Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood join Broadway's Spider-Man cast

Over at our Culture Monster blog, word has broken that Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming are set to join the Broadway production of Spider-Man.  Here's an excerpt from the post:

Wood is slated to play Mary Jane Watson, the love interest of hero Peter Parker, while Cumming will play Spider-Man's nemesis, Norman Osborn, better known as the Green Goblin. No word yet on who will play Parker/Spider-Man, though the casting process is already well underway. Earlier this year, Wood let slip that she had been cast in the musical, but this is the first official word that confirms what she said.

The new first preview date means that "Spider-Man" has been pushed back from its originally announced opening night of Feb. 18. The revised official opening will be announced shortly, according to the show's producers.

Wood definitely has the look of Mary Jane, and Cumming has proved himself capable of hanging out in the Marvel family with his great portrayal of the tormented Nightcrawler in "X-Men 2."  Start spreadin' the news ...

-- Jevon Phillips

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Things are ramping up for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," which brings the wallcrawler to the Great White Way in January in a production that may turn out to be the most expensive in the history of Broadway.

Fans registered for the Marvel Pulse newsletter at the Marvel Comics website got an e-mail this morning announcing that an advance ticket sale is underway that would allow them to buy tickets for the show if they used an American Express card. That offer continues through June 23. On June 24, the offer expands to all American Express cardholders.

There's also new video interviews with some of the big-name creators behind this rare comics-as-musical endeavor. Here's a chat with Edge and Bono of U2, who are creating new music for the show. My favorite part is where the guitarist professes an affinity for Peter Parkeras a gawky outsider turned hero and Bono just chuckles. "I'm more of a Green Goblin," the singer says, "Edge is the nerdy guy..."

 

-- Geoff Boucher

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Pulitzer-winning playwright at work on fourth Spidey film?

Through the years: Spidey meets Carson, Letterman and Belushi

Heroic history: A look back at Superman on Broadway in 1966

Bono photo by Peter Foley/EPA

If you've ever dreamed of climbing into the big time — or just crawling up a wall — this could be your chance.

Below is the just announced open-call audition information for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," the $40-million production that will bring the friendly neighborhood webhead swinging on stage in his own Broadway production in early 2010. There's big-name talent behind it (Bono and the Edge of U2 are crafting the music, Tony winner Julie Taymor is directing), but there may be some unknowns on the stage, according to the announcement. But, then again, some of this might just be part of the build-the-buzz marketing plan for the pricey venture; Evan Rachel Wood has reportedly locked in the Mary Jane Watson role, so perhaps you ladies shouldn't dye your hair red in hopes of seeing your name up on the marquee of the show's home venue, the Hilton Theater.

So what's up with that female villian description below? Is it possible the villain will be the Black Widow, the curvy Russian spy from Marvel Comics who is also a likely character in the "Iron Man" film franchise? (In Hollywood, the latest rumor is that Scarlett Johansson will be wearing the Widow's skin-tight black fighting togs.) Or maybe this villian reference is to Elektra? Seems unlikely; this isn't a Daredevil musical. Perhaps a more exotic incarnation of the Black Cat? What do you think?    

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway) with music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2) will be holding open casting calls at major cities across the country starting next week. SPIDER-MAN is seeking principals and understudies for the roles of ‘Peter Parker,’ ‘Mary Jane,’ and ‘Female Lead Villian.’ The production is looking for performers with dynamic rock/pop voices including those with experience in bands and as solo performers. Regardless of experience, anyone who thinks they might be qualified is encouraged to audition.

Open casting calls are being organized  by Telsey + Company (Rent, Across The Universe, Sex & The City, Wicked) and will be held in the following cities:

ORLANDO, FL (Thursday, April 9; 10 AM – 5PM) Orlando Marriott World Center, 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821

NEW YORK, NY (Monday, April 13; 10 AM – 5PM) The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013

LOS ANGELES, CA (Saturday, April 18; 10 AM – 5PM) Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028

SEATTLE, WA (Monday, April 20; 10 AM – 5PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

CHICAGO, IL (Thursday, May 7; 10 AM – 5 PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

AUSTIN, TX (Wednesday, May 27; 10 AM – 5 PM)  LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

The production is looking for candidates to fill the following roles (both principals and understudies):

 PETER PARKER – Male. 16-20’s. Must have a great rock tenor voice. Can be nerdy with understated sex appeal and a good sense of humor.

