Despite some misleading marketing, the main villain of The Flash is not who you probably thought it was going to be. The villain in the trailers and ads definitely factors into the film, don’t get us wrong. But director Andy Muschietti kept the major villain of the film somewhat of a surprise. Here’s who the main villains of The Flash are, starting with the film’s primary antagonist.

The Dark Flash

In the film, the main bad guy isn’t the Kryptonian General Zod, as early trailers might make you believe. The “Big Bad” of the film is none other than Barry Allen himself. Well, a version of him, that is. In the film, we saw a darkly clad being tossing adult Barry out into his own past as he races through time. He had a bigger plan in mind, which was to make the college-age Barry of 2013 into the being that he would become. A “Dark Flash.” We should note, this character is never called that by name in the film. However, the McFarlane Toys figure is labeled as “Dark Flash.” So we think that’s official enough.

This Dark Flash is a being who has been attempting to undo the deaths of Batman (Michael Keaton) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in the film’s big climactic battle with Zod’s army. He spends up to 50 years of his own timeline trying to control the flow of time in his favor, something that main “present time” Barry knows can’t happen. Ultimately, he is unmade when college-age Barry dies in battle with his own future self, erasing the Dark Flash from existence. And thus, preserving the timeline as adult Barry knew it (mostly) and saving the Multiverse. It’s all a bit confusing, but makes more sense in the final film.

The Black Flash Inspiration

The Dark Flash is loosely based on another obsidian speedster, DC Comics’ Black Flash. Although the visual of the character is similar, the Black Flash in the comics is Death itself. Or at least, the Speed Force’s version of Death. No one knows its true origins. But some Flashes believe that the actual entity of Death is simply too slow to catch up to any speedster. So the Speed Force produced its own Death entity, the Black Flash. The film’s Dark Flash is a bit of the comics’ Blue Flash, a twisted future version of Barry, and the aesthetics of the Black Flash.

General Zod

Of course, Dark Flash is not the only villain in the film. General Zod (Michael Shannon) is our secondary bad guy, who is invading Earth just as he did in Man of Steel. Like Zack Snyder’s 2013 film, Zod is looking to recreate Krypton on Earth using something called the codex, something Jor-El stored inside his infant son. And in this timeline, Zod murdered baby Kal-El when his pod was diverted from Earth. Because in this universe, it is Supergirl/Kara Zor-El who has the codex in her cell structure.

In Man of Steel, Zod and his Kryptonian army arrive on a US Military base in the desert, where a battle with this newly formed Justice League, made of Keaton Batman, Supergirl, and both Flashes ensues. Despite their best efforts, the League falls under the might of Zod’s forces. If adult Barry had not restored the timeline to the version where his mother died, Zod would have terraformed Earth into New Krypton, killing billions. Hopefully, if we ever get a Flash sequel, or reboot, we get some of Flash’s iconic rogues from the comics. They are long overdue for their cinematic debut.

The Flash is in theaters now.

The post Who Are the Villains in THE FLASH? appeared first on Nerdist.

Before The Flash, the last time we saw Ezra Miller’s version of the Fastest Man Alive was in 2017’s Justice League. (Aside from brief cameos on the CW Flash series, and Peacemaker of course.) Yes, we saw an extended cut of Justice League in 2021, but they filmed all of that footage years prior. Six years have passed since the League was formed, and it’s alluded to that a similar amount of time has passed in the in-universe timeline. In some ways, The Flash is a de facto Justice League sequel. So which of the main Leaguers do we see in the final film? Actually, a surprising amount, aside from the title character himself. Let’s go through the Justice League roll call, outside of our titular lead hero.

Batman

The Bruce Wayne of Barry Allen’s reality, played by Ben Affleck, is still an active member of the Justice League. His darker-hued costume from Batman v Superman and Justice League has been replaced by one that’s blue and grey. It’s reminiscent of the one from the comics during the ‘70s and ‘80s. It seems this Batman is more of a superhero and less of a vigilante. We see him as he helps stop a terrorist group from releasing a deadly virus. This is definitely a Dark Knight who’s not afraid to appear in daylight.

Special mention: It seems Batman’s right-hand man, Alfred Pennyworth, played once more by Jeremy Irons, is the Justice League’s “man in the chair.” We’re not sure if that qualifies him as a League member, but he’s at least an honorable mention.

Superman

As far as we know, Superman is still a member of the Justice League during the events of The Flash. They reference the Man of Steel several times. However, Alfred reminds Barry that he’s currently too busy to lend him a hand in his current predicament. When Alfred says this, the camera pans to a TV showing Superman stopping a natural disaster somewhere. Sadly, we only see him from the back, cape flowing, so no Henry Cavill cameo. Although Cavill does appear via stock footage in the Speed Force time bubble. But Superman is definitely still a Leaguer. He’s just a very busy and in-demand member.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman appears in a cameo during the terrorist attack on Gotham City in the film’s opening action sequence. When all hope seems lost, and it looks like Batman and Flash are losing, Princess Diana shows up with her magic lasso and saves the day. It’s a very brief appearance by Gal Gadot, but she proves she’s the League’s MVP, and then flies away. Interestingly, even though Diana realized she could fly in Wonder Woman 1984, and flies in The Flash, she seemed to have forgotten this power in BvS and Justice League.

Aquaman

Aquaman is mentioned several times as a Leaguer, but there is no sign of Arthur Curry until the post-credits scene. When Barry returns from changing reality, we see him out at a bar with Jason Momoa’s King of Atlantis Arthur has a hard time handling all these multiverse shenanigans being told to him, and gets totally plastered. Not only is Aquaman in this film, but also his father, lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison), makes an appearance in the altered timeline. In that scene, he confirms to Barry that he never married an Atlantean princess and fathered Arthur. But he does have a dog named Arthur. Who did not appear to have any powers. (That we know of).

Cyborg

Although Victor Stone gets a mention a few times, specifically when Barry Allen is trying to find him in the altered timeline, we don’t see him at all. If he’s still a League member, it’s not explicitly clear, but they imply that he is. Given Cyborg actor Ray Fisher’s extremely harsh feelings about Warner Bros. over his treatment on the original Justice League, this is perhaps not very surprising.

New Members?

As far as we can tell, the League didn’t recruit a single new member between Justice League and The Flash. And Barry does confirm that years have indeed passed since then. Despite Bruce and Diana saying the Justice League meeting table had “room for more” at the end of Justice League, as far as we can tell, no Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, or Hawkgirl ever joined up. It remains a Magnificent Six. Well, a Magnificent Six plus Alfred.

The post Who Is Still Part of the Justice League in THE FLASH? appeared first on Nerdist.

Without a doubt, the biggest influence on The Flash film is the 2011 DC Comics event series Flashpoint. In that storyline, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Andy Kubert, the recently returned from the dead Barry Allen uses his super speed to go back in time, in order to undo the murder of his mother when he was a child. When he returns to the present, this act of changing the past alters everything in his timeline. His Batman is different, his Wonder Woman’s and Aquaman’s kingdoms are at war, and so much more. And it’s almost all for the worse. Barry realized he must allow his past to unfold as it did to restore the present he knew. If you’ve seen The Flash, then much of that synopsis sounds very familiar.

This event comic ultimately led to a new prime DC universe, known as “The New 52.” Flashpoint was a seminal story, one that really changed everything. Both the current film The Flash and the CW television series of the same name did their own versions of Flashpoint. But Andy Muschietti’s The Flash also carries a big influence from a previous mega DC event comic, Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. In fact, outside of the “going back in time to save mom” plot, the sci-fi plot mechanics of The Flash more closely resemble those in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Flashpoint: Barry Allen’s Time Travel Tragedy

In Flashpoint, Barry Allen changes races backward in time into his past, resulting in a new future. Or for him, a new present. In this reality, things were far darker. For starters, they shot Bruce Wayne in the alley instead of his parents, thereby making his father Thomas Wayne into Batman, and his mother Martha into the Joker. Superman never arrived in the Kansas cornfield, and instead was captured by Soviet Agents. But in both The Flash film and Crisis on Infinite Earths, something different occurs thanks to Barry’s interference. Barry’s meddling in the past collapses several distinct timelines into one, changing history from even before the event of his mother’s murder.

The Flash and Crisis on Infinite Earths, Two DC Sagas of Colliding Timelines

In Crisis on Infinite Earths, distinctly different Earths suddenly merged. The Justice Society of America from World War II once lived on its own distinct parallel dimension, Earth-Two. Meanwhile, the modern-day Justice League lived on Earth-One. With Crisis, these worlds and their histories merged. The JSA was still a part of history, but its Superman was erased from the timeline, and replaced with another. No one but a handful of heroes knew that this shared history was something created as a result of the Crisis. The Flash borrows from this story, with Barry’s universe now having a totally different Batman (Michael Keaton), replacing the one played by Ben Affleck. This was far more of a Crisis reference than a reference to Flashpoint.

When Worlds Collide

Of course, the biggest Crisis influence came towards the climax of the film. When the two Flashes are moving through time, we see multiple realities crashing into each other around them. We see the heroes of these realities on various time globes, for lack of a better word. All of which just brings to mind George Perez’s classic cover of Crisis in Infinite Earths #5. Only in this instance, the worlds we see feature the heroic figures not from comics, but from DC’s multimedia past—George Reeves as Superman, Adam West as Batman, and Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater as Superman and Supergirl, respectively. And the biggest fun surprise, we saw Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel from Superman Lives, Tim Burton’s unmade ‘90s film.

The final main plot beats of both the Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths comics are largely the same however. And they seem to also be the same in The Flash. A new DCU universe with a new history emerged from all three stories. One that kept some elements from a previous continuity, while overwriting others. It remains to be seen just what James Gunn’s new DCU keeps from the old continuity. But at least some things will remain. Aside from a new Superman and Batman, we don’t really know much else at the current time. Will Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman stay? How changed is Jason Momoa’s Aquaman? We have a lot of questions still. But without a doubt, The Flash owes a great deal to Marv Wolfman’s and George Perez’s game-changing classic.

The post How DC’s CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS Influenced THE FLASH appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s one of the coolest scenes in The Flash (and DC film history), period. Towards the climax of the film, when the multiple versions of Barry Allen are traveling through the Speed Force in an attempt to change history, or not change it, we see various timelines bleeding in. And all of them are familiar to fans of the long history of shows and movies based on DC Comics characters. This DC Multiverse scene offers cameos of some of the most iconic actors to ever play members of the Justice League, including several who are no longer with us. And we are gonna break down all the DC multiverse cameos in The Flash right here.

Superman (George Reeves)

Although not the first actor to play the Man of Steel (that would be Kirk Alyn, who played Superman in the 1940s serials), George Reeves became an icon in The Adventures of Superman TV series, which ran from 1952-1958. A show that then ran for several decades after in syndication. Although several episodes were shot in color, they filmed most in black and white. And so, the DC Multiverse version we saw in The Flash of George Reeves’ Last Son of Krypton was seemingly in a black-and-white universe. We’re not sure if it’s logical, but it sure feels right.

The Flash, Jay Garrick

One of the more perplexing DC cameos in the Multiverse scene is the original Flash, Jay Garrick. As DC Comics fans are aware, he was the speedster of DC Comics’ Golden Age, operating from 1940-1952 in the comics. The Jay we see here was shot in black and white. Just like the George Reeves Superman. It looks like this was actor Teddy Sears, who played the fake Jay Garrick from the CW Flash series. He turned out to be the villainous Zoom. But why not John Wesley Shipp, since he was the real Jay Garrick in the show? Not to mention, the first live-action Flash, period. We don’t know the answer, but whoever the actor is, that is definitely the original Golden Age Flash running through the Multiverse.

Batman (Adam West)

If you blink you might miss him, but the original cinematic Batman, Adam West, appears in the Multiverse scene. And yes, thanks to the 1966 Batman movie, which was a spin-off of the TV series, that means West was the big-screen Caped Crusader over two decades before Michael Keaton. We didn’t notice Robin there with him, which is a shame, because it’s hard to imagine Batman ’66 without him. But the so-called “Bright Knight” is definitely there in his blue and grey tights, fighting the good fight.

Superman (Christopher Reeve)

For an entire generation, the late Christopher Reeve was the ultimate Superman. First appearing in Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman: The Movie, and its three subsequent sequels, Reeve’s portrayal is still thought of as one of the greatest superhero performances on screen. In his appearance in The Flash, it looks like he’s brought to life via archival footage and CGI. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, fans clamored for Reeve’s Superman and Keaton’s Batman to appear in a movie together. And now, that collaboration is sort of real.

Supergirl (Helen Slater)

Sasha Calle was not the first cinematic Maid of Might. No, that honor goes to actress Helen Slater, who played Kara Zor-El/Linda Lee in the very campy 1984 movie Supergirl. And later, Slater played the CW Kara’s adoptive mother on the TV series Supergirl. It was set in continuity with the Christopher Reeve Superman films. Although sadly, the pair never appeared on screen together…. until now, that is. Thanks to The Flash, the Kryptonian cousins fly together past the Metropolis skyline at last, thanks to some digital trickery.

Superman (Nicolas Cage)

In the biggest shocker of a cameo in The Flash, Nicolas Cage appears as Superman. And he’s fighting a giant spider too. As fans may know, they cast Nic Cage in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives way back in 1997. The film’s producer Jon Peters wanted his version of Superman to fight a giant spider. A giant spider he managed to work into his next film, Wild Wild Wet. Director Kevin Smith famously shared this story, which went viral. But that movie never happened. Now, at long last, Nic Cage gets to wear the cape and tights of the Man of Steel in The Flash. We can’t wait for the inevitable action figure.

Sadly, not every iconic live-action DC hero could make the final cut. Director Andy Muschietti admitted that there were plans for Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from Superman: The Movie, as well as some of the villains from Batman ’66, like the Joker and the Penguin. Perhaps the most brutal cuts were the removal of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and Grant Gustin’s Flash. (The latter feels especially egregious, given the nine years he put into playing the role on TV.) Maybe we’ll see them in a future “Extended DC Multiverse Cut” of The Flash. After all, the world is no stranger to longer versions of DC films finding a way to happen.

The post Who Are All The DC Multiverse Cameos in THE FLASH? appeared first on Nerdist.

The Flash made its rules of time travel easy to understand by comparing Barry Allen’s impact on the space-time continuum with Marty McFly’s. But it also utilized Back to the Future for its plot. DC’s speedster realized what a mess he’d made of the past even before he met Michael Keaton’s Batman. He knew when he learned Eric Stoltz drove Doc Brown’s Delorean to fame rather than Michael J. Fox. Of course, Stoltz wasn’t a random recasting. He really did star as Marty McFly before Fox replaced him during production. That was just one of the many ways The Flash used famous sliding doors moment in Hollywood history to reimagine its world. From Nicolas Cage’s lost Superman and two big screen Kryptonians who never met, to Kevin Bacon and a reshuffling of the 1980’s leading men, these are the real stories The Flash turned from “almosts” and “what ifs” into alternate timelines.

Why Did Nicolas Cage Appear as Superman in The Flash?

In 1996, Warner Bros. executive Jon Peters hired Clerks‘ Kevin Smith to write the script for a movie titled Superman Lives. Eventually Batman‘s Tim Burton signed on to direct. He had his famous Man of Steel ready to go, too. Thirty million dollars later and all Warner Bros. had to show for their efforts was some test footage of a long-haired Nicolas Cage in a Superman costume. Eventually the rest of us got one of the most notorious stories in Hollywood history and a documentary about the calamitous project. That is, until The Flash finally brought Cage’s Clark Kent to the big screen for some alternate timeline fun.

Kevin Smith’s tale about his absurd meeting with Jon Peters is infamous with good reason. (Whether you’ve never heard it or know it by heart, it’s always worth listening to.) Among Peters’ many ridiculous comments and requests, he didn’t want Smith’s Superman to fly or wear his red and blue suit. What he did want was for Superman to fight a giant spider at the end.

Burton had Smith’s script rewritten when he joined the production. He also had Nic Cage outfitted for a suit with traditional Superman colors. But all that time, money, and talent didn’t matter. Shortly before filming began Warner Bros. pulled the plug, denying us a Man of Steel who apparently really dug The Cure.

Now The Flash has finally rectified that. It has given us Nic Cage—who named his son Kal-El—as Kal-El. His Superman exists in another dimension. He also flies. That’s not what Jon Peters wanted, but at least he got to see Cage fight a big giant spider. (Which the producer did make happen in Wild Wild West.)

But that wasn’t the only alternate (super) reality Barry Allen let us see come to life. The Flash also brought together two children of Krypton that never got to share the silver screen even though they existed at the same time.

The Flash Brings Together Christopher Reeve’s Superman and Helen Slater’s Supergirl

In 1984 Helen Slater brought Supergirl to theaters. The spinoff took place in the same universe as Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise. His Clark was originally set to appear in the movie, too. Supergirl was going to rescue him from captivity. But following the disappointment of Superman III the previous year, Reeve decided against starring in the film. Instead Supergirl‘s script explained Superman’s absence by saying he was in another galaxy on a “peace-seeking mission.”

Slater’s Supergirl did not return in 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which was Reeve’s last time playing the hero. As a result the two ’80s Kryptonians never got to appear on screen together. That didn’t happen until The Flash showed them united side-by-side in their dimension, thereby creating a cool alternate timeline.

