With shooting currently underway, The Incredible Hulk has added another cast member, and another villain. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Tim Blake Nelson has signed on to play Samuel Sterns (aka The Leader); archenemy of the Hulk (Edward Norton). Nelson is a great character actor; he's appeared in a number of films, my favorite performance of his being Delmar from the Coen Bros. O' Brother, Where Art Thou. In the comics Sterns is a menial worker at a chemical research factory (always a bad sign), when an explosion causes the man to be hit with some ever-so-wonderful gamma radiation. From there, his skin turned green and he became this super-intelligent criminal with a giant oversized brain.

With Tim Roth (what is it with the Tims?) already signed on to play Emil Blonsky (The Abomination), it looks The Incredible Hulk could be heading in the direction of most comic-related films as of late -- mainly in that the flick will include two villains, instead of just one. Either that, or Sterns will not make his transformation until late in the film setting up a sequel. Folks haven't been too keen on the multiple villain angle, but if it's done well I have no problem with multiple baddies. It keeps the pace fast, and the characters constantly on their toes. But in the case of the Hulk, two villains might be two too much. Keep in mind he'll also be running from the United States Army and General "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), not to mention he'll have to find time to woo Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) in his spare time. Louis Leterrier (The Transporter) will direct Hulk this time, so I imagine we'll be seeing a slew of off-the-wall stunt action. If he tones down a little bit of what he did in Transporter, I think we'll be okay. Oh, and Zak Penn wrote the script. Look for more Hulk stuff this weekend from ComicCon, and the movie is set to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2008.

Now there's a casting tidbit I bet you never expected. Back in March, we told you how Columbia Pictures had optioned the rights to turn The Green Hornet into a big-screen adventure, after both Universal (with Ron Underwood directing) and Miramax (with Kevin Smith directing) couldn't muster up the guts to put out the film themselves. Immediately casting rumors swirled round the water cooler, with names like Jake Gyllenhaal, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg coming up more than once. However, The LA Times claim Seth Rogen (yes, Seth "Knocked Up" Rogen!) "has entered a deal to write and likely star" in The Green Hornet.

I'm sorry ... but Seth Rogen? How do you go from George Clooney or Jake Gyllenhaal to Seth Rogen? That just seems ... weird. Regardless, that's what's being reported, and with Rogen writing, does that mean we should expect a real comedic Apatow-style take on the classic crime-fighter? The Green Hornet originally began as a radio show in the 1930s, and has since taken on a number of forms -- from comic books to television shows, the character has been around for almost 80 years now. Essentially, the story revolves around a guy named Brit Reid (blood relative of The Lone Ranger); a newspaper publisher by day and a masked hero at night (with help from his sidekick/bodyguard, Kato). He sort of reminds me of Dick Tracy with a mask. The LA Times claims that Rogen's deal was confirmed by "a number of sources inside and outside the studio," so it all seems pretty legit. Seth Rogen as The Green Hornet? I don't see it; what about you? And if Rogen stars, does that mean someone like Jack Black will play Kato? Ouch. As of now, it looks like Columbia will release the film at some point in 2009.

Although Zak Penn has said that he won't start writing an Avengers script anytime soon, that might be changing. According to AICN, Marvel is taking the first step toward integrating the superhero universe on the big screen by potentially laying down the foundation for an Avengers movie during next summer's Iron Man. That's right, apparently Nick Fury will be introduced as a character in the film, and he'll be played by none other than Samuel L. Jackson. Are you drooling yet? While it's still in the rumor stages, all signs point to this being a reality -- in fact, on Fury's Wikipedia page, it already mentions the fact that Sam Jackson is playing the character in the upcoming Iron Man film. So there's two sources, both with the same information -- and AICN claims Jackson is shooting his scenes this week.

Also on the Wikipedia page (and this is something I did not know), it says that the Ultimate Nick Fury was modeled after Samuel L. Jackson, with the actor's permission. So it would totally make sense for Jackson to be interested in the role. Additionally, Iron Man is one of the Marvel-related films that is being developed from scratch by Marvel Enterprises (and not some random studio), which means it's more likely that they'll not only take chances, but also give the die hard fans want they want. We're not sure if Fury's involvement here means there won't be an entire Nick Fury movie at some point, or if the character will only appear once before showing up in an Avengers movie. Jackson is cool and all, but the dude is not getting any younger -- so I imagine an Avengers flick would have to happen within the next five years.

Seeing as it looks like they're going with the Ultimate version of Fury, they'll most likely use the storyline of him being a Gulf War veteran and spy. I'm not sure how they'll work in a meeting between Fury and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), but at some point Fury becomes the General of S.H.I.E.L.D. and leader of The Ultimates, or Avengers. Will all that be set up in Iron Man? Will they officially announce Jackson's participation at the upcoming San Diego ComicCon? Guess we'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, what do you think about all this?

