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  • Where ‘WANDAVISION’ Soared – and Slipped – In Paying Tribute to the 70s

    Where ‘WANDAVISION’ Soared – and Slipped – In Paying Tribute to the 70s

    This week’s installment of WandaVision took us to another decade as the story was set in the fully-colored sitcom world of the 1970s. The transition from the black-and-white palette of the two premiere day episodes to this comparative rainbow of an aesthetic was far from the only change in the manner the decade of choice’s sitcom elements played into, though, so let’s take a look at how WandaVision tackled the era of the Third Great Awakening.

    Now in Color

    I’ve already mentioned how this episode was the first time during the series in which we saw color other than the credits and ending of Episode 2. I appreciated that the palette of the 1970s was different from the one for the scene we saw at the end of the 1960s. That one was more muted with lots of neutrals like white, beige, and plenty of shades of brown, with only the colors seen on the characters and their clothing really popping out (most notably, the purple of Vision skin and the red of Wanda’s lips and clothing).

    Conversely, the 1970s is full of bright hues from Wanda’s multicolored striped number to many of the walls in the house. However, what I appreciated about this was that the designers went with colors that were particularly big in that decade, with plenty of yellows and oranges abound, as well as some darker greens and lighter blues. Here’s hoping that now that the show is in color, these deliberate palette decisions will continue every week to match the era.

    A Less Derivative Approach

    Aesthetically, the episode does a bang-up job at capturing the 1970s, especially the hairstyles and aforementioned color choices. When it comes to the area of sitcom-specific material, though, the episode is pretty light on that compared to the first two. A lot of Marvel fans have been waiting for more emphasis on the action and mystery elements of WandaVision, and while we got that this week the majority of the show was still rooted in the sitcom antics but didn’t feel like it was supposed to be paying homage to other shows for the most part.

    There are only two very obvious references to specific shows here: the house inspired by The Brady Bunch (which isn’t quite an exact recreation but it’s clear that an homage to the show is what they’re going for) and the theme song similar to The Partridge Family’s “Come on Get Happy”, which can actually be heard in Marvel’s own Ant-Man and the Wasp. Unlike the previous two episodes it’s mostly just the music that’s similar; since the entire Partridge Family opening sequence consists of animation and stylized photos the only specific visual emulated in this opener is The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s sprawl of colored copies of the program’s name before transitioning into live-action footage.

    Unlike the first two decades, there’s no specific episode of a classic 70’s series like The Brady Bunch or The Jeffersons I could point to as the inspiration for this episode’s storyline. It seems like it’s almost supposed to be an homage to pregnancy and childbirth storylines, which have been present on sitcoms ever since their inception (though this episode is far enough along into the decades to allow the characters to acknowledge the pregnancy directly without having to dance around it with terms like “expecting” like they did back in the 1950s). I think this is actually a better method as it allows WandaVision to carve out its own identity rather than present itself as simply a tribute to old shows, but to do this after two episodes with more specific references makes this one feel as if there’s just a little something missing and I wish they would have just gone their own way a bit more from the get-go.

    The Dilemma of The Decade

    As I said, I appreciate the show going its own way with this episode but I think part of the way the sitcom elements contribute to the overall story is each potentially highlighting or offsetting a certain mood or attitude present in its episode. Ideally, this wouldn’t be directly lifting a story from a sitcom episode from that era, more like how the “wholesome” 1950s showcased Wanda and Vision’s innocence to the whole situation, and the changing attitudes of the 1960s taking the episode from silly fun to giving us (and the characters) a bit more of a hint as to the overall plot; the beds moving together and color being added to this world is intercut with clues as to what might really be going on.

    This sort of thing isn’t really present in the 70’s episode, but the creators were probably in a tough spot here. The sitcom eras naturally have to go in order (at least for now, since it appears Wanda will discover the ability to mix them up at some point as showcased by some of the trailers) so the birth of the babies had to happen now. But unlike the decades before and after it, the 1970s didn’t really have a lot of iconic sitcoms with babies in them, even ones focusing on family dynamics like the aforementioned Brady Bunch and Partridge Family.

     Women had also gained many opportunities in the working world by this point (which was nodded to in this week’s WandaVision via Geraldine telling a story about her job promotion) and things like divorce and single-parenthood were much less taboo. Therefore, a lot of the most popular shows of the era were workplace sitcoms like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, politically charged ones like All in the Family and Maude, or shows featuring non-nuclear family living situations like Diff’rent Strokes, Three’s Company, or The Odd Couple. So it’s understandable why the episode’s storyline doesn’t utilize a lot of 70s-based tropes, as they didn’t really fit with the whole childbirth plot.