The Flash used another famous film franchise of the ’80s to create an alternate reality, too. It found inspiration in a time travel series that had fun changing events of that decade. Only Back to the Future did so both on screen and off.

Why Did The Flash Choose Eric Stoltz to Play Back to the Future‘s Marty McFly?

Michael J. Fox was Robert Zemeckis’s first choice to play Marty McFly. But with Fox unavailable due to Family Ties‘ filming schedule, Zemeckis cast Eric Stoltz in the role.

However, after six weeks of filming Zemeckis realized Stoltz just wasn’t working out. While the director has always praised Stoltz’s work and commitment on the movie, the actor just wasn’t bringing the comedic element the part required. That led to Zemeckis and producers firing Stoltz and developing a production schedule that allowed Fox to film Back to the Future on nights and weekends.

Deleted scenes and images from Stoltz’s performance have made their way out into the world since his departure. And it seems like one scene with Stoltz (or at least his fist) actually made its way into the final film. Otherwise, his version of Marty is lost to time. At least it is in this timeline.

In The Flash‘s alternate timeline, Stoltz didn’t just stay in the role. His version of Back to the Future was still a monumental hit. It catapulted him to stardom. It led people to get his face tattooed on their thigh calf. Was that because the movie was just that good it would have worked with anyone? Or because Stoltz made it good? What about the timelines where Ben Stiller or Jon Cryer nailed their (very real) auditions and got the part instead?The only way we’ll ever know if is Barry Allen messes with the timeline and therefore Back to the Future again.

Obviously Marty McFly wasn’t the only famous ’80s movie the Flash changed via time travel. He caused a chain reaction of big-time recasting.

Was Michael J. Fox Almost Cast in Footloose?

Famous casting “what ifs” are rarely as well-documented as Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future. Most auditions go nowhere. Sometimes performers discuss a potential role without ever seriously considering it. Other times they do want the part but aren’t seriously considered for it. And casting directors, producers, writers, and directors throws out big name as a possibility without ever having a chance of landing that actor. And yet, years later those people will still be mentioned as the list of people who “almost” got the role.

Still, even by those very (foot)loose standards there’s no evidence Michael J. Fox was ever up a possibility to play the part of Ren that Kevin Bacon made famous with his feet. That alternate timeline is totally unique to The Flash.

However, there is still a very fun connection between Footloose, Michael J. Fox, and The Flash. According to IMDb, Kenny Loggins wrote that Footloose‘s final scene was not filmed with his theme song playing. It was only added in post-production.

On set the actors actually danced to Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” the very same song Marty McFly performed at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance in Back to the Future.

Strands of spaghetti, indeed. And that’s just the beginning of The Flash‘s alternate Hollywood dominoes.

Was Kevin Bacon Almost in Top Gun?

While there’s no evidence Michael J. Fox was ever up for the lead role in Footloose, The Flash‘s other ’80s leading man switcheroo was a possibility. Producers did consider Kevin Bacon for the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. A bevy of other actors either turned it down or got passed over, too. (Tom Cruise, the top choice, initially didn’t want the part.)

(In The Flash‘s timeline where Bacon is Maverick, do you think him and Cruise also swapped roles in A Few Good Men?)

The list of other potential Petes included: Matthew Modine, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, Scott Baio, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Charlie Sheen, Jim Carrey, Rob Lowe, Kevin Bacon, Robert Downey Jr., John Travolta, and Eric freaking Stoltz!

As if all of that isn’t enough, the movie originally considered having TOTO or REO Speedwagon record “Danger Zone” before turning to Footloose‘s Kenny Loggins.

And with so many real world connections in alternate version of 1980s Hollywood that The Flash gives us, at this point we have to wonder if Barry Allen really did go back in time and alter our actual timeline. Maybe he’s the reason Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz in the first place. That worked out for Back to the Future, but we can’t forgive him for Nic Cage’s lost Superman Lives. Especially now that we know he would have kicked that giant spider’s a**.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post How THE FLASH Used Real Hollywood ‘What Ifs’ to Create Alternate Timelines appeared first on Nerdist.

The DCEU is coming to an end. Warner Bros. hired James Gunn and Pete Safran as co-CEOs to lead the superhero franchise into a new, more unified DCU. While that will soon mean an entirely different Superman, the two aren’t starting over entirely from scratch. The Flash‘s time travel adventure is a bridge between the two eras, with Barry Allen’s foray into the past changing the present and future forever.

Ultimately, The Flash didn’t deliver the definitive hard reset some expected. It certainly changed things in a big way, but rather than establish the DCU outright, The Flash instead provided the blueprint for how it might happen eventually.

How Does Time Travel Work in The Flash?

As Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne explained, time is not linear in the world of The Flash. If you go back to a specific point in the past and change what happened you don’t merely change the events that follow that moment—you also change what happened before it. In this superhero franchise, there’s no clean split from the timeline into an alternate one.

Back to the Future, which The Flash vaguely referenced with its spaghetti scene, would be fundamentally different if it had the same rules of time travel as The Flash. It would mean when Biff gets the Sports Almanac in the original 1955 timeline, the original timeline no longer exists. The new one would simply share a single point with the old one the moment Biff got the almanac.

That’s why Barry’s time travel resulted in the world getting an entirely different, much older Bruce Wayne than the one he knew. When Barry saved his mom it altered the future along with everything that happened long before that day. In that alternate reality Bruce Wayne was born much earlier. Just as Kal-El was not the Kryptonian who safely made his way to Earth, a place without Aquaman or Wonder Woman.

The results of Barry’s actions didn’t just change history and even people. It nearly doomed the entire world.

How Did Barry Allen Fix the Timeline in The Flash?

Once Barry understood his mother had to die to save the world, he went back to the moment he saved her. (That was the single cross point between the original timeline and the new one he created.) Once there, he removed the can of tomatoes he’d previously placed in her shopping cart. Her death was the only way to save the world from General Zod and restore things as they were. It was tragic for Barry, but also necessary. He’d seen firsthand from Dark Barry, who’d spent countless lifetimes futilely trying to keep their mom alive without destroying the planet, that some things simply cannot be changed

Only, the original Barry couldn’t help but alter one thing in the past. And while it didn’t lead to the end of the world, it did lead to the beginning of the end for the old DCEU.

Why Did George Clooney Replace Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne?

Barry’s goal in the present was to exonerate his father Henry (Ron Livingston). Barry thought he finally had evidence to prove his dad didn’t kill his wife, but it was insufficient. Henry had been shopping during his wife’s murder, and Bruce Wayne used his technology to clean up the previously useless corrupted store security footage. Only Henry never looked up high enough for the camera to capture his face. Without that clear shot to establish his alibi he’d be doomed to a life behind bars.

So instead, moments after removing the life-saving/world-destroying can of tomatoes from his mother’s cart, Barry rearranged all the cans. He made it so the specific variety his father needed would be on the top shelf. That meant Henry would look up high enough so that camera could capture his face. He did, resulting in him going free in the present.

Henry Allen walked out of court a free man. And outside that court Barry Allen discovered what else he’d done by moving those tomato cans. His friend (played by Ben Affleck) had once again been replaced as Bruce Wayne. Instead of the Caped Crusader who helped Barry get his dad out of jail, the Flash found a different, quite dapper Bruce Wayne instead. “Who the f***” was it? It was George Clooney, who originally played the role in 1997’s much maligned Batman & Robin.

Why The Flash Did Not Fully Establish the DCU

The Batfleck is (seemingly) gone, but Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is not. Barry explained to his very drunk fellow Justice League member about what he’d done to the timeline and to Bruce in the film’s only post-credits scene. (Which established both that Barry didn’t undo his tomato can switch and that no one else in this new timeline remembers the old Bruce.)

Clearly the franchise is not the same one it was before The Flash started. But there’s probably a zero percent chance 62-year-old George Clooney is going to be the DCU’s new Bruce Wayne either, so clearly the movie did not end with a total reset.

Something else (or elses) is going to lead to whomever ends up as Batman in the DCU eventually. That means Momoa’s presence only confirms he’s still Aquaman for now. (He does have a sequel coming after all.) Clearly lots more will change eventually, we just don’t know when they will. We just know how they might.

How The Flash Paved the Way for the DCU

The DCEU/DCU is a place of countless dimensions and timelines. Multiple Supermans and Batmans all exist at the same time on many parallel worlds. And Barry Allen can change or destroy all of them by going back in time. He could seemingly even make it so he’s a totally different human in his own timeline, just as he changed Bruce Wayne.

So while The Flash didn’t entirely bid farewell to its old franchise anymore than it said hello to its new one, whenever James Gunn and Peter Safran decide to fully establish their new superhero era they have a very fast way to do it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post How THE FLASH Resets the DCEU Without Establishing the DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

The Flash wasn’t the franchise game-changer some superhero fans expected, but it still delivered some big superhero changes. The film’s surprise ending and post-credits scene revealed exactly how Barry Allen’s actions in the past altered both the present and future. What does it all mean, including for Warner Bros.’ switch from the old DCEU to James Gunn’s new DCU? Here’s what happened and what it tells us about a post-Flash timeline.

Why Did George Clooney Appear as Bruce Wayne at the End of The Flash?

“Who the f*** is this?”

Uh, it’s Batman. No, not that one. No, not that one either.

Michael Keaton’s Batman wasn’t The Flash‘s only alternate Bruce Wayne to appear. Once Barry Allen realized he couldn’t save his mother’s life without dooming the whole world, he went back and stopped himself from stopping her death in the first place.

Doing so had created an entirely new reality. Time in The Flash is not linear, and by altering one single event Barry changed history both before and after his mom was supposed to die. Letting her go, painful as it was, stopped General Zod from conquering Earth. But Barry’s decision to ensure his father’s eventual release from jail still resulted in an alternate timeline.

By moving those tomato cans to the top of the grocery store shelf years earlier, Barry exonerated his dad in the present. He also completely changed Bruce Wayne as a person. Instead of the version played by Ben Affleck, Barry walked outside the courtroom to discover a different version of Bruce Wayne. He was now played by George Clooney.

When Did George Clooney First Play Batman?

George Clooney’s first (and until now only) time playing Bruce Wayne came in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Fans have panned both the film and his performance since the movie’s release.

Clooney himself agrees with that assessment. The Oscar-winner has said he messed up the role “so bad.” (In fairness, there’s only so much you can do when your Batsuit has nipples.)

Not only did The Flash give Clooney a bit of Bat-demption with his surprise cameo, it also used turned his previous performance into a great meta joke. Upon seeing the alternate Bruce get out of his sports car, Barry said, “You’re not Batman.” To that an incredulous Clooney answered, “What’s wrong with you?”

As the movie’s post-credits scene revealed, what’s wrong with Barry is that he didn’t feel the need to immediately fix his timeline and bring back his friend.

What Did The Flash‘s Post-Credits Scene Reveal About the New Timeline?

Ben Affleck’s Batman might be gone (at least for now), but Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is still around. An extremely intoxicated Arthur Curry appeared with Barry Allen in The Flash‘s only post-credits scene. Though mostly played for laughs,* the scene did provide vital information about the state of the world, the timeline, and reality at the end of the film.

Barry was trying to explain to his fellow Justice League member that he had traveled back in time and altered the past, resulting in an entirely different Bruce Wayne. Arthur had no idea what he was talking about, showing that only Barry remembers the old Batman. The Flash is the only bridge between the world that was and the reality he finds himself in now.

This reality still resulted in Barry working with other meta-humans and heroes. But to get Batfleck back, he’d need to go back in time again and put the tomato cans back where they originally went. Clearly he did not do that, and there’s no indication he has plans to anytime soon, if ever.

That leaves George Clooney in place as Bruce Wayne, for now anyway, along with all the other changes to the timeline we don’t know about yet. To save his father Barry sacrificed his friend, which raises one last major question.

*A passed out Aquaman can’t drown in a puddle. But you can. Even if you have a friend who can travel back in time, please drink responsibly.

Did Barry’s Decision to Rearrange Those Tomato Cans, and Thus Change Bruce Wayne, Completely Undermine His Entire Character Arc in The Flash?

Yeah, kinda! Weird, right?

But time travel and tragedy are both complicated. Besides, if there’s one thing we learned from the end of The Flash it’s that Barry Allen can always go back and change things if he wants.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post THE FLASH’s Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Some Indiana Jones fans will go into The Dial of Destiny merely hoping for something better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Those people will be very happy. The fifth and (supposed) final installment in the series is a big improvement over the fourth. But those who go in with loftier aspirations—viewers eager for a return to the experience and feeling delivered by the first three entries—won’t be so lucky. Because while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has some truly great stretches and leading man, it has fundamental problems, too. An average script and a lack of joy combine to only dig up the franchise’s most “okay” film.

If you’ve ever watched an Indiana Jones movie and wished its titular archeologist was very sad, uh, good news? The Dial of Destiny features a depressed, lonely Professor Jones. After a truly amazing life, his only remaining companion is the bottom of a bottle. He does have a good reason to be miserable after suffering an unthinkable tragedy (yes, you can guess exactly what that is), but the state of his life casts a shadow over the entire movie. This is a very serious film that is downright dark at times. It’s just very different in tone than its predecessors. It’s not that the movie is entirely joyless. This isn’t Indiana Jones Goes Emo. It’s just not joyful. That’s a missing foundational piece of the magical Indiana Jones formula.

The film is also not especially funny. It has lighthearted moments, for sure. They’re mostly delivered by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw whose energy stands in stark contrast to the older Indy. She’s his rogue goddaughter whose nefarious activities leads him to take one last adventure. But like Ford himself who outshines the film’s writing, Waller-Bridge’s charming performance as a dashing woman who is equal parts brilliant and reckless can’t give the movie the kind of levity it so desperately needs. The end result is a story that feels like too much of a course correction after the overly silly Crystal Skull rather than a return to form.

The movie, as absurd as this will sound, also suffers from too much action. The Dial of Destiny mostly operates at a proverbial 9 or 10 at all times, same as Waller-Bridge. But both her and the script would have greatly benefitted from an influx of quieter moments. (The few moments like that we do get are really effective, among the movie’s best.) That might sound antithetical to an Indiana Jones movie, but it was greatly needed with such a serious script. It’s just as much a drama as it is an adventure story. Once the movie opted to introduce a sad Indy it needed a different approach to telling that kind of story.

(It also could have used far fewer car chases. Or at least made some of them shorter. Eventually I started to wonder if I’d accidentally walked into a Fast & Furious prequel.)

The film does provide a fun MacGuffin for everyone to chase. The actual Dial of Destiny is an ancient device of Archimedes that legend says will let its user travel through fissures in time. That’s the driving desire of Mads Mikkelsen’s villain, a former Nazi scientist named Jürgen Voller now helping the U.S. land on the Moon. He wants to control “yesterday” so he can win a war he thinks Hitler foolishly lost. Mikkelsen’s stoic baddie makes for a worthy antagonist, but isn’t especially memorable like the franchise’s best villains.

What is scary (in 2023 especially) is the thought of surviving Nazis going back in time to change the outcome of the war. But the film’s use of its premise isn’t as good as the premise itself. The movie spends a lot of time driving to the fireworks factory only to set off a fraction of the fireworks it should when it arrives there. For an entry with a series-long runtime of over two hours and thirty minutes, it doesn’t use all that time as well as it should. That results in an ending that is not especially satisfying.

There are also basic storytelling mistakes that are so obvious they’re inexplicable. Great moments you think are being obviously foreshadowed don’t get payoffs. Meanwhile important moments that should be foreshadowed aren’t. There’s simply more promise in this script than there is payoff. If only someone could use the Dial of Destiny to go back and give the screenplay another pass…

So why isn’t the movie outright bad if it has so many problems? For one, none of its issues are true disasters. They all have a high floor that tend to go no lower level than mediocre rather than being outright awful. But more importantly, the film has a lot of great elements, too.

The first 25 minutes (set in 1945) are among the best in Indiana Jones history. If the whole film matched the quality of its start, we’d be discussing this as the best entry ever. There are also other sequences, like a lengthy chase through Tangier in Morocco, that is everything you’d want from one of these movies. The Dial of Destiny also features what might be the best de-aging in Hollywood history, a technological feat that genuinely enhances the plot. And its callbacks and Easter eggs to previous films never feel forced or overwrought. It not only gives us the right amount of them, they all feel like well-earned rewards for loving these movies rather than fan service.

And, even if we don’t like seeing him sad, its always fun spending time with Dr. Henry Jones Jr. Especially when Harrison Ford’s moving performance shows how much he clearly still cares loves the character and these movies. Indy might be heartbroken, but there’s still a lot of heart left in him. That comes across throughout the film and makes it better. It just would have been a lot more fun to see him again under better circumstances.

For some viewers that serious tone will be too much for the movie’s successful elements to overcome. For others it will absolutely work. They’ll love getting a new type of Indiana Jones story, one that is meaningfully different than the other four. But for most it will just make for an okay viewing, which is exactly what Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny ultimately is.

⭐ (3 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Is the Franchise’s Most Okay Film appeared first on Nerdist.

