It is true that our Hobbit heroes bow to no one, but we here at Nerdist must bow to the majesty that has been NZ Post’s collections of coins, stamps, and prints celebrating the various 20th anniversaries of The Lord of the Rings‘ three movies. It has truly been a journey of epic proportions as we went there and back again to The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, and now The Return of the King with creations that can be described as nothing short of precious artworks. But like all good journeys, there must be an ending to this quest, however bittersweet.

Before we sail west, though, NZ Post’s final The Lord of the Rings collection, celebrating The Return of the King is here to take our breath away one more time.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Commemorative Stamps (Don’t Miss the Hidden Messages)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King always makes me feel emotional. Has there ever been a finer ending to a trilogy? And somehow, NZ Post manages to encapsulate everything powerful and wonderful about the movie in six incredible stamp designs. This time around, we are treated to stamps that depict Arwen’s grief and fading time, Gandalf’s realization of the eagles’ arrival at the Battle at the Black Gate, Frodo’s fight against Shelob with the beautiful light of Eärendil gifted to him by Galadriel, Aragorn calling upon the Army of the Dead with Legolas and Gimli at his side, Eowyn defeating the Witch King of Angmar, and, of course, Frodo and Gollum’s last stand in the heart of Mount Doom.

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Basically, these The Lord of the Rings stamps show all our favorite characters in their most epic moments from Return of the King. Phew, it gives me chills. And, our favorite part—if you look closely at the designs of the stamps, you can see secret messages embedded in the gorgeous artwork by Sacha Lees. For example, if you really peer at Eowyn’s Shieldmaiden stamp, you can see small letters spelling out, “I am no man.” See if you can spot them all below.

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You can order these stamps today.

Return of the King Commemorative Coins

In addition to exquisite stamps, NZ Post has also been creating The Lord of the Rings Commemorative Coins. We know Gollum and dwarves alike would be absolutely entranced by this latest set. There are four Return of the King coins in total, one set of three and one that stands alone. In the set of three, aptly titled “The Lighting of the Beacons,” we see the lighting of the Beacons of Gondor scene come to life in silver and gold. The artistry of these is just beyond incredible. And, in our solo coin is the King of Men himself, Aragorn, being crowned by Gandalf.

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These epic coins are not available to purchase yet but are coming soon.

The Lord of the Rings Art Prints

If you’d like to enjoy this glorious artwork on a bit of a larger scale, some of the concepts for The Return of the King‘s stamps are also available in print form.

But you had better not delay at the Prancing Pony because these are limited edition and selling out. Prints of Gandalf and Eowyn are still available and cost $32.44 each.

About the Artist, NZ Post, and More

Artist Sacha Lees

These gorgeous The Lord of the Rings creations come from the glorious mind and fingers of artist Sacha Lees. A release shares, “The artist behind the stamps and pins is New Zealander Sacha Lees, who began her career at Wētā Workshop working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy as an illustrator, creature designer, and airbrush and concept artist.” What a true talent. You can check out Lees’ other work on her website, here. Trust us, you will not feel sorry you did.

New Zealand and The Lord of the Rings

We also wanted to extend a big round of applause to NZ Post. NZ Post has taken the time to honor The Lord of the Rings because of its incredible relationship with New Zealand. The company shares, “The 2003 release saw a world premiere bring Wellington to a standstill, and scored notable breakthroughs for the local film industry. Held in Wellington, the world premiere of The Return of the King saw a parade begin at Parliament and featured two hundred extras in costume, and demonstrated the growing profile of Aotearoa New Zealand’s film industry on the world stage… As Nancy Swarbrick notes in Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, the film’s stunning financial and critical success further increased international interest in Aotearoa New Zealand as a place to make big-budget movies.”

Of course, New Zealand played no small role in making the films look and feel incredible. We love this symbiotic relationship.

NZ Post’s Collectables

Finally, if you’ve loved NZ Post’s The Lord of the Rings collectibles as much as we have, make sure to check out its Collectables page for more excellent surprises. You never know what you might find. We’d also like to say a special thank you to NZ Post Head of Stamps and Collectables, Antony Harris, for keeping Nerdist informed about the latest in NZ Post news.

We’re crossing our fingers to see a 25th anniversary The Lord of the Rings collection or two someday soon.

The post NZ Post Celebrates 20 Years of THE RETURN OF THE KING appeared first on Nerdist.

This week we heard discussions about the original Avengers returning to the MCU, saw a Mean Girls sequel (kind of), and learned the secrets of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 post-credits scenes and Easter eggs. But in the mix of all of that, there have been some truly exciting announcements and reveals we wouldn’t want you to miss out on.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends from this week.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News

Jump to:

• Poltergeist TV Series Is in Development at Amazon MGM Studios 
• Disney+’s Cancelled Captain Nemo TV Series Nautilus Saved By AMC
• The Fall of the House of Usher Prop Auction Invites You to Purchase Something Haunted and Stylish
• Another John Wick Spinoff Series Is Apparently In Development
• Bratz Dressed Up as Barbie for Halloween, and Rick and Morty Dressed as Five Nights at Freddy’s
• The Boys Will Likely Have More Seasons Than Originally Planned
• Sesame Street Is Changing Its Format to Include “More Peril”
• Fourth Wing TV Series in the Works From Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society
• Jurassic World LEGO Sets Are Roaring to Life in January 2024
• Horror Sequels Galore! The Black Phone 2 and It Follows 2 Are On the Way, Terrifier 3 Sets Release Date

Poltergeist TV Series Is in Development at Amazon MGM Studios 

You can never be free of some ghosts. Variety reports a series adaptation of the classic ’80s movie Poltergeist is in the works at Amazon MGM Studios. Currently, no plot details or writers are attached to the series. However, we know “Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce on behalf of Amblin Television.” In 1999, Showtime released a four-season series adaptation set in Poltergiest‘s world—but television has come a long way since.

For more horror-based TV, check out what we know about Max’s The Conjuring show.

Disney+’s Cancelled Captain Nemo TV Series Nautilus Saved By AMC

In a worrying streaming trend, shows are being ordered and completed only to be canceled before release. But sometimes, there is good news. Deadline reports that although Disney+ canceled its Nautilus series, a 10-episode TV show based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, AMC has now saved the series. Nautilus will air on AMC and AMC+ in 2024 and tell the origin story of the iconic Captain Nemo.

To see what we learned about Nautilus initially, check out our write-up here:

The Fall of the House of Usher Prop Auction Invites You to Purchase Something Haunted and Stylish

Mike Flanagan’s final show with Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher, was filled with horrifying yet beautiful visuals. If you loved the show’s aesthetic, you can now take a part of it home with a special prop auction.

The Fall of the House of Usher auction will take place from November 15-29 with 100% of its proceeds going to charity. Among other items, you can bid on “Verna’s (Carla Gugino) Rave Costume with Red Cloak,” “Napoleon ‘Leo’ Usher’s (Rahul Kohli) Drywall-Covered ‘Thor’ Hammer Replica,” and “Arthur Pym’s (Mark Hamill) Briefcase with Files and Accessories.”

For more about The Fall of the House of Usher‘s aesthetic, take a look at what its use of color really means.

Another John Wick Spinoff Series Is Apparently In Development

Surprise! Another John Wick spinoff series is apparently in development, according to John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Stahelski noted to Collider, “We’re doing a John Wick TV show, which, again, keeps my head going.” And added, “I would love to do a couple of episodes of the TV show just because I think I’d have fun trying things that we didn’t get to try in the films. I mean, absolutely. There’s some great ideas. And to work with a different cast and a different story structure without John Wick, it would be a fun challenge.”

Another John Wick spinoff show, aside from The Continental, which recently aired, doesn’t seem to have been widely announced yet. So we guess we’ll stay tuned to see what develops.

As if that weren’t enough John Wick, John Wick 5 is still on the table.

Bratz Dressed Up as Barbie for Halloween, and Rick and Morty Dressed as Five Nights at Freddy’s

Happy Halloween from our favorite franchises. In a bit of a shady move, some Bratz dolls dressed as the unimpressed teens looking at Barbie for Halloween—a truly hilarious spin on a Barbie movie costume which was, admittedly, very popular this year.

Meanwhile, Rick and Morty‘s characters disguised themselves as Five Nights at Freddy’s animatronics, homaging the popular game series that just released its movie adaptation. We love series dressing as series!

If you enjoyed Five Nights at Freddy‘s, you may be wondering what that sound at the end of the credits means.

The Boys Will Likely Have More Seasons Than Originally Planned

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke originally planned for the series to have a five-season run. But it looks like that number is now defunct, and The Boys will likely have more seasons than that. Kripke shared with Inverse, “I have since realized that literally, no one in history is worse at predicting the amount of seasons of a show, like literally. I have learned my lesson, and I’ve stopped predicting how many seasons these shows go. You will find out in hindsight.” With the popularity of The Boys and its spinoff Gen V, that seems like a fair assessment to us.

Catch up with Gen V‘s most gory and shocking moments, here:

Sesame Street Is Changing Its Format to Include “More Peril”

Sesame Street wants you to know you can reinvent yourself at any age. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Sesame Street‘s format would be “reimagined” for season 56. The show will drop its “magazine style” format, which has been around for decades, in favor of “two longer, more narrative-driven segments, which will be paired with a new animated series, Tales From 123.”

Wilson Stallings, the executive VP and chief creative development and production officer for Sesame Workshop shared, “Kids love a little bit of peril, they love having emotional stakes, and in nine minutes, it’s kind of hard to really dive into those areas really effectively.” The show hopes to be able to tell a more compelling tale with these changes.

Be that as it may, we have to wonder, does Sesame Street really need more peril?

All we have to say is that Sesame Street had better keep gems like this.

Fourth Wing TV Series in the Works From Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society

Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society will be bringing to life a TV series based on Rebecca Yarros’ popular fantasy series, Fourth Wing. This overall deal includes all the books from the Fourth Wing universe titled The Empyrean, including its sequel Iron Flame, releasing on November 7, and the three books slated to follow.

Per Variety, the logline for the TV series shares:

Enter the brutal world of Basgiath War College where there is only one rule: Graduate or Die. Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general― her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. If the fire-breathing beasts don’t kill her, one of her fellow riders just might. Suspense, action, romance, and dragons blend together in a propulsive fantasy adventure from NYT bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

In other fantasy novel adaptation news, House of the Dragon season two will release in the summer of 2024.

Jurassic World LEGO Sets Are Roaring to Life in January 2024

Show off your dino love with these two new Jurassic World LEGO sets. First up is a Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull LEGO set, which turns LEGOs into bones. The official description of the set shares, “The first Jurassic World set made for display features a skull with an opening jaw, a stand with an information plaque, a hidden ‘amber’ piece at the back of the model and a ‘fossilized’ footprint.” Honestly, building a T. rex skull out of LEGOS, teeth and all, is pretty cool.

Also available is the “Baby Dinosaur Rescue Center” LEGO set and it comes complete with a bunch of, you guessed it, baby dinos. D’aww. Both Jurrasic World LEGO sets will release on January 1, 2024.

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For more creative and nature-focused LEGO fun, check out LEGO’s insect collection.

Horror Sequels Galore! The Black Phone 2 and It Follows 2 Are On the Way, Terrifier 3 Sets Release Date

October may be over, but Halloween season never is. And it’s a good thing, too, because a ton of horror sequels are coming our way.

First up, the truly terrifying Universal and Blumhouse movie, The Black Phone, will get a sequel. The Black Phone 2 is currently set to release on June 27, 2025 and, per Variety, will be the “launch of a sinister new franchise.” We have chills already.

Next, It Follows will also receive a sequel titled They Follow. The writer and director of It Follows, David Robert Mitchell, will return for the sequel alongside star Maika Monroe. It Follows was a movie that encapsulated the terrifying feeling of someone always lurking behind you, and we bet its sequel will double the sensation.

Finally, Terrifier 3 and its terrifying slasher Art the Clown will arrive in theaters on October 25, 2024, for another round of Christmas horror. We can’t wait to see what terrifying naughty-list mayhem will transpire.

In case you were curious, we’ve broken down the horoscopes of 12 iconic horror villains.

The post Another JOHN WICK Series in the Works, JURASSIC WORLD LEGO Sets, and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

History is a funny thing. It can be cruel, it can be informative. It can be weird or nuanced, even be entertaining. In the case of Killers of the Flower Moon, it’s all of these and so much more. 

Before we go any further, it’s important to acknowledge that although I am Indigenous, I am Apsáalooke, not Osage. In addition, although I am going to try to be very light on the spoilers and abstract things, I am still going to reference things about the plot. If you want to see this movie without hearing my opinion first, please go do so now! (TL;DR: It’s worth it!)

This film is almost a masterpiece.

It features a star-studded cast giving amazing performances. It was directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It’s even based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name by author David Grann.

So, why do I say it’s “almost” a masterpiece?

It’s an interplay of where this story began, and where it ended up. You see, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI is a true story. It’s a nonfiction book about true events. Contrarily, Killers of the Flower Moon is a dramatized retelling of the same story through the lens of a modern Western.

The story is accurate to history. As far as my knowledge goes, it does a fair job of recounting what happened. It remains a story full of truth. The problem is that the film is tainted by perspective. Not my perspective, per se, but the perspective of the movie itself.  

As the title of the novel suggests, the film is about the Osage Murders. These were a string of homicides between 1921 and 1926 dubbed “the Reign of Terror”, for their pointlessness, viciousness, and seeming randomness. For “five” years indigenous people of the Osage tribe lost their lives, and nobody could figure out why.

The motivations were simple enough to figure out. The Osage had struck oil several years before, and both the tribe and individual members were comparatively wealthy. Other people wanted access to that wealth. For awhile, people had made use of the “headship” system to steal from the tribe. Now, certain people wanted to do so more directly. However, no one could really figure out who was committing these murders. Local law enforcement was “stumped.” The Osage attempted to reach out to the Bureau of Investigation, but “somehow” their representative was murdered before they completed their mission.

With no other options, Mollie, an Osage woman who had suffered the loss of her mother and siblings, as well as a mysterious wasting disease, resolved to make the trip herself. It was Mollie who finally managed to reach out to the federal government for help. It was only then that the crimes were solved, and the full depths of depravity were revealed.

The sheriff’s department hadn’t been so much stumped, as it had been corrupt. In fact, one of the deputies had been the mastermind of the whole thing. His nephew, Ernest, had been his willing accomplice, as well as Mollie’s husband.

Ernest had married Mollie explicitly to gain the headship rights of her and her family. He’d helped arrange the deaths of his in-laws and had even been poisoning Mollie’s insulin, resulting in her apparent illness. After the Bureau revealed these crimes, Ernest received justice, but for “five” years he helped terrorize an entire reservation.     

So, it’s a real shame that they decided to hang the movie on Ernest. The film has an incredible cast that portrays dynamic, interesting individuals. Not the least among these is Mollie herself. She was an incredibly resilient woman who survived pain and heartbreak, and a dangerous journey to bring help to her people.

But we’re not following her for the majority of the film. Rather, our POV character isn’t an Osage at all. Instead, we’re following Ernest, a veteran of World War I, a former taxi driver, and, more importantly, a murderer, a terrorist, and one of the primary antagonists of the situation. 

This is ironic, given that a big point of the story is how often the Osage of the time lost control of their money to white “guardians.” The headship system meant that, if an Osage was declared “incompetent” for whatever reason, control of their assets would default to a court-appointed individual. Couple this with the rampant corruption of the courts, and the racist attitude towards indigenous people as savages, and it becomes clear how easily Osage families could lose everything.

So in a way, it’s incredibly apropos that the focus of the story, and thus control of the narrative, remains centered on Ernest rather than the Osage Woman who suffered at his hands. As our main character, we’re supposed to connect with him, to empathize with him on some level. I didn’t find this aspect of the film a very appealing prospect.

Observant readers will note that I keep using quotation marks for “five” years. That’s because, although the film omitted it, the book discusses evidence that suggests deaths as far back as the 1910s and as late as the 1930s connected to the events of the reign of terror. So that “five” years, could really be more than 20. The sad truth is that events like these still happen.

The story is dramatized, but it has elements that are familiar to many indigenous people in the United States. Although a hundred years have passed, some of these plot points could come ripped from today’s headlines. Indigenous women still go missing with startling regularity and getting local law enforcement to investigate or care is incredibly difficult. The Guardian system may not be the same anymore, but plenty of systems still exist that echo it. Indigenous people still battle the idea that they’re “simple people.”

I want to end this by restating and expanding on my earlier assessment: Killers of the Flower Moon is almost a masterpiece. The writing is fantastic. The story is engaging, despite the film’s long running time, (clocking in at a whopping three hours and twenty-six minutes!) The film’s portrayals are incredibly powerful and well done. Every member of the cast delivers an excellent performance. Special mention should go to Lily Gladstone, for the raw and powerful dignity she imbues in Mollie.   

However, none of that can change the decision to center this story on Ernest.

I understand the necessity of change when you’re adapting a book for the silver screen. I don’t envy the task of converting a nonfiction book about historical homicide into something engaging for a modern audience. Equally understandable is the allure of telling the story from a villain’s point of view. It’s an interesting subversion of classic expectations. I understand it much less when we’re talking about a real-life person committing atrocities that still happen in the modern day.

It’s especially galling when Mollie is right there, and her story would have been more compelling, as well as more poignant for the subject matter. Instead, the film relegates her to what is essentially a secondary character in Ernest’s story.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a powerful movie that tells a tale of murder and betrayal that’s incredibly visceral and evocative. It’s an incredibly important movie that throws a spotlight on a piece of history few talk about. Even if the spotlight could have been positioned on a much better figure. It would just be nice if the problems of the story weren’t still viscerally familiar a century later, right down to the misplaced spotlight.

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If you weren’t a Ryan Gosling fan before Barbie this past summer, then you probably became one after seeing it. Gosling was so brilliant as (just) Ken, we honestly feel he deserves an Oscar nomination. But some of us have recognized Gosling’s brilliance for a long time. Like the time he played a stoic replicant in Blade Runner 2049. Or a stoic Hollywood stunt guy in Drive. Well, now he’s playing Colt Seavers, another Hollywood stunt performer, just one who’s clearly more talkative, in The Fall Guy. This action comedy also stars Emily Blunt as Colt’s ex, Jody Moreno, and John Wick and Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch is directing. You can watch the first full trailer right here.

The Fall Guy looks like a throwback to the action comedies of the ’80s and ’90s. This fits, as the film is based on an old ’80s hit TV series, which ran for five seasons from 1981 to 1986. In the show, which starred former Six Million Dollar Man star Lee Majors, he was a Hollywood stuntman who had a second job as a bounty hunter. This new big-screen version doesn’t seem to do the whole “moonlights as a bounty hunter” part. Instead, it seems like some kind of murder mystery that our hero gets wrapped up in.

David Leitch directing a movie about a stuntman seems like a natural fit. Before he directed his first film in 2014, he had a very impressive resume as a stuntman himself, going back to 1997. We can see his stunt work in movies like Blade and Fight Club. He then became a second unit director, before finally stepping into the director’s chair with the original John Wick. So who better to helm a movie about a guy who does dangerous things in movies for a living? Seems like a match made in heaven.

