First Official Pic of Chris Evans as Cap!

I think it's safe to say, anyone who was worried about Chris Evans being able to pull off Captain America can now relax. Entertainment Weekly via io9 has brought us our first official look at Chris Evans as Captain America. It's only from the chest up, but man that costume is perfect. It mixes 1940's textures and style with the original costume concept. We still have to see the cowl, but if they go with the helmet look the final product will be stunning.

Update on October 29, 2010 at 2:22 PM by Rob "T3k" Piontek

Additional photos from inside this week's edition of Entertainment Weekly have surfaced, showcasing Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, and Hugo Weaving.  Click the image below for more.

Concerning Hobbits

Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins! The bravest little Hobbit of them all!

Not long after the confirmation of Peter Jackson as director, and the announcement of a February 2011 start date, the latest news concerning The Hobbit is the casting of the titular character, Bilbo Baggins.  British actor Martin Freeman (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz) will fill the role previously played by Ian Holm in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Freeman will, of course, be playing a much younger version of the character for the two prequels.

It's a brilliant casting call.  Freeman actually looks like a young version of Ian Holm.  He can currently be seen as Dr. John Watson in the new BBC series, Sherlock.

But the news doesn't stop there.  Several of Bilbo's dwarven companions have also been announced.  Actor Richard Armitage (Captain America: The First Avenger) has been cast as party leader, Thorin Oakenshield.  The majority of the dwarves will be played by Aidan Turner (Kili), Rob Kazinsky (Fili), Graham McTavish (Dwalin), John Callen (Oin), Stephen Hunter (Bombur), Mark Hadlow (Dori), and Peter Hambleton (Gloin).  The five remaining dwarves have yet to be cast.

Since Gloin is the father of Gimli, I had held out hope that John Rhys-Davies would return to play the role.  But alas, it was not to be.

No word yet on whether or not Ian McKellen or Andy Serkis will reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum, respectively.

The Hobbit films will begin shooting in February of 2011 in New Zealand, and will be directed by Oscar winner, Peter Jackson.

NBA Jam hits retail for the PS3 and 360; Online play included

Despite being touted as a Wii exclusive back in the day, NBA Jam is making its way to the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 - complete with full HD graphics and online play.

Clocking in at the same $50 price point as the Wii, the HD version of NBA Jam will be available on November 17 with a "free title update to enhance the online experience" coming by December.

Featuring gameplay that is true to the original, NBA Jam will have players competing in two distinct game modes — Classic Campaign and Remix Tour — plus online modes.

At the 11/17 launch, gamers can take on friends and rivals in the classic 2-on-2 mode, complete with leaderboard rankings.  In December, the online experience "will expand significantly" through a free title update.  The update will let gamers team-up locally and online to compete in Remix Game modes, like Elimination, Backboard Smash, Domination, and 21.  Also, the update will introduce "Online Progression," which will put players through the ringer in a series of challengers to unlock all kinds of hidden rewards.

That sounds pretty wonderful and all, but it still doesn't answer the biggest question:  is the game non-partisan?

Beware My...Redesign?

Image source: DailyBlam.comBig news from the Green Lantern movie.  At the 2010 Spike Scream Awards on Saturday, fans got a look at the GL Power Battery that will appear in next's year's film.

The Daily Blam features the photo of the battery, as well as images from the awards ceremony.  Actress Blake Lively, who plays Carol Ferris in Green Lantern, presented the award for "Most Anticipated Movie."  Appropriately enough, GL won the award, and Ryan Reynolds (Hal Jordan) was on hand to accept.

I've read that the movie's design for the battery is one of the most drastic deviations from the comics.  If so, I'm OK with it.  It's an interesting design, to say the least, maintaining the (for lack of a better term) "organic" style the filmmakers seem to be going with.  Coupled with the image we've seen of Reynolds in the CGI Lantern uniform, they work.  Now we just need to get some images of Sinestro!  

The Scream awards aired on Spike TV this past Tuesday evening.

Native Netflix Channel in Wii Shop

Not to be outdone by its Xbox and PS3 counterparts, Nintendo is bringing disc-less Netflix streaming to its console as of today.  The new Netflix channel is available to download right now from the Wii Shop Channel, meaning Netflix subscribers in the US and in Canada can now stream content across all three major gaming consoles without the hassle of a disc.

