TV genres come in big waves, whether it’s the faux superhero story with shows like Heroes and Modern Family, or mysterious sci-fi series like LOST, V, Surface, and countless others. Lately, the name of the game seems to be raunchy cable historical dramas.

Between shows like The Borgois, The Tudors, Camelot, and Game of Thrones, there are plenty of ways to see sexy and/or violent times of the middle ages. So why wouldn’t someone want to capitalize on this genre and get straight to the point?

That’s where Alex Fernie’s newest Funny or Die skit, The Sexy Dark Ages, comes in. Starring Justified’s Natalie Zea, Diora Baird, and Robert Englund, we get a look at a “brand new” series for Showtime, in which the concept of the overly sexual and dramatic historical fiction gets mocked beyond belief.

Not as many laugh-out-loud moments as you’d get from most FoD videos, but this clip is certainly a hot pick for anyone who’s hooked on shows like Game of Thrones, which is pretty big right now.

Check out the video after the jump, and pray that nobody from Showtime watches the video and decides to option this idea.

Continue Reading →

Quite a big weekend for casting in the DC and Warner Bros. world, as it was recently announced that Josh Pence will be playing a young Ra’s Al Ghul in Chris Nolan’s upcoming Dark Knight Returns. However, that’s not the only caped crusader flick to get a villain.

THR is reporting that Boardwalk Empire and Revolutionary Road actor Michael Shannon will be taking on the role of the villain General Zod. Here’s what Snyder had to say about the decision.

“Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role,”

Shannon compliments a pretty rounded out cast including Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and The Tudors star Henry Cavill playing the titular role. It seems that the role of Superman/Clark Kent is the only role so far to be played by a British actor, which is normally the opposite plan of producer Christopher Nolan.

For those worried that Shannon may be too “mainstream” to play an evil, super powered general, this isn’t the actor’s first foray into the world of comics. Last year, he graced the screen as Doc Cross Williams in DC’s bastard stepchild of a comic adaptation, Jonah Hex.

Now that we have our baddie for the film, we just need some iconic supporting roles like Perry White and Jimmy Olsen filled in. But who will be chosen?

Well, I guess it was too good to last, right? If you’re a fan of Showtime original series like Dexter and Californication but like to watch them via Netflix’s Instant service, you better watch and enjoy them now because they won’t be there for long.

Showtime’s current deal with video streaming company Netflix is over in the summer and as part of its renegotiation, the pay cable network has informed Netflix that it will no longer make its current original series available for streaming. Right now, all Showtime series are accessible for Netflix subscribers.

However, Showtime CEO Matt Blank doesn’t want that to be the case any longer.“With all the options out there, we want to be sure people know they have to subscribe to see Dexter or The Borgias,” Blank said.

The network clarified that under the proposed new Netflix deal, series such The Tudors and Sleeper Cell, which no longer air original episodes on the premium cable newtork, will continue to be available to Netflix subscribers. As for current and past seasons of Showtime’s current original series, they “will be available to our authenticated subscribers via our TV Everywhere service Showtime Anytime.”

Well, I guess Showtime doesn’t like that Netflix is going to start developing and producing original programming for itself, including a new series featuring Kevin Spacey. Let’s hope this doesn’t start a trend with other cable networks and more deciding they don’t want their programming on Netflix. That would be a shame.

We’ve been speculating about this for a long time now and even more so once Zach Snyder was confirmed as the director for the reboot of the Superman big screen franchise. Of course I’m talking about the question of who would play the new “Man of Steel.”

Well, according to AICN, that question has been answered. The new Superman? Henry Cavill. Don’t worry if you can’t place the name immediately as Cavill is probably best known for playing the role of Charles Brandon in the Showtime series The Tudors but hasn’t exactly broken out as a star in his own right. Obviously, that’s about to change.

He’s also been seen in Hellraiser: Hellworld, Tristan + Isolde and Stardust, so he’s got some acting credits behind him. According to the report, everyone involved with the casting of the new Superman is thrilled with Cavill’s take on the character, so that’s a good thing.

The new film begins shooting in four months with a planned release in December of 2012. So, how do we feel about this development? Are you disappointed that Tom Welling, or your favorite choice, didn’t make the cut?

While Hollywood has proven that magicians may look cool, they definitely don’t always rake in the big bucks across the globe. It’s been shown time and time again with films like The Prestige, The Illusionist, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Though, for that last one, we blame Nic Cage.

It looks like Working Title films, the company behind the series The Tudors and the film Hot Fuzz, are now working on a brand new adaptation of the classic Merlin tale, which will take the old wizard to modern day.

The script comes from historical novel author Jay Basu, who plans on rebooting King Arthur’s spiritual wizard in a “contemporary setting.” Expect to see the film to keep a prominent British cast, as most of the films from Working Title are done out of the UK.

Not much is known about the script or what we can expect from the film, but you can expect to see plenty of respect paid to the character, as legendary actors like Sam Neill, Ben Kingsley, and Donald Pleasence have donned the robe and pointy hat at one point.

Keep it here for more news on this film as it develops.

With X-men: First Class scheduled to start filming next week, 20th Century Fox has turned their focus to the their next Marvel film. That film? A reboot of Fantastic Four.

Rumors about the films casting have started with news that The Thing will be completely CGI and Sue Storm being played by Alice Eve or Amber Heard, and it seems the film’s star power will be stemming from the group leader Mr. Fantastic. The two actors in the running for Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards are Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Adrien Brody.

While Jonathan Rhys Meyers is probably best known for his starring role in the Showtime series The Tudors, he also has From Paris With Love in which he starred opposite John Travolta under his belt. He’s also been seen in film such as Mission Impossible III, Match Point and Bend It Like Beckham.

The bigger get would obviously be Adrien Brody, who is quietly growing into an action film with the recent releases of Predators and Splice. Brody is also the forerunner for Edgar Wright’s Ant-man for Marvel Studios. Having the Oscar winning actor attached to the film would add some credibility to the project.

The title of the film will not be Fantastic Four Reborn as previously report, but the actual title has not been released. Now that Chiklis is moving on to No Ordinary Family on ABC and Evans is headed over to work on that other Marvel movie, who would YOU cast as The Thing and Human Torch in the upcoming reboot?

When you say the word “history” out loud, it’s usually met with a chorus of groans. “I hated history in school! All those dates and crap! So boring.” It’s depressing.

History, if taught right, is a story.  (That’s why it has “story” embedded into it. No joke.) It’s not names, dates, and places. It’s blood and sex, with a dash of art and higher aspirations. It’s the stuff you pay to watch in theaters or on HBO but with the kicker that it actually happened.

I couldn’t be happier that television has decided to take that idea and run crazy with it. The new trend on cable is taking finding some notorious era of history, populated with sex and swearing, and spin a few seasons out of it. HBO kicked off the trend with Rome and Deadwood (and promptly broke our hearts in the process), and now Showtime and Starz have taken up the gauntlet.

Showtime has been happily running around Renaissance England with The Tudors, which is about to wrap up in its fourth season now that Henry VIII is coming to the end of his wives. While it’s played a little fast and loose with history, it’s been a sumptuous watch, and fans won’t have to look far for a replacement.

Continue Reading →