From one M.K. to another, Moon Knight‘s head writer Jeremy Slater will soon pen Mortal Kombat 2. In news we first saw on Deadline, we learned that New Line will move ahead with a sequel to their gaming blockbuster. Simon McQuoid will also return as director, per the publication.

Mortal Kombat released in 2021, to the delight of the game’s many fans. Of course, no movie adaptation will please everyone. But the world of Mortal Kombat is rich and beloved. And a sequel can continue to explore that in film form. And hopefully, whatever lessons the first Mortal Kombat film learned, Mortal Kombat 2 can improve upon.

The first movie featured a blend of new and familiar characters. And likely, a sequel will follow the same format and introduce new characters for the audiences to meet. But a sequel will probably make sure to continue to add in Mortal Kombat franchise Easter eggs for die-hard fans.

We don’t yet know what story Mortal Kombat 2 will tell. Or who it will spotlight. But last we saw the characters, Shang Tsung (Chin Han) was undeterred by his losses and determined to proceed with his plans for a tournament. Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) ordered his warriors to recruit new champions to defend the Earthrealm. And Cole headed off to Hollywood, hoping to find Johnny Cage. Johnny Cage, of course, is a well-known figure from the games—one of the original characters from the first Mortal Kombat arcade game. Recently, it was reported that Karl Urban was in talks to play Johnny Cage.

Additionally, You‘s Tati Gabrielle is in final talks to play the assassin, Jade. Jade is a character from Mortal Kombat II and serves as a confidant and protector of Princess Kitana. Speaking of the latter, Adeline Rudolph will portray Kitana. Rounding out the cast are Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, and Damon Herriman

So, all in all, things feel well set up for a sequel. Raiden’s warriors will find new characters from the games. Johnny Cage will arrive. Probably, we’ll see a tournament. And there you have it, Mortal Kombat 2. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the plot and production of the new movie very soon. Until then, we have one movie and a rich history of games to keep us occupied. A win/win scenario for us all. A flawless victory, as it were.

Originally published on July 21. 2022.

The post MORTAL KOMBAT 2 Reveals Director, Writer, and Cast appeared first on Nerdist.

The time has come to dust your hat off. Because Timothy Olyphant is officially heading back to our screens. Olyphant will reprise his iconic role as US Marshal Raylan Givens in a Justified revival. This limited series, titled Justified: City Primeval, will take fans back to the iconic franchise in a new story. And we now have an official first look at the series. The Justified: City Primeval teaser trailers remind us it’s all about the hat, the stare, the walk, and the bad guy takedown. And they let us know exactly when this series will release.

The teaser trailers don’t give us much, but they do get us excited. The Marshal is ready for action. And they confirm the show premieres July 18 on FX. The first two episodes begin airing at 10 pm ET/PT on FX, and they will stream the next day on Hulu.

A release for the Justified revival offers a little more. This time, the FX limited series will be inspired by the late Elmore Leonard’s novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit.

Having left the hollers of Kentucky eight years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 14-year-old girl.  His hair is grayer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind.

A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit.  There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again.  Mansell’s lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.

It sounds like Justified: City Primeval will feel every bit as intense as the original.

The release also shares that Olyphant will reunite with Justified producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner. The duo will serve as “Showrunners, Writers and Executive Producers, with Dinner directing.” Graham Yost, Sarah Timberman, and Carl Beverly also join as Executive Producers. In addition, Peter Leonard, Taylor Elmore, and Chris Provenzano will write for the series.

We’re excited so much of the original team can come back together for this revival. Getting back the people who created the show to begin with is often key to these revivals. And although this Justified revival is a one-off season for now, Olyphant and Timberman recently noted they would be open to expanding to more seasons. Olyphant noted of doing more of the revival, “I’d show up. I had a good time. Every time we’ve done this I’ve had a good time. And Timberman agreed saying, “If he shows up I show up—we all show up.”

Hopefully, Justified: City Primeval will capture the drama and the modern western spirit that the original show executed so well. As mentioned, Justified: City Primeval releases July 18.

Originally published on January 14, 2022.

The post FX Revival JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL Shares Teaser Trailers, Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

With the Flash about to hit theaters, James Gunn’s new DCU is closer than ever. As the old DCEU nears its multiversal conclusion, James Gunn weighed in on how this new DC Universe will differ from Marvel, and Dan’s breaking it all down on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

More DC News: https://nerdist.com/topic/dc/
Watch more Nerdist News: http://bit.ly/1qvVVhV

Follow Us:
Facebook https://facebook.com/nerdist
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nerdist
Instagram https://instagram.com/nerdist/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdist

Image: DC/Marvel

#NerdistNews #DCU #JamesGunn #MCU

The post James Gunn Reveals The Key Difference Between DCU & MCU appeared first on Nerdist.

John Wick: Chapter 4 recently dominated the box office, with Keanu Reeves delivering hours of action. And we loved it here at Nerdist. The fourth installment in the successful John Wick franchise was meant to be the end of Baba Yaga’s tale. And honestly, he deserves some rest, considering how quickly all of this mess went down for him. That’s a lot of pain and killing in a span of only a few months. But the smell of success is an intoxicating scent that lures executives in for more. So, it looks more and more likely that John Wick 5 could happen in the future, which is interesting considering how the fourth film neatly wraps up Wick’s story.

John Wick 5 Is in Early Development at Lionsgate

At a recent Lionsgate’s earnings call discussing Q4 of 2023, Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake addressed the John Wick franchise (via Comicbook.com). Not only did he confirm there were video games and TV series spinoffs in the works for John Wick, but he noted that John Wick 5 was actually in development. Well, we aren’t surprised. Here is his full quote:

We’re now moving across that franchise, not just in the AAA video game space, but looking at what the regular cadence of spin-offs, television really growing that universe so that there is a steady cadence of a franchise that there’s clear appetite by the audience. What is official is that, as you know, Ballerina is the first spinoff that comes out next year. We’re in development on three others, including John Wick 5 and including television series. The Continental will be airing soon. And so, we’re building out the world and when that five movie comes, will be organic — will be organically grown out of how we’re starting to tell those stories. But you can rely on a regular cadence of John Wick.

Drake also recently told The Hollywood Reporter: 

There’s a will and there’s an openness. And you could certainly interpret that ending in different ways,” said Drake. “We’re all going to take a tiny rest here and then scratch at ideas about whether there’s a credible way to get into five. But there’s no guarantee.

Whether John Wick 5 Happens Is Up to Reeves and Stahelski

Additionally, John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk recently told Deadline that “a lot more will be known by September. That’s when director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves head to Japan where, Iwanyk said, they will split a couple bottles of whiskey.”

Iwanyk shared:

Once they get through their hangovers, if Keanu and Chad have figured out something cool, if they’ve an organic way back in that doesn’t feel like bullshit, then there will be a John Wick 5. That trip to Japan, it’s like waiting for a boat to emerge out of the smoke, but that’s the impetus. These movies are really hard for Keanu and Chad, and everybody. By the time each one is over, most involved have said, never again, this is too hard and we’re not getting any younger. Then time goes by, you see it embraced by fans, and after working together every year for 11 years, it’s become a family and in some demented way, and we miss each other. But I totally defer to Chad and Keanu to figure out what and if that story is.

He also added, speaking to IGN, “John Wick 4 was embraced enough by the critics and the audience that it’s kind of an organic and natural next step to do John Wick 5. I think that there’s no question that it’s in development, but right now the story isn’t there yet. And until the story is there, it isn’t… It’s real on something we’re trying to figure out. But we haven’t settled on what that movie looks like or feels like.” Hopefully, that’s where Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves come in.

John Wick 5 Not Yet a Sure Thing

None of this, of course, is a confirmation that a John Wick 5 movie will definitely happen. Maybe Keanu Reeves will decide that he’s tired of shooting people and running in dress shoes when he meets with Stahelski. Early development doesn’t mean a definite yes, either. Either way, this isn’t the end of the universe. There’s already a secret Wick movie in the works, and we have the Ballerina flick coming later this year. But we wouldn’t mind seeing more John Wick at all, just as long as John Wick 5 tells the right story.

Originally published on March 27, 2023.

The post JOHN WICK 5 Is Once Again a Possibility, Somehow appeared first on Nerdist.

We may not have officially kicked off summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start planning for Halloween. Specifically, it’s time to think about this year’s Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. And this year, expect to hear some disturbing clicking sounds in their latest Haunted House. Because Naughty Dog has revealed that their iconic game (now HBO sensation) The Last of Us will get its own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house this fall.

The Last of Us haunted house will welcome guests at Universal Studios Orlando on September 1. The Universal Studios Hollywood version opens on September 7. Watch the super creepy announcement video:

The description for The Last of Us Halloween Horror Nights experience is as follows:

The Last of Us haunted houses on both coasts will propel guests into a world of carnage and mayhem as they follow in the footsteps of the game’s protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who endure a brutal journey in a world overtaken by a fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the Infected. As guests encounter the Infected – Runners, Stalkers and Clickers – along with The Hunters, a band of hostile humans, they will need to navigate the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone, including iconic locations from the video game such as the creepy and desolate The Hotel Grand and a labyrinth of dark and dank tunnels, in a desperate attempt to escape and survive.

Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood John Murdy has longed to include The Last of Us for a long time. In a statement, he said, “The world inside the game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities.” Thanks to the popularity of both the game and the TV series, we expect the lines for this one to be substantial. We expect more HHN announcements in the weeks to come. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Universal’s site.

The post THE LAST OF US Coming to Universal Halloween Horror Nights appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s a tough time to be a DC movie. In the inevitable upheaval involved in the changing of guards, several projects fell by the wayside, greatly underperformed, or, in the case of Batgirl, abruptly stopped production. Many of those decisions came before current co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran took over. Still, with the exception of The Flash and the Aquaman sequel, not many other projects seem certain. That is, of course, with the exception of Blue Beetle. The project began as an HBO Max exclusive movie and got an upgrade to theatrical, in IMAX, no less! Not only that, but James Gunn confirmed that although Blue Beetle is not a full DCU movie, Blue Beetle, the character, is the first DCU character.

Here’s the first trailer for Blue Beetle, hitting theaters in August.

While a character called Blue Beetle has existed for decades, this iteration—young Jaime Reyes—didn’t appear until 2006. In that relatively short span of time, Jaime has become a standout favorite for comics fans. The movie will, as you might expect, take elements from several different comic runs of the character. As we see at the beginning of the trailer, Jaime (Xolo Maridueña) is a young man working at a resort in the fictional Palmera City. On a fateful day, his friend gives him a carton from Belly Burger containing an alien scarab. Presto chango, the Scarab fuses to Jaime (in a rather Cronenbergian scene) and he’s got a Blue Beetle suit.

One fun aspect of the character in the movie is that he definitely does not have a secret identity, as such. His family, including George Lopez as his uncle, see his first transformation. He’s like the anti-Spider-Man. Everyone he loves knows his secret to begin with. Also, his uncle thinks Batman is a fascist, which is very funny.

We don’t get a huge sense of the larger story of the movie aside from Susan Sarandon wanting the device for herself. The film’s IMDb lists her as Victoria Kord, a character who only first appeared in this current “Graduation Day” comics arc. Ted Kord, of course, is the first Blue Beetle from back in comics’ past.

We also recently learned that Harvey Guillén’s character works for Sarandon’s Kord, playing a doctor torn between his loyalties to his profession and to being a good person.

The synopsis for Blue Beetle is as follows:

Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

And we won’t have long to wait to see it on very large screens. Blue Beetle, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, will hit theaters and IMAX August 18, 2023.

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post Meet Jaime Reyes, the First DCU Character, in BLUE BEETLE Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Over twenty years ago, Ginger, Rocky, and the rest of the chickens fled the Tweedy farm to live their lives in freedom. And Netflix is celebrating the stop-motion classic’s two-decade-plus anniversary in the best way. The streaming site has announced that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is coming to Netflix in 2023. In addition, the streaming service dropped a few more important nuggets: a teaser, the voice cast and the release date.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Teaser Trailer and Release Date

The movie will find Ginger and Rocky, now parents, having to upend their safe human-free life in paradise to do the unthinkable. They have to go back. And now know when they’ll do it. Chicken Run 2 will officially release on December 15.

In addition, here’s the official synopsis from Aaardman and Netflix:

Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream – a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they’re breaking in!

Chicken Run 2‘s Voice Cast

The film features a mixture of new and returning actors. But most notably, both Ginger and Rocky will have new voices in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi will voice Ginger and Rocky, respectively. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey is Molly. Rounding out the cast are Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, and Nick Mohammed.

Sam Fell (director of Flushed Away and ParaNorman) will direct Chicken Run 2 with a script from Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard. Nick Park (creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep), Kirkpatrick, Peter Lord, and Carla Shelley are executive producing.

More About the Chicken Run Sequel

The biggest surprise of this news might be that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget won’t get a theatrical release. Especially given that the original grossed over $224 million at the worldwide box office, and remains one of the most successful stop-motion animated films ever. Not that we’re complaining. We’ve waited two decades for a Chicken Run sequel to take flight. And now we’ll get it without even having to leave the coop.

The project was first announced in 2020, on the 20th anniversary of Chicken Run‘s debut. While initial reports over the years indicated Chicken Run 2 was a go, the official report certainly had us sighing with relief. As mentioned, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will officially release on Netflix in December of this year.

Originally published on June 23, 2020.

The post CHICKEN RUN 2 Sets Release Date, DAWN OF THE NUGGET Shares Teaser appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s not exactly a total shock, since The CW has been slowly putting an end to most of its superhero shows, but according to Deadline, the Batman series Gotham Knights has been canceled after only one season. It turns out that not even the star power of fan-favorite Misha Collins was enough to save Gotham from its fate.

Of course, ironically, in Gotham Knights‘ one and only season, Collin’s character Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face, was destined to become Gotham’s worst nightmare. But now, cancellation has achieved what Batman’s numerous foes could not, at least not fully.

Gotham Knights mainly focuses on the story of Batman’s adopted son Turner Hayes after Bruce Wayne’s murder. Turner joins forces with unlikely allies, the children of Batman’s enemies, after they are all framed for the hero’s murder. Generational stories always hold a lot of promise, but we guess we’ll have to wait for the next, next generation to arrive to get more of this tale. Especially since Gotham Knights was unable to find a new home.

The showrunners have been trying to find a future for Gotham Knights, but they have not had success (via TVLine). They shared the below on social media. Ultimately, they said The CW wasn’t able to renew the show, and the studio wasn’t able to find a new home for it.

Previously, The CW’s Entertainment President Brad Schwartz noted, “We love all those shows, and they all do very well for us in different ways.” But apparently not well enough. Ultimately, it seems like the writing was on the wall for Gotham Knights to end up canceled. However, we’re crossing our fingers we do get to see Misha Collins go full Two-Face before the last episode airs. Then it will all have been worth it.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

The post GOTHAM KNIGHTS Does Not Have a New Home After CW Cancellation appeared first on Nerdist.

Ticketmaster will no longer surprise you with an exorbitant, expensive shock at the end of your purchase. As we learned via Variety, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and other ticketing interfaces have promised they will now display the full price of a ticket upfront. Of course, Ticketmaster and the like will still have fees; the fees just won’t be hidden until the last minute anymore. And perhaps that will somewhat discourage the ticket-selling platform, famous for revealing its high additional fees just as a consumer is about to check out, from tacking on enormous extra costs. (Although probably not.)

Still, hopefully, this, at the very least, will allow consumers to more accurately understand what they’ll be paying and to plan accordingly… Whether that means planning to purchase or not to purchase a ticket. There’s nothing worse than seeing your total double after you’ve already imagined yourself at an event. Although a better step would be to move on eliminating Ticketmaster fees altogether, or at least moving to limit them, we’ll take the lessening of unpleasant jolts where we can get them. With any luck, this will just be the start of a better consumer experience when it comes to ticket buying from Ticketmaster and others.

The post Ticketmaster Will Now Show Full Ticket Price Upfront, No More Hidden Fees appeared first on Nerdist.

Doctor Who is set to do major things in 2023. First, there’s the obvious excitement around the show’s 60th anniversary in general. After so many decades on television with over a dozen Doctors, a long list of companions, and countless memorable moments, there’s so much to celebrate. Fans are ready to see David Tennant return as the Fourteenth Doctor (seriously, what is going on here?!) alongside the beloved Donna Noble. But there’s even more Doctor Who excitement with Ncuti Gatwa taking over as the Fifteenth Doctor in season 14. He will make his debut when Fourteen regenerates at the end of the anniversary special before going off on his own adventures. We already know that Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will travel with Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. But there are some guest stars that have fans hype for the next chapter of Doctor Who. 

Lenny Rush is joining the cast as Morris. Interestingly, Russell T Davies refers to him as a member of the TARDIS team, a phrase typically associated with companions. It is not fully clear if he will travel with the Doctor for more than an adventure or two versus being a full-time companion like Ruby Sunday. Perhaps he will be more like a Mickey Smith who hangs around for a bit and then decides to do other things. Either way, we are excited to see him!

Doctor Who season 14 will also bring Bonnie Langford back as Mel Bush. She traveled with the Sixth and Seventh Doctors before returning many years later, making a brief cameo in the Thirteenth Doctor’s final episode. Now, she will come back for a full on adventure.