MARY JANE – Female. 16-20’s. Beautiful girl next door. Strong pop/rock singing voice required.

LEAD FEMALE VILLAIN – Female. 25‐35 years old. All ethnicities encouraged. Must have an amazing rock voice. Think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek twist. Foreign and/or world music types are great. Foreign accents are great.

WHAT TO BRING:  All interested people should bring a snapshot or photo of themselves and a brief pop/rock or rock song to sing. Please note that no accompanist or audio equipment will be provided.

— Geoff Boucher

RECENT AND RELATED

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"Toxic Avenger," the musical?

Nicholas White, a new contributor to Hero Complex, has a report on a New York stage production of the cult-classic film ... you can see footage from the production below as well.

"The Toxic Avenger," that gloriously ripe camp-horror film in 1984, never really disappeared, but who would have expected it to reach the stage as an off-Broadway musical 25 years after it first made a haz-mat splash?

After several months at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse last fall, the kitschy "Toxic Avenger: The Musical" gets its opening night in Manhattan on April 6 (following previews that began March 18) at New York’s New World Stages.

“I think the people in the show give it some validity," says star Nick Cordero, who plays the Avenger and his nerdy alter ego, Melvin Ferd. "With the Broadway climate nowadays, there is no shortage of theaters wanting shows. It wasn’t as hard to find a theater as it was finding the right one.”

Tony-winning director John Rando ("Urinetown") leads the show’s creative team, which includes Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who co-wrote the loopy rock-opera with songwriter Joe DiPietro.

Conceived in the spring of 2008, the "Avenger" musical is set in aromatic (and fictitious) Tromaville, N.J., which holds the dubious honor of being the world’s most polluted city. “It’s poking fun of New Jersey in a good way,” Bryan says. “We [Bon Jovi] are from there, and we are not mocking ourselves out … everywhere on earth since 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,' it’s always the Jersey joke.”

Some of the tunes in the show: "It's a Brand New Day in New Jersey," "Evil Is Hot" and "Hot Toxic Love." Just as Hollywood mines old TV shows for high-concept ideas and name recognition, stage productions are looking to fanboy faves as unexpected source material, with high-profile ventures such as "The Fly" at the L.A. Opera and the big-budget Spider-Man show planned. So it's no surprise that "Avenger" has the familiar beats of the old film, but also some 21st century messages stirred in with the vintage sludge.

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Bono takes Spider-Man to Broadway but says 'I'm more of a Green Goblin'

Things are ramping up for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," which brings the wallcrawler to the Great White Way in January in a production that may turn out to be the most expensive in the history of Broadway.

Fans registered for the Marvel Pulse newsletter at the Marvel Comics website got an e-mail this morning announcing that an advance ticket sale is underway that would allow them to buy tickets for the show if they used an American Express card. That offer continues through June 23. On June 24, the offer expands to all American Express cardholders.

There's also new video interviews with some of the big-name creators behind this rare comics-as-musical endeavor. Here's a chat with Edge and Bono of U2, who are creating new music for the show. My favorite part is where the guitarist professes an affinity for Peter Parkeras a gawky outsider turned hero and Bono just chuckles. "I'm more of a Green Goblin," the singer says, "Edge is the nerdy guy..."

 

-- Geoff Boucher

RECENT AND RELATED

"Spider-Man" show casts a wide net...or is that a web?

Dates set for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"

Evan Rachel Wood will be Mary Jane Watson on Broadway

Pulitzer-winning playwright at work on fourth Spidey film?

Through the years: Spidey meets Carson, Letterman and Belushi

Heroic history: A look back at Superman on Broadway in 1966

Bono photo by Peter Foley/EPA

If you've ever dreamed of climbing into the big time — or just crawling up a wall — this could be your chance.

