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08/13/16 @ 12:39 pm EST
In his latest project, Michael Uslan has combined to classic radio show characters with a familial link into one series. Now he talks to Byron Brewer about Lone Ranger/Green Hornet #4, on sale in October from Dynamite. Cover art by Jan Duursema.  BYRON BREWER: Michael, this book seems to be stacking up the great reviews amid fandom. Your reaction?MICHAEL USLAN: I am humbled by the overwhelming wonderful reviews that have poured in. Gio and I have put our hearts into this family saga spanning three generations. We love and respect these characters and their mutual creator, accepting the responsibility as the first ones in 80 years who are legally permitted to tell this story. The readers seem to appreciate the extensive historical research done here by both Gio and me. We also love how Pete, our colorist, and Troy, our letterer, and John and Jan, our cover artists, are being acknowledged for their massive talents. BB: Wow! So Kato was trained by the older Tonto! Was that a fun concept to invent and write for these iconic sidekicks? Tell us about each’s importance in the role of their hero, in your mind.MU: “The Lone Ranger & Tonto!” “The Green Hornet & Kato!” The latter is the modern era, urban version of the former. Since I only have five issues to tell the multi-generational tale of the Reid family, I could not as a writer “rob” John, Dan and Britt Reid of their “screen-time,” meaning I could not give Kato and Tonto a quantity of time, so had to concentrate on giving them “quality” time. In doing so, it was clear to me that Tonto needed to become Kato’s “Yoda.” If I say anything more, this will become a spoiler. So you’ll just have to read the upcoming issues to see what happens. BB: I don’t think I am revealing spoilers when I mention that a death is coming in October’s issue #4. Without spoilers, Michael, you are so close to these characters as a writer and fan, was this a particularly difficult issue for you to pen?MU: Not difficult. Emotional. What I do not believe in in our comic book industry is the concept of the gimmick. By this I mean the publisher’s move to draw the attention of the general public and mass media to a title by showing the “death” of a major character. By now, almost every superhero I have ever read has been killed. Of course, we fans know what the general public does not, that each of these characters will be back in one year. In our Lone Ranger/Green Hornet opus, if anyone dies, they are not… And I repeat, NOT… coming back. BB: I know from past interviews you do a ton of research on not only characters but the periods of history in which your protagonists share adventures. This has been such an important title for you. Tell us what was the fun – the dessert, if you will – when it came to your research.MU: I’m a history major and history buff. Most of what I read for pleasure are books about history. When I travel the world, I go out of my way to visit historic sites. I particularly love the period of the 1930s and ‘40s. I revel in scenes as simple as the opening of issue #1 where the kids in 1936 leave school, race through the park, and head to the police horse stables to hear tales of the Old West told by the old Lone Ranger. Yet I equally love scenes of action in conflict involving the Nazi threat and all it represents. That pure evil is the closest thing we have to the concept of an ultimate comic book super-villain. BB: Artist Giovanni Timpano is hitting on all cylinders during this series. Is he also a big fan of the Ranger and the Hornet?MU: This man, this artist is awesome! He started out great yet seems to get better and better with each page. His work is stunning both in terms of contemporary graphic story-telling and illustration. He is able to register tremendous emotional range on the face of each character he draws. And he does his homework! Not only does he research every detail extensively, he challenges me on my script references or any photo or art reference I send him, and has, to my sheer delight, managed to correct me on some occasions. We are a team. BB: Michael, what is going on with you these days outside Dynamite?MU: I’m excited about the upcoming Lego Batman Movie, great upcoming Batman animation, the upcoming Batman solo movies, Doc Savage, and the exciting Thunder Agents! Sometime in the next few months, we’ll be making a major announcement about my plans for my future in movies and television. In the world of writing comic books, my next project will be something near and dear to my heart and will be the beginning of the rebuilding of, perhaps, my favorite brand franchise of all time! Beyond that, I have all the faith in Nick Barrucci at Dynamite that he will make possible three more “dream” projects of mine that have been sitting at the top of my bucket list for many years. I also hope to do something more with Turner Classic Movies, my favorite cable network! 05/04/24 @ 12:07 pm EST
Prime has released the trailer for Season 4 of The Boys and this one looks like it’s building to an even bigger ending than season 3. It starts with Butcher ( Karl Urban) talking to his former team, basically saying he knows his time is almost up and he needs them to do what has to be done. We then switch to Homlander ( Antony Starr) talking to whoever makes up The Seven at that point, saying that the world is corrupt and it’s time for them to no longer be heroes, but to become vengeful gods. Then we cut to the newest addition to the series, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who looks to be recruiting Butcher to do some very bad things for good reasons. And then we get the big plot reveal that Butcher has found a virus that kills Supes… then we get a montage of fighting, violence, blood and a surprising large amount of angry animals. The Boys also stars Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti. Along with Morgan, season Four will welcome Susan Heyward and Valorie Curry. Premiering June 13 on Prime Video.  05/04/24 @ 11:50 am EST
Disney+ has dropped a new trailer for The Acolyte to celebrate May the 4th. With he tag line of, “No one is safe from the truth,” the almost 2 minute trailer shows off a world where the Jedi are being hunted by what might be one of their own. Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss star in the series and is the first project set in the High Republic era, roughly 100 years prior to The Phantom Menace. The series was created by Leslye Headland, co-creator of the Netflix series Russian Doll. It will debut on the streaming service on June 4th, 2024.  05/04/24 @ 11:35 am EST