The Fall Guy‘s synopsis is as follows:

He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

The Fall Guy hits theaters on March 1, 2024.

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How did Panem devolve into the casual cruelty we see in The Hunger Games? The capitol of the nation prospers while citizens in many of its districts suffer and struggle to survive. Author Suzanne Collins explored the events before the 74th Hunger Games in a prequel novel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, set 64 years in the past. The story, which Lionsgate is adapting into a film, specifically focuses on Coriolanus Snow. He later becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem. But as a young man, he doesn’t see the world—or the games—so clearly. A girl from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird, gives him a new perspective.

Before you see The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, here’s what you should know about the characters and how they connect to what and who you know from The Hunger Games. We also have a few exclusive character images to share.

Coriolanus Snow

Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth, is an 18-year-old looking out for his family. He’s decades away from becoming the President Snow we know from the books and movie adaptations. Here, he’s trying to regain status for his family, as the aftermath from the war has left them under financial duress. Snow wants to keep up appearances and improve their situation. As part of this, when he is chosen to mentor a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games, he accepts the position with aplomb—even when he is stuck with a tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird.

Lucy Gray Baird

Lucy Gray Baird, from District 12, is the captivating and enigmatic tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games who young Coriolanus mentors. Rachel Zegler portrays Lucy Gray. District 12 is, of course, the coal-mining district where we later meet Katniss Everdeen. Lucy Gray charms the Capitol at the reaping and makes a memorable entry to the games. A performer in a musical singing troupe, the Covey, with her family, Lucy Gray is unafraid of the Capitol and the architects of the game. She doesn’t hesitate to enlighten Snow about what life in the districts is like.

Casca Highbottom

Oh, Casca Highbottom. Peter Dinklage plays this character, dean of the Academy and the person who came up with the concept for the Hunger Games. Highbottom once shared that idea with Coriolanus’ father and eventually, their hypothetical ponderings became reality, leaving Highbottom (rightfully) morally conflicted. Highbottom has an addiction to the painkiller morphling.

Tigris

Remember Tigris from Mockingjay? She appeared in Mockingjay – Part 2, played by Eugenie Bondurant. In that time, she owns a clothing shop and has altered her appearance; she offers shelter to Katniss. But Tigris is Coriolanus’ cousin. Hunter Schafer plays her in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Tigris is already stylish and resourceful, and she believes in her cousin and his character.

Sejanus Plinth

Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth. He attends the Academy with Snow and is also chosen to mentor a Tribute for the 10th Hunger Games. He’s in a privileged position, with his now wealthy and powerful family at his back, but he still must define his allegiance to the Capitol and prove himself.

Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman

Caesar Flickerman brings pizazz to the Hunger Games in Katniss’ time. He’s a well-known figure, playing a key part in the Games’ success. But it’s his predecessor, Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman who kicks off this legacy. Jason Schwartzman plays Lucky, the first-ever host for The Hunger Games broadcast. He’s a weatherman and amateur magician eager for a chance to show his talents in the national spotlight and make the games a can’t-miss event.

Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Dr. Volumnia Gaul, played by Viola Davis, is a cruel force behind the games. An instructor at the Academy and the Head Gamesmaker, Dr. Gaul ensures the Hunger Games are riveting. She wants to show the Capitol’s commitment to the punishment of the Districts and make it an unforgettable spectacle. She operates the Capitol’s weapons division, coming up with inventive and horrific ways to torment the Tributes.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will arrive in theaters on November 17.

The post A Guide to THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES Characters appeared first on Nerdist.

A new entry into the world of Planet of the Apes is coming our way. And it picks up generations after we left Caesar and his tribe living peacefully in War for the Planet of the Apes. Trouble, of course, is brewing, as it naturally does in order for franchises to continue. And we can sense an epic conflict coming our way. The first teaser trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets us up well for the “action-adventure spectacle” that awaits, promising ape tyrants, human friends, lots of danger, but also beauty. You can get your first look at what’s in store below.

The official logline for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes released with the trailer reveals more about its story; it notes:

Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

That young ape, of course, is Cornelius, Caesar’s son. And he won’t allow his father’s legacy to be ruined by those who would use it for ill. But will he successfully bring peace to apes and humans alike in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? We’ll have to wait and see where his journey goes. But this trailer suggests it certainly won’t be an easy quest.

A release shares, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Wes Ball (the “Maze Runner” trilogy) and stars Owen Teague (“IT”), Freya Allan (“The Witcher”), Kevin Durand (“Locke & Key”), Peter Macon (“Shameless”), and William H. Macy (“Fargo”).” This Planet of the Apes movie releases in theaters on May 24, 2024.

The post KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Trailer Teases an Ape Tyrant on the Rise appeared first on Nerdist.

Mean Girls debuted in 2004, bringing wearing pink on Wednesdays, fetch, and the importance of October 3 with it. The film has continued in memes and through the Mean Girls musical, but there’s never been a sequel (Mean Girls 2 technically exists, but…) following the characters—until now. The Mean Girls cast has reunited to continue the story in an unexpected form: a commercial for Walmart. Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Daniel Franzese, and Rajiv Surendra all reprised their roles and returned to North Shore High School in the below Black Friday Mean Girls reunion ad.

Lohan’s Cady Heron narrates the video. She’s a guidance counselor at the school now. Karen Smith is a weather reporter and as… unaware as you’d expect. Gretchen Wieners is a stage mom. Yes, she is still, much to her kid’s embarrassment, trying to make fetch happen in this Mean Girls reunion ad. Kevin Gnapoor is a dad looking out for Kevin Jr., and Damian is there being a supportive friend.

The whole ad is a blast from the past. The new clique of cool girls, one of whom is Gretchen’s daughter, even performs “Jingle Bell Rock,” complete with the sexy Santa Claus outfits. Like Cady says in the video, “Some things never change.” We’re glad to pick up with all our favorite Mean Girls characters in this pseudo-sequel, even if it is only a reunion for a commercial.

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Catching movies on IMAX screens can be tough. Often, there’s a limited window and many movie-goers vying for the same seats. This was especially true of watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on IMAX screens in 70mm. Oppenheimer was specially filmed to be viewed in this format, but getting seats to the screenings proved tough. In some theaters, they sold out for the entire run. But in a rare turn of events, Oppenheimer is actually making its way back to IMAX screens in select global theaters. So, if you missed your chance to view the movie in its most desirable format the first time, you have another shot.

The Hollywood Reporter shares that “six IMAX 70mm film projections locations worldwide” will screen Oppenheimer in November for one additional week. These IMAX Oppenheimer screenings will begin on November 3. Location-wise, four IMAX theaters in the United States, located in NYC and California, will screen the movie. Oppenheimer will also run in 70mm IMAX in London, and in Melbourne, Australia. If you visit the website for your local IMAX theater, for example, AMC Lincoln Square 13 in NYC, you can see that the tickets for the Christopher Nolan movie on IMAX 70mm are now available.

The Hollywood Reporter additionally shares, “Oppenheimer was shot by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema using Imax cameras and a combination of Imax 65mm and 65mm large-format film. That included the use of IMAX black and white analog photography.” In short, don’t miss the movie’s limited return to cinema’s biggest screen. This could be the last time Oppenheimer screens in this specific way.

Now we just need to somehow convince IMAX to do a double-feature screening of Barbie and Oppenheimer so that we can relive the summer in full. It certainly would make for a visual cinematic feast well worth witnessing.

The post OPPENHEIMER Is Returning to IMAX Screens in 70mm appeared first on Nerdist.

Considering it made roughly 40 gazillion dollars at the box office, earned rave reviews from critics and viewers alike, and might very well garner multiple Oscar nominations next year, it’s hard to imagine Barbie could have been any better. But there’s at least one way to make it awesome in a different way: add a cat. That always improves any film or show. And if you doubt that, the latest video from the YouTube channel OwlKitty shows why. It edits a black cat into Barbie to serve as the true object of Ken’s affection.

Sorry Stereotypical Barbie, you had your chance. You are no longer Kenough for Barbieland’s lovesick blonde beacher. Not after OwlKitty finally gave Ken what he wanted in life and reciprocated his love.

Well, at least this cat (real name Lizzy) is willing to do that some of the time. Every furry feline owner knows you can never get your cat to appreciate you 100% of the time. Sometimes they just want to be left alone to nap. But this cat’s love is still a huge improvement over the lack of attention Ken got from Barbie in the film. Honestly, it’s a great solution for everyone.

This video is the latest piece of fantastic internet silliness from a channel that has also re-imagined Top Gun: Maverick, Titanic, and Jurassic Park with a cat as the main star. And despite this new entry being so short, it touches on some of the best parts of the movie. From replacing Margot Robbie in the opening sequence to editing the cat into some of Ken’s best moments, this Barbie mashup is among the YouTube channel’s best. Especially since it seamlessly adds OwlKitty into one of 2023’s best movie moments, Ken’s big musical number “I’m Just Ken.”

I’m already on record as having an out-of-body experience the first time I saw that sequence. It is perfect in every way. Now it’s perfect in a second way, the only way anyone possibly could have improved Barbie. It now has a cat.

The post Ken Gets a Cat Who Thinks He’s Kenough in Fun BARBIE Movie Edit appeared first on Nerdist.

He is Kenough! And, honestly, even though Barbie is everything and he’s just Ken, the new “I am Kenough” Ken Doll is also kind of everything. We’re sure even Barbie would agree. We’re just surprised it took this long for him to arrive. But, yes, is the answer to the question you’ve all been asking since the Barbie movie was released. There is an “I am Kenough” Ken doll you can buy, complete with hoodie, Ryan Gosling’s face, and swoopy blonde hair. This new Ken doll has discovered himself, self-actualized, and is now available for pre-order. You’ll have to wait a while longer for him to actually reach you, but he’s worth it.

The Kenough Ken doll is truly inspired. Of course, it was a given that the Barbie movie would have a very meta-arc of being motivated by the story of a doll and then creating more of the doll that created it. But we can’t even be mad at this circle of capitalism when this new Ken doll has a perfectly designed miniature replica of Ken’s Kenough sweater. We have to take our joy where we can get it.

A release from Mattel shares more about this “I am Kenough” Ken Doll. It notes of the Barbie movie figure:

He was complete and worthy just as he was. He was perfectly molded, deserving of both admiration and success. He was more than enough in Barbie Land – he was, in fact, “Kenough.” Thanks to Ryan Gosling’s performance of Ken’s self-discovery in Barbie The Movie, this moment inspired millions around the world and became immediately iconic. Our Ken doll is sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness, and wears the hoodie that is also the must-have, real-life apparel item of the year.

Click To View Gallery

You can take a look at all facets of the “I am Kenough” Ken doll above. While, of course, the hoodie makes the man, there’s a lot more happening for this Ken than that. Firstly, it has a face sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness. And who can resist that? Secondly, we love that this Ken is fully poseable, so he can do his famous end-of-movie wave and sheepishly tuck his hands into his pockets. The embroidery that lives not only on the Kenough sweater but also on this doll’s sweatpants is also pretty cool. We have to hand it to this Ken; he looks pretty good. It’s definitely Kenough for us.

So how do you buy the “I am Kenough” Ken doll? Well, the figure is available to pre-order via Mattel Creations right now. He will be a made-to-order product. “I am Kenough” Ken will ship out sometime in 2024, but the doll will definitely head to you on or before October 31, 2024. This Ken costs $50.00. But being Kenough, that’s truly priceless. Don’t forget, you can also match your doll with a hoodie of your own.

The post ‘I am Kenough’ Ryan Gosling Ken Doll Is Officially Available to Buy appeared first on Nerdist.

Paramount+’s newest trailer welcomes you back to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, for Good Burger 2. Sure, that might be a mouthful to say, but at least it was written by a human. Dexter and Ed won’t be lucky enough to deal with actual people in the sequel to their beloved 1997 kid’s comedy. A big corporation wants to turn their jobs over to robots. But as we all know, while he’s a dude, and she’s a dude, machines aren’t. And they definitely aren’t as funny. Take a look at the official trailer for Good Burger 2 below.

More than 25 years after All That‘s best buds went from TV to the big screen, Good Burger‘s most famous employees are back on the job. At least temporarily. Their reunion doesn’t go as planned when Dex inadvertently sends them both to the unemployment line. Here’s the official synopsis of Good Burger 2 that Paramount+ released with the movie’s trailer:

The highly anticipated film sequel follows Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) and original cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell) as they reunite in the present day at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees. In Good Burger 2, Dexter Reed is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again.

The sequel also features Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Kamaia Fairburn, Alex R. Hibbert, Fabrizio Guido, Elizabeth Hinkler, Emily Hinkler, and Anabel Graetz. The film will also mark the return of original Good Burger stars Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg, and Carmen Electra. And as this Good Burger 2 trailer reveals, we’re also getting served up some famous celebrity cameos.

Not that we need them. Just getting Dex and Ed back together is enough for us. So long as it’s the human thems and not robot thems. Machines are not dudes, dude.

Good Burger 2 debuts at Paramount+ on November 22. That’s also where you can stream all four seasons of All That and the 1997 film.

The post Robots Replace Dex and Ed in GOOD BURGER 2 Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Freaky and fabulous? Now you’re speaking our language. And that’s exactly why we love the Monster High Skullector series from Mattel. It reimagines horror icons through the lens of Monster High’s boospoke fashions and style. The Monster High Skullector series has brought us incredible fashion-forward dolls of horror legends like Elvira, Annabelle, Chucky, and Tiffany, and now two more will join their ranks. Just in time for this Halloween season, Monster High Skullector brings us The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ leading duo like we’ve never seen them before. Take a look at these hauntingly glamorous Jack Skellington and Sally dolls.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe that these Jack Skellington and Sally dolls aren’t just drawings on a page. They’re so beautiful and intricate that they barely look real. But real they are, and they’re ready to join your Halloween Town.

A release from Mattel shares more about these Jack and Sally dolls. It notes of The Nightmare Before Christmas collection:

Just in time for the holidays, we’re paying homage to Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with this Skullector set. Disney’s Jack Skellington and Sally make a hauntingly handsome couple in boospoke fashions with a signature Monster High twist… Disney’s Jack Skellington and Sally are a lovable duo in haunting details that will make you scream with joy. Disney’s Jack Skellington radiates ghostlike charm in a stylized skeleton body. He wears a pinstriped suit with a skull motif, his bat bow tie, and Spiral Hill-heeled oxfords. Sally’s vibrant red hair and stitching details complement her gore-geous face sculpt, topped by a thistle, and bow headband.

Click To View Gallery

The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ Jack and Sally have always been style icons, so we’re glad someone is taking the time to really appreciate them. Alongside everything else mentioned in the official description, we also have to give a shoutout to the heels that Monster High Skullector Sally wears. They carry a little poisonous Easter egg. We just hope Mattel will make adult-sized versions of these Monster High Skullector looks because we would wear them.

That’s the fanciful stuff. As for the more practical details? Monster High Skullector Dolls, Jack & Sally from Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will cost $90. The dynamic duo originally released on October 27 via the Mattel Creations website but are now sold out. Hopefully, Mattel will see the demand for these Jack & Sally figures and release another run. They are also perfect for the Christmas season, after all. If you managed to snag them, then it’s time to cue up “Jack & Sally’s Song” and prepare for the arrival of your lovely new dolls. If not, well, The Nightmare Before Christmas is worth watching either way.

Originally published on October 25, 2023.

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Right after the bombshell news that Pratt would voice Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated film, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Chris Pratt would also voice Garfield in an upcoming animated movie starring the famous cat. The Garfield movie will arrive in 2024, and we don’t know what to think. We can only hope the marketing campaign involves lots of lasagna.

While it makes a little more sense for Pratt to voice Garfield than it does Mario—after all, Garfield does not happen to be Italian. It still seems odd. Pratt honestly seems more like he’d make for a good Jonathan Q. Arbuckle to us. But casting is as casting does.

We now also have a couple of looks at what Garfield will look like in this reboot movie.

Chris Pratt isn’t the only famous name in the movie. Samuel L. Jackson is in the voice cast of the Garfield movie, too. According to Deadline, he will play “a brand-new character, Garfield’s father Vic.” Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter shares that Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang will join the film, alongside the already announced Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong, and Ving Rhames. We don’t know yet who Goldstein and Yang will voice.

Sony Pictures will release this film from Alcon Entertainment worldwide (excluding China). Mark Dindal will direct the movie. And David Reynolds penned the script. Reynolds worked on Finding Nemo, and together, the duo worked on The Emperor’s New Groove. That’s a promising pair. But we still feel a bit confused by the Pratt situation.

Only time will tell if Pratt can fully embody the original grumpy cat. And given Garfield has been around since 1978, that’s one big sleeping box to fill. One thing we can say for sure. Garfield has produced great memes and internet content for years, and Chris Pratt has too. So the internet is about to have a field day with this one. We look forward to seeing exactly how things unroll.

Garfield will arrive on May 24, 2024.

Originally published on November 1, 2021.

The post Chris Pratt’s GARFIELD Movie Shares New Look at Reimagined Iconic Cat appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boy and the Heron, the newest Studio Ghibli movie and possibly Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, has treated us to a very slow reveal. For a long time, all we saw from the movie was a poster with a mysterious heron on it. Next, we saw some beautiful stills that carried all the hallmarks of a Studio Ghibli movie created by Hayao Miyazaki. Now, the movie has released has released several trailers to help whet our appetite. The Boy and the Heron‘s US teaser trailer sets its American theater release date. But most importantly, we finally get to see some of The Boy and the Heron in action across the movie’s US and international trailers. The might of nature, the existential threat of death, and a stunning soundtrack? Yep. Sign us up for this latest Studio Ghibli movie.

The Boy and the Heron’s Official US Trailer

The Boy and the Heron isn’t ready to surrender all of its secrets in this teaser trailer, though. Haunting music guides us through flashes of different scenes. We see a heron, of course, and follow our protagonist as he delves deep into yet another surreal and magical Miyazaki world. There’s even a brand new adorable Studio Ghibli creature for us to coo over.

The Boy and the Heron‘s teaser trailer notes, “Where death comes to an end. Life finds new beginning.” It could be ominous… or hopeful. Isn’t that what a Miyazaki movie is all about?

More Footage of the Studio Ghibli Movie Revealed in International Trailers

In addition to the footage from the US trailer for The Boy and the Heron, new scenes from the movie have been revealed in the French and Korean trailers for the film. Take a look below.

Korean trailer of "The Boy and the Heron" (Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli).
It also reveals new footage from the film.pic.twitter.com/rjJSG5YAyl https://t.co/C6PzLVTwz0

— Catsuka (@catsuka) October 2, 2023

French trailer of "The Boy and the Heron" (Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli).
It reveals new footage from the film.pic.twitter.com/t4CaxoKBn9

— Catsuka (@catsuka) October 2, 2023

To further celebrate The Boy and the Heron‘s release in South Korea, a music video from artist Kenshi Yonezu, titled “Spinning Globe,” was also released. This music video features a ton of new footage from Miyazaki’s latest Studio Ghibli movie.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Synopsis

In addition to new footage, the trailer for The Boy and the Heron reveals precious insight into the Studio Ghibli movie’s plot. It notes:

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

We do love a good tribute to friendship—and the themes of life, death, and creation are guaranteed to make us cry. It’s a good thing we don’t have to wait too long for this movie to arrive in theaters. This movie was also introduced initially as Hayao Miyazaki’s final Studio Ghibli movie. Of course, there have been many “final” Studio Ghibli movies before, but if this is in fact the last, we’re sure we’ll see that reflected in the content as well.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Release Date

The Boy and the Heron will be released in movie theaters on December 8. The new Studio Ghibli movie will play in regular and IMAX theaters.

