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Monday, October 12, 2015

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

George R.R. Martin May Be Making Another TV Show

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67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Press RoomThe next "Game of Thrones" could be right around the corner, with author George R.R. Martin announcing that Cinemax has optioned the rights to another one of his works.

Martin, who penned the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series that inspired "Thrones," revealed the news on his blog, writing that Cinemax has already ordered a pilot script based on "The Skin Trade," a novella Martin released in the 1980s that he describes as "werewolf noir." The story was originally released as part of a horror anthology called "Night Vision 5," which also featured a tale from Stephen King; it's been reprinted as a standalone novella several times since then, and has also been adapted into a comic book series and graphic novel.

According to Martin, he originally tried to bring "The Skin Trade" to TV way back in 1991, writing, "I have always thought there was a TV series (or maybe a feature film) in Willie Flambeaux and Randi Wade." And while the author says a Cinemax series "would be very cool," he's remaining cautiously optimistic for now.

"This being Hollywood, of course, you never know where things will end," Martin wrote, " ... but if they like the script, we'll shoot a pilot, and if they like that, hey, who knows, maybe we'll get a series on the air."

Sadly, Martin won't be able to do any writing on the show himself, and the pilot script was penned by screenwriter Kalinda Vazquez ("Prison Break," "Once Upon a Time"). But that's okay, since, of course, Martin is a little bit tied up trying to prevent "Game of Thrones" from spoiling the end of "A Song of Ice and Fire" (too much, anyway).

" ... [W]hile I would have loved to write the script and run the show myself myself, that was never really in the cards," Martin wrote. "I have this book to finish. You know the one."

We do indeed. Here's hoping Martin stays on track with his writing, and everything pans out with "The Skin Trade." We could use a distraction during HBO's "Thrones" hiatuses.

[via: George R.R. Martin]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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Paul Reubens Will Play Penguin's Father on 'Gotham'

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Premiere Of HBO's Twenty-three years after he first originated the role of the Penguin's father in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns," Paul Reubens will once again portray Poppa Cobblepot on Fox's "Batman" prequel series, "Gotham."

Actor Robin Lord Taylor, who plays Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin, on the show, revealed the news himself during a "Gotham" panel at New York Comic Con this weekend. Here's the scoop, per Entertainment Weekly:

"So we're all familiar with Oswald's mother, the fabulous, fabulous Carol Kane," the actor said leading up to the news. "We don't know a lot about his father... We just found out that I do have a father. And he will be showing up very soon, and he will be played by none other than Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman! He's playing my dad! What! The! Hell!"

The actor was so excited actress Erin Richards (who plays Barbara on the show) grabbed his name card and fanned him with it while the audience cheered his enthusiasm.

This is excellent casting news, not only because Reubens and Taylor look a lot alike, but because "Gotham" is clearly striving to pay homage to previous iterations of the "Batman" story; casting an actor in the same role he played more than two decades ago is not only smart, but great tribute to the series's onscreen history.

Writer John Stephens said during the panel that season two of "Gotham" would have less of an "old-time mobsters" feel, like season one, and instead would "trace the trajectory of the rise of the supervillains." Sounds pretty awesome to us.

"Gotham"'s sophomore season is currently airing on Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

[via: Entertainment Weekly]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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Bryan Cranston Wants to Play This Marvel Villain

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New York Comic-Con 2015 - Day 4Bryan Cranston delivered a masterful performance as Walter White on AMC's "Breaking Bad," adding shades of evil to the mild-mannered chemist as the series progressed until Heisenberg was a full-fledged villain by the time the show wrapped. So it makes sense, then, that he'd want to explore those villainous roots again -- this time, in a big-budget superhero flick.

In an interview with Metro UK, Cranston said he had his eye on a particular cinematic universe.

"You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to do some big superhero villain in some Marvel classic," Cranston told Metro, adding that instead of playing an existing character, he'd like to "Create one from scratch."

"I don't know what I would do," the actor continued, "but it would be nasty."

That sounds pretty awesome to us, and a great opportunity for a screenwriter to pen the perfect part for the actor. Cranston got more specific, though, while appearing at New York Comic Con this weekend, telling a panel that he actually already has a particular baddie in mind: Mister Sinister, a foe from the "X-Men" series. That character has yet to appear onscreen, something Cranston said was important to him.