After his Oscar-nominated Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro is about as hot as a director can get. He's on a short list of filmmakers who is as good with character as he is with visuals and effects, and I'd imagine that combination has Hollywood knocking his door down. He's currently in pre-production on Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (which Jessica told you will have parallels to Pan's Labyrinth), and hopes to follow that up with 3993, a ghost story set in the 1990s, but with ties to the Spanish Civil War. And it sounds like he'd better clear some more of his schedule -- he's currently in talks to direct an adaptation of Tom Manning's graphic novel Runoff, an eerie tale about a town people can enter but can never leave. (You know, like Hotel California). Manning seems thrilled at the prospect of collaborating with such a visionary, saying "Whenever I am contact with those guys I'm kind of blown away that they are radical enough to try and take Runoff to film."

Runoff is a creator-owned, self-published, three volume comics series, and the third and final volume was just released. Manning says "Guillermo del Toro...basically contacted me a year ago and we started talking about doing this project together. It's been moving along in baby steps ever since, but I think that's the way of Hollywood. We haven't worked out any contractual details yet, so there are quite a few hoops to jump through before we're rolling any film. I'm not sure where this would fit into Guillermo's schedule, I know he's got his fingers in a lot of projects, but I hope Runoff cuts in line once it's a go." This is the first I'd heard of Manning or Runoff -- any fans out there? I did notice Jeffrey Tambor's character in Hellboy is named Tom Manning -- but I'm not sure if that's homage or coincidence. You can purchase all three volumes of Runoff and learn more about Tom Manning and his work at his website: robotsandmonkeys.com.

Of all the comic books I've read (and believe me, there have been quite a few), Metal Men, which concerns the exploits of a robotic team of super heroes, was probably one of the last ones I expected to see on the big screen. It was reported here on Cinematical about a year ago that producer of the X-Men films Lauren Shuler Donner was interested in the property, and now The Hollywood Reporter has an update on the project. The film is being set up at Warner Bros., with Shuler Donner and Jack Leslie producing, and Eric Champnella writing the screenplay. Comic book writer Geoff Johns helped develop the idea and will serve as executive producer, and Gregory Noveck will supervise for DC Comics.

Metal Men first appeared in 1962 in the 37th issue of DC's classic anthology series Showcase before graduating to a book of their own. Built by Dr. Will Magnus -- whose pipe smoking habit always reminds me of Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons -- The Metal Men consist of six robots who exhibit the characteristics of the metals from which they take their names. If you look at the picture above, starting at the twelve o'clock position and proceeding clockwise, we have Gold, Mercury, Iron, Platinum (a.k.a. Tina), Tin and Lead. Recurring concepts included Tina's infatuation with Doc Magnus, as well as the idea that since they are robots, the characters can be killed then rebuilt. As I recall, these guys died more often than X-Men's Jean Grey, if you can believe it. I don't believe there is a current incarnation of the comic book (if I'm wrong, please correct me in the comments section), but Gold and Platinum recently appeared -- and died yet again -- in an issue of Justice League of America. When Shuler Donner discussed the project last year she described it as "much more like Men in Black. It's miles away from X-Men. It's lighter and it's fun. A lot of CGI."

Mark Burton has been hired by Warner Bros. to write the feature film adaptation of James Turner's comic book Rex Libris. The comic is about "an everyday guy who becomes part of a secret sect of librarians who battle forces of darkness in chasing down overdue or stolen books." Seriously! The "comedic action-adventure" will focus on head librarian Rex Libris, a man "who must protect the world's knowledge and most dangerous secrets from falling into the wrong hands." When a squad of punks storm the library and remove a certain card from the catalog, the library's walls collapse and a secret stack of books is revealed, which apparently leads the crew on a string of global and intergalactic adventures. I've said it before and I'll say it again: You don't mess with the Dewey Decimal System.

Rex and the other librarians have a huge array of high-tech weapons, but they are also helped by an ancient god who lives underneath the library. Geez, haven't we seen this story enough? Variety doesn't mention whether the film will be animated or live action, but Burton wrote Madagascar and worked on Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, so using context clues I'm assuming it'll be a cartoon. Hopefully they don't try to sneak in some message about how kids should read and use their imaginations and crap like that. I've got to tell you, reading the synopsis, I thought of the perfect man to join Rex's team: Bookman, the Library Cop from Seinfeld! "I don't judge a man by the length of his hair or the kind of music he listens to. Rock was never my bag. But you put on a pair of shoes when you walk into the New York Public Library, fella!"