    Hopefully, WandaVision will be able to find a nice balance between paying homage to shows of the past, telling its own story, and including more creepy and mysterious elements in its remaining three sitcom era-based episodes.

  • How ‘WandaVision’ and the Mind Stone Could Set Up the MCU’s Future

    How ‘WandaVision’ and the Mind Stone Could Set Up the MCU’s Future

    Like a lot of MCU fans, for some time I’ve been trying to figure out what is going on in WandaVision. Where’s this series heading? What’s Wanda’s state of mind? Who is the villain of the show? How will this lead into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness? How exactly is Vision alive? Is he alive? How will Monica get her powers? What will happen in the last big final battle? How might mutants figure into this show, if at all? And how can everything fit together to make a coherent story? 

    Possible major spoilers for WandaVision below!

    To be clear, the following is based on my own speculation, based on trailers and such that is already out there, not insider information. That being said, after a lot of thought about a lot of things WandaVision, I believe I’ve figured out one key piece to the puzzle. I believe Wanda will attempt to recreate the Mind Stone in the hopes of making her fantasy life with Vision and her children a reality. This will very, unfortunately, backfire on her, in spectacular fashion, as is seen in some WandaVision trailers. The destruction of this Mind Stone will likely create the mess that awaits Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, may open a door for Billy and Tommy and maybe even Papa Vision to survive the series, could tie into Monica gaining powers, and quite conceivably could inadvertently lead to the creation of more mutants. The latter making Wanda Maximoff, in a way, the mother of all mutants. Kevin Feige really does love Wanda, doesn’t he? 

    You may have some questions about how I came to these conclusions, so if you’re curious, please read on…

     

     

    As I mentioned, I’ve been mulling over many aspects of WandaVision for a while now. Utmost in my mind was: How is Vision alive? Is he really alive or her imagination? Is he of his own free will or not? In regards to the last question, there are lots of hints and clues within the show so far, pointing both to Vision having some free will within the sitcom fantasy, and to him being under Wanda’s control. His restraint was shown during their dinner with the Harts, his looking to Wanda for her okay to help, when Mr. Hart was clearly in danger of choking to death, being chief among them. As I mentioned in an article about this last week, we all know if Vision was fully in control he would have helped Mr. Hart right away. Another moment comes up during the third episode, where Vision begins to think something is wrong during his conversation with Agnes and Herb. He is exhibiting free will there, in his curiosity and questioning. This appears to be happening again in other trailer footage of future episodes where he seems to be going on his own and investigating things. Considering Wanda would probably not want him to investigate here, this is a clear indicator of free will. It is possible that in the beginning, he had less free will but as time goes by, and he “reboots” so to speak, he begins to exhibit more of his old self, and his own free will to do things that are not necessarily going to make his beloved Wanda pleased.

    I say “reboots” as in, yes I think this is Vision’s body, repaired either by Wanda’s own reality-altering powers or through attempts to bring him back without the Mind Stone. The Mind Stone was not, after all, a requirement of him living, it’s just the fact that it was so viciously ripped from his head that he appeared dead. I believe there is no reason to not think that some of Vision’s programming, the essence of who he was, could still be in that body just awaiting a spark of life to bring him back for real. Certainly, there is no reason to think that Wanda would not believe that as well. This is perhaps why we see her at the SWORD facility. She may have been working with them to try to bring him back to life, only to find they could not, and perhaps taking his remains with her for safekeeping until a solution could be found. So if that theory of mine is correct, this might explain why she’s imagining him alive again, and perhaps using her powers to try to bring him back “online.”

    Vision and Wanda were always deeply connected not only through the power of the Mind Stone stuck in Vision’s head but through love. So with all of that in consideration, what if because of her love and grief, Wanda attempts to use her powers to bring Vision back to life, and to some extent succeeds in “rebooting” him? And does so to the extent that his body comes to life again, with his personality, and free will, and love for Wanda very much intact? Wanda and Vision are connected through the Mind Stone’s power, even tho it is no longer lodged in his head, there may be residual energy from it infused his is vibranium imbued body. Wanda’s connection to the Mind Stone may be the one thing she has that can actually save him, through repowering and rebooting. But what if that’s still not enough?

     

     

    What would Wanda do then? And what about her children with Vision that were born in episode three? What if the outside world threatens them? Because it definitely will. What would Wanda do then? I think everyone knows not to mess with a mother protecting her children, and Wanda is certainly no one to mess with, as Thanos himself learned. So what can she do to protect Vision, her children, and their alternate reality with the likes of Monica and SWORD figuratively and literally knocking at her door? What can she do, how can she protect them, and how does this all lead into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness?