Originally published on September 6, 2023.

The post THE BOY AND THE HERON Trailers Reveal US Release Date, New Footage of Final Miyazaki Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

Once upon a time, Snow White was Disney’s first full Disney princess movie. Incredibly, the animated Snow White first released in 1937. And now Snow White will re-release in 2025 as a live-action movie starring Rachel Zegler. Per Deadline, Disney recently moved the release date for the live-action princess movie from March 22, 2024 to March 21, 2025. That’s a year’s delay, but to tide us over, the studio also released our first look at Rachel Zegler as Snow White in the live-action Snow White movie. She’s accompanied by dwarves Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.

Disney live-action adaptations of animated movies have been kind of hit or miss. And so far, we’re not positive this one’s a hit. But we suppose we will wait and see a little bit more.

Joining Zegler in Disney’s live-action Snow White is Gal Gadot, who will play the Evil Queen. Tony Award winner Andrew Burnap will play a new male lead character. We guess just being a generic prince doesn’t cut it anymore. Behind the scenes is director Marc Webb who will oversee the script penned by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. The live-action Snow White movie will include original songs.

I’ll be honest, of all Disney movies, Snow White is the one I remember the least. It’ll be interesting to see if the live-action adaptation of this classic will take the story in new directions. At the very least, the singing will likely be very good. We’re crossing our fingers for an excellent costume department as well.

As mentioned above, Snow White will now be released on March 21, 2025. Just don’t take any apples from strangers between now and then. No matter how nice they might seem.

The post Disney Shares Live-Action SNOW WHITE First-Look Photo Featuring Rachel Zegler appeared first on Nerdist.

A lot has happened in the world of entertainment this week. Prime Video’s Gen V is really setting up season four of The Boys, Loki season two is making big moves with franchise level implications, and Disney released Chris Pine’s villain song. But that’s not all that’s gone down.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends that you don’t want to miss.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News:

• EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Gets Much-Anticipated Updates
• Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings Collection Expands with Four New Scene Boxes
• NYC Transit App Becomes Pokémon Go of Rats and Informs You About the Rattiness of a Station
• Get Up to Some Mischief with BoxLunch’s Loki Collection
• Disneyland Resort Announces Pixar Place Hotel, the First Fully Pixar-Themed US Hotel
• Goldfish Elf Maple Syrup Flavored Grahams Are Swimming in for the Holidays
• Lost and Avatar: The Last Airbender Concerts Coming Soon
• Buy a Tiny Elf Home on Zillow
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Actor Wants Spidey-Pool in a Future Game

EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Gets Much-Anticipated Updates

Last September, Marvel Entertainment and EA’s Motive Studios announced they were teaming up for a brand new Iron Man game. This “all-new single-player, third-person, action-adventure” will “feature an original narrative that taps into the rich history of Iron Man, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man.”

We haven’t heard too much about it since, but recently, the game received a few exciting updates. First, EA Motive shared that while the game was still in early pre-production, it had selected Unreal Engine 5 as its game engine. Additionally, a Community Council of Iron Man and Marvel fans has been selected to offer feedback on the game’s creation. And finally, Marvel Comics’ own Ryan North has joined the Iron Man game’s writing team, bringing his passion and expertise to the table. All of that sounds incredibly promising.

For more fun Avengers adventures, check out the trailer for LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red.

Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings Collection Expands with Four New Scene Boxes

Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings collection is really something spectacular. And now, its gorgeous offerings continue to expand with four special Tales of Middle-Earth Scene Boxes. These special sets offer fans and collectors “6 foil Borderless cards with art that combine to showcase one of the most epic scenes from The Lord of the Rings” as well as “6 Art Cards featuring the same art without any game text obscuring the view” and three booster packs which contain 12 cards each, “including 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher.”

The four scenes depicted in these special The Lord of the Rings Magic card box sets are Gandalf in Pelennor Fields, The Might of Galadriel, Flight of the Witch-King, and Aragorn at Helm’s Deep. Each set costs around $41, or all four are available for purchase for $144. All of these incredible box sets go on sale on November 3. We first saw these on GameSpot.

To explore more about Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, check out our deep dive into the set, here.

NYC Transit App Becomes Pokémon Go of Rats and Informs You About the Rattiness of a Station

Catching a glimpse of a rat in NYC is kind of like playing Pokémon Go in real life, right? To help the vision along, an app called Transit, which we first saw on Kotaku, is helping to detect rat-levels across NYC’s many different subway stops. Transit shares, “We enlisted thousands of rodent spotters across the five boroughs to rank the rattiest stations.” And in the end, Transit created the “NYC Subway Rat Detector.” Rats, it turns out, are everywhere, but in some places more than others. Those who actually download the Transit app can get updated reports on the state of their favorite station and check-in regularly on the rat situation. No word yet on what happens if you throw a Poké Ball in the direction of an NYC rat… But we’ll have to suggest that you don’t.

Did you know that rats can play video games too? Take a look at these rats playing Doom II.

Get Up to Some Mischief with BoxLunch’s Loki Collection

Ready to embrace some extra mischief in your life? BoxLunch’s Loki collection is here to help you celebrate Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, Miss Minutes, and the TVA. Even though Loki and co. are probably going to bring down some multiversal mayhem on us all, it doesn’t mean we can’t look stylish while they do. And what could we possibly need more in our lives than an Alligator Loki plush? Ask yourselves.

Click To View Gallery

The full BoxLunch Loki collection is available here.

To catch up with Loki season two check out our latest write-up.

Disneyland Resort Announces Pixar Place Hotel, the First Fully Pixar-Themed US Hotel

Disneyland + Pixar + fully-themed hotel? Sounds like a match made in heaven to us. We honestly can’t believe the United States didn’t have a full Pixar hotel already, but we guess it didn’t. Disneyland Resort recently announced the Pixar Place Hotel, which will give you an excellent new place to stay while celebrating all things Pixar.

Click To View Gallery

A release shares, “Pixar Place Hotel will evoke the inspiration and humor that goes into every Pixar film, while celebrating the artistic process. Showcasing early sketches to finished design, the art and decor will highlight vibrant Pixar stories, revealing some never-before-seen artwork.” From the iconic Pixar Lamp to The Incredibles to Toy Story 3 and beyond this new hotel will have it all. It will even include a Finding Nemo pool complete with “Crush’s Surfin’ Slide, a 186-foot-long water slide inspired by the coolest sea turtle in the ocean.” That’s cool, dude. You can check out more facets and concepts for Pixar Place above.

As if that’s not enough, a Haunted Mansion bar is coming to Disney’s next cruise ship.

Goldfish Elf Maple Syrup Flavored Grahams Are Swimming in for the Holidays

Celebrate this holiday season with something sweet, Buddy the Elf style. In honor of Elf and everyone’s favorite elf, Goldfish is putting on their holiday best and offering us some maple syrup-flavored snacks. The official description of these treats notes, “MAPLE SYRUP FLAVORED GRAHAMS: Inspired by syrup – one of elves’ four main food groups. Enjoy delicious flavors of sweet brown sugar and butter, with the taste of caramel and vanilla. Inspired by Buddy the Elf!” Count us in. We also plan to greatly enjoy the different shapes these treats come in, which include Buddy’s hat, a maple syrup jar, and, of course, the traditional goldfish.

Elf turns 20 this year, and we couldn’t think of a finer way to welcome Buddy and the gang into double digits.

Need something else sweet in your life? Stranger Things‘ Scoops Ahoy ice cream is now available at Walmart.

Lost and Avatar: The Last Airbender Concerts Coming Soon

In need of some fun geeky outings to attend? Well, two iconic franchises are about to bring you fun in concert form. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Lost are both promising concerts that will transport you.

The official website for Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert shares, “Immerse yourself in an over two-hour show with a live orchestra bringing the show’s iconic musical score to life, in perfect harmony with highlights and favorite moments from the series. Taiko and erhu will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series’ most beloved scenes play out on screen, bringing viewers into the Avatar world to experience the series’ most memorable moments with Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko and more.”

Four dates have been announced across Europe and the United States. Hopefully more will follow.

Meanwhile, Lost‘s Michael Giacchino offers us a concert poster and little else. We guess it’s the Lost way to be mysterious. We do know we’ll see this Dharma Initiative concert in 2024.

If you need more Avatar: The Last Airbender in your life, check out everything we know about the live-action series.

Buy a Tiny Elf Home on Zillow

Okay, so you can’t actually buy a tiny elf home on Zillow. But who doesn’t love a miniature? And if you get in contact with your elf realtor, you might just take home this little house and $10,000 courtesy of Icelandic Provisions Skyr. All you have to do is make an offering… probably not of your soul. But watch out, the fae folk are tricky. Just keep in mind that heating is wool sweaters, this home has been available for 1,000 years, and the price per square foot is a quarter leg of lamb. Can we please get Netflix on Selling Fairyland, stat?

For more fairies and mythology, check out the Ahsoka series connecton to folklore and myth.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Actor Wants Spidey-Pool in a Future Game

Let’s face it, the people love to see Spider-Man and Deadpool interacting together in a relationship affectionately known as Spidey-Pool. Maybe someday the stars will align, and we’ll even get to see them on the big screen. But another excellent option would be for Spider-Man and Deadpool to meet up in Marvel’s Spider-Man games series.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 recently released to much praise and love. We bet a Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 will become a reality sooner rather than later. But what will it entail? Well, Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s actor Yuri Lowenthal has an idea. He’d like Peter Parker and Deadpool to meet up.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Lowenthal shared:

I mean, there are so many ways they could go with a third game. I’m assuming, at this point nobody’s had me sign a contract for a third game, but I’m assuming there will be a third game… Look, here’s something I’ve been pitching for a long time, and I don’t know if they’re going to do it, but I love the Spidey-Pool relationship. I love Deadpool and Spider-Man. As much as I talk about Moon Knight in this universe, and Bryan Intihar is tired of me talking about that, I’ve been hard-pitching, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Nolan North and I got to play in that?” And so I would love to see that. I’d love to see Deadpool and Spidey in this. Is it going to happen? Probably not. Do they listen to me? Mostly not. But that is a relationship I would love to see explored in games.

It would, indeed, be great.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also has its very own artbook. Check out our write-up, here.

The post IRON MAN Game Gets Update, ELF Maple Goldfish Are Here, and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

The post-credits scene has become a staple of the theatrical experience in our modern age. Almost every movie leaves a treat for fans to find after they think the film has come to a close. Five Nights at Freddy’s does deliver the traditional cherry-on-top with a brief post-credits scene that will make you jump. But it also offers a spin on the traditional bonus. For those who are truly in it to win it, at the very, very, very end of its credits, Five Nights at Freddy’s plays an audio track of distorted letters that seem to spell some words. They’re honestly very hard to make out in the theater, but they’re actually the most important tease of all. Let’s dive into the Five Night’s at Freddy’s post-credits scene, the movie’s mysterious letters, and what it all could mean.

What Do the Letters at the End of Five Nights at Freddy’s Credits Spell Out?

The audio at the very end of Five Nights at Freddy’s credits spells out the following letters, “C-O-M-E-F-I-N-D-M-E” or “Come find me.” It’s an ominous message, or a hopeful one. Of course, throughout Five Nights at Freddy’s, main character Mike Schmidt searches for clues about his brother Garrett’s disappearance. Could the message be directly from Garrett, who is either a ghost or potentially still alive? It’s an option that feels viable since it seems unlikely that after all that searching and obsession, Garrett has no further role to play. We wouldn’t be surprised if these credits letters and words set up Garrett to return in a potential Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel.

Alternatively, the evil William Afton is now trapped at Freddy’s—could he be calling out to someone to come looking for him? The distorted letters certainly don’t sound friendly. Slash Film speculates that the credits letters allude to a cut-scene from the Five Nights at Freddy‘s “Sister Location” game where Mike tells William Afton, “I’m going to come find you. I’m going to come find you.” If that’s the case, the post-credits letters could be pointing us to Circus Baby’s Pizza World, Freddy Fazbear’s sister location. We did see the Circus Baby animatronic feature prominently throughout the movie as the imagined animatronic home for Mike’s sister Abby. It could make sense for this setting to appear in a sequel. But who is then delivering the message in the credits? Perhaps Garrett is housed at Circus Baby’s Pizza World.

Ultimately, the one thing we can say for sure is that the message of “Come find me” in the Five Nights at Freddy’s credits letter is definitely there to set up a sequel.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s Credit Letters Are an Easter Egg

The meaning of the Five Nights at Freddy‘s post-credit letters and the words they spell aside, the presence of the letters themselves makes for a fun Easter egg. In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, when a player is killed by the animatronics, they can be taken to one of several Death Minigames. In most of these games, a voice spells out words in a similar fashion to what occurs in Five Nights at Freddy‘s credits. The distorted audio at the end of the movie is a fun way to incorporate a part of the games into this new cinematic version of the universe.

How to Hear the Five Nights at Freddy’s Credit Letters

For those wanting to hear the Five Nights at Freddy’s letters read out for themselves, here’s when they appear. The distorted voice spelling out the letters comes at the very, very, very end of the credits; we’re talking the very last seconds when there isn’t anything on screen. As a warning, they can be very hard to make out, even in a silent theater.

Five Nights at Freddy’s Post-Credit Scene Features Balloon Boy

Although the audio that plays at the very end of the Five Nights at Freddy‘s credits is much more interesting, the movie does also have a more traditional post-credits scene.

Shortly after the credits begin to roll, Five Nights at Freddy’s also offers a very short post or mid-credits scene. This scene brings back YouTuber CoryxKenshin, who makes a very funny cameo in the movie as a taxi driver. Unfortunately, he gets all the weird rides. And this time, the taxi driver has picked up Balloon Boy, who wants to give the audience one more jump scare. Ballon Boy, who appears throughout the movie, is actually a character that first appears in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and returns in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, and Ultimate Custom Night. This post-credits scene doesn’t tell us too much, but it reminds us that the cinematic Five Nights at Freddy‘s universe is pulling from across games and remixing their stories.

The post What Do the Letters at the End of FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S Credits Spell and Mean? appeared first on Nerdist.

“There can be only one,” unless we’re talking about Highlander. In that case Hollywood will just keep making new versions again and again. And now we know for sure it soon will. Deadline reports a big screen reboot starring Henry Cavill as its titular Immortal, from John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski, is moving forward. That is the a huge step in fulfilling the director’s ultimate plan of making sure this movie won’t be the “only one” that gets made. The real prize for Highlander fans could be a whole new franchise.

Stahelski recently gave an update on his long-awaited Highlander reboot movie when he stopped by Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. During the interview (which we first learned about at IGN), Horowitz asked Stahelski about the status of his Highlander movie. At the time he said the Highlander reboot is still in development. Now Deadline says Lionsgate is definitely “moving forward” with the project. It’s going up for sale at AFM. If everything goes to plan (and SAG-AFTRA gets a fair deal), it could begin filming in 2024.

The film will also have a big-time budget topping $100 million, so this is a serious investment from the studio. That points to this being the start of something much bigger, just as Stahelski hoped. He has said his ultimate goal is to launch an entire Highlander franchise rather than a single stand-alone film.

These new films will also touch upon elements long-time fans know and love about the franchise. Stahelski told Horowitz, “Our story engages a lot of the same characters and stuff like that. But we’ve also brought in elements of all the TV shows, and we’re trying to do a bit of a prequel, a setup to The Gathering. So we have room to grow the property.”

Exactly how much the new rebooted franchise will connect to the previous Christopher Lambert Highlander show and movies is still unknown even if we now know it’s definitely happening. The exact nature of Cavill’s role on the show, which we first reported on in 2021, is also unclear.

A whole series of movies seems is definitely possible for him more than ever. A lot has changed in the actor’s career since he first became attached to Highlander. He’s no longer DC’s Superman or The Witcher‘s Geralt. But both taught him how to defeat powerful enemies and wield a sword, so he’s ready to be an Immortal. And he likely will be multiple times. There can’t be only one new Highlander movie, right?

Originally published on August 29, 2023.

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Spirited Away is one of the most beloved Studio Ghibli movies. It highlights the beauty of Hayao Miyazaki’s art, brings us a compelling array of characters, and ties it all together with a touch of magic. This is why we were so excited when a stage play adaptation of the movie came to life in Japan. And even though those of us in North America won’t yet get to see the show live, we will finally get to watch the Spirited Away play. Two filmed performances of Spirited Away: Live on Stage have now been released on digital and are available to watch on-demand. Meanwhile, a Blu-ray version of the Spirited Away play will release in November.

GKIDS, a producer and distributor of animation, acquired the rights to distribute the show in North America earlier in the year. As mentioned, two filmed performances of the production have now become available for our viewing pleasure. This will let us get a full taste of the Spirited Away play. Each performance will star a different lead actress for Chihiro, who was double-cast.

As of October 24, GKIDS has made the Spirited Away stage production available to watch on Digital On Demand. You can purchase the digital version of the play starring either Kanna Hashimoto or Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro via Apple TV or Amazon’s Prime Video. Additionally, you can pre-order Spirited Away: Live On Stage on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray version will release on November 14. It will feature both performances of the play.

Click To View Gallery

According to a release for Spirited Away: Live On Stage, “character actor Mari Natsuki, who voiced the sorceress Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba in the original motion picture, returns to her original role.” The Spirited Away stage play was also adapted and directed by Tony Award-winner John Caird, “who gained international acclaim for adapting and directing the world premiere of the landmark production Les Misérables.”

We absolutely love seeing our favorite movies in a new way. And if the pictures and trailer from the Spirited Away stage play reveal anything, it’s that we’ll love this rendition. If you live in or plan to visit Japan, the stage play will also return to Nagoya this summer and to Tokyo in March of 2024.

We’ll keep this post updated as more details about how and when you can watch the Spirited Away play now and in the future. For now, we’ll flip on the original and let it carry us into a magical world.

Originally published on February 8, 2023.

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Stick to the plan and don’t give a f**k. That sounds like a good rule of thumb, especially for a professional assassin. But what happens when the plan goes wrong? What do you stick to then? Can you plan for not having a plan? And whose plan even matters at that point? These life-or-death questions are not ones we expected to ponder today, but we also didn’t know we’d be getting the trailer for David Fincher’s next film, The Killer. Now those questions are all we’re going to think about until we see the movie. Netflix’s intense full look at Fincher’s The Killer, an action thriller starring Michael Fassbender, finds a world-class hitman in a deadly situation he never prepared for.