"It intrigues me to be able to play a character that hasn't been on film before, so you can create it from the beginning," he told the NYCC crowd, which reportedly roared its approval.

We approve, too. Sounds like someone at Fox should give Cranston a call.

[via: Metro UK, IGN]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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Johnny Depp Doesn't Want to Win an Oscar

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We've heard it before from celebrated actors in Hollywood: Everyone from Bradley Cooper to Joaquin Phoenix has declared in recent years that they don't want to win an Oscar. Now, a high-profile awards season favorite is also adding his name to that "no thanks" list.

In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, Johnny Depp said he doesn't care if he gets an Oscar nomination for his chilling portrayal of mobster Whitey Bulger in the flick "Black Mass." In fact, Depp told the site, he doesn't even want the award itself.

"I don't want to win one of those things ever, you know," Depp explained of the Academy Awards, adding, "I don't want to have to talk" if he wins.

"They gave me one of those things, like a nomination, two or three times," the actor told Newsbeat. "A nomination is plenty."

For the record, Depp has received three nominations of the years, each for a Best Actor statuette. Those nods came for 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl," 2004's "Finding Neverland," and 2007's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

According to the actor, in addition to stage fright over delivering an acceptance speech, he has another, commonly-cited reason for not wanting to participate in cutthroat Oscar season.

"The idea of winning means that you're in competition with someone and I'm not in competition with anybody," Depp said.

Sounds pretty reasonable to us, though we can't help but wonder how awesome a Depp Academy Award acceptance speech would be. We can always dream.

[via: BBC Newsbeat]

Photo credit: Getty Images for BFI

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Another Avenger Might Appear in 'Thor: Ragnarok'

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Thor might soon be getting a visit from one of the Science Bros.

Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), aka The Hulk, is rumored to have a role in Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok," according to Bleeding Cool.

The site's inside sources claim that Hulk will join forces with Thor in his third film, which finds the God of Thunder battling the Norse equivalent of the Apocalypse. (Something "Age of Ultron" hinted at when Scarlet Witch cast a spell on Thor.)

Bleeding Cool has also heard that some of the sequel's action will take place on a "distant planet," one that is neither Asgard or Earth. This taken-with-grain-of-salt-sized rumor hints that, maybe, "Raganrok" will incorporate elements from the long-rumored "Planet Hulk" storyline -- which finds Hulk going all gladiator on an alien world.

The site's sources also confirmed that, should the Hulk rumor pan out, Tom Hiddleston and Jaimie Alexander will also appear in the film, reprising their respective roles of villain "puny god" Loki and Lady Sif.

We'll find out if Hulk will go smash when "Thor: Ragnarok" hits theaters July 28, 2017.

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What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: October 12-18

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At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

"Inside Out"
No Fear, Anger, Disgust or Sadness required -- only Joy is needed for the arrival of Disney Pixar's blockbuster "Inside Out." Catch the Digital HD release on October 13; you'll have to wait until November 3 for the DVD and Blu-Ray. The list of "Inside Out" extras and special features is too long to post here -- it's as expansive as the credits of the movie! -- but here's the roundup for reference.

"Southpaw"
Jake Gyllenhaal is one of those actors who goes through extreme transformations for nearly every role and he does it again in this boxing movie that's about a lot more than boxing. "Southpaw," which also stars Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Naomie Harris, and 50 Cent, has its digital release on October 16, before it drops on DVD/Blu-ray on October 27.

"Vacation"
Ed Helms plays a grown up Rusty Griswold, who takes his family on a road trip to Walley World in this raunchy, star-studded return to the classic comedy franchise. Catch it on digital October 13, before it hits DVD/Blu-ray November 3.

New on DVD and Blu-ray
"San Andreas"
It's the big one! When the San Andreas Fault rocks our world with a massive earthquake, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) make their way from L.A. to San Francisco to try and save their only daughter. Just suspend disbelief and go with it. Special features include audio commentary, a gag reel, a stunt reel, deleted scenes and the featurettes "San Andreas: The Real Fault Line," "Dwayne Johnson To The Rescue," and "Scoring The Quake."

