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Now that our Superhero Tournament is nearing the home stretch, I've been looking at some of the 'losers' and thinking about all the costumed heroes that have fallen by the wayside over the years. But then I remembered that reboot fever is alive and well in Hollywood, and the latest victim is Todd McFarlane, who's apparently working on a new Spawn script according to various reports. (But isn't he always working on a new Spawn script?)

Considering how beloved Spawn is in the world of comic books, it really is a shame that he wound up with such a crappy movie -- and if the Rotten Tomatoes rating is any indication, time has not improved this flick in the eyes of fans. Luckily for us then that McFarlane will be starting from scratch, and by the sounds of things, thankfully, there will be far fewer fart jokes. McFarlane told Coming Soon's sources, "The story has been in my head for 7 or 8 years. The movie idea is neither a recap or continuation. It is a standalone story that will be R-rated. Creepy and scary."

McFarlane has only just started writing, so it could be some time before we see a finished product -- but, when we do, it's going to be a brand new Spawn. McFarlane told CS, "the tone of this 'Spawn' movie will be for a more older audience. Like the film 'Departed.'" Okay, that might be a bit of a strange comparison, but then again, I'm all for taking superheroes a little more seriously.

After the jump: the five 'masked avengers' I think deserved better on the big screen...

Okay, even though some folks may not enjoy the current state of internet film journalism, I happen to think there's a real upside to the fact that everywhere you turn people are talking about movies. The competition may be fierce, and while everyone is clambering for the next big scoop, crackpot rumors still abound. But, you can't deny that sometimes we bloggers come in awfully handy; heck, we may have just rescued one of the biggest summer releases this year.

So let's all think back to last summer when AICN broke the news of what they claimed to be the leaked ending to Terminator Salvation. According to their source -- and this might still be considered a spoiler, so read at your own risk -- the ending supposedly culminated in a reveal that John Conner (Christian Bale) was in fact a terminator himself (um, yeah). As soon as the story hit, the message boards blew up and plenty of ink was spilled over the film's potential 'skin-swapping' ending. Director McG immediately squashed the rumor, and I think most of us just chalked it up to fanboy speculation.

Almost a year later, Moviehole reports their 'friend' at Warner Brothers told them the internet leak actually did cause a change, and that the new ending "doesn't resemble the previous one in any shape or form." That's a huge relief to me, because if there's anything I hate more, it's a spoiled surprise -- which isn't easy considering my choice of profession; spoilers are our stock and trade. Moviehole's source at WB also went on to say the new ending is "a complete [180] from the original film," which is probably good news if you were one of the fans out there crying 'Blasphemy!' when the story first hit.

If you are even half as obsessed with the Muppets as I am, then you probably couldn't be happier that Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller are bringing them back to the big screen. Last year, Segel had confirmed that they were half way through a script, and now a source at AICN by the name of The Great Gonzo claims to have gotten a look at the finished product. The film has the working title of The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time, and there is a little good and bad in the early review, so let's start with the good news first, shall we?

According to AICN's source, the heart of the story is pretty close to what Segel told us back in 2008. The story centers on Kermit having to reunite the old gang to save the studio, and hearkens back to the glory days of Muppet movies with the classic characters front and center. But, it's not all sunshine and roses from AICN's scooper, since they also claim that there are some flat sections to the story and some of the references are just plain outdated. The script review also goes into some pretty specific descriptions of the various cameos and is definitely spoiler heavy, so if you want to avoid ruining the fun, I suggest you tread carefully.

I grew up wanting to live in that old theater with Kermit and company, and my Animal drum set was my favorite childhood toy -- I was absolutely addicted. But I grew up, and while the later Muppet films were always good for a laugh, it just wasn't the same. Thankfully, now that the franchise is in the hands of a true believer like Segel, I'm pretty sure we have nothing to worry about - I mean, as long as Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem remain intact, I'll be good.

I have to admit, I'm a geek for all things Joss Whedon, so you can pretty much guarantee my interest in anything -- even if it is a tired horror cliché. Case in point: Whedon and Drew Goddard's (Cloverfield) horror-suspense, The Cabin in the Woods. The 'mystery-shrouded' project with MGM and UA has finally made their first honest to goodness casting announcement, but it is not who you might expect. The Hollywood Reporter has now confirmed that Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading) is currently in talks to star alongside Bradley Whitford (star of the beloved political drama, The West Wing) in the suspense-horror.