"At this time of year, consumers have a near-insatiable demand for family entertainment, and this simplified Netflix access will help bring families together more quickly, more easily, and in more ways than ever before," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president.

"The availability of Netflix right on Wii Menu adds signifcantly to the ease and convenience that attracts our members to the Netflix streaming experience, " Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, added.

Of course, because of the Wii's general lack of high-def capabilities, the Netflix channel will not support HD streaming or 5.1 digital audio, but if that hasn't bothered you before, it's certainly not going to give you much trouble now.  So go the Wii Shop Channel now, and get your streaming on!

NYCC 2010: Comics, Cartoons, Costumes, & Chaos

After 1 year and 8 months since the last New York Comic Con, the East Coast's premiere pop culture event returned to the Jacob Javits Center in New York City last weekend.  The five-year-old convention has exploded in popularity since its inception, hoping to one day rival the legendary San Diego Comic Con.  

In an effort to further the event's expansion, ReedPOP, NYCC's parent company, combined it with the New York Anime Festival.  With crowds of comic geeks and otaku filling the halls, the shoulder-to-shoulder attendance turned out to be a sell-out crowd. The selling of weekend and day passes was suspended on Saturday.  The grand total of attendees was an amazing 95,000+.

Fans were shoulder-to-shoulder in the aisles of NYCC

Following the trend set in San Diego in July, DC and Marvel, the heavy hitters of the comics industry, showcased the latest and greatest from their respective universes.  Remaining at the forefront of the DCU, Green Lantern had plenty of publicity.  Blackest Night may be wrapped up, but Brightest Day is in full swing.  On hand to discuss the popularity of GL in the DCU was writer and Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns.  Mr. Johns received a great deal of exposure at his own Q&A session, as well as at panels pertaining to the upcoming Green Lantern animated series and the "Emerald Empire" of the GL mythos.  While many questions were dodged to preserve secrecy, Johns still managed to coyly drop some hints about upcoming events both on the page and on the screen.  With four Green Lantern titles on comic shop shelves, an animated series in the works, and a feature film nearing completion, the popularity of Hal Jordan and the intergalactic police force is at an all-time high.

Green Lantern: Emerald Empire panel

Video games were also a large part of Marvel's presence.  Game developer SEGA was on hand to show both a demo of "Captain America: Super Soldier", and production art and a behind the scenes look at "Thor: God of Thunder."  The debut of both games will coincide with the releases of their respective feature films in 2011.

OTF with Next Level Games' Brandon Gill, game director of Captain America: Super Soldier

Continuing the theme of Marvel video games, attendees were able to play the recently released "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" at the Activision booth, "Marvel Super Hero Squad Online" at the Marvel booth, and, of course, the highly anticipated "Marvel VS. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds", which could be found at the center of the large mob of people at the Capcom and IGN booths.  Apparently, since Marvel has already saturated the film market, they are now focusing on the gaming market.  Not to be outdone, DC Universe Online, the MMORPG that will be finding its way to PC's everywhere next year, was also featured.  OTF got to sit down with Executive Creative Director Jim Lee and game director Chris Cao to discuss the game.

But if you're interested in more cutting-edge gaming, Microsoft and IGN teamed up to give NYCC attendees a chance to get physical with a demo of Kinect, the Xbox 360's revolutionary motion control gaming and entertainment experience.  Playable sample games included racing, rafting, and dodgeball swatting…for lack of a better description.  If you plan on purchasing the new peripheral, make sure you have plenty of room.

OTF tries out Kinect

Across the show floor, Marvel Comics had their own goodies to share.  For Marvel, one word sums up their mission for the next few years: Avengers.  We all know the film is on the way, but surprisingly enough, there was almost no sign of it at NYCC.  Instead, Marvel featured news and footage from the upcoming animated series, "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

Not far from the busy industry booths were the humble tables occupied by the creative individuals behind smaller productions, such as independent print publications and webcomics. Among them were PVP creator, Scott Kurtz and “Nowhere Man”creator, Jerome Walford. They each took the time to speak with OTF and shared details about past and upcoming features.

OTF Editor, Thor with PVP's Scott Kurtz

Fans of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim were treated to panels featuring the creators of "Robot Chicken" and "The Venture Brothers."  Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Clare Grant, and Macaulay Culkin previewed Season 5 of "Robot Chicken" and also gave the fans a look at their third Star Wars special, due to air on December 12^th on Cartoon Network.  "The Venture Brothers" creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer (and unexpected guest Michael Sinterniklaas) had nothing to show, since their new season is currently airing, but they were more than happy to take questions from the fans and answer them in the most bizarre way possible.

Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, creators of The Venture Brothers

Other panels and screenings that took place over the course of the weekend ranged from discussions about SyFy’s now complete, yet still popular Battlestar Galactica series to a preview of DC's newest animated series, "Young Justice."  OTF Contributor Cinephonic was even in the fray, co-hosting the panel, The Music of Heroes, discussing film scores and composers involved with big screen superhero adaptations.

OTF Contributor, Cinephonic (right), discusses superhero film music.

And what would a comic convention be without cosplayers?  Fans from as close as New Jersey, and as far as Canada descended upon the Jacob Javits Center clad in all forms of spandex, armor, and fur, breathing life into their favorite comic, cartoon, video game, movie, or pop culture characters.  It's impossible, even for the intrepid OTF crew, to see every spectacular costume, but the few we spotted can be found here.  We applaud the dedication, creativity, and in some cases, bravery of all of these talented fans.

All in all, NYCC was a rousing success.  Sure it’s crowded and an attendee is unable to experience every single sight, sound, or event, but we at Open The Fridge did our best to experience as much as we could.  I’m just happy we don’t have to wait another year and a half for the next one.  New York Comic Con 2011 will be October 14th-16th.

NYCC 2010: The Return of Thunderstrike!

Tom DeFalco signing my copy of Thor Corps #4. (Image by Shannon Sorensen Photography)

At NYCC, OTF had the chance to talk with former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Tom DeFalco. DeFalco is famously known as the writer and editor who took Thor through the majority of the late 80’s and 90’s and as the creator of great characters like Thunderstrike.

When we caught up with him in artist alley, we found out that he was in the final stages of a new Thunderstrike book. We had a chance to look through the rough sketches of the upcoming issues, and any fan of Thor or fantastic 90’s Marvel should be excited.

Journey forth to see what Tom DeFalco had to say about his new Thunderstike book!

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OTF:  This new storyline, is it going to be taking place within the current continuity in the Heroic Age stuff Marvel has going on?

Tom DeFalco:  Oh, yeah, this is current-day Marvel Universe kind of stuff.

O: Is he going to have any interaction with the other Asgardians?

TD: Uh, yes. [long pause]

O: [laughs]

TD: One of those Asgardians – well, actually, I think they’re already past the page, but we --

O: I could swear I saw Hogan.

TD: Well, we seem to indicate [coyly] Asgardians.  This particular Asgardian… [He points to a silhouette of a man that looks very much like Thor.]

O: He’ll be stopping in?

TD: Our character will be having a discussion with that particular Asgardian in the next issue.

O: Since we’ve got Thor back, Beta Ray back, and now Thunderstrike back, do you think there’s any chance for a potential resurrection of the Thor Corps?

TD: The Thor Corps?  [laughs] If you had ask asked me a couple of months ago, “Was there any chance of Thunderstrike coming back?” I would have said no.  So, I’ve decided not to say no anymore.

O: Ooh, cryptic.

TD: I honestly have no idea what Marvel’s plans are.  They asked us to bring Thunderstrike back.  And we, Ron Frenz and I, started to talk about it.  We said, “Ah, we’ve already done that,” you know?  If you’re familiar with my work, you know we’re always trying to create new things and go forward, which is why sometimes fans get annoyed because they say, “Ah, you just got on a book, but you haven’t brought back all the old characters!”

O: Because it’s more fun to write the new stuff!

TD: We’d rather create a whole bunch of new characters! So I said to Ron, “We’re not going to have any fun doing this, unless we can do blah-blah-blah,” and Ron would always respond, “Well, you know, if you wanted to do that, why don’t we do this?”  We started talking for about an hour or so, and then we said:  “You know, we can bring back Thunderstrike, but not the way they think it’s coming back.”  So we’re kinda convinced that this will be our last job for Marvel. [laughs]

O: Oh, wow.  I can’t wait.  Now is he going to have the same personality and demeanor with the rest of the Avengers and the Marvel higher ups?  The cocky, yet – trying as hard as he can, but always seeming to stumble?

TD: You know, the original Thunderstrike, I would never give him “cockiness.”  I would say he was trying as hard as he could, but always stumbling; but I don’t think he was ever cocky about it.  He kind of knew he was like “Uh, you know, eeeeehhhh… Did they give the hammer to the right guy?”  This is going to be… not quite that, but it’s going to be something really twisted in a different way.

