http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/01/what-is-boom-studios-adapting-now/

Denzel Washington’s

The iPod is one of the details that binds the post-apocalyptic world of “Book of Eli” to modern society. “If it happened today, you’d have what you have on…’Today,’” Washington explained. “You don’t see it, but I wear a pair of LeBrons too. The first pair of sneakers I have [in the movie] are LeBron’s.” In the film, the shoes are well worn and Eli soon trades them out.

Despite the presence of various religious elements in the film, Washington does not expect it to find controversy. “Why’s that controversial?” he asked. “I think there’s nothing wrong with debate, conversation/argument, whatever. Good. Imagine that: an idea, a thought, a point of view.”

Over the course of the development and filming of the movie, Washington became deeply involved in shaping Eli. “[There were] a lot of sessions with Allen [Hughes, the director] and myself and my son and the writer [Gary Whitta]. I walked through a lot of the [script]. Page by page, we did a lot of rewrites.” These writing sessions saw Washington not only editing but also acting out all the parts in the script. “Coming off of directing and how I work as a director, I really want to flesh out the characters, [so] I played all the parts,” he explained. “One day, in one of the sessions, I just came up with the idea of Gary’s character saying, ‘Pray for me. I mean it.’ That wasn’t in the original script, but it just made sense to me that this guy, at that moment, when it seems like he’s got everything and he’s the most evil, or whatever you want to call him, he says, ‘Pray for me.’ Does that make him more twisted? It just felt right.”

Eli’s world is a post-apocalyptic one

The actor went on to discuss how much he enjoyed working with Oldman. “Gary’s one of the best. We had a lot of fun. [On some takes,] we would do the whole thing as this sort of British [mannered performance].” Affecting a pastiche of a British accent, Washington mimicked the style of these goof-offs: “Well, sir. I’ll need that book from you now.” He went on to praise Oldman. “Obviously, he’s one of the best of his generation - of our generation. So it was real joy when he signed on. I was really excited about it.”

Over the course of the developmental process, Washington became used to the style in which directors Allen and Albert Hughes operate. “Alan is more the casting people kind of guy. Albert was in New Mexico. He’s the guy with the room full of graphic designers; all that geek stuff. He likes all that. He’s not the communicator,” the actor explained. “Obviously, they know each other pretty well. So, they didn’t seem to step on each other’s toes. So once you get the rhythm of it, once you knew who was responsible for what, it was not that hard.”

When asked how Eli was different from roles he has taken on in the past, Washington replied, “Most of the characters I play, there’s been some kind of evolution - spiritual evolution. Even Malcolm X, who went from hatred to a complete different doctrine.” The personal journey of the character is key to the decisions Washington has made in his choice of characters over his career. “Even something as dark as ‘Training Day,’ the first thing I wrote on my script was, ‘the wages of sin is death.’ So, in the original version of ‘Training Day,’ they had him dying in the smallest way - you heard about it on TV. I said no. In order for me to justify living in the worst way, I had to die in the worst way. So there was still, in my mind, a lesson to be learned or an evolution.” He continued this line of thinking by moving on to discuss “Man on Fire.” “Same thing; a very dark man meets this young angel who awakens him and he gives his life for her.”

Eli ponders his life over a meal

From there, Washington made the connection to Eli. “He has this mission, and this mission has turned him into this violent killing machine. There’s coincidence that, at the moment when he’s about to chop whoever with this hatchet, this axe, this young girl says ‘Stop.’ Why was he sent through this town right before he makes it to where he’s supposed to go? He could’ve gone around and it [would have] been a whole different story, but in his spiritual evolution, this was a part of the process. He had to go down through the valley of the shadow of death.”

During the course of the shaping the movie’s scripted material, Washington made it a point not to seek out other films or stories set in post-apocalyptic environments. “I usually take that approach, not to look at [similar films], so whatever I come up with, at least in my mind, I came up with it on my own,” said the actor of his process. “I don’t want to start looking at other films and go, ‘I can’t do that.’ I don’t want to be hemmed in by the possibility of doing exactly what somebody else did. Maybe I have, I don’t know. I didn’t look.”

In order to shoot “Eli’s” fight sequences, Washington trained with Jeff Imada and Danny Inosanto, practitioners of Jeet Kune Do; the discipline developed by Bruce Lee. “What I learned from these masters, like Danny Inasanto, is he lets that energy come toward him and he goes through it. He’s like seventy-some-odd years old and so fluid and just a great fighter. I said I didn’t want to be karate man, but just moving through people,” he explained.

“I worked with Danny a bit. Four or five months out, we started stretching and moving…just getting into the whole vibe. When you get older, stretching is good. I don’t do it enough, but it helps a lot,” Washington recalled. The training included work with swords, and when asked if he has kept up with swordplay, the actor answered, “There’s a part of me that definitely wants to continue [the discipline], but then there’s the actor part that also says I got to put that down, I’m not that guy now. I’ve got to play another guy.”

