Now that we can smell what The Rock is cooking when it comes to his upcoming DC Entertainment movie collaboration, it’s time to talk about what he’s not cooking: a “Justice League” role.

This week, Dwayne Johnson announced that he is playing Black Adam in Warner Bros. and DC’s upcoming adaptation of “Shazam.” If you don’t know who Black Adam is (or what a Shazam is, for that matter), he’s a magically-infused badass (do you expect anything less from Johnson?) who butts heads with the equally magical Billy Batson, a 12-year-old boy who transforms into Shazam, a superhero with veritable Superman poise and physique.

Though Black Adam and Shazam both exist in the same DC universe as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, they don’t necessarily lend themselves to the grounded, gritty tone of “Man of Steel,” and, presumably, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” So maybe it won’t come as a huge surprise to hear that the upcoming “Shazam” film will follow its own path, veering away from plans for the upcoming “Justice League” movie.

“It feels to me like ‘Shazam’ will have a tone unto itself,” New Line’s Toby Emmerich tells Entertainment Weekly about the Rock-starring movie. “It’s a DC comic, but it’s not a Justice League character, and it’s not a Marvel comic. The tone and the feeling of the movie will be different from the other range of comic book movies.”

Emmerich added that “Shazam” fans can expect the movie to have “a ...

Holy “CHiPs.”

The California Highway Patrol’s finest are hitting the road once again in the form of an all-new “CHiPs” feature film, as put into motion by Warner Bros. Leading the charge: Dax Shepard, who WB has hired to write, direct and star in the film.

Deadline reports that Shepard will take on the role of Officer Jon Baker, played on the 1970s and 80s TV series by Larry Wilcox. Meanwhile, “End of Watch” and “Observe and Report” actor Michael Peña has been tapped to take on Erik Estrada’s iconic role, Officer Frank “Ponch” Poncherello. If there aren’t cameos planned for Wilcox and Estrada, then there truly is no justice in the world.

As for the movie itself, well, look. A lot of people balked at the idea of a “21 Jump Street” remake, and look how that turned out. It could be the same story for a “CHiPs” movie, as long as there’s a whole lot of this:

And maybe a cameo from the “Super Troopers” gang for good measure.

Josh Wigler

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.

@roundhoward

The intrepid defenders of the galaxy far, far away at StarWars.com have released their list of the top ten lightsaber battles in “Star Wars” history — and its number one choice is a bit of a surprise.

Here’s the video countdown:

And here’s the bombshell: The Duel of the Fates at the end of “The Phantom Menace” stands tall as the best “Star Wars” fight of them all.

Granted, this isn’t an “officially official” list, as noted by the StarWars.com crew themselves. And their rationale for what makes Duel of the Fates the best in the series is fairly solid:

“This duel captures what makes every other entry on this list special. It’s exciting, there’s real danger, and it packs an emotional punch. Darth Maul is quick and deadly like no other ‘Star Wars’ villain before him, making the Sith Lord a new kind of threat. As the fight progresses, Qui-Gon is mortally wounded, leaving Obi-Wan to face Maul alone. Throughout, it simultaneously echoes and establishes themes core to the saga, and the climax is a defining moment for one of the galaxy’s greatest Jedi.”

All of that is true. Hate “Phantom Menace” all you want, but the climactic final battle is incredible. But is it better than the second-place finisher: the “Empire Strikes Back” battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader? The StarWars.com team thinks so. Here’s their description of the “Empire” fight:

“The slow pacing, the haunting aesthetic, and the harsh reality of Luke’s first duel with Darth Vader makes for one ...

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The make-or-break moment has arrived for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and Coulson’s team is ready for the challenge.

An all-new trailer for the ABC and Marvel Studios show’s upcoming second season is now online, featuring a monologue from newly minted S.H.I.E.L.D. director Phil Coulson — the resurrected hero who now lords over a group of shadow operatives, what with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division officially kaput as far as the public knows.

