Next week sees the return of Spartacus, the Starz original series chronicling the life of the titular slave who rebelled against his Roman oppressors. The show’s official second season, called Spartacus: Vengeance, has been long in coming, and brings with it many questions in the wake of the tragic death of the first seasons’ star, Andy Whitfield.

The Flickcast recently partook in a discussion with series creator/exec. producer Steven S. DeKnight where, among other things, he talked about the transition from his original star to new Spartacus Liam McIntyre (check out our interview with the actor here), where the show is going from here and working with Joss Whedon.

On Liam capturing the essence of Andy Whitfield’s Spartacus -

…that’s really what drew us to Liam is that we didn’t want to try to duplicate (Andy). I mean, that will never happen. He was such a singular, amazing talent. But we wanted to find somebody that had the same base qualities of compassion. And I told all the actors when they auditioned that even though Spartacus may fly into a rage now and then, he never comes from a place of anger, it’s always from a place of a wounded heart. And we really felt like Liam captured that essence.

On no character being safe on the show - 

…on this show characters literally get the ax. I think really ultimately for me it’s always – it comes from the story is how is the story best served by a character death. I don’t ever want somebody to just die. It needs to have ramifications either emotionally or towards the plot. So that’s always the number one driving force of – on who do I kill.

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It is in fashion right now to bash on remakes and reboots. That line of thinking may or may not be warranted, but you should hear none of it when talking about the upcoming Evil Dead reboot.

Of all the horror franchise that have been revived in the last decade, none more than the Evil Dead series is more malleable. The franchise has always reinvented itself with each new installment, so a new, modern reboot shouldn’t cause immediate concern.

The movie is going to begin filming in a few months and Bloody Disgusting has the scoop on the first bit of casting:

Bloody Disgusting has learned exclusively that Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Priest, Mirror Mirror) is in final negotiations to play “Mia” in FilmDistrict’s reboot aiming for release on April 12, 2013.

In this version, the story centers on five friends (David, Natalie, Eric, Olivia, and Mia) holed up at a remote cabin where they discover a Book of the Dead with a demonic force unleashed possessing each until only one is left to fight for survival.

Lily Collins is a great young actress who shined in The Blind Side and even in the otherwise horrid Priest. We don’t know which of the characters is going to be the “Ash” archetype, but rumors have bubbled up that Raimi wanted a girl to fill that role. Could that be Lily Collins’ Mia? Only time will tell.

Lists are fun. Lists are, at least in some cases, easy to create. In this case, the list in question for today is The Five Best Movies Adapted From Comics.

I know what you’re thinking. Why five? Well, it sorta works with the word “Flickcast” and we’re fans of alliteration around here, so that’s one reason. Of course, it also means I only need to come up with five items to fill the list, so that might have something to do with it too. I’ll never tell.

I’m also in the process of preparing a list of the worst movies adapted from comics as well because what’s a “best” list without a “worst” list, right? Right.

However, in this case, we’re talking best. And do we have a lot of great “best” ones to choose from. That’s not a question, we do.

The ones I’ve chosen are not only great examples of comic book adaptations done right, they’re also great movies too. From a clever screenplay to expert direction, exciting visuals, to compelling characters and performances, these five films deliver on many levels and also manage to demonstrate a real love for their source material.

Okay, enough setup. On with the listing of the things.

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There are only a few names that pop up every year like clockwork at San Diego Comic-Con. One of the names that has always been on the tips of fanboys’ tongues is Bruce Campbell.

The man’s been on top of his game as the featured sidekick in USA’s Burn Notice and now he’s getting his very own stand-alone film as the same character in The Fall of Sam Axe.

The film stars Campbell as Axe and follows the life of this now wise-cracking, often lazy sidekick. We got the chance to discuss Bruce stepping back into the limelight on TV as well as his problems with the script for My Name is Bruce 2 and exactly what his role is going to be in the upcoming Evil Dead reboot by Raimi and apparently Diablo Cody.

Not only will you be surprised by the role that Campbell has in the upcoming reboot, you’ll hear exactly why we’ll be waiting so long to get that sequel to My Name is Bruce.

Take a look at our exclusive interview after the jump, and catch The Fall of Sam Axe on Blu-Ray and standard DVD now.

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Yes, that’s right, there’s an actual reboot of the classic horror Evil Dead in the works. It’s been speculated since back in 2004 when Raimi and partner Rob Tapert made declarations that this new generation of horror fans needs an updated version, and it seems like progress is finally getting made as the two have found a prospective director to take on the task.

