Valiant Entertainment Announces Five-Picture Deal With Sony

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April 21, 2015

Valiant Entertainment and Sony Pictures today announced a deal to bring two of Valiant’s award-winning comic book superhero franchises—BLOODSHOT and HARBINGER—to the big screen over the course of five feature films that will culminate in the shared universe crossover film, HARBINGER WARS.

BLOODSHOT, arriving in theaters in 2017, will kick off the five-picture plan leading to HARBINGER WARS and will be directed by David Leitch & Chad Stahelski (John Wick) from a script by Jeff Wadlow (Kick Ass 2) and Eric Heisserer (Story of Your Life). Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe from Original Film (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Dinesh Shamdasani from Valiant Entertainment will produce the film. Matthew Vaughn and Jason Kothari will serve as executive producers.

HARBINGER will follow shortly thereafter from a script by Eric Heisserer (Story of Your Life). Sony and Valiant remain tight-lipped about potential directors. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe from Original Film (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Dinesh Shamdasani from Valiant Entertainment will produce.

Both BLOODSHOT and HARBINGER will be followed by sequels before the title characters confront each other head on in HARBINGER WARS—a motion picture directly inspired by Valiant’s critically acclaimed 2013 comic book crossover of the same name. Andrea Giannetti will oversee the five-picture HARBINGER WARS initiative for Sony Pictures.

“Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of comics, and Neal is one of the best action producers in the business today. This is a formidable partnership that will bring two incredibly commercial franchises with global appeal together on the big screen,” said Sony Entertainment Motion Picture Group President Doug Belgrad. “The long-term plan that begins with BLOODSHOT will be a considerable priority for Sony in the months and years to come.”

Brought back from the dead and infused with cutting-edge nanotechnology by private security contractor Project Rising Spirit, Bloodshot is a nearly unstoppable killing machine equipped with enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing. Created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin, and Bob Layton in 1992, Bloodshot is one of the most successful new comic book characters of the past two decades with more than 100 issues published and lifetime sales of more than 7 million copies in multiple languages around the world. After returning with a sold-out new series in 2012, Bloodshot’s latest chapter recently began with the release of Bloodshot Reborn #1 in April—the first issue of a new series from New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire and artist Mico Suayan.

Centered on telekinetic teenage runaway Peter Stanchek and his recruitment into the mysterious Harbinger Foundation by secretive CEO and philanthropist Toyo Harada, Harbinger was created by former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter and artist David Lapham in 1992. Having sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in multiple languages across more than 60 issues, Harbinger returned with a new series in 2012 to multiple sold-out printings and widespread critical acclaim.

Bloodshot and Harbinger collide in Harbinger Wars—Valiant’s 2013 crossover event from writers Joshua Dysart and Duane Swierczynski with art by Clayton Henry, Clayton Crain, and Pere Perez. Valiant’s first crossover of the modern era, Harbinger Wars would go on to become the year’s best-selling crossover event from an independent publisher and spawned multiple sold-out printings.

“Bloodshot and Harbinger are two of the great untapped franchises anywhere in comics,” said producer and founder of Original Film, Neal H. Moritz. “In partnership with Sony and Valiant, we look forward to building the next great generation of superhero films.”

“Sony Pictures and Neal Moritz are the ideal partners to bring the world of Bloodshot and Harbinger to life,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. “They understand exactly what makes these characters tick and the exciting potential that they hold. These films are just the first step in partnership with Sony to bring Valiant’s biggest heroes to new audiences worldwide.”

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, Valiant is one of the most successful comic book publishing companies in the history of the medium with more than 81 million comics sold and a library of more than 2,000 distinct characters. Established by a brain trust of legendary comics creators, Valiant’s heroes and villains inhabit the largest independently owned superhero universe anywhere in comics. Re-established in 2005 as Valiant Entertainment, the company returned to great commercial and critical success in 2012, winning a Diamond Gem Award for Publisher of the Year and numerous industry awards and accolades. To date, Valiant’s titles consistently rate among the best reviewed in comics.

Valiant’s comic book universe—which includes the best-selling superheroes Bloodshot, Harbinger, X-O Manowar, Shadowman, and Archer & Armstrong, among many others—is characterized by a grounded, character-driven approach to storytelling. Its stories take place in a world only subtly removed from our own—one inspired by real-world science and inhabited by morally ambiguous heroes that often forgo capes and secret identities.