When you’ve directed films like Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network, Gone Girl, and more, you mostly just have to tell us when your next movie comes out to have us planning to buy our ticket. “Directed by David Fincher” is a surefire sales pitch. That doesn’t mean we’re not grateful for this fantastic trailer, though. Even just this brief tease of The Killer looks and sounds like one of Fincher’s movies in the best way. What exactly is going on here, though, besides great aesthetics and an amazing by soundtrack Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross? This is the film’s official logline from Netflix:

After a fateful near-miss an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.

Yes. YES. “Just hook it to my veins.”

The Killer also stars Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton. The script— based on Alexis Nolent’s French graphic novel series of the same name—comes from Andrew Kevin Walker. It will have its world premiere on September 3rd at The Venice Film Festival. Fincher’s The Killer will then arrive in select theaters this October before finally releasing on Netflix on November 10.

How and where will you see it? Our advice is to make a plan and stick to it… If you can.

Originally published on August 29, 2023.

Featured Image: Netflix

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The Sanderson sisters are officially coming back for another round! Last year, the Hocus Pocus trio returned nearly three decades after the original film’s 1993 release. While the sequel got some mixed reviews from fans, most people agreed that it was a delight to see Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy revive those kid-hungry witches in a Hocus Pocus sequel. Now, Walt Disney Pictures president Sean Bailey confirmed to The New York Times that Hocus Pocus 3 is a go.

In that profile, the article simply reports, “Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is happening.” This film is in addition to other live-action developments, including Moana, Hercules, and Lilo & Stitch. Of course, there are no further details about what we can expect. But surely we will get the three leading actors back as those silly witches once again.

When Hocus Pocus 2 came out, screenwriter Jen D’Angelo did hint at a sequel including original protagonist Max Dennison (Omri Katz) and his girlfriend Allison Watts (Vinessa Shaw). Hopefully, those actors will reprise their roles in Hocus Pocus 3. Maybe they are married, and their child will light the black flame candle. There is, after all, a 2018 book where they have a daughter named Poppy. We’d also really, really love to see Dani Dennison (Thora Birch) come back in some capacity, if possible. 

Recently, D’Angelo gave us a small update on Hocus Pocus 3 and noted one character in particular as on her mind. She noted to Entertainment Weekly, “We’re still in the story phase, we’re still working on it. We’ve been working on some ideas, and it’s been fun to dive back into that world and we have so many directions in which to go and so many new characters to explore… We’ve only scratched the surface of Hannah Waddingham’s mother witch.” She even noted that she believes Waddingham’s mother witch to be the “mother” mentioned in the original 1993 movie script.

But for now, when it comes to Hocus Pocus 3, “anything’s on the table,” but “we for sure want to see them [Sanderson Sisters] again as adults.”

Grab your broomsticks and prepare to fly once again with more Hocus Pocus on the way. We hope to hear more about Hocus Pocus 3 sooner rather than later.

Originally published on June 5, 2023.

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You know the whole “days without incident” meme? Keep that in mind, but instead replace it with the days without poorly done video game adaptations. Over the last few years, it seems, Hollywood and its filmmakers finally broke through. From the Max series The Last of Us becoming a hit and garnering awards consideration, the astounding Netflix animated series Arcane seemingly coming out of nowhere, and even to two of gaming’s most iconic mascots—the plumber lad and the super fast blue dude—gaming fans have seen some of their dreams realized. 

Unfortunately, you have to set the days without incident number back to zero, as Five Nights at Freddy’s is a throwback to the old days— without the “Good Ole’” part. It’s from the time when video game adaptations were of the same stenchful quality as a rotten banana rather than the delightful cornucopia we’ve seen of late.

The film, based on the mega-popular 2014 horror game franchise, has a fairly straightforward premise. We follow Mike Schmidt (played by Josh Hutcherson), a juvenile delinquent bouncing from job to job in order to provide for his younger sister Abby (played by Piper Rubio). After being ousted from his latest gig, he’s forced to take a position as a nighttime security guard at an abandoned family-centered entertainment joint, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Naturally, things aren’t as they seem. The animatronics are not only alive in some way, but alive in the murderous way. 

It’s a simple premise for a horror-thriller flick. However, the first issue that arises from Five Nights at Freddy’s is its insistence on not being just that: simple. The first third of the film is decent enough, with plenty of mystery surrounding exactly what’s going on. It has a couple of decent, albeit cliche, scares to accompany it. At first, Freddy’s feels giant. Mike’s loneliness heightens its intricacies. By the time the first third ends, it’s as if the film’s greatest strengths run out of juice. It’s possible to forgive films of this genre for having absurd premises or developments, but Five Nights at Freddy’s gives you so many so quickly that this haunted house comes to feels more like a haunted closet.

The video game series is cluttered with lore, sure, but it’s a shame the movie followed those footsteps of convoluted exposition so obediently. This rears its head not just in Freddy’s as a location, but in some of its characters. We mainly see that with Vanessa (played by Elizabeth Lail), a local police officer Mike becomes acquainted with. On top of the performance being overly mellow and the animatronics somehow feeling more animated than her, the character feels confusing and nonsensical. It’s almost as if no one told her what her character’s arc was until the final day of shooting. 

The rest of the main performances, however, slightly redeem the film. Hutcherson’s character isn’t particularly compelling or tonally consistent. Still, he does a decent enough job selling some of the anxiety and fears that inhabit nearly every waking moment of his day. Rubio, on the other hand, does offer some wholesomeness. He delivers on the kind of humor that only kids could possibly pull off. And Matthew Lillard, a fan-favorite of the horror genre, is entertaining enough whenever he gets something to do. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen all that often.

Five Nights at Freddy’s seemingly tries to be a sort of starter horror movie for the generation that grew up on the games. Again, the first third of the film does show promise—and even some decent enough kills for the slasher-enthusiasts that may attend, even if they’re fairly predictable. And, most importantly—and perhaps most importantly for merchandising reasons—the animatronics that the game made so iconic look quite amazing, especially in action. There’s something here, to be sure, but it’s bogged down by everything else that transpires over the course of the last hour. Considering the movie is only around 90 minutes long, that’s a huge problem.

The haunted house from the animated Haunted House film feels more fleshed out than the lore and story beats here. Even if you’re able to forgive the many cliches, you’ll find yourself surprisingly bored the longer things go on, as if the film already let loose its bag of tricks. 

Five Nights at Freddy’s, just like the abandoned center it focuses so heavily on, feels like a chasm of broken down leftovers. Long forgotten toys and entertainment of yesteryear, you’d think, could be a vehicle for nostalgia to take hold. Instead, it’s trapped in itself. Perhaps somewhere buried underneath the rubble was a great idea, but what actually made it to the surface is anything but.

Five Nights at Freddy’s ⭐ (1.5 of 5)

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Sometimes it is really hard to find the right guy, especially when you’re a teenager. The sweaty boys at your school don’t quite measure up to the handsome (and maybe famous) crush who you dream about at night. So you spend your days and nights fawning over a person you can only hope to meet and fall helplessly in love with in real life. But what if that crush was a dude who isn’t even alive anymore? How do you make your wildest romance dreams come true? You bring them to life for love, murder, gallivanting in graveyards, and adventure, obviously. The trailer for Lisa Frankenstein explores a strange “coming of rage” love story between a goth girl and a reanimated corpse. [Editor’s note: Kudos to the delightful pun on Lisa Frank.]

Kathryn Newton, whom we know as Cassie Lang of Ant-Man movie fame, plays Lisa, a teen who has a high school crush on a handsome corpse (Cole Sprouse). She sits at his grave, telling him that she just wants to be with him. Lisa gets her Frankenstein on and creates a machine to bring her crush to life. They go on a wild adventure full of wacky moments and a sprinkle of murder and crime while falling in love with each other. Her friends think it is weird and adults really hope she gets past the phase she is going through. Yet no one seems to be totally freaked out that she’s hanging out with a not-so-dead dude. Hmmmm…

The Lisa Frankenstein trailer is full of ‘80s-inspired looks, loving embraces, and dark humor. None of these elements are shocking considering Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body) is behind the script with Zelda Williams directing. Lisa Frankenstein also stars Liza Soberano, Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest, and Henry Eikenberry.

The Release Date for Lisa Frankenstein 

Lisa Frankenstein will hit theaters just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 9, 2024.

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Christmas Eve seems like a really stressful time for Santa Claus, right? Every December 24th Kris Kringle delivers toys to billions of kids around the world. Even with time zones that would be hard to do in a single week, let alone a single night. So the last thing he needs on his busiest evening is something else to worry about. You know, something like an evil local politician chasing you down. That wouldn’t be fun for Old Saint Nick, but it should be hilarious for those of us who loves holiday movies. Disney’s first trailer for Dashing Through the Snow, starring Ludacris and Lil Rel Howery, finds Christmas magic in a madcap search for Santa.

Don’t worry, our committee to determine the greatest Christmas movie Santa of all-time is already on high alert after this trailer. Lil Rel Howery has real potential to break into the Papá Noel Film Pantheon. To do that, though, he’ll need to both save himself and restore a cynical dad’s Christmas spirit at the same time. Why is Mr. Claus dealing with so many problems all at once? And on his most important night of the year? Here’s the film’s official Dashing Through the Snow synopsis from Disney:

Eddie Garrick (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) is a good-hearted man who has turned his back on Christmas due to a traumatic childhood experience. At the request of his wife Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), from whom he is separated, Eddie takes his 9-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) out with him on Christmas Eve, where they meet a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick. Eddie, who is a social worker, thinks the man is delusional and needs professional help, but when he evokes the wrath of a local politician (Oscar Nuñez), he and his daughter are taken on a magical adventure that just might restore his faith in Christmas.

Dashing Through the Snow comes from director Tim Story and writer Scott Rosenberg. It also stars: Ravi V. Patel, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Gina Brillon, Sebastian Sozzi, Kevin Connolly, and Zulay Henao. The movie comes to Disney+ on November 17.

That’s plenty of time for Santa Claus to watch it before Christmas, which we hope he does. A good holiday comedy is the perfect way to release stress ahead of the biggest night of your year, especially when there’s extra trouble on your tail.

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It seems like having a stageplay adaptation is the new horizon for popular IP. First, we saw a The Lord of the Rings musical emerge, then a Stranger Things play came to life, and it’s even going to have an impact on the future of the television series. Next up, a The Hunger Games play is heading to the stage in London. Between this new play and a big-screen prequel movie coming in November, it’s a good time to be a The Hunger Games fan. Here’s what we know so far about The Hunger Games on Stage.

What Is The Hunger Games Play About?

Firstly, what is this The Hunger Games play about? Well, even though The Hunger Games on Stage might have been an interesting venue to explore other Hunger Games in the franchise, it looks like this play adaptation will tell a familiar story.

WestEndTheatre.com shares:

In a dystopian future, The Hunger Games ignite a thrilling battle for survival, where 24 young tributes are pitted against each other in a deadly arena. Katniss Everdeen, a fearless and resourceful heroine, emerges as a symbol of rebellion as she fights not only for her life but for the hope of a nation oppressed by a ruthless Capitol.

Although the above synopsis doesn’t make it clear whether The Hunger Games on Stage will cover all three of The Hunger Games‘ main books or if it will stop with the first one, a release for the show further clarifies the scope of the play. It notes, “The Hunger Games on Stage…will adapt the first book from Suzanne Collins’ epic series and the first film from Lionsgate’s iconic dystopian film franchise for this live theatrical production.” There you have it.

The Hunger Games on Stage‘s Creative Team

Olivier Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson will pen this stageplay. Additionally, “The show will be directed by Matthew Dunster (Shirley Valentine, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, The Pillowman), with a creative team that also includes Miriam Buether (set designer), Moi Tran (costume designer), Charlotte Broom (choreographer), Lucy Carter (lighting designer), Ian Dickinson for Autograph (sound designer), Tal Rosner (video designer), Kev McCurdy (fight director), John Maddox for Suspended Illusions (performer flying), Amy Ball (casting director), and Gary Beestone (production manager).”

Lionsgate also has a hand in this play, so, as mentioned above, we can expect direct nods to the movies as well as the books.

The Hunger Games Play Cast and Release Date

There is no word yet on who will be cast in this The Hunger Games play, nor when exactly it will release on stage.

However, we do know that The Hunger Games on Stage will premiere in London in fall 2024.

The post THE HUNGER GAMES Play Is Heading to the London Stage in 2024 appeared first on Nerdist.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took a motorcycle jump off a cliff into theaters in July 2023. The film brought back Ethan Hunt for his first adventure since 2018’s Fallout. The seventh and eighth Mission: Impossible installments were filmed back-to-back and after many delays, Part One finally made it to theaters. The follow-up will pick up the story and see Hunt and his team attempt to stop the Entity.

It looks like we’ll have to wait quite a bit longer than we planned for to watch this Mission: Impossible movie. Mission: Impossible 8 was slated to release on June 28, 2024. But according to Variety, Paramount Pictures has moved its release date to May 23, 2025, nearly a year later. Given the ongoing strikes in Hollywood, it is unsurprising that movies are beginning to see delays in release dates. We hope that the studios offer a fair deal to the SAG-AFTRA actors soon so that productions can resume.

Here’s everything we know about Mission: Impossible 8.

Title

The next Mission: Impossible movie is a sequel and for now we will call it Mission: Impossible 8.

Mission: Impossible 8’s Plot

We don’t have a plot synopsis for Mission: Impossible 8 yet, but when we left Ethan, the search for the Entity was on. He learned the name Sevastopol from Paris. That’s the Russian submarine housing the source code for the Entity. It’s the only place Ethan can stop the AI once and for all. He and his team just have to find it and access it. That’s not an easy task since the submarine is at the bottom of the ocean. We expect Ethan will grapple with Gabriel again, too. Maybe we’ll learn more about their tangled past.

Behind the Scenes

Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this eighth installment. The movie was filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning Part One.

Mission Impossible 8’s Cast

Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell will be back, too. Though the others from Part One aren’t confirmed, we wouldn’t be surprised to see anyone who didn’t die return for this film. That could include Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust. Rolf Saxon’s William Donloe will come back, too.

Newcomers include Hannah Waddingham, Nick Offerman, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, and Lucy Tulugarjuk.

Mission Impossible 8′s Release Date

According to Variety, Mission: Impossible 8 will arrive in theaters on May 23, 2025.

Originally published on August 1, 2023.

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Netflix’s latest apocalyptic thriller has a cast and production team so star-studded we couldn’t hope to fit everyone involved in the title. But we’re happy to see this culmination of talent in Leave the World Behind‘s first teaser trailer. The new Netflix movie stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, and more. Of course, as if that weren’t enough, Sam Esmail writes and directs the film. And Leave the World Behind is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Phew. That’s a line-up of star power and talent if we ever heard one. But it’s more than just names. Leave the World Behind‘s full trailer reveals an intense and suspicious thriller and a whole new apocalypse designed to set our nerves on edge. This disaster movie promises to hit hard psychologically. And we all know that’s where movies become truly scary.

You can take a look below to see Roberts, Ali, Hawke, and the rest in the teaser trailer for Leave the World Behind.

Leave the World Behind‘s Trailer

Leave the World Behind‘s trailer starts innocently enough… But we all know things cannot remain cheerful. Everything is about to go very wrong. It all starts with one fated opening of a door. But what exactly is going on? Well, nothing good. But we don’t exactly know for sure yet. Cyberattacks are involved, but it also looks like natural disasters begin to take place. At any rate, it’s the erosion of trust and human niceties which are always the most horrifying. If car collisions, rogue ships, and weird phenomena won’t get you, Leave the World Behind‘s trailer seems to imply then co-habitation will. We guess we’ll see if these two families can work it out to save themselves.

“What is the truth?” Julia Robert’s Leave the World Behind character Amanda asks in Leave the World Behind‘s teaser trailer. And isn’t that always the question? Ultimately, “There is no going back to normal.” What a chilling and all-too-familiar note to conclude the Leave the World Behind trailer.

Netflix’s Official Synopsis for the Sam Esmail Thriller

For a little more clarification on the teaser trailer for Leave the World Behind, Netflix shared the following synopsis. We’ll have to wait and see what happens next.

In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. Based on the National Book Award-nominated novel by Rumaan Alam, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND is produced by Esmail Corp, Red Om Films, and executive produced by Higher Ground Productions.

Leave the World Behind‘s Release Date

If Leave the World Behind‘s eerie trailer leaves you wanting to watch the actual movie, you can do so in theaters and on Netflix. The thriller has a release date of November 22 in select theaters. Meanwhile, Leave the World Behind will release on Netflix on December 8.

Leave the World Behind will also have its premiere on October 25 at AFI Fest.

Originally published on October 7, 2023.

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Most of us are at least generally familiar with the concept of an “elevator pitch.” Whether starting a new business or trying to make a movie, it refers to the concept of selling someone on your idea in the short time it takes to ride an elevator. Well, a new project from Intrepid Films doesn’t need an elevator. It doesn’t even need a step ladder. All it needs to do is share its all-star list of names working on the project. Because a list including “Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Mike Flanagan, and Stephen King” is among the easiest sales jobs in movie history.

Deadline reports horror luminaries Mike Flanagan and Stephen King are joining forces. Flanagan will direct, write, and produce a film adaptation of King’s novella “The Life of Chuck.”

The author published it in his 2020 anthology If It Bleeds. King’s official website describes “The Life of Chuck” as “three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor at 39 and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.”

Flanagan completed the script before the WGA went on strike, and the movie is already in development. Per Deadline, it recently went into production under an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA. Loki’s Hiddleston will play the doomed Chuck, with Hamill joining him as Albie. This will be the latest project between the Star Wars legend and director. Hamill also stars in Flanagan’s The House of Usher at Netflix. Joining Hiddleston and Hamill in the Flanagan cast of this Stephen King adaptation are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay. Their roles in The Life of Chuck are currently unknown.

Don’t expect a true horror film. Deadline also states the movie will “draw tonally” from previous King adaptations such as Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile.

That’s more than fine by us. “Mike Flanagan directs Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill in a Stephen King adaptation that reminds us of The Shawshank Redemption” is such a good elevator pitch that the elevator doesn’t even have to move to get us onboard.

Originally published on May 9, 2023.

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We’re all overdue for a blessing. And we could definitely use some additional joy. Frankly, we’ll take any ounce of happiness we can get. Thankfully StudioCanal, a French film production and distribution company, gave us the best possible entertainment news when they confirmed Paddington 3 was officially in the works. What. A. Gift.

The movie will continue the utterly charming story of Paddington the bear. The StudioCanal representative specifically told Variety: “We can confirm StudioCanal is working very hard on film 3 with the utmost craft and care—as with film 1 and 2.” That’s tremendous news since the first two Paddington movies are so lovely. Since we first received this exciting confirmation, we’ve learned more about Paddington 3‘s title (Paddington in Peru), team, and release date. Here’s what we know about the bearrific movie.

Paddington in Peru‘s Release Date

Paddington in Peru will release in the US on January 17, 2025. In the UK, meanwhile, it will release two months earlier, on November 8, 2024, according to Deadline. It doesn’t seem fair to have to wait the extra months for new Paddington adventures, but we guess we’ll take more of the franchise whenever we can get it.

