Master troll George Lucas was among the luminaries asking J.J. Abrams about Star Wars and his other projects for Vanity Fair.
Dominic Monaghan up for an Episode VII role?
Will Star Wars be gaining an ex-hobbit for Episode VII? Bleeding Cool thinks they might be. They point to some potentially suspicious behavior from Dominic Monaghan at The Lone Ranger premiere, and note he could be a good fit for the thirtysomething intellectual role in last week’s casting call.
Naturally he’s a big Star Wars fan (who isn’t?) but Monaghan may have an in with the Bad Robot team from his days playing Charlie Pace, one of the original castaways on Lost. He’s also known for playing Merry in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.
It’s only speculation, of course, but I can see where they’re coming from… Particularly if the role turns out to be a supporting one. Look, I generally hate this kind of thing, but the idea of Monaghan in Star Wars does not make me immediately say ‘nope,’ and that a rare thing.
As for other actors who’d like a go at Episode VII, Totalfilm has released a third edition of their video series.
J.J. Abrams: ‘The ball is just getting passed to me now’
More interviews with J.J. Abrams as we near the release of Star Trek Into Darkness. Collider presents an interview from Brazilian site Omelete who ask Abrams about Han shooting first, the prequels and his favorite Star Wars film.
And from the Associated Press, Abrams points out the ridiculousness of all the Episode VII questions he’s been getting:
“What the approach is going to be remains to be discussed, because it’s in process,” he said. “So it’s a weird thing to be talking about. If I’m charging down the court dribbling the ball, it’s hard to comment on the layup that’s about to take place.
“I feel like the ball is just getting passed to me now, to complete the annoying metaphor.”
Meanwhile, there’s a nice interview with Abrams’ sometime collaborator Damon Lindelof from The Hollywood Reporter, where he talks about getting into writing, Lost, George Lucas, Star Wars and more.
Damon Lindelof: “George Lucas is responsible for everything that I aspire to be.”
The Lost co-creator – already the subject of an early rumor – shared his thoughts on the new movies with Rolling Stone.
I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like for the person that has to sit down and write that movie. Whoever takes that job is going to be in the hot seat. That’s not even doing it justice. It’s going to be beyond scrutinized. Look at the other pop culture phenomenons, like Twilight or Hunger Games, and all the scrutiny that went into the casting decisions and other behind-the-scenes stuff. The fact you have 13-year-old girls who know who Gary Ross is is a testament to our culture now.
It’s a nice piece – a little bit love letter, but with a lot practical considerations and predictions from someone knee-deep in the biz. Definitely worth a read!
And the rest: Wonder Woman may not have a new TV show, but she does get a makeup line
Her TV show revival may be dead (or is it?) but MAC Cosmetics is releasing a limited edition line of products inspired by Wonder Woman. (Get a closer look at Vampy Varnish – Pending swatches, I might actually spring for the nail polish.) MAC has previously released a Disney Villains collection.
More superheros, less makeup. If you weren’t on the internet yesterday, you might not have heard that Sony released the first picture of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. (If you were on the internet yesterday, I apologize for being the last in a very long line.) Also debuting: Chris Evans in his full Captain America getup.
I have a bad feeling about this… 41,763 people won $150 in cash by playing Hurley’s numbers from Lost in the Mega Millions lottery.
Carlos the Dwarf approves. NBC’s Community – which you really ought to be watching, if you aren’t already – will have a Dungeons & Dragons-themed episode.
What. The most exciting severed hands of all time. Oh, io9.
Star Wars: Uncut is up for an Emmy!
Casey Pugh’s brainchild of collaborative fandom love is up against against network-producted fare for Glee and Dexter for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Fiction. Big congratulations to Casey and all who participated!
The Emmys are rarely a big deal for genre shows, but Lost is one of the few that have gotten plenty of love – and that adds up to twelve nominations for their final season, including Outstanding Drama Series. (Along with True Blood.) Matthew Fox, Terry O’Quinn, Michael Emerson and Elizabeth Mitchell are all up for acting.
Robot Chicken got two nominations, one for their ‘Full-Assed Christmas Special’ and another for Seth Green’s voiceovers.
As for the other genre nods, Ian McKellen got one for being the only part of The Prisoner remake that anyone liked, while Caprica, Stargate Universe, and V will duke it out with original flavor CSI for special effects.
Sunday reader: The real problem with midichlorians
Using Lost and comments from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as a jumping-off point, io9’s Charlie Jane Anders runs down the problems with midiclorians in the saga. There are some issues with her arguments (for the last time, midiclorians are not actually the Force,) but I think Anders makes a few good points from a storytelling perspective.
And the rest: Links on Lost, ladies and lightsabers
Don’t tell me what I can’t shampoo. So Lost is pretty much the only non-rerun genre show I’ve been watching* and I was charmed to discover/rediscover the recaps at The Ack Attack, which are brilliant and hilarious. (The site also features an ongoing comic done in a style that looks quite familiar…)
Ladies, love and Warcraft. Times Online did an article on women who game. Or rather, women “finding love” in World of Warcraft. No seriously, that’s the article. Jezebel snarks so we don’t have to.
Nah nah nah nah nah nah. I remember music videos and Daria, so MTV is not exactly a hot number on the dial these days. (The esteem is mutual.) But apparently they do run at least one show these days that isn’t Jersey Shore, and the other day there were lightsabers on it. Also: Get off my lawn.
* Well, there is The Vampire Diaries, but it is a) shameful and b) an accident, I swear.
Video: This isn’t the Tonys, Dr. Horrible
Other than Neal Patrick Harris as host, there wasn’t much for genre fans at the Emmys last night – though Dr. Horrible did break in briefly. (I was underwhelmed.) But, good news for fans of a certain tiny psychopath – Michael Emerson took home Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his turn on Lost.
On a refreshing note, I find this bit to be funnier the second time around. Go fig.
SDCC ’09: Stuffed seagulls and Knights of Cydonia
Presentations at Comic-Con have become big business. The Lost shindig alone cost an estimated $25,000 and attracted some 6,500 fans, many of whom lined up for as long as 16 hours to get a chance to see executive producer Damon Lindelof, and actors Josh Holloway, Michael Emerson, Jorge Garcia and Dominic Monaghan talk about whether Oceanic Air has a “perfect safety record.”
One word: CHARLIE!