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• Series: Blood: The Last Vampire, Kick-Ass, Green Lantern, The, Spider-Man 4, Green Lantern, Superman 2, Blood: The Last Vampire, G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Spider-Man 4, Smurf CGI Feature, Kick-Ass, Dead of Night

SUPERMAN Lawsuit: How it Affects the Sequel

Comics2Film: Brandon Routh in SUPERMAN RETURNS
© Mania

How does Wednesday's court decision affect the 'Superman' sequel?  PLUS: 'Spider-Man 4' is a 'Seabiscuit' reunion. Writer addresses 'Green Lantern' Superman cameo. Diaz romancing 'Green Hornet''? 'Kick-Ass' news and more! Promoting weight loss results on par with the acai berry, it's your Comics2Film 9.7.9!

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA Site Upgraded

Paramount has unveiled the updated and revamped official website for 'G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra'. It's got the usual stuff: photos, videos and downloads, as well as some interesting things like 360 panoramas of various sets from the film.

Click over to GIJoeMovie.com and do your own recon.

DEAD OF NIGHT Wraps

The producers of 'Dead of Night' have announced that principal photography has wrapped in New Orleans, LA. The film, which is a presentation of the Hyde Park Entertainment Group, Platinum Studios, Inc. and the Omnilab Media Group, is based on the world's best-selling horror comic series, 'Dylan Dog,' created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Italy's Sergio Bonelli Editore.

Brandon Routh stars as reluctant paranormal investigator Dylan Dog, who finds himself in a "turf war" between and among the undead, and Sam Huntington who co-stars as Marcus, Dylan's wise-cracking trusted assistant. Also co-starring are Taye Diggs as Vargas, head of the Vampire family, Anita Briem as Elizabeth, another potential in the long line of Dylan conquests and Peter Stormare, as Wolfgang, the head of the werewolf family.

The film is directed by Kevin Munroe and is written by Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly.

"Dylan Dog is a character that brilliantly mixes charisma, affability, and hard-driven principles," said Munroe. "I couldn't be happier with Brandon's portrayal -- he meshed all of those aspects into a charming action hero, funny as he was ass-kicking. I can't wait to share his work with the world."

Locations for 'Dead of Night' included the Saenger Theatre, Lafayette Cemetery, Canal Street in the French Quarter, the Buckner Mansion and Latter Memorial Library in the Garden District, the Beaux Mart, the Andry Street Wharf, Audubon Park and the Louisiana Film Studios.

The film is currently in post-production in Burbank, California with Academy Award-winning editor Paul Hirsch. Additional behind-the-scenes talent includes Cinematographer Geoff Hall and three-time Academy Award-winning Makeup Effects House DRAC Studios.

Thanks to Antonello Blueberry for the submission.

Review - BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE

Mania's Rob Vaux took a gander at 'Blood: THe Last Vampire' this week and thought it was pretty good!

"If you can turn off your brain for the A-list films this summer, then the humbler efforts deserve the same consideration as well. Fast, cheap and only modestly out of control, Blood makes a perfectly serviceable distraction for those in search of something different at the multiplex." - Grade: B-

Cameron Diaz romancing GREEN HORNET?

The Hollywood Insider at EW.com reports that Cameron Diaz is circling the female lead role in Michel Gondry's 'Green Hornet' movie. EW describes her status with the film as "early talks" but cameras have got to start rolling soon if they're going to make their July 9, 2010 release date.

We at Mania also notice that it makes us feel better to say "Michel Gondry's 'Green Hornet'" instead of "Seth Rogen's 'Green Hornet'".

Thanks to Antonello Blueberry for the submission.

SPIDER-MAN 4 a SEABISCUIT Reunion

Gary Ross has been hired to try his hand at shaping the 'Spider-Man 4' script.

Ross has worked as a writer/director with Tobey Maguire on films like 'Seabiscuit', 'Pleasantville' and the in-development 'Tokyo Suckerpunch', and wrote other fine film scripts like 'Big' and 'Dave'. He also has a growing relationship with Sony.

He's the latest in what's turning into a parade of writers to work on the script, including James Vanderbilt ('Zodiac')  and David Lindsay-Abaire ('Inkheart').

It was as recent as last April that director Sam Raimi was doing a press tour for 'Drag me to Hell' and saying that Lindsay-Abaire would deliver his script soon.

Thanks to Antonello Blueberry for the submission.

Scooby SMURFS Director

According to the  Hollywood Reporter, 'Scooby Doo' director Raja Gosnell will take the helm of the 'Smurfs' movie, which will be a live action film that employs heavy CG animation.

Gosnell, also the director of the unexpected hit 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua', joins producers Jordan Kerner ('Charlotte's Web') and screenwriters J. David Stem and David N. Weiss ('Shrek 2') and Audrey Wells ('George of the Jungle') wrote the script.