"Dope"
This coming-of-age high school comedy, set in L.A., was a hit with critics and Sundance audiences. Watch Shameik Moore's breakout performance when "Dope" hits the streets October 13. Extras include "Dope Is Different," with the cast and crew discussing the film's central characters and themes of being unique and authentic; and "Dope Music," with Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Rick Fumuyiwa and others delving into the essential role old-school rap and punk rock tracks play in the film.

"Tomorrowland"
Brad Bird's sci-fi adventure, starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie, has its Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital release on October 13. The Digital HD and Blu-ray combo back come with an insane number of special features, including eight deleted scenes, four Easter eggs, and about six featurettes.


New on Netflix
"Beasts of No Nation"
Netflix starts streaming its first original feature film on October 16, which is also the same day it hits theaters. The amazing Idris Elba leads a cast directed by "True Detective" Season 1's Cary Fukunaga. The story follows Agu (Abraham Attah), a young boy growing up in a West African country on the brink of civil war. When the fighting reaches Agu's village, his family is torn apart and he is forced to flee. He crosses paths with a group of guerilla soldiers led by a fierce commandant (Idris Elba). Agu is indoctrinated into their ranks as the commandant trains him to cope with his pain through violence.

"Anthony Jeselnik: Thoughts and Prayers"
Netflix is premiering two originals on October 16, and the second is this comedy special from Anthony Jeselnik. As Netflix noted (and the title suggests), "There's no subject too dark as the comedian skewers taboos and riffs on national tragedies before pulling back the curtain on his provocative style."

"Jane the Virgin"
On the same day that The CW is premiering "Jane the Virgin" Season 2, Netflix wants to help you catch up on Season 1. It's all going down on Monday, October 12, so why not make it a Virgin marathon day?


TV Worth Watching
"Fargo" (Monday on FX at 10 p.m.)
The second season of FX's breakout show is set in 1979, starring Patrick Wilson as State Trooper Lou Solverson, a recently returned Vietnam vet who investigates a crime involving a local gang and syndicate. His father-in-law, Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson), helps him put the puzzle pieces together. Jean Smart, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemons co-star, with Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Donovan, and Bruce Campbell (as Reagan!) in recurring roles.

"Saturday Night Live" (Saturday on NBC at 11:30 p.m.)
Tracy Morgan is the host on October 17, marking his big return not only to SNL and NBC, but comedy in general after his near-fatal car accident. Demi Lovato will back him up as the musical guest.

"The Great British Baking Show" (Sunday on PBS at 7 p.m.)
There are a lot of new and returning TV shows premiering this fall, but it's worth getting yourself addicted to PBS's baking competition show, brought to the U.S. from the U.K. Right now, PBS is airing Season 2, which is actually the fourth series of the U.K. show. Apparently we'll be getting these things in random order. No matter. Each episode is scrumptious to watch and the "drama" is never mean-spirited or over-bearing, it's just good clean delicious fun. The trick is finding when it airs in your area, since it's not one set time for everyone. Some of us get it Sunday nights at 7 p.m. but head to PBS's site and check your local listings to see when it's on for you.

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'The Walking Dead' Set to the 'Friends' Theme Is Hilarious and Fitting

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You know, it really hasn't been Rick Grimes' day, his week, his month, or even his year. But Daryl Dixon and his friends from "The Walking Dead" will be there for him, as shown in this creative mashup with the AMC show getting the "Friends" theme song over its credits:
So no one told you the zombie apocalypse was gonna be this way... [clap clap clap clap bleeeccchhh]

"The Walking Dead" has had some genuinely funny moments over the years, but Carol shooting Lizzie, Hershel getting his neck chopped off, and Noah enduring the revolving door of death are not among them. But it's still funny to see them here, proving how editing can completely change the tone of any scene. Plus, it is kinda funny to hear the "Your love life's DOA" line as perpetually single Daryl pulls up in his motorcycle.

So now they -- The Woodcreek Faction, who made this video -- should reverse the process and give "Friends" the creepy "Walking Dead" intro. They should also use that to answer the burning question of which "Friends" character would die first in the zombie apocalypse. Joey?

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Watch SNL's Controversial 'Guns' Sketch With Amy Schumer

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This is when "Saturday Night Live" is at its best, when it takes a stand on a timely issue and really doubles down on it in a memorable way, eliciting a strong reaction from fans -- beyond the usual "meh."

