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Category: News

  • Release Date and Episode Titles Revealed for Volume 2 of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

    Release Date and Episode Titles Revealed for Volume 2 of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

    One of Disney +’s best Star Wars projects to date was 2021’s nine-episode anime anthology, Star Wars: Visions. The series consisted of shorts inspired by and set in the Star Wars galaxy that were not mandated to exist within the canonical timeline. The shorts were well received and a second season was ordered up fairly quickly and set for 2023. With Season 2 of The Bad Batch, Season 3 of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka all on the slate, 2023 is a busy year for Star Wars and fans wondered where Volume 2 of Visions might fit. Now we know.

    In an official release from Disney, Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm James Waugh revealed that Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions will stream on Disney Plus on Star Wars Day/May 4th! Like the first season, Volume 2 will consist of nine episodes from different animation studios, which were revealed in a Tweet.

    Waugh, who serves as an executive producer on Visions, talked about the studios and the “incredible” shorts they have put together for Volume 2.

    With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly Star Wars — all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a Star Wars story can be.

    James Waugh

    The release was accompanied by the episode titles, which are listed below with their animation studios and directors. The studios and directors are all newcomers to the series.

    • “Sith” (El Guiri, Rodrigo Blaas)
    • “Screecher’s Reach” (Cartoon Saloon, Paul Young)
    • “In the Stars” (Punkrobot, Gabriel Osorio)
    • “I Am Your Mother” (Aardman, Magdalena Osinska)
    • “Journey to the Dark Head” (Studio Mir, Hyeong Geun Park)
    • “The Spy Dancer” (Studio La Cachette, Julien Chheng)
    • “The Bandits of Golak” (88 Pictures, Ishan Shukla)
    • “The Pit” (D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd., LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge)
    • “Aau’s Song” (Triggerfish, Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke)

    May the 4th be with you!

  • Disney Set to Make a Splash at Super Bowl LVII

    Disney Set to Make a Splash at Super Bowl LVII

    Disney has several major tentpole films slated for release in 2023 and according to a new report, marketing for them is going into high gear. Deadline reports that Disney will be very active at this year’s Super Bowl, promoting as many as six of their upcoming films.

    Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which will release just a few days after the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles square off in Super Bowl LVII, will certainly be on display during the big game. It is expected to be joined by spots for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Little Mermaid and Pixar’s Elemental with spots for Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny and The Marvels possible as well. In the case of The Marvels, Disney has yet to show off any footage of the new film other than to the audience in attendance at last year’s D23 Expo, meaning this would be the first look at the project for general audiences. In the past, it has often been the practice to release a full trailer online following a 30-second TV spot during the game.

    While Disney does have a multitude of streaming projects rolling out on Disney Plus this year, including Season 3 of The Mandalorian on March 1st, the report makes no mention of their plans for marketing those other than to add that Disney is not expected to showcase the upcoming Marvel Studios streamer Secret Invasion during the game.

    Other studios will be in on the fun as well, with spots for The Flash, Fast X, Scream VI, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts all set to debut.

    Super Bowl LVII will be played on February 12th and will be broadcast on Fox beginning at 6:30 PM ET.

    Source: Deadline

  • Dave Bautista Describes the “Perfect Ending” James Gunn Wrote for Drax

    Dave Bautista Describes the “Perfect Ending” James Gunn Wrote for Drax

    If you still have time to get to Vegas and place your bets on which member of the team doesn’t make it out alive in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, you might want to consider putting some coin down on Drax. Dave Bautista has consistently said that Vol. 3 would be his last turn as Drax as he looks to find “meatier parts” and “more dramatic roles” as he grows his acting career. Bautista has been so consistent in his stance that the actor is beginning to question why the stance is even newsworthy at this point, something he expounded on in a visit to The Tonight Show while promoting his new film, M. Night Shyamalan‘s Knock at the Cabin.

    “Yeah, it’s weird. I don’t know why it’s news,” Bautista told host Jimmy Fallon. “This is my seventh film as Drax,” the actor continued, “and my third Guardians. It was like our trilogy. That’s kind of what we all signed up for, to do a trilogy. And I think this will be the last version of our Guardians of the Galaxy.”

    “It’s hard, but it’s time,” Bautista said of his decision to walk away from the role of Drax. “We all had those perfect character arcs and such a storybook ending,” he explained. “I constantly relate it to the way I ended my wrestling career. I ended it on a storybook note. And I would never go back and tarnish that. And it’s the same with this,” Bautista said, adding that he “would never sign up for another job as Drax just to get a paycheck.”

    Drax has served as a largely comedic character throughout his appearances and while there will certainly still be some humorous moments in Vol. 3, it seems director James Gunn has constructed something much more dramatic for his MCU farewell which hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.

