We haven’t heard a whole lot in regards to the follow-up to Ron Howard‘s mixed-review adaptation of the Dan Brown best-seller, The Da Vinci Code. I bet some people don’t even know it’s coming, but I assure you, it is moving forward and it is called Angels & Demons. The main core is back with Howard directing, his normal producer Brian Grazer by his side, and Tom Hanks in the lead role as symbologist professor Robert Langdon. Akiva Goldsman also returned to adapt the screenplay.

In Angels & Demons, which is actually a prequel to The Da Vinci Code, the Illuminati is the focus, with Langdon attempting to uncover their plans to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.

This past week a couple of new faces were added to the project. First, Ayelet Zurer (Munich) signed on as the female lead, pairing up with Hanks’ character while trying to solve her father’s murder. Next, a bit more of a known face came into play as we learned that Ewan McGregor was in negotiations to play the role of the Pope’s closest aide, Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca, who initially helps Langdon with the investigation.

Marshall, Will, and Holly …

Oh those Saturday mornings were never so good as when the Krofft’s live-action adventure series Land of the Lost was on. Now all you children of the ’70s (me included) can relive the glory days when the big-screen remake starring Will Ferrell — currently filming on multiple sound stages at Universal Studios — hits theaters next summer.

USA Today has posted the first official image from the film of the Sleestaks, a species of reptile-like humanoid aliens with big insects eyes and a one-horned head. Director Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) fought to keep the human shape of the species the same as the original series, only much sleeker, as opposed to going with CGI rendering.

One change they did make for the villainous aliens is that they draw quills from their spines and fire them like arrows, instead of toting their original weapon, the crossbow.

Shanghai Kiss (2007)
Directed by Kern Konwiser and David Ren
Starring Kelly Hu, James Hong, Byron Mann, Ken Leung, Hayden Panettiere
Starz Home Entertainment
Not Rated

Alarmingly, Shanghai Kiss entices its viewers with a kind of allure and wit that we come to mildly appreciate. Over time, this charm slowly dwindles away turning into a romantic comedy that doesn’t know where exactly it wants to go next. Directors Kern Konwiser and David Ren manage to hold a firm grip on the audience’s entertainment factor while working with some pretty mediocre material that could’ve easily worked on an ABC Family two-night special event.

Labeling Shanghai Kiss a film that’s impossible to get through would be a false statement. There are some attributes that the movie excels at. Take the dialogue for instance, which can’t possibly be compared to the recent hit Juno. That film was on some intense dosing of steroids that enhanced its dialogue way over the top, whereas Shanghai Kiss is so relaxed and mild that this can well be said that it’s the actual dialogue that’s spoken between friends, something that Juno didn’t do too well at.

Omelete has the exclusive on five new international posters for The Dark Knight.

The image at right is the international banner, which can also be viewed as three separate posters (see those below). There’s also a poster of Batman riding the Batpod.

These international posters, which Omelete received directly from Warner Bros., come soon after a new poster was uncovered at the film’s Why So Serious? viral site (see New “˜Dark Knight’ Poster Uncovered!).

The Dark Knight arrives in IMAX and conventional theaters on July 18, 2008.

The Big Apple has always been better known for its unflappable cool than for any geeky tendencies. But last weekend, the city’s third annual Comic Con had geeks of all stripes crawling out of the woodwork to pack the Javits Center. Three days of intense, nonstop excitement have me thinking in superlatives, so here’s the Web’s most insightful summary of some of the weekend’s neatest highlights.