Bloody-Disgusting has the official scoop.

In an exclusive scoop, we’re told that Fede Alvarez (Federico Alvarez) is directing for Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures and Mandate. The remake was announced way back in 2004. No word on casting or if Bruce Campbell will return.

There are several good things about this bit of news. It’s good that Raimi is in charge of the reboot, and it’s not getting remade by a studio that has no connection to the original. Also, it’s great that Raimi is sticking to his “indie” roots by going with super indie director Alvarez, who directed the awesome gigantic robot short Panic Attack! back in 2009.

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Games based on popular or cult classic movies don’t always deliver the goods and often seem more like a cheap grab for cash than an actual attempt at creating a good game. However, there are sometimes exceptions. One of those exceptions is the new game Army of Darkness: Defense game from Backflip Studios and MGM Studios.

Army of Darkness: Defense is a mobile castle defense game designed as a homage to Sam Raimi’s 1992 classic film and takes place during the pivotal castle scene from the movie where Ash and his allies defend the powerful Necronomicon within Lord Arthur’s fortress from the onslaught of the Deadites.

In the game you take on the role of the chiseled chin, one-liner-spouting Ash while summoning familiar troops, spells and weapons from the movie to help in the defense. Gameplay features include over 150 direct lines of dialogue from Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, and beautifully animated graphics using the well-known “Granny 3D” engine.

Army of Darkness: Defense gives Ash the ability to call upon a wide variety of allies to help preserve the Necronomicon including swordsmen, armored knights, archers and more. In addition to the originally composed sound and music, the app also features many of the famous characters from the movie including Arthur, Henry, Sheila, the Wiseman, Evil Ash, and more.

Check out some screens from the game after the jump. Pick up your copy of Army of Darkness: Defense now in the iTunes App Store for iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.

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With Andy Whitfield not able to return to Spartacus: Blood and Sand for season two, inevitably the show must go on as it does in Hollywood. So, that means the show’s producers need to find a new leading man to take over the title role. According to Deadline, the search for that leading man has come down to three actors.

Those three actors are: Stephen Amell, Aiden Turner and Liam McIntyre. According to the report, the three have been flown to New Zealand for screen tests and to meet with the show’s cast and crew. A final decision on who will be the next Spartacus is expected as early as this week.

In case you haven’t hear these names before, don’t feel bad. Like Whitfield, Amell (Closing the Ring), Turner (All My Children) and McIntyre (The Pacific) are relatively unknown. They do, however, all seem to have the requisite looks and physicality for the role. Still, in my mind and I’m sure the minds of many other fans, it will be very hard for any actor to replace Whitfield in a role he created and filled so very well.

That said, I’m sure the show’s producers would rather, if given the choice, not have to be facing this decision at all. I’m sure they would prefer to have Whitfield instead, as would we all. Hopefully, any actoir who takes his place will only be doing it for the short term and he will be able to return someday soon and play Spartacus, and many other roles, again.

The Spartacus prequel series, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, is slated to premiere in January. Season Two of Spartacus: Blood and Sand is expected to begin filming soon with a projected Summer 2011 return.

Sad news indeed as it seems Spartacus: Blood and Sand star Andy Whitfield won’t be able to return to the show for its second season due to health complications. According to Starz, the network which produces the show, the actor’s doctors have advised him to stop training for season two of the series and seek immediate, aggressive treatment for his illness.

The actor was first diagnosed with treatable Stage 1 non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in early March but had been in remission. He was even at Comic-Con in San Diego where we spoke to him and he seemed perfectly healthy and in good spirits, ready to begin season 2 of the series.

Starz is currently in production on a prequel series called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena which it plans to air in January and then was to begin production on season 2 of the main series following that for a planned return in mid 2011. Obviously, with this news on Whitfield’s condition, things have changed.

As fans of Whitfield and the show we are saddened to hear of his condition, We wish him all the best for a full and speedy recovery.

Click through to read the full press release from Starz.

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Make no mistake Spartacus: Blood and Sand is one terrific series. After a slightly rocky start, it has quickly matured and become one of the most popular and successful in premium cable’s history. Obviously, we love it here at The Flickcast and have brought you a whole bunch of coverage to hopefully bring even more fans into the fold.

