Movie & TV News: Shazam, The Spirit, Lost Tomb of Jesus, Hulk Up North, Creepy and Eerie, Mike Fright, Comic Previews

Shazam
Over at the New York Comic-Con, producer Michael Uslan spoke of "Shazam" the new movie version of the original Captain Marvel, which has a debut set for 2008. Uslan confirmed Peter Segal will direct a screenplay adaptaion by Bryan Goluboff and William Goldman.

The Spirit
Speaking of producer Michael Uslan at N.Y.C.C., he made a few remarks about "Will Eisner's The Spirit" being followed by an animated version (possibly a TV series) right after the Frank Miller film wraps. Uslan stopped himself from saying too much saying that he was not allowed to talk about it. A little bit more is up at IGN. Entertainment Weekly talked to Miller about his version of the comic icon. Miller said: "I've written a first draft of the screenplay. I'm working on the second draft, and it's shaping up really good. It's taken a while to get over the initial jitters, but it always does. The main focus I have is to write and direct a Spirit that captures a lot of the flavor of [creator Will] Eisner . . . but that doesn't feel like nostalgia at all. 'Spirit' fans often develop a rather cloudy memory of it, and think of it as this happy-go-lucky strip. The character has a terrifying side to him. This is a man who's died and come back to life. So it twists into fantasy. And of course there are tons of women in it. There have to be - - it's The Spirit. They're all in love with him, and he's in love with all of them. You might say he's a bit of a slut." Will sidekick (and overt racial stereotype) Ebony White show up in the film? Miller quickly answered: "Ebony's gone. Ebony was simply a bad idea. Will Eisner was a genius, but even geniuses have their bad days."

The Lost Tomb of Jesus
The Discovery Channel has announced that it will air a documentary on March 4 titled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," executive produced by James Cameron, that tells of the discovery of a 2,000-year-old tomb in the Talpiot area of Jerusalem in which 10 ossuaries, or bone boxes, were found bearing the names Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Matthew, Mary Magdalene and "Judah Son of Jesus." Cameron said, "It doesn't get bigger than this. We've done our homework; we've made the case; and now it's time for the debate to begin."

Hulk Up North
Marvel has confirmed shooting began Feb 26 in Toronto. Both Toronto and Vancouver were considered, with Torondo winning out. Toronto Mayor David Miller said: "This timely decision reinforces Toronto's status as the national center of excellence and will serve as a strong kick-off to our 2007 production year." "The Incredible Hulk" is directed by Louis Leterrier, with Adrien Brody rumored to be getting fitted for the ripped purple pants of Bruce Banner. This Marvel Comics adaptation features a conflict between the Hulk and the creature known as the Abomination. SneakpeekTV has more here.

Creepy and Eerie
Variety reports that the Warren Publishing Creepy and Eerie comics are both being developed by Submarine Entertainment and Grand Canal Film Works. Dan Braun of Submarine said: "We're basically looking at this as a re-launching of the brand." They plan to develop Creepy as more of a horror project and Eerie as a sci-fi brand, and are eyeing both theatrical and cable venues. There is more of the story at Bloody-Disgusting.com.

Mike Fright: Stand Up!