I'd like to apologize in advance for today's opening paragraph lacking the fascinating insight and ESPN Films' 30 for 30 gushing that you've come to expect. I'm writing from the press lounge of the 5th Annual Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (also known as C2E2) where a majority of my time will be spent on the convention floor taking Cosplay pictures and searching for heavily discounted hardback comics. It's not a complete loss, though, as I should be posting an image recap from the convention in the coming days much like I've done the last two years.
All dreams of hardback treasure hunting aside, this week's Top 5 highlights our extensive WonderCon Anaheim coverage, the first trailer for Richard Linklater's Boyhood, word that Roberto Orci is looking to direct Star Trek 3, Ray Fisher landing the role of Cyborg in Batman vs. Superman, and several new pieces of Star Wars info. Resting on the other side of the jump is a brief recap and link to each of the above.
1. WonderCon 2014 Coverage
You may have noticed over the last week or so that the site has been chock full of WonderCon Anaheim coverage. I won't dare try and discuss all of our coverage in this recap but I will point you towards some of my personal favorite bits such as: our Cosplay image article, the Godzilla panel recap, and Christina's Deliver Us From Evil interviews which make the cut more or less because I loved Scott Derrickson's previous effort, Sinister and am looking forward to this one as a result.
2. First Trailer for Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD
I'm confident that Richard Linklater's Boyhood is going to break me into pieces. The first trailer for the film debuted online this week and I nearly teared up during its sub-two minute runtime. Based on sheer ambition alone, it has all the makings of a landmark film that promises to be unlike anything I've seen before. I simply can't wait to see it this summer and to become a sappy mess right there in the theater.
3. Roberto Orci Lobbying to Direct STAR TREK 3
Having co-penned the Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness scripts, we learned this week that Roberto Orci is now doing his level best to take over the director's chair for Star Trek 3. The seat, left vacant by the mildly busy J.J. Abrams, would mark Orci's directorial debut. If I were a bigger Trek fan, this news would be concerning to me not because of Orci's lack of directorial experience but because of the fact that he has a writing credit for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and there's nothing we can do to change that.
4. Ray Fisher to Play Cyborg in BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN
Some interesting news regarding Zack Snyder's Man of Steel follow-up dropped this week when Broadway actor Ray Fisher landed the role of Cyborg. Fisher is tapped for multiple DC films and it's reported that his role will only expand in subsequent pics. As Adam points out in his write-up, the inclusion of Cyborg begs makes me question how much the oft-referred Batman vs. Superman will resemble a Superman follow-up story and how much will essentially work as a Justice League origin tale?
5. STAR WARS: EPISODE VII News
I'm impressed that Abrams and Co. have managed to keep such a tight lid on Star Wars: Episode VII thus far. I know project secrecy is his thing and all but it's a noteworthy feat nonetheless. It's due to this near complete lack of information that we're left to rejoice over any tidbit of news we get. In that spirit, I present to you confirmation that the new Star Wars films have nothing to do with the franchise's Expanded Universe, that casting for Episode VII is almost done, and that the new films will have somewhat reasonable budgets in the $175 million to $200 million range. Riveting stuff, right? Yeah, I'd rather have casting confirmations too.