Paddington 3‘s Title, Team, and Cast

Recently we learned who will direct the third Paddington film. Dougal Wilson will direct the movie. And the title? As mentioned, Paddington in Peru. We like how dramatic this sounds. Wilson takes over the lovable bear movies from director Paul King. King directed the first two installments. And as for Wilson, he comes from a background of music videos and commercials. Paddington in Peru marks his theatrical feature debut. The movie filmed in London and Peru. Production was slated to begin production on July 24.

Additionally, Deadline notes that the cast consists of “Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Jim Broadbent, and Carla Tous with both Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton returning as the respective voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.”

In case you aren’t familiar, the popular Paddington Bear stories by author Michael Bond and artists including Peggy Fortnum inspire the Paddington movies. The first live-action film debuted in 2014, with a sequel following in 2017. Both films made bank and warmed hearts as audiences watched Paddington make a home with the Brown family in London. Ben Whishaw voices the titular bear; actors such as Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, and Sally Hawkins star in the movies alongside him. At the end of Paddington 2, the bear reunited with his adoptive aunt Lucy.

Originally published on February 27, 2021.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post PADDINGTON 3 Sets Its 2025 US Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s been another full week in the entertainment world. Netflix has raised prices again, but it also revealed some amazing looks from its Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series. We learned that Gargoyles may turn into a Disney+ series from some excellent horror-oriented minds. Not to mention, Rick and Morty revealed its new lead voice actors. But in among the rest, some other pretty cool things happened.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends that you don’t want to miss reading about.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News:

Jump to:

• Omni-Man Will Be First Downloadable Character for Mortal Kombat 1
• Pokémon Go‘s New Party Play Offers Collaborative Gameplay and Team-Ups
• Infinity Paws Comic Brings Together All Your Favorite Marvel Pets
• Knives Out 3 Has a Premise and a Setting
• The Afterparty Has Been Canceled by Apple TV+
• Saturday Night Live Takes on Barbie‘s “I’m Just Ken” with “I’m Just Pete” Parody
• MastersFX’s Monster Museum and FX Studio Opens in Vancouver
• A New Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball: Daima Is on the Way
• LEGO Brings Your Worst Nightmares to Life in Horror Posters for Halloween
• Immersive X-Men Event, The Uncanny Experience, Wants You to Enroll in Professor X’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters

Omni-Man Will Be First Downloadable Character for Mortal Kombat 1

Much to the delight of the franchise’s fans, Mortal Kombat 1 recently released into the world. And it served as a reboot for the series as a whole. The game promised to deliver “a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities.” And so far, so good. But, of course, these days, nothing ever stops at its first release. Via the mechanism of Kombat Pass, a purchasable add-on to the game, new characters will join the Mortal Kombat 1 fun. And first up is Invincible’s Omni-Man.

In Mortal Kombat 1, Omni-Man will offer fans of both Invincible‘s comics and its TV show something to get excited about. And, as a bonus treat, Mortal Kombat 1‘s Omni-Man will be voiced by J.K. Simmons. If these trailers are anything to go by, Omni-Man is definitely not pulling ANY punches. And he’s bringing a whole lot of blood with him. Omni-Man will arrive in the game in November 9, 2023.

GameSpot shares that in addition to Omni-Man, five more new characters will join Mortal Kombat 1 via Kombat Pass. They include Quan Chi (arriving in winter 2023/2024), Peacemaker (arriving in Winter 2023/2024), Ermac (arriving in spring 2024), Homelander (arriving in spring 2024), and Takeda (arriving in summer 2024).

Get nostalgic with Mortal Kombat 1‘s recreation of a 1993 TV commercial.

Pokémon Go‘s New Party Play Offers Collaborative Gameplay and Team-Ups

Trainers, get ready to team up because soon you won’t have to go it alone anymore while playing Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go has offered fans many fun adventures, but it has always been more of a solitary game. You can occasionally get together with a member of your team to take over a gym, but that’s about it. Normally, you can play next to someone, but not necessarily play with them. But that’s all about to change thanks to Pokémon Go‘s new feature Party Play.

With Party Play, which we first saw via Polygon, Pokémon Go players level 15 and above can “adventure and complete challenges together, all in one shared in-game experience.” As a party, players can engage in “spinning PokéStops, battling in raids, catching Pokémon, and more” and do so together. The experience will appear on every player’s screen. If you raid with your party, you’ll also get Party Power which “doubles the damage of your next Charged Attack and charges with every Fast Attack.” Sounds likes a great time to us. You can learn more about how to organize a party and the mechanics of Party Play, in Niantic’s official blog post about Party Play.

For information on Pokémon‘s latest collaboration with The Van Gogh Museum check out our post here.

Infinity Paws Comic Brings Together All Your Favorite Marvel Pets

Who doesn’t love superpowered heroic animals? I can’t think of a single person. And that’s probably why Marvel Comics is bringing together our favorite Marvel Pets in an Infinity Comic series titled Infinity Paws. Infinity Paws will assemble an all-star that includes Jeff the Land Shark, Carol Danvers’ alien feline friend Chewie (named after Star Wars‘ Chewbacca), Alligator Loki, Lucky the Pizza Dog, and more. We know we’d feel safe in their paws. The adorable series will release in spring 2024 on Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital subscription service. Infinity Paws is “written by seasoned Infinity Comic creator Jason Loo… and superstar artist and colorist Nao Fuji.”

“MARVEL MEOW fans will be in for a treat! Or treats,” shares Loo via a release from Marvel. “Because we have almost all of your favorite Marvel pets in this giant crossover, from the furry ones to the scaly ones. And I couldn’t be more pleased to be joined by the delightfully talented Nao Fuji illustrating this series!”

We guess we’d better have some treats ready for all of the hardworking heroes who are about to see some action.

To enjoy more Marvel animals, learn more about Frog Thor’s deleted scene from Loki

Knives Out 3 Has a Premise and a Setting

Our favorite mystery movie franchise finally has a bit of an update. Yes. Rian Johnson has shared that Knives Out 3 has a premise AND a setting. Is that exciting or what?

In full, Johnson noted to The Wrap, “It’s coming along. I obviously couldn’t work during the strike, and now that it’s over, I’m diving in full force, and so it’s coming along. I’ve got the premise, I’ve got the setting, I’ve got what the movie is in my head. It’s just a matter of writing the damn thing.”

We can’t begin to speculate what the premise or the setting of the next Knives Out movie will be… but we are happy to hear that Benoit Blanc’s next outing is well underway.

Still pondering the end of Knives Out 2? We break it down.

Jump to:

• Pokémon Go‘s New Party Play Offers Collaborative Gameplay and Team-Ups
• Infinity Paws Comic Brings Together All Your Favorite Marvel Pets
• Omni-Man Will Be First Downloadable Character for Mortal Kombat 1
• Knives Out 3 Has a Premise and a Setting
• The Afterparty Has Been Canceled by Apple TV+
• Saturday Night Live Takes on Barbie‘s “I’m Just Ken” with “I’m Just Pete” Parody
• MastersFX’s Monster Museum and FX Studio Opens in Vancouver
• A New Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball: Daima Is on the Way
• LEGO Brings Your Worst Nightmares to Life in Horror Posters for Halloween
• Immersive X-Men Event, The Uncanny Experience, Wants You to Enroll in Professor X’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters

The Afterparty Has Been Canceled by Apple TV+

Sadly though, not all mysteries are getting great news. Apple TV+ recently canceled its part-murder mystery, part-comedy series The Afterparty after two seasons. The Afterparty, from creator Chris Miller, told a different story in each of its two seasons but had some of the cast reprise their roles. It featured names like Tiffany Haddish, Zoë Chao, Sam Richardson, John Cho, Paul Walter Hauser, Ken Jeong, and more. Of course, uniquely, each episode took on a different genre of storytelling, depending on its point of view character. From taking on a Jane Austen romance to campy horror, The Afterparty really flexed its storytelling muscles.

We’ll be sad to hear we won’t see another chapter of this unique show on our screens.

The Afterparty gave us some good moments to look back on. Check out this hilarious antic.

Saturday Night Live Takes on Barbie‘s “I’m Just Ken” with “I’m Just Pete” Parody

Wait for it… Wait for it… There it is. Barbie’s hit power-ballad “I’m Just Ken” is now officially stuck in your head. But get ready for a whole new rendition to take over your life. “I’m Just Ken” is obviously ripe for parody. And we aren’t surprised that Saturday Night Live saw their chance and took it. In “I’m Just Pete,” Pete Davidson takes us through a day in the life. To give you a taste, some of the lyrics to “I’m Just Pete” are as follows, “I’m just Pete. Anyone else, I’d be a three. But I guess I’m hot for dudes in comedy.”

We expect this won’t be the last “I’m Just Ken” parody we encounter, but it sure is a good one.

There was a lot to love about Barbie. Here’s what we thought of the movie.

MastersFX’s Monster Museum and FX Studio Opens in Vancouver

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Looking for something fun to do with your October? How about checking out some truly eerie works of FX mastery. MastersFX recently opened a Monster Museum and FX Studio in Vancouver, and it looks like it is well worth haunting.

A release shares:

The MastersFX team has created a Monster Museum, which is presenting “Forty Years of Monster-Making.” The experience offers visitors an interactive exhibit that takes them through parts of MFX’s actual working monster shop, showing-off their various techniques, and letting visitors operate the animatronics and take selfies with actual screen-used monsters.

Occupying the museum are an assortment of aliens, demons, devils, fairies, harpies, vampires, beasts, corpses, cadavers, robots, sasquatches, mummies, werewolves, zombies and more. These exhibits of “FX Art” have been personally curated by multi-Emmy Award-winner, Todd Masters.

The museum, now open on weekends during October, also demonstrates advancements that the MFX team has made within the field of special effects – aspects of which they call “Neo-Practical Effects.” The museum contains over 80 creatures and FX used in making shows on which MFX has contributed their special form of art, including: Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, Fringe, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Sonic the Hedgehog, Yellowjackets; Stargate; Six Feet Under; Star Trek: First Contact and Predator. Even current projects are represented: It Lives Inside, Monster High, and The Fall of the House of Usher, to name a few.

What an incredibly fun-sounding time! The museum is located at 4185 Dawson Street in Burnaby, BC, in Canada. You can buy tickets here.

‘Tis the season to embrace Halloween. Here’s how these iconic slashers match up with the signs of the zodiac.

• Pokémon Go‘s New Party Play Offers Collaborative Gameplay and Team-Ups
• Infinity Paws Comic Brings Together All Your Favorite Marvel Pets
• Omni-Man Will Be First Downloadable Character for Mortal Kombat 1
• Knives Out 3 Has a Premise and a Setting
• The Afterparty Has Been Canceled by Apple TV+
• Saturday Night Live Takes on Barbie‘s “I’m Just Ken” with “I’m Just Pete” Parody
• MastersFX’s Monster Museum and FX Studio Opens in Vancouver
• A New Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball: Daima Is on the Way
• LEGO Brings Your Worst Nightmares to Life in Horror Posters for Halloween
• Immersive X-Men Event, The Uncanny Experience, Wants You to Enroll in Professor X’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters

A New Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball: Daima Is on the Way

It’s almost time for Dragon Ball‘s 40th anniversary. And it looks like we’ll celebrate with a brand new Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball: Daima. While not much is known about this upcoming Dragon Ball show yet, Toei Animation did release a teaser trailer for Daima. The trailer, which we first saw on IGN, hints at a brand-new story for the franchise. Its description shares that the new Dragon Ball: Daima series is “Drawn by the original creator, Akira Toriyama” and features “a story never told in Dragon Ball.”

In the Dragon Ball: Daima trailer, we see Goku transforming into a de-aged version of himself after an encounter with Shenron. De-aged versions of Vegeta, Bulma, Chi Chi, Pamput, Krillin, Piccolo, and Shin also appear to tease us. We feel like we’re about to see one adorable Dragon Ball story unfold.

Dragon Ball: Daima will release in fall 2024.

Need more anime in your life? Netflix is bringing a Yu Yu Hakusho live-action adaptation to our screens soon.

LEGO Brings Your Worst Nightmares to Life in Horror Posters for Halloween

Uh oh… Did you just drop a piece of your LEGO build mid-construction… only to step on it with your bare feet three weeks after you had to improvise with a block that didn’t match in color? Yep. We’ve all been there. And LEGO is capturing these true terrors in a set of LEGO horror posters just in time for Halloween. Whichever LEGO vision torments you in your nightmares, LEGO’s Building Nightmares posters are ready for you. And we’re kind of obsessed with this collection.

But you have to be a true LEGO fan to get your claws on these. The LEGO Building Nightmares horror posters are available as LEGO Insider rewards. You can redeem 1,750 points to unlock one poster. Don’t delay, though; according to DesignTaxi, there are only 5,400 copies available per poster type.

And good luck finding that piece in the carpet.

We overcame every one of these horrors when putting together LEGO’s incredible Rivendell set.

Immersive X-Men Event, The Uncanny Experience, Wants You to Enroll in Professor X’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters

The Uncanny Experience, an immersive X-Men event that takes you into Professor Xavier’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters, is back for its “sophomore year” (a.k.a, its second annual event).

A release shares:

The Uncanny Experience is an immersive event that transforms the historic Minneapolis Club into Xavier’s Institute – the home of the X-Men in comics, film, and cartoons.  The inaugural event saw ticket holders attending classes on mutant culture, exploring the campus with rooms decorated like Wolverine’s bedroom, unraveling clues in the Mystery in the Mansion quest, being initiated into the Hellfire Club, and singing karaoke alongside Dazzler.  2024 attendees can expect much of the same with even more surprises in store.

Honestly, how amazing does that sound? Immersive events can go either way, but it’s always a good sign when they come back for round two. Additionally, the event even has some pretty cool guests. The official description for The Uncanny Experience notes, “Legendary comics writer Chris Claremont returns to The Uncanny Experience where he will continue to lead discussions on X-Men History and be available for autographs, remarks, and more.  Alison Sealy-Smith and George Buza, who voice Storm and Beast in X-Men: The Animated Series and returning to the franchise with X-Men ’97, were also announced to be Special Guest attendees.”

On a practical level, this immersive X-Men experience takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It will run from September 28-29, 2024. Pre-sale tickets for Newsletter Subscribers are available now and the general public will be able to purchase them beginning on October 20.

Do you have what it takes to enroll? Read about the best X-Men teams ever and then decide.

The post POKÉMON GO Reveals Collaborative Play, New DRAGON BALL Series Announced and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s been a while since we stepped into the world of The Hunger Games. But now we have a chance to see the origins of the treacherous world we’ve come to know. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes us back in time to the 10th Hunger Games and introduces us to a young Coriolanus Snow, who has not yet stepped into his full evil. For context, the first The Hunger Games movie takes place during the 74th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games prequel movie takes place 64 years before.

A new featurette takes us into this world and how it came together.

Here’s everything we know about The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Title

The title of The Hunger Games prequel movie is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This is the title of the prequel novel on which the film is based and alludes, of course, to the deep machinations of predator and prey we’ll see in the movie. The songbird refers to Lucy Gray Baird’s singing abilities. But the movie also poses a larger question, asking us to think about who the snakes and songbirds really are in the story.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Plot

Since The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, many details of its plot are available. But here is what the official synopsis reveals about the movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Additionally, we now have the first full trailer for the movie. It gives us a glimpse of the twists and turns of the tale we’ll soon see play out.

Behind the Scenes

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be directed by Francis Lawrence; Lawrence previously directed The Hunger Games’ Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two.” Additionally, according to a release “it will be shepherded by franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson, along with Francis Lawrence.” Suzanne Collins, the author of the series, will serve as executive producer. Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt wrote the screenplay.

It seems this film will dive a bit deeper into the book’s violence. Like its predecessors, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will have a PG-13 rating. However, this rating says their will be “disturbing material” in this film. It won’t get too brutal but things will be intense.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Cast

In addition to many other talents, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés  Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis star in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Release Date

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will release on November 17.

The post Everything We Know About THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES appeared first on Nerdist.

Most adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein famously feature a scene that doesn’t appear in the novel. It’s an infamous moment when an angry mob chases the “monster” through the streets. We don’t know if that exact hunt will happen in the next film to take inspiration from the sci-fi horror classic, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, but we doubt it. Not because we’re positive it won’t take place, but rather because his creation is far more likely to dance through the streets instead of running. The film’s newest trailer focuses on the growth of Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter, a woman who must learn how to live so she can truly live.

Even if we didn’t know this movie comes from the director of The Lobster and The Favourite we think we’d probably be able to guess he’s behind it. This visually stunning film looks weird and surreal, but also entirely humanistic. And it’s themes of individualism, family, feminism, bigotry, love, and self-discovery should make for a rich story. Plus it has Willem Dafoe playing a mad scientist with a reconstructed face. That’s more than enough to get us into a theater seat.

What exactly is happening here? This is the film’s official synopsis from Searchlight Pictures.

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Poor Things also stars Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott. It dances its way into theaters this fall, September 8. If it lives up to the promise of this trailer there won’t be any angry mobs leaving the theater.

Originally published on June 8, 2023.

The post Emma Stone Is a New Type of Frankenstein in POOR THINGS Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Forget busting out your best silly walk. Don’t bother racing a double decker bus, either. It’s time for Monty Python fans to grab some coconuts and hit the road, because later this year they’ll be heading out on a famous quest. Again. The legendary sketch comedy group’s beloved 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail is returning to movie theaters. It’s coming back to the big screen for two days to celebrate the exact kind of absurd occasion you’d expect them to commemorate: the movie’s 48th-and-a-half anniversary.

Iconic Events has announced with a new trailer that it wants us to bring out our dead this year. Monty Python and the Holy Grail will screen in more than 500 movie theaters in the U.S. on Sunday, December 3. Those who miss out on this unique holiday treat that day can still catch encore screenings on Wednesday, December 6.

Moviegoers will also get to choose from one of two versions of the movie. The first is a normal, standard cut of the film from members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Those Monty Python theater screenings will be the best option for people who have never seen the film. We also recommend it to anyone who simply wants a normal theatrical experience.

The other version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail that will hit movie theaters is for everyone else, especially the most die-hard Monty Python fans. Iconic Events is also hosting a special, all-new “quote-along” cut. It will encourage audiences to “enjoy an interactive and uproarious cinematic experience in a way that only Monty Python can delivery.”

So, you know, it’ll be like watching the movie with your friend who quotes Holy Grail every day of his life already. Except there will be hundreds of people just like him.

That’s more than fine with us. Well, so long as engaged fans are all we have to deal with. Hopefully, theaters don’t sell Monty Python tickets to any Killer Rabbits or snooty French soldiers.

The post MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL Returns to Theaters with Special ‘Quote-Along’ Cut appeared first on Nerdist.

There are some historical figures that virtually everyone knows, like Cleopatra, Einstein, and Shakespeare. In fact, some of them have become so ingrained into culture that their names and personalities become well-known descriptive phrases. One example is the term “Napoleon complex,” which is used to describe a man of short stature with an aggressive and domineering persona. We all know that this phrase stems from Napoleon Bonaparte, the famed French emperor, military commander, and not-nice man. (Interestingly, Bonaparte wasn’t that short at 5’6″, which was around the average height of a man during the period of time he lived.) But there are elements of his life that we may not know as well. Ridley Scott’s movie Napoleon aims to detail his rise to power and more with a trailer or two that put Joaquin Phoenix into action.

