Your day's round-up, including The Hobbit , Limitless , George A Romero, The Returned and loads more...
It's been a busy day, and here's some fun sci-fi stuff you might have missed:
• Hobbit news! The first image of Beorn, the shapeshifter host of our intrepid heroes, in human form has appeared . The image comes from tie-in book The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug – Annual 2014 , and it features Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt in full costume. Whether his screen debut ends up looking more like The Wolfman or The Lion King… well, only time and good cinematography will tell.
• Bradley Cooper is developing a television series based on his hit psychological thriller Limitless , reports Digital Spy . The 2011 film starred Cooper as a struggling novelist, who shot to success with the help of a brain-enhancing drug. Cooper also executive produced the movie.
• The debut trailer for I, Frankenstein has arrived. Aaron Eckhart stars as Adam, the uncommonly handsome living corpse. Based on the comics by Kevin Grevioux, we follow Adam as he gets caught between a war of immortals. We'll be giving this the Freeze Frame treatment in issue 242 of SFX , but here it is for you to enjoy:
• Zombie fans, rejoice! (Or groan like your jaw is hanging off your skull, whichever strikes you as mood-appropriate.) George A Romero is to write Empire Of The Dead , a 15-issue series for Marvel Comics, drawn by Alex Maleev. Set in New York City, it continues the story that Night Of The Living Dead started some 40-odd years ago.
• Talking of the undead, Pan Macmillan will publish two books based on storylines from the hit French series The Returned . The novels will be adapted from the screenplays of the first two series by novelist Seth Patrick, author of Reviver . The first novel will be published next autumn alongside the transmission of series two.
• As season four’s cast list swells once again, let’s take a look at the Who and the What and the How Do You Pronounce That Name of Game Of Thrones character updates:
Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis. Smooth sellsword leader of the Stormcrows. Does a neat line in severed heads.
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson as Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane. Big. Brutish …Big.
Joseph Gatt as Styr, Magnar of Thenn. Wildling chief. Deathly stare.
Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq. Nobleman. Tall. Slender. Apparently key to the rise (or fall, who knows?) of Danaerys Targaryan.
Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell. Master of Ships. Father to Ser Loras and Margaery Tyrell. Destined to be useless.
Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell, The Red Viper. Forceful. Lusty. Salty.
Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand. Lover of Oberyn, mother of the mysterious Sand Snakes.
Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris. Represents the Iron Bank of Braavos.
And Sigur Ros will be popping in at some point. Playing whom? Nobody knows. Playing Hoppípolla over a montage of beloved characters being massacred? Yes, why not.
That's your lot for now. Remember to join us on Twitter and Facebook , and come back tomorrow for more news and maybe some Loki pictures . News compiled by Simon Moore . Email us your thoughts for the SFX letters pages.
