You know what's strange? Hiring Conan writers.

I like Dr. Strange.
I was just discussing the character the other day, how he really stands out in the Marvel universe because, just like sensible immigration legislation, magic is rare. In DC's universe, you can't walk to your mailbox without tripping on a magician or sorcerer of some sort. Seriously, I'm half convinced there are no mechanics in Metropolis, only wizards who mystically heal cars. At any rate, Deadline is reporting that Dr. Strange will magically appear on screens soon, as Disney (God that feels weird to say still) is making their first Marvel movie. They hired Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write the film, which isn't all that encouraging because the latter guy's name is the same as the guy who helped invent the atomic bomb. Speaking of bombs, both also just wrote Conan, which looks, um, swell? No worries though, they also wrote an adaptation of a video game and a draft of Cowboys and Aliens. Although I'm jealous of their success, I fear their work. Maybe we should let one of their movies come out before giving them more work? I have this notion of Dr. Strange having some kind of "mystical firearms" and being played by Justin Bieber.

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Drew Pearce is born to run

A few years ago, I saw a trailer for a British comedy show called "No Heroics," which looked as hilarious as Ashton Kutcher's serious face. Then I never heard about the project again, partially because I do not live in England. Here's what it looked like.




Whenever the bizarre embargo against America by the British DVD makers ends, I will rent it and laugh. I mention all of this because it seems like the guy who wrote that is perfect to adapt The Runaways, Brian K Vaughn's comic book about a bunch of superpowered, well-intentioned teenagers who are the sons and daughters of supervillains. So, it's a good thing Deadline says that's exactly what is happening. Personally, I'd just let Vaughn do it. He wrote a few of my favorite episodes of "Lost," so he has screenwriting chops, and nobody will know better how to serve the story than the guy who invented the characters. But you know what, it's Friday on a three-day weekend, so I ain't gonna be naysaying and pissy (that sounds like a pricey bar drink, "I'll have a naysaying and pissy"). I'm just happy that the movie is happening at all, and if someone else has to do something, I'm glad it's someone who seems to get the more human side of superpeoples.

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My wife's head is about to explode

Those lucky enough to have met my loving wife (it's our anniversary, so I'm forgiven for my syrupy adjectives), know that Abbie is nothing if not a horse enthusiast. That girl loves her some ponies to the degree that car rides consist of conversations like this: "Hello wife, shall we discuss amazing political nuances that have resonance upon our modern society." "Yes husband, I believe we shall. I think it was Alexander Hamilton who first said PONIES! OHMYGOD, do you see them?! THEY ARE SO AMAZING! I WANT THE PALOMINO! Hamilton who first said 'Constitutions should only consist of general provisions.'" She also has a deep mistrust of most science fiction, if only because she was not exposed to it as a child; she grew up in the country and apparently "played outside" or some such nonsense. Anyway, it's going to make her head pop when I tell her that Variety is reporting that Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr of Iron Man asskickery are making Cowboys and Aliens: a movie with spaceships and ponies. See:



Now, many of you nerds out there are all like "hey, you should get her to watch 'Firefly.'" Well, nerds, I have tried, but I made the foolish mistake of making that effort when she was not in the proper mood. Results were less than shiny. The good news is, with this flick, she already knows and likes the people involved (Downey Jr made her personal "best dressed" list at last years Oscars and she voluntarily rewatched Iron Man multiple times) AND, being that she's a Lostie and "Alias" fan like me, news that Damon Lindeloff is involved in the screenwriting process (along with Kurtzman and Orci who officially write everything now...and are on "good taste" probation after Transformers 2). The script is based on the graphic novel shown above and follows cowboys (real ones, not Tony Romo) and Native Americans are fighting in Arizona when a huge space ship arrives. I haven't read it, but my guess is the Native Americans figure out how to stop it while the cowboys are busy trying to eat stew. So, gentle readers, the question becomes: Will my wife love it for the ponies and native peoples or fear it for the aliens? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.

This just in: Comic book property to become MOVIE!

Right now, if you have an idea for a comic book about a cybernetic armadillo you can probably sell the idea for half a million dollars, even if you haven't written a single word or drawn so much as a bug-eyed rendering of Robodillo on a napkin. So, if you're a comic creator who has, you know, actually created good stuff that has been published and everything, you pretty much have gold on your hands (and not in a creepy Goldfinger way). If you wanted to, you could do a "comic book-turned-movie news of the day." Case in point: Variety is reporting that Watchmen producer Lloyd Levin (oh, and piss off, Watchmen was really good, if you don't agree, you are wrong) has acquired the rights to Echo, a comic book written and drawn by Terry Moore (best known for writing realistic and interesting female characters and then drawing them with huge bazooms). The comic follows one of those aforementioned interesting big-knockered women who gets in the way of a military experiment and becomes a walking nuclear bomb. She's a hot female who could destroy everything (kind of like Megan Fox). I like Levin, whose Hellboy movies kicked ass and whose upcoming Green Zone could blow us away (remember that), and I really like that we have a female character to follow here...but COME ON! This idea is like the origins of 99% of superheroes since the first time a muscular dude put on some spandex. I mean, seriously, she gets "science experiment metal" poured on her and becomes a walking bomb?! 1972 called and they would like their concept back! Sigh, this is just anger that I feel for not having created my own comic that would be instantly optioned into a movie. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go try to sell Robodillo for six figures to Miramax.