Below is the just announced open-call audition information for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," the $40-million production that will bring the friendly neighborhood webhead swinging on stage in his own Broadway production in early 2010. There's big-name talent behind it (Bono and the Edge of U2 are crafting the music, Tony winner Julie Taymor is directing), but there may be some unknowns on the stage, according to the announcement. But, then again, some of this might just be part of the build-the-buzz marketing plan for the pricey venture; Evan Rachel Wood has reportedly locked in the Mary Jane Watson role, so perhaps you ladies shouldn't dye your hair red in hopes of seeing your name up on the marquee of the show's home venue, the Hilton Theater.

So what's up with that female villian description below? Is it possible the villain will be the Black Widow, the curvy Russian spy from Marvel Comics who is also a likely character in the "Iron Man" film franchise? (In Hollywood, the latest rumor is that Scarlett Johansson will be wearing the Widow's skin-tight black fighting togs.) Or maybe this villian reference is to Elektra? Seems unlikely; this isn't a Daredevil musical. Perhaps a more exotic incarnation of the Black Cat? What do you think?    

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway) with music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2) will be holding open casting calls at major cities across the country starting next week. SPIDER-MAN is seeking principals and understudies for the roles of ‘Peter Parker,’ ‘Mary Jane,’ and ‘Female Lead Villian.’ The production is looking for performers with dynamic rock/pop voices including those with experience in bands and as solo performers. Regardless of experience, anyone who thinks they might be qualified is encouraged to audition.

Open casting calls are being organized  by Telsey + Company (Rent, Across The Universe, Sex & The City, Wicked) and will be held in the following cities:

ORLANDO, FL (Thursday, April 9; 10 AM – 5PM) Orlando Marriott World Center, 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821

NEW YORK, NY (Monday, April 13; 10 AM – 5PM) The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013

LOS ANGELES, CA (Saturday, April 18; 10 AM – 5PM) Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028

SEATTLE, WA (Monday, April 20; 10 AM – 5PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

CHICAGO, IL (Thursday, May 7; 10 AM – 5 PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

AUSTIN, TX (Wednesday, May 27; 10 AM – 5 PM)  LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

The production is looking for candidates to fill the following roles (both principals and understudies):

 PETER PARKER – Male. 16-20’s. Must have a great rock tenor voice. Can be nerdy with understated sex appeal and a good sense of humor.

MARY JANE – Female. 16-20’s. Beautiful girl next door. Strong pop/rock singing voice required.

LEAD FEMALE VILLAIN – Female. 25‐35 years old. All ethnicities encouraged. Must have an amazing rock voice. Think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek twist. Foreign and/or world music types are great. Foreign accents are great.

WHAT TO BRING:  All interested people should bring a snapshot or photo of themselves and a brief pop/rock or rock song to sing. Please note that no accompanist or audio equipment will be provided.

— Geoff Boucher

RECENT AND RELATED

Firefighter dressed as Spider-Man saves 8-year-old

VIDEO: How many Spider-Mans fit in a Jamba Juice

Spider-Man meets Barack Obama

"Toxic Avenger," the musical?

Nicholas White, a new contributor to Hero Complex, has a report on a New York stage production of the cult-classic film ... you can see footage from the production below as well.

"The Toxic Avenger," that gloriously ripe camp-horror film in 1984, never really disappeared, but who would have expected it to reach the stage as an off-Broadway musical 25 years after it first made a haz-mat splash?

After several months at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse last fall, the kitschy "Toxic Avenger: The Musical" gets its opening night in Manhattan on April 6 (following previews that began March 18) at New York’s New World Stages.

“I think the people in the show give it some validity," says star Nick Cordero, who plays the Avenger and his nerdy alter ego, Melvin Ferd. "With the Broadway climate nowadays, there is no shortage of theaters wanting shows. It wasn’t as hard to find a theater as it was finding the right one.”

Tony-winning director John Rando ("Urinetown") leads the show’s creative team, which includes Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who co-wrote the loopy rock-opera with songwriter Joe DiPietro.

Conceived in the spring of 2008, the "Avenger" musical is set in aromatic (and fictitious) Tromaville, N.J., which holds the dubious honor of being the world’s most polluted city. “It’s poking fun of New Jersey in a good way,” Bryan says. “We [Bon Jovi] are from there, and we are not mocking ourselves out … everywhere on earth since 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,' it’s always the Jersey joke.”