O: Awesome.

TD: So it’s not going to be your standard superhero.  The guy who gets the hammer actually, I think in the second issue, considers putting it on eBay. [laughs]

O: [laughs] Perfect!

TD: So it’s going to be something kind of different.

O: So when can we expect to see this?

TD: I spoke to Ron Frenz on Thursday when the convention started, and he told me we’re the first week of November.

O: Fantastic.

TD: But Ron is an artist, and he usually gets dates wrong, so who knows? [laughs] You can see it’s all drawn.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s all been done for a while, so, you know, it conceivably could be the first week of November.

O: Awesome, I am definitely looking forward to it.  Thank you so much!

TD: My pleasure.

NYCC 2010: Interview with Chris Cao, Game Director of ‘DC Universe Online.’

In the Sony Online Entertainment press room, we at OTF had a chance to sit down and discuss the minutiae of the game’s focus and development with Chris Cao, game director of the upcoming superhero MMO DC Universe Online.

In the second of two interviews conducted at a roundtable, Mr. Cao was kind enough to discuss the MMO’s “inspired by” system, the development challenges in defining  the game world, and what exactly is being done to make the player the star of the game in a world where Superman flies the skies.  We also talk about the dreaded subscription fee ($14.99/mo) and why that subscription fee may be “the cheapest thing you’ve ever spent on video games.”

Read on for the interview and the character creation trailer released at NYCC!

DC Universe Online is slated for release on the PC and the PlayStation 3 early next year.

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At the panel, you were going over the create-a-character – that you could align yourself with certain characters or motifs. How many characters are we looking at that you have the opportunity to align yourself with?

Chris Cao: There are sort of two different parts to this. One is choosing your mentor, which is really a choice of what kind of hero or villain you are. We have the game is split into three buckets: tech, meta, and magic. Guys who depend on their own skills are tech-based; guys who have inherent powers, like Superman, are meta-based; and those who use magic are magic – it’s kind of surprising [laughs.]

DC Universe Online’s Character Create Trailer

Those mentors actually [determine] your choice of content through the game and ultimately what kind of battle suit you get. If you want the Batsuit, you need to have Batman as your mentor because he’s not just going to hand it out to anybody, right? If you want the strength of Hera, which is Wonder Woman’s suit, you need to actually be working for her. That’s the first choice in character create.

Read more about game development, the challenges in making an MMO with a license, and betraying your mentor after the jump!

Click to read more ...

Peter Jackson Returns to Middle Earth (UPDATED)

How do you say 'inevitable' in Elvish?

It was only a matter of time.  First they said "The Hobbit" would not be made into a live-action film.  Then they said, "Oh fine, but Peter Jackson will only write and produce, not direct."  Then Guillermo del Toro signed on to direct and fans rejoiced.  Then del Toro dropped out in May, leaving the director's chair open for (Academy Award Winning Director) Peter Jackson to fill.  Was it all a ploy?  Who knows?  We're all just happy he's back.

As amazing as a del Toro take on Middle Earth would have been, Jackson will undoubtedly maintain consistency in the look and feel of the on-screen Tolkien universe he brought to life from 2001 to 2003.

As final negotiations get hammered our with Mr. Jackson, another fairly large announcement has come out of the project.  "The Hobbit" will join the ranks of Hollywood films to be shot in 3D.  Again...inevitable.  This now begs the question, after both "Hobbit" films have been released, will the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy be converted to 3D and all five films brought back to theaters?  Probably.  George Lucas is doing it.  

"The Hobbit" will be released as two separate films to be released in December 2012 and December 2013.

Update on October 16, 2010 at 12:17 AM by Rob "T3k" Piontek

The Hobbit has been officially greenlit and will begin production in February 2011.   The news was confirmed on Friday by MGM, Warner Brothers, and New Line.

NYCC 2010: Green Lantern - Emerald Empire

There is no denying it.  Green Lantern is currently DC's flagship property.  With four titles on the comic shop shelves, an animated series in the works, and a feature film due in June, the light of the lantern is the brightest in the DCU.  On hand at New York Comic Con to discuss the popularity of Green Lantern was a panel of DC talent that included Group Editor Eddie Berganza, Rodolfo Migliari (cover artist, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors), Assistant Editor Adam Schlagman, Geoff Johns (writer, Green Lantern, The Flash), Peter J. Tomasi (writer, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors), Joe Prado (artist, Brightest Day), Ivan Reis (artist, Brightest Day), and Tony Bedard (writer, Green Lantern Corps).