There are quite a few mysterious new faces to this franchise. Drag Race’s Jinkx Monsoon will portray the Doctor’s “most powerful enemy yet.”

After taking one look at this character, we would let them take complete control of our lives. The statement about Monsoon’s character being a major baddie is very similar to what showrunner Russell T Davies said about Neil Patrick Harris’ character set to appear in the anniversary specials. Could this be the same character after a regeneration? Maybe. Or perhaps it is the Rani coming back to play again. Who knows.

Jonathan Groff will also appear in the upcoming season of Doctor Who. Most of us Americans know him best as Hamilton’s King George III. He certainly can give us a ton of humorous drama. The details about his character are unknown at this time outside of him playing a “key role” in the narrative. But we do know that it will be a historical episode based on this first look photo.

Anita Dobson and Michelle Greenridge will also appear this season as well in undisclosed roles along with Aneurin Barnard as a character named Roger ap Gwilliam. Indira Varma, who made a previous guest appearance in Torchwood, is starring as the Duchess.

We don’t know a lot about those new named characters yet, but the answers will eventually come. It seems this season of Doctor Who is going to be a campy good time based off of these guest stars. 

Another familiar face that we see again is Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Stewart. The leader of the UK’s UNIT branch and daughter of the Brigadier promises some more fun with the Fifteenth Doctor. We cannot wait to get more information about Doctor Who’s fourteenth season. Until then we will patiently wait for a trailer to really see Fifteen and Ruby in action.

Originally published on May 8, 2023.

The post All the DOCTOR WHO Season 14 Guest Stars So Far appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s about to be a “hot vampire summer.” At least if our favorite FX blood-suckers have anything to say about it. (And they always do have something to say.) Because season five of What We Do in the Shadows will arrive this summer, it will release on July 13, to be exact. And, in celebration of this, we finally have an official trailer for What We Do in the Shadow‘s upcoming season. Take a look below.

We’ve been dying, for one thing, to know if fan-favorite Harvey Guillén’s Guillermo will finally become a vampire or not in What We Do in the Shadows‘ next season. And it looks like the trailer for season five seems to hint that he will without much ado. However, the transformation isn’t going exactly as imagined. Does that mean maybe he isn’t becoming a vampire after all? Or perhaps Guillermo is just the world’s most peculiar vampire. We wouldn’t count it out.

The What We Do in the Shadows season five trailer also catches us up with all of our other favorite vamps. Laszlo, for instance, is taking on the mall. And he’s throwing around giant pictures of Ryan Seacrest. We’re cracking up already.

Honestly, we’re counting down the days (or is that nights) until the release of What We Do in the Shadows season five. It’s all celebrating the undead from here on out, especially since we already know we’ll get What We Do in the Shadows season six. That’s a lot of pressure off.

What We Do in the Shadows season five will premiere on FX and stream on Hulu next month. The first two episodes will arrive on July 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and will stream the next day on Hulu.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

The post WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Season 5 Trailer Teases Guillermo’s Vampire Transformation appeared first on Nerdist.

Fans of the Kent family have good reason to rejoice today. According to Deadline, The CW has renewed Superman and Lois for an abbreviated fourth season. Also returning for another season is All-American: Homecoming. In normal times, a renewal for Superman and Lois would be a no-brainer, as it’s one of CW’s better-performing shows. But with The CW shifting away from original scripted programming under its new management, the fate of the series was very much up in the air.

However, Superman and Lois’ good news comes along with some bad news for another DC Comics-related series, Gotham Knights. That series is ending after only one short season. This leaves Superman and Lois as the final DC Comics-related series on the CW, which has been home to eight series based on DC properties, with six of them occupying the Arrowverse. All series, including this one, were produced by Greg Berlanti. Superman and Lois is only tangentially related to the Arrowverse. Both Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch originated their roles in episodes of Supergirl, but these versions exist on a separate Earth in the Multiverse.

Things will be different for Superman and Lois in season four, however. The network has reduced the episode count from 13 to 10. It reduced the budget as well, which likely means fewer fights in tights and big effects and more family drama. It might also mean they might reduce the rather large cast due to budgetary concerns. According to TV Line, seven series regulars have been cut: Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck, and Sofia Hasmik. This leaves only four series regulars returning for Superman and Lois season four. These are Tyler Hoechlin (as Clark Kent/Superman), Elizabeth Tulloch (as Lois Lane) and Alex Garfin and Michael Bishop as the duos twin sons, Jordan and Jonathan Kent. Michael Cudlitz, who will play Lex Luthor, will become a season regular as well.

With the WGA strike in full effect, it might be some time before production begins on season four. Given that this will likely be the show’s swan song season, here’s hoping they do the Smallville crew justice.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

The post The CW Renews SUPERMAN AND LOIS for Season 4, Cuts 7 Series Regulars appeared first on Nerdist.

The last movie by our beloved Carrie Fisher now officially has a release date. According to Deadline, Wonderwell, a fantasy film, will get a limited run in AMC theaters on June 23 with a digital release afterward. It has been a long journey to this moment—seven years, to be exact. The Star Wars icon wrapped filming just six weeks prior to her death in 2016. And between Fisher’s demise, COVID, and the costly visual effects challenges of crafting a fantasy epic, the delay grew beyond what director Vlad Marsavin imagined. But things are thankfully in the clear now, and we will be able to see Carrie Fisher in her last role when Wonderwell hits theaters and digital platforms.

For those who aren’t familiar, here’s a quick Wonderwell synopsis: 

Set between contemporary Italy and a fantastical realm, the coming-of-age story follows Violet (Kiera Milward), an inquisitive girl living in Italy with her American parents and her beautiful older sister, Savannah (Tiger Free). When Savannah is selected to be the face of world-renowned designer Yana’s (Rita Ora) fashion label, the family travels to an enchanting medieval village for a photo shoot. Neglected and bored, Violet wanders from the ancient Tuscan town into a nearby forest where she meets the enigmatic Hazel (Carrie Fisher), who warns her about Yana’s beleaguered stepson, Daniele (Sebastian Croft). Guided by Hazel to a mysterious portal, Violet is offered a glimpse of what her future might hold. 

The movie itself sounds very good. And it seems that Carrie Fisher had a great experience while filming her last movie. Marsavin said she celebrated her 60th birthday with the cast and crew of Wonderwell in Italy, partying until the wee hours of the night. That’s the kind of energy that we know and love about her and what we will surely see in Wonderwell when the movie finally releases.

The post Carrie Fisher’s Final Movie WONDERWELL Sets a Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

The 1990s were a transformational time in American comics. Superman died and was later resurrected. The greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, went on a killing spree and tried to destroy the universe. Spider-Man battled a serial killer named Carnage. A wacky merc-with-a-mouth named Deadpool broke the fourth wall on a regular basis. And the first issue of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn sold over a million copies for the nascent indie publisher, Image Comics. Antiheroes were all the rage in the nineties because of popular comics starring Wolverine, the Punisher, Venom, Lobo, Cable, and more. Beyond those obvious highlights, this era was also a revolutionary time for queer representation, especially when you look at Hellblazer‘s John Constantine.

The eighties planted the seeds for the proliferation of LGBTQ+ characters in the nineties. This was in large thanks to Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol run and the rise of two British superstar writers named Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman. The “British Invasion” of American comics in the ’80s led to the launch of Hellblazer. It was a monthly horror series starring the chain-smoking con man and magician, John Constantine. As a working class and deeply flawed occult detective, John Constantine battled the evils of the Thatcher administration in Britain. Constantine remains a deeply singular figure in comics. But he represents both an antihero perspective of this time period, as well as comics’ movement towards queer perspectives. 

In 1992’s Hellblazer #51, by John Smith, Sean Phillips, and Tom Ziuko, John Constantine casually remarks that all of his past girlfriends and “the odd boyfriend” end up walking out on him. It was the first time that Constantine revealed to the reader that he was bisexual. While a subtle moment, the reveal of Constantine’s queerness was groundbreaking in the early nineties. The decade would go on to feature the debut of gay couple, Midnighter and Apollo, and a dramatic coming out story for mutant and Alpha Flight member Northstar. But Hellblazer remains unique in its nonchalance about Constantine’s sexuality. If anything, the reveal of Constantine’s sexuality confirmed what Hellblazer readers already knew: he’s a deeply queer character. 

Queerness has a political significance in that it represents non-normative and transgressive modes of being. This is precisely what the ethos of Hellblazer had always been. The unsavory aspects of Constantine’s life and personality made him a rejection of the traditional “wise old sage” magicians in British literature. His dabbling with the occult and supernatural led him into horrific situations. And he was often unable to help the people affected. Both the disturbing things Constantine encountered in Hellblazer, as well as his deep flaws, questioned the moral foundations underlying superhero comic books. 

Contemporary magic users in comics, like DC’s Doctor Fate and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, captured fans’ admiration. However, Constantine wasn’t someone readers should model themselves after. Instead, the tragic aspects of his life, like his traumatic experience in a mental institution, were something readers could empathize with and relate to. Considering this, it is not surprising that Hellblazer had a starkly different aesthetic from other DC and Marvel books at the time. It took on a grittier and quotidian look despite its supernatural elements. For Constantine, his queerness wasn’t just his sexuality but also his unique perspective and persona.

This idea is especially pertinent with regards to how Constantine stood out from other queer men from ’90s comic books. As opposed to Midnighter, Apollo, and X-Men’s Northstar, Constantine wasn’t buff or particularly attractive. (Interestingly, the character’s aesthetics draw inspiration from singer Sting.) He kept his bony frame hidden under a ratty suit and an even rattier trench coat. While Northstar’s muscular body zoomed the pages of X-Men books, Constantine would rarely punch or kick anyone. When he did, he looked awkward and uncoordinated. There was never an intention for Constantine to look nor behave like a “normal” character in superhero comics. He did not assimilate into the heteronormative image of a comic book hero. 

In the same vein, Hellblazer subverted mainstream narratives of ’90s queerness. Constantine’s casual mention of his past boyfriends was a break from the spectacle of coming out. Coincidentally, Hellblazer #51 hit shelves a couple months after the release of Alpha Flight #106. In that issue, Northstar became the first character from mainstream American comics to reveal that he was gay. The X-Men spinoff book, written by Scott Lobdell, features Northstar pouncing towards the reader while shouting, “I am gay!” It takes a much more sensationalist approach to queer sexuality. 

The story revolves around Northstar visiting his newborn adopted daughter in the NICU. There, a doctor tells him that “the child has AIDS.” Later on, when Northstar fights a father who lost his gay son to AIDS, he says, “Do not presume to lecture me on the hardships homosexuals must bear. No one knows them better than I. For while I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business––I am gay!” The issue’s cover tops off its sensationalism, bearing the tagline “Northstar as you’ve never known him before!” Alpha Flight #106 and Hellblazer #51 came within months of each other, five years before Ellen DeGeneres’ People magazine cover with the headline, “Yep, I’m Gay.” 

When viewed in comparison with his contemporaries, John Constantine becomes an even more important figure in queer comics history. Unlike Alpha Flight, Constantine’s sexuality wasn’t a plot device and did not come from a heteronormative gaze. Considering that Alpha Flight #106’s cover reads, “Northstar as you’ve never known him before,” it is clear that the issue was created without an imagined queer readership. In this context, queerness is a personal thing kept to oneself, away from others “for whom it is none of their business,” instead of an entire worldview and mode of existence. Northstar’s queerness was something to identify and not identify with.

Hellblazer #51 showed how queerness also applies to artistic expression beyond just direct content or subject matter. It is also within established canon. In fact, a previous issue by Garth Ennis, William Simpson, and Tom Ziuko shows Constantine meeting with a vampire king in the middle of the woods. Vampires are certainly an enduring metaphor for queer sexuality in literature. Thus, Hellblazer frequently surrounded Constantine with details that hinted at his queerness. 

Hellblazer’s dark subject matter, queer perspective, and political themes laid the groundwork for future LGBTQ+ comics like The Department of Truth, The Invisibles, and the current generation of X-Men comics. Constantine’s antihero elements made him an early example of a queer protagonist who was not bound by the duties of “positive representation.” Instead, Hellblazer gave us a deeply human picture of a queer man living in dehumanizing circumstances. He is someone who wants to do the right thing even when the narrative dooms him. In today’s climate, Constantine’s voice has never felt more urgent. 

The post HELLBLAZER’s John Constantine Revolutionized Queer Representation in ’90s Comics appeared first on Nerdist.

The Sonic the Hedgehog live-action renaissance continues with Knuckles, a Paramount+ series with Idris Elba reprising his role as the red ball of Echidna fury. Well, he’s not so angry now but don’t test him. We’ve known about the Knuckles spinoff series for a while; however, we are finally getting some new casting information. Not only is Tika Sumpter reprising her role as Maddie in the Knuckles TV series, but Adam Pally will also join the cast as Wade Whipple. In case you forgot, he’s a Green Hills police officer and Tom’s BFF. 

According to Variety, Knuckles will take place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the upcoming third installment. The next Sonic adventure will hit theaters on December 20, 2024. In this series, Wade will become Knuckle’s protégé as he learns “the ways of the Echidna warrior.” Why is this happening? We don’t know, and we do not care. We just want to see more Knuckles on our screen, especially if he is playing base of ball. It’s not clear when this series will drop, but it is in production as of April 2023. So maybe we will see it later this year or even early next year.

We don’t know if James Marsden will reprise his role as Tom or not, but a few others are joining Sumpter. The Knuckles series cast includes Edi Patterson, Scott Mescudi (known as Kid Cudi), Ellie Taylor, Rory McCann, Christopher Lloyd, Cary Elwes, Paul Scheer, Stockard Channing, and Rob Huebel. Either way, Knuckles is back on the scene and getting the solo love that he so deserves (no shade to Sonic) in his own spinoff series.

Originally published on April 17, 2023.

The post SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Spinoff Series KNUCKLES Adds Christopher Lloyd and More to Cast appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most prolific and legendary artists to ever work for Marvel Comics has left us. John Romita Sr. has sadly passed away at the age of 93, on June 13. The news arrived via Twitter, in a post from his son John Romita Jr., himself an art legend at Marvel Comics. The elder Romita was especially famous for taking over art duties on The Amazing Spider-Man, redefining Peter Parker’s look. This was after Spidey’s co-creator Steve Ditko left the title. During his time with Spidey, he introduced several of his co-creations to the lore, like the Kingpin and Peter Parker’s future wife, Mary Jane Watson. Stan Lee asked Romita to draw “the most beautiful girl you can imagine” when creating MJ. Romita delivered on that promise in just one iconic panel.

In addition to his five-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Romita also co-created the characters of Wolverine, Luke Cage, and the Punisher. Technically Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko co-created the bulk of the classic Marvel heroes and villains. But by the early ’70s, Romita was the chief architect in how Marvel’s characters looked in merchandising. John Romita became the go-to guy when you needed images of Marvel’s pantheon of heroes drawn in heroic poses. In fact, during this period, John Romita Romita would serve the role of Marvel’s art director.

John Romita was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930, the son of Italian immigrants. By 19, he was already working as a comic book artist. He would then find success drawing romance comics aimed at a female audience. In 1966, he got hired by Marvel, to draw their relatively low-selling series Daredevil. But after eight issues, Stan Lee hired him to take over for Steve Ditko when he left The Amazing Spider-Man.

During Romita’s time, he put his experience with romance comics to good use. He made Peter Parker more handsome, like a soap opera lead. He became a character MJ Watson would believably fall for. During Romita’s Spider-Man tenure, the title would go from Marvel’s second best-selling title to their biggest seller.

If you were a Gen-X kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s loving Marvel Comics, then the art of John Romita was the way you perceived the Marvel characters. From calendars to plastic cups to posters to lunchboxes, it was Romita’s renditions that were on almost every piece of merchandising during this era. The Marvel “House Style” ultimately wasn’t Jack Kirby or Gil Kane or any other prolific artist, it was Romita’s. The heroic pose of Spidey standing in the center of his web was an image every kid knew back in the day. Most kids didn’t know who drew it, but it was the distinctive touch of John Romita. Although Romita mostly retired for the last several decades, he drew the occasional issue or cover for Marvel, reminding younger readers that he still had it. His contributions to the art form of comic books will not be forgotten.

The post Iconic Comic Book Artist John Romita Has Passed Away, Age 93 appeared first on Nerdist.

Everyone loves Miles. The web-slinging teen is back in our lives with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and will return once again next year in Beyond the Spider-Verse. We absolutely adore Miles Morales in his animated form, but many fans have been wondering if the character will make a live-action debut in the near future. Well, according to Variety, producer Amy Pascal says that a live-action Miles Morales movie, a Spider-Woman animated film, and Spider-Man 4 are in the works. Tom Holland also chimed in on what upcoming movies might hold.

Fellow producer Avi Arad hinted that the Spider-Woman film will actually come sooner than most fans are expecting. That makes a lot of sense considering things are going well with the current animated franchise. Pascal also said that a fourth Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Zendaya is in the works, noting “Are we going to make another movie? Of course, we are.” Tom Holland also echoed the sentiment, noting, “It’s (Spider-Man 4) is a collaborative process. The first few meetings were about, ‘Why would we do this again?’ And I think we found the reason why. I’m really, really happy with where we’re at in terms of the creative.” But Holland also noted, “But I’m also a little apprehensive about it. There’s a bit of a stigma about the fourth one in all franchises. I feel like we hit a home run with our first franchise and there’s a part of me that wants to walk away with my head held high and pass the baton to the next lucky kid that gets to bring this character to life.”