Considering that the film is being made by the man responsible for Cloverfield, it shouldn't come as a surprise that most of the details about the story have been kept under wraps. What we do know about the flick, is that it will be a twist on the classic horror tale of 'sexy teens' stranded out in the woods -- and as someone who has been a long-time fan of Whedon, I know better than anybody that the guy knows how to do a 'variation on a theme'. Whedon wrote the script with Goddard (who will also direct), and Whedon will act as one of the producers for the film. In previous encounters with the press, Goddard said Cabin has, "...a harder and darker edge, but it's also got classic Whedon qualities. It'll rip your heart out and be heartfelt at the same time." -- Which will probably mark one of the few times in horror that we might actually give a damn about the folks being slaughtered before our eyes.

The Cabin in the Woods is scheduled for release on Feb. 5, 2010. Which is a far cry from an earlier promise of an October release, but when you are dealing with anything 'Whedonesque', a little patience doesn't just help; it's pretty much a requirement.

The countdown for X-Men Origins: Wolverine might have already begun, but what about a certain other origin story that fans had been promised for 2009? In an interview with with Empire, X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner finally gave an update on Magneto, and the good news is the film is alive and well in spite of the delays. According to Donner, "I think first we wanted to make Wolverine, and then David [Goyer, the attached director] took another film, and there wasn't a lot of time, but I'd like to make that – we'll have to see." OK, it might not be the most definitive answer on the state of the project, but it certainly sounds a lot more reassuring than what Goyer came up with a while back.

Last September, details on the script had been leaked, but now Donner has provided a more 'official' glimpse at the script, saying, "We have a script on Magneto which is actually sort of Magneto and Charles Xavier, it's Erik and Charles in their early, early years." The new synopsis sounds like a bit of departure to what was reported back in '07, but it does fit with the story details that were also reported in Production Weekly. According to PW, "The storyline will heavily involve Professor X -- That character was a soldier in the allied force that liberated the concentration camps. The professor meets Magneto after the war and while they bond over the realization that they are alike in their special powers, their differences soon turn them into enemies."

It has been over almost two years now that fans have been salivating over the prospect of the adventures of a young Magneto in his own feature film. But, with Goyer otherwise engaged, and barely a mention of who might be donning that fetching purple helmet, it looks like it could still be some time before Erik finally gets his moment in the sun -- let's just keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

Hey! It's your old friend Patrick Walsh! Remember me? I used to run a writing column here with the ingenious title "The Write Stuff?" (Check out all 25 previous posts here.) I answered your screenwriting questions, offered advice, and conducted interviews with film and television writers? I look like Brad Pitt, but with better abs? There you go. You remember. Anyhoo, when last we spoke I had been staffed on the FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I'm still there. It's a dream job, and I intend to share my experiences on the show with you closer to the season premiere in September. But for now I want to tell you about a great way for you (yes, you!) to break in to the big time: NBC's Writers on the Verge program.

If this seems like a shameless advertisement, know that it's only because I myself am a graduate of the program and I absolutely loved it. I am NOT doing this because I am receiving money from anyone at NBC. (Though Lord knows if NBC would like to give me some money, I will gladly accept it. You hear me, Zucker? GLADLY.)

Now then. You've got questions. I've got answers.

Collider recently caught up with blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer during a press junket for National Treasure 2, when the subject of the big screen version of Ubisoft's Prince of Persia came up. Bruckheimer tells Collider that Persia is set to begin shooting this June. Unfortunately it all hinges on whether the writer's strike has been resolved, since Bruckheimer admits that the script is far from complete, saying, "we have a screenplay, we're just starting to develop the look of it" -- which roughly translates to "my assistant has made some notes while playing the game," I'm guessing. The original plot of the game centered on Prince Shahraman, who is tricked into unleashing a plague on his land and gains the power to control time. Of course, there is also the usual video game goal of rescuing a princess.