  • Blumhouse’s ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Kicks Off Production With First Set Photo

    Blumhouse’s ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Kicks Off Production With First Set Photo

    Five Nights at Freddy’s has seemingly been trapped in production hell as creator Scott Cawthon couldn’t find the right script to bring his video game series to life. Still, Blumhouse stood by to support their adaptation and after a long wait we’re finally at that point where production has started.

    Jason Blum, the head of Blumhouse, has shared the very first set photo highlighting that it is “Day 1” for the production of Five Nights at Freddy’s. We don’t see much from the actual production, only that they are hiding the face of the actor in a specific scene wearing a shirt that seemingly has some purple in it;first tease of this version of Purple Guy?

    The production is seemingly going by “Bad Cupcake” which is fitting given the iconography of Chika’s little demonic cupcake. Yet, that isn’t all there is to see here. If you look closer, there’s one specific figurine from Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach. While it may just be a set design addition, it does seem possible they could be hinting at the appearance of Vanny.

    That would match with recent rumors hinting at the addition of a character named Vanessa, who was a prominent part of the PlayStation 5 exclusive release. There’s still no information on if this adaptation will act as an origin story or simply combine elements from across the games to create its own unique take. Whatever it may be, it seems that we’re finally closer to the answers than ever before.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Max Cancels Batman Prequel Series ‘Pennyworth’

    HBO Max Cancels Batman Prequel Series ‘Pennyworth’

    The most shocking news of all time has arrived, as HBO Max has axed another series, especially a DC-related one. As Titans and Doom Patrol are coming to an end, it seems that the third season of Pennyworth will also be it’s last. The series originally premiered on Epix back in 2019 only to find its third season as an HBO Max original last year.

    Though it received a new title, as it was now titled Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler to ensure we knew its DC ties. Yet, outside of the absurdity in its name, there wasn’t much buzz surrounding a Batman prequel about Alfred Pennyworth. Still, it did manage to go on for multiple seasons, a rarity in the streaming age. HBO Max has shared the following statement on its cancelation:

    While HBO Max is not moving forward with another season of ‘Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler,’ we are very thankful to creator Bruno Heller and executive producers Matthew Patnick, Danny Cannon and John Stephens, along with Warner Bros. Television, for their brilliant, unique, gripping depiction of the origin of Alfred Pennyworth, one of the most iconic characters in the Batman world. An incredible blend of action, drama and humor, for three seasons, ‘Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler’ has taken fans on a mind-bending ride into Alfred’s eccentric world and the beginnings of cutting-edge super heroes and super villains

    It’s definitely interesting to see what projects end up scrapped and others will continue. Superman and Lois is still set to have at least one more season as James Gunn and Peter Safran prepare their plans for their take on a connected DC Cinematic Universe. Pennyworth b being scrapped was probably the one project most expected wouldn’t survive after it moved to HBO Max, but it still left its own impact with three seasons.

    Source: Variety

  • Chris Pratt’s ‘The Terminal List’ Gets Second Season and Prequel Spinoff Series

    Chris Pratt’s ‘The Terminal List’ Gets Second Season and Prequel Spinoff Series

    Here’s a surprise but it looks like The Terminal List starring Chris Pratt is not only returning for a second season but is also going to be turned into a full-fledged franchise. According to a new report by Deadline, the Amazon Studios production is picking up an additional origin series focused on Taylor Kitsch‘s character from the series. Kitsch is also set to executive produce the adaptation similar to how Pratt was an executive producer on The Terminal List. David DiGilio, the creator of the series inspired by Jack Carr‘s 2018 novel.

    While details are still kept under wraps, it does seem like the prequel series would introduce a few characters from the original novel that weren’t present in the series. The series was a huge hit for Prime Video, and it seems they’ve been discussing a potential second season for quite some time now. It also seems that it was Pratt‘s idea to expand the series with a prequel which he is also an executive producer on. They want to use this series as a way to explore the “true darker side of warfare.”

    DiGilio would be set to showrun the spinoff as well and will include Carr and Antoine Fuqua in its executive production staff. Former Navy SEAL Jared Shaw is also attached as a producer, who is Pratt‘s coach, alongside former Army Ranger Max Adams. It’ll be interesting to see if they focus on the prequel and if it may set up some story elements from the second season.

    Source: Deadline

  • James Mangold in Talks to Write and Direct ‘Swamp Thing’ at DC Studios

    James Mangold in Talks to Write and Direct ‘Swamp Thing’ at DC Studios

    Following the official slate announcement of DC Studios’ Chapter One, James Gunn and Peter Safran are continuing their news with a major revelation. Elite filmmaker James Mangold is in early talks to both write and direct the upcoming Swamp Thing film. This would be a return to the world of superheroes for Mangold following his Academy Award-nominated work on 2017’s Logan. The director is also in the process of working on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is set to release this summer.

    James Mangold provided a brief tease of interest for Swamp Thing via Twitter this morning. James Gunn has retweeted the textless image, which is now followed by the news of this potential partnership.