We get this latest news straight from the horses mouth, or rather by way of Collider, who is reporting that Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian actor Giancarlo Esposito will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While doing a panel at CCXP, the actor revealed he would be appearing in a Marvel project, but not in the role that many fans have talked about for him. The actor has been fan casted by many as the new Professor X when the X-Men finally move into the MCU. But Esposito said that he would be coming, “sooner rather than later,” and “better than you can imagine.” The next Marvel film to come out will be Deadpool & Wolverine which could put Esposito in just about any role as a variant, but the hope is that the actor who made his name playing such villains as Gus Fring and Moff Gideon will be someone of consequence that will be around a while. They still need a new actor to play Kang the Conqueror don’t they? And they haven’t cast Doctor Doom, right? Just asking.  05/03/24 @ 10:02 pm EST
Daytime Emmy-winner Mike Manning (This is Us, Days of Our Lives) and Olivia Blue (Theater is Dead, Animal Kingdom) will star in alien adventure film Unexpected Treasures, directed by John Paul Ungaretti, and written by Ungaretti and Christina Heller. The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara (Lost in Space, Lucifer), Jay Whittaker (The Orville, Let’s Go to Prison), Michael Dunn (Bosch, NCIS), Lauren Han (Beef, Extracurricular), and Rex Edhlund. Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity. Blue stars as the local resident, while Manning stars as the alien. (via Deadline) 05/03/24 @ 10:03 pm EST
Ali Afshar’s ESX Entertainment is entering into the horror space with the feature The Necklace starring sisters Madeleine & Violet McGraw, each of whom have garnered widespread acclaim for gripping performances in M3GAN and 2021’s The Black Phone respectively. Cameras will roll this summer. The screenplay was written specifically with the McGraw sisters in mind by Afshar collaborator John Ducey (A Hollywood Christmas, That’s Amor). The pic is being directed by Chilean filmmaker Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz, who helmed Pumpkinhole and HBO’s Perry Mason. Said Afshar, “Madeleine and Violet are among the brightest lights of this generation of young actors, and an absolute joy to work with. Each brings a unique energy to the screen and, together, they are absolutely electrifying to watch. I couldn’t be more thrilled to team up with these enormously gifted young actors to bring this fresh and terrifying story to the big screen and plunge audiences into the dark and chilling world of The Necklace.” (via Deadline) 05/03/24 @ 10:03 pm EST
The Maze Runner is back at the starting line. 20th Century Studios is rebooting the sci-fi action adventure franchise, which ran as a trilogy from 2014 to 2018. The Disney arm is in negotiations to tap Jack Paglen, perhaps best known for writing the Johnny Depp-starring sci-fi movie Transcendence, to pen the script for a new installment. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman of Gotham Group and Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill, who produced the original trilogy, are back to produce this one. Wes Ball, who directed the original trilogy, will also be involved as a producer. THR is reporting that the reboot is not a redo of the story nor is it a direct sequel to the original trilogy, which starred Dylan O’Brien and Kaya Scodelario. The hope is to make a sort of continuation of the story yet also return to the elements that made the first movie connect with its audience. (The original movie, made by 20th Century Fox in the years leading up to its acquisition by Disney, also proved to be an unexpected moneymaker, generating $348 million worldwide but costing only $35 million to make.) 05/03/24 @ 2:09 pm EST
Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables) and Emmy winner Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) are attached to star in a new movie, The Death Of Robin Hood. Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski is writer-director on the project, which will be among the hot titles on sale at this month’s Cannes market via WME Independent. Arrival and The Prestige producer Aaron Ryder is among the producing team. The film is a darker reimagining of the classic Robin Hood tale. Set of its time, the film will see the title character grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, a battleworn loner who finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman who offers him a chance at salvation. Production is due to begin in February 2025. (via Deadline) 05/03/24 @ 2:03 pm EST
Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy will lead the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s children’s classic The Magic Faraway Tree. The story from the author, based on her The Faraway Tree series of novels for children, follows Polly and Tim and their children Beth, Joe and Fran — a modern family who find themselves forced to relocate to the remote English countryside. Two-time Academy Award-nominee Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Hacksaw Ridge) will play Tim and two-time Emmy Award-winner Claire Foy (All of Us Strangers, The Crown) will take on the role of Polly. Screenwriter Simon Farnaby, British star of Wonka and Paddington 2, said: “To have two actors of the quality of Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy is a dream for any screenwriter.” (via The Hollywood Reporter) 05/02/24 @ 10:59 pm EST
Jennifer Zhang (Fetish, Charon) is set to direct sci-fi feature length anthology, Trüebadour. Also written by Zhang, the film stars Gina Su (Autopilot, Blue, Transpo), and Daphne Qin Wu (The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, Beacon) serves as cinematographer. Based on the sci-fi short Autopilot, Trüebadour follows an enigmatic engineering prodigy who introduces the bombastic founder of a tech start-up to an innovative “storytelling” device that scans its wearer to generate an original work of fiction. No one at the company is prepared for the unsettling stories their minds inspire, nor the disturbing consequences of using the device. (via Deadline) 05/02/24 @ 10:51 pm EST
Louis Leterrier, director of Fast X and several Transporter action movies, has been tapped to direct and produce the sci-fi horror film 11817, based on a script by Matthew Robinson. The genre pic produced by Leterrier’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment is now casting. Rocket Science will fully finance, handle foreign sales and introduce the film in Cannes, while CAA Media Finance will handle a North American sale. In 11817, inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life-or-death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who – or what – is keeping them trapped. (via THR) |
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