Back in November, Chris had reported that Harry Potter director Mike Newell had been offered the job. Well, it seems that Newell is officially on board since Bruckheimer told the site, "We hired a very interesting director, Mike Newell, who did one of the Harry Potter's and also did Donnie Brasco and he's a very inventive, ingenious director and I think he's going to bring something really special to it." The film is expected to work in some of the plot elements of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

The third person action game released by Ubisoft back in 2003 was a huge fan favorite. Combined with the outright suckiness of most video game flicks, there is a lot for Newell to overcome if he wants to make sure that audiences are happy with the final product. Two more sequels to the game were released in '04 and '05, so there is plenty of opportunity for additional films. Considering Bruckheimer's fondness for franchises, there is a real possibility we will be seeing more of the Persian Prince in the years to come.

Well friends, the WGA strike rages on. And on. And like the old Christmas song says: "It doesn't show signs of stopping." The Broadway strike briefly crippled New York City's economy, but it was over in nineteen days. The WGA Strike is on day #38. That's week #6. That's month #2. And there's no end in sight. We're reaching the point where people are going to start losing homes, if they haven't already.

Do you know the old joke about the aspiring actress who was so naive she slept with the screenwriter to get ahead? There's a lot of truth there. Screenwriters don't get near enough respect. That may be coming to light more now that the strike is on, but it's been going on for decades. It's gotten so bad that a lot of the huge blockbusters start filming without a completed script! Like, a lot of them.

Can you name me five screenwriters? OK, five screenwriters who don't also direct? In movie reviews, your average critic will gush about how great Brad Pitt's performance was for five paragraphs, then mention the screenplay in passing, if at all. Guess what? All those pretty words coming out of Mr. Pitt's pretty mouth originated somewhere. Directors and actors tend to get all the credit for a movie's success. Unless a movie sucks, then it's -- "Who wrote this garbage?" Where is the love?

If a movie is a salad, then the screenplay is the lettuce. You can throw all the bacon and cheese and croutons in a bowl that you want, but if you don't have a strong, solid base of high-quality lettuce? My friend, you don't have a salad. With me throwing out razor-sharp analogies like that, I think you can tell that you've come to the right place for writing advice.

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of The Write Stuff!

Thanksgiving is always rough on a screenwriter. You're usually seeing a lot of friends and family, and while they (candied) yammer on about their accomplishments, you have to start all of your sentences with: "We're still waiting to hear on that one..." and "Our agent says we're really close..." and "Grandma, let me explain the WGA strike to you one more time..."

But there is a great deal to be thankful for this year. On Monday, still happy and groggy from a weekend of gorging, representatives from the WGA and the AMPTP will resume talks. Ideally, each side will come away happy and we can end this strike. From a personal note, my writing career was right on the verge of kicking into high gear when the strike was announced, and I certainly don't want to lose that upward momentum. And looking at the bigger picture, we're a month away from Christmas here. Who wants to see not just writers but everyone who works in and around the entertainment industry desperately struggling to pay the bills? The grips, the gaffers, the assistants, the dry cleaners...these people are out of work, too.

So send your good vibes to the negotiating table on Monday. And if you think there's nothing you can do, you're wrong. You can electronically sign this petition to the AMPTP, which starts: "We, the undersigned, fully support the strike of the Writers Guild of America, and agree with the WGA's stated goals of obtaining just and fair compensation regarding revenues generated through "new media". The petition currently has 57, 695 signatures, which is extremely impressive. Won't you add yours?

Jonathan Kesselman wrote and directed The Hebrew Hammer, a comedy about an Orthodox Jewish Blaxploitation hero (Adam Goldberg) who saves Hanukkah from the evil offspring of Santa Claus (Andy Dick). The film has become a cult favorite, and you should add it to your holiday viewing list this year. In addition to being a successful screenwriter, Jonathan teaches Writing Comedy for Film and Television at Yale University. He has some great tips for aspiring comedy writers.

Cinematical: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Jonathan Kesselman: I always loved writing. When I was in the 5th grade, I was pulled out of my class and put onto the 12th grade yearbook staff writing copy. For a while, I thought I wanted to be a journalist. In college, I majored in Psychology -- neuroscience was my field. I realized that I didn't like slicing rat brains. I remember really searching for what it was that I wanted to do with my life. And I had always been obsessed with movies. I remember having this existential crisis pre-graduation, and then seeing a documentary on Your Show of Shows, and it hit me that I was put on this earth to make fun of people.

Cinematical: So you threw the rat in the air triumphantly...

JK: I ate the rat -- tasty! Yeah, I graduated, and decided I wanted to go to film school. I eventually went to graduate school at USC for film production.