Gun ownership, control, and lack of control is all the rage (too much rage?) today after multiple shootings, and SNL took on America's love for guns during the Amy Schumer hosted episode. Amy is no stranger to this debate, since she joined her cousin, Sen. Chuck Schumer, to push for stricter gun control after a fatal shooting at the screening of her movie "Trainwreck."

Her SNL visited the topic of guns multiple times, including in this scathing fake commercial, mocking how guns are a beloved part of our everyday lives:



Reaction has been mixed. Some found it brilliant and spot-on, perfectly highlighting a major problem in this country. Others thought it was in poor taste and not funny, continuing to wrongly blame gun owners for the extreme actions of a very small percentage of people.

Weekend Update also took on the gun control debate:



Where do you stand on this, or are you staying out of it completely?

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Vin Diesel Flashes Abs After 'Dad Bod' Photo: 'Body Shaming Is Always Wrong'

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Has Vin Diesel gone soft? Only in his heart. The "Fast and Furious" star was a recent victim of the paparazzi treatment -- with someone taking a very unflattering photo of him on a balcony. This is the kind of thing some stars (especially female stars) face all the time, but now it's happening to a male action hero.

So Vin took to Instagram to fight back. He shared two photos, one writing that "body shaming is always wrong!" no matter how you look, and the second showing that he actually looks pretty darn good.


So as you can read from the second caption, he was planning to post a video to Facebook, where he has more than 95 million fans. Here's that video, which has nothing to do with his body and everything to do with his work (which is probably how he likes it):

An exclusive promo piece... for Our page.Warning: Ciara's cover of 'Paint it Black' by the great Rolling Stones... is addictive.#LastWitchHunter Oct. 23rd!

Posted by Vin Diesel on Monday, October 12, 2015

Love that song! He's right, it is addictive. Forget the shallow "dad bod" comments and just hit replay.

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Surprise! Jared Leto and Mark Ruffalo Went Unrecognized at NY Comic Con

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You never can tell who's behind the mask. Celebs love to play dress up at conventions, going incognito to walk the floor alongside The Rest Of Us. Mark Ruffalo is The Hulk in Marvel's "The Avengers," and Jared Leto is The Joker in DC's upcoming "Suicide Squad," but they both went for very different costumes while trolling fans at New York Comic Con.

Jared even shared a photo with someone dressed as his own Joker (see above) noting that the guy had no idea who he was standing next to. That's just cruel! (And very Joker.) Here are more stealth pics from Ruffalo and Leto, who obviously should've walked the floor together:

#NYCC they had no idea :)

A photo posted by JARED LETO (@jaredleto) on

Had a great time at #comiccon2015 NYC! Thanks ComicCon for the Hospitality.

A photo posted by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on

Got to hide out and enjoy #comiccon2015

A photo posted by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on

So sneaky. According to BuzzFeed, Jared Leto also documented his experience on Snapchat, including hanging out with a Harley Quinn cosplayer. Genius. Evil genius.

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J.K. Rowling Reveals 'Harry Potter' Character Birthday After Rugby Win

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J.K. Rowling isn't afraid to play a little dirty, getting fans to tweet support for her Scottish rugby team in exchange for some "Harry Potter" intel. Love your style, Jo, don't ever change!

She was at St. James Park for the Rugby World Cup and told her followers, if they shared support for her Scottish team, she'd reward them by revealing the birthday of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).


Fans responded in force, with one rationalizing that, since Hogwarts is meant to be in Scotland, it makes sense for Harry Potter fans to share support for the Scottish team. Since fans did their part, and her team did its part, Rowling shared Sirius' birthday:

November 3! It's almost his birthday. Then again, he's dead so ... it's a Deathday Party! Except the Harry Potter Wikia says he died on June 18, 1996 at age 36, so that would've been the Deathday anniversary. He was born in 1959, so he would've been 56 next month. We'll have to tip our hats to his mischief managed in just a few weeks.


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'The Walking Dead' Wants You to Feel 'Potential Extinguished' After THAT Scene

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*Spoiler alert: Stop reading if you haven't seen "The Walking Dead" Season 6 premiere*

RIP, Carter, we hardly knew ye. Ethan Embry is a big fan of "The Walking Dead" and he's been trying to get on the show for a while. They finally gave him a role in the Season 6 premiere ... then killed him off right in that 90 minute starter. His character, Carter, was an Alexandria resident who questioned Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). Rick ended up putting Carter down after Carter was bitten in the neck by a walker and started making the kind of noise you'd make too if you lost half your face.