The Smurfs first originated under the cartooning brush of Belgian comic strip artist Peyo in the late 1950s.

'The Smurfs' movie is due to be released in 3D and 2D formats on Dec. 17, 2010.

Thanks to Antonello Blueberry who wonders, "When will he direct a Magilla Gorilla movie?"

SUPERMAN Rights Decision and how it affects the sequel

Variety reports that Warner Bros. have won a victory in one of the various lawsuits filed by the heirs of "Superman" co-creator Jerome Siegel.

The Wednesday ruling by District Court Judge Stephen G. Larson had to do with the Siegel estate's claim that DC Comics basically gave away the film rights for the character to their parent company. If they succeeded in that claim, they would be able to pursue compensation from Warner Bros. studio.

However, the judge ruled that the 1999 deal for feature film rights was a fair one. DC Comics received $1.5 million upfront, $18.5 million for option extensions over 31 years and 5% of first-dollar worldwide distributor gross or 7.5% of domestic gross -- whichever was larger. Similarly the 2000 deal for the TV rights deal represented fair market value.

So any claims about compensation made by the Siegel estate will have to be directed solely at those profits realized by DC Comics.

Most interesting in the court filings is the assertion by the Siegels' attorney that the heirs, along with the heirs of co-creator Joe Shuster, will own the entire Superman copyright in 2013.

"This trial was only an interim step in the multifaceted accounting case which remains, in that it only concerned the secondary issue of whether DC Comics, or DC Comics and Warner Bros., would have to account to the Siegels," Attorney Marc Toberoff said. "To put this in further perspective, the entire accounting action pales in comparison to the fact that in 2013, the Siegels, along with the estate of Joe Shuster, will own the entire original copyright to Superman, and neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros. will be able to exploit any new Superman works without a license from the Siegels and Shusters."

If that does prove to be the case, it puts tremendous pressure on Warner Bros to exploit the film rights while they still can under their current agreement with DC Comics.

However, during the 10-day bench trial, Warner Bros. chairman Alan Horn had testified that a 'Superman' sequel wasn't under development at the studio, that no script had been written and that the earliest another movie could be released would be in 2012.

These are very interesting developments with regards to one of the world's most recognizable and profitable pop-culture characters.

Thanks to Antonello Blueberry for the submission.

McLovin to KICK-ASS at Comic-Con

MTV Splash Page reveals that Christopher Mintz-Plasse (henceforth and forever referred to as McLovin) will be part of the 'Kick-Ass' panel set to happen on Thursday, July 23rd at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Mintz-Plasse plays costumed vigilanted The Red Mist in the filmed adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's comic.

The site also has a new photos of The Red Mist from the film. Check it out.

Is Superman in GREEN LANTERN? Guggenheim ain't saying...

For all the interviews Marc Guggenheim has done to promote recent works, the thing he's getting asked about most is that 'Green Lantern' screenplay he's been co-writing. That also happens to be the subject that he's talking least about.

The latest Guggenheim tap dance number comes from MTV Splash Page, who asked him if Superman would appear in the movie, as has been rumored.

"Honestly, it changes on a daily basis. Whatever information I gave you today would be obsolete in a week, and maybe come back again in two weeks," said Guggenheim. "And even if it wasn’t in flux at the script stage, it would still be constantly in flux because you can film it, put it in the original cut, and eventually it could end up on the editing room floor."

The writer did admit that the scripting team has included a number of Easter Eggs and cameos in the script, but you never know what might end up in the movie. Fans will just have to keep their eyes open for Brandon Routh in background of press-oriented scenes of the movie when it flies into theaters.

Romita Says KICK-ASS Movie Has Animation

Artist and 'Kick-Ass' co-creator John  Romita Jr. told Comic Book Resources that he's finishing up issue #7 of the perpetually-late book and already at work on #8.

Fans who are anxious that the Matthew Vaughn's movie will wrap the story before the comic does need not worry. The story for the film and the comic are different and feature different endings.

"Things have to be independent because, as Mark made the great point, we don't want to look like we're ‘demagoging’ the film and trying to capitalize on it. We didn't want to do that," Romita said.

The artist has also had a hand in working on the film.

"I only got to the set for a week over the winter, and I had the screenplay in my hands because I'm also working on some animation for the film," Romita said. "Matthew Vaughn is a fan of the comic, and that's where the flashback animation sequence comes from. He wanted an homage to the comic. He was a fan of my pacing and storytelling and used as much as he could along those lines. As long as you get along with people professionally and don't get too abrasive, generally you're going to find the happy medium."

For more about Romita's upcoming comics and his experiences with the film, click through to Comic Book Resources.