“The enemy has the advantage,” says Coulson. “We have to fight on for those we lost, so the sacrifices they made were not made in vain. And then, we’ll disappear — become ghosts. That’s how we have to live now: In the shadows. To protect the innocent, to save lives. Even when they don’t know it.”

As Coulson describes the new “S.H.I.E.L.D.” status quo, we see some familiar imagery from the first season (including Victoria Hand’s bloody hand; possible foreshadowing?), as well as some glimpses at what’s to come — such as Skye, sporting new bangs, kicking butt and taking names, Melinda May style. We also get our first look at an imprisoned Grant Ward, bearded and alone, but apparently not forgotten.

The new season of “S.H.I.E.L.D.” launches on September 23.

Josh Wigler

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.

@roundhoward

The next “Star Wars” movie will already have some Westerosi flavor. But it isn’t really a party until a water dancer from Braavos shows up.

BBC News reports that such a water dancer is indeed on the way to join the cast of “Star Wars: Episode VII,” director J.J. Abrams’ upcoming revival of the beloved science fiction franchise. Actor Miltos Yerolemou, who played eccentric swordsman Syrio Forel in the first season of “Game of Thrones,” is the latest name to board the good ship “Star Wars.” He’s the second “Game of Thrones” cast member to join the film, following Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth on the HBO fantasy series.

There’s no word on who Yerolemou is playing in “Episode VII,” though it’s not expected to be a major role. Still, it’s easy to imagine the artist formerly known as Syrio wielding a lightsaber, whether for good or evil. If you’re not a “Thrones” fan (and if you don’t care about spoilers), you can see the man in sword-swinging action in the video below:

“What do we say to the Star of Death?”

“Not today.”

“Star Wars: Episode VII” lands on December 18, 2015.

Josh Wigler

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.

@roundhoward

Did you have high expectations for “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story,” Lifetime’s biopic chronicling the behind-the-scenes antics of Bayside High’s students? If so, they probably screeched to a halt upon seeing the finished product.

The “Saved by the Bell” biopic, spearheaded by Screech actor Dustin Diamond and disavowed by other cast members of the 1990s teen comedy, aired on Lifetime last night, and the reviews are … well, “mixed” would be a nice way of putting it. Let’s just say that on a scale of “so excited” to “so scared,” your expectations should be closer to the latter end of the spectrum.

If you didn’t catch Lifetime’s “Saved by the Bell” movie, don’t worry; these reviews will tell you everything you need to know.

“So it turns out ‘The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story’ is really just Lifetime for ‘Sharknado.’ The network opted not to screen the movie in advance, presumably assuming the nostalgia/live-tweeting factor would only be undermined by the realization this wasn’t so much a movie as a music montage interrupted by reenactments from a mediocre but improbably long-running ‘90s Saturday-morning show. Told primarily from the perspective of Dustin Diamond (who doubles as a producer), the project explores the age-old insecurities of young actors and challenges of sudden stardom, but in such a tedious, empty way the bell couldn’t come soon enough.” — Brian Lowry, Variety

“The draw of ‘The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story’ is not to ...

This might not be the “Loki” movie news you wanted, but it just might be the “Loki” movie news you need.

Those who worship at the altar of Tom Hiddleston (and his mustache Wendy) have long advocated for Marvel Studios to turn out a feature film built entirely on the shoulders of Asgard’s biggest mischief maker. There’s no news on that front today, sadly, but there’s this: A fan-film called “Loki: Brother of Thor,” more than two hours long, created using most of the character’s scenes from his Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances: “Thor,” “The Avengers” and “Thor: The Dark World.”

Loki: Brother of Thor from Loki Odinson on Vimeo.

Created by Vimeo user Loki Odinson, “Loki: Brother of Thor” chronicles Loki’s development as one single narrative, cutting some scenes (including fight sequences) and adding others (deleted scenes especially) as a result. Certain character arcs are abandoned entirely, including Iron Man and (surprisingly enough) Thor’s. The creator explains: “My goal wasn’t to sully these films and their characters, but rather offer a different interpretation that celebrates Loki … so no offense intended.”

