will debut in cinemas on June 14.

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