16 Comments | Add

 

Rate & Share:

 

Related Links:

 

Info:

• Series: Firebreather, Avengers (Marvel Studios' The Avengers), Rest

NBC Getting Some REST

Comics2Film: REST
© Mania

NBC getting some Rest with Milo Ventimiglia's comic turned TV show. Plus: Avengers facing a budget crunch? Firebreather set for big debut. Preview of new DC Showcase short and More! It's your Comics2Film 10.11.4!

AVENGERS Budget Crunch?

Bleeding Cool has a vaguely worded report suggesting Marvel Studios may be headed for money troubles on their mega-pic The Avengers.

Marvel has a well-earned reputation for being penny-pinchers with their studio-controlled titles. They've had public spats over paychecks with John Favreau, Terrence Howard and Samuel L. Jackson. Rumor has it that their frugal ways caused tense negotiations with the likes of Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson as well.

Bleeding Cool's report, which is completely unsourced and impossible to verify, indicates that Marvel is mandating that The Avengers budget be tamped down as well, in spite of the all-star cast and epic premise. Reportedly spending is to be on par with the first Spider-Man film, although that was done for north of $125 million, which ain't exactly low-budget.

According to the report, insiders are saying the movie, as it's currently planned, can't be done for that money. Supposedly certain members or the project have walked off due to the budgetary constraints. Others are allegedly hanging in and assuming Marvel will come to their senses and bump up the cash flow later in the process.

Supposedly the turmoil has delayed pre-production on the film by weeks, or even months.

As we said, the report gives little in the way of sources or evidence to back itself up, but if we had to guess, we'd say some of those disgruntled walk-offs are talking to Rich Johnston. 

FIREBREATHER Set For Holiday Bow

From a press release...

Cartoon Network’s first-ever CGI original movie event, Firebreather, premieres on Wednesday, November 24 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT).  Directed by Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) and based on the comic book series by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, Firebreather delivers fierce action in the clash of two worlds where monsters roam the Earth and past secrets are exposed. At the center of it all, a teenage boy named Duncan struggles to find his place as half-Kaiju and half-human.

It’s not easy being a teen like Duncan. His mom wants him to pay more attention to his homework, while his dad – a 120-foot, fire-breathing Kaiju from the depths of the earth – wants him to follow in his monstrous footsteps.  Duncan faces trials by fire from two worlds — in one, overcoming his father’s challenges to prepare for the Kaiju throne; in the other, coping with life in a new high school.  Ultimately, Firebreather is a story of a boy choosing between two different paths put before him by his parents.  Through it all, only Duncan can determine his own future.

Firebreather is written by Jim Krieg (Ben 10: Alien Swarm) and executive produced by Julia Pistor (Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events).

The Firebreather voice cast includes:

• Jesse Head as Duncan
• Dana Delany as Margaret
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Belloc
• Reed Diamond  as Barnes
• Amy Davidson as Jenna
• Tia Texada as Isabel
• Dante Basco as Kenny
• Josh Keaton as Troy

Cartoon Network has also provided this poster from the show:

Video - DC SHOWCASE: SUPERMAN/SHAZAM

MTV Splash Page has rolled out an exclusive video clip from the upcoming DC Showcase home entertainment release. The DVD and Blu-Ray collects the short animated films that have appeared on recent release. They feature Green Arrow, Jonah Hex and The Spectre. The package also includes an all-new short called Superman/Shazam: The Return Of Black Adam.

Check it out:

NBC Getting Some REST

Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia waded into the world of comics a few years back with the Devil's Due and Top Cow title Rest.

Now, according to Deadline.com, Ventimiglia has a deal with NBC to produce and star in a TV series based on the comic. Ventimiglia would star as John Barret, a young, career-oriented New Yorker who enrolls in a program to test an experimental drug that alleviates the need for sleep. His addiction to the drug helps him accomplish more but has devastating consequences.

According to Deadline, the comic was created by Ventimiglia, Russ Cundiff and Mark Powers based on a script by Mike O'Sullivan (which makes us want to say that O'Sullivan actually created all this and everyone else is latching on, but what do we know). Ventimiglia and Cundiff will serve as executive producers. Tow Cow's Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins are also executive producers.

The comic series was initially published through Devil's Due, although when that publisher fell into financial difficulties, Top Cow picked it up and completed the story in trade paperback form last month.

TV and Broadway producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producing. At this point NBC has made a script commitment to the show.

Rob M. Worley is the writer and creator of the all-new, all-cat kids comic book series Scratch9. Issues #1 and #2 are in stores now. Issue #1 is also available as a digital download via iVerse Media's iTunes app. Visit Scratch9.com for news and info!