Bobcat Goldthwait Confirmed For Kinks Musical, Dominic Cooper Is Captain America's Howard Stark

Well, today seems to be a day full of old rumors and confirmations of them.

According to THR, a rumor connecting World’s Greatest Dad helmer Bobcat Goldthwait to a musical adaptation of the famous album Schoolboys In Disgrace from the band The Kinks. The film was up against an “ass kicking Western,” when it was first announced, but apparently, after getting the blessing of the band’s founder Ray Davies, it looks like it is actually happening.

It has been announced in the form of a press release, and will follow a schoolboy who turns into a bitter young man who tries to go against the establishment which has kept him down. “It’s the genesis story of a super villain set to music.” Awesome.

In other confirmation news, Marvel has confirmed that Dominic Cooper will indeed play the role of Howard Stark in the upcoming Captain America film. The rumor is a rather old one, and was previously confirmed by Cooper himself, but this is the first thing that we’ve heard from the studio themselves. It’s great news, because he not only looks the part, but is one hell of an actor to boot. Double awesome.

Go see something good!

Marvel To Start TV Production Wing

It’s about damn time!

According to reports, Marvel is looking to make the leap from comic book page to the big screen, and now to the small screen. Apparently, the studio has created a new arm, Marvel Television, which is looking to bring series ranging from live action to animated, all to your homes.

No details have been released as to just what they plan to push out, but with news coming that the studio is looking to make projects revolving around lower tier characters, one can’t help but think that this would be the perfect outlet for that. Personally, I absolutely adore this news. For one, this is a perfect step forward for the studio. Also, this is an amazing way for the studio to really make an impact with the characters in shows like Heroes and Smallville. While I’m not the massive fan of Smallville that I know a lot of people are, I have been waiting for something like this to come from the Marvel universe, and who better to front it than the studio themselves. This could not be better news.

Go see something good!

NEWS: Thor To Go Into Production in January...

Oh Twitter, how easily you break news.

So, basically, over on their Twitter, Production Weekly said that Marvel Studios is set to begin principal photography on Thor, sometime in January. Hopefully, in the run up leading up to principal photography starting, we may be able to get a hold of some production materials, and maybe even a script. However, all we know now is this.

- Kenneth Branagh is helming the project

- Script is written by Mark Protosevich (with alleged revisions by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz

- The movies plot is basically this: The movie’s story sees the god of thunder Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions re-ignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans. Once here, he learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends dark forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

- Chris Hemworth is starring in the titular role

- Odin will be played by Anthony Hopkins

- Natalie Portman is Jane Foster, nurse to Thor’s alter-ego, Donald Blake

- Loki will be played by Tom Hiddleston

- Jaimie Alexander and Stellan Skarsgard are also in the cast.

- Production will kick off in L.A. in January, and then will move to New Mexico in March, and should be in the can by April, if all goes well. Expect SOMETHING to be seen at Comic Con, if not earlier.

What are YOUR thoughts on this project?

Go see something good…

NEWS: Fox To Reboot Fantastic Four...

**EDIT: For the television show part, I neglected to look through the contracts, and remember that FOX currently owns the rights to not only Fantastic Four, but X-Men as well. Similar to SONY owning Spider-man. Just pointing this out.

So, a day after the HUGE news that Disney has officially purchased Marvel Comic, INC., Fox can't keep the spotlight off of them.

Variety is now reporting that a screenwriter has been tapped to reboot the maligned Fantastic Four franchise. That screenwriter would have to be Michael Green, a producer/writer for Heroes, Everwood, Smallville, and the co-writer of the upcoming Green Lantern flick. Also, Akiva Goldsman will be set to produce the film.

The only thing that we can truly assume is that the original cast and crew, including Tim Story and stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, will not return for this. Also, we will HOPEFULLY assume that the film will actually be taken seriously, instead of simply as a campfest, as the previous two films have been.

Of all the things that have been discussed in the post Disney/Marvel world that we live in, the one thing that I am SHOCKED hasn't gotten more publicity is this.

Sure, Disney won't be able to produce a Marvel feature film for many years down the road, as Paramount and Marvel have a distribution deal for up to five films I believe. HOWEVER, that doesn't do anything for television. Imagine this.

The CW, formerly the WB, has a deal with DC, in which they can make a show such as Smallville. Now we have ABC, owned by Disney, with plenty of slots to pump out a weekly television show. Say a television show could take the place of the Young X-Men film that's in development.

THAT is the most interesting idea coming out of this big time merger.

What do YOU think about Fantastic Four being rebooted? What about a Marvel TV show?

Go see something good!

NEWS: Marvel Updates Their Upcoming Slate...

Over the weekend, FirstShowing attended a special Producer's Guild of America panel on producing Marvel films, where head honcho of Marvel Kevin Feige, updated us on his companies slate of films, with quite a few interesting pieces of news...

- The one thing they really want to bring back from Iron Man for the sequel, is the films great sense of humor, so expect a pretty funny action film...

- They are about halfway done with shooting the film...

- Scarlett Johansson's character in the film supposedly has "two sides." She comes in as an aid/assistant for Stark, and ultimately ends up as Black Widow...

- Feige confirmed the previous reports of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston being cast as Thor and Loki in the upcoming Thor film...

- Kenneth Branaugh is not allowing the actors to use Shakespearean language like the comic book often did...

- Feige confirmed that Captain America will be primarily a period piece set during WWII...

- It's a "safe bet" that we will be seeing Caps trusty sidekick, Bucky, when the film roles around in 2012...

- He also said that Edgar Wright will be doing a rewrite of his script for Ant Man, a film he's still schedule to helm, after production of Scott Pilgrim is done...

- Which leads me to the last note, they will be announcing ANOTHER film for release in 2012 in the upcoming months, and while there is not hint at to what it may be, since he basically announced Ant Man, it's something else, that no one knows about yet...

What do you all think the film could be? Sub-Mariner (starring Zachary Quinto of course)? Hulk 2? Spidy 5? I personally think the best bet may be Dr. Strange, since there have been quite a few hints at that film being put into production, but then again, that's just me. What do you all think?

Go see something good!

NEWS: Samuel L. Jackson OUT as Nick Fury??

Ever since Iron Man, Marvel has had the right idea when intertwining their productions. With the end of Iron Man, after the credits, there is that infamous scene between Tony Stark and Nick Fury, played rather well by Samuel L. Jackson, who was the model for the Ultimates version of the character in that series of comics. However, all may not be so gold over in Marvel land. It looks like Samuel L. Jackson may be out as the head of S.H.E.I.L.D.

I saw ['Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, ‘I hope things are working out for you because we’re writing stuff for you.’ Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren’t really working that well.

There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won’t be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], ‘We’re not making that deal.’

Even Marvel may be taking a hit with the economic crisis. More on this story as it develops.

Go see something good!