The trailer for comic-to-film adaptation "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is up at Apple's site: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/scottpilgrimvstheworld/

I read the first volume of the comic, and found it to be trippy and fun, but I never went back for the next volume. The trailer captured what I remember of the comic pretty well... it seeming like normal relationship stuff and then suddenly going insane out of nowhere. The flick looks to be fun, and is directed by Edgar Wright of "Shaun of the Dead" fame (and the guy attached to direct the Ant-man movie, should it ever get made.)


It also features a part for Chris Evans, who anyone who cares likely knows has been cast as Captain America in the film version of the comic about to get underway. Some fans seem to be upset at the idea that the Human Torch from the (sort of bad) Fantastic Four movies is being recast as Captain America, though I don't see any problem with this choice. I suppose it might be a bit odd if the original Human Torch appears in the Cap movie though...


Also, Angela Bassett has been cast to play Amanda Waller in the movie version of Green Lantern. The first thought I (and apparently many others) had was that the character might be used to connect various DC movies in much the same way Marvel is using Ultimate Nick Fury. I like Bassett (still bummed that they teased her playing Storm and then jumped at Halle Berry instead for the X-men franchise), and I really don't know the character she's playing at all (I'm more familiar with her Parodyverse counterpart, Harmanda Barriere), but I have to question the casting some. I mean, it can't be that easy getting roles in Hollywood if you're less than perfect in body-shape... Now they're taking someone *designed* to be plus sized and casting a slinky, sexy actress in the role? Ah well.


Oh, and there's a new trailer for an animated film, "Despicable Me", that has a fairly Parodyversian bend to it:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/despicableme/

A supervillain inherits three adorable little girls while trying to pull off his greatest caper yet. Wackiness presumably ensues.

Anna Deavere Smith. She played the part already as Nancy McNally in The West Wing.

I just recently went through the entire series on DVD (last year, actually) and it reminded me that it's actually been a while since I looked forward to a regularly airing television show.

Anyway, the show did an excellent job with its recurring characters, and Anna Deavere Smith (though I didn't remember her name at all) was very good as the National Security Advisor to the President.

It's not like stealing casting from the West Wing is unheard of for a comic book movie either... I was amused to see that Clark Gregg, who played SHIELD Special Agent Phil Coulson in "Iron Man" (and apparently in the sequel, as well as "Thor") played much the same role as FBI Special Agent Michael Casper on the West Wing.

I don't really have any opinion about him ( I'm going to give every actor involved with the Fantastic Four movies a break by pretending those pieces of cinematic crap never existed ), but it seems like his filmography is mostly cocky, easy-going characters, often slackers. It's going to be interesting seeing him as Steve Rogers, to say the least.

Hugo Weaving is rumoured to be cast as the Red Skull. The only problem with that casting is the potential for the villain to steal the show from the hero, much like Heath Ledger did in the Dark Knight.

I'm willing to give Evans a chance, though he has an uphill battle to climb. And I can't imagine anyone but Chiklis playing the Thing, so it's not like everything about the FF movies were bad.

~Hat~

Chris Evans was easily the most charismatic actor in the Fantastic Four films, and he was quite good as the no-nonsense "all about the mission" member of the starship crew in "Sunshine", so he doesn't have to play cocky to turn in a performance. (Good flick, by the way... although it kind of goes off the rails in the third act. Don't know what they were thinking there. But the rest of the movie is excellent enough to forgive the ending. It's a sci-fi tale about a mission to reignite the dying sun.

As for Hugo Weaving, I'm really looking forward to what he does with the Red Skull. You have to admire the amount of character he got through in "V for Vendetta" without ever showing so much as an glimpse of his face. I can't accept the old excuse that actors have to unmask in hero movies in order to emote after that one.

Chris Evans likely wins the award for most comics-to-film adaptations:

Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four yadda yadda Silver Surfer
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The Losers (based on the Vertigo title)

And now he's signed to play Captain America, with an option for some obscene number of sequel/tie-in appearances (the rumor is Marvel wanted to sign him to a 9 picture deal, so figure at least 3 Cap films, 3 Avenger films, and 3 cameos elsewhere)