Warner Puts DC Comics Film Projects "On Hold"
According to David Goyer of Batman Begins and Blade fame, Warner Brothers has pressed the pause button on "a lot" of in-development superhero projects while the studio reassess their approach to handling the potentially enormously lucrative properties.
In an interview with IESB, Goyer stated, "A lot of the DC movies at Warner Brothers are all on hold while the figure out, they're going to come up with some new plan, methodology, things like that so everything has just been pressed pause on at the moment. It was the double header of both Iron Man and The Dark Knight coming out, so more than ever I think they've realized, I think DC was responsible for 50% of Warner Brother's revunue this year, something crazy like that, so they realized that comic books, it's become a new genre, one of the most successful genres."
Among the superhero projects that Warner is speculated to have in development that are likely affected by this "time out" include:
Justice League of America - George Miller is attached to direct the superhero team-up movie. Megan Gale, Teresa Palmer and Adam Brody are rumored to be on-board to play Wonder Woman, Talia Al Ghul and The Flash, respectively.
Super Max - Goyer has penned this Green Arrow film in which the emerald-toned superhero is sent to a Maximum Security Prison. Superman and The Joker might make cameo appearances, among other popular comic characters.
The Flash - Originally set to be directed by Goyer, David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) has now taken over the reigns on this fast-man feature. Ryan Reynolds was set to play the character when Goyer was involved but that's no longer the case.
The Man of Steel - The sequel to Superman Returns will see Kal-El going head-to-head with a new villain. This one is always on-and-off as no one seems confident or willing to spend the cash or time on it. Might Warner end up going with Mark Millar's "Superman" trilogy reboot idea?
Batman 3 - The inevitable second sequel to "Batman Begins". All those rumours you've read - Eddie Murphy as The Riddler, Shia LaBeouf as Robin - can be taken with a mound of salt.
Wonder Woman - Joel Silver has been trying to get a feature film version of the curvy underwear clad crime fighter off the ground for years. They paused momentarily while Miller tried to get Justice League off the ground.
Canadians continue to buy more music
While Canadians bought more music in 2008, they weren't buying albums.
Overall music sales - including albums, singles, music videos and digital tracks - rose 11.5 per cent to 78.5 million from 2007, according to numbers released by Nielsen SoundScan.
But overall album sales decreased 8.5 per cent to 40.6 million.
The biggest increase was in digital album sales, which jumped 69 per cent to 3.36 million. That outpaces the growth in the U.S., where digital album sales increased by 32 per cent to 65.8 million.
Australian hard-rockers AC/DC had the bestselling album of the year with "Black Ice," their first disc in eight years, which sold 341,000 units. Coldplay followed closely with "Viva La Vida," which sold 334,000 copies and led the digital album charge with 46,700 downloads.
Metallica's comeback album "Death Magnetic" was third, selling 265,000 copies. Nickelback's "Dark Horse" was the top-selling record by a Canadian artist or group. It sold 216,000 copies to place fourth.
The top-selling digital songs were Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," Flo Rida's "Low" and "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry.
Barbadian singer Rihanna was the top-selling digital artist, moving 478,000 units.
Pemberton Music Festival axed
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A massive outdoor music festival that drew more than 40,000 people to a site north of Vancouver last year has been cancelled for this summer.
The three-day Pemberton Music Festival debuted in a mountain valley with acts like Tom Petty, Jay-Z and Coldplay.
Organizers say they weren't able to reschedule another concert but hope the event will make a comeback in 2010.
The festival that featured rising Canadian acts alongside international superstars was mostly a success but also had some snags.
There were long waits on the highway between Vancouver to Pemberton, chaotic parking and an impractical shuttle system.
Some people spent eight hours in traffic chaos to make the usual 20-minute trip between Pemberton and nearby Whistler.
Spidey saves Inauguration Day for Obama in comic
President-elect Barack Obama's mythic status as a saviour for the U.S. could be cemented by his appearance in a new Spider-Man comic from Marvel.
A five-page story, added as a bonus feature in the latest Spidey installment coming out on Jan. 14, takes place in Washington D.C. on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
"When we heard that president-elect Obama is a collector of Spider-Man comics, we knew that these two historic figures had to meet in our comics' Marvel Universe," says Marvel's editor-in-chief Joe Quesada in a statement.
"Historic moments such as this one can be reflected in our comics because the Marvel Universe is set in the real world. A Spider-Man fan moving into the Oval Office is an event that must be commemorated."
Marvel comics have featured most presidents, but generally in walk-on roles, adds Quesada.
In "Spidey Meets the President!," one of the super hero's oldest enemies, the Chameleon, tries to stop Obama's swearing-in ceremony.
Fortunately, Peter Parker is covering the event as a photographer and manages to save the day.
