The Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man was a sizeable hit this summer at the box office, but the film was surrounded by an air of production troubles.  The film was only director Marc Webb’s second feature, and was a huge step up from his swell but small-scale debut (500) Days of Summer.  A fair amount of reshoots took place, and when the film hit theaters we saw that much of the footage from the film’s marketing (including the entire “Untold Story” storyline) had been removed from the finished pic.

Sony hired Transformers and Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to rewrite the script for a sequel before the first film came out, but Webb’s involvement in the follow-up was less clear.  Though many assumed another director would be brought in to helm a more commercial (ie. action-centric) sequel, it now looks like Webb is coming back after all with his leads in tow.  Hit the jump for more.

Much to the happiness of its devoted fanbase, Fox recently picked up the sci-fi drama Fringe for a fifth and final 13-episode season, allowing the series to provide the climactic conclusion that it’s been heading towards.  The two-part finale, airing on May 4^th and 11^th, will see the Fringe team pushed to their breaking point, as they face off against David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) and desperately attempt to prevent a catastrophic event that threatens the lives of everyone.

During this recent interview to discuss the remainder of this season, showrunners/executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about how much the fan and social media support has meant to them, the impact the final episodes of this season could have on Season 5, their hope that they’ll get Leonard Nimoy back for the final season, that contrary to what has been reported there was no alternate ending that was shot in case the show didn’t get picked up, what they were doing when they found out they would get a final 13 episodes to finish telling this story, that they definitely know where and how the series is going to end and what they’re saying with the final season, and that they hope to continue the story with some comic books, once all is said and done.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

The cast and crew of one of the best sci-fi procedurals since The X-Files were on hand for a Q&A at WonderCon this past weekend. Fans of Fox’s Fringe turned out in droves to show their support and gain some insight into the happenings of the show’s fourth season and possibilities of a fifth. The panel warmed up the audience with a montage of Walterisms from the eccentric Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble). These non sequiturs have been a mainstay in the show since the beginning and continue to be a highlight. Apart from that, the excellent casting, superb writing and edge-of-your-seat intrigue were then put on display in a clip from the upcoming episode, “A Short Story About Love.” Fringe, starring Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and Lance Reddick returns this Friday, March 23rd at 9pm EST on Fox. Hit the jump to check out our recap and take a look at the Walterisms.

With only eight episodes left in Season 4, and the fate of the drama series still undetermined, Fringe is answering questions and pulling out all the stops, so as not to leave fans disappointed. Life-threatening events will continue to raise the stakes, and both the characters and the audience will learn more about the uber-plot of this season’s big bad guy.

During this recent interview, executive producers/writers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about keeping all of the universes and timelines straight, how the latest episode (“The End of All Things”) will effect things to come, to remember that nothing is as it seems, that they haven’t written the season finale yet, the importance of the fan support to the success of the show, the state of sci-fi on TV today, and the chances of a Season 5. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

The sci-fi drama Fringe returns for Season 4 tonight, with Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) wiped from existence, after having saved the day in the last season finale. The two worlds are now forced to work together, as Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) joins Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) on the Fringe team under Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick). With unbelievable new cases and a growing mythology, the fourth season of the popular series promises more shocks and twists that its loyal followers have come to expect from the show’s adventurous, thought-provoking storytelling.

During a recent interview to promote the show’s return, executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about how important Peter Bishop is to the show and that Joshua Jackson will return in some capacity, the significance of the change in the opening title sequence, the challenge of incorporating both worlds into some of the stories this season, how grateful they are to have such a rabid following, and how things start fresh this season, making it the perfect time for new viewers to dive in. Check out what they had to say after the jump.

The Fringe Panel opened with what appeared to be an ordinary ol’ boring sizzle reel. Events from the previous season played out across the screen: the battle between two universes, Olivia trapped on the “other side”, Broyles barking out orders, Walter attempting to save the day, Astrid assisting… all the characters given a moment or two (Lincoln Lee, Nina Sharp, Charlie Francis) everyone except the male lead of the show. Peter Bishop was nowhere to be found. His de-existence branching out to  the very marketing of the show. What happened to Peter? How will he be brought back into existence (i.e. on the show)? Can he be? For the answers to these questions, hit the jump.