I don't know about the rest of you, but for me it's been way too long since Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy came out. Has it only been three years? We've known about the pending sequel for awhile, and that del Toro and three top cast members (Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Doug Jones) will be returning. According to Superheroflix, Universal has released an official plot synopsis that confirms some of the things mentioned here on Cinematical by Mark Beall back on August 8 concerning the plot of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Apparently this sequel to the 2004 film -- based on the comic by Mike Mignola -- will feature "bigger muscle, badder weapons and more ungodly villains in an epic vision of imagination."

Frankly, this synopsis runs heavier on rhetoric than on details. Click here to read it in its entirety, but here's the gist: "After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman)." Also, the synopsis points out that our big red friend still loves kittens. The film will hit theatres on August 1, 2008.

Before you get all up in arms and start crying things out like, "But Singer already said he's filming a Superman sequel in 2008!" -- keep in mind, this is Hollywood ... and things change. Think of it as if your parents were planning a big summer trip to Disney World, but at the last minute decided to go to Phoenix instead ... because your grandmother is itching to see you. It happens all the time round these parts, and whether you want to admit it or not, word is some major Superman announcements might be heading our way. According to Moviehole (who have some pretty good inside studio sources), the highly-anticipated Superman Returns sequel (currently titled The Man of Steel) might be placed into turnaround so that Brandon Routh (and the Superman character) can be used in the upcoming Justice League flick instead.

Right now, it's just a rumor ... but it's one that kind of makes sense. In order to stage a decent Justice League movie, either Superman or Batman (or both) would have to appear. Since Nolan is already hard at work on The Dark Knight (sequel to Batman Begins), Warner Bros. probably won't mess with that franchise -- in fact, Moviehole claims the caped crusader won't be involved in this Justice League thing; they say, "he's too big to waste on a film like this." But seeing as the Superman sequel was always up for debate since the first one didn't take in the kind of money the studio was hoping for, the smarter move might be to throw Supes in Justice League first -- drum up more interest in the character -- and then come out with a sequel to Superman Returns.

The move is similar to the one Fox is pulling right now; how they've decided to pair up The Silver Surfer with The Fantastic Four. If it works out for them, not only will The Fantastic Four turn into a more profitable franchise, but The Silver Surfer will most likely surf off into a solo effort. What do you think? Would you rather see Superman in a Justice League movie or in a sequel to Superman Returns? Chances are, you will not get to have your Routh and eat it too.

Creepy and Eerie, a pair of anthology horror comics whose original run stretched from the mid 1960s through 1983, have been acquired for film and TV development by Submarine Entertainment and Grand Canal Film Works, according to Variety. The two entities will join forces to form New Comic Co., which will oversee development. Dan Braun, co-head of Submarine Entertainment, says the properties are likely to be used for feature films, though television and digital media have not been ruled out. Projects are currently being developed as independents, but may end up at a studio. Creepy is expected to be developed as a horror project, while Eerie will focus on science fiction.

Rights to the properties were purchased from James Warren who published the original Creepy and Eerie comic magazines, as well as Forrest J. Ackerman's seminal monster magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. Creepy and Eerie were black and white magazine-size comics very much in the tradition of the E.C. Comics, publishers of Tales From the Crypt, and Vault of Horror to name a few. Warren's magazines used many of the same artists as E.C., including Wallace Wood, Jack Davis, Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta. Like the Crypt Keeper in Tales From the Crypt, Creepy and Eerie featured the characters Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie who would act as host and narrator for their respective magazines. Acquisition of the property represents the end of a seven year negotiation with Warren who re-acquired the rights after a legal battle with Harris Publishing. The acquisition was announced at the New York ComicCon.

Alan Moore has stated that he wrote Watchmen to be the last word in superhero comics. Now that the modern comic book film has come into its own (The Weinstein Company even has a parody of the genre in the works called Superhero!), a successful Watchmen adaptation might be just the thing to shake things up, to blow the genre's conventions out of the water before they become cliched. The world is ready for a decent film based on an Alan Moore work. If there is any cosmic balance in the universe, the dreadfulness that was Stephen Norrington's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen could in theory be balanced by (fingers crossed) Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Snyder surprised me with the Dawn of the Dead remake and I'm hearing good things about 300, so I can dare to dream, can't I?

Snyder has been attached to the project for some time, and he recently spoke with Empire online about where the proposed film stands. "We're getting ready to turn a script that we like into this studio," says Snyder. "They're pretty excited about it...I think the script that Alex (Tse) has done for us is the closest to the graphic novel it's been [since development started], for better or for worse. I feel like Alex has done an awesome job. It's keeping all the things that are cool about the comic."