Warrior, emperor, general, genius, rebel, tyrant. Napoleon was many things, at least according to Ridley Scott’s vision. The trailers for this movie aim to capture all of them to the sounds of some excellent song choices, all while taking us through quite a visual feast. Whatever way this movie ends up portraying Napoleon; it certainly aims to be one powerhouse of a film.

To go along with the trailers, here’s the official synopsis for the upcoming Napoleon movie: 

Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.

Honestly, Joaquin Phoenix playing Napoleon Bonaparte wasn’t on my historical movie BINGO card. But, after seeing the Napoleon trailer, he seems to embody Bonaparte’s power-hungry mindset incredibly well. Not to mention, the whole Napoleon movie cast seems to be bringing their A-game. Absolutely no one is falling short here. Napoleon will hit theaters on November 22 of this year, just in time for a Thanksgiving trip to the movie theater. 

Originally published on July 10, 2023.

The post Joaquin Phoenix Commands Blood in NAPOLEON Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

You know what I really love? When a teaser trailer is exactly what it says it is. The “go girl, give us nothing” energy of a few clips woven together in 90 seconds or less is great. I want just enough to pique my interest but certainly not the whole story. The trailers for Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, does this well, focusing on the familiar sounds of a Formula 1 car. It’s not the first time that this famous racer’s story is coming to the big screen but seeing Adam Driver look unrecognizable as Enzo Ferrari is piquing a lot of interest. 

The first full trailer for Ferrari is a fantastic trip, indeed.

Here’s a brief synopsis for Ferrari: 

It is the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura built from nothing ten years earlier. Their volatile marriage has been battered by the loss of their son, Dino a year earlier. Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son Piero with Lina Lardi. Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.

There’s very little dialogue and a lot of driving action in the teaser trailer. Yet there’s ample tension that builds up until the end of the Ferrari trailer. We also get to see Penélope Cruz, who stars as Ferrari’s wife Laura.

Ferrari is directed by Michael Mann with Troy Kennedy Martin penning the script. The story is based on the book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine by Brock Yates. In addition to Driver and Cruz, the film also stars Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gordon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O’Connell, and Patrick Dempsey. Ferrari hits theaters on December 25 a.k.a. Christmas Day. Between this and House of Gucci, Driver is just making a career out of playing famous Italians. Weird.

Originally published on August 30, 2023.

The post FERRARI Trailer Features an Unrecognizable Adam Driver as the Racing Legend appeared first on Nerdist.

There are lots of ways to make an effective movie trailer, but every good one has the same thing in common: they make you want to see the film. That’s it. That’s the entire reason for their existence. Trailers are designed to entice would-be viewers to spend their time and money on one particular movie rather than a near infinite number of other options. It doesn’t matter how much dialogue they include or how much they reveal about the plot. It doesn’t matter if they’re modern or retro in style. A trailer’s only job is to get us into a seat. And Mark Edward Fischbach, the YouTuber better known as Markiplier, has given us one that does exactly that. His fantastic new promo for his upcoming film Iron Lung is an unsettling and blood-soaked tease at a horror video game come to life.

Deadline reports popular online content creator Markiplier is currently in production on a self-financed film. He’s adapting David Szymanski’s 2022 submarine horror game of the same name. The “short” game lets players “pilot a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon.”

Yup. Sign us up for that premise in any medium you want.

While Fischbach has yet to reveal many official details about the film, he is both starring and directing in it. Deadline says Caroline Rose Kaplan (The Plot Against America) will also appear in the movie in currently unknown role.

This is obviously a big swing for anyone. But with more than 35 million followers on YouTube alone Markiplier already has a built-in audience for any project he undertakes. And with a trailer this good he’s going to draw in plenty more fans.

This creepy promo full of blood and the promise of war and death doesn’t actually feature a lot of specifics about what we can expect from the film, but it tells us plenty. Most importantly that we want to see it.

Iron Lung doesn’t have a set release date yet.

The post Markiplier Shares Blood-Soaked Trailer for His IRON LUNG Horror Movie Adaptation appeared first on Nerdist.

Earlier this year, 80-year-old Martin Scorsese told Deadline why he’ll quickly get to work on to his next film rather than take a break after Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese said he’s “got to” because “the whole world has opened up to me, but it’s too late. It’s too late.” When asked to expand on that inherently sad thought he referenced something another legendary director said near the end of his career.

I read stuff. I see things. I want to tell stories, and there’s no more time. Kurosawa, when he got his Oscar, when George [Lucas] and Steven [Spielberg] gave it to him, he said, “I’m only now beginning to see the possibility of what cinema could be, and it’s too late.” He was 83. At the time, I said, “What does he mean?” Now I know what he means.

I haven’t stopped thinking about that quote since I read it. How could one of the greatest directors of all-time—someone responsible for films like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull—only now be seeing the possibility of what cinema can be? He’s already changed the possibility of what cinema can be, so how could that be true? It seemed impossible. That was until I saw Killers of the Flower Moon. Now I get it. Martin Scorsese has made a stunning, timeless work of art about humanity and how we see and treat one another. He made a gorgeous, heartbreaking film that is both intimate and epic in scope. And he did so in a way that is unlike anything else he’s done in his career.

It’s impossible to explain exactly what Scorsese accomplishes and how in Killers of the Flower Moon without discussing major spoilers. Even if this review was not meant to avoid them, I still wouldn’t want to share any. I wouldn’t want to rob someone of the experience of seeing this movie the way I did. You should go in knowing as little as possible about it. That includes even if you know the real horrific story behind it or read David Grann’s book of the same name it’s based on.

What I can do is tell you how I felt over the course of Killers of the Flower Moon‘s three hour and 26 minute runtime. It’s a length the film doesn’t just earn, but one that is intimately tied to the movie’s themes. Halfway through, I thought the film was really good. It looks incredible, as though you’ve actually transported to 1920s Oklahoma and Osage Nation.

It also features a fantastic cast with three commanding leads. Leonardo DiCaprio seems slightly miscast at first through no fault of his own. He’s almost too big a star for the role of a simple man who doesn’t fully understand what it means to love someone and to be a good person. It’s almost an anti-leading man part. But DiCaprio’s so good that by the end of the film you forget he’s “Leo,” a testament to his abilities to fully embrace a character and embody them honestly.

Meanwhile, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone dominate the screen the second they appear. They represent the two opposing sides of this morality tale, both literally and figuratively. Each is so powerful in their own way that everything they do feels real and authentic. It’s the best De Niro performance in a long time, a reminder why he’s a true industry legends. And if Lily Gladstone doesn’t emerge from this movie as a major A+ star shut down all Hollywood until someone fixes that. She’s truly incredible and the emotional core of the entire film.

As the movie got closer to its conclusion, I had come to think it was truly great. The heinous mass murders of Osage tribe members by greedy white men takes on even greater importance as the true depth of depravity comes to light. As the outside world finally wakes up to the ongoing atrocity, the film goes from being about the cold, unfeeling cruelty people are capable of to also being a treatise on power dynamics that couldn’t be anymore relevant to the world today. This is a big story about big, timeless ideas that touch all of us. And it works because it’s told from a personal and human perspective that centers an Osage woman’s impossible resolve and trauma.

If that’s all this movie was, it would be one of the year’s best. It would also be one of Scorsese’s best, a huge accomplishment unto itself. But when the credits rolled and the full picture Scorsese painted revealed itself, I knew I’d just seen a true masterpiece. This is a work of art whose genius is impossible to appreciate until it is finished. This isn’t just a heartbreaking story about greed, power, and how we treat one another. This is also a story about whose stories get told and how they are remembered.

This is a movie about history and us today just as much as it is about the Osage and the past. It’s a movie about the people we see in old sepia photographs who feel like they were historical figures rather than the living, breathing people they were. The members of the Osage Nation brutally killed for literal oil money were real, just as we are. They laughed, they cried, they had hopes and dreams, and they suffered same as anyone. And other people—people also just as real as you and I—took all of that from them for two reasons. One because they didn’t see the Osage as real people, and two because they could.

I wish I could talk specifics about how Scorsese conveys all of that and why this movie shattered me. I want to talk about every aspect of this film with anyone willing to listen. I’d like to tell you exactly why I think this film is important in a way unlike all of his previous films. It has stuck to my ribs since the moment it ended. It will be there for a very long time. This is a movie that makes it impossible for you to forget the humanity of the very real people it’s based on. And it does so in a way that’s so powerful, smart, and effective it really did change how I fee about the possibility of cinema.

When the credits at your screening roll, you’ll understand why. And that’s when you’ll also understand what I finally do after all these months. The wisdom and perspective of age opened up the whole world to Martin Scorsese. The result is Killers of the Flower Moon, a truly stunning work of art I don’t think he could have made before now. That’s not sad to think about, it’s beautiful.

No wonder he’s got to get going on his next film. He’s got too much to say to us before it gets too late.

Killers of the Flower Moon ⭐ (5 of 5)

Killers of the Flower Moon premieres in theaters on October 20.

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

The post Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Is a Moving and Timeless Masterpiece appeared first on Nerdist.

Best Buy is saying goodbye to physical media. The retailer plans to phase out Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD sales in stores and online in early 2024. The Digital Bits broke the news, which Best Buy has since confirmed. The company said, “To state the obvious, the way we watch movies and TV shows is much different today than it was decades ago. Making this change gives us more space and opportunity to bring customers new and innovative tech for them to explore, discover and enjoy.”

Best Buy’s supply of physical media has been dwindling in stores of late anyway. However, the retailer did offer exclusive SteelBook titles. The premium metal case releases come with custom artwork. And also, the SteelBooks look cool on a shelf.

The end of DVDs and Blu-rays at Best Buy hasn’t arrived just yet, though. Best Buy will continue to sell physical media for the holidays, online and in brick-and-mortar stores. They will also keep selling video games. But as one of the last big retailers consistently offering DVDs and Blu-rays for all your favorite movies, this doesn’t seem like a good sign. Who knows how long Target, Amazon, and Walmart will keep stocking discs?

With the ephemeral nature of digital media, it’s reassuring to get your hands on tangible copies of the stories you love. It’s why people were excited to see the release of The Mandalorian, WandaVision, and Loki on Blu-ray. Shows and movies disappear from streaming services at an increasing rate. Even digital media you purchase can vanish into the ether. The lesson is, if you want to own a film or TV series, buy a physical copy when you can. Maybe from Best Buy before their physical media is gone.

The post Best Buy Is Ending DVD and Blu-ray Sales appeared first on Nerdist.

October is always full of excitement. This week, Netflix released The Fall of the House of Usher and gifted us with some truly gory deaths, McDonald’s revealed its latest Boo Buckets to the world, and A24’s The Iron Claw shared its trailer to the world. But that’s not all that took place. Plenty of other exciting happenings revealed themselves, and we wouldn’t want them to get lost in the shuffle.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends that you don’t want to miss reading about.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News

Jump to:

• New Digimon Adventure 02 Movie Heads to Theaters
• One Piece‘s Showrunner Reveals He’s Writing Doctor Kureha for Jamie Lee Curtis and Other Season Two Teases
• Ian McKellen Told Patrick Stewart NOT to Do Star Trek
• Ghostface Is Here to Cause Halloween Mayhem in Youtooz Line
• Netflix Has Renewed Castlevania: Nocturne for Season Two (But Canceled Vikings: Valhalla)
• Girl Scouts Have Discontinued Popular 2022 Flavor, Raspberry Rally
• Go Camping with Pokémon in Adorable New Live-Action Hybrid Series
• D&D Beyond Wants to Make Gameplay Easier with Maps Tool
• Mickey and Friends Celebrate Avengers and X-Men‘s 60th Anniversary with Disney What If? Variant Covers
• Gaming Highlights: Slimmer PS5 Coming for the Holidays, Logitech Shares Cool Star Wars Gear

New Digimon Adventure 02 Movie Heads to Theaters

Feeling nostalgic for Saturday morning cartoons of yore? Us too. That’s why we were excited to hear about a new Digimon Adventure 02 movie coming soon to theaters. A release shares more about Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning:

This November the DigiDestined are back in theaters with a brand new movie.  Toei Animation and Fathom Events revealed today details for the U.S. theatrical release of “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” as a two-day event on November 8 & 9. It is present day and the chosen children from “Digimon Adventure 02” have returned with all new adventures — but now they’re 20 year old young adults! 

If Kari, T.K., and Ken are among some of your favorite Digimon characters ever, like they are mine, then you’re in luck. You can snag tickets from Fathom Events. The film will screen in both the English dub (November 8) and in Japanese with English subtitles (November 9). Additionally, “the first 50 guests to arrive at each night’s screening will receive a complimentary Digimon Card Game Tamer Party Pack -THE BEGINNING- ver. 2.0, which includes 3 out of 14 possible cards from the new Digimon Card Game deck commemorating the film (first come, first served). Lucky recipients will be among the first fans in the U.S. to own these new “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” themed cards before they are released to the general public in December.”

Sounds like some throwback fun to us. A synopsis for the new Digimon movie further shares:

It’s 2012, and ten years have passed since the adventure in the Digital World. Daisuke Motomiya is now twenty, and he and the rest of the DigiDestined seem to be changing bit by bit in terms of appearance and lifestyle. Then one day, a giant Digitama suddenly appears in the sky over Tokyo Tower. Daisuke and the others encounter a mysterious young man named Lui Ohwada, who informs them that he’s the first ever DigiDestined in the world…

For even more nostalgia, check out our Power Rangers throwback, here:

One Piece‘s Showrunner Reveals He’s Writing Doctor Kureha for Jamie Lee Curtis and Other Season Two Teases

Netflix’s One Piece defied the anime adaptation curse to become a much-beloved piece of the long-running franchise. Happily, Netflix green-lit season two of the show, and with the conclusion of the WGA strike, we can now hear more about it. Speaking to Deadline, One Piece co-showrunner Matt Owens discussed one of the most eagerly anticipated season two castings. For a while now, buzz has been circulating about Jamie Lee Curtis joining the live-action One Piece adaptation as Doctor Kureha. And it turns out, it’s more than just buzz.

Owens notes, “Doctor Kureha, very luckily, is a character who is coming up in our story, and is someone who is perfect for Jamie Lee Curtis.” And further adds, “After she won her Oscar, the writers’ room sent her a figure of Doctor Kureha with a nice note that said, ‘Congratulations on your statue, here’s another one to put next to it. Hope to speak to you soon.’ When she reposted that, it got a lot of fan interest, and I commented on it. We’re trying to manifest it.” Of course, with the current SAG-AFTRA strike still in play, no official casting can be confirmed. However, Owens shares of the writers’ room, “We’re writing for her — we really, really want her to come and play with us in Season 2.” Fingers crossed!

In a Reddit AMA, Owens further noted that he’d love to see live-action spinoffs, especially on starring a Young Mihawk, that One Piece’s Lougetown arc remains upcoming in the live-action, and that he can’t wait to adapt Law and Carrot.

Learn how to watch One Piece without filler episodes, here:

Ian McKellen Told Patrick Stewart NOT to Do Star Trek

In a different timeline on the multiverse, beloved actor Sir Ian McKellen almost destroyed the universe. Well, not exactly, but he may have convinced Sir Patrick Stewart not to go forward with Star Trek, thus denying us Stewart’s rendition of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Patrick Stewart’s memoir, Making It So, has given us many fun and fascinating tidbits about the actor’s journey. But recently, via Insider, we learned Ian McKellen urged Patrick Stewart not to sign on to Star Trek. Stewart reveals in his book, “When I told him I was going to sign the contract, he almost bodily prevented me from doing so… ‘No!’ he said. ‘No, you must not do that. You must not. You have too much important theater work to do. You can’t throw that away to do TV. You can’t. No!'”

It was an impassioned plea, but Stewart followed his gut. He writes, “There are few people, particularly with regard to acting, whose counsel I trust more than Ian’s… But this time, I had to tell him that I felt theater would return to my life whenever I was ready for it, whereas an offer of the lead role in an American TV series might never come again.”

Happily, Stewart says, “Ian has acknowledged that he was wrong and I was right… More than once, in fact – primarily because I like making him say those words.” What a delightful friendship and conclusion to this tale.

Check out more stories from Patrick Stewart’s memoir, here:

Ghostface Is Here to Cause Halloween Mayhem in Youtooz Line

You scream, I scream, we all scream for Ghostface. Who doesn’t love the ever-changing masked menace? As we wait for Scream 7, and whatever new kills and frights it will bring, you can take Ghostface home for yourself. On Friday the 13th, Youtooz will release three, dare we say, adorable Ghostfaces that we can add to our collections. They are classic Ghostface, Aged Ghostface, an Entertainment Earth Exclusive, and Glow in the Dark Ghostface, also an Entertainment Earth Exclusive.

You can check out the full Ghostface collection on Youtooz’s website.

Enjoy other Youtooz shenanigans, here:

Netflix Has Renewed Castlevania: Nocturne for Season Two (But Canceled Vikings: Valhalla)

Fans of Netflix’s gorgeous Castlevania series and its spinoffs can rejoice. Netflix has renewed Castlevania: Nocturne for another season. The Castlevania series follows Richter Belmont, weaving “a never before seen origin story” for the Belmont descendent and tells the tale of vampires in the French Revolution.

Its beautiful first season is now available to stream on Netflix. And we can’t wait to see what exquisitely intense tales Castlevania: Nocturne season two will reveal.

Sadly, it’s not all good news for spinoffs. Netflix has canceled Vikings: Valhalla after three seasons. Vikings: Valhalla existed as a sequel series to History’s much-watched drama Vikings, and fans will be sad to see it go. The third and now final season of Vikings: Valhalla, however, has not yet aired. The Vikings spinoff will arrive on Netflix in 2024. Hopefully, the season will bring the show to a fulfilling close.

Catch up with season one of Castlevania: Nocturne, here:

Jump to:

• One Piece‘s Showrunner Reveals He’s Writing Doctor Kureha for Jamie Lee Curtis and Other Season Two Teases
• Ian McKellen Told Patrick Stewart NOT to Do Star Trek
• Ghostface Is Here to Cause Halloween Mayhem in Youtooz Line
• Netflix Has Renewed Castlevania: Nocturne for Season Two (But Canceled Vikings: Valhalla)
• Girl Scouts Have Discontinued Popular 2022 Flavor, Raspberry Rally
• Go Camping with Pokémon in Adorable New Live-Action Hybrid Series
• D&D Beyond Wants to Make Gameplay Easier with Maps Tool
• Mickey and Friends Celebrate Avengers and X-Men‘s 60th Anniversary with Disney What If? Variant Covers
• New Digimon Adventure 02 Movie Heads to Theaters
• Gaming Highlights: Slimmer PS5 Coming for the Holidays, Logitech Shares Cool Star Wars Gear

Girl Scouts Have Discontinued Popular 2022 Flavor, Raspberry Rally

Cancellations are really everywhere. As if it weren’t enough that TV shows get canceled, now the Girl Scouts are canceling cookie flavors. We learned via Food & Wine that the Girl Scouts of the USA announced that they have discontinued 2022’s hit flavor Rasberry Rally. Rasberry Rally, a chocolate-coated Raspberry cookie, became an instant hit. The cookies sold out almost everywhere. I personally never got to try one. And now it seems they will not return. A Girl Scout representative offered the following statement, “Last year, Raspberry Rally cookies were introduced as part of a pilot online-only sales strategy… While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties.”