Some of the tunes in the show: "It's a Brand New Day in New Jersey," "Evil Is Hot" and "Hot Toxic Love." Just as Hollywood mines old TV shows for high-concept ideas and name recognition, stage productions are looking to fanboy faves as unexpected source material, with high-profile ventures such as "The Fly" at the L.A. Opera and the big-budget Spider-Man show planned. So it's no surprise that "Avenger" has the familiar beats of the old film, but also some 21st century messages stirred in with the vintage sludge.

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Broadway's 'Spider-Man' casting a wide net (or is it a web?)

If you've ever dreamed of climbing into the big time — or just crawling up a wall — this could be your chance.

Below is the just announced open-call audition information for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," the $40-million production that will bring the friendly neighborhood webhead swinging on stage in his own Broadway production in early 2010. There's big-name talent behind it (Bono and the Edge of U2 are crafting the music, Tony winner Julie Taymor is directing), but there may be some unknowns on the stage, according to the announcement. But, then again, some of this might just be part of the build-the-buzz marketing plan for the pricey venture; Evan Rachel Wood has reportedly locked in the Mary Jane Watson role, so perhaps you ladies shouldn't dye your hair red in hopes of seeing your name up on the marquee of the show's home venue, the Hilton Theater.

So what's up with that female villian description below? Is it possible the villain will be the Black Widow, the curvy Russian spy from Marvel Comics who is also a likely character in the "Iron Man" film franchise? (In Hollywood, the latest rumor is that Scarlett Johansson will be wearing the Widow's skin-tight black fighting togs.) Or maybe this villian reference is to Elektra? Seems unlikely; this isn't a Daredevil musical. Perhaps a more exotic incarnation of the Black Cat? What do you think?    

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, featuring direction by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida, The Lion King on Broadway) with music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge (from U2) will be holding open casting calls at major cities across the country starting next week. SPIDER-MAN is seeking principals and understudies for the roles of ‘Peter Parker,’ ‘Mary Jane,’ and ‘Female Lead Villian.’ The production is looking for performers with dynamic rock/pop voices including those with experience in bands and as solo performers. Regardless of experience, anyone who thinks they might be qualified is encouraged to audition.

Open casting calls are being organized  by Telsey + Company (Rent, Across The Universe, Sex & The City, Wicked) and will be held in the following cities:

ORLANDO, FL (Thursday, April 9; 10 AM – 5PM) Orlando Marriott World Center, 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821

NEW YORK, NY (Monday, April 13; 10 AM – 5PM) The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013

LOS ANGELES, CA (Saturday, April 18; 10 AM – 5PM) Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028

SEATTLE, WA (Monday, April 20; 10 AM – 5PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

CHICAGO, IL (Thursday, May 7; 10 AM – 5 PM) LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

AUSTIN, TX (Wednesday, May 27; 10 AM – 5 PM)  LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

The production is looking for candidates to fill the following roles (both principals and understudies):

 PETER PARKER – Male. 16-20’s. Must have a great rock tenor voice. Can be nerdy with understated sex appeal and a good sense of humor.

MARY JANE – Female. 16-20’s. Beautiful girl next door. Strong pop/rock singing voice required.

LEAD FEMALE VILLAIN – Female. 25‐35 years old. All ethnicities encouraged. Must have an amazing rock voice. Think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek twist. Foreign and/or world music types are great. Foreign accents are great.

WHAT TO BRING:  All interested people should bring a snapshot or photo of themselves and a brief pop/rock or rock song to sing. Please note that no accompanist or audio equipment will be provided.

— Geoff Boucher

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"Toxic Avenger," the musical?

Nicholas White, a new contributor to Hero Complex, has a report on a New York stage production of the cult-classic film ... you can see footage from the production below as well.

"The Toxic Avenger," that gloriously ripe camp-horror film in 1984, never really disappeared, but who would have expected it to reach the stage as an off-Broadway musical 25 years after it first made a haz-mat splash?