In March, Valiant announced that it partnered with Beijing-based entertainment company DMG for nine-figures of film financing capital for the production of theatrical films and television programs based on Valiant’s library of iconic superhero characters.

With over fifty films released, Neal Moritz’s worldwide box office gross exceeds $7 billion. His hits include: the Jump Street franchise, The Fast and The Furious franchise, I Am Legend, XXX, Click, Sweet Home Alabama, S.W.A.T., Battle: Los Angeles, and The Green Hornet.

In addition to BLOODSHOT, HARBINGER, and HARBINGER WARS, Moritz also has several films in development with Sony Pictures, including Passengers, Christian the Lion, 23 Jump Street, Cliffhanger, Rockets Red Glare, and A Prophet.

Source: Valiant Entertainment

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Do You Agree With How Marvel Handled All-New X-Men #40?

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 21, 2015

On important issues, we here at Monkeys Fighting Robots like to highlight people’s well thought out, honest opinions in hopes of avoiding the internet trolls.

All New X-Men #40 will be in your local comic book store on Wednesday, but something just feels off about the issue. Jim Gelder a creative director and a reader of comic books since 1978 had this to say about the issue.

So he wasn’t gay, then he is gay now, but he won’t be gay later?

So this morning when I logged on to the interwebs I was hit with multiple spoiler alert banners warning of the huge news happening in All-New X-Men #40. I’ve been reading the comic since issue one because I, like many older comic book readers, have a weakness for the silver age characters that we grew up with. That being said I did recently stop reading the book at issue #36 when I suddenly had this realization that wish as hard as I could these X-Men characters were not those same characters I grew up with. After clicking on the “DO NOT CLICK” spoiler alert link (I do love to be spoiled), it is very clear that I was right. These are not the same X-Men characters and they never will be.

SPOILERS AHEAD (I don’t want to get yelled out by anyone.)

Bobby Drake AKA Iceman is now gay. Or he’s always been gay but he’s just now accepting it and coming out. Or, more accurately, he’s now being pushed into admitting he’s gay by someone who violated his trust by reading his mind, learning his secret and taking it upon themselves to do what they think is best for Bobby. Pushing him out of the closet. Because that’s never awkward.

First off, I’m gay. Have been all my life. I acknowledged it to myself in my mid-twenties and came out to my family in my late twenties. Up until my coming out I dated women because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. It was never successful. So to find out that one of my favorite superheroes has finally come out should be a great day for me. It sort of is. But it’s also very odd to me. Let me explain why:

For starters I’ve always felt that Bobby’s character could be gay. He has a history of failed straight relationships, he has always used comedy to cover up some sort of insecurity, for years he resisted fully exploring the full range his powers due to some hidden need to keep himself in control, he even went through a period of being a racist ass to which I attributed it to him hating others because he hated himself. So I’m not surprised that they decided to say that the character is gay. Coming out can be a long process. Not usually five decades long but, hey, this is comic book time. So I should be cheering that there are more gay characters out there, right? While I am happy that there’s another comic book character out there that I can relate with, I am also a bit let down with the way it was handled.

Here are my two main issues with how they handled Bobby’s revelation.

1. Jean outed him. That’s the fact. She also did it with an invasion of privacy and then went on to bully Bobby into admitting it. Just because she knows he’s gay it’s not ok for her to pressure him into admitting it. The coming out process takes some of us a long time and usually it’s the person coming out that takes the longest to accept it. You don’t just admit it because some pushy, nosy bitch (Bobby’s words) keeps going at you like she knows what’s best for him That’s not how it works. This conversation should have been handled over a bit of time. Jean could have dropped some hints that she knew and then Bobby could have opened up when he was ready. Buuuuut Bendis is leaving with this issue and he wanted to get his bomb thrown before he headed out of the building.

2. It appears that the older version of Bobby is still straight. How does that work? Marvel and Bendis have stated numerous times that these younger, retrieved-from-the-past X-Men are in fact the same people. So if this younger Bobby has now come out that would then mean that his older self is also now gay. Contrary to what some people want to think, you don’t get to turn “the gay” on and off at different times in your life. You just either live openly or you hide in denial. So if the older Bobby says he’s not gay that just means that he hasn’t come out yet. So will we get another storyline with the older Bobby coming out? Or will they just ignore that part of the characters identity?

