New 'X-Men' Will Travel in Time, Superheroism

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Bryan Singer announced today not only that Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, and Michael Fassbender will all be officially returning for the X-Men: First Class sequel, Days of Future Past, but that original X-Men movie stars Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will be joining the prequel franchise as well. So that's a big deal! And obviously means that the story happens in two different time periods. Which is just fine. Though, might it be too soon to join up the franchises? This is only the second in the prequel series, and we're already meeting back up with old grizzly-pusses Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen? Where do you go from there, really? Eh, who knows. They'll figure it out, they always seem to. What we really want to know now is will any of the other original movie X-Men be making an appearance? You know, all our old favorites like Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, or Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut, or maybe even Ray Park as Toad. Everyone we loved! Will they be returning??? One hopes. One really hopes. Man. There have been a lot of X-Men movies. And there are going to be even more. There's the X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel also to be considered! Will McKellen and Stewart show up in that one, too? Are they just going to travel the globe for the rest of their lives playing these two characters in various movies, like Frankenstein chasing his monster to the ends of the Earth? Seems likely. [Deadline]

The Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced today — those are the little low-key ones that take place in the afternoon the day before the Oscars — and they're a predictable melange of fun, right-on choices and oddball head-scratchers. Like, no one is surprised about the slew of nominations for Silver Linings Playbook or Beasts of the Southern Wild or even Moonrise Kingdom. But a screenplay nomination for Gayby? A trio of big nominations for Keep the Lights On? Matthew McConaughey for Magic Mike?? I mean, that last one is great, because he was fantastic in that movie, but the other two, and some other nominations, are a bit strange. Oh, well. That's the point of these awards. They're all weird and casual and everyone's drinkin' in the daytime and strange stuff is awarded and that's that. Just how it works. We're rooting for Ann Dowd from Compliance. Because man, she was good in that. [The Hollywood Reporter]

AMC has ordered two new TV pilots. One has the terrible title Halt & Catch Fire but the interesting premise of being set "in Texas's Silicon Prairie during the eighties personal computer boom." And the other is described as being about a "rag-tag group of friends in the summer of 1778." Ohh, that sounds fun! I love stories about funny groups of friends enjoying summer and falling in love and messin' around all that. Sounds Judy Blume-esque, maybe? Like a classic coming of — wait. Did that say 1778? I think that says "1778." Hahah. Rag-tag summer friends... in 1778. Aha. The show is called Turn and is about said best buds coming together "to help America win its independence." Haaa. OK. Sure. Whatever you say, AMC. But when you get to the Revolutionary War love triangle stuff and then it's Labor Day and everyone's feeling wistful and Sir Thaddeus or whatever has to leave the Cape to go back to school in Boston, well don't come a'knocking here asking for help. There's no room at this idea inn, Johnny Tremaine. No sir. [Vulture]

Here's an impassioned plea from Entertainment Weekly to kill off Sgt. Brody on Showtime's increasingly silly thriller series Homeland. And I agree with it! Brody has become a tiresome character and there's really no possible way they could extend his plot line into another season. Though, sure, we said that last year, too, it's really true this time. It's just not possible. Plus if they kill Brody that might mean we're rid of awful, awful Dana once and for all. Sure we'll never get to hear from everyone's favorite character, Chris Brody, ever again, but we can learn to live with that. While of course we'd miss great lines about cool TVs and Mike making huevos rancheros, we'd rather the show maintain its integrity first. So, yes. Cosigned. Kill Nicholas Brody. [Entertainment Weekly]

Bravo has renewed Real Housewife of Atlanta Kim Zolciak's spin-off reality show Fluff Farts & Cigarette Hearts: A Love Story or whatever it's called for a second season. See, she's leaving the Housewives show and will now focus full-time on her own program. So she's the Southern Bethenny Frankel, essentially. Except instead of business savvy she has a wig made of angel hair pasta and has prosthetic fingernails. Which is fine! Nothing wrong with that. To each their own. It's just funny. NeNe Leakes is on an NBC sitcom, and now Kim Zolciak has her own show. What must Sheree think about all of this, hm? What must Vicki Gunvalson think! She's been a Real Housewife since the rest of these tricks were in short-pants. Where's Vicki's show, hmm?? You have some 'splaining to do, Bravo. Some serious 'splaining. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Here's a trailer for something called The Baytown Outlaws, a movie featuring a makes-complete-sense cast which includes Eva Longoria, Billy Bob Thornton, and the little drum-playing boy from Love Actually. Yup, they're all in a movie together. Haha, and so are Andre Braugher and that square-faced vampire dude from The Vampire Diaries. You know, Iam Somerhalder's brother. All of these people are in one movie together. I think the real outlaw here is the casting director.

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