Let’s cut to the chase — is there a better choice of actor to play Morpheus in the Sandman film than Tom Hiddleston? I say thee nay! And it seems Sandman creator Neil Gaiman agrees with me. We’ve got Gaiman’s thoughts on the matter in today’s Movie Morsels, as well as some new info on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, clips from Into the Woods and Taken 3, and much more!

Sandman

Anyone who saw this summer’s vampire dramedy Only Lovers Left Alive knows that Tom Hiddleston can give damn good brooding even when he’s not waging war against Asgard and Earth. And no one knows better than Sandman creator Neil Gaiman, who’s still championing Hiddleston to to play the King of Dreams in producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s adaptation of his epic series of graphic novels. “It’s a funny thing with Morpheus,” Gaiman tells Radio Times. “Again, it’s that thing where you look around and think, ‘Yes this person would be a fantastic person’, and then time passes. There was a time Johnny Depp would’ve been a great Morpheus, but now he’s too old and it’s fine. I think the first time I saw Benedict was as Sherlock Holmes, I thought, ‘wow, that’s incredibly Morpheus’. And fans probably thought the same because they immediately started doing fan-art, meshing the two of them up. Then again, Tom Hiddleston is still out there! And the truth is, as far as I’m concerned, anybody who sounds English with great cheekbones can probably pull it off.”

The writer added that he’ll receive the latest draft of the film’s script before year’s end. “I am now a week before seeing the script. It’s going to come in just before Christmas. I’m nervous, I’m on tenterhooks. But do I have good feelings? Yeah I do.”

[Slashfilm]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Jeremy Irons (who, come to think of it, would have made a pretty good Sandman in his younger years) has a few words to say about how his Alfred Pennyworth will differ from past screen interpretations of Bruce Wayne’s manservant and confidante in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: “Oh he’ll be quite different. He has an interesting history. He’s a very competent man. He’s the sort of man I think anyone would like to be married to. He can sort of do everything: change light bulbs, blow up bridges if he has to.” It sounds like Irons’ Alfred will be much more in line with Geoff Johns’ military-minded interpretation of the character in Batman: Earth One, as well as the two-fisted Alfred we see each week on TV’s Gotham.

[Indiewire]

Into the Woods

Will director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s beloved Broadway musical Into the Woods be a much-appreciated Christmas present or a lump of coal? We’ll know for sure when the film arrives on December 25th. In the meantime, Disney has released a new clip from Into the Woods focusing on James Corden and Emily Blunt’s characters’ wish to have a child, with the help of Meryl Streep’s Witch.

[Coming Soon]

Taken 3

Move over, Jack Bauer. 20th Century Fox has released a new Taken 3 video focusing on Bryan Mills’ (a/k/a Liam Neeson) “12 Skills of Christmas”. We’ve also got a brand new clip — titled “Good Luck”, and featuring Neeson and co-star Forest Whitaker — from director Olivier Megaton’s thriller, which sees Mills enter Fugitive territory when he’s framed for the murder of his ex wife. Taken 3 lands on January 9th.

[20th Century Fox]

The Interview

Seth Rogen and James Franco’s comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has made plenty of headlines lately, with the hacker group Guardians of Peace targeting distributor Sony and releasing numerous company emails and files online. Now the group has threatened to attack movie theaters that screen the film (due out on Christmas Day, December 25th), referencing the 9/11 attacks. “Remember the 11th of September 2001,” says the group’s latest, awkwardly worded email. “We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.” The Department of Homeland Security, however, says there is no evidence of an active plot against U.S. movie theaters.

[Variety]

Pontius Pilate

Brad Pitt will no longer play the titular biblical figure in Pontius Pilate, since Warner Brothers is no longer handling the film. Studio 8 is apparently the most likely company to pick up this feature-length look at the Roman governor who sentences Jesus Christ to death.

[Deadline]

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