    Some deep thoughts and a rewatch of WandaVision trailers on Youtube later and the solution starred me and Wanda right in the face. Look at that moment in the “Daydream Believer” trailer where Wanda is staring at what appears to be a levitating Mind Stone. One might think it’s a flashback but for the fact that she wouldn’t have seen the yellow stone inside of Loki’s scepter when Hydra was experimenting on her. She appears ragged and distraught, she stares at the seemingly forming stone. It may be a trailer maker’s trick but it seems as if the yellow light and particles and dust are gathering to form the stone in front of her. Then it explodes with a flash, sending Wanda back for a split second in the trailer. It really looks to me as if she’s actually using her powers to form the stone, but she fails and it cracks and explodes in front of her. This is no flashback. It’s her present. If I’m correct about this, there is only one reason why she would attempt to recreate an Infinity Stone, and that’s in a desperate attempt to save Vision and her children. 

     

    The Mind Stone appears to form right before Wanda’s and our eyes in the second WandaVision trailer.

     

    Could she even do this? Can she actually form an Infinity Stone? Her stans often refer to her as the “most powerful Avenger” and even Wanda Maximoff superfan Kevin Feige has conceded he thinks she is the strongest Avenger after she nearly took out Thanos in Endgame. That was just because Thanos killed her Vision, she has his kids now. I don’t doubt Wanda will find the strength to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. However, if you can’t quite buy that she could form one with her powers alone, think about this possible route they could take, as set up in Avengers: Endgame. As Thanos pointed out in that film:

    Gone. Reduced to atom…. I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me, but the work is done.

    Technically the Infinity Stones still do exist in the prime MCU timeline, they are merely reduced to dust. Could Wanda, with her very specific and strong connection to the Mind Stone and her incredible powers combined, somehow reach out and pull together the remnants of the Mind Stone from across the universe and form the stone again? Is that an explanation that viewers would accept? I think I would.

    It would also prevent the whole issue of having more than one Infinity Stone of the same type in a timeline at once, which I’d think would cause a certain amount of chaos as well. Either way, the Mind Stone exploding, could bring on a catastrophe that creates or opens up various realities, and multiverses among other important, consequential, events for the MCU. Now, I’m aware the stone exploded before, when Wanda destroyed it in Avengers: Infinity War, and nothing seemed to happen as consequence. However, Thanos pushed rewind fairly soon after, so we didn’t really get to see the consequences. Also, some of this might depend on what Wanda’s trying to do with the stone at the time. For instance, if she’s trying to use it to bend reality to the extent that she’s expanding her Westview bubble to encompass the whole world, and the stone explodes due to instability, then that could believably fracture reality, and set up the multiverse for Doctor Strange 2. It may also set up a scenario where Vision, Billy, and Tommy, live beyond the last episode of this series.

     

    In the second WandaVision trailer, the Mind Stone appears to explode in front of Wanda.

     

    Lastly, a note on Mutants and possibly Monica as well. Depending on what exactly Monica and S.W.O.R.D. are up to during the course of the series, it’s possible that Monica gains her powers as a result of the explosion of the Mind Stone, or equally likely as a way to try to combat a certain “scarlet witch” who is angry, protective, and not willing to just talk things out.  

    As for Mutants, and how they could come into the MCU here, I believe that the effects of the Mind Stone exploding could provide a suitable explanation. Wanda and Pietro are mutants in the comics, even if they are not yet referred to as that in the MCU. Ultron commented in Avengers: Age of Ultron, that they were the only ones who survived Strucker’s experiments with the Mind Stone. There’s been some debate for a while why that was, and whether or not the Maximoff twins were in fact Mutants (even if they weren’t calling them that). It’s long been speculated that the Mind Stone triggered latent abilities in the twins which may be connected to their mutation. This would explain why the twins don’t have the same powers. More recently, I’ve seen many speculate that the HYDRA soak, commercial in the third episode might be a hint at this as well. The “Release the Goddess within” catchphrase is a pretty strong wink to the idea that the Hydra experiments on the twins with the Mind Stone are what unlocked the twin’s latent abilities.

    This line of thinking about the twins and the effects of the Mind Stone on them certainly makes the how and why Wanda might “create mutants” much clearer. This notion that Wanda might somehow create Mutants has been around for a while now. How and why has been more difficult to answer. It occurred to me that if exposure to the Mind Stone brought out Pietro and Wanda’s mutant powers, then it would do the same for other Mutants that have not had their powers activated yet.