    When announced yesterday, Swamp Thing was described to be the most tonally different project of DC’s Chapter One. However, Gunn and Safran confirmed that the character would be an integral part of the interconnectedness of the DC Universe. Allusions were made to how a character like Rocket Raccoon successfully fits into Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame for example.

    The notion of James Mangold being hired for Swamp Thing would be a massive coup for the young branch of Warner Bros Discovery. It would go a good way in establishing DC Studios as a true Hollywood player for creatives. And if the film is successful and is allowed to be made in Mangold’s image, it will further the thesis Gunn set for DC having storytelling as its king.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Andy Muschietti to Remain with DC Studios After ‘The Flash’

    Andy Muschietti to Remain with DC Studios After ‘The Flash’

    With the first batch of DC Studios’ Chapter One slate officially confirmed, fans of the superheroic universe can now anticipate the new direction the studio is taking. However, before James Gunn and Peter Safran take complete control of DC Studios, four films from the old regime remain scheduled to release this year. Arguably the most anticipated of them is The Flash, which serves as the ultimate reset point for the DC Universe between the old guard and the new. 

    The film has been having a tumultuous road to its release thanks to the controversial nature of lead Ezra Miller, which almost led to the cancellation of the project. Despite the troubles behind the scenes, the film remains scheduled, and those in the know have gone as far as to say that The Flash has the potential to be one of the strongest superhero films ever made. This high praise seemingly has come from the hard work of director Andy Muschietti, and it appears he will remain working with the studio despite the turnover of regimes. James Gunn has confirmed this to be the case.

    We’re very close with Andy and Barbara (Muschietti), the director and producer. And he’s one of the guys that he’s going to be doing some more stuff for us. And he’s just done something really spectacular with that movie.

    James Gunn

    It’s an assuring sign for potential fans of The Flash to see the high praise for Muschietti and the film he directed. If the film is as successful as it’s been teased to be, it will be interesting to follow which pieces will be folded into James Gunn’s long-term plan. This includes the controversial Ezra Miller, whose future involvement in the DC Universe remains coy per Gunn and Safran’s quotes from yesterday (as with several other original actors from the DCEU).

    The Flash is to release in theaters on June 16, 2023. You can also read about the newly announced DC Studios projects here.

    Source: Comicbook.com 

  • ‘Superman and Lois’ Won’t Get Canceled According to New DC Studios Heads

    ‘Superman and Lois’ Won’t Get Canceled According to New DC Studios Heads

    Everything was on the chopping block until a few hours ago when the official line-up for DC Studios’ new take on the DC Cinematic Universe was unveiled. No longer where the TV shows and movies compete with each other but rather establish a more coherent experience moving forward. Yet, it seems that they aren’t completely dropping every project after all.

    In an interview with Variety, they have seemingly hinted that Superman and Lois will still go on for “one to two more seasons.” It would also match that they wrap up production on the series just as Superman: Legacy would be making its way to theaters. As such, they can keep the series running until they finish work on their new take that’ll truly kick off the DCU.

    Funny enough, it seems they have no comment in regards to Gotham Knights, the latest CW series whose first season is set to premiere on March 14th. Given that this series seemingly has little to do with its titular inspiration, the series has been dead on arrival. Still, who knows if it’ll find an audience after all as it is the most removed from the usual superhero fare.

    In an era where Doom Patrol and Titans got canceled, it is great to see some series survive to carry on the legacy. The long-running Arrowverse series The Flash is also coming to an end and likely the entire TV spinoff series with it. What that might mean for the future still remains to be seen as some series will remain canon while others aren’t. So, we’ll have to see if the DC Studios logo will be that signifier moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Last of Us’ Viewership Continues to Grow With Each Episode

    ‘The Last of Us’ Viewership Continues to Grow With Each Episode

    Most shows follow a rather similar formula when it comes to how their viewership grows. After a strong debut, most series tend to see a drop in viewership or a strong push once strong word-of-mouth makes the rounds. Though it’s quite common that it starts dropping with the third episode, which we also saw with the monolith release of House of the Dragon last year.

    Yet, The Last of Us is beating those very odds and has seemingly gained more viewers once again going into its third episode. 6.4M viewers have joined according to Nielsen and Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-party data measurement of HBO Max streams. As such, the series has seen an increase of 12% going into Bill and Frank’s captivating story.

    As of now, the series has climbed from 4.7M viewers in its premiere episode and could potentially see another rise after the buzz the latest entry created. It would be great to know if this increase per episode also sees a boost for previous entries. Those that missed the premiere are likely catching up quickly and that rise in retention might play into HBO and HBO Max’s favor.

    It’s not surprising that HBO renewed the series for a second season early on, as there’s definitely an audience captivated by what this post-apocalypse has to offer. The show is surprisingly true to the game while adding or even expanding upon elements in interesting ways. The Last of Us’ third episode had the biggest departure from its source material but also gave us one of the most emotional entries yet. Who knows what future episodes might have to offer?

    Source: Variety