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]

The last time I saw Jeph Loeb was when I moderated a panel he was on at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April. I remember I asked about his show, "Heroes," being faced with "a crossroads" moment in both its loss of audience and urgency, and he scowled at the mere mention of such a notion. So why am I thinking of that on this November morning?

Here's the scoop from Cynthia Littleton of Variety:

Big shakeup on the staff of NBC's "Heroes" came down on Sunday with the axing of co-exec producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb.

Both scribe-producers had been with the show since its first season and were known to have led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/exec producer Tim Kring.

"Heroes," produced by Universal Media Studios, has struggled in the ratings its third season.

It's understood that Alexander and Loeb were let go because of Peacock execs' frustration with the creative direction of the show. The show is also said to have been grappling with hefty budget overruns this season that are going well beyond its already sizable $4 million per-seg pricetag.

Reps for NBC and UMS declined comment.

The show that was once NBC's strongest scripted series really lost its way, and a lot of casual fans just threw their hands up in the air and reached for the remote. This feels like the beginning of the end. Why did it happen? I thought Matt Roush of TV Guide had a good point last week when he expressed his "Heroes" fatigue: "The reality of the situation is that there aren't a lot of people, even critics, who want to work that hard at watching a show like this. I take notes as I watch many shows, but I don't expect anyone else to. 'Heroes' has become needlessly overstuffed, which isn't the same as complex."

-- Geoff Boucher

RELATED Follow 'Heroes' episode by episode on Show Tracker

Thirty years ago, the Man of Steel was flying high at theaters. But will he ever get off the ground again?

Richard Donner's "Superman," released in December 1978, was a box-office triumph and critics were, for the most part, cheering right along with the fans. Roger Ebert called the film "a pure delight," while the late Jack Kroll wrote in Newsweek that Donner had pulled off "a major feat in filmmaking."

It was by nature a sunny film, sentimental and playful, never embarrassed while soaring with its John Williams score and (literally) with its special effects. But show it to a teenager today and he or she will snicker and roll their eyes. These are kids who have sat in dark theaters with Wolverine, Hellboy and Heath Ledger's Joker. If they're holding out for a hero, you can bet he's not going to be plucking kittens out of trees, reciting patriotic mottos and chasing down bumbling bad guys named Otis.

This brings us to the Superman problem. Warner Bros. just pulled in half a billion dollars in the U.S. alone with the relentless nihilism of "The Dark Knight," and the other hero films of the summer ("Hancock," "Iron Man," "Hellboy 2," etc.) presented troubled protaganists who struggle as much with themselves as they do with bad guys. So, of coruse, Warner now wants Superman to tone down the Boy Scout stuff.

Lauren A.E. Schuker had a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal that quoted Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov (who, by the way, is apparently the man who came up with the idea of postponing the sixth "Harry Potter" film until next year) about the plans for the Man of Steel's next flight in Hollywood:

Like the recent Batman sequel — which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far — Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well.

We've heard this before. There was a series of Superman projects announced that had the hero dead, dying, powerless and, perhaps worst of all, portrayed by Nicolas Cage in a suit of armor. The thing is, Superman has always been a daytime hero; he's not Batman prowling the gutters of Gotham looking to exact revenge on every street punk in the world.

Viewership may have fallen, and audience support may have waned, but at Comic-Con, NBC's "Heroes" is still as big as as it ever was. It's also still humble. 

When the cast -- the entire cast -- came on stage to huge applause in Hall H, many of the actors were also filming the crowd with personal cameras. Greg Grunberg was one, and he also visited with a few fans at the back of the line for the panel, many of whom weren't getting in.

And speaking of growth, one of the first things moderator and executive producer Jeph Loeb said to the assemblage was that the show was in "236 territories around the world," and that it was popular because of the Comic-Con fans. "And we came here to thank you."

Loeb, being the cheerleader that he is, then led a section-by-section cheering contest. Then he offered this promise for the new season: "Each and every one of you ... you will want to talk about it."