Swordplay in silhouette

After all that work, Washington was keen to make sure he could be seen in the action takes. One scene had been mapped out with Eli in silhouette. “I’m thinking, ‘Silhouette? Hard as I’m working, you’re not even going show me after all of that?’ Get closer or something. Make sure they know it’s me,” he joked. And while the finished scene does feature Eli in silhouette, a subsequent scene shows off the work Washington put into training.

Returning to the religious elements in the film, Washington said that he prefers to let audiences make up their own minds. “I always say, ‘what people will take depends on what they bring to it.’ It’s not for me to say,” he stated. “It shouldn’t be as narrow as just the way that I think. I know what my character wants from scene to scene. If I start thinking result terms, that I want you to get ‘this’ from it, then I might start showing you something so that I’ll get the result I want, and maybe I’m not right.”

Warner Bros.’ “The Book of Eli” hits theaters on January 15.

 http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24308

Comics2Film at Mania.com has heard rumblings that actor/producer Denzel Washington is circling the TOKYOPOP title ‘Zapt!‘.

Although TOKYOPOP is primarily know for importing Manga, ‘Zapt!’ was published in 2003 under their “American-made Manga for kids” initiative. Comic scribes Keith Giffen and Shannon Eric Denton created and wrote the book with illustrated by Armand Villavert.

‘Zapt!’ tells the comedic adventures of an ordinary boy named Armand who gets drafted into an intergalactic police force. Now he has to deal with the the day-to-day hassles of school teachers, homework and bullies, knowing that at any moment he may get transported into space for duty. The Pangalactic Order of Police (that’s right: it spells P.O.O.P.) employs kids because their instinctive nature allows them to master the alien technology that makes them superheroes. In other words, the same impulsiveness that gets Armand in trouble at school makes him a rising star in the P.O.O.P. corp.

According to our source, Washington’s interest would be as a producer, and most likely not as an actor, given that the book is mostly populated by kids and aliens. It’s also unclear as to whether or not this is for film or television and whether or not it’s live-action or animation.

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2010 GLYPH COMICS AWARDS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED; JUDGES NAMED

This past May, history was made at the Glyph Comics Awards (GCA) ceremony as Jeremy Love’s Bayou became the most celebrated book in GCA history, winning all five awards in which he and his webcomic was nominated, including Story of the Year. Expectations are high for another exciting competition this year.

The panel of judges for the 2010 competition is:

David Brothers, comics blogger, 4thLetter!
Carol Burrell, editorial director, Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group
Brian Cronin, writer, Comic Book Resources
Katie Merritt, co-owner, Green Brain Comics; former president, Friends of Lulu
Dan Merritt, co-owner, Green Brain Comics
Any comics publisher – small, large, corporate, independent, self-published – as well as online comic creators and cartoonists for newspapers and other periodicals, are invited to submit black-themed material released from January 1 – December 31, 2009 for consideration for award recognition. The Committee defines black-themed work as any comic with any combination of the following: a black protagonist(s), or at least a black character(s) pivotal to the direction of the story; a setting(s) or a theme(s) that explores the black experience within the United States and/or abroad, past, present, and/or future; and/or a comic of any kind written and/or illustrated by a black creator(s).

Anyone wishing to submit their comic book or comic strip for consideration in the 2010 competition should e-mail GCA Committee Chair Rich Watson at rich.watson@gmail.com for further information. Hard copies are preferred, though submissions of e-files will also be accepted. Online comics creators and newspaper/periodical cartoonists with websites should send a direct URL link to their site or page. Daily cartoonists must have a minimum of one month’s work archived and available for viewing; weekly cartoonists a minimum of two months. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2010.

The 2010 Glyph Comics Awards ceremony will be held at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) in May 2010.

About the Glyph Comics Awards:

The Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year. While it is not exclusive to black creators, it does strive to honor those who have made the greatest contributions to the comics medium in terms of both critical and commercial impact. By doing so, the goal is to encourage more diverse and high quality work across the board and to inspire new creators to add their voices to the field.

The awards are named for the blog Glyphs (http://www.PopCultureShock.com/glyphs), started in 2005 by comics journalist Rich Watson as a means to provide news and commentary of comics with black themes, as well as tangential topics in the fields of black science-fiction/fantasy and animation.

About ECBACC:

The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (www.ecbacc.com/wordpress) is an annual gathering of comic book creators and retailers who create and sell material that caters to black readers of all ages. In addition to selling their work, they also take part in panel discussions and self-publishing workshops for aspiring creators. The convention is held in Philadelphia each May. There is also a reception held the preceding night. ECBACC is an outgrowth of the original Black Age of Comics Convention in Chicago, founded by Turtel Onli.