Either way, things are currently slow due to the WGA strike. That is, of course, going to affect pretty much any plans they have for the foreseeable future. It could be a couple of years or five years before any of this stuff happens… if it happens at all. Corporations do change their minds, whether we like it or not. But hopefully, we’ll see traction for all our Spider-People.

And even more hopefully, Sony will give Miles what he deserves, which is to exist in every form with lots of adventures for fans to enjoy. For now, let the speculation on who would absolutely crush a live-action Miles Morales movie begin.

Originally published on May 31, 2023.

The post Live-Action Miles Morales Movie, SPIDER-MAN 4, and More Are in the Works appeared first on Nerdist.

A tabletop game that brings puzzle-solving and escape room sensibilities to the world of Batman seems like a no-brainer. Until now, no game has brought all the right pieces together. The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City from Infinite Rabbit Holes and Animal Repair Shop does, though. It blends an original Gotham story centered on Harley Quinn with mystery, puzzles, props, and augmented reality (AR). If it sounds like a lot of elements, it is—100 of them, actually. All of them come together for a unique, challenging, and fun experience.

Infinite Rabbit Holes sent us a copy of The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City for review. The story unfolds across seven chapters. You spend time on the streets of Gotham City, which you literally build, and then inside Arkham Asylum. Dr. Harleen Quinzel has a key role—she’s back at Arkham as a therapist—but Harley Quinn shows up too. The primary villain in the game is Anarky, but I won’t go into spoilers on the story or everyone who shows up. I will, however, note the Batman presence is minimal.

As you play through different chapters, the free companion app featuring the Joker will instruct you when to open various envelopes or boxes. Each chapter sets up the next part of the story, often with video components, and then getting into puzzles. You’ll use the AR features to help solve puzzles often, but not every time. I found the various puzzles got more challenging as the game continued, and I turned to hints more often as I progressed. If you get super stumped, you can skip a puzzle to proceed. I had to do so once.

One puzzle in particular utilizes a timer, adding much-appreciated stakes to gameplay. For many things, you can work at your own pace. While the timer did stress me out slightly, it was for an appropriately tense situation.

The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City has many points in its favor, but the biggest is definitely its design, including the sounds and music. This game overflows with attention to detail. Case files, puzzle pieces, packages—it’s a whole lot of surprise and delight for a game set in Gotham’s gritty streets. If you’re the kind of person who likes opening presents, this game brings that type of joy chapter after chapter. Pay close attention to every scribble and every piece of art; Easter eggs abound, as do little character touches. You could easily turn game components into collectible display items.

A few small things to keep in mind for The Arkham Asylum Files:

• If you want to repack the box for future replays, have a letter opener on hand for the many envelopes and boxes.
• Take the recommendation about setting up on a surface you can navigate around seriously. You need room to look at the buildings and board from various angles, especially if you use an iPad instead of an iPhone.
• I recommend splitting game play into chapter-long sessions. It gives your brain some time to rest. For the most part, each chapter has a satisfying conclusion. The final chapter is a little underwhelming as far as activities, so I’d plan to play chapters six and seven at the same time. If you do split up gameplay, you should ideally set the board and buildings up somewhere you can leave them. However, I had to pack my game away after each chapter (I left the buildings assembled) and it was not the end of the world.

Click To View Gallery

I played The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City with one other person. I’m glad I did—I would have found playing by myself to be too much of a challenge. Even with two people, we finished the entire game in roughly seven hours, split between six sessions. With its creative use of AR paired with a stack of tangible elements and an engaging story, The Arkham Asylum Files is an immersive must for game night.

The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City is available from Infinite Rabbit Holes now.

The post THE ARKHAM ASYLUM FILES Game Delivers Puzzles and Exploration Worthy of Batman’s World appeared first on Nerdist.

The fear of something unknown or scary coming to get you is a big part of our childhoods. We imagine a monster is under our beds or something is lurking in the dark corner of our rooms. Or perhaps we hear strange, creaking sounds and think something sinister is waiting for us. It usually turned out to be our very active imaginations but some stories suggest otherworldly happenings. That’s what we get with Cobweb, a horror thriller starring Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, and Woody Norman with a very creepy trailer. 

In the clip, we meet Norman’s character Peter. He’s eight years old and hearing knocks from his bedroom wall. Predictably, his mom Carol (Caplan) says his imagination is out of control. But there’s something surely happening from his perspective as he sees (and draws) very scary s**t. Meanwhile, his dad Mark (Starr) tells him that hard decisions must be made to protect family. We don’t know what that means in the context of their situation, but something’s not quite right with Mark. Then again, Starr does play Homelander so it is very easy to see him as a villain.

The trailer for Cobweb promises many jump scares and plot twists ahead, which isn’t shocking considering the creative minds behind this film. Samuel Bodin of Marianne fame is the director and Chris Tomas Devlin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) penned the script. The production team has hits like Barbarian and It under its belt. What is haunting poor Peter? Probably the ghosts of his parents’ mistakes. The answers will come when Cobweb hits theaters on July 21.

The post COBWEB Trailer Teases Haunted Happenings in the Walls… and Beyond appeared first on Nerdist.

Soon the world will meet a new Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the most famous superhero in the world as they transition the franchise from the DCEU to the DCU. Who will play the Man of Steel on the big screen this time around? What kind of story will we see him in? And who will bring it to life?

Right now, the question of casting Superman: Legacy is top of mind for fans, but everyone, we’ll have to be patient for a while longer. James Gunn recently shared a bit of a casting update on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. He notes that once he hammered down the story of Superman: Legacy, he felt a lot of pressure casting the role. But now he says, “We’ve done a lot of auditions, we’re narrowing it down.” However, “we’re not done yet.” Gunn also cautions that there is a lot of misinformation and confusion out there when it comes to casting.

In short, we have to hang tight for now. When Superman is cast, we’ll know. Still, we’re glad to hear that the field has been narrowed. Hopefully, we’ll find out soon who the next Man of Steel will be.

Gunn also neither confirmed nor denied whether Lex Luthor will appear in his Superman movie. But he did agree with Rosenbaum that if Lex Luthor does appear in the DCU, he’ll be grounded and real.

Here’s everything we know about Superman: Legacy…so far.

Title

The DCU’s first official movie (though not its first official release) is titled Superman: Legacy. That will kick off the film side of what James Gunn has called the franchise’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He has also called Superman: Legacy “the true beginning” of the DCU.

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot

While the film still has no official synopsis, Warner Bros. did provide a description of what we can expect from the story, which James Gunn says is not an origin tale.

Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Gunn announced the film with art from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Whether or not that means the story is influenced, inspired by, or adapted from the 12-issue comic series in any way is unclear. What Gunn has said is the movie will focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life,” where he is still old enough to already be working for the Daily Planet.

In a recent interview, Gunn did tease that a potential fan-favorite character might be part of the movie. The idea of Krypto the Superdog appearing in Superman: Legacy was batted around by James Gunn and Chris Pratt. But whether everyone’s favorite heroic canine will really appear is yet to be 100% confirmed.

Superman: Legacy‘s Cast

Casting has not yet been announced for the film. We do know Henry Cavill will not reprise his role as Superman, though. It also seems unlikely Logan Lerman will get the part, even if he seems to be the right age for the version of Superman Gunn has described when talking about the film.

But recently, James Gunn shared more about what he’s looking for in casting the role of Superman himself.

Gunn noted:

We actually have some really great choices, which I’m excited about. But it has to be somebody who has all of the humanity that Superman has, but he’s also an alien. It’s gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that Superman has. And it has to be somebody that you want to give a hug.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing. On Twitter he also announced pre-production has already begun on the film.

For fans worried about possible interference from Warner Bros. Discovery executives, Gunn said his DC Studios operates independently and he won’t be getting any notes on his script from them.

Superman: Legacy‘s Release Date

Superman: Legacy will soar into theaters faster than a speeding bullet on July 11, 2025.

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

The post DCU’s SUPERMAN: LEGACY Has Narrowed Down Casting Choices, But Not Done Yet appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It is … Jack Quaid’s Man of Steel! Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC have released a new trailer for the upcoming series My Adventures With Superman. And if you thought it was already hard enough for a young person entering the workforce, wait until you see how tough it is while also learning how to be a superhero at the same time. The trailer for My Adventures With Superman also reveals its July release date. Plus—we get a tease of the show’s fun new theme song and opening sequence.

The music is by punk band Kyle Troop & The Heretics, and the theme song and opening really set the tone for the series to come. We don’t yet know if this is an abridged version of the opening or not, but we like what we have so far. And we can’t wait to see this version of the Man of Steel fly into action. Luckily, the trailer for the show gives us an even better look at the adventures in store.

As we can see in the trailer, Clark Kent’s story will get a modern day twist on My Adventures With Superman. We’ll be joining Krypton’s favorite son at the start of both of his professional careers. The show will follow young Clark at the onset of his budding journalism work alongside his new friends. Only, he’ll be doing that while learning about himself, developing romantic feeling for his co-worker, and being a superhero. Here’s the show’s official synopsis from Adult Swim:

My Adventures with Superman is a serialized coming-of-age story catching up with twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane, and their best friend Jimmy Olsen as they begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet. The story follows Clark as he builds his secret identity as Superman and explores his own mysterious origins. Lois, on her way to becoming a star reporter, teams up with photographer Jimmy Olsen to break the stories that matter. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love… as Lois gets closer and closer to uncovering his secret identity!  Our trio share adventures, take down bad guys, stumble over secrets, and discover what it means to be heroes in their own right.

In addition to Quaid’s Kent, the show stars Alice Lee as Lois Lane and Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy. My Adventures With Superman debuts at Adult Swim with two episodes at midnight on July 6. New episodes will follow every Thursday. They’ll then be available on Max the next day.

That’s good in case you miss them live—no way a young Superman would already have time travel figured out at this point in his careers.

Originally published on June 5, 2023.

The post MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Title Sequence Lets Jack Quaid’s Man of Steel Take Flight appeared first on Nerdist.

The Wheel continues to turn at Prime Video with the second season of The Wheel of Time. Greenlit months before season one premiered, season two of the fantasy series has already filmed and wrapped (with season three in the works). The sprawling tale adapts Robert Jordan’s 14-book fantasy book epic of the same name. Key word there? Adapts. Season one brought many changes to the order of events in the books. For example, it left out characters and locations. But the heart of the story comes through, as do the characterizations of the primary ensemble—most of whom will return for more of the story.

New images show off mostly familiar characters, including Perrin’s golden eyes:

Click To View Gallery

Here’s everything we know about The Wheel of Time season two so far.

The Wheel of Time Season Two’s Plot

The first season of The Wheel of Time largely followed book one of Robert Jordan’s series, The Eye of the World. However, it did pull in elements from books two and three as well. And the TV series is different enough from the books that we should only look at the source material as a loose guide. All that said, we imagine many aspects of season two will focus on book two, The Great Hunt.

Click To View Gallery

Plot and casting signs indicate threads of The Great Hunt ahead. Padan Fain took the Horn of Valere from Fal Dara, and surely our heroes will chase him to reacquire it. The artifact is too important to leave with a Darkfriend. And of course, the Seanchan made their first appearance at the very end of the season one finale. Their forces and invasion play a huge role in the books and introduce a truly nightmarish use of the One Power.

At New York Comic Con 2022, showrunner Rafe Judkins confirmed the Seanchan have a large role to play in the season ahead. He also noted that season two will take us through the end of book three, The Dragon Reborn. Judkins said those initial three books are kind of the first section of the series and set up the ensemble cast on their various paths. A continuing theme throughout the season will be characters dealing with loneliness.

We got a sneak peek for season two at New York Comic Con, and basically, the show is turned up to 11. The characters we met in season one are on their paths and now, well, it’s on. The tease for season two confirms they did not defeat the Dark One but instead, set free the Dark One’s right-hand lieutenant. The group has to contend with that issue, the Forsaken, the Seanchan (which look terrifying), Moiraine’s loss of the One Power, the Whitecloaks… that only scratches the surface. We see a lot of tears and blood in this sneak peek.

Behind the Scenes

Rafe Judkins continues as showrunner. We know the first episode is called “A Taste of Solitude.” Amanda Kate Shuman wrote it. Interestingly, the episode name pulls its title from a chapter in book six of the series, Lord of Chaos. Judkins also recently shared that The Wheel of Time season two would have eight episodes, like season one. He also noted that The Wheel of Time season two’s episodes would be longer.

The Wheel of Time Season Two’s Cast

The primary cast from season one is mostly sticking around as far as we know. Basically, if the character is still alive, the actor is back—except for Mat Cauthon. Barney Harris portrayed the character in season one, but Dónal Finn will pick up the role in season two. Amazon has not shared the reason behind recasting.

New cast members include:

• Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand, the daughter-heir of Andor
• Natasha O’Keeffe in an unknown role
• Meera Syal as Verin Mathwin
• Ayoola Smart as Aviendha, an Aiel Maiden of the Spear
• Maja Simonsen as Chiad, a Maiden of the Spear
• Ragga Ragnars as Bain, a Maiden of the Spear
• Jay Duffy as Dain Bornhald, a Whitecloak
• Rima Te Wiata as Sheriam Bayanar, Master of Novices at the White Tower

New recurring cast members include:

• Guy Roberts as Uno Nomesta
• Arnas Fedaravicius as Masema
• Gregg Chillingirian as Ingtar Shinowa

The Wheel of Time Season Two’s Release Date

Season two of The Wheel of Time will premiere on September 1, 2023.

Originally published on December 28, 2021.

The post New THE WHEEL OF TIME Season 2 Photos Show Off Perrin’s Eyes appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boys hit Prime Video back in 2019 and TV hasn’t been quite the same since. Over the past three seasons, we’ve watched a band of morally corrupt supes maim, kill, and completely destroy lives without remorse. And, no matter how much the Boys try to mitigate the Seven’s impact, it seems that nothing can stop the worst of them all—Homelander—from becoming an increasing threat. So, what does the future hold for these characters? That remains to be fully seen next season. For now, we do know that Homelander will go to trial for killing that Starlight supporter but, of course, Vought is standing by his side.

Here’s everything else we know about The Boys season four so far. 

The Boys Season Four’s Plot 

Right now, there are little to no specific details about the plot. Based on the season three finale, we do know that the events of season four will center around a couple of key storylines. Homelander will be a terrible father to Ryan and have to potentially face his previous actions. Butcher will also have to cope with his grim diagnosis. It remains to be seen how the other characters will weave into the events of The Boys season four. But, according to showrunner Eric Kripke’s interview with Deadline, the Gen V college spinoff will somehow affect the events of season four. 

For now, we have the title of its first episode.

“Department of Dirty Tricks” sounds like a promising start to what we’re sure we’ll be an even more shocking season of television than the previous three. And somehow, we will go from that to whatever the “assassination run” is several episodes later.

Showrunner Eric Kripke also got fans hype with the revelation that season four’s eighth episode, meanwhile, is called “Assassination Run.” It is about to be diabolical, indeed…

We’re also excited by our first good look at two new Supes coming onboard the show, according to Variety. Firecracker and Sister Sage now officially have superhero costumes, and they look good. Not much is known about these two new characters, but Susan Heyward will play Sister Sage, and Valorie Curry will play Firecracker. We can’t wait for more details because they sure have caught our attention.

Additionally, Giancarlo Esposito is teasing us with hints that Stan Edgar will soon be back on our screens in The Boys season four. We definitely need that in our lives.

And, for those who fear that The Boys might wrap things up after season four, we have good news for you! Eric Kripke assures us that there will be more seasons to come. Also, it seems that season four is almost done shooting, so that puts us one step closer to more action.

It’s going to be a bloody good time. As The Boys official account notes, “Most normal pics coming out of S4, lad.”

Behind the Scenes 

Eric Kripke will continue to be the showrunner for The Boys season four. And, the show began filming in August 2022.

The Boys Season Four’s Cast

The titular crew is coming back for another round with Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), and Erin Moriarty (Starlight) reprising their roles. From the evil supes (and those who support them) side, Antony Starr (Homelander), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett), and Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman) will return. Giancarlo Esposito will also make his way back onto the show. It’s not clear if Dominique McElligott will return as Queen Maeve. But we do know that Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell will return as a new person in that infamous suit. 

In August 2022, Variety revealed that Cameron Crovetti—who plays Ryan—will be upped to a series regular. As mentioned above, newcomers Valorie Curry and Susan Hayward will portray Firecracker and Sister Sage. They are not comic book characters, so fans will have to wait and see how they fit into the season’s puzzle. 

We also got major news that The Walking Dead‘s Jeffrey Dean Morgan will join the cast. The details about his character are a secret for now, so we will have to see if he’s a friend or foe. But Karl Urban gave us a sneak peek at Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s The Boys look.

The Boys Season Four’s Release Date 

The Boys season four has officially wrapped production. Series creator Eric Kripke revealed the news in a tweet and shared some bloody images to go along with it, as did star Jack Quaid.

There is currently no release date for The Boys season four. 

