Patty Jenkins discusses why Diana becomes a superhero in Wonder Woman. Jordan Vogt-Roberts teases the time period of Kong: Skull Island. Sadly, there will be no shark punching in Meg. Plus, a tiny new look at Episode VIII, and what’s to come on Agents of SHIELD and The Vampire Diaries. Spoilers now!
Aquaman
The Mad Max: Fury Road stunt team has joined the production, and begun preparation for filming the movie on Australia’s Gold Coast next year. [9 News]
Kong: Skull Island
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts discusses the Vietnam setting of the film, and how that evolved from initial scripts for the film:
The script I first read took place in 1917. But when I started talking to the Legendary [Entertainment] guys, I was thinking, ‘What weird King Kong movie would I want to see?’ So I pitched them the Vietnam War connection, literally thinking they were gonna laugh me out of the room. And to Legendary’s credit, they said, ‘Cool. Let’s figure it out.’ The aesthetics of that time mixed with King Kong makes for an incredible genre mash-up.
[Empire]
Meg
In the most disappointing news you could possibly hear about a movie featuring a giant shark, Jason Statham has told M2Now that “there will be no fisticuffs with the Megalodon” in the film. Missed opportunity, honestly. [M2]
Star Wars: Episode VIII
As part of his tribute to the passing of Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac released a new picture from the set of Episode VIII, featuring Mark Hamill and Fisher in costume (although covered in black robes to obscure much of what they’re wearing). [Making Star Wars]
Wonder Woman
Empire has released a new photo of Diana charging through No Man’s Land, while director Patty Jenkins told the magazine what drives Diana into action in the movie:
What motivates her is philosophical. She isn’t just taking out bad guys or fighting crime. She believes in goodness and love. [She] is fierce and willing to fight, but only to protect a better vision for mankind. Hers is really a coming-of-age story.
The Flash
Please replace all of your New Years based greetings with “Happy New Grodd!”, because a) it’s amazing and b) actor David Sobolov has confirmed that everyone’s favourite hyperintelligent simian bad guy Grodd will be returning to the show sometime in 2017, presumably in the back half of the current season.
Happy New Grodd! #Grodd comes back in 2017 on @CW_TheFlash ! More news soon when Warner Brothers unseals my lips. pic.twitter.com/14O8BFiBve
— David Sobolov (@volobos) December 29, 2016
Grimm
David Giuntoli sets up the final season of the show:
First of all, it was very lovely to be able to get a final anything in life where you know it’s the final anything. It doesn’t just get pulled out from under you, so that was nice. I like to call it the Oregon, death-with-dignity, kind-of-our-hospice run.
While his fellow castmate Silas Weir Mitchell think fans will be happy with the show’s finale:
I think [the writers are] trying to answer questions for the people that have stuck with us, man. The fans have stuck with us from this night to that night and this time to that time. They deserve answers. They deserve the satisfaction of an ending.
[TV Line]
Agents of SHIELD
Director Mace has a secret revealed in the synopsis for episode 10 of the current season, “The Patriot”.
Coulson and Mack discover a shocking secret about Mace, which leaves all of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a dangerous position.
The Vampire Diaries
Finally, here’s a new synopsis for the poetically titled “The Simple Intimacy of Near Touch”.
Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) return to Mystic Falls at Sybil’s (guest star Nathalie Kelley) request as she is still in search of the historical artifact. Bonnie (Kat Graham) returns from Paris wearing a vile of Enzo’s (Michael Malarkey) blood making Caroline (Candice King), wonder if she will become a vampire. Stefan, Damon, Caroline, Bonnie and Enzo all attend the Miss Mystic Falls pageant where Sybil continues to taunt Damon with memories of Elena.
[KSiteTV]
Additional reporting by Gordon Jackson. Banner art by Jim Cooke.