After several months at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse last fall, the kitschy "Toxic Avenger: The Musical" gets its opening night in Manhattan on April 6 (following previews that began March 18) at New York’s New World Stages.

“I think the people in the show give it some validity," says star Nick Cordero, who plays the Avenger and his nerdy alter ego, Melvin Ferd. "With the Broadway climate nowadays, there is no shortage of theaters wanting shows. It wasn’t as hard to find a theater as it was finding the right one.”

Tony-winning director John Rando ("Urinetown") leads the show’s creative team, which includes Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who co-wrote the loopy rock-opera with songwriter Joe DiPietro.

Conceived in the spring of 2008, the "Avenger" musical is set in aromatic (and fictitious) Tromaville, N.J., which holds the dubious honor of being the world’s most polluted city. “It’s poking fun of New Jersey in a good way,” Bryan says. “We [Bon Jovi] are from there, and we are not mocking ourselves out … everywhere on earth since 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,' it’s always the Jersey joke.”

Some of the tunes in the show: "It's a Brand New Day in New Jersey," "Evil Is Hot" and "Hot Toxic Love." Just as Hollywood mines old TV shows for high-concept ideas and name recognition, stage productions are looking to fanboy faves as unexpected source material, with high-profile ventures such as "The Fly" at the L.A. Opera and the big-budget Spider-Man show planned. So it's no surprise that "Avenger" has the familiar beats of the old film, but also some 21st century messages stirred in with the vintage sludge.

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

'Toxic Avenger: The Musical,' a haz-mat valentine to Jersey

Nicholas White, a new contributor to Hero Complex, has a report on a New York stage production of the cult-classic film ... you can see footage from the production below as well.

"The Toxic Avenger," that gloriously ripe camp-horror film in 1984, never really disappeared, but who would have expected it to reach the stage as an off-Broadway musical 25 years after it first made a haz-mat splash?

After several months at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse last fall, the kitschy "Toxic Avenger: The Musical" gets its opening night in Manhattan on April 6 (following previews that began March 18) at New York’s New World Stages.

“I think the people in the show give it some validity," says star Nick Cordero, who plays the Avenger and his nerdy alter ego, Melvin Ferd. "With the Broadway climate nowadays, there is no shortage of theaters wanting shows. It wasn’t as hard to find a theater as it was finding the right one.”

Tony-winning director John Rando ("Urinetown") leads the show’s creative team, which includes Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who co-wrote the loopy rock-opera with songwriter Joe DiPietro.

Conceived in the spring of 2008, the "Avenger" musical is set in aromatic (and fictitious) Tromaville, N.J., which holds the dubious honor of being the world’s most polluted city. “It’s poking fun of New Jersey in a good way,” Bryan says. “We [Bon Jovi] are from there, and we are not mocking ourselves out … everywhere on earth since 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,' it’s always the Jersey joke.”

Some of the tunes in the show: "It's a Brand New Day in New Jersey," "Evil Is Hot" and "Hot Toxic Love." Just as Hollywood mines old TV shows for high-concept ideas and name recognition, stage productions are looking to fanboy faves as unexpected source material, with high-profile ventures such as "The Fly" at the L.A. Opera and the big-budget Spider-Man show planned. So it's no surprise that "Avenger" has the familiar beats of the old film, but also some 21st century messages stirred in with the vintage sludge.

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man on Broadway, 2010 opening date set

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man on Broadway, 'Dark Knight' DVD and Jeph Loeb all in Everyday Hero headlines