Originally published on October 10, 2022.

The post THE BOYS Season 4 Will Take Homelander to Trial for Murder appeared first on Nerdist.

The DCU is coming our way, and many fans wonder how it will compare to the all-mighty MCU. Well, according to James Gunn, there will be some significant differences between the DCU and its Marvel counterpart. The co-CEO of DC Studios dove into the topic with Inside of You podcast to give fans more insight. (Thanks to IGN for putting this on our radar.) On the podcast, Gunn shares the DCU will lean heavily on secret identities and fantasy settings, which is certainly not like the MCU.

“If you look at the MCU, there are very few traditional superheroes,” Gunn affirms. “There was never a guy with a secret identity until Spider-Man in the MCU. Their Cap was turned into a soldier even though he wears a mask. Iron Man outed himself at the end of the first Iron Man because they don’t want to deal with the whole secret identity stuff.”

He goes on to explain that the DCU is also more fantasy based than the MCU because many of its heroes, like Superman, are larger than life. To him, Clark Kent and Superman are very much two different characters. And the DCU will find a way to deal with both of them in its world. Speaking of its world, Gunn is excited to explore fictional places like Gotham City. DC’s settings create a much different feeling than putting heroes in our real-life cities as the MCU tends to do. 

“One of the things that I love about DC, that excites me about DC, is that in a way it’s another alternate history,” he notes. “It is Gotham City and Metropolis and Star City and Bludhaven, and all these different places in this other reality, and it makes it a little bit like Westeros in some ways.”

Now that’s an interesting comparison. The ways that the DCU will be different from the MCU make a lot of sense and will give fans a fresh approach to DC’s roster. In the meantime, we will be (not so) patiently waiting for Superman: Legacy to fly our way in 2025.

The post Here’s How James Gunn’s DCU Will Be Different From the MCU appeared first on Nerdist.

There has been a flurry of recent activity in the world of DC. First, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the cinematic DC Universe and announced an ambitious slate of projects. Next, work on Superman: Legacy began right away, with casting in progress and the script itself completed. But ardent fans of James Gunn’s hit show Peacemaker have been eagerly anticipating news of the project’s second season. Of course, Peacemaker was mentioned briefly in the announcement of DC’s slate. But it did not receive a coherent update about the status of its second season. Happily, James Gunn recently shared more about the status of the series on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. Here’s what Gunn had to say about Peacemaker season two and when fans could expect forward motion on the show.

Rosenbaum asks Gunn about Peacemaker season two at the 1:16:20 mark. He questions, “Is Peacemaker really coming back, or is there just no time for it?” To which Gunn replied straight away, “No, Peacemaker‘s coming back right after Superman. That’s my next thing.” Gunn adds, “I’ll go straight from Superman to Peacemaker.”

Of course, there are no present dates on the timeline, at least no public ones. We know Superman: Legacy is currently slated to release on July 11, 2025. But we don’t know exactly when the movie will be in a place such that Gunn can move on to Peacemaker season two. We’d bet that would put the second season of Peacemaker into 2026, with a smidge of hope it could release in 2025. Still, there’s an urgency in which Gunn suggests he’ll head from Superman to Peacemaker that makes it feel like the series is definitely a priority on Gunn’s full dance card.

Of course, everything Superman will have to come first. But hopefully, we’ll start to hear more about Peacemaker season two sooner rather than later. It really is hard to believe that Peacemaker has only had one season to date. With any luck, though, we’ll see a second season and many more.

The post PEACEMAKER Season 2 Is James Gunn’s Next Project After SUPERMAN: LEGACY appeared first on Nerdist.

Writer and artist ND Stevenson’s Nimona started as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012. The story about a shapeshifter who usually takes the form of a human girl was once destined to become an animated feature film from 20th Century Fox Animation. However, it was delayed repeatedly and then canceled, even though the movie was 75% complete. But Netflix circled back and picked up Nimona in April 2022, and now, finally, we have a full trailer for this epic tale. There’s a lot of fun action, color, and adventure to be found in this frankly adorable clip.

Here’s the full synopsis for Nimona:

When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc.

What if, indeed? We can see in the trailer that Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) has a mischievous nature. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is certainly getting himself into a chaotic adventure when he asks for Nimona’s help.

Nimona‘s tone and style in this trailer is awesome and we can’t wait to see it in its entirety. We’re always eager for animation that just might do something different, and it looks like Nimona will deliver.

Nimona arrives on Netflix on June 30.

Originally published on May 18, 2023.

Featured Image: Netflix

The post NIMONA Trailer Introduces a Delightfully Chaotic Duo appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s time to defend the galaxy from a whole new evil. Star Wars: Villainous is evolving its ranks with three all-new notorious Star Wars villains as a part of its first game expansion. Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy is the second installment of the Star Wars Villianous game line and its first announced expandalone game. But just who is joining us in our dark side fun? Why, it’s one of our favorite guns for hire, the bounty hunter Boba Fett, as well as Inquisitor The Seventh Sister and Cad Bane.

A release about the game shares that Boba Fett was “the most highly requested villain in the galaxy” when it came to who should join the Star Wars Villainous ranks. But he’s not the only baddie we’ll see in Scum and Villainy. The game has now also “reveal[ed] two more notorious ​Star Wars​ characters that fans are sure to recognize,” The Seventh Sister and Cad Bane.

In the meanwhile, here’s more about what we can expect from the game.

In the Star Wars™ Villainous: Scum and Villainy game, for those who choose to play as Boba Fett, players can switch sides of the board, mimicking how Bounty Hunters often fight against each other. Players stepping into the role of ruthless mercenary Cad Bane will be forced to rely on their allies for initial attacks so that they can deal the final blow. Finally, for The Seventh Sister, players will have to use every ounce of their Ambition to defeat her specific Heroes who are always just one step ahead.

As an expandalone game, this version of the game functions all on its own. Or it can be mixed into the larger universe that has already been released for even more fun and adventures.

Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy is available for pre-order now. The game will release on July 30th.

Originally published on May 4, 2023.

The post The Seventh Sister and Cad Bane Join Boba Fett in STAR WARS VILLAINOUS: SCUM AND VILLAINY appeared first on Nerdist.

We first heard we could add Bambi to the list of Disney live-action movies in early 2020. The story of the little deer who lost his mama and made friends with the forest critters will get another chance at the big screen. And recently, the movie showed signs of new progress. According to Deadline, Oscar winner Sarah Polley is in talks to direct the latest Disney live-action film. The publication also notes that Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster wrote the latest version of the script. And additionally, the project would be a musical and would feature music by Kacey Musgraves.

The original Bambi was one of Walt Disney’s passion projects after the incredible success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe, both Snow White follow-up films Bambi and Pinocchio lost money for the studio, with the entire European market now closed off to them. But nevertheless, Bambi garnered several Oscar nominations, and thanks to many re-releases and home video, became the classic we think of it as today.

Unlike later Disney animated films, Bambi is a relatively simple story. The actual original film is barely over an hour in length, coming in at just 70 minutes. So that means that this new version will have to have a very padded-out screenplay to make it closer to a traditional two-hour running time that most big movies have these days. I imagine we will see more of Bambi’s parents, and get way more screen time for scene-stealing characters like Thumper and Flower the skunk.

It could be that Bambi goes the same route as the recent Lady and the Tramp re-do, and the studio will release it straight to Disney+. Peter and Wendy, a live-action remake of Peter Pan, recently headed right to the streaming service. However, a live-action The Little Mermaid movie released in theaters.

Considering there are no humans seen in the original Bambi, this could wind up being another controversy similar to Disney’s remake of The Lion King, which was criticized for being an animated film posing as live-action. Unless we suddenly see the hunters who killed Bambi’s mom—who are largely off-screen characters anyway—I don’t see how this new iteration of Bambi will really be able to be considered “live-action.”

Regardless, the live-action remakes of classic animated Disney fare has been a major franchise for the studio, on par with Star Wars and Marvel. While they might run out of the original 2D animated classics to remake in the next few years, it’s only a matter of time before the Pixar films like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. get the treatment. And with all the money that The Nightmare Before Christmas rakes in via merchandise, that one has got to be on the docket as well. Personally, I can’t wait for Hercules‘ live-action movie. That one doesn’t get nearly enough love, and could be perfect given the right casting.

This new Bambi live-action movie is still in early development, but perhaps we will hear more about it soon.

Originally published on January 24, 2020.

The post Live-Action Disney BAMBI Movie Shows Signs of Life appeared first on Nerdist.

With The Flash film finally upon us, positioning Barry Allen as the fastest hero on the silver screen, it has us wondering. Who is the actual fastest Flash in DC comics? While most would say Barry Allen as a certainty, given his positioning as the most well-known Scarlet Speedster, the actual answer might surprise you. We count down the fastest speed heroes in the Flash family, from “least speed” to light speed.

Note: We are only counting the speedster heroes of the main “Earth-0” continuity of DC Comics. So no Flashes from alternate futures or parallel worlds who only appeared a handful of times. And no evil versions of the Flash, like the Reverse Flashes, Godspeed, or the Black Flash.

10. Iris “Irey” West (Thunderheart, Impulse II)

Wally West, the third Flash, has two young twin children with his wife, reporter Linda Park. Their speedster kid is Iris West, named after Wally’s beloved aunt Iris, but she goes by Irey. She and her twin brother Jai grew at a sped-up rate, but stabilized at around age eight. While her brother Jai channels speed energy into his muscles, making him strong, Irey has traditional super-speed powers. She originally took the name Impulse, until Bart Allen took the name back. She currently goes by Thunderheart. Still a small child, she can’t come close to the speed records of the other Flashes. But she has managed to run hundreds of miles in a mere ten seconds. Not bad for a little kid.

9. Max Mercury

Originally an obscure Golden Age hero called Quicksilver (name changed for obvious, Marvelous reasons), Max Mercury returned in Mark Waid’s fun of The Flash in the ‘90s. We learned that Max was a “speed guru,” and actually gained his speed through a magic spell, and not some scientific mishap. Born in 1819, he’s the oldest living speedster. And he was the first to discover and name the Speed Force. Having spent years studying it, he understands the Speed Force intricacies better than most. Able to use acrobatic skills while tapping into his speed, he mentored both Wally West and Bart Allen in using their powers. Despite this, he can only run past Mach-1, the speed of sound.

8. Avery Ho (Flash VI)

One of the newest members of the Flash family, Avery Ho is the Flash of China, and a member of that country’s Justice League. She gained her powers in a Speed Force storm in Barry Allen’s hometown of Central City, which also created the villain Godspeed. After getting a better handle on her new abilities, Avery was asked to join the Justice League of China as their Flash. During a period when Flash Barry Allen vanished, Avery was recruited to take his place on in multi-dimensional team Justice League Incarnate. She can certainly keep up with the veteran Flashes, but is still not quite at their speed levels.

7. Jesse Chambers (Jesse Quick, Liberty Belle, Flash IV)

Jesse Quick, who also goes by the name Jesse Chambers, is a legacy hero like Wally West and Bart Allen. Her father was Golden Age speedster Johnny Quick, and her mother was his fellow superhero, Liberty Belle. Jesse inherited her dad’s speed, which she can access by reciting a certain speed formula as her mantra. She also inherited her mother’s super strength. This made her a formidable member of groups like the Titans and the Justice Society. And although she is pretty darn fast, she can only run at half-light speed. But while other speedsters may be faster, Jesse also has super strength, which gives her a leg up on some of the others. She very briefly took the name Flash from Wally West when he vanished, but this was for just a few issues.

6. Wallace West (Kid Flash III)

Believe it or not, there are actually two speedsters named Wallace West, both nephews of Barry Allen’s wife, Iris West. The elder one goes by “Wally,” and he’s the son of Iris’ brother Rudy West. The second is the son of her brother Daniel West, one of the Reverse Flashes, and goes by Wallace. Teenage Wallace became Kid Flash during the New 52 era of DC Comics, and inspired the Kid Flash we saw in the CW Flash series. Wallace has thus far proven to be pretty fast, able to move at superhuman speeds equal to the speed of light, or 186,000 miles per second. He may eventually surpass the other members of the Flash family in terms of his speed. But he’s still pretty new at this, and has a few miles to go before that happens.

5. Jay Garrick (The Flash I)

Created in 1940, college student Jay Garrick gained super-speed powers when inhaling the fumes of something called “Hard Water.” (Wait, isn’t hard water just ice?) He became the first superhero to call himself the Flash, and was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. But his high speeds were rather tame by modern standards, running at 20 times the speed of sound. Very impressive during World War II, but less so today. His successors would all run far faster than he could. He eventually learned how to run at much, much faster speeds after discovering the Speed Force, but he couldn’t quite match his successors. Who are all, frankly, far younger than he is. But he’s still pretty spry for a dude who’s over 100 years old.

4. Jenni Ognats (XS)

This speedster is the cousin of Bart Allen, a.k.a Impulse. She was born in the 31st Century to Dawn Allen, one of the children of Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen. Unlike Bart, Jenni remained in her future time, and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, the teen champions of the United Planets. She can run at near-light speeds, vibrate through solid matter, and even time travel and cross dimensions by altering her molecular vibrational frequencies. She has not had as much training as her cousin Bart, so he has the edge on her speed-wise, for now. XS has not been seen for some time, and it’s unclear if she’s even still a part of mainstream DC continuity.

3. Barry Allen (Flash II)

Even though he’s the second hero named the Flash, for years, DC Comics has positioned Barry Allen as the “Prime Flash.” He set the stage for DC Comics’ Silver Age revival, and carried his own series for 29 years. In the 2009 limited series Flash: Rebirth, which resurrected Barry after more than two decades, they revealed that Barry actually created the Speed Force himself, from which all other speedsters derive their powers. That makes him the most important Flash for sure. But does it necessarily make him the fastest?

Barry’s top speed generates a multiversal constant power, allowing him to exist in every time and dimension at once. He once had to travel 9.4 million times faster than the speed of light when saving an entire city’s population from a nuclear explosion. And he’s outrun Death itself not once, but twice. So yes, he is one of the fastest being in existence. But still, Barry Allen is not quite the fastest speedster out there. That honor goes to another Scarlet Speedster.

2. Bart Allen (Impulse, Kid Flash II, Flash V)

Barry Allen’s grandson from the 31st century has had quite a tumultuous history. Born with Speed Force access in his very DNA, Bart was growth accelerated, and educated at hyper speed in the future, sent back in time to become the teen hero Impulse (later Kid Flash). Later, he became the adult Flash for a time, before dying and then regressing to puberty and becoming Impulse again. We know, it’s all pretty convoluted. But while Wally is now on record as being technically faster than Barry, by his own words, Bart will eventually become faster than he is, and is pretty close to it now. We know it’s controversial not putting Barry in the number two slot. But we are taking Wally West’s word for it and saying that Bart Allen is the second-fastest Flash.  

1. Wally West (Kid Flash I, Flash III)

For years, Wally West, the original Kid Flash, felt inferior to his predecessor Barry Allen upon taking the Flash mantle when he died in Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was because for many years, he could not match the super speed limits Barry had. He was only able to run at supersonic speeds, but not anything approaching the time barrier. Eventually though, upon discovering the power of the Speed Force, Wally West far surpassed his uncle and mentor Barry Allen in terms of velocity.

In the Flash War storyline, it was determined once and for all that Wally was faster than Barry. Unlike other speedsters, Wally is constantly mainlining pure Speed Force energy. He doesn’t need a cosmic treadmill to travel through time like Barry once did, and has even outrun death (in the form of the Black Flash) just like his uncle. In the series Flash Forward, it was determined that Wally West is the fastest being in the whole Multiverse. At least for now, as Wally is certain that Bart will surpass him one day. But for the moment, Wally West is the Fastest Man Alive.

The post Who Is the Fastest Member of THE FLASH’s Speedster Family? appeared first on Nerdist.

After years of speculating, in 2022, Marvel Studios confirmed that Deadpool would officially join the MCU for a third installment of the R-rated comic book franchise at the start of Phase Six. This would mark the first official character of the Fox X-Men universe joining the MCU (although Patrick Stewart as a variant Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness kinda counts too, we suppose).

But what else should we expect from the “Merc with the Mouth’s” first MCU entry? Here is everything we know so far about Deadpool 3.

Title

Right now, everyone is calling the film Deadpool 3. However, for superpowered mercenary Wade Wilson’s first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least the first official entry, we think they may choose to give it a more creative title.

A recent bout of friendly banter between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman teases the possibility of the title being Wolverine and Deadpool.

Also “Wolverine and Deadpool”, bub?

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) January 4, 2023

Jackman’s slip of the tongue seems casual, but Reynolds specifically alludes to it in his response. Only time will tell if this exchange means anything at all. We’re pretty sure that Deadpool would like the order reversed, one way or the other.

Deadpool 3‘s Plot

The plot of Deadpool 3 remains a mystery. All we know is that Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine, and that it takes place before the feral X-Man’s death in Logan. In fact, Jackman has confirmed that time travel will be involved in the threequel in a big way. One rumor suggests that Loki’s Time Variance Authority, or TVA, will have some involvement. But that remains unconfirmed. (We hope it’s true though).