So, it’s a big smile to Marvel for the advancement of diversity in comics. Then a big frown for they way they handled it.

Comment below to continue the conversation.

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Tomorrowland Gets Another Action-Fueled Trailer

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 21, 2015

We seem to be getting inundated with glimpses into the sci-fi world of Disney and Brad Bird’s upcoming Tomorrowland. Trailers and TV spots are coming fast and furious for Tomorrowland now, and this latest one showcases some of the film’s world building, action, and cutting-edge technology.

Check out the new trailer here:

Tomorrowland stars George Clooney, Britt Robertson, and Hugh Laurie among others. The Brad Bird film will hit theaters May 22.

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Orlando’s A Comic Shop Featured On MSNBC

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 21, 2015

Comic Book Speakeasy: How To Attract A Wider Audience
MSNBC’s Your Business features experts to share their secrets for improving your business. It can be frustrating if you have a product that you know a lot of people would love if you could just get it in their hands. They meet Aaron Haaland, a Florida comic book store owner with a novel idea. He opened a bar and started hosting events that stealthily got his comics in front of a whole new audience.

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Movie Show: “Weird Al” Yankovic and Mad Magazine Editor-in-Chief John Ficarra

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 21, 2015

Matthew Sardo of Monkeys Fighting Robots has a candid conversation with “Weird Al” Yankovic and Mad Magazine Editor-in-Chief John Ficarra.

Weird Al is MAD’s first-ever guest editor.

ABOUT WEIRD AL’S TAKING OVER MAD MAGAZINE AS GUEST EDITOR

“The Usual Gang of Idiots” are getting a new Idiot-in-Chief! Celebrated musical satirist and comedian “Weird Al” Yankovic, the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history, will helm the next issue of MAD as the legendary humor magazine’s first-ever guest editor. Winner of the 2015 Grammy® for Best Comedy Album, Weird Al is the writer of some of the biggest song parodies in history.

Speaking from the MAD offices in New York, current “Idiot-in-Chief” John Ficarra said, “Al will surely ruin his nearly four decades of popularity by associating with MAD. I still can’t believe we talked him into it!”

Among Weird Al’s many duties will be writing an introduction to the issue, contributing (along with some of his celebrity friends) to the Fund”AL”ini Pages, and picking his favorite MAD article for the Vault section. Other ridiculous responsibilities are yet to be determined but will certainly do nothing to advance his career.

“It was my childhood dream to one day be a contributor to MAD Magazine,” said Weird Al. “This is an excellent example of why children are never allowed to make important decisions.”

MAD #533 will hit newsstands on April 21.

It begins… pic.twitter.com/uoKbFQsxUU

— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) April 16, 2015

Monkeys Fighting Robots holds two weekly podcasts, the Movie Show and the Comics Show. The Comic Show goes live Wednesday with the Movie Show going live on Friday (holidays could change scheduling).

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

If you are looking to sponsor either podcasts email matt@popaxiom.com as well.

Thank you for listening!

About the Movie Show:

A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.

Never heard of Matt Sardo?
For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.

Who’s EJ Moreno?
Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.

Places you can find the show:
iTunes
Blog Talk Radio
Stitcher

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

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Valiant Entertainment Names Gavin Cuneo as Chief Operating Officer

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 21, 2015

Award-winning comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment today named Gavin Cuneo to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). A founding member of the Valiant Entertainment management team, Cuneo joined the company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Head of Strategic Development, as well as a member of the Board of Directors, in 2011.

Cuneo’s new appointment reflects his previously expanded management role within Valiant, where he has played an integral role in the growth of the company’s business operations in print publishing, licensing, digital media, and film since Valiant’s 2012 relaunch. Cuneo will also retain his duties as CFO under the new position.

“This is an extremely exciting time for Valiant,” said Cuneo. “With our roots firmly established in the comic book industry, the company is now entering its next exciting phase of growth and I am delighted to be able to play a part in making that happen. It has been an incredible journey over the last four years and I am massively excited about what the future holds for Valiant, our creators, and our staff.”

“Gavin has played a vital part in Valiant’s success over the past four years and his new title reflects the broader leadership role he already serves within the company,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. “Since Valiant’s return, he has not only led our financial and capital-raising efforts, but informed all facets of the company’s operations as well.”