Check it out:


It was kind of a surprise to see a big name like Ethan Embry killed off so quickly, especially when it seemed like they had just set Carter up to be an adversary to Rick. After all, he had just formed a little Anti-Rick group with the plan to kill the Ricktator before the Ricktator got the rest of them killed.

Showrunner Scott Gimple talked to TVLine after Episode 1, and said fans were supposed to feel that surprise and loss.

That was [kind of] the point. Hopefully, it was nice to feel potential extinguished. We don't want death to feel just like something to tick off on a box, so, that way when he's killed the audience feels some sort of loss, even if it's just story loss. We [also] want the impact felt of what Rick is doing and what Morgan feels for what Rick did."

Morgan (Lennie James) does not seem like he could so quickly move on from putting down another human being. ("All life is precious, Daryl!") And as it happens, shutting Carter up didn't help much since someone out there has serious road rage and they're blaring a horn to attract walkers to Alexandria. We'll see how that plays out in Episode 2 and beyond.

Ethan Embry himself talked to Entertainment Weekly about how he learned of his character's sad fate:

I knew from the get-go that it was a quick one-and-done. I'm doing 'Grace and Frankie' right now so I can only do a couple episodes anyway, and I had already used up one of my cards doing Sneaky Pete. So I only had a couple of playtimes left, and this one episode - I get to do everything a person would want to do if they got invited on a show. The only thing I'm bummed I didn't get to do is kill a zombie; I wish I could have got one of them. But other than that, I get to go and wrangle a posse against Rick, I get to do a conspiracy against him, I get my face bitten off - it's great!

At least he has a positive attitude about the whole thing. But we do feel that potential was extinguished. Carter was even pulling a Nicholas and admitting to Rick that he was right in his choice to divert the walkers. He did have potential. Oh well! Maybe Ethan Embry can just try for a role in "Fear the Walking Dead" Season 2.

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Every X-Men Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

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You can thank the X-Men for all of your favorite Marvel movies.

In 2000, Bryan Singer and his creative team took a then-risk bringing Professor Xavier's mutants to the big screen -- grounding their mutant adventures into a very real, very gritty, world. This approach paid off, lighting the spark on the current comic book movie fad that -- directly or indirectly -- inspired other franchises, including those of the MCU and Christopher Nolan's Batman films.

In honor of Hugh Jackman's birthday this week, here's a definitive ranking of Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men's movie adventures.

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'The Walking Dead' Season 6 Premiere Recap: I Can't Feel My Face

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Andrew Lincoln, lennie james, ethan embry, the walking deadLike a nightclub promoted by Stefan on "Saturday Night Live," last night's season six premiere of "The Walking Dead" had everything: A literal parade of thousands and thousands of zombies; Daryl back on his motorcycle; a (somewhat effective) black and white flashback device that made some people actually suspect that their TVs were malfunctioning; Ethan Embry -- just about every millennial's late-'90s crush -- literally getting his face bitten off.

It was, more or less, an embarrassment of riches, though like the 90-minute season five finale, I found this similarly-long installment both overstuffed and underdeveloped. Producers seemed determined to pack every second with action, though the merits of some of said action can be debated. But the aforementioned ridiculously huge horde of walkers was the main attraction, and it didn't disappoint; when the camera panned out from that quarry, and I realized just how vast their ranks were, I actually gasped. You officially have my attention, "The Walking Dead."

There were plenty of things to cheer about (Eugene actually having lines!) and jeer about (the continued existence of Father Gabriel and Nicholas); unfortunately, I fear that the return of Morgan (Lennie James) could wind up being a mixture of both. From what we've seen of our mysterious traveler so far, he's certainly being presented as a direct foil for Rick (Andrew Lincoln) - still an outsider to Alexandrians, still on Rick's side by default, but constantly questioning the constable's actions and motives, to a degree I'm not entirely certain is necessary.

The groundwork for this ideological battle of sorts was set up at the end of season five, when both men spouted wildly different worldviews in response to the zombie apocalypse. Rick maintained throughout last season, "We can't go back," while Morgan took a more optimistic approach, positing that "Everything gets a return" eventually. Both of them turned out right, in a way, during this week's premiere, "First Time Again." Even that oxymoronic title suggests a duality that I suspect we haven't seen the last of.

