Warner Home Video, UGO.com and The Paley Center for Media will present the bi-coastal World Premieres of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse in L.A. on September 21 and NY on September 23. Filmmakers and members of the voice cast will attend both events for red carpet media interviews and post-screening panel discussions.

On Tuesday, September 21, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will screen at the Paley Center in Los Angeles (465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills) with media interviews starting at 5:30 p.m. and screening commencing at 7:00 p.m. A panel discussion moderated by UGO movie editors will follow the screening featuring executive producer Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, writer Tab Murphy and dialogue/casting director Andrea Romano. Additional participants, including voice cast members, will be announced as confirmed.

On Thursday, September 23, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will screen at the Paley Center in New York City (25 West 52nd Street) with media interviews starting at 5:00 p.m. and screening commencing at 6:30 p.m. Following the screening, Kevin Conroy, the fan-favorite voice of Batman, and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano will lead a panel discussion moderated by UGO movie editors. Additional participants, including voice cast members, will be announced as confirmed.

A limited number of free tickets are available for the general public. Fans wishing to receive free tickets to the Los Angeles event on Sept. 21 must RSVP via email to SupermanBatmanLA@gmail.com. Fans in New York City wishing to receive free tickets to the NY event on Sept. 23 must RSVP via email to SupermanBatmanNY@gmail.com.

Tickets to both events will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis.

Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel “Superman/Batman: Supergirl” by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist).

In Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, a spaceship splashes down in Gotham City Harbor — leading Batman and Superman to encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as those of the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian is soon revealed to be Kara, cousin of Superman, who takes her under his wing to educate her about the ways of Earth. However, the villainous Darkseid has other plans. Seeing an opportunity to finally defeat Superman, Darkseid abducts and gains control of Kara, utilizing the powerful Kryptonian to do his bidding. It’s up to Batman and Superman to save Kara, but they’ll have to take the fight to Darkseid within his hostile world – where unknown, deadly threats lurk around every corner, including a brainwashed Kryptonian able to match Superman blow-for-blow.

Fan favorites Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Kevin Conroy (China Beach) return to their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. The celebrity-laden guest cast is headed by Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the daunting Darkseid. Sci-Fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) provides the voice of Supergirl, and seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up) reprises his Superman: The Animated Series/Justice League role as Granny Goodness.

Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will be distributed by Warner Home Video on September 28, 2010.

Sent to VFK this morning was this fan-made trailer for Superman: Doomsday, designed as a live action follow-up to Superman Returns.

SaWeet!

At a recent press conference for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", comedian Jay Baruchel dished a little on what director George Miller originally had planned for the now canceled Justice League film.

"I'll just say this, if we had been able to make the movie that we had gone down [to Australia] to rehearse, if you had seen the production art I'd seen… it would've been the coolest thing ever. It would have been the neatest vision of Batman and the coolest vision of Superman you've ever seen. It would have been dark and fairly brutal and quite gory and just epic."

When Miller stepped aboard in 2008, the director moved full steam ahead and after enduring what Baruchel called a "…blogosphere [that] was not very kind to us," the project was shelved, and Miller was out. So what happened? According to Baruchel, it all came down to a price tag (upwards of $300 million) that would've made Justice League of America "the single most expensive movie in the history of movies."

With "The Green Lantern" movie on it's way next year as well as a third Batman film and a rebooted Superman franchise, DC could finally be put back on the map and eventually release a Justice League movie somewhere down the road.

Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will be distributed by Warner Home Video on November 9, 2010 on DVD for $24.98 (SRP). Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will also be available On Demand and for Download.

Behind the amazing tales of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a host of other well-known characters is the equally impressive story of the challenges, creativity and triumphs of the company that brought those characters to life. Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is both a celebration of the best writers and artists in comics and a thoughtful exploration of 75 years of DC Comics history.

Warner Bros. has released the cover artwork for "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam", the compilation DVD collecting "DC Showcase: The Spectre", "DC Showcase: Jonah Hex", and "DC Showcase: Green Arrow" with the all-new "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam".