As most folks know by now, Deadpool’s third solo film will reunite him with his X-Men Origins: Wolverine co-star. Deadpool and Wolverine will work together, although they have made it very clear that these two characters “hate each other.” It will not be a love-fest in this story. But the fact that Deadpool 3 is smack in the middle of the Multiverse Saga should give us all a clue as to what’s going to go down, and probable multiversal shenanigans will ensue.

One team everyone would love to see return in Deadpool 3 is the X-Force. Of course, most of the X-Force didn’t meet happy ends in Deadpool 2. But Deadpool has now moved to the MCU, and hints of multiversal shenanigans are already in the air. And that means anything is possible. In fact, Ryan Reynolds himself raised the question of the X-Force in a recent tweet.

The now-edited version of the tweet is above, but the original read, “X-Force will live forever!” This could just be an excited pronouncement. Or it could it be a red herring. But it could also be a tease of the X-Force in Deadpool 3. Only Reynolds knows for sure.

Deadpool 3‘s Cast

We know Hugh Jackman will return, along with the very obvious Ryan Reynolds. Here’s who else we know about: Karan Soni, cab driver Dopinder, Leslie Uggams, Emma Corrin, and Matthew Macfadyen. Conversely, Zazie Beetz, who played Domino in Deadpool 2, recently confirmed that she would not reprise her role in the third movie.

In exciting news, Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic are reprising their roles as Vanessa and Colossus in Deadpool 3. The family is truly coming together once again. Additionally, Deadline reports that Rob Delaney’s Peter, the human member of the X-Force team, will return in Deadpool 3, as will Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) and Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio).

Behind the Scenes

Deadpool 3‘s director for this third outing will be Shawn Levy, most recently known for his work on Stranger Things. This would be a reunion for Levy and Reynolds, as the pair previously worked together on the movie Free Guy. Levy is also known for the time travel movie The Adam Project.

On the writing side of things are Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, writers for the popular animated series Bob’s Burgers. The writers for the first two Deadpool films, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, are also contributing to the third film’s screenplay, as is Ryan Reynolds himself.

Deadpool 3 Release Date

Deadpool 3 will arrive on May 3, 2024.

Originally published on January 4, 2023.

The post Everything We Know About DEADPOOL 3 appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s time to prepare for check-in. The high-octane universe of John Wick is expanding with The Continental: From The World Of John Wick. This will be a three-part Peacock series (which the streaming service is calling an event) that will explore the infamous NYC hotel where our guy Winston Scott reigns supreme. We’ve been patiently waiting for more information about it, especially after the excellence of John Wick: Chapter 4. Now, we finally have a release date window and an intriguing teaser trailer for The Continental: From The World Of John Wick. 

Here’s a quick synopsis of The Continental prequel and the John Wick story it tells: 

The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind.  Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.

Peacock also recently shared some first-look images of the series.

We love it. We need it now. For those who may be wondering if John Wick will appear in The Continental series, it is not likely at all. The future Baba Yaga was only a child during the 1970s. And there are so many intriguing elements of this universe that we don’t need to have John Wick there to fully enjoy it. Winston is a rather enigmatic character whom we know very little about. It will be cool to learn more about his early years. And we can’t wait to learn what he did to attain such a high-ranking position. We see Winston show up in The Continental: From The World Of John Wick trailer along with some other baddies who are entrenched in this underground network. 

Colin Woodell will star as Winston Scott. The rest of The Continental‘s cast includes Mel Gibson (Cormac), Mishel Prada (KD), Ben Robson (Frankie), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Miles), Nhung Kate (Yen), Jessica Allain (Lou), Ayomide Adegun (Charon), Jeremy Bobb (Mayhew) and Peter Greene (Uncle Charlie). The Continental series release date will be in September 2023.

Originally published on April 12, 2023.

The post THE CONTINENTAL: FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK Reveals Teaser Trailer and First-Look Images appeared first on Nerdist.

Who is the leader of Uhh-Earth? Well, after a series of miscommunications, the universe thinks it’s Elio, who is definitely not a child. Definitely not. But he is definitely in for the adventure of his life after he ends up representing Earth in a galactic trial. We assume the fate of the planet is at stake. But since Elio is a Disney and Pixar movie, we also assume things will go alright for Earth and its newest ambassador. Take a look at the teaser trailer for Elio below.

Elio‘s animation already takes our breath away, and we’ve just seen a glimpse of it in this teaser trailer. We can tell we’re in for a delightful romp through this imagined universe. And we can’t wait to meet all of its fantastical creatures and out-of-this-world settings. Of course, we’d expect nothing less from a Disney and Pixar movie. The synopsis for Elio shares more about what we can expect from the story itself.

For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new movie “Elio,” the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be. 

Although Elio is about to go on a coming-of-age adventure all on his own, we know home is where the heart is. And we can tell from the trailer that Elio and his mom have a bond like no other. One that no doubt can conquer even the hardest of alien hearts.

Elio releases in theaters on March 1, 2024. The Pixar movie features the “voices of America Ferrera as Elio’s mom, Olga; Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa; Brad Garrett as Ambassador Grigon; and Yonas Kibreab as the title character.” Elio, we recognize your true leadership of Uhh-Earth.

The post ELIO Teaser Trailer Gives Earth an Unexpected Leader in New Pixar Adventure appeared first on Nerdist.

Henry Cavill is leaving The Witcher, but his time on the Continent isn’t over just yet. The show’s third season will mark his final time playing Geralt of Rivia. The show’s creator describes his exit as an “heroic sendoff” for him. What awaits him, Ciri, and Yennefer as they traverse a world of monsters, men, and mages? And who will bring their story to life on Netflix?

We’ll have to wait a while longer for the full picture, but for now, Netflix has revealed the episode titles for season three, volume one of The Witcher. The first volume, releasing on June 29, will consist of five episodes. The titles of these episodes are Shaerrawedd, Unbound, Reunion, The Invitation, and The Art of Illusion. We can’t wait to more fully learn what each of these episodes has in store for us and what their titles truly mean.

pic.twitter.com/4qipwIHoV6

— The Witcher (@witchernetflix) June 15, 2023

Here’s everything we know about The Witcher season three so far.

The Witcher Season 3 Plot

Netflix shared an official synopsis for The Witcher‘s third season when production began in early April 2022. Here’s how the streaming site describes what awaits its main characters:

As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line – or risk losing each other forever.

Recently, we also got our first good look at Henry Cavill’s final season of the show. We wonder how this farewell will go. For now, everything is looking very intense.

Entertainment Weekly also revealed season three would bring viewers to an important locale book readers have long waited to visit: Shaerrawedd. Showrunner Lauren Hissrich says the ruined elven castle is “one of the biggest” sets ever created for the show. She has also said this year is the closest one-to-one adaptation of a book the series has done yet. It will remain close to the events in author Andrzej Sapkowski’s Time of Contempt.

The prequel mini-series Blood Origin also revealed important information from the past that completely reframed The Witcher.

Behind the Scenes

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich also serves as an executive producer alongside Tomek Baginski, Jason F. Brown, Sean Daniel, Mike Ostrowski, Steve Gaub, and Jarosław Sawko. 

Stephen Surjik, Gandja Monteiro, Loni Peristere, and Bola Ogun will handle directing duties. Episode writers include Mike Ostrowski, Tania Lotia, Haily Hall, Rae Benjamin, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Matthew D’Ambrosio, and Troy Dangerfield.

The Witcher Season 3 Cast

In addition to returning stars like Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey, season three will also introduce new faces to the Continent. That includes Robbie Amell as Gallatin, Meng’er Zhang as Milva, Hugh Skinner as Prince Radovid, and Christelle Elwin as Mistle. Netflix also shared information about each character:

• A born fighter, Gallatin leads an army of guerrilla Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. Unafraid to speak his truth, Gallatin’s loyalty to his people ultimately leads him on a collision course with Francesca over power.
• A human adopted by the dryads of Brokilon Forest, Milva is a fierce and talented huntress. Exact archery skills coupled with a stone-cold aptitude for survival make her a formidable adversary in the unforgiving Continent – those that cross her, do so at their peril.
• Royal playboy and younger brother to King Vizimir, Radovid finds himself suddenly a man on the inside of the Redanian Intelligence. With his good looks and drunken charm, Radovid amazes with how incisive he can be in political affairs, but it’s all games until someone gets hurt.
• Mistle is a member of The Rats, a gang of misfit teenagers who steal from the rich and give to themselves – and sometimes the poor. She is street hard, suspicious of everyone and out for revenge, until a chance meeting that will change everything.

The show will also mark the return of cast members MyAnna Buring, Tom Canton, Jeremy Crawford, Eamon Farren, Mahesh Jadu, Terence Maynard, Lars Mikkelsen, Mimî M Khayisa, Royce Pierreson, Wilson Mbomio, Anna Shaffer, Therica Wilson-Read, Cassie Clare, Mecia Simson, Graham McTavish, Bart Edwards, Simon Callow, Liz Carr, Ed Birch, and Kaine Zajaz.

The Witcher Season 3 Release Date

The show will return during the summer 2023. But it won’t return the same way as usual. Like Stranger Things 4, The Witcher season three will return in two parts. Volume 1 will include episodes 1-5 and will release on June 29. Meanwhile, Volume 2 will include episodes 6-8 and will arrive on July 27.

Originally published in 2022.

The post THE WITCHER Season 3, Vol 1 Reveals Episode Titles appeared first on Nerdist.

Original reporting by Melissa Miller

It’s been 13 years since Avatar came out and it still remains the highest-grossing movie of all time. Expectations are sky-high for the first of the long-awaited sequels. Here’s everything you need to remember about the world of Pandora before seeing Avatar: The Way of Water. 

Avatar’s Main Characters 

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington)

Jake is an ex-marine that uses a wheelchair because of a spinal injury. His twin brother, a scientist who signed up to travel to Pandora, was killed just a week before leaving. Jake takes over the job so he can afford surgery to help him walk again. 

Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña)

Neytiri is one of the Na’vi indigenous to Pandora. She knows some English and saves Jake when he is lost in the wilderness. Her parents are the chief and spiritual leader of the Omitacaya clan. They task Neytiri with teaching Jake how to hunt, fly, and connect with the world around him.

Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver)

Grace is a botanist who has worked on Pandora for years, studying how the lifeforms are all interconnected. She used to run a school teaching English, but it was closed down when the miners starting having more run-ins with the Na’vi.  

Dr. Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore)

Norm arrives with Jake for a six year tour on Pandora. He is a scientist who trained alongside Jake’s brother. Norm is jealous of Jake’s acceptance by the Na’vi, but is dedicated to protecting Pandora. 

Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang)

The colonel is former military and works as head of security. Jake is his double agent, reporting on how to entice the Na’vi to leave their home so the mining company can take over.

Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi)

Parker is the head of the RDA (Resources Development Administration) mining operations on Pandora. He does not appreciate the natural beauty of the planet or its importance to the Na’vi.

New Way of Water Characters

Jake and Neytiri have children in the sequel. Kate Winslet also joins the cast as a Na’vi. Humans arriving on Pandora include Jemaine Clement as a marine biologist and Edie Falco as a general. 

The World of Pandora, Explained 

The Na’vi, the People of Pandora 

The Na’vi are deeply connected to the other lifeforms on Pandora through Eywa, a Mother Nature-like deity. They physically bond with trees and animals using their feathery braids. The Na’vi are about twice as tall as humans and have long tails. They use arrows dipped in neurotoxin to hunt prey and defend themselves.

Pandora’s Animals and Creatures 

Life on Pandora is beautiful, with many plants and animals glowing colorfully at night. The Na’vi ride creatures similar to dragons and horses, using a physical bond to communicate with them. In the jungle, there’s also diverse animals that resemble bugs, lemurs, rhinos, and lions.

Pandora’s Environment 

Humans can’t breathe the air on Pandora, which is actually a moon. Though most of the story takes place in the jungle, there are multiple biomes including floating mountains, plains, and vast oceans.  

Pandora’s Relationship with Humans 

The Na’vi call humans the Sky People. The story takes place in 2154 and humans have known of Pandora for at least a few decades. The scientists work in avatar bodies and try not to interfere with the Na’vi. But the RDA’s quest for unobtanium has taken over, creating more conflicts. The ore, valued at $20 million per kilogram, is about 350 times more valuable than gold.

An Overview of the 2009 Avatar Movie Plot 

After nearly six years in cryo sleep, Jake and Norm arrive on Pandora to join Grace’s scientific avatar program. Jake learns that the Na’vi have three months to evacuate their Home Tree before mining operations reach the area, which is rich in unobtanium. He is accepted by the Na’vi and learns their ways, falling in love with Neytiri in the process. But he also provides information that helps the RDA’s attack and is excommunicated by the Na’vi when they find out. The miners imprison Grace, Norm, and Jake when they fight on behalf of the Na’vi. But they escape and Jake rides in on a toruk, a large flying creature, and earns the Na’vi’s respect. Grace is injured and they try to heal her through Eywa, but she dies. The Na’vi round up other clans to fight back.

The Ending of 2009 Avatar Movie 

The climatic battle swings in Pandora’s favor thanks to the animals joining the fight against the humans. The colonel tries to kill Jake in both his avatar and human forms, but Neytiri kills him and rescues Jake. The Na’vi send the humans back to Earth, though they allow Norm and some of the other scientists to stay. Jake undergoes a ritual to switch into his avatar body and join the Na’vi for good.

How Many Avatar Movies Will There Be, and What Do We Know About Them?

James Cameron has written scripts for four Avatar sequels, and they’re on Disney’s release calendar through 2027. More recently, he said that they may not pursue the rest if The Way of Water flops. The story may end there or with a third movie to wrap things up. But it seems like the movie will be profitable enough to continue the franchise.

If things go well, as they seem to be, Cameron has implied that there may yet even be an Avatar 6 and 7. Although likely, if the franchise had that many movies, Cameron would not personally oversee them all.

Avatar 3

We don’t know too much about what’s next for the franchise, but Cameron has teased that Avatar 3 may see the Na’vi as villains in the narrative. He notes:

I want to reveal the Na’vi from another angle because [so far] I have only shown their good sides. In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3, we’ll do the reverse.

He adds, “We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters. I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.”

These villainous Na’vi will be called “The Ash People.” According to Cameron, Game of Thrones‘ star Oona Chaplin will play Varang, the leader of the firey Ash People who are an “aggressive, volcanic race.”

Avatar 4 and Beyond

Avatar 4, meanwhile, will feature a time jump.

Additionally, if Cameron reaches Avatar 5, than the Na’vi will finally visit Earth. He notes, “We go to it to open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth.” And offers that “there’s over-population and a depletion of our natural resources that make life harder” on Earth. But the purpose of the movies is not to create a bleak image of the world, but to offer a vision that things can be changed.

Cameron also shared that future movies would have a different narrator attached them. While Jake Sully narrated Avatar and The Way of Water, his son, Lo’ak would soon take up the mantle and there would be “a different narrator for each of the subsequent films.”

Finally, those who have seen The Way of Water can rest easy because Payakan, Avatar‘s whale-like Tulkun creature, will be back in the action. Cameron shares, “We view Payakan as a character, not just as a creature… We will continue to explore his relationship with Lo’ak.”

Avatar 3 is currently slated to release on December 19, 2025.

If you watch Avatar again before seeing the sequel, just remember that it’s 2 hours and 42 minutes long. The Way of Water, which hit theaters December 16, 2022, is 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Originally published on November 21, 2022.

The post 5 Things to Know About the AVATAR Franchise appeared first on Nerdist.

The Thunderbolts have been a long-awaited MCU team. The quasi-villainous anti-hero/misfit gang is a staple of the Marvel Comics world, and many heroes have been a part of it at some time or another. As the MCU slowly gathered the right members, fans speculated harder and harder that the Thunderbolts were coming. And finally, in 2022, Marvel Studios made the big announcement. The MCU’s Thunderbolts movie will not only arrive in Phase 5 of the franchise, but it also may conclude it.

Here’s everything we know so far about Thunderbolts.

Title

For now, the movie about the Thunderbolts is simply called Thunderbolts. That seems fitting and to the point.

Thunderbolts‘ Plot

We know very little about what the actual plot of Thunderbolts will be. However, we didn’t have to wait too long to get a core question answered. Who will be part of the MCU Thunderbolts? Marvel Studios could have left us hanging, but they shared the information very quickly.

The Thunderbolts will comprise of Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Ghost, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier), US Agent, and Taskmaster. Some of these names, like Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova, come as no surprise to long-time fans. But we feel interested to see how the dynamics of the team will come together. When last US Agent and Bucky Barnes met, it wasn’t exactly all sunshine and daisies. And whatever Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine has planned, it’s sure to be a bit of a bumpy ride.

Recently, David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian offered this insight, “MCU has always been sort of elevated in a certain way. Captain America, even Iron Man, although he has egos, are always in it for the right reasons or ultimately does the right thing. And I like these guys who are a bunch of losers or a bunch of guys who can’t quite get it right.”

Of special interest is the current lack of Baron Zemo in the Thunderbolts plans. Zemo famously brought the team together in the comics, but it looks like Val will take on that role in the MCU.

Additionally, Kevin Feige shared a little bit more about the upcoming movie. He praised the casting of the heroes and noted that Bucky Barnes would become the rallying point of the team.