The episode opens with the moment Rick shot Pete (with, as Abraham so eloquently puts it later, "[Pete's] face just blowing up like Pompeii") and we hear the constable declare, "We have to come for them before they come for us." It says a lot about all the speechifying Rick's been doing lately that I initially had no idea whether this was something he said last season -- a mini-flashback, like Bob's word's echoing in Rick's head in the season finale -- or if it was something new. It turned out to be the latter, uttered during the run-up to Rick's plan to rid Alexandria of walkers for good; while trying to psych up his skeptical followers, he also happened to say, yet again, "We can't go back."

And what can't they go back from, you ask? Oh, nothing, really -- just wrangling thousands of zombies away from their community as if they were simply herding a particularly pesky flock of sheep. Easy as Carol's cookies, right?

As Rick explains it, the plan sounds sane enough (what, you've never led an endless shambling horde of the undead on a parade past your barricaded community before?), but I'll admit that I've been drinking the former deputy's Kool-Aid since season one, so I can see where some Alexandrians would be skeptical. (Rick himself conceded, "I know this sounds insane. But this is an insane world.") The non-believers are led by loudmouth Carter (Embry), whose very obvious disagreement with Rick, and willingness to vocalize it both in public and later in a smaller, mutinous group (more on this later), pointed to him not being long for this world. I just didn't expect the dude to actually get his face bitten off before the end credits rolled. I suspect, unlike The Weeknd, he almost certainly did not love it.

Rick can't hardly wait to put a dying Carter out of his misery, while Morgan and Michonne look on in disgust. It's an odd moment, since both of them surely know that that's how the world works now (especially Michonne, who's had to do this kind of thing before), and Carter is a lost cause; they even say as much to Rick. Perhaps it's just their general zombie apocalypse ennui creeping in? Earlier, Morgan very matter-of-factly tells Rick -- who refuses to let a killer like Pete be buried within Alexandria's walls -- that they're both murderers, too, and maybe he should have cut the guy a little slack. (Or at least not abandon his body in the woods without a proper burial.) But as Morgan is rapidly discovering, Rick is not the same man that he last met three seasons ago. In a flashback, Rick calmly explains that he didn't kill Carter when he had the chance because, "Somebody like that, they're gonna die no matter what." It's probably a bit jarring for Morgan to hear that the man he's been searching for all this time has suddenly lost a lot of his faith in humanity -- and Morgan may be losing his faith in him as a result.

Last week, in my preview of the new season, I mentioned that all the planned flashbacks for these new episodes reminded me of their use on "Lost." The device worked to a certain extent during this installment, though the switch between black and white and color to differentiate between the past and the present was a bit on the nose. Ultimately, the back and forth was a little confusing, and somewhat unnecessary (those multiple scenes explaining Glenn, Heath, and Nicholas's mission could have been scrapped, for instance). But what "The Walking Dead" may really wind up mimicking -- whether intentional or not -- is "Lost"'s central conflict between Jack, a man of science, and Locke, a man of faith. Here, Rick is stepping into Dr. Shephard's sensible shoes, while mysterious Morgan is adopting some of Locke's mystical ways (his refusal to talk about who taught him how to wield a bo so effectively is curious, to say the least). Morgan tells Rick that they've "got to get to know each other again. For the first time again"; I'm interested to see just how deeply divided these two former friends become as the season wears on.

But I may have to give up if a smoke monster suddenly invades Alexandria.

Other thoughts:

- What happened at the end of the episode is the most pressing bit of news: A smoke monster showed up! (Kidding.) But some sort of evil has indeed invaded Alexandria, just as Rick and his team try to steer the horde past the camp; suddenly, a loud, seemingly-endless horn is set off, coming straight from the community. Naturally, it catches the walkers' attention, and they turn for the town -- and all the people worst-equipped to handle an oncoming invasion just happen to be holed up there. Those $800,000 homes don't sound like such a bargain anymore, do they?

- So who or what is behind that horn? Whoever set it off had to know that they would be attracting all kinds of unwanted (read: undead) attention. Was it Gabriel, who also put in motion the terrible events of the season five finale? Could he be trying to sabotage Rick's plan as a way to win back the favor of Deanna, who seems to have turned on him? Or perhaps it's an infiltrating member of the Wolves, who've been looking for an in to attack Alexandria, and inadvertently found it while Rick and co. were off on their ill-fated quest? There's room for plenty of speculation here.