Prior to Valiant, Cuneo spent more than a decade working in the financial sector at both Merrill Lynch & Co and the U.S. Trust Company.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, Valiant is one of the most successful comic book publishing companies in the history of the medium with more than 81 million comics sold and a library of more than 2,000 distinct characters. Established by a brain trust of legendary comics creators, Valiant’s heroes and villains inhabit the largest independently owned superhero universe anywhere in comics. Re-established in 2005 as Valiant Entertainment, the company returned to great commercial and critical success in 2012, winning a Diamond Gem Award for Publisher of the Year and numerous industry awards and accolades. To date, Valiant’s titles consistently rate among the best reviewed in comics.

In 2015, Valiant announced that it has raised nine-figures of film financing capital for the production of theatrical films and television programs based on Valiant’s library of iconic superhero characters.

Source: Valiant Entertainment

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Watch The Final, Official Trailer For ‘The Death Of Superman Lives’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 21, 2015

The official trailer has been released focusing on a movie that, tragically, never happened. The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? documents the production, anticipation, and subsequent failure of Tim Burton’s wildly different vision of the man of steel.

Many of us have seen the Nicolas Cage test footage of an entirely different looking Superman, and now the official trailer for The Death of Superman Lives shows us glimpses of dozens of interviews and back stories. Check it out here:

The Death of Superman Lives, directed by Jon Schnepp, will hit select theaters on May 1, and will be available on VOD and blu-ray July 9.

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Spoilers: All-New X-Men #40, Awkward But Proud Moment

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 21, 2015

We even have a spoiler warning from Brian Michael Bendis about All New X-Men #40.

I see that the internet is being the internet and falsely spoiling this week's issue of All New X-men. read it yourself, not skewed spoilers

— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) April 20, 2015

One last warning.

On April 22nd, Brian Michael Bendis finishes his run on All New X-Men with issue #40, but before he says goodbye he brings a touching tale to the final issue. The X-Men have always been a beacon of hope for social outcasts. Fourteen-year-old comic book nerds in 1988 were definitely social outcasts and the X-Men where there for me. But now these times are changing, and there are greater social issues that the X-Men need to go and fight.

“Thats’s one of the good things about being here as opposed to back where we came from. I don’t think anyone cares here, not like back then,” said Jean Grey in All New X-Men #40.

People do care, and this book will make a fuss, but it shouldn’t. What we can hope for is that All New X-Men #40 inspires one kid to be comfortable in his skin as Bendis and Jean Grey awkwardly helped Bobby Drake, Iceman, become comfortable in his.

The pages below leaked online, but you should buy this issue and sit on your couch and enjoy it for what it is.

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True Story Showcases Terrific Acting, Flaccid Storytelling

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 20, 2015

True Story is so bizarre, so incredibly incomprehensible, it must be… well, the title says it all. It is the tale of a man who is accused of brutally murdering his entire family, fleeing to Mexico where he is quickly arrested, and telling authorities he is someone else. That someone else just so happens to be a New York Times journalist who has recently been fired and subsequently shamed. This head-scratching confluence of events brings these two men together, where secrets and obsessions show their face, but are never fully explored. True Story is fascinating mostly because of everything that is given the narrative ahead of time; what is done with said narrative sometimes misses the mark.

James Franco is Christian Longo, the accused. A seemingly normal, intelligent man (aren’t they all), Longo allegedly murders his wife and three children one night in ways that are shocking to say the least, then flees to Cancun where he is arrested by the FBI while in the company of a young German tourist. He tells the arresting officers, casually, that his name is Mike Finkel and he works for The New York Times.

Meanwhile, the real Finkel, played by Jonah Hill, is fighting his own issues at work. Finkel is accused of confusing a human interest story, combining many stories into one in order to sensationalize. There are moral implications for his actions and he fights for what he did in the story, but it is for naught. Finkel is fired and returns home to Montana to live with his wife, Jill (Felicity Jones), in their cabin while he works feverishly to find new work and reclaim his credibility. When he gets a call from an Oregon reporter telling him the story of Christian Longo, Finkel believes redemption may have fallen n his lap, albeit in an unbelievable way.

