The first official image from the new James Bond adventure, Skyfall, has been released online.

It shows Daniel Craig looking grizzled, moody and on a mission. We like.

Even though he’s had a four year break from the role since appearing in Quantum Of Solace, the actor’s looking as badass as ever, with a grainy smattering of stubble that suggests he hasn’t had time for his usual grooming ritual.

And despite the fact that the 50th anniversary of the Dr No is inspiring all kinds of birthday celebrations for Bond, the new image suggest Skyfall is taking 007 in a pleasingly different direction.

The above image shows Bond in Shanghai, one of the many locations that director Sam Mendes is plonking him in.

Skyfall opens on 26 October 2012.

[brightcove]1258718008001[/brightcove]

The first official image from the new James Bond adventure, Skyfall, has been released online.

It shows Daniel Craig looking grizzled, moody and on a mission. We like.

Even though he’s had a four year break from the role since appearing in Quantum Of Solace, the actor’s looking as badass as ever, with a grainy smattering of stubble that suggests he hasn’t had time for his usual grooming ritual.

And despite the fact that the 50th anniversary of the Dr No is inspiring all kinds of birthday celebrations for Bond, the new image suggest Skyfall is taking 007 in a pleasingly different direction.

The above image shows Bond in Shanghai, one of the many locations that director Sam Mendes is plonking him in.

Skyfall opens on 26 October 2012.

[brightcove]1258718008001[/brightcove]

Last month we brought you news that the forthcoming Expendables sequel would be working within the confines of a PG-13 certificate, after Chuck Norris refused to sign on unless the film was a swear-free zone. Disappointing news then, for fans of the kind of guts and glory actioners the film harks back to.

However, according to Norris’s co-star Terry Crews, the decision to open the film to a wider audience can only be a good thing.

“It’s PG-13,” begins Crews. “Do you really think only men 40 and over saw the first one? The kids bought tickets to Eat, Pray, Love and walked right into The Expendables.” Which kind of begs the question, why bother changing the certificate?

In any case, Crews is adamant that the lack of boobs, blood and sweariness won’t detract from the overall experience.

“I get [the concerns]. I really do," he says. "But boobs and blood do not a good movie make. You don’t want to go - don’t go. I respect it. But you will miss the greatest thing you’ve ever seen.”

To make sure you treat your eyeballs to the greatest thing they’ve ever seen (and you can take a Terry Crews promise to the bank – the blood bank! Sorry), be sure to buy yourself a ticket when The Expendables 2 opens in August 2012.

Last month we brought you news that the forthcoming Expendables sequel would be working within the confines of a PG-13 certificate, after Chuck Norris refused to sign on unless the film was a swear-free zone. Disappointing news then, for fans of the kind of guts and glory actioners the film harks back to.

However, according to Norris’s co-star Terry Crews, the decision to open the film to a wider audience can only be a good thing.

“It’s PG-13,” begins Crews. “Do you really think only men 40 and over saw the first one? The kids bought tickets to Eat, Pray, Love and walked right into The Expendables.” Which kind of begs the question, why bother changing the certificate?

In any case, Crews is adamant that the lack of boobs, blood and sweariness won’t detract from the overall experience.

“I get [the concerns]. I really do," he says. "But boobs and blood do not a good movie make. You don’t want to go - don’t go. I respect it. But you will miss the greatest thing you’ve ever seen.”

To make sure you treat your eyeballs to the greatest thing they’ve ever seen (and you can take a Terry Crews promise to the bank – the blood bank! Sorry), be sure to buy yourself a ticket when The Expendables 2 opens in August 2012.

Bringing Out the Dead The Vampire Diaries, Season 3 The Vampire Diaries Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Price: £2.49 Release Date: 02 February 2012

Sheriff Forbes (recurring guest star MARGUERITE MacINTYRE) delivers some disturbing news to Alaric and Elena about the weapon used
in a recent murder. In the Salvatore brothers' escalating quest to kill Klaus, Stefan turns to Bonnie and Abby (recurring guest star
PERSIA WHITE), while Damon reaches out to an old acquaintance for help in setting up an elaborate plan. Intent on a plan of his own,
Klaus hosts a strange dinner party, where he reveals another story from his family's violent past until an unexpected guest brings
the party to an end. Meanwhile, Caroline is heartbroken when she is unable to stop a tragedy from unfolding.

© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

The trend for sequels, prequels and reboots seems to be spreading beyond the medium of cinema, with DC comics revealing the first official cover for Before Watchmen, a new strand of spin-off comics designed to fill in the gaps of the original Watchmen story.

“Essentially, we’re looking at old characters through new eyes,” creator Len Wein told Wired. “What we’re doing is filling in a lot of the blank spaces in a story that has already, to some degree, been told.”

“There were still a lot of gaps in the histories of Watchmen’s characters,” he continues, “and events only mentioned in passing or touched on briefly in the original story. We’re filling in those gaps in the most creative and inventive ways we can.”

Wein will write the Ozymandias series (one of several character-specific mini-series to be released), the cover of which can be seen below. However, original creator and comic-book legend Alan Moore will not be involved at all, having turned down DC’s overtures to write the prequel series. Moore confirmed that the series had been offered back to him if he “would agree to some dopey prequels and sequels.”

What this new development means is that we will almost certainly be treated to a Watchmen prequel movie, with DC likely having factored a film adaptation into their plans to reboot the franchise.

The new comics are set to arrive this summer… we wouldn’t be surprised to hear talk of a new movie by Christmas!

201 Geordie Shore, Season 2 Geordie Shore Genre: Reality TV Price: £2.49 Release Date: 01 February 2012

They may be back in Newcastle, but it's all change for Geordie Shore; Greg has left to find true love, Vicky and Sophie have pledged chastity to their new boyfriends, Gary promises Charlotte's Mum that he won't, Charlotte promises to do the ironing for a year if she does and James is nurturing a worldie-magnet comb-over. But with two new housemates ready to join the family, peace isn't set to last.

© Viacom International Media Networks 2012

Whilst the 3D presentation of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 wasn’t to everyone’s taste, there can be little argument that Voldemort’s death scene benefitted from the technology, particularly when the confetti effect blew his smoking remains into the spellbound audience.

However, that great death scene could have been a little darker, at least according to a new set of production stills released by concept artist Andrei Riabotvitchev.

The new images show Voldemort suffering a Raiders Of The Lost Ark style face melt, in a scene that was presumably considered too gruesome for the younger members of the audience.
 

Another alternative ending shows Voldemort going the way of Cate Blanchett in Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. That’s what happens to people who reach for too much power, you see…

We were always fairly happy with the way David Yates elected to wrap up the franchise, but it’s interesting to note that more adult conclusions were considered. Old snake-features is dead though, which is of course the main thing.

Whilst the 3D presentation of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 wasn’t to everyone’s taste, there can be little argument that Voldemort’s death scene benefitted from the technology, particularly when the confetti effect blew his smoking remains into the spellbound audience.

However, that great death scene could have been a little darker, at least according to a new set of production stills released by concept artist Andrei Riabotvitchev.

The new images show Voldemort suffering a Raiders Of The Lost Ark style face melt, in a scene that was presumably considered too gruesome for the younger members of the audience.
 

Another alternative ending shows Voldemort going the way of Cate Blanchett in Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. That’s what happens to people who reach for too much power, you see…

We were always fairly happy with the way David Yates elected to wrap up the franchise, but it’s interesting to note that more adult conclusions were considered. Old snake-features is dead though, which is of course the main thing.

Work on the forthcoming RoboCop reboot continues to move forward, with MGM announcing that Gran Torino screenwriter Nick Schenk has signed on to write the script.

One of a raft of classic properties that MGM is seeking to revive (see this week’s news story about Joe Carnahan’s Death Wish revamp), RoboCop will be directed by Jose Padilha, who has outlined his plan to delve deeper into how Alex Murphy became a cyborg.

“I have my take on it," Padilha told Superhero Hype, "And I can tell you this: In the first RoboCop, Alex Murphy is shot, gunned down, then you see some hospitals and stuff and then you cut to him as RoboCop. My movie is between those two cuts.”

“How do you make RoboCop?” he continues. “ How do you slowly bring a guy to be a robot? How do you actually take humanity out of someone and how do you program a brain, so to speak, and how does that affect an individual?"

No further casting news has been released as yet, but rumours linking Michael Fassbender to the project refuse to go away. We’re yet to be convinced by the need to reboot RoboCop, but if Fassbender were attached, we’d admit to having our interest piqued.

Production is set to begin later this year, with RoboCop is expected to open at some point in 2013.