For more information about ECBACC, contact event coordinator Maurice Waters at maurice.waters@ecbacc.com.

Idris Elba has joined the cast of Marvel Studios’ Thor, reports Heat Vision.

Elba will play Heimdall, the guardian of Asgard, who stands on the BiFrost Bridge ready to defend the city from intruders.

He joins a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgard, Stuart Townsend, Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano.

To be directed by Kenneth Branagh, the comic book adaptation will be released by Paramount Pictures on May 20, 2011. Shooting will begin mid-January in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Elba also stars in Warner Bros.’ comic book adaptation The Losers, opening April 9.

http://superherohype.com/nextraimages/idrisheimdall.jpg

Zoe Saldana is having quite a year. This summer, Star Trek blew up the box office and on December 18, the much anticipated Avatar hits theaters.

We talked to her briefly at the DVD/Blu-ray release party for Star Trek.

“I’m feeling great, but there’s a part of me that’s happy it’s almost over so I can finally take off my heels,” Saldana joked. “Between guns, a little dress and heels I’m a little tired physically, but I never get mentally tired of talking about these projects I’ve been a part of because it’s every actor’s dream to work with amazing directors especially for a woman in Hollywood and film. To get to work with great directors that actually write great roles for women is not only a treat, but it’s something that should happen more often.”

After Avatar, Saldana will be seen is The Losers playing Aisha.

“She’s a blend of Uhura and Neytiri,” Saldana said. “Toss in a couple of guns and some tattoos - she’s really badass. At times I was kind of afraid of her. I don’t know why it’s a PG-13 movie to be honest.”

Although she kills a lot of people in The Losers, the young actress said playing Neytiri in Avatar was the more difficult role.

“In my entire career, that was the most challenging role I’ve ever played. It just challenged me from head to toe. Not only did I have to become more in tune with my body and train for seven months to do this role, but it was also a mental thing where I had to dehumanize myself because I was playing a different species–not of a different country. I was from a different planet so it took a lot of time and it was the most amazing experience I ever had.”

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=60974

Fox21 has partnered with Platinum Studios to develop a TV series based on Platinum’s graphic novel “Gunplay.”

“Final Destination” writer-producer Glen Morgan is on board to adapt the novel, created and written by Jorge Vega.

“Gunplay” centers on Abner Meeks, a buffalo soldier condemned to roam the Old West with a hellish curse slung at his waist: a demonic shooting iron that forces him to kill once a day or suffer soul-searing pain.

” ‘Gunplay’ is one of those rare combinations of fantastically created characters and wonderfully told narrative, which creates an inventive canvas from which to play,” Platinum Studios chairman and CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg said.

Added Fox21 president Chris Carlisle, “It is a unique story of an ordinary man who must live with an extraordinary curse.”

The deal was brokered by former Universal Pictures executive Randy Greenberg, CAA and the Rigberg Entertainment Group.

Platinum and Fox21 recently teamed to adapt another Platinum property, the upcoming comic book series “Indestructible Man.”

The film and TV division of Platinum Studios, whose library contains more than 5,600 characters, also is developing the features “Cowboys & Aliens,” “Unique,” “The Witchblade,” “Atlantis Rising,” “The Weapon” and “Mal Chance.”

Morgan’s TV series credits include “The X-Files” and “Millennium.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i422dde68f61e91f2dc71c9a63d95a1f5

There hasn’t been much to report about the project since the initial announcement, so when Gray dropped by Splash Page HQ to chat about “Law Abiding Citizen,” we asked him for an update on the adaptation.

“We’re still developing it. We’re still in the stage of finding a writer,” Gray told MTV News. “That project is a huge project and we have to get that right.”

According to Gray, fans of the graphic novel will likely notice some changes when the adaptation eventually gets to the screen.

“I had re-envisioned it, and it’s going to have a slightly different feel than the graphic novel,” he explained. “It’s a crime trilogy, kind of like ‘The Godfather’ meets ‘Mad Max.’”

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However, it could be a long time between updates on “Julius,” as Gray says he’s not hurrying development.

“Re-imagining Caesar’s story in modern time and the world that I envisioned for it—I’m looking forward to that one,” he said. “That’s going to be my kind of ‘Peter Jackson You’ve-Been-Working-On-That-For-Seven-Years Project.’”

Gray also offered some thoughts on what attracted him to the project in the first place.

“It’s the information age and everyone knows about politics and the underworld, and to take Caesar’s story and combine what’s modern with the classic story and infuse the underworld and the crime drama with the

 http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/10/16/law-abiding-citizen-director-f-gary-gray-calls-julius-adaptation-his-peter-jackson-project/