Geek Bits: Black Actor Turned Down DOCTOR WHO, Ender’s Game Trailer, Marvel Wins and More [Links]

Ender’s Game (2013) Asa Butterfield

Who wants to see more originality in Star Trek 3?
What would Optimus Prime look like as a TARDIS? How accurate was the
aging make-up in Back to the Future? Did Marvel win their lawsuit with
Jack Kirby’s heirs?

Links

10. Ender’s Game trailer (via Geek
Tyrant)

The new trailer for Ender’s Game dropped this week, based on the
classic sci-fi novel from Orsen Scott Card and it looks brilliant. *Added trailer 🙂

9. Retro
Trading Card Madness (via Dinosaur
Dracula!)

Matt has a wonderful collection of old trading cards from the 80s
including Dick Tracy, Donkey Kong, Gremlins 2
and Batman Returns.

8. Black Actor Turned Down Doctor Who

Many fans, like myself, were disappointed that the lead role in Doctor Who was not given to a
female or “non-white” actor. The
Guardian reported that Neil Gaiman, who wrote an episode of Doctor Who, said a black actor was
offered the role, but he turned it down. No word on who that was, but
it could have been Idris Elba (Pacific
Rim) who was reportedly on the short list.

7. US Ratings for Doctor Who Soar

In other Doctor Who news, rating for the live special were impressive in America. L.A
Times
says, “‘Doctor Who Live’ scored 895,000 total viewers, according to
Nielsen. That’s a pretty extraordinary number for a non-sports program
in early August, when many viewers are squeezing in summer vacations
while they still can. Also consider the fact that ‘Doctor Who’ is a
cultish British sci-fi series that millions of Americans have never
even seen.”

6. Karl Urban Wants Star Trek 3 to be
Original, Not Going to Star Wars (via Star Trek Movie Blog)

New Zealand actor Karl Urban, who played Bones on the two J.J. Abrams Star
Trek films wants the next one to be more original. He told IGN,
“I really think that what we should do from here, in my personal
opinion, is strive to be original. Strive to be something different and
new. You know, let’s not forget that Star Trek as envisioned
was about space exploration. And it would be really wonderful to
harness the spirit of that and apply it to the next film, so that we do
something different than a revenge-based picture.”

They asked him if he would be in Star Wars VII now that Trek director
Abrams is on-board and he said “No.” “I grew up watching it… I just love
that universe, but that being said, I have no desire to be part of it.” Urban said.
“I don’t see the worlds of Star Trek and Star Wars
joining. I’ve made a commitment to Star Trek and I’m going to
keep it. It wouldn’t feel right to me. Being in Star Trek, to
suddenly be in Star Wars wouldn’t feel right to me.”

He also
added how jarring it would be to have him in both films saying, “When I
go into a Star Wars movie I want to be completely enveloped.
I don’t want to be taken out of the picture by going, ‘Oh my God,
there’s Scotty, what’s he doing in Star Wars?”

5. Top 10
Movies Afflicted With Space Madness (via Top 10
Films)

4. TARDIS
Prime Kid Cosplay (via The Mary Sue)

3. Michael
Ansara R.I.P. (via Space1970)

The retro site has a great obituary on the work of the late, great Michael
Ansara.

2. How accurate was the Back to the Future II “Old” Make-Up? (via io9)

It’s been 24 years since Back to the
Future II (1989) showed us what the actors would look like in
the year 2015. How good of a job did they do?

1. Marvel Scores
Another Win in Jack Kirby Copyright Case (via Deadline)

The heirs of the legendary comic artist and writer Jack Kirby have lost
their court case with Marvel. Deadline reports, “The heirs of Captain
America, The Avengers and X-Men co-creator Jack
Kirby can’t terminate Marvel’s rights to his
achievements because the comic legend was under a work for hire deal, a
federal appeals courts confirmed today.”

The background on this is given as well, “Over three years ago,
Lisa Kirby, Susan Kirby, Barbara Kirby and Neal Kirby sent notices
terminating copyright to publishers Marvel and Disney, as well as film
studios that have made movies and TV shows based on characters he
created or co-created, including Sony, Universal, 20th Century Fox and
Paramount Pictures under the provisions of the 1976 Copyright Act.
Marvel and Disney said the family simply had no right to do that and
sued the Kirbys on January 8, 2010”

This means they can’t stop Marvel’s plans to make the movies they’ve
planned out until 2021. Kevin Feige told Wired, “I could arguably say what
we’re planning for the year 2021. Will that happen? I don’t know. But
what we planned for 2015 in 2006 is happening.” 

Reviews

TV

• 
  Falling Skies “Brazil” Season Finale

  This season was hit-and-miss, but in the end it did a great set up for
  next season. It turns out the Vohm aren’t as friendly as we thought in
  their well-intentioned attempt to send 2nd Mass to camps in Brazil.
  Anne is back, which is great since her death seemed senseless and
  empty. Overall I’d give this episode 4 stars and the season 3 1/2.

What did you think
of this week’s links?

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