     

     

    My first thought was that perhaps Wanda tries to expand her fantasy world’s bubble to encompass the world, and exposure to her powers triggers other mutants. It’s certainly one possible scenario. But then I realized that Wanda may actually be attempting to form a Mind Stone and use it to protect her family. With the Mind Stone exploding in front of her, it appears she was unsuccessful. Now, what if the Mind Stone explosion lets loose a shock wave of the Infinity Stone’s energy throughout the world, and this energy triggers mutant genes in certain humans? What if that’s the last thing we see evidence of during WandaVision? That would be a pretty mind-blowing result and an incredibly exciting note the end WandaVision on, right? And something I think I could and would like to see happening. We shall see. 

    Source: Youtube

  • EXCLU: Ally Maki and Kal Penn Join Tom Huang’s ‘Dealing With Dad’

    EXCLU: Ally Maki and Kal Penn Join Tom Huang’s ‘Dealing With Dad’

    We got our hand on some exclusive casting news for an upcoming Indie film. It seems that Ally Maki and Kal Penn has joined the latest film by Tom Huang‘s titled Dealing With Dad. The story follows a slightly dysfunctional family, as the kids have to deal with their clinically depressed father. Huang was selected among a number of screenwriters to join the Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab2015, which helped him gain a grant to produce the script of the film. He is now finally tackling the project after his success with the award-winning Indie film Find Me in 2019, which he wrote, directed, and starred in.

    Cloak and Dagger‘s Ally Maki will tackle the role of Margeret Chang. Maki is a fantastic choice for the lead, as she was great in TBS’ Wrecked. Some might also recognize her voice from Toy Story 4, where she played Giggle McDimples. The role of her father will be played by Dana Lee, who some might recognize from Curb Your Enthusiasm. There is also the casting of Kal Penn, who is a great addition to the cast. His filmography ranges from Harold and Kumar to hit shows like House M.D. and Designated Survivor. Even with his extensive past as a comedy actor, he certainly has proven himself in more serious roles.

    The concept of a dysfunctional family is always a fascinating one to explore. Dealing With Dad will take a closer look at how much a person can change when facing depression and if a family can truly forgive their behavior from the past. It certainly sounds like a story many will be able to relate to. Going by the cast The film is set to start production in spring, so we might see more casting news in the coming weeks.

    Source: IndieWire, Film Independent, Find Me

  • Why Godzilla is on a Rampage in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

    Why Godzilla is on a Rampage in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

    Dr. Ishiro Serizawa’s words “Let Them Fight” in 2014’s Godzilla would come to define the franchise, as the films that followed would feature more and more Kaiju smackdown. The now-titled Monsterverse started to dig deeper into the mysterious hollow earth. Since 2019’s Godzilla: King of The Monsters, fans have been teeming with excitement for the fight of the century, Godzilla vs. Kong. We finally got our official look at the film in the recent trailer. After multiple delays due to the pandemic, the film will finally release on March 26th. At first glance, it looked like it would live up to its name, as Godzilla and Kong clash once again for the first time since 1963. However, a small discovery in the trailer may showcase a new direction.

     

    godzilla vs kong trailer

     

    Upon a first watch, the trailer brings us into a post King of The Monsters world, where Godzilla has successfully taken the title after defeating the three-headed King Ghidorah. A voiceover explains that Godzilla has started attacking random cities for no reason, and they need someone to stop him. These events are where Kong comes into play, as old Monarch files must list him as the only other Kaiju that could stand a chance against the giant lizard. Since his first appearance, Kong has grown considerably and now can measure up with Gojira. His more humanoid frame stands a much better chance against the overgrown lizard and his stubby arms. What doesn’t make sense is why Godzilla would all of a sudden turn on the people he’s fought to protect multiple times, even if his dominance got threatened in one case.

    The trailer may be playing a trick on us. If you look closely, a recent toy leak confirmed the existence of a false God, Mechagodzilla. At this point, almost everyone knows the mecha will make his Monsterverse debut in this film, but it seems to be much sooner than initially thought. In the original 1974 film Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, we know the robot can camouflage and pretends to be Godzilla. It does open up a few questions, however. Why would he do this in this film, and who would have the motives to do such a thing? The previous installment, King of The Monsters, has that answer.