The discussion kicked off with "GLC" writer Tony Bedard hyping up Tyler Kirkham, the new artist on the series, and teasing a fight between Kyle Rayner and Sinestro at the Greenwich Village Halloween parade. 

Left to Right: Eddie Berganza, Rodolfo Migliari, Adam Schlagman, Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, Joe Prado, Ivan Reis, and Tony Bedard

Peter Tomasi, when speaking about “GL: Emerald Warriors”, stated that there will be a lot of "cool, emotional beats" in future issues. "All the seeds that we've planted start to show themselves pretty soon."

News on the Green Lantern movie was scant.  Geoff Johns sang the praises of Ryan Reynolds, stating that, “He is Hal Jordan” and he does an amazing job when "it gets serious and the chips are down."  Johns also confirmed that the film’s trailer will be seen in theaters on November 19th, preceding Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

When fans from the audience began asking questions, the panelists did their best to answer, and while they attempted to preserve secrecy about upcoming events, they still shared plenty of exciting details.  One fan inquired if any other GL Corps members would be featured in their own comic title.  Geoff Johns answered by stating that the villains in the first season of the upcoming Green Lantern animated series will be the Red Lantern Corps, led by everyone’s favorite angry alien, Atrocitus. Johns followed that up by teasing a future comic title starring another corps.  He also dropped a hint that the first issue may or may not have already been written.

As the audience members asked their questions, answers and details came in rapid-fire succession.

In “Emerald Warriors” in early 2011, readers will learn more about the mysterious and ominous pact between Guy Gardner, Ganthet, and Atrocitus.  

One attendee made the observation that Isamot (Green Lantern of Sector 2682) is "Tomasi" spelled backwards.  Johns said that there are other names like that, and that Isamot will appear in the GL movie.

When asked about John Stewart, Tony Bedard replied, "Someone pointed out to me at some point that John really needs to get some action. He's a great guy.  He really hasn't had anything going on. Wouldn't it be nice? I love that character, and he seems very untapped."  Intentional or not, Bedard’s pun evoked a good laugh from the fans.

The Star Sapphires and their new Queen, Carol Ferris, will be featured again in future issues.  Readers will also finally get more details about the mysterious Indigo Tribe.

The story of Dex-Starr, the feline Red Lantern from Earth, will continue, possibly in a Valentine’s Day special.

When asked what Larfleeze sounds like when Geoff Johns writes him, Johns described the Orange Lantern as sounding “a bit like Daffy Duck. I think he drools a little bit. He eats with his mouth open."  He also teased the "Larfleeze Christmas Special" issue, due this winter.

Cover from the upcoming Larfleeze Christmas Special

Another fan inquired about Mark Strong as Sinestro in the GL movie.  Johns said he was "blown away" by Strong’s appearance in the Sinestro makeup.  He also said that Strong looks exactly like Ivan Reis's Sinestro come to life.

The next major Green Lantern storyline will be “Flashpoint.”  It will start after the 24-issue run of “Brightest Day”, and it will prominently feature Earth’s Green Lanterns, Hal, John, Guy and Kyle as the main characters.  Also coming on the heels of "Brightest Day" will be a “huge fight” between Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner, according to Geoff Johns.

Another fan asked if there are any plans for another Geoff Johns/Ethan Van Sciver project.  Johns coyly deflected with a “maybe.”

One fan at the mic inquired if we should "look for any Easter eggs of the different color rings in the movie?" Once again, Johns deflected.  "Can't really talk about that. Good try."

Another upcoming project is “Green Lantern: Secret Origins 2”, which will tell the story of the fall of Sinestro.

One of the last questions for Geoff Johns asked if there will be any team-ups between Green Lantern and Green Arrow.  "At some point we'll probably do Green Lantern/Green Arrow," Johns answered. "Probably sooner rather than later."  Fans already got a bit of a GL/GA team-up in "Green Arrow #2."  A sign of things to come perhaps?

Needless to say, it is a great time to be a GL fan.  Geoff Johns and the other writers and artists have some exciting projects on the horizon, so keep your eyes on the comic shop shelves, TV screens, and, most importantly, movie theaters this June.