It’s not like we didn’t now this was coming. We were warned and that’s not just a line from the movie. Here’s what the folks at National Geographic have to say about the truth beyond the legend.

The Maya believed that everything — including creation and destruction — occurred in cycles. Their calendar spanned five cycles, each lasting approximately 5,200 years. At the end of each cycle before this one, the Maya believed the current, flawed creation had to be destroyed for the world to be born again. Some believe the end of the current cycle on December 21, 2012, is an apocalyptic sign. And those who see a connection between the complex and incredibly accurate Maya calendar and a prophecy that the world will end in 2012 point to an unexpected discovery made by Princeton University scientist Adam Maloof as proof.

On Sunday, November 8, 2009, at 8 pm, National Geographic Channel examines the evidence behind the Maya calendar prophecies in 2012: Countdown to Armageddon. The special follows Maloof to three continents on a detective story that spans eons — with clues embedded in the oldest rocks on the planet.

In this special, you’ll see the investigation of identical rock shifts in both Norway and Australia, take a closer looks at the ruins of Chichén Itzá, which some believe to be the physical embodiment of the Maya calendar, and examine the Dresden Codex — the most comprehensive source for Maya astronomy, which has been locked in a high-security vault.

Is there proof that the Maya knew what they were talking about when they predicted the end of the world? Watch 2012: Countdown to Armageddon on November 8 on the National Geographic Channel, then catch 2012 the movie opening in theaters on November 13.

Photo:
Cameraman Thomas Sassenberg and Director / Executive Producer Andreas Gutzeit atop the Temple of the Warriors (Templo de los Guerreros) in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico. (Photo Credit: © Story House Productions)

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This is the biggest role of Han’s career and he’s ecstatic to have worked with an incredible cast including the likes of Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and Heath Ledger.

“I was thrilled to find out I was going to be a part of this movie,” Han said. “I could never have expected something like this, it exceeds anything I could have imagined.”

Han is an integral part of Gotham’s mob dynamic in this one and he enjoyed playing in this group. There’s no honor among these thieves.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s really become a free-for-all in Gotham between all these mobsters. It’s become an even more dangerous place to live in. The Joker adds an additional element of chaos to the mob battle. He also brings chaos to law enforcement as he causes problems for District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman and Commissioner Gordon. He’s just a wild card that neither the mobsters or the good guys really understand how to deal with.”

Like everyone else connected with this movie, Han was in awe at the character Ledger brought to the screen.

“He’s amazing,” Han said. “He gives an incredible performance. It’s like mercury, always changing. It was so hard to predict what he was going to do physically and mentally. Heath’s performance will undoubtedly go down as one of the great screen villains of all time.”

Han believes the critical praise being lauded on this one is well warranted and years from now, we’ll still be looking back at Dark Knight as a benchmark for other movies.

“I think it’s going to stand the test of time,” he said. “It’s so much more than a comic book movie. It’s a crime drama. It’s an exploration of human morality. It’s so well constructed on so many levels. I’ve heard it mentioned in the same breath as The Empire Strikes Back or The Godfather Part II. I think those are accurate references.”

Han moves right from one “event picture” to another as next he starts shooting 2012. That year brings the end of the world according to the Mayan character, so it’s a happy film. Not really.

Since it hasn’t even started shooting yet, there’s not a lot Han can say. The press materials say his character Lin Pang helps save citizens from the numerous natural disasters occurring in the movie. Han said audiences will be in for a “great thrill ride” with 2012. John Cusack and Danny Glover will be helping beat back the end of the world in this one too.

Image courtesy of Aquarius PR

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Image details: Cannes: Blindness – Premiere served by picapp.com

Still riding high off the sci-fi success of Predator 2, Danny Glover could be tapped to play the president in Roland Emmerich’s disaster pic 2012.  The Hollywood Reporter says in addition to Glover, Thandie Newton is in discussions to play his daughter. Well, I have to see it now.

This movie chronicles the aftereffects of the apocalypse supposedly predicted by the Mayan calendar. John Cusack has signed on to star. Filming is set to begin in July with the film targeting a July 2009 release date. All this, of course, depends on what happens with the potential actors’ strike.

There are a lot of my favorite actors in this one, but it’s being written by the Emmerich/Harold Kloser team that brought us the craptacular 10,000 B.C. I’ve got to give this one a solid “wait and see” right now.

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