- Lots of talk about hair this episode. Tara comments to Eugene, after not seeing him for a while, "Thank god -- nothing happened to your hair." Thank god indeed. Speaking of Eugene's Tennessee top hat, he meets Heath (Corey Hawkins) and quickly compliments the character's similarly distinctive style: "I fully respect the hair game."

- Through his bincoulars, Morgan spies some zombies sliding down the hill at the quarry, looking every bit like thrill seekers heading down a waterslide. Walkers have all the post-apocalyptic fun.

- Jessie officially gives Rick the brush-off. What, Rick murders her abusive husband in front of everyone and this is all the thanks he gets?

- There were so many great moments during the meeting where Rick introduces his zombie-eradication plan: Gabriel volunteering to help and Rick immediately shooting him down with a definitive "No." Daryl snapping at Carter when the latter man asks Rick to go over his plan again (only an exasperated hair flip would have perfected his petulant teenager act). Carol once again putting on a dazzling display of false timidity as she says of Rick's plan, "This is terrifying. All of it. But it doesn't sound like there's any other way." Sly, Carol.

- But Morgan immediately sees through Carol's act, so maybe her skills have gotten a little rusty. But Morgan is a lot more street smart than the Alexandrians, so his BS-detecting skills are probably a bit more fine-tuned. "You always seem ready." "For what?" "To handle things." Truth.

- Maggie tells Tara, a character that I don't like, that Tara is one of her favorite people in the world. She also tells Tara that she believes Nicholas (who, to recap, got Noah killed and tried to kill her own husband) can change. I am starting to like Maggie less.

- As Glenn, Nicholas, and Heath attempt to take out a group of walkers, Heath remains unconvinced of their ability to succeed. "I'm supposed to be delivering pizzas, man," Glenn replies. We all have to rise above.

- "I'm just grabbin' the bull by the nutsack." -- The wisdom of Abraham Ford, coming soon to a cross-stitch near you.

- Eugene is the worst spy ever, first dropping and shattering a jar on the floor, then falling into a shelf as he eavesdrops on Carter's intentions to kill Rick before he can carry out his crazy walker parade plan. Carter pulls a gun on Eugene, only to have Rick walk in the moment he's about to fire. The constable is not amused; he sassily suggests Carter should have had a lookout, then quickly pins him to the ground before delivering one of his patented "Rick Grimes: Badass" speeches. "You really think you're going to take this community from us?" he asks Carter. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Rick eventually relents and lets him go, and later, Carter eventually makes nice.

- "He got bit, right in the face." -- Unfortunately for Carter, Rick soon delivers this line about Carter's demise, a brilliantly succinct descriptor if there ever was one.

- Morgan holds Judith while chatting with Rick on the constable's front porch. Did anyone else think for a moment that Morgan might just race off with the child ("I'm a Wolf! Bye!"), or was the just my household?

- Of course, I know Morgan isn't a Wolf. But there's still potential for him to be swayed by all those other baby-hungry Alexandrians, right? Another recap, another thoroughly-unsupported suspicion of cannibalism from me. Welcome back to "The Walking Dead," everyone!

Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC

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7 Reasons Why 'Pan' Bombed at the Box Office

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"Pan" was supposed to be a treasure chest for Warner Bros. A year ago, the $150 million reboot of the familiar children's tale, with a cast led by Hugh Jackman, looked like the launch of a new summer franchise.

Now, however, it appears that no amount of pixie dust could have lifted the movie's box office prospects, and that no amount of clapping will keep the studio's sequel hopes alive.

"Pan" sailed into theaters on a wave of bad buzz, only some of which came from negative reviews. Pundits had revised their predictions downward, expecting the movie to open in the range of $17 to $20 million. But it didn't even meet that low bar, debuting instead with just an estimated $15.5 million, premiering in third place.

So why didn't "Pan" fly? Here are seven reasons.

1. The Rescheduling

Initially, "Pan" was scheduled to open July 24. But in April, Warner Bros. decided to push it back to October 9 - citing the need for more time to finish the film's complicated special effects, and to avoid getting lost among all the other potential July blockbusters. But the rumored real reason to bump "Pan" was that the studio knew they were in trouble and needed time to do reshoots.

