girl powers

Whither Our Superheroines? An Outraged Culture Demands To Know

In all the drama surrounding Edward Norton's Hulk trouble and Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr.'s gloriously checkered past, we've overlooked one of the more conspicuous problems afflicting this summer's superhero glut. To wit: Where are all the women? Are there any comics featuring female heroes whom some studio will take a chance shepherding to the screen? At least one commentator shares our concern at Vulture, and the prognosis isn't looking good: More »

trade roundup

DreamWorks Ani Extends Bird Viacomward, Takes On Tom Freston

· Thumbing its nose at coldhearted, Spielberg-disrespecting corporate partner Viacom, DreamWorks Animation names legendary Sumner Redstone shitcanee Tom Freston to its board of directors. That'll teach you not to fuck with a national treasure, unfeeling new CEO Phillppe Dauman! [Variety]
· Now here's some casting chatter we can get behind: Jessica Biel is "in talks" to play Wonder Woman in Warner Bros.' comic book megamovie Justice League of America, a project that may include other DC heroes like Superman (but not Brandon Routh), Batman (ditto on Bale), the Flash, and Aquaman. [Variety]
· In lower-budgeted comic book project news involving stars further down Hollywood's alphabetical hierarchy, Dominic West, Doug Hutchison and Wayne Knight join Lionsgate's new Punisher feature. [THR]
· The season premieres of Heroes and Dancing with the Stars both build on last season's debuts, while new CBS "look at how socially inept smart people are!" sitcom Big Bang Theory (seriously, will those geeks ever get laid? We can't handle the delicious tension!) actually drawing a bigger number than lead-in How I Met Your Mother. [Variety]
· Conspicuously silenced Emmy blasphemer Sally Field is attached to play Mary Todd Lincoln opposite Liam Neeson's Abe in Steven Spielberg's slow-developing Lincoln biopic. [THR]

joss whedon

Lucky Joss Whedon Somehow Off 'Wonder Woman' Without Suffering Debilitating Injury At Joel Silver's Hands

In an unexpected development sure to result in dozens of accidental Wonder Woman fanboy deaths as they attempt to combat their grief by autoerotically asphyxiating themselves with golden lassos, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has just announced on his fansite Whedonesque that he is off the WW movie: More »

trade roundup

Trade Round-Up: Silver Trying To Take 'Wonder Woman' Competition Off The Market

· Jennifer Garner seeks to emasculate husband Ben Affleck by proving that at least one person in their household can carry a holiday-themed comedy, signing on to star in the remake of the 1945 movie Christmas in Connecticut for Warner Bros. [Variety]
· Warner Bros. and Joel Silver, who have been developing a Wonder Woman movie to be written and directed by fanboy-sainted Buffy creator Joss Whedon, are "quietly" trying to buy another Wonder Woman script, possibly to cover their asses in the event its writers decide to sue because their "getting it on in the invisible jet" scene is too similar to the one in the eventual WB product. [THR]
· Unfaithful co-stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane reunite for the Nicholas Sparks adaptation Nights in Rodanthe for Warner Bros. [Ed.note—Is today Warner Bros. Day at the trades?], in which they hope to recapture the carnal chemistry they enjoyed in their previous collaboration. [Variety]
· American Idol continues to destroy everything in its path. Interestingly, its Nielsen halo effect is now even boosting its lead-ins, bringing Bones its highest ratings in a year. [THR]
· In speculating about how moving beloved, but ratings-challenged, Friday Night Lights to a better timeslot might improve the show's chances of survival, Var invokes the name of Freaks and Geeks, the standard by which all beloved-but-ratings-challenged-series- that-were-killed-off-too-quickly are judged. [Variety]

short ends

Short Ends: Griffin, Alba, And Wonder Woman

· $20 gets you the once-worn, authentic, 1950s pin-up bathing suit, but you have to take Kathy Griffin with it. It's a package deal. Sorry, no exceptions!
· And now to cleanse the pallette: In the words of Goldenfiddle, "Jessica Alba adjusts her bikini to get the sand out of her acting ability on a beach in Mexico."
· It goes without saying that the idea that Tom Cruise is a relationship addict is completely ridiculous. After all, this is a man who has personally—personally!—stepped countless others off the dangerous street drug of serial monogamy.
· It's only a matter of time before the next celebrity sex tape hits the market, and it looks like Jude Law is the odds-on favorite amateur porn-star-in-waiting.
· Director Joss Whedon reveals that his version of Wonder Woman might not be wearing panties. [via ComicBookMovie.com, scroll down to fifth section.]