Helping to achieve that goal will be the series imminent debut on Blu-ray and DVD. Coming from Anchor Bay Entertainment, the four-disk set will include a whole bunch of new features and extras. Some of those include hours of bonus features which take you behind the scenes of the making of the show with interviews and commentaries from the actors and filmmakers, augmented with rare production footage exploring the series’ visual effects, production and costume design.

In addition, the release will feature enhanced digital effects for several of the episodes and as a Blu-ray exclusive, four episodes have been selected as “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes” and will feature content considered “too risque’” even for cable. Other bonuses include featurettes such as “Gladiator Camp”, “The Hole” and “History Rewritten”, behind-the-scenes footage, audio commentaries, interviews, outtakes and more.

Given all the bonus features and extended episodes it seems like Starz and Anchor Bay are giving this release the attention and care it deserves. If you haven’t had a chance to see Spartacus: Blood and Sand yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up on Blu-ray or DVD. It’s a great show and you’ll be glad you did.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD September 21st. Until then, check out this trailer for the release after the break.

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There are tons of cult horror films for fans to look back on and cringe, but there are very few that can still be considered solid pieces of cinema. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films are easily on the top of that list, and the first of the trilogy is finally getting the Blu-ray treatment, all thanks to Anchor Bay Films.

For the first time, Raimi’s Evil Dead is making it’s high definition debut, with two astounding 1080p anamorphic transfers (1.85 and 1.33 aspect ratio, for you who know what that means). Not only will you get the film with both audio and visual restoration, but the disc also comes with a brand new commentary by Raimi, long-time producer Rob Tapert, and the man himself, Bruce Campbell.

The release also comes with a second disc full of extra features, including:

•    One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead
•    The Evil Dead: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor
•    The Ladies Of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell
•    Book of The Dead: The Other Pages
•    Discovering The Evil Dead
•    Unconventional
•    At The Drive-In

Check out an exclusive clip from the commentary after the jump, in which Bruce Campbell discusses his Viet Nam-like flashbacks he had after finishing the first film. Catch The Evil Dead Blu-ray in stores on August 30th.

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It’s no secret that some of us here at The Flickcast are huge Spartacus: Blood and Sand fans, having written about the Starz show during it’s premiere season, covering Andy Whitfield’s battle with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, as well as Starz’ decision to film a 6- episode prequel to buy some time for Andy to recover.

So when Starz announced there would be a SDCC 2010 panel featuring Andy Whitfield and the cast and producers, we knew we’d be there to cover all of the Comic-Con exclusive news and trailers.

The panel opened with a trailer, mostly highlight from Season 1, however it was great fun to re-watch some of the best moments from the show’s first dozen or so episodes. As the lights went up, Andy Whitfield, Spartacus himself, walked onto stage to thunderous applause from the enthusiastic audience.

Andy looked great, rested and perhaps a few pounds below normal, but considering what he’s been through, medically-speaking over the past 9 months, he’s definitely recovered nicely. The rest of the panel attendees were introduced and included: Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), John Hannah (Batiatus), Viva Bianca (Ilithyia) and Steven S. DeKnight (Writer/Executive Producer)

Whitfield talked a bit about being grateful for the prequel, which bought him some time for him to undergo treatment and how thankful he was that the show stuck it out with him. He talked briefly about his illness, and joked that he can’t wait to get back to the gym to try and bulk up a bit for Season 2. Andy clarified that the doctors have cleared him to work, he’s feeling really great and has had plenty of time to really rest and reboot. “Bring it on!” He shouted as the lights started to dim for yet another video.

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In the rush to get things ready for our coverage of Comic-Con we occasionally miss information that we should have shared. One such instance is news from our fiends at Radical Publishing who will have a high profile panel and presence in San Diego this year.

A couple days ago they released their full schedule of events and we want to make sure and bring it to you before the Con starts in earnest tomorrow. Some of the guests for their panel include a veritable who’s who of comic book writers and artists including Jimmy Palmiotti, Rick Remender, Matt Cirulnick, David Hine and Keith Arem.

Plus, their panel will be moderated by non-other than Harry Knowles and they will have special appearances by Wesley Snipes, Antoine Fuqua and Sam Worthington. How’s that for entertainment?

So, if you’re in San Diego, be sure to catch all of these folks, and more, coming directly from Radical Publishing.

Click through for the complete press release giving you even more details. Also, check out the Radical Publishing website.

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