Even with a move to Friday night that upset many fans of the drama series, Fringe has been holding strong with its devoted followers, thanks to strong stories from its creative team and great acting from its cast, including co-stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble. During a recent interview, executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about the feedback from the network on the show’s Friday ratings, what’s exciting them about the storytelling path they’re currently on, how things will be escalating in both worlds, how the relationship between Peter (Jackson) and Olivia (Torv) will be getting worse and better, that they already know where they would take the series through Season 5, and how they get many of their ideas from their own nightmares. They also teased what viewers can expect from the next episode, “6B,” airing on February 18^th. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

After the shocking turns of events that left an imprisoned Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) stuck in the alternate universe, Fringe returns for Season 3 and viewers will get to find out if she can fight her way home while Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter (John Noble) try to move on with their lives unknowingly alongside alternate Olivia. As Walter copes with the consequences of his choices, the story will now alternate between “over here” and “over there,” from one universe to the other, as both Fringe team work to solve unexplainable cases.

In a recent interview to promote the launch of the new season, executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman talked about their approach in alternating the episodes from one universe to the other, the shift in dynamics with the other versions of the characters and the journey that the characters will be taking. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

If you’re a fan of Fringe, you’ll be happy to know Fox has picked it up for a third season.  EW is reporting the news and I can confirm it.  While the show doesn’t get huge numbers on Thursday nights (about 7.6 million viewers), it’s an extremely competitive night on TV and the show has managed to hold its own.  Also, it does well in the all-important 18-49 demographic and when you factor in DVR numbers.

As a big fan of the show, I’m glad it’s coming back.  I’m also happy for the early renewal as it gives executive producers Jeff Pinkner,  J.H. Wyman, Bryan Burk and J.J. Abrams time to write a great season finale.  Fringe also stars Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham), Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop), John Noble (Walter Bishop), Lance Reddick (Phillip Broyles) and Jasika Nicole (Astrid Farnsworth).

J.J. Abrams was at Monday night’s Fox All-Star Party for the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour on behalf of his sophomore television Fringe. But, with so many things on his plate, like the final season of Lost, his new pilot for the NBC spy series Undercovers and the 2012 sequel for Star Trek, Abrams had plenty to talk about and was more than happy to do so.

During an informal chat, the director/writer/producer talked about possible fan reaction to the last season of Lost, how he’d like to set up Fringe with the same type of end-game, his preparation to direct the pilot for Undercovers and how there’s a release date for Star Trek 2, but no finished script yet. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

If you’re a fan of FOX’s great show “Fringe”, I’ve got an interview you’re going to love. That’s because a few days ago I went to the post production headquarters of “Fringe” and spoke with Showrunner/Executive Producer Jeff Pinkner about what’s coming up this season and a lot more. While I sometimes say “a lot more” when posting an interview, those words don’t begin to cover this interview as we talked about so much, there is no way to sum it all up in this intro.

But before getting to the interview, if you’re not watching “Fringe”, you’re missing out on a great show. Last season (which was its first), the show got better and better each week and it all came to a head with a hell of a finale. Also, by the end of the season, the show had figured out how to create self contained episodes that also furthered the mythology of “Fringe”. And even when you thought there wasn’t any mythology in an episode, the show always found a way to reward its fans. Trust me, tune in this season and give it a chance. You won’t regret it. Watch the interview after the jump:

With Comic-Con 2009 fast approaching, get ready for a ton of updates about what’s going on at this year’s convention. Since there is no reason to ramble on, I’ll keep all the intros brief.

If you’re a fan of either “The Big Bang Theory” or “Fringe”, both shows will be there and both are bringing the cast and creators. While production on the shows start around the convention, they will still have some fun videos to watch. The info on both is after the jump:

Warner Home Video has just announced the DVD/Blu-ray info on “Fringe: The Complete First Season”. While we rarely post DVD cover art and info anymore, since this was one of my favorite shows of last season, I’m going to give it some love.

Remember that one season of “The X-Files” that was really great…that’s “Fringe” every week. While the pilot was mediocre, every subsequent episode got better and better and the show ended with a fantastic finale. All I can say is…I really recommend giving “Fringe” a chance.

So if I’ve peaked your interest, after the jump is all the info on the DVD and Blu-ray plus cover art. Take a look.