While the previous "DC Showcase" shorts have all run 10 minutes in length, "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" will run 22 minutes.

There will be over 2 and a half hours of great extras on the Blu-ray edition, including exclusive Bruce Timm/Creative Team commentaries on all the shorts, bonus episodes, and digital copies of the shorts.

"Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" will be released on November 9th.

We're all big fans of DC's series of animated shorts that have accompanied their feature-length animated films lately, and since we're definitely not alone in digging the "DC Showcase" offerings, it's no surprise that all of the shorts will be collected on DVD and Blu-Ray later this year.

What is a surprise, however, is that the collection will come with a brand new, original short featuring Superman, Captain Marvel, and one of my favorite DC characters, Black Adam.

Warner Home Video's "DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection" hits shelves in November and features the previously released shorts focusing on The Spectre and Jonah Hex, as well as the upcoming Green Arrow short and the aforementioned "Superman/Shazam!" short. DC/WB has sent along a pair of screenshots from the "Superman/Shazam!" short that offer the first peek at Captain Marvel and Black Adam.

Jerry O’Connell voices Captain Marvel in the animated short, with George Newbern as Superman, Arnold Vosloo ("The Mummy") as Black Adam, and veteran actor James Garner as The Wizard.

Here's the official release info:

SUPERMAN/SHAZAM! THE RETURN OF BLACK ADAM ANCHORS DC SHOWCASE ORIGINAL SHORTS COLLECTION

THE SPECTRE, JONAH HEX, GREEN ARROW INCLUDED ON COMPILATION DUE NOV. 9 FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO

BURBANK, CA (August 5, 2010) – Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video have expanded the realm of superhero storytelling beyond the popular DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies with the introduction of the DC Showcase, a series of animated shorts featuring characters from the celebrated DC Comics vault. On November 9, 2010, Warner Home Video will distribute the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection, the first quartet of animated adventures featuring the never-before-seen Superman/Shazam!
The Return of Black Adam, as a Special Edition Blu-Ray™ for $29.99
(SRP) and single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP).

DC Showcase animated shorts initially appeared as special bonus content on the 2010 slate of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The 10- to 12-minute films include The Spectre, Jonah Hex and Green Arrow. All three titles will be presented in extended formats along with the first-ever release of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam.

In Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, Clark Kent’s latest interview subject is street kid Billy Batson. What Clark doesn’t know is that Billy is more than a feisty kid with a lot of heart – he has been chosen by an ancient wizard to represent the good of man as the World’s Mightiest Mortal just by invoking the name of the wizard, "Shazam!" Billy's powers come none-too-soon, as he also discovers he's being pursued by a centuries' old, murderous villain, Black Adam – a foe so powerful, even Superman can’t stop him alone. The all-star cast of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam is led by Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) as Captain Marvel, George Newbern reprising his Justice League role as Superman, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Black Adam and two-time Emmy Award® winner James Garner (8 Simple Rules) as The Wizard.

Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer and Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League, Avatar: The Last Airbender) is director of the first series of DC Showcase titles. Michael Jelenic (Wonder Woman) wrote the 22-minute script.

Other shorts included on the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection:

The Spectre – A detective story with an ethereal twist featuring an otherworldly character. The short is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), and the voice cast includes Gary Cole (Entourage) and Alyssa Milano (Charmed).

Jonah Hex – The tough-as-nails bounty hunter always gets his man – until someone else gets to him first – in this case a murderous madam who wants to steal more than just his bounty from Jonah Hex. Based on a story from the award-winning Jonah Hex comic series, and scripted by world-renowned author Joe Lansdale. The voice cast is led by Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder).

Green Arrow – At the Star City International Airport to pick up his girlfriend, Oliver Queen is forced into action as Green Arrow to protect the 10-year-old Princess of Vlatava from his old nemesis Merlyn the Magnificent and the League of Assassins. Greg Weisman (Young Justice) pens this action-packed tale, which features the voices of Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives) as the title character and Malcolm McDowell (Entourage) as his foe.