But delaying the release of a film, especially a big-budget, effects-driven spectacle like "Pan," always looks fishy. Industry analysts see it as a sign of trouble, that something is wrong with the film, or that the studio has lost faith in it. That speculation and skepticism usually filters down to the public, and then the movie's failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It doesn't always happen that way -- few remember now that pundits expected "Titanic" to be a flop because its initial summer release date got pushed back six months -- but it happens often enough to have generated suspicious buzz over the delay.
2. The Competition

Warner was smart enough to pick an October date, free of other wide releases. As it turns out, however, the studio might have done better just leaving it in July. The movie might still have faced stiff competition from "Minions," and more modest competition from Marvel's "Ant-Man," but the only new wide releases on July 24 were "Pixels," "Southpaw," and "Paper Towns" -- all of which underwhelmed at the box office.

This weekend, however, "Pan" had to contend with still-strong holdovers "The Martian" and "Hotel Transylvania 2." The Matt Damon sci-fi adventure was down just 32 percent from its debut last weekend, finishing atop the chart again with another estimated $37.0 million, more that twice what "Pan" made. In its third weekend, "Transylvania" finished second with an estimated $20.3 million. It's doing 14 percent better than the original "Hotel Transylvania" did at this point in its run three years ago. Plus, next week's "Goosebumps" will probably siphon off the rest of the family audience. Oh, and about that family audience...

3. The Kid Appeal

There wasn't much. Studio exit polling suggested that some 52 percent of "Pan" viewers were over 25. The movie may have been too dark for kids. Or, with its numerous old-school historical, literary, and musical references, it may have sailed over kids' heads. Grown-ups may have chuckled to hear "Pan" characters singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but does anyone under the age of 12 know who Nirvana was?

4. The Format

Maybe "Pan" would have done better if more viewers could have seen it in its full 3D glory. It might have generated better word-of-mouth and benefited from the surcharge. As this column noted last week, however, there's still a scarcity among theaters equipped for premium-format viewing. So "Pan" had to struggle for available 3D theaters against not just "The Martian" and "Transylvania," but also "The Walk," which opened wide this week after its limited IMAX release. So most "Pan" viewers had to settle for 2D screenings.
5. The Casting

Was it wrong for Wright to cast Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, princess of an imaginary Indian tribe? It seems odd that there were complaints that the film didn't cast a Native-American actress to play a role that was a patronizing racial-fantasy stereotype to begin with. Indeed, according to his own explanation, Wright seems to have made the decision in order to avoid stereotyping by making no pretense to authenticity and rooting the character firmly in fantasy. Nonetheless, this decision seems to have backfired. Whether the moviegoing public cares about any of this is another story, but it certainly didn't help generate positive buzz for the movie.

6. The Reviews

The release delay and Tiger Lily controversy may have tainted the film for reviewers, but it's not like critics didn't have high hopes for this film. After all, Wright is an acclaimed art-house director ("Atonement"), and star Jackman is known for his versatility. Even so, judging by the film's dismal 23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers were sorely disappointed. According to many of the pans of "Pan," critics found the movie overstuffed but under-thought. Aside from Jackman's hammy performance, they found it bleak, grim, and no fun -- not qualities you want in a story about a place where childhood playtime lasts forever. To the extent that older audiences (in this case, parents) still care about reviews, these really had to hurt.
7. The Concept

Are audiences really clamoring for Peter Pan retellings? Movies inspired by J.M. Barrie's characters have a hit-or-miss record at the box office. (See Steven Spielberg's "Hook," which grossed $119.7 million domestically despite tepid reviews.) The 2003 live-action "Peter Pan" earned raves but grossed just $48.5 million in North America, less than half its $100 million budget.

Given that mixed track record, it was a risk for Warner Bros. to go ahead with "Pan" in the first place, especially in creating a new backstory for a character that never needed one. No doubt the studio hoped to launch a new series of Peter Pan adventures. That might still happen, if foreign grosses are good enough. After all, overseas viewers tend to be more appreciative of movies that offer more visual spectacle than narrative coherence. So far, however, foreign grosses have been weak (just $3.8 million).

So it's looking like Warners gambled $150 million on an awfully big misadventure.

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