Finkel visits Longo in prison immediately, setting in motion a second act of meetings and veiled discussions that grow repetitive. Finkel cannot figure out what to make of Longo, and Longo isn’t helping. Franco plays Longo as shifty and secretive, never letting Finkel in all the way, but never pushing him too far. They make a pact: Longo will give him details, enough to sell a book to Harper Collins, and Finkel will teach him how to be an effective writer.

The psychological dance these two people engage in has the potential to be infinitely fascinating, at there are times when small twists and turns thicken the plot. But overall, director Rupert Goold keeps things at face value. It’s almost as if the story would be better served in a Dateline piece (which it may have been at some point) because we could have had interviews from the real players in the story instead of a dramatic interpretation. The drama doesn’t feel as urgent as the truth, even though the title of the film suggests otherwise. Something was lost in translation.

Franco and Hill hit all the right notes with their characters, at least the notes on the page of music they are given. The final act of True Story has some curious moments, namely an interaction between Longo and Jones’ Jill, who had been sorely underutilized to this point, that feels entirely out of place. It has the potential to be a powerful moment, but coming out of absolutely nowhere the moment never has the steam to deliver the punch it desires. Much like the film itself, the moment could have been better if a little more development were put in place.

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Retro Review: Mad Max (1979)

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 20, 2015

Remember when Mad Max: Fury Road was set up for failure? Remember when production delays and rumors of on-set arguments dominated the news about the film, spelling nothing but disaster?

Yeah, me neither.

The trailers for Mad Max: Fury Road have worked audiences into a frenzy over the upcoming fourth installment in the franchise, a franchise which has seen a thirty-year hiatus. Tom Hardy takes over for Mel Gibson as the post-apocalyptic crusader, and if these glimpses into George Miller’s new version of his oil-hungry world are any indication, Mad Max: Fury Road is going to be nothing short of a spectacular visual experience.

But where did this franchise all begin? There are plenty film fans and cine-geeks out there who are more than familiar with the original Mad Max trilogy. However, with a thirty-year gap, it is understandable that many people out there who cannot wait to see Fury Road are less that up to date on George Miller’s original films. It was a bumpy road for Mad Max, starting from scraps, and eventually evolving into something memorable thanks to a number of factors both internal and external. The next few weeks seem like a good opportunity to look back at Mad Max, The Road Warrior, and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, to see where this iconic character began, where he’s been, and where he may be going with Tom Hardy taking over the role.

The original Mad Max, released in 1979, was almost invisible to American audiences. Australian filmmaker George Miller, working on a shoestring budget, and directing an unknown actor named Mel Gibson, had a definite vision in mind when he set out to create the picture. Mad Max was a spare, lean action film, but it took place in a time before society completely crumbled.

Gibson plays Max, a policeman in the Australian countryside who is battling an influx of eccentric and violent gangs who represent the unraveling of an organized society. Oil is growing thin in the country, and people are growing desperate. Max and his partner are fighting against the strengthening gangs, led by the vicious Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne), a nihilistic killer. The police are losing, and their lives are in danger in no short order.

What creates Mad Max in the traditional sense is tragedy. Max’s partner is killed, then his wife and young son are run down in the street by Toecutter and his gang. This essentially ends Max’s career as a policeman and fuels his unrelenting vengeance. Max dismisses the law, as the law has failed him, and takes matters into his own hands, subsequently taking on Toecutter and his cronies outside the boundaries he held before his life was taken from him.

Mad Max looks and feels like a film without a budget, and that is no fault of George Miller or the filmmakers. This is the type of filmmaking where passion is important, and there is no denying the passion and energy in every scene. The early scenes are clumsy and cold, the dialogue forgettable, but once Max’s family is murdered things turn into what we all traditionally recognize as the iconic story. Thanks in part to the small budget and the era in which it was shot, all of the stunts, crashes, and vehicles are real. Cars crash into each other, characters are mowed down by trucks, and the grit and realism is what makes Mad Max so endearing to fans.

This original film was not the most complete of the trilogy, but it was necessary. Here is a glimpse at a society being held together by the thinnest of threads, just before things fell apart, leading to the rest of the franchise entries. Mad Max caught the eye of enough people to demand a sequel be made, budget be increased, and American audiences be let in on what would become legend.

There was a small problem. This upcoming sequel needed a title different than Mad Max 2 because American audiences collectively hadn’t seen the original. Thus, The Road Warrior was born…

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