Mary Jane on Broadway: Gossip maven Elizabeth Snead has a somewhat breathless item about Evan Rachel Wood of "The Wrestler" and "Across the Universe" taking on the role of Spider-Man babe Mary Jane Watson for the Broadway play that is shaping up as the most expensive production in the history of the Great White Way: "Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' on Broadway! 'I start rehearsals in June and will be on Broadway for a year,' she said Wednesday at a press junket for 'The Wrestler.' She's already learned the songs, written by Bono, and did a run-through for Marvel. But that's not why she recently colored her hair red, like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane movie character. 'No, I didn’t even think about it,' she insists. 'After I got it done, I looked in the mirror and went ‘Duh!' I emailed Julie the picture!' Who will be Spidey?  'We're trying to convince Jim Sturgess (her 'Across the Universe' costar). We did the workshop together, but I don’t know if he can commit to a whole year.' How about the villains? 'There will be some new ones and some old ones,' she said cautiously. And will she have to do wire work? 'Yeah, I’ll be dangling from buildings and things. It should be fun.' But she insists that Spider-Man will never, ever sing in tights. 'That was the deal. He never sings in Spandex,' Wood says. And will she have to do that upside-down kiss? 'Everyone keeps asking me that! I think there might be one at the end. I'm gonna have to have a talk with Julie. I can’t remember if there is one. But people will be waiting for it so we might have to make that happen.' " [The Dish Rag] Read more on the Spidey's Broadway venture here and here.

Heath Ledger's Golden Globe nod: The late actor's family put out a statement expressing their pride for the nomination annouced Thursday. Here's an item by Melenie Ambrose: "Heath Ledger's no-holds-barred performance as the Joker in last summer's Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight' has earned the late actor a posthumous Golden Globe nomination, announced Thursday morning. Commenting on the honor of being nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, Heath's Perth, Australia-based father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' He added, 'This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way.' Ledger will compete in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for their roles in 'Tropic Thunder,' Ralph Fiennes for 'The Duchess' and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role in 'Doubt.' " [People magazine]

"The Dark Knight" at retail: Business reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski goes into the numbers on the DVD and Blu-ray release of "The Dark Knight," which is a home-video hero that Hollywood hopes will save the day: "The major promotion push behind the DVD release of Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster, 'The Dark Knight,' appears to have worked -- at least out of the gate. The film, which brought in $530 million in ticket sales in the United States, sold nearly 3 million copies Tuesday, the first day of its DVD release in the U.S., Canada and Britain. 'The Dark Knight's' retail reception is reminiscent of strong first-day sales for 'The Matrix' and 'Titanic' (any debut of 1 million or more units is considered a home run). At the present rate, 'Dark Knight' looks to be on pace to catch Paramount Pictures' 'Iron Man,' which sold 7.2 million units in its first week on store shelves this year. Hollywood has been anxiously watching home video sales as the recession deepens because they are a major profit center for the studios. Nielsen VideoScan estimates that home video sales are off 5.2% this year as several movies that did well at the box office didn't sell as well as expected on DVD. The studios have been hoping that the new Blu-ray high-definition format will help to spur the sluggish DVD market. As many as 25% to 30% of the 'Dark Knight' discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the Blu-ray format. That surpasses the previous record set by 'Iron Man,' which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. [Los Angeles Times]

Standing still, moving forward: Reviewer Kenneth Turan had some fun with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and then he had some fun writing the review: "Keanu meets Klaatu. It could be a match made in heaven, or at least in a galaxy far, far away. Which is just what 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wants us to think. This contemporary remake of the science fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton, as a perplexed alien whose first words on Earth are 'This body will take some getting used to.' When you want distant and disconnected, Reeves is your man. The 1951 original offered the more genial Michael Rennie as the intergalactic visitor, a being arrived on Earth accompanied by giant robot companion Gort. Rennie's alien was a courtly individual with the charm of vintage James Bond, but Klaatu's temperament is not the only thing that has been changed in this enjoyable updating. For one thing, Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), the widow who is Klaatu's main human contact, has been elevated from mom to mom and astrobiologist. And imperturbable robot Gort has gone from a clunky 8 feet to a lithe and bulked-up 28 feet tall. Take it easy on those steroids, big guy!" [Los Angeles Times]