(via io9)

Josh Wigler

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.

@roundhoward

If you’re unafraid of ghosts, and into awesome movies, then the box-office has a big treat for you this weekend: “Ghostbusters” is back in theaters, in honor of its 30th anniversary.

Since its debut in 1984, the words of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore have rung throughout the ears and years of pop culture. Here are the most quotable lines in “Ghostbusters” — which, incidentally, is basically the whole movie.

1. Ray Stantz: “Drop everything, Venkman. We got one.”

2. Peter Venkman: “Egon, somehow this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole in your head. Do you remember that?”

3. Peter Venkman: “Have you or any member of your family ever been diagnosed schizophrenic or mentally incompetent?”

4. Librarian: “Well, my uncle thought he was St. Jerome…”

5. Peter Venkman: “I’ll call that a big yes.”

6. Peter Venkman: “Spengler, are you serious about actually catching a ghost?”

7. Egon Spengler: “I’m always serious.”

8. The Ghostbusters: “We’re ready to believe you!”

9. Janine Melnitz: “You’re very handy, I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too. I read a lot myself. Some people think I’m too intellectual but I think it’s a fabulous way to spend your spare time. I also play racquetball. Do you have any hobbies?”

10. Egon Spengler: “I collect spores, molds, and fungus.”

11. Dana Barrett: “You don’t act like a scientist. You’re more like a gameshow host.”

12. Peter Venkman: “I’m gonna go ...

There are no Avengers in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” There is no Tony Stark. There is no Shellhead. And yet, that’s not stopping Robert Downey Jr. from making a very bold claim: “Guardians of the Galaxy” is Marvel’s best movie yet.

The four-time Iron Man actor (soon to make it five with next year’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron“) tells the Toronto Sun, “‘Galaxy’ in some ways is the best Marvel movie ever. … And it’s odd for someone with — on occasion — an ego the size of mine to actually say that!”

Downey backs up his claim by saying Marvel turned a bunch of a-holes low-level characters like Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon into the biggest stars of the summer, and perhaps the whole year, all without assistance from Iron Man, Hulk and the rest of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

“We’re talking about how the Iron Mans and the Thors and the Captain Americas and the Avengers movies have afforded Marvel the opportunity to essentially take what was a third-tier, minor, kind of upstart bit of potential from one of their comic books series and say: ‘Look!’ ” Downey said. “It’s like you have a great quarterback, and his brother plays for another team, and then you say: ‘Look, this is their second cousin and we think he has a great arm and he should start.’ And then he goes and wins the Superbowl!”

More than anything, Downey’s impressed by what the Disney-backed Marvel was able to accomplish ...

SPOILER ALERT: We’re about to talk about a lot of different television shows, and how they ended. And we’re starting right away with “The Sopranos.”

In case you missed it, a story made the rounds yesterday about David Chase finally explaining the ending of “The Sopranos.” Apparently, he told a reporter that Tony Sopranos did not die when the final scene of “Made in America” cut to black.

Except, that’s not really true at all.

Chase’s representatives released a statement clarifying that Chase’s comments were taken out of context, and that the “Sopranos” creator maintains that the HBO mob drama’s ending remains up for interpretation.

So, did Tony Soprano die? Is he still alive? Is he in a diner called Purgatory, forced to eat onion rings forever and ever, under the pseudonym Kevin Finnerty? Who can say? “The Sopranos” ended with a hard shadow of doubt, leaving its fans to cast light on their own conclusions.

It remains one of the most controversial endings in television history, thanks to its glorious ambiguity. But ambiguity is the name of the game when it comes to series finales. Here are seven other TV endings that left viewers with just as many questions as answers.

1. “Battlestar Galactica”

In many ways, it’s a concrete finale: The fleet finds Earth, settles down, kickstarts human evolution, leading to the world we know and live in today. But the big question it refused to answer: the mysterious resurrection of Kara Thrace.

Was she a secret Cylon? Was she a “guardian ...