After the cast filled the stage, Loeb jabbed at other ensembles, making sure the audience knew that everybody from the cast showed up, not just one or two stars.

Fallen 'Heroes': Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander are fired

The last time I saw Jeph Loeb was when I moderated a panel he was on at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April. I remember I asked about his show, "Heroes," being faced with "a crossroads" moment in both its loss of audience and urgency, and he scowled at the mere mention of such a notion. So why am I thinking of that on this November morning?

Here's the scoop from Cynthia Littleton of Variety:

Big shakeup on the staff of NBC's "Heroes" came down on Sunday with the axing of co-exec producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb.

Both scribe-producers had been with the show since its first season and were known to have led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/exec producer Tim Kring.

"Heroes," produced by Universal Media Studios, has struggled in the ratings its third season.

It's understood that Alexander and Loeb were let go because of Peacock execs' frustration with the creative direction of the show. The show is also said to have been grappling with hefty budget overruns this season that are going well beyond its already sizable $4 million per-seg pricetag.

Reps for NBC and UMS declined comment.

The show that was once NBC's strongest scripted series really lost its way, and a lot of casual fans just threw their hands up in the air and reached for the remote. This feels like the beginning of the end. Why did it happen? I thought Matt Roush of TV Guide had a good point last week when he expressed his "Heroes" fatigue: "The reality of the situation is that there aren't a lot of people, even critics, who want to work that hard at watching a show like this. I take notes as I watch many shows, but I don't expect anyone else to. 'Heroes' has become needlessly overstuffed, which isn't the same as complex."

-- Geoff Boucher

RELATED Follow 'Heroes' episode by episode on Show Tracker

Thirty years ago, the Man of Steel was flying high at theaters. But will he ever get off the ground again?

Richard Donner's "Superman," released in December 1978, was a box-office triumph and critics were, for the most part, cheering right along with the fans. Roger Ebert called the film "a pure delight," while the late Jack Kroll wrote in Newsweek that Donner had pulled off "a major feat in filmmaking."

It was by nature a sunny film, sentimental and playful, never embarrassed while soaring with its John Williams score and (literally) with its special effects. But show it to a teenager today and he or she will snicker and roll their eyes. These are kids who have sat in dark theaters with Wolverine, Hellboy and Heath Ledger's Joker. If they're holding out for a hero, you can bet he's not going to be plucking kittens out of trees, reciting patriotic mottos and chasing down bumbling bad guys named Otis.

This brings us to the Superman problem. Warner Bros. just pulled in half a billion dollars in the U.S. alone with the relentless nihilism of "The Dark Knight," and the other hero films of the summer ("Hancock," "Iron Man," "Hellboy 2," etc.) presented troubled protaganists who struggle as much with themselves as they do with bad guys. So, of coruse, Warner now wants Superman to tone down the Boy Scout stuff.

Lauren A.E. Schuker had a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal that quoted Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov (who, by the way, is apparently the man who came up with the idea of postponing the sixth "Harry Potter" film until next year) about the plans for the Man of Steel's next flight in Hollywood:

Like the recent Batman sequel — which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far — Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well.

We've heard this before. There was a series of Superman projects announced that had the hero dead, dying, powerless and, perhaps worst of all, portrayed by Nicolas Cage in a suit of armor. The thing is, Superman has always been a daytime hero; he's not Batman prowling the gutters of Gotham looking to exact revenge on every street punk in the world.

Viewership may have fallen, and audience support may have waned, but at Comic-Con, NBC's "Heroes" is still as big as as it ever was. It's also still humble. 

When the cast -- the entire cast -- came on stage to huge applause in Hall H, many of the actors were also filming the crowd with personal cameras. Greg Grunberg was one, and he also visited with a few fans at the back of the line for the panel, many of whom weren't getting in.

And speaking of growth, one of the first things moderator and executive producer Jeph Loeb said to the assemblage was that the show was in "236 territories around the world," and that it was popular because of the Comic-Con fans. "And we came here to thank you."