We guess Thin Mints couldn’t take the competition. But happily, many Girl Scouts cookies will return to us shortly. The next season of cookie-selling begins in January.

Learn how else you can enjoy Girl Scout Cookies, here:

Go Camping with Pokémon in Adorable New Live-Action Hybrid Series

Need something soothing for your soul? How about a live-action/CGI hybrid web series starring Pokémon nomming on delicious-looking desserts as they prepare to go camping? In all honesty, we have no notes. We could watch this Pokémon series all day. Camping with Pokémon will run for three episodes, but that doesn’t feel like nearly enough.

Next, we hope to see Pokémon telling scary stories around their Charmeleon campfire; maybe they can be joined by some ghost Pokémon for the occasion. And we also hope one day we can go camping with Pokémon ourselves.

We also want to give an honorable mention to Pokémon‘s Dream Plush collection. Could anything be cuter than soft, napping Pokémon plushes?

Indulge in more adorable Pokémon fun, here:

D&D Beyond Wants to Make Gameplay Easier with Maps Tool

Playing Dungeons and Dragons can feel intimidating. After all, there’s a lot to plot and execute in order to create an amazing campaign. But D&D Beyond has introduced a new tool that aims to help simplify gameplay prep and get players going.

D&D Beyond shares:

Prep less, play more. That’s our guiding star for Maps, the latest tool for D&D Beyond. Whether you play online or in person, we want Maps to offer a quick and easy way for DMs to connect with players and launch their adventures on D&D Beyond. 

With Maps, you can pull official maps and monster tokens from your D&D Beyond digital library to play with. You can also upload your own maps, drop in player tokens, and apply a fog of war. When you’re ready to play, you can invite players who have a free or upgraded D&D Beyond account into the shared play space. The Game Log will help you keep track of dice rolls on the fly. 

The Maps tool is still on the first step of its journey. So stay tuned for more updates.

You can now introduce Baldur’s Gate 3 characters into your D&D campaign. Check out our article about it, here:

Mickey and Friends Celebrate Avengers and X-Men‘s 60th Anniversary with Disney What If? Variant Covers

We love a good crossover, especially one that involves our favorite franchises. In celebration of the 60^th anniversary of two all-star Marvel teams, the Avengers and the X-Men, Marvel Comics will release 12 Disney100 Variant Covers that bring Disney and Marvel even closer together. These fun Disney What If? covers will see “Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and more take over milestone moments in both Avengers and X-Men history.” That’s what we call iconic. This “monthly variant cover program [adorn] select issues of Amazing Spider-Man.” The covers will also be available in black and white.

Click To View Gallery

A release further shares, “The first trio of covers kicks things off in the Silver Age with a spin on the Avengers and X-Men’s very first appearances in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s original Avengers #1 and X-Men #1 from 1963. Both homages also feature Peg Leg Pete as the group’s respective archenemies–Loki and Magneto! Then, Mickey and friends assemble for a turning point for the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Avengers #16, which saw Captain America lead a brand-new Avengers roster that included new recruits like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver!” That Peg Leg Pete is always causing trouble.

To get your hands on these Disney What If? variant covers, check in with your local comic shop or keep an eye on Marvel’s website. The first three covers will go on sale on January 3, February 14, and March 6, 2023.

Learn more about the Avengers and X-Men’s Marvel Comics anniversary, here:

Gaming Highlights: Slimmer PS5 Coming for the Holidays, Logitech Shares Cool Star Wars Gear

The PS5 is getting a whole new look for the holidays, kind of. It doesn’t look that much different to me, but it is slimmer. According to PlayStation’s official blog, the PS5 has “been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models.” That does feel significant, even if it doesn’t necessarily look it. This new PS5 model also comes with “an attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive and a 1TB SSD for more internal storage.” Nice. The updated PS5 will completely replace older models over time. Its rollout begins in November. In the US, a PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive is projected to cost $499.99, while a PS5 Digital Edition will cost 449.99 USD.

Meanwhile, Logitech G wants you to game in style with a new gaming mouse and mouse pads that celebrate Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. We especially love the mouse, which, among other excellent utilities, offers “custom Millennium Falcon-inspired thruster animations and graphics with 8-LED full-spectrum RGB lighting.” Plus, it just looks really cool. And it really ought to because it will cost you $159.99. Steep, but fabulous.

The Battle of Endor and Darth Vader editions of the Logitech G840 XL Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad will only set you back $49.99 each.

Game in style, we must!

Check out more on PlayStation’s latest updates, here:

The post ONE PIECE Eyes Jamie Lee Curtis, Girl Scouts Discontinue Cookie Flavor, and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination. It’s one where an eccentric chocolate factory owner and his gang of (possibly murderous) diminutive orange assistants create the world’s most delicious confections. Everyone knows the story of Willy Wonka from the perspective of young Charlie Bucket and his lying Grandpa Joe. But how did Wonka become a rich and successful chocolatier? That’s what we will find out in Wonka, an upcoming film starring Timothée Chalamet as a young and ambitious version of this character. After a few intriguing photos, the first trailers for Wonka are here, and the movie is something else, to say the least.

Our latest look at Wonka takes us deeper into the story and gives us more of Hugh Grant’s hilarious Oompa Loompa, who we learn is a perfectly respectable size for an Oompa Loompa. The trailer also builds on the story we saw in the first trailer, revealing to us more of Wonka’s inventions and touching on the movie’s plot.

In the trailer, we meet Wonka on his quest to find the perfect ingredients to make his chocolate. He works in a lab, combining things in hopes of creating something tasty. However, Willy Wonka is quickly told that the “Chocolate Cartel” crushes all hopeful chocolate makers’ dreams. You can’t get a shop without selling chocolate, and you can’t sell chocolate without a shop. Willy Wonka makes a friend, people fly, and there’s maybe a musical number or two with some dancing goodness.

Of course, as Timothée Chalamet shares, in both Wonka trailers, we get a taste of “HUGHMPA LOOMPA DOOPATY GRANT.” We’d expect nothing less from a Wonka movie.

Paddington writer/director Paul King directs Wonka with David Heyman, Alexandra Derbyshire, and Luke Kelly as producers. In addition to Chalamet, the film stars Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, and Paterson Joseph, among others. Wonka will hit theaters just in time for Christmas on December 15. And what could be a sweeter gift than that?

Originally published on July 11, 2023.

The post WONKA’s Second Trailer Offers More of Hugh Grant’s Oompa Loompa appeared first on Nerdist.

Last year marked the 30th anniversary of The Rocketeer. A film which, as we have discussed, deserved so much better. The Disney film from director Joe Johnston debuted in 1991. Set in the late ’30s in Los Angeles, the movie told the story of stunt pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and the rocket-powered jet pack he tried to use for the powers of good. And while it definitely should have launched a movie franchise back then, we’re getting more of The Rocketeer in the present. Finally. Deadline reports that Disney is bringing back that world with a new Disney+ Rocketeer movie. At one point, this reboot was called The Return of the Rocketeer, but it’s unclear whether that will remain the name going forward.

Regardless of the exact title, it’s nice to see the world of The Rocketeer get another chance on the big screen. The movie’s stars, Campbell and Jennifer Connelly, specifically had contracts for at least one sequel. But Disney scrapped plans for additional films after The Rocketeer‘s just-okay box office performance. We originally heard about this Rocketeer reboot in 2021 and not since, but finally, it has some kind of an update.

Edward Ricourt (Now You See Me, Jessica Jones) was originally tapped to write the script. However, The Wrap recently reported that Eugene Ashe has come aboard as a writer as well. It’s unclear whether Ashe will engage with anything Ricourt wrote, or whether he will pen an entirely new script. Either way, we’re glad to see motion on the movie.

David and Jessica Oyelowo will produce the Rocketeer film under their Yoruba Saxon banner. Brigham Taylor will produce too, with Mortal Media executive producing. David Oyelowo (Selma, The Lion Guard) will star in the project as the titular Rocketeer.

Though Joe Johnston’s film (of Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, and William Dear’s script) pulled from Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer comics, The Return of the Rocketeer will go a different route. According to Deadline, Ricourt’s story focuses “on a retired Tuskegee airman who takes up the mantle of the Rocketeer.” The Tuskegee Airmen, of course, served as the first Black aviators in the US Army Air Corps.

We don’t have further details about The Return of the Rocketeer‘s plot, cast, or filming at this time, but we’ll certainly keep you updated.

Originally published on August 30, 2021.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post THE ROCKETEER Is Returning with a Disney+ Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

Just in time for the spookies, Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher series has dropped on Netflix. As ever, he and his collaborators have proved once again they aren’t just highly cinema literate but also literature literate. The modern day mélange of Edgar Allan Poe stories, poems, and characters might be the best adaptations of any of them. But in case you want more Poe to pour over, we have some movies and TV episodes that you should watch after you finish The Fall of the House of Usher.

Because the series deftly weaves several Poe stories together, explaining what ones specifically could be spoilers to anyone who hasn’t watched. Ergo, we’re throwing a spoiler warning here and a message to go watch The Fall of the House of Usher first. It’s amazing, so you should anyway. I’m going to go in order of how the stories are adapted for the show.

House of Usher (1959)

The most obvious watch after Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher is arguably the second best movie adaptation. Roger Corman made a masterful cycle of Poe adaptations starring Vincent Price between 1959 and 1964. Basically I could just recommend all of them, but I’ll expand it a bit. Still, Corman and Price’s very first Poe film is among their very best. Price plays the pallid yet immaculately coiffed Roderick Usher, whose family he believes doomed. The movie adds a romance between Roderick’s sister Madeline and the visitor/audience surrogate, but it’s otherwise a very lavish and macabre adaptation.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Another of the Corman and Price Poes, this one is the most artful of the bunch. Price plays Prince Prospero, the despicable and cruel nobleman who houses an orgy of aristocrats at his castle while the peasant class die of a horrible disease outside. Not only has he horded his wealth and refuses to help his people, but he decides to throw a masquerade to celebrate their suffering. Prospero’s hedonism can’t last forever, especially when a mysterious skull-masked patron shows up. The movie also adapts another Poe short story, “Hop-Frog,” since the titular story is very short indeed.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

The story in question is much less a horror story than the name would suggest. It’s actually the first in what would become “Detective Fiction,” or a story in which a clever sleuth uses perception and deduction to solve a crime. Poe’s master detective is C. Auguste Dupin who’d go on to appear in another two stories. But what most people remember about this story, and indeed what all subsequent movie adaptations have focused on, is the ape murderer. In Robert Florey’s 1932 Universal Horror film, Bela Lugosi plays a sideshow mesmerist who injects ape blood into women he has abducted in order to make a mate for Erik, his talking chimp. It’s wild, y’all. And somehow Dupin solves it. It’s truly something.

Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)

The story “The Black Cat” has had a million film adaptations, so I decided to choose a giallo because I gotta be me. This Italian film from the heyday of the cycle finds a rich but cruel writer who is obsessed with his dead mother and mistreats his wife spends his evenings partying and drinking with hippies he invites into his dilapidated villa. So a little bit different from the story. A black cat does appear and all the stuff from the Poe story happens as well, there’s just a lot more sex, murder, and double-crossing intrigue. Also that title is beyond reproach.

The Tell-Tale Heart (2008)

This one is in the running for Poe’s most famous story. For this one I’m recommending The Witch and The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers’ 2008 short film. It’s a very faithful and moody version of the story of a young servant driven mad by his decrepit old master’s bodily functions. After murdering the poor man, the servant buries him under the floor only for the beat of the man’s heartbeat to keep haunting him. What makes Eggers’ short so cool is that the old man is actually a full-size puppet for supreme decrepitude. It is the perfect movie to quickly watch after you’re all done with The Fall of the House of Usher.

Spirits of the Dead (1968)

This European anthology film features three different Poe adaptations from three different filmmakers. The first story, “Metzengerstein” from Poe’s story of the same name, is not important for our purposes. Director Roger Vadim cast his wife Jane Fonda as the female lead and her brother Peter Fonda as the male lead…yes, think the things you’re thinking. It’s not a great one. In the second story, Louis Malle deftly adapts “William Wilson,” about a cruel and depraved man who sees his own doppelganger throughout his life. This one was the basis for Tamerlane’s story in Usher.

And finally and most famously, Federico Fellini loosely adapts “Never Bet the Devil Your Head” into the haunting “Toby Dammit,” about a boozed up Shakespearean actor in Rome to make a Spaghetti Western only to have several run-ins with the devil, depicted as a little blonde girl with a white ball. This story isn’t in the show, but the name Toby Dammit sure is.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967)

Another one with a great title! This surprisingly good and suitably atmospheric German horror film adapts Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum” and features the great Christopher Lee as the titular Dr. Sadism. That’s not actually the character’s name, it’s just for the title. A young heiress and her strapping, lantern-jawed lawyer make their way to “Castle Blood” in order for her to receive a handsome inheritance. Unfortunately, the castle was the property of Count Regula (Lee) who murdered 12 virgin maidens believing their blood would give him immortality. Also there’s a pit and a pendulum. It’s not a perfect adaptation, but it is really fun and hyper bloody for the time.

Tales to Keep You Awake – Episode 5 “El tonel” (1966)

Spanish television’s answer to The Twilight Zone was Tales to Keep You Awake, aka Historias para no dormir. Its maestro, Narciso Ibanez Serrador adapted several great authors like Ray Bradbury, Henry James, and of course Edgar Allan Poe. The first of these was “El tonel,” an adaptation of “The Cask of Amontillado.” Lowkey, Mike Flanagan’s show adapted this in the final episode. It features a man getting revenge on his wine-peddling rival buy bricking him up in a wall deep in a wine cellar, away from any help. Slowly dying in a dark pit is pretty bad if you think about it. I highly recommend this whole series, which you can now helpfully get on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

Beetlejuice – Season 4, Episode 13 “Poe Pourri” (1991)

This one is just for fun. An episode from the final season of the animated Beetlejuice series finds the author’s ghost wandering the Neitherworld irritating Beetlejuice with his laments for his lost Lenore. The episode gets increasingly trippy as a jazz-voiced raven walks around saying “Nevermore.” It also has a recurring gag where Poe says he’s Poe and people thinking he’s saying he’s poor and tossing him some money. It’s silly, but it was my first exposure to Edgar Allan Poe so it has a special place in my heart.

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

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If a horror film wants to rank in the upper echelon of genre offerings from a critical and commercial perspective, then it is imperative for the narrative to stick its landing. A film’s concluding scene is the vital connective tissue that ties its ongoing storyline(s), thematic underpinnings, and overall character development together in a way that’s logical for its world while playing within the bounds of established tonal settings. It is the aftertaste that makes a meal delicious or ultimately repulsive. A beautiful cap to a dazzling horror tale leaves that coveted lasting impression of ample praise, deep analysis, and widespread recommendations. 

There are many horror films with final scenes that have left fans in awe. But there are a select few that are embedded into our consciousness. Their lasting impressions changed horror cinema history, setting new standards and spawning trends that others may emulate but can never quite duplicate. 

Let’s celebrate thirteen of the best final scenes in horror movie history. 

Get Out (2017)

Get Out deftly tackles themes of microaggressive racism, dehumanization, fetishization, and more through the unsettling tale of Chris Washington, a young Black man who nervously meets the affluent parents of his white girlfriend Rose. Things go awry as he uncovers the entire family’s sinister and heinous plans to utilize his body as white man’s Earthly vehicle. The final scene’s tension is at an all-time high as Chris strangles Rose, the last antagonist standing between him and certain freedom. Suddenly, the flashing lights of what appears to be a police vehicle illuminate the darkness.

Chris’ palpable fear shakes the viewers’ belly as they steel themselves for a heartbreaking outcome. At best, Chris will end up in handcuffs and accused of violently murdering “good white folks.” At worst, his fate will mirror Ben’s in Night of the Living Dead with the cop shooting him to death after his valiant fight for survival. Get Out lets this uncertain dread momentarily linger before the vehicle door opens. Anyone watching this film can’t help but cheer at the sight of his intrepid best friend Rod in his TSA vehicle. It’s a lovely subversion of expectations that allows you to unclench after a long third act of violence, fear, and anxiety. We get to rest in the joy of Chris’ rescue and survival. 

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The swerve ending is a ubiquitous staple of horror movies going way back, but the way Wes Craven uses it in A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most jarring. After seemingly defeating dream demon Fred Kruger, heroine Nancy immediately steps outside her front door to a beautiful, sunny day. It’s almost like beginning-of-Blue Velvet levels of idyllic.

If that weren’t enough to get us thinking something’s off, Nancy’s friends—who all died by Freddy’s razor-gloved hand—return to pick her up in a convertible, as Nancy’s alcoholic mother now stands at the door to cheerily wave them off. But things turn bad real fast. The convertible top comes up marked with the familiar stripes of Freddy’s sweater, and Freddy’s hand grabs Nancy’s mom from a tiny window in the front door. She turns into a dummy and gets pulled through, proving you can’t kill the master of nightmares.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The final scene of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is crazy as hell, especially by horror standards of that time. Sally Hardesty has been fighting for her life against Leatherface and his family all night long. She finally gets a big break when a trucker is able to subdue Leatherface just long enough for Sally to flag down a pickup truck driver. Covered in blood and sweat, she hops into the back of the truck as it speeds off.

Leatherface runs behind them briefly before stopping in the middle of the open road, wildly swinging his chainsaw around in a defeated dance of frustration. Sally’s wide eye stare, hyperventilating, and eerie manic laughter as she distances herself from her torturer is a horror moment that burrows itself into your long-term memory. It’s a solid culmination of her rapid psychological breakdown and the feral carnage we have witnessed throughout the film.

The VVitch (2015)

The Witch is one of the most unsettling horror films of recent memory. With its era-perfect depiction of a puritan family imploding while a real forest witch skulks around, the movie feels icky in a number of different ways. But the ending leaves the sole survivor on a bit of a hopeful note. As the object of her family member’s various Deadly Sins, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) has had to endure a lot through no fault of her own. Having no idea what to do after all of them die, she visits the barn which houses the family’s massive billygoat, Black Philip. Turns out he’s the devil and asks her if she wants to live deliciously. She then walks into the forest, finds a group of other women dancing naked around a bonfire, and gleefully joins them, floating up to the sky. Good for her!

Friday the 13th (1980) 

After a night of terror, Alice finally thinks she will get some reprieve as she floats in a canoe on Crystal Lake. But the seemingly not-so-dead and disfigured corpse of a child Jason Voorhees is there to greet her, pulling her into the depths of the waters. She awakens in a hospital, convinced that the boy is “still there.” Alice is both right and wrong in this instance. He’s not physically a child anymore. However, Jason Voorhees IS in fact still there, waiting to exact his revenge on anyone who dares step foot on his cursed ground. It’s a horror movie final scene that laid a perfect foundation for not only a sequel but a bonafide franchise, something that many slashers continue to aim for today.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

If you thought a Sam Raimi horror movie could possibly end happily, then you only have yourself to blame. The increasingly ridiculous and jump-scaring toils that befell Christine after she denied a loan to an old Romani woman had finally come to an end, it seemed. She passed an item of her own to the dead woman’s casket, meaning the curse placed on her would lift and she wouldn’t in fact die in torment. Uh oh. Just as everything seemed fine, she realized it was the wrong envelope! Now it’s too late! As if to illustrate everything we need from a title like this, the ground opens and demons literally drag Christine to Hell. Moral: don’t work in banking.

