Hello dear readers, and welcome to another edition of the WhatCulture news brief. This week we got a steady stream of movie and television stories to keep us talking. The world was shocked by the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the true acting masters of our time; we got updates for comic book shows like Preacher and The Flash, finally found out who B.J. Novak was playing in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and have an unexpected Star Wars movie to look forward to this summer. Fans of the new elf Tauriel in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug will be happy to hear that Evangeline Lilly may be trading her ears in for wings in Ant-Man, while Wolf of Wall Street fans will like what Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill are planning next (though they'll be leaving the quaaludes at home this time). Rather than bore you with the introductions, let's just jump right into it, shall we?
Honourable Mentions
Will Smith Not Returning For Independence Day Sequels or Men In Black 4 Giving us an excuse to opt-out of all of them. He says he doesn't want to become "the sequel guy," which is probably a good career move. (via Deadline) Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson Officially Returning For Pitch Perfect 2 We got word a week or so ago that Elizabeth Banks would be directing the sequel, and the inclusion of the film's two biggest stars was, well, aca-obvious. Ms. Marvel May Be Introduced In Avengers: Age of Ultron This is good news, because we could use all of the female superheroes we can get on the big screen. But how funny is it that people are so quick to trash Batman Vs. Superman and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for their large casts, but have nothing but excitement about the already bloated Avengers sequel? (via Latino Review) The Lego Movie Sequel In The Works This should come as no shock to anyone considering how great the movie is. It's also the first big studio release of the year and sure to make a ton of money. Gary Oldman Confirms He's Been Contacted About Star Wars Episode VII Nothing much to say here except... awesome! Hopefully as a bad guy, because Oldman's great at being the bad guy. (via Sky Movies) Fox Cancels The X Factor Oh, thank the lord! One musical competition show down, a dozen more to go. Simon Cowell will be returning to the UK version of the series, and we hope he stays there for a while. And now, on to the main event!