"I hope this doesn't ruin the inauguration for you," Spider-Man tells Obama, as the Chameleon is led away by security.
"Honestly, I'm more upset by the Chameleon's shockingly deficient understanding of the electoral process," Obama replies.
At the end, Spider-Man bids a quick goodbye as Obama stops him with one more thing to say: "I've been a fan of yours for a long time and before you go I just want to say ... Thanks. Partner."
At this point the two exchange a fist-bump — a direct reference to the gesture the president-elect and future first lady, Michelle Obama, often do.
As for Michelle, there is a superhero future for her as well. In April, she will be appearing in the Female Force comic book series.
Super Bowl, Super Gig: How the Big Game Can Boost Springsteen’s Sales
When Bruce Springsteen plays the Super Bowl halftime show on February 1st, it will be for the biggest audience of his career: Last year, 148.3 million Americans watched Superbowl XLII, more than the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and the Academy Awards combined. Which should mean good things for Springsteen’s new Working on a Dream and 2009 tour (for the story behind the making of the album, check the issue of Rolling Stone that hits newsstands this week). In the week after last year’s Tom Petty performance, “Free Fallin’” sold 63,000 digital copies — and his tour, which kicked off that spring, went on to become one of the year’s biggest. In 2006, sales of the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang album shot up 34 percent the week after the Bowl.
So why Bruce? “We have a lot of fans in common,” says NFL exec Charles Coplin. “And he performs so well on a large scale that we always felt that it was a good fit.” One thing neither party will discuss is what songs Springsteen will play. Prince performed a medley of hits (including a Foo Fighters cover) in 2007, and the Stones played a new song plus two classic cuts. “The goal of the Super Bowl thing,” says a source in Springsteen’s camp, “is to see how much fun he can get into those 12 minutes.”
Rascal Flatts Sets Date For Sixth Album
Rascal Flatts' sixth album, "Unstoppable," will be released April 7 by Lyric Street. As of yet there are no details about the first single or track list. The set was co-produced by the band with Dann Huff.
"Unstoppable" is the follow-up to 2007's "Still Feels Good," which has sold 2.2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It recently generated the group's ninth No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "Here."
Fans can stay up to date on new album details by texting RASCALFLATTS to 66937, or by visiting the newly launched site Newrfcd.com.
They also have a chance to design the new album's cover through a contest with the People's Choice Awards. Submisions will be accepted through Jan. 22 at PCAvote.com. On Jan. 28Rascal Flatts Sets Date For Sixth Album
Rascal Flatts
January 08, 2009 12:01 AM ET
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Rascal Flatts' sixth album, "Unstoppable," will be released April 7 by Lyric Street. As of yet there are no details about the first single or track list. The set was co-produced by the band with Dann Huff.
"Unstoppable" is the follow-up to 2007's "Still Feels Good," which has sold 2.2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It recently generated the group's ninth No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "Here."
Fans can stay up to date on new album details by texting RASCALFLATTS to 66937, or by visiting the newly launched site Newrfcd.com.
They also have a chance to design the new album's cover through a contest with the People's Choice Awards. Submisions will be accepted through Jan. 22 at PCAvote.com. On Jan. 28, the band will choose finalists and present them to fans to vote on a winner, which will be unveiled in February.
Rascal Flatts is on the road in North American through the end of January and will perform next Jan. 17 in Kansas City, Mo, the band will choose finalists and present them to fans to vote on a winner, which will be unveiled in February.
Rascal Flatts is on the road in North American through the end of January and will perform next Jan. 17 in Kansas City, Mo.
Steve Martin strums a bluegrass album
In his stand-up act, Steve Martin often joked that "you can't play a sad song on the banjo."
But the comedian/actor/musician writes in the liner notes of his first full-length bluegrass album, "I knew the banjo had a capacity for mournful melodies and the 'high, lonesome sound.' As I was sometimes mournful, sometimes lonesome and sometimes sad, this suited me perfectly."
Martin, a banjo player for 45 years, spent nearly that long crafting tunes for The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, available Jan. 27 exclusively at Amazon.com for the first 90 days.
Produced by high school friend John McEuen, Crow contains 14 originals plus Clawhammer Medley (with Red Is the Rose, Sally Ann, Johnson Boys and others). The title track, first recorded for Tony Trischka's 2007 album, climbed the bluegrass charts to become Martin's second hit (after King Tut).
Vince Gill and Dolly Parton share vocals on Pretty Flowers. Mary Black sings on Calico Train. Actor Eugene Levy plays guitar on Tin Roof, and Earl Scruggs appears on Daddy Played the Piano.
Martin will unveil Crow material as host of Saturday Night Live Jan. 31.
Presumably, the banjo won't figure into his reprise of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2, opening Feb. 6.