Ready or Not (2019)

Grace’s overnight battle against her new (and hella rich) in-laws in a twisted ritualistic game makes for a modern horror classic. Ready or Not’s dark comedy, sharp dialogue, and truly diabolical narrative keeps us on a wild ride leading up to a literally explosive ending. Grace narrowly survives until sunrise and the curse works its magic as the Le Domas family explodes one by one, drenching her in their blood. Their palatial mansion is ablaze as a soaked Grace walks to a set of steps, drained from her exhausting ordeal.

“Love Me Tender” by Stereo Jane plays as she stands where she exchanged vows, the serene wedding décor juxtaposing the house’s flaming chaos.  She sits down and casually lights a cigarette as the police flood the scene. An officer asks her what happened to her. Grace’s long drag of a cigarette and deadpan “in-laws” answer caps off this wild film perfectly. In-laws are the bane of many married folks’ existence but this story truly takes the cake. 

The Invitation (2015)

The slow burn of Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation takes us from awkward dinner party, through tense dinner party, until finally we get to violent death-cult dinner party. We’ve all been there, obviously. While a few members of the hapless bougie people, brought together in a house in the Hollywood Hills to reconnect, survive the ordeal, the actual horror of the severity of the night’s events becomes clear. It wasn’t just their group that was taking part in the mass murder-suicide (as evidenced by the red lamp hung outside) but in fact it was dozens of other houses. Basically all of the Hills, and probably loads more, had also had similar, or even more fatal, gatherings. It takes a scary premise and turns it nigh-apocalyoptic simply through the image of lantern lights.

Carrie (1976)

After an epic night of exacting revenge on her teenage enemies and her disgusting mother, Carrie sadly sets her own home ablaze and dies in the fire. The sole prom survivor, Sue Snell, sits at Carrie’s gravesite with flowers. Her sadness quickly transforms into terror as Carrie’s bloody arm shoots through the grave and grabs her. Sue is alive but she’s trapped in her own version of hell where Carrie’s memory will haunt her waking thoughts and nighttime dreams. This moment is not the first jump scare scene ever. But it popularized it in the genre, inspiring Friday the 13th and many more horror films to have the undead killer rise for one final moment of terror.

The Mist (2007)

Infamously, writer-director Frank Darabont changed the ambiguous ending of Stephen King’s short story “The Mist,” in which strange, eldritch creatures descend on a small Maine mountain community out of mysterious fog. To his credit, Darabont knew the audience needed a real gut-punch, and King himself approved. Our hero David, his son, and a few other survivors might have gotten away from one horde of monsters, but they don’t know how widespread this is. They don’t know if the entire world has been taken over! Silently, they all decide they don’t want to continue.

David quickly shoots all of them with the remaining bullets in his revolver only to find he doesn’t have one for himself. As he screams in grief, he gets out of the car…only to see the mist lifting and the military role through. David and the audience have to grapple with the knowledge that had he waited another five minutes, it would have been a happy ending. Brutal.

Eden Lake (2008)

A couple heads to a remote lake to spend an idyllic and romantic weekend together. What could possibly go wrong? A lot actually, especially when a pack of wayward teens led by Brett, true psychopath, cross your path. Eden Lake is an overflowing bucket of despair up until the very end. Sole survivor Jenny awakens to seemingly sympathetic faces after crashing her escape vehicle. This brief moment of relief soon shifts to horror as she realizes these people are the parents of her torturers. The gang blames the night’s murders on her and she makes one last attempt to fight for her life. But it is to no avail. Eden Lake ends with her horrific muffled screaming offscreen as Brett wears her deceased boyfriend’s sunglasses and stares into a mirror. It’s brutal, sickening, ruthless, and a flawless unhappy ending. 

The Wicker Man (1973)

You’d be forgiven for watching almost the entirety of Robin Hardy’s 1973 film The Wicker Man and not have any idea why it’s called that. Surely it’s a weirdly dreamlike film, in which a devoutly Catholic and judgmental police officer comes to a remote island community with information that a young girl had disappeared. The islanders practice a kind of paganism, communing with animal spirits and copulating in the night, which repulses the lawman. He scoffs at the preparation for the spring festival, and its hopes of bringing back the island’s apple crop.

Slowly the film reveals the entire mystery was a ruse in order to catch the policeman and prove that he is their perfect virgin sacrifice. As the islanders cheerily lead him over a hill he sees a giant wicker man, already full of livestock, a ladder leading to the man’s head, and a pyre at its feet. He, and the audience, know what will befall him and no amount of his pleas to them and his beseeching of his Christian god will save him. He will burn, while people cheer and sing about it.

Smile (2022)

A horror film where evil triumphs is an exceptionally disturbing treat. This is the case with Smile, a psychological spiral with an ending that haunts you long after the credits. Rose’s fraught mission to rid herself of a murderous supernatural entity that feeds on her deep-rooted trauma takes us back to her abandoned childhood home. We hope that its dilapidated walls will somehow hold a key to Rose’s survival and perhaps make sense of the bizarre monstrosity that plagues her. But that is not the case. The final moment of Rose with that sinister smile plastered on her face as she sets herself on fire in front of Joel is both glorious and gut-wrenching. This is one of the best final scenes in a horror film that people will talk about for years to come. The curse lives on. There is no happy ending. Sometimes, evil simply cannot be contained. 

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Professional wrestling’s long history includes many famous clans who made the sport a family affair. Fans know all about the Harts, the McMahons, the Anoa’i, the Funks, the Guerreros, and the Rhodes. Lots of famous households strapped up their boots and got in the squared circle together. They then taught the family business to new generations of stars. But while fans can debate the best, most talented, most important pro wrestling families ever, there’s no question over the industry’s most tragic. The name Von Erich is as synonymous with talent as it is with grief. Now the legendary Texas clan’s sad story is coming to the big screen in A24’s The Iron Claw, which just released its first trailer. Our first look at The Iron Claw teases a story whose depth of heartbreak is hard to believe even though we know it’s true.

The Iron Claw is the pro wrestling movie that needed to be made. But it will be hard for those who don’t already know about the Von Erichs to believe what happened to the family. Even the official synopsis for The Iron Claw, which released alongside the trailer, only hints at the fate of a family who made a lasting mark both in the ring and out of it.

From A24:

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports. 

Unfortunately, pro wrestling is no different than life: immortality doesn’t always come the way you hope.

Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) both wrote and directed this movie. The Iron Claw stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, and Lily James. It climbs into the ring later this year when it premieres in theaters on December 22, 2023.

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It looks like we’d better get ready for one more heist. A new Ocean’s 11 movie is in development and it has an excellent team behind it. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Margot Robbie “will star and produce a new Ocean’s movie that will be helmed by Jay Roach.” Robbie and Roach previously worked together on the movie Bombshell which earned Robbie a best-supporting actress Oscar nomination. Additionally, this movie will see Barbie and Ken reunite as Ryan Gosling joins the cast.

The Ocean’s 11 prequel producer Josey McNamara of LuckyChap Entertainment noted to GamesRadar, “They’re [Robbie and Gosling] wonderful together. The more projects even outside of that we can have them do would be amazing.” But otherwise, McNamara couldn’t share much about the film.

We do know that Carrie Solomon will pen the script. But otherwise have received few other details on what this Margot Robbie-led Ocean’s 11 prequel movie would look like. But The Hollywood Reporter shared “it is known to be an original Ocean’s 11 that is set in Europe in the 1960s.”

A little old-school glamor for Robbie, perhaps? Though we don’t know exactly what will go down in the movie, we’re excited to see Robbie front and center. While it feels unlikely another fully woman-oriented adventure like Ocean’s Eight will come our way, we hope to see Robbie’s character very much in charge in this new movie. Ostensibly, regardless of the details, she’ll lead a new team of sarcastic criminals as they pull off impossible odds with good humor and lots of style. We can’t wait to learn who else comes on board alongside Robbie and Gosling. If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s Ocean’s movies bringing a lot of fun to the table.

In the meantime, we can go back and appreciate what we already. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s turn in the Barbie movie truly captivated us. If there’s anyone who can seamlessly transition from playing a famous doll to becoming a master thief, it’s Robbie. May we be so bold as to suggest an eventual crossover?

Originally published May 19, 2022.

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It’s been 12 years since we last saw the Monk series grace our screens. The mystery dramedy ran on USA from 2002-2009. And yes, 2009 was 12 years ago and not just yesterday. Don’t even get us started on 2002. Monk was an early entry in the USA Network’s heyday, which involved shows like Psych, White Collar, Suits, Burn Notice, and more. And like all good things from the increasingly distant past, Monk has now received a new lease on life, this time in the form of a reunion movie that will air on Peacock. Happily, this Monk Movie finally has a release date and some first-look photos. The movie title mentions Monk’s last case, but we’re not so sure. Here’s our first taste of Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie‘s First-Look Photos

Tony Shalhoub is back as the infamous Mr. Monk. Joining him are Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard, Melora Hardin, and Hector Elizondo. You can see our first glimpses of the reunion movie below.

Click To View Gallery

More About This Reunion Movie

The logline for the movie shares, “Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.“

And additionally, a note from Monk‘s original creative team, Andy Breckman, David Hoberman, and Randy Zisk, offers:

It’s been twelve years since the world has seen a fresh installment of MONK. The world has changed mightily in those intervening years and MONK 2023 reflects the changing world. 

We’re so delighted to have made a movie version of MONK, and we are thrilled that every one of our stars were so enthusiastic about coming back. But in coming back, we wanted to do a film that was worthy of our legacy. MR MONK’S LAST CASE is a story that is powerful, emotional, funny, heartwarming, and has something to say about the human condition. And it will be both familiar and surprising.

According to an article from Entertainment Weekly, this Monk Movie will touch on the impact of the pandemic and find Monk himself in a dark place and also facing a new foe. But hopefully, we’ll get to see a lof of those funny and heartwarming aspects as well.

As we anticipated, Breckman notes, “‘The End’ was not the end and the ‘Last Case’ we hope is not really the last case… I have an idea for a sequel that I’d love to do, and if the gods smile on this project, I hope we get a chance to continue our journey.”

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie Release Date

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie has now officially set its release date. The Monk Movie will release on December 8. It will stream on Peacock.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One forced Ethan Hunt to face the demons of his past. The film also forced him into a tiny alley with two henchmen. And it did all of that at the same time with dual fights in Venice. That sequence was one of the movie’s best. It was also one of the most challenging to put together. How did the filmmakers combine two encounters—each filmed with different techniques and different actors—and make it feel like one coherent scene? Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton explain how in this exclusive look at a bonus feature from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One‘s home release.

The alley fight between Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and the team of Pom Klementieff’s Paris and another Entity henchman would have been a standout moment in a stand out movie all by itself. It was both beautiful and brutal. The same is true of the bridge duel between Haley Atwell’s Grace and Esai Morales. But by splicing them together the film heightened the intensity of both while also highlighting just how dangerous the Entity really is.

In this bonus feature with commentary from McQuarrie and Hamilton, we learn what went into making both halves work as one cohesive moment. The key turned out to be a simultaneous start to sync the two very different kinds of fights. From there, music cues, pacing, camera work, and the actors’ commitment came together to make movie magic.

Well, it’s magical so long as we don’t think about what happened after these two fights. (Though we’re hopeful Ilsa is actually just fine and enjoying this bonus feature right now.)

From Paramount Home Entertainment, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One One will be available to purchase on Digital 10/10. All bonus features will be available with a digital purchase. The blockbuster hit will debut on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31^st.

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We are so happy to report that The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced an end to its strike on Wednesday 27 at 12:01 a.m. PT. Yes, the writers’ strike is now officially over. This WGA strike lasted 148 days, marking the second-longest strike in the history of the union. But although difficult for all WGA members involved, the writers’ strike was well worth it. The WGA released the details of the deal it struck with the AMPTP, and the gains and protections for writers, as promised, are exceptional. Happily, as of October 9, the WGA membership voted to ratify this deal, and it will last until 2026.

From issues of AI to streaming data to health insurance, the WGA negotiating committee truly held its ground to receive a deal that meets the needs of its members. The WGA achieved agreement on many points that at one time seemed like an impossibility. But through the mechanism of its strike, the WGA managed to win these necessary evolutions, which will benefit writers today and in the future.

✅Minimum room size.
✅Pay increases.
✅AI can't write.
✅Disclosure of streaming numbers w/ residuals to match.
✅Guaranteed 2nd step for screenwriters.
✅Script fees for staff writers.
✅Writing teams get full payment into pension (this is huge for me specifically)

Hell. Yes. https://t.co/j7HPdCe41r

— Jackson Lanzing (@JacksonLanzing) September 27, 2023

For those interested in reviewing the full agreement between the AMPTP and the WGA, the WGA MBA summary has been released here. Here a few parts of note.

The Strike-Ending WGA Agreement on AI, Writers, and Hollywood

The topic of AI has occupied the mind of many a creative in recent history. Although it seems obvious to creators that AI could never replace the mind and passion of thinking humans, this truth appears less obvious to studios and executives. But happily, the WGA was able to successfully curb AI use in Hollywood, at least where writers are concerned.

The WGA agreement summary notes:

We have established regulations for the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on MBA-covered projects in the following ways:

• AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material under the MBA, meaning that AI-generated material can’t be used to undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights. 
• A writer can choose to use AI when performing writing services, if the company consents and provided that the writer follows applicable company policies, but the company can’t require the writer to use AI software (e.g., ChatGPT) when performing writing services. 
• The Company must disclose to the writer if any materials given to the writer have been generated by AI or incorporate AI-generated material.
• The WGA reserves the right to assert that exploitation of writers’ material to train AI is prohibited by MBA or other law.

Basically, AI is out and writers are in. We love to see it.

The WGA Agreement on Streaming Data Transparency

Writers, and many parts of the industry, have felt great frustration over not knowing exactly how their work performs on streaming channels. Of course, not knowing and not getting paid correlate heavily. When it comes to streaming numbers and performance, the WGA’s strike-ending agreement reveals:

The Companies agree to provide the Guild, subject to a confidentiality agreement, the total number of hours streamed, both domestically and internationally, of self-produced high budget streaming programs (e.g., a Netflix original series). The Guild may share information with the membership in aggregated form.

In addition, viewership hours on streaming will factor into bonuses for writers in work created for a High Budget Subscription Video on Demand channels.

The WGA Agreement on Health and Pension Contributions for Writing Teams

It seems wild, but it’s true, that since writing teams were paid together they had to split pension and health contributions. Now, “each writer on a writing team employed for a script will receive pension and health contributions up to the relevant cap as though they were a single writer, rather than splitting the applicable cap.” That, we imagine, is a truly meaningful evolution to those that it affects.

The Writers’ Strike Is Over, What’s Next?

In addition to all of this, many other gains were made in terms of script fees, room sizes, time writers get to spend on a production, and more. When the WGA announced the strike was over on September 27, writers could officially return to work. At the time, the agreement still needed to be ratified.

Happily, as of October 9, 2023, the WGA membership officially voted to ratify the strike-ending contract. Variety shares, “The membership voted 99% in favor of ratification, with 8,435 voting in favor and 90 members opposed.” This new contract will run from September 25, 2023 through May 1, 2026. We commend the writers on all of their hard work and continual efforts to ensure a fair deal for current and future scribes in Hollywood.

While this is great news for writers, the work for unions is not over. SAG-AFTRA remains on strike and has not yet received meaningful acknowledgment from the studios. In fact, a second SAG-AFTRA strike aimed at achieving fair compensation and protections for video game work has been authorized. Members of all unions and non-union members alike should continue to show solidarity and help fight for the good of all. Here are some ideas on how you can help!

Originally published on September 27, 2023.

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October is all about spooky stuff as we celebrate the greatness of Halloween. But it is also the wonderful precursor to the holiday season, specifically the overwhelming joy of Christmas. This means it is a perfect time to introduce horror fans to a scary new Christmas tale. That’s what we get with RLJE Films and Shudder’s new flick, cleverly titled It’s A Wonderful Knife, and its trailer full of bloody cheer. 

Of course, the film’s title is a play on the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life. However, life is anything but wonderful for Winnie Carruthers. (If she looks familiar to you, it’s because Jane Widdop played Laura Lee in Yellowjackets.) Last Christmas is haunting Winnie for a very good reason and it seems this year will not be any better. There’s so much going on in the trailer for It’s A Wonderful Knife that it is baffling yet quite intriguing. Blood, a parallel universe, holiday happenings, and a killer dressed like an angelic version of Ghostface. I love it. 

Here’s a quick synopsis for It’s A Wonderful Knife to bring it into sharper focus:

A year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful — but when she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe and discovers that without her, things could be much, much worse. Now the killer is back, and she must team up with the town misfit to identify the killer and get back to her own reality. 

The film also stars Cassandra Naud, Justin Long, Jessica McLeod, Katharine Isabelle, and Joel McHale. Tyler MacIntyre of V/H/S/99 fame directs with a screenplay by Freaky’s Michael Kennedy, so we can expect some fun with this one. It’s A Wonderful Knife will hit theaters on November 10 and make its way to Shudder afterward.

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Is there a song that more completely captures the spirit of Halloween than The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ “This Is Halloween?” I don’t think so. And it’s hard to believe we’ve been singing about “eyes glowing red” and hailing the pumpkin song for 30 years now. Yes, The Nightmare Before Christmas is officially reaching its third decade of life. And if the arrival of October wasn’t enough to celebrate with a scream, than this auspicious birthday certainly is. As we head into Halloween, and then, into Christmas, you can outfit yourself for the occasion with BoxLunch’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 30th Anniversary collection. We at Nerdist got to take a look at a couple of the items, and they really are a ghoulishly good time.

Our favorite of the bunch is this backpack celebrating Jack’s ghost-dog reindeer, Zero. The description of it shares, “The adorable spectral pup is ready to keep your essentials safe as this Nightmare Before Christmas mini backpack!” And it’s true. This Nightmare Before Christmas bag is the cutest. But it has some Halloween Town tricks up its sleeve. BoxLunch notes this Zero backpack glows in the dark. You might think it would only glow a little, I know I did, but in reality the whole backpack lights up with an eerie glow. It really is delightful—much better than the glow of red eyes coming out from under your bed.

In addition to Zero, BoxLunch’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 30th anniversary collection highlights all of our favorite characters. Jack Skellington, Sally, Scary Teddy, and, of course, the Oogie Boogie, all appear to greet the season and you.

Take a look at some of the highlights below.

Click To View Gallery

You can find the full collection here. We feel like ghouls and ghosts of every age will enjoy this something strange. And we’re wishing a very happy 30th anniversary to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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