They are barely heroes. None of them would consider themselves heroes. When your de facto leader is Bucky Barnes, that’s sort of all you need to know. That’s the trickle down. But again, it goes to the amazing work that [casting director] Sarah Finn has done across the whole MCU. You’ve got David Harbour and Florence Pugh and these people who are at the top of their game and popping in everything they’re doing. They’re already here and established in the MCU, and we get to build the movie around them.

Well, that sounds like an adventure.

Thunderbolts‘ Cast

Accordingly to the MCU Thunderbolts line-up, here is the projected main cast of the movie so far, pending any surprise recastings:

Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. Hannah John-Kamen will play Ghost. David Harbour remains as Red Guardian. Florence Pugh will reprise her role Yelena Belova. Sebastian Stan will again take on the role of Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier). Wyatt Russell will appear as US Agent. And Olga Kurylenko will appear as Taskmaster.

Reportedly joining them is The Bear star Ayo Edebiri in an unknown role. And most recently, reports from Deadline indicated that we might see The Walking Dead, Nope, and Minari star Steven Yeun join the cast in a big way. Yeun has since confirmed.

Yeun discussed his MCU inclusion with Empire not too long after it was reported. He noted of his Thunderbolts role and coming into the franchise, “I don’t know if it was explicitly on my bucket list. It was more the story, getting to work with Jake Schreier again, who directed Beef, and what his intentions were. The intentions of the particular character that they wanted me to play were very clear, and that’s what drew me to the film.”  Of course, which particular character it is that Yeun will play remains a mystery. But we’re just glad to know he’ll definitely grace our screens soon.

Behind the Scenes

Eric Pearson will write Thunderbolt‘s script, and Jake Schreier will direct the movie. Beef‘s creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jin has also come aboard as a writer of the movie. Kevin Feige is, of course, producing this Marvel Studios’ production.

Thunderbolt‘s Release Date

Right now, Thunderbolts is scheduled to release on December 20, 2024. Of course, that timeline could always change.

Originally published on January 27, 2023.

The post Everything We Know About the MCU THUNDERBOLTS Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

We’ve known that a Blade movie is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2019. Who can forget with the film’s star—Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali—put on a hat that said “BLADE!” and caused an excited uproar in San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H?! Though there have been some ups and downs with this movie, hopefully, we’ll only see smooth sailing for our favorite vampire from here on out.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Blade movie.

Title

The title of this movie is simple: Blade.

Blade‘s Plot

Right now there are no plot details for Blade. But, we can imagine the film will borrow from the character’s comic origins. Blade debuted in the tenth issue of Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comic back in 1973, from writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan. He quickly became a supremely popular character, a half-vampire killer of vampires and other occult baddies. Blade first made it to the big screen in 1998 starring Wesley Snipes. Two sequels followed—one of them good—but eventually, that franchise sort of fell by the wayside.

All of this leads us to wonder how dark the movie could get. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a horror movie, so Blade will probably go full scary. Even if it doesn’t get as bloody as the Wesley Snipes movies did, a dark and scary PG-13 Blade could be, forgive the pun, marvelous.

Behind the Scenes

Playwright Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen) wrote an early draft of the script. In 2021, Bassam Tariq confirmed he will direct the film via The Playlist podcast. However, Tariq has since left the project.

The director offered a brief statement about his experience with Blade.

Now Lovecraft Country‘s Yann Demange has come aboard as Blade‘s new director. In addition, Michael Starrbury wrote a new script for the vampiric movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has recently joined the project to work off of Starrbury’s script.

Blade‘s Cast

As mentioned above, two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali will play the daywalking half-vampire badass in the upcoming Blade movie. Meanwhile, it has now been confirmed that Delroy Lindo is joining Ali in film. While we don’t formally know who Lindo is playing, we think he could be Jamal Afari, who in the comics raised Blade and taught him all about vampire slaying. (In the Wesley Snipes films, he was called Abraham Whistler and was played by Kris Kristofferson.) And, as we saw (or rather, heard) at the end of Eternals, Kit Harrington will cross paths with Blade, reprising his role as Dane Whitman.

On February 22, 2022, Deadline reported Krypton actor Aaron Pierre has joined the cast of Blade in another undisclosed character. Unlike Lindo, however, this role will seemingly have bigger implications on the Marvel Cinematic Universe than just this one film.

“[T]he role itself was one of the more highly coveted parts in Hollywood since Tariq was tapped as director last fall. Execs on the project always had their eye on Lindo for his secret role but insiders add Feige, Tariq and others took their time finding the right person for this part, meeting dozens of up-and-coming actors for the role with Pierre becoming the favorite in recent weeks.”

This, to us, implies a character like Dracula who might have a much larger presence in the coming horror-tinged phase of the Marvel movies. More on that when it happens.

In April 2023, Deadline reports that X and Pearl star Mia Goth will join the cast in an unspecified role. She seems like a great choice to join the MCU’s flagship horror-tinged film given her cred in that specific genre. In addition to those Ti West movies, Goth has been in Suspiria, Infinity Pool, A Cure for Wellness.

Blade‘s Release Date

The Blade Marvel movie will arrive in theaters on February 14, 2025.

Originally published on July 20, 2019.

The post Everything We Know About Marvel’s BLADE Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

Believe it or not, Jurassic Park is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The Steven Spielberg masterpiece about an ill-fated amusement park with real dinosaurs became a massive hit that spawned a franchise. Jurassic Park is perfect all-around, from its casting and script to its special effects and advanced animatronics. While we saw original cast members Laura Dern (Dr. Ellie Sattler) and Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant) return in Jurassic World Dominion (2022), it has been a while since we saw Lex Murphy. Dr. Hammond’s granddaughter hasn’t been in any Jurassic films since a brief cameo in the second installment; however, that doesn’t mean actress Ariana Richards doesn’t fondly remember the franchise. In fact, Richards recently did a TikTok duet featuring the classic Jurassic Park green Jell-O scene. 

She still conveys that same shock and fear so well. The TikTok clip certainly gives us a bump of nostalgia to see her alongside Lex in such an unforgettable Jurassic Park moment that was so intense that it made green Jell-O tremor in fear.

We doubt that Ariana Richards would return in any future films because she left the industry as an adult to focus on her art career. But we will always have Jurassic Park and this TikTok duet with the Jell-O scene to remind us how awesome she was in this universe.

The post JURASSIC PARK TikTok Duet Celebrates the Infamous Green Jell-O Scene appeared first on Nerdist.

If you haven’t watched Foundation‘s first season, it’s time to catch up. Because season two will soon arrive on our screens in fine fashion. Foundation has officially revealed its summer release date and shared the first teaser trailer for its second season. This futuristic sci-fi series on Apple TV+ had us at the edge of our seats during its first ten episodes. And we are absolutely ready to blast off into more Lee Pace, Jared Harris, and Foundation as a whole. Take a look at season two’s trailer below and get ready for an uprising.

Foundation Season Two Trailer and Release Date

“All empires fall,” reads the description for Foundation season two. And we certainly see there are many struggles ahead for the universe and its characters. A release from Apple TV+ shares:

More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy in “Foundation” season two. As the Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari, Gaal and Salvor discover a colony of Mentalics with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself. The Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: war with Empire. The monumental adaptation of “Foundation” chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

Foundation season two releases on July 14.

Foundation Season Two First Look Images

Foundation season two also shared a slew of first-look images. The above was our very first glimpse of Foundation‘s second season. We won’t say the most important part is Lee Pace in a fishnet shirt… But we will say, it doesn’t hurt. The show knows how to deliver an aesthetic. And it knows its audience.

Foundation Season Two Cast

Joining the original cast in Foundation season two are also ten new stars. We also have descriptions of their characters that add a bit of context to what next season might entail. (Please note, the three images directly above come from Foundation season one).

Isabella Laughland as Brother Constant, a cheerfully confident claric whose job is to evangelize the Church of the Galactic Spirit across the Outer Reach. Constant is a true believer, whose courage and passion make her hard not to love.

Kulvinder Ghir as Poly Verisof, High Claric of the Church of the Galactic Spirit. Whip-smart and sardonic, he’s also a terrible drunk—intelligent enough to see the path he’s on, but too cynical to change.

Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Enjoiner Rue, the beautiful, politically savvy consigliere to Queen Sareth. A former courtesan to Cleon the 16th, Rue parlayed her status to become a royal counsellor.

Ella-Rae Smith as Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion. Used to being underestimated, Sareth employs it to her advantage, charming her way into the Imperial Palace with biting wit, all while on a secret quest for revenge.

Dimitri Leonidas as Hober Mallow, a master trader with a sarcastic personality and questionable morals, who is summoned against his will to serve a higher, selfless cause.

Ben Daniels as Bel Roise, the last great general of the Superliminal Fleet and would-be conqueror of the Foundation. Bel is noble to a fault, but his fealty to the Galactic Empire is waning.

Holt McCallany as Warden Jaegger Fount, the current Warden of Terminus and guardian of its citizens against external threats.

Mikael Persbrandt as The Warlord of Kalgan, a monster of a man, coiled with muscle and possessing powerful psychic abilities, and fueled by hate in his quest to take over the galaxy.

Rachel House as Tellem Bond, mysterious leader of the Mentallics.

Nimrat Kaur as Yanna Seldon.

It looks like we’ll be seeing many new players in season two. From sarcastic cynics to angry warlords to savvy politicians. The world of Foundation is about to grow even more. And we feel excited about that. After all, the more mysterious leaders and quests for revenge in space, the better. Sci-fi interstellar dramas have always brought us excellent world-building. And we have no doubt season two of Foundation will follow in that tradition.

If you have watched season one already, and feel impatient for more, here’s something to tide you over in the meanwhile.

Lee Pace may not don fishnet in this interview, but he certainly has a lot to say about the show and his character. We can’t wait to hear what he has to say about the show as season two approaches.

Originally published on May 11, 2023.

The post FOUNDATION Season 2 Trailer Takes Us Into an Uprising appeared first on Nerdist.

I am willing to watch pretty much anything with Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, or Teyonah Parris in it. So, I am triply willing to watch a film with all three of these powerhouse actors leading the way. Imagine this trio in something that is conspiracy-laden, weird AF, and comedic with a heavy dose of sci-fi action. That’s what we get with They Cloned Tyrone, an upcoming Netflix film with a trailer that hilariously explores a government cloning experiment.

Boyega is Fontaine, a hustler down on his luck who gets into shenanigans with Foxx’s pimp character Slick Charles. Parris also comes into play as Yo-Yo, a “pro” with an outfit that is truly cosplay gold. Fontaine sees someone in his neighborhood being kidnapped and, after some investigating, discovers some nefarious things. There’s an entire secret lab where a clone of him exists. They realize that there’s something in everything they consume and decide to fight to save their neighborhood. It’s kinda reminiscent of Vampires vs. the Bronx where a disenfranchised and predominantly Black neighborhood bands together to fight against a common enemy.

I love everything about the They Cloned Tyrone trailer, especially the use of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me.” I need to see it immediately. And thankfully, the wait won’t be too long. They Cloned Tyrone will hit the streaming service on July 21 for a dose of chaotic summer fun.

The post THEY CLONED TYRONE Trailer Sets up a Stylish and Comedic Sci-Fi Conspiracy Mystery appeared first on Nerdist.

It usually takes some time for an animated Disney film to get a live-action film adaptation. But according to the Mouse House, they’re bringing the beloved 2016 film Moana into live-action. This live-action Moana will even see one of its original stars producing and, potentially, starring. And yes, that star is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who played the part of demigod Maui in the original film. Johnson tweeted the official announcement of his return to the world of Moana, which you can watch right here:

The Walt Disney Company and Dwayne Johnson also released this statement on the new, live-action iteration of Moana:

I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.

Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated film, is also one of the producers. She shared on Instagram in May that she, however, would not be reprising the role of Moana. Cravalho said, “As an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength.”

The live-action Moana will arrive in theaters on June 27, 2025.

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

The post Auli’i Cravalho Says She Will Not Play Moana in Live-Action Remake appeared first on Nerdist.

Wes Anderson is a vibe. People always know what they’re going to get with a Wes Anderson movie, and a lot of people like to slag him off because of that. But what’s wrong with having a distinct style? Why shouldn’t filmmakers have their thing to make them stand apart? Almost since his very first film, 1996’s Bottle Rocket, he’s played with the inherently artificial nature of cinema as an artform. In the course of his next 10 films—and 27 years—Anderson’s filmography has gone ever further away from “realism,” into stories, performances, and aesthetic wholly borne out of finding the believable heart at the center of the weirdest of premises.

His latest film, Asteroid City, is not your typical Wes Anderson film. Or, maybe more accurately, it’s the most Wes Anderson film. It hides the real story under layers and layers of artifice and distance to give us a treatise on the American Theatre, UFO culture, and mid-century emotional stunting. It’s also super goofy and plays like a greatest hits of previous Anderson films.

Asteroid City has probably the most packed cast Anderson has ever worked with. His movies always draw attention to their star-studded ensembles. In this movie, he draws your attention to these stars who play characters within characters within framing stories within deliberate obfuscations. Asteroid City is not merely a movie; it’s a documentary about reenactments of behind-the-scenes stories of putting on a stage play called Asteroid City, which we then get to watch in a massive, real outdoor landscape set that couldn’t possibly exist on a stage. Get it?

Ostensibly, the story finds a number of families arriving in the impossibly tiny desert town Asteroid City for a special presentation for scientifically gifted youngsters. Among these families include Jason Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck, a grizzled war photographer who recently lost his wife, his genius son (Jake Ryan), and trio of blonde hellion girls. We also have screen star Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) and her genius daughter (Grace Edwards). Tilda Swinton plays a scientist, Jeffrey Wright a military general, Steve Carell an enterprising motel manager, Matt Dillon a mechanic. Tom Hanks takes on what would probably be the Bill Murray role as Augie’s rich father-in-law.

In addition to all of these characters, these actors also play the actors playing these characters. Remember, this is meant to be a play from the mid-20th century. So we throughout see these people as the “real” versions of themselves. Unlike the actual play, which is in color and widescreen, the behind-the-scenes stories look more like stage play scenes, in black-and-white, and in Academy ratio. Additionally, people like Adrien Brody appear as the play’s beleaguered director, and Edward Norton as its ascot-adorned scribe. All of this comes with Bryan Cranston as a Rod Serling-esque narrator popping in and out to set various scenes.

Each of these different levels of unreality have their own narratives and character arcs. They overlap each other, vying for importance. It’s clear Anderson is playing with the ’50s Actor’s Studio-style living theatre stuff. We have a Thornton Wilder or Tennessee Williams playwright and an Elia Kazan-inspired director. Willem Dafoe plays the analog to a Lee Strasberg-esque acting teacher. These feel less like their own full movie and more like snapshots of the era to give you an understanding of and commentary on the “play” at the center. The way Anderson weaves these stories and characters and layers of reality together constantly reminds you, none of this is real.

And this is why I think, days later, I’m still thinking so much about Asteroid City. I keep thinking this movie will put off people with just how not-real the story at the center is. But that’s entirely the point. Narrative cinema is not real life. It’s fiction. The people in the story are actors. Why should we accept Scarlett Johansson playing Natasha Romanoff but get annoyed that she’s playing a character playing a character in this?

The movie constantly keeps us at arm’s length. It almost dares us to connect with the characters within the play Asteroid City as if they were just people in Asteroid City, even when outlandish things happen. Yet I still did care about the conversations they had, the hopes and dreams and fears. In spite of everything Anderson threw at me to make me not connect, I still did.

So, will Asteroid City work for you? I guess it depends how much you get on board with Anderson’s schtick of late. This seems a natural progression in his live-action work. It’s not just a fake-looking movie with weird characters; it’s a fake-looking movie with weird characters about a fake-looking movie with weird characters. Some people will find it insufferable, some will find it fascinating, others might get something more. But at the very least, you owe it to yourself to see how he peels this particular onion.

Asteroid City ⭐ (4 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post ASTEROID CITY Is Wes Anderson At His Most Self-Aware and Extra Meta appeared first on Nerdist.

Who says summer is too soon to celebrate Halloween? Not the Sanderson Sisters from Salem, that’s for sure. This summer, the latest LEGO Ideas set arrives, and it’s the witchy cottage from the cult classic Disney film Hocus Pocus. And they filled this set with many details from the 1993 movie that fans will absolutely love. You can check out images of the latest fan-inspired LEGO Ideas set right here in our gallery.

Click To View Gallery

The new Hocus Pocus set evokes the film in every way. There’s the graveyard where much of the action takes place, and the different magical artifacts found in the Sanderson cottage, like the cauldron, the Spellbook, and more. The Minifigures include all three Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah. Also included are the film’s kid protagonists, Max and Dani Dennison, and Allison Watts. And of course, the cat Thackery Binx.

Hocus Pocus celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Despite being a Halloween-themed film, they chose to release it during the summer months. That killed it at the box office, but years of TV airing made the film a classic. And last year, a sequel arrived, nearly three decades in the making. You can’t keep a good witch down. You can pre-order the Hocus Pocus cottage set for $229.00 by clicking on this link. It is set to arrive on July 4.

The post The Cottage from HOCUS POCUS Is the Latest LEGO Ideas Set appeared first on Nerdist.