"Ultimatum" tops: Some good news for Jeph Loeb, who was bounced from "Heroes" but still knowns how to write an "event" comic book: "Marvel Comics’ 'Ultimatum' No. 1 was the bestselling comic book title based on total unit sales to comic book specialty shops for November 2008, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The new five-issue limited series features Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Ultimates, the Hulk and more in the defining moment of truth for Marvel’s 'Ultimate' Universe. Brought to you by award-winning scribe Loeb and superstar artist David Finch, the book spells the end of the Ultimate universe… or it may mean a new beginning. Marvel Comics also nabbed the top publisher spot in November, leading both retail dollar and unit market shares, with a 42.90% unit market share, and a 36.96% retail dollar market share.The top-selling graphic novel for November was DC Comics' 'Fables' tradepaperback 'Vol. 11: War & Pieces,' collecting issues #70-75 of the Eisner Award-winning series from creator Bill Willingham. Kotobukiya’s Iron Man Movie Fine Art Statue netted the No. 1 toy product, and WizKids’ DC HeroClix: Arkham Asylum Booster Pack was the bestselling game product to comic book specialty shops." [Diamond press release]

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

'Spider-Man 4,' 'Twilight,' Superman vs. Brainiac in Everyday Hero headlines

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Everyone knows that Spider-Man is going to the theater stage, but now it appears the theater is also coming to Spider-Man. Work continues on the Spidey musical for Broadway (which at a reported $40 million will be the most expensive production in the history of theater) but in the meantime an acclaimed writer of stage drama is coming over to the webslinger's massively successful movie franchise. Borys Kit has the trades announcement this morning: "David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama 'Rabbit Hole,' is in final negotiations to write 'Spider-Man 4' for Columbia. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. Plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the 'Spider-Man' movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's 'Paper Moon' and 1980's 'Ordinary People,' served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on 'Spider-Man 2.'... Lindsay-Abaire's 'Rabbit Hole,' which starred Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, hit the Broadway stage in 2006 and won four Tonys, including best play. The writer also is known for the play 'Fuddy Meers.'" [Hollywood Reporter]

Twilight, Twi-bright, first vamp I see tonight: I'm not sure the world is prepared for how huge "Twilight" is going to be, at least if Internet activity is any sort of predictor of movie box-office grosses. Today's "Twilight" update: Rotten Tomatoes now has a massive 93-image photo gallery from the movie (um, isn't that pretty much the whole movie?) while Gina McIntyre has an interview with Robert Pattinson on the fang-mania. "'It’s happened since the day it got said that I was playing the part,' Pattinson said, running his hands through his hair. 'It was like a day when it changed. [People went from saying] ‘Are you the guy from ‘Harry Potter’? to ‘It’s Edward!’ It’s really, really strange.' When asked if he thinks he’ll ever become accustomed to that aspect of his newfound celebrity, he simply replied, 'No. It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess. The only kind of strange thing is when you get photographed...I don’t think you’d ever get used to that. You can’t really live normally when that’s happening.' " [Entertainment News and Buzz, Los Angeles Times]

Brainiac, the smart-guy choice: Brandon Routh is doing a lot of press right now because of his role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and in an interview with Robert Sanchez the subject turned to the next Superman movie. Routh hopes to wear the cape again and he would like to a certain city-shrinking, green-skinned evil genius as the heavy. "I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things." [IESB]

Fear is good: Tonight is the L.A. opening night of "Fear(s) of the Dark," which i've been hearing great things about. (Guillermo Del Toro gushed about it: "Rusty alleyways and vaporous ghosts painted by the masters of dread. Razor-sharp images that will slice your eye and nest there forever. Thrilling, disturbing and haunting. Bring the kids!")
Here's the description from the folks at IFC: "A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists. Featuring the cutting-edge talents of Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire, 'Fear(s) of the Dark' was featured at the Sundance, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and 'Rendez-vous with French Cinema' film festivals. 'Fear(s) of the Dark' will open in Los Angeles on October 31st at Landmark's Nuart Theatre [11272 Santa Monica Boulevard] followed by a national roll-out. The artists featured have all drawn from their own fertile imaginations –- and worst nightmares –- to tell their tales. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, 'Fear(s)' has a story strand to trouble every sleep –- not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense." [press release]

X-Halloween: Tim O'Shea has an interview with Jeff Parker about "Giant Size X-Men: First Class," the Marvel new release with some fun Halloween touches, such as the Beast starting an (ahem) X-Files sort of paranormal investigations. Parker described his fave parts of the book: " 'Dean Haspiel drawing Bobby Drake, making the Thing’s hand breakdance. Michael Cho putting Cyclops in the role of Gort. Nick Kilisian showing the X-Men as Pod People. David Williams somehow putting EVERYONE in one double page spread and making it look beautiful. But I think one feature that readers are going to love is Roger Langridge’s two-pager featuring young Charles Xavier, done in an Edward Gorey style. People who have heard of Roger and wonder what why he’s so praised will understand what the big deal is.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Credits: Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man unmasked in the third film in the super-hero film franchise, photo by Merrick Morton and courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Action Comics" issue No. 280 featuring Curt Swan cover of Brainiac, courtesy of DC Comics.