“The DC Showcase once again combines the respective creative talents of DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video to provide fans with vivid, new experiences alongside characters from within the vast resources of DC Comics,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.

“The DC Showcase allows us to expand the DC Universe with short stories based on intriguing characters – from a 1940s comics sensation like The Spectre to a creation of the 1970s like Jonah Hex – just begging to be presented to a very worthy fan base,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment.

“Whereas DC Universe films have given fans the broad strokes of superhero entertainment, we know devout comics fans will enjoy seeing the characters in the DC Showcase come to animated life – some for the very first time – and we believe this presentation will open a window for new viewers to experience these unique, textured heroes and villains,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Sports Marketing.

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection 1-Disc Special Edition DVD features more than 1 hour of exciting extra content, including:
• Four animation shorts (est. 62 min)
• Four additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection Blu-Ray™ features more than 2
1/2 hours of exciting extra content, including:
• Four animation shorts (est. 62 min)
• Commentaries by renowned writers Steve Niles, Joe Lansdale, Greg
Weisman and Michael Jelenic
• Four additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Digital copy online of the shorts

"DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection" hits shelves November 9.

To save an earthbound Kryptonian, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight unite once again – this time to battle the powerful forces of Darkseid – in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming September 28, 2010 from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. The highly anticipated, full-length film will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition Blu-Ray™ and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD as well as single disc DVD. The film will also be available On Demand and for Download.

Fan favorites Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Kevin Conroy (China Beach) return to their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. The celebrity-laden guest cast is headed by Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the daunting Darkseid. Sci-Fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) provides the voice of Supergirl, and seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up) reprises his Superman: The Animated
Series/Justice League role as Granny Goodness.

Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel “Superman/Batman: Supergirl” by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab
Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist).

“It is a testament to the larger-than-life nature of Jeph Loeb’s blockbuster storylines that two of the first nine DC Universe movies are based on his work,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse lets us see Superman and Batman in action side-by-side again, but this time along with Supergirl and one of DC’s greatest villains, Darkseid.”

“Just as Superman and Batman stand atop the DC canon of characters, so do the respective seminal voices of Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy in the hearts and minds of fans. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will no doubt please comic-centric and mainstream audiences alike – particularly in the performances of Daly and Conroy opposite dynamic actors like Andre
Braugher and Ed Asner, and fanboy favorite Summer Glau,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands.

ThinkMcFlyThink.com has indicated that sources have told them that Jon Hamm (Mad Men) is being "seriously considered" for the role of Superman in the upcoming franchise reboot: 

With plans set for a December 2012 release, we've heard different names out in the open ranging from "Chuck" star Zachary Levi in the rumor mill department to "True Blood" actor Joe Manganiello publicly campaigning for the role. But who do the studios (in this case, Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures) have their eye on for mild-mannered Clark Kent and his red-and-blue suit wearing alter ego, or is it the other way around?

At thirty-nine (he'd be past forty when "The Man of Steel" opens), he's certainly older than who's regularly looked at for these franchises. Then again, look at Robert Downey Jr. He's starring in the "Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes" films (and then there's "The Avengers") and he's a few years older. Not to mention, Hamm happens to have been a fan favorite for Kal-El for years now. Something that was suggested to him directly by MTV and it wasn't like he immediately dismissed the notion.

While this is interesting news, keep in mind that rumors of who will portray the Man of Steel have been swirling for months now with such actors as Zachary Levi (Chuck), Joe Manganiello (True Blood) and even "Superman Returns" star Brandon Routh being considered for the lead role.

Neither Warner Brothers, Legendary Pictures or members of Christopher Nolan's camp have confirmed or denied any of the rumors surrounding the new film. All that is known for certain at this point is that Superman will return to theaters during the 2012 holiday season.