Loeb, being the cheerleader that he is, then led a section-by-section cheering contest. Then he offered this promise for the new season: "Each and every one of you ... you will want to talk about it."

After the cast filled the stage, Loeb jabbed at other ensembles, making sure the audience knew that everybody from the cast showed up, not just one or two stars.

The Superman problem: Can he still fly in the 21st century?

Thirty years ago, the Man of Steel was flying high at theaters. But will he ever get off the ground again?

Richard Donner's "Superman," released in December 1978, was a box-office triumph and critics were, for the most part, cheering right along with the fans. Roger Ebert called the film "a pure delight," while the late Jack Kroll wrote in Newsweek that Donner had pulled off "a major feat in filmmaking."

It was by nature a sunny film, sentimental and playful, never embarrassed while soaring with its John Williams score and (literally) with its special effects. But show it to a teenager today and he or she will snicker and roll their eyes. These are kids who have sat in dark theaters with Wolverine, Hellboy and Heath Ledger's Joker. If they're holding out for a hero, you can bet he's not going to be plucking kittens out of trees, reciting patriotic mottos and chasing down bumbling bad guys named Otis.

This brings us to the Superman problem. Warner Bros. just pulled in half a billion dollars in the U.S. alone with the relentless nihilism of "The Dark Knight," and the other hero films of the summer ("Hancock," "Iron Man," "Hellboy 2," etc.) presented troubled protaganists who struggle as much with themselves as they do with bad guys. So, of coruse, Warner now wants Superman to tone down the Boy Scout stuff.

Lauren A.E. Schuker had a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal that quoted Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov (who, by the way, is apparently the man who came up with the idea of postponing the sixth "Harry Potter" film until next year) about the plans for the Man of Steel's next flight in Hollywood:

Like the recent Batman sequel — which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far — Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well.

We've heard this before. There was a series of Superman projects announced that had the hero dead, dying, powerless and, perhaps worst of all, portrayed by Nicolas Cage in a suit of armor. The thing is, Superman has always been a daytime hero; he's not Batman prowling the gutters of Gotham looking to exact revenge on every street punk in the world.

Viewership may have fallen, and audience support may have waned, but at Comic-Con, NBC's "Heroes" is still as big as as it ever was. It's also still humble. 

When the cast -- the entire cast -- came on stage to huge applause in Hall H, many of the actors were also filming the crowd with personal cameras. Greg Grunberg was one, and he also visited with a few fans at the back of the line for the panel, many of whom weren't getting in.

And speaking of growth, one of the first things moderator and executive producer Jeph Loeb said to the assemblage was that the show was in "236 territories around the world," and that it was popular because of the Comic-Con fans. "And we came here to thank you."

Loeb, being the cheerleader that he is, then led a section-by-section cheering contest. Then he offered this promise for the new season: "Each and every one of you ... you will want to talk about it."

After the cast filled the stage, Loeb jabbed at other ensembles, making sure the audience knew that everybody from the cast showed up, not just one or two stars.

Comic-Con: 'Heroes' reborn with 'The Second Coming'

Viewership may have fallen, and audience support may have waned, but at Comic-Con, NBC's "Heroes" is still as big as as it ever was. It's also still humble. 

When the cast -- the entire cast -- came on stage to huge applause in Hall H, many of the actors were also filming the crowd with personal cameras. Greg Grunberg was one, and he also visited with a few fans at the back of the line for the panel, many of whom weren't getting in.

And speaking of growth, one of the first things moderator and executive producer Jeph Loeb said to the assemblage was that the show was in "236 territories around the world," and that it was popular because of the Comic-Con fans. "And we came here to thank you."

Loeb, being the cheerleader that he is, then led a section-by-section cheering contest. Then he offered this promise for the new season: "Each and every one of you ... you will want to talk about it."

After the cast filled the stage, Loeb jabbed at other ensembles, making sure the audience knew that everybody from the cast showed up, not just one or two stars.