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Everyday Hero, your fanboy news roundup

I've been digging around in the dustier corners of the Los Angeles Times library this week and found some great stuff tucked away in the ragged manila folders. Here's one on the right: It's an April 1966 photograph of Bob Holiday, the singing star of "It's a Bird...it's a Plane...it's Superman!" which lasted for 129 performances at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway.

Now, here are your hand-picked fanboy headlines for today, starting off with another heroic Broadway effort...

Julie Taymor's proposed Spider-Man musical for next year is the hot talk on the Great White Way. Michael Riedel reports that its budget has swelled to $40 million, making it the most expensive theater production ever. [Broadway Matinee column, NY Post]

"No Country for Old Men" and "W" star Josh Brolin is in talks to ride in the saddle as Jonah Hex, the disfigured Old West bounty hunter from DC Comics. [Variety]

Is anyone out there still rich? If so, you can spend $60,000 to get the designers at Lego to make a customized, life-sized version of you and a friend. It brings new meaning for the term "wealthy blockhead," doesn't it? [Reuters]

Robert Ebele review: "City of Ember" looks good but it can't seem to shake off the dust: "The rigors of inspired storytelling can't live up to an imaginatively designed filmic world." [Los Angeles Times]...but Harry Knowles says the movie is compelling albeit a bit elusive. "It’s a film that allows its story to unfold as a mystery found, rather than pursued." [Ain't It Cool News]

The lizard kings: The alien-invasion tale "V" from the 1980s will be resurrected by ABC and reimagined as a series by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of "The 4400." The axis of the show is "a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family." [Variety]

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no rumor shall escape my sight..." Who will wear Green Lantern's ring on the big screen? El Mayimbe says Warner Bros. covets Canadian-born Ryan Gosling, the Oscar nominee of "Half Nelson" and star of "The Notebook." [Lation Film Review]

Ed Park review: The founding editor of "Believer" appraises a new collection of stories by sci-fi author Howard Waldrop and warns casual fans that it has "so many ultraspecific cultural moments that the unwary reader might contemplate suing for whiplash." [Astral Weeks blog, Los Angeles Times]

British Invasion podcast: Dave Gibbons (artist on "Watchmen" and "Martha Washington") and Mark Buckingham ("Fables") are part of a panel of U.K. notables from the Birmingham International Comics Show 2008 this past weekend. [Word Balloon blog, Newsarama]

And a bit of Friday fun: Check out a faux trailer that mashes up the "Toy Story" films and "The Dark Knight" [Funny Pages 2.0 blog, Los Angeles Times]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Bill Holiday as Superman in a April 1966 photograph by Van Williams. Credit: Los Angeles Times

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man on Broadway

One of the strangest projects brewing right now is the dream of David Maisel over at Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man to the Broadway stage.

Not only that, he's brought in Julie Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King" on stage and (this is not a joke) Bono and the Edge of U2 for the music. I just got an e-mail about a casting call in New York so, if you think you have the chops to climb walls on the Great White Way, maybe you should take a whirl.

Here's the text from the e-mail:

OPEN SINGERS/ACTORS CALL FOR SPIDER-MAN A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

Directed by Julie Taymor, Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge of U2

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor

Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice

Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities.

JULY 28, 2008, 10:00am-5pm THE KNITTING FACTORY, 74 LEONARD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013

WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR THESE CHARACTERS AT THIS OPEN CALL. IF YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN.

Please prepare 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range. Please bring sheet music. Also a photo/resume stapled together, IF YOU HAVE ONE.  IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T!

spidermancasting@gmail.com

-- Geoff Boucher

Image: Marvel Comics