     

     

    We learn in that film that Dr. Ishiro Serizawa has a son, Ren Serizawa. A cast listing did confirm that actor Shun Oguri will play the character, who we see in the trailer in front of a screen featuring Mechagodzilla’s operation status. There is a possibility that Ren now works for a shadow organization to enact his revenge. His father’s fascination with the titans may have pushed him down a darker path. So, his father dying to save Godzilla may have been the last straw, so he took it into his own hands. He aims to frame Godzilla while luring out one of the few survivors so that they may kill each other and end their reign.

    A final note is a moment within the trailer where we return to the aircraft carrier battle between Kong and the fake Godzilla. In one shot, we see what looks like Godzilla’s tail. Upon further examination, it doesn’t seem to be the case after all. It looks to be a lot more mechanical and with links holding it together. I’m unsure when this fight takes place, but this could be the big reveal to the world that the Godzilla they know and love is not behind this. It may be what brings the two Kaiju together to take down the mechanical monstrosity and restore the balance to the world of titans.

  • A Shift in Perspective in the Next ‘WandaVision’ Episode

    A Shift in Perspective in the Next ‘WandaVision’ Episode

    Episode 4 of Disney+’s streaming hit WandaVision is set to become a pivotal point for the show. After only the first three episodes being shown ahead of time to select reviewers (our own Charles Villanueva being one of them), one would expect that there might be a reason why Marvel Studios drew the line where it did in terms of getting even more information surrounding the show out there. And now, as we reach the half-way point of what is the sitcom-themed portion of the season, even the biggest stars of the show aren’t holding back in terms of hyping what, to them, might be the biggest episode yet.

    Paul Bettany says Episode 4 will “blow our [the audience’s] minds”, but it’s the words chosen by Elizabeth Olsen that might help us better understand what might be in store this Friday. While being interviewed by DigitalSpy, Olsen said:

    I think the reason why they show the press the first episodes is because Episode 4 is quite a shift. It’s a really fun perspective swap and I think a lot gets understood at that moment.

     

     

    The keyword here seems to be “perspective swap” and how that might help answer a few questions the first three episodes set up. I remembered how on Lost, after witnessing the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 in season one, the first episode of the third season showed us the exact same event from the perspective of The Others, which was when we learned how Ethan and Goodwin first infiltrated the survivors of the crash. WandaVision might end up doing something similar, if not with an entire episode, at least with a few flashback sequences where we get to experience events we’ve already seen, but from the perspective of those coming from outside Westview. And the best thing is that there is previously released footage that seems to indicate just that.

    On the story featurette released by Marvel Studios on January 15th, we get multiple shots of sequences that happened in the first three episodes that we haven’t seen yet. The fact that they are through the eyes of both Geraldine and the beekeeper instead of Wanda or Vision, who have been the audience’s vehicles so far, helps to understand how that “perspective swap” might transpire.

     

     

    First, we get the encounter between Wanda, Vision, and the beekeeper, from his point of view. When he first appeared in Episode 2 he was the focus of attention, but what we get from this other footage is that Wanda and Vision have now taken up that role. He is watching them, and it will be interesting to see if, a few seconds later, after Wanda says “No!”, he gets to see them rewind into their home or if he himself is rewound back into the sewers. Speaking of sewers, we also get a show of him entering the Westview Bubble through there. He seems to be wearing a suit that turns into the beekeeper outfit, something that the reality inside the bubble sees as a better fit to its timeline.

     

     

    We will probably also get Geraldine’s side of the story, as there are a couple of shots of Geraldine first coming into contact with the bubble in the presence of Jimmy Woo, at a time the military presence outside of Westview was still nowhere to be seen. There is also new footage of Geraldine being thrown out of the bubble by Wanda, something that might help in recapping that event. We see her flying out towards the outskirts of town while also getting a shot that explains how she left the Vision residence. Through the wall, one that Wanda is seen reconstructing. This goes hand-in-hand with what Olsen said in an interview with TvLine, that what happened between her character and Geraldine is..

    answered in the following episode

    There might be a few more sequences that we haven’t seen yet that’ll help provide that perspective shift Olsen speaks of, with several lingering questions maybe being answered, but with a few more being raised. In three days, we will all know for sure.

    Source: Twitter, Digital Spy, YouTube, TVLine

  • REPORT: Disney May Consider a Hybrid Release for ‘BLACK WIDOW’

    REPORT: Disney May Consider a Hybrid Release for ‘BLACK WIDOW’

    The Covid-19 pandemic has affected different industries worldwide. And Hollywood is one of those industries that took a heavy hit. Many of these studios are still holding their films back, with many of them having been delayed into 2021 and are now being pushed even further into 2021 or 2022.  As the global film industry loses billions of dollars as months push by and these films keep getting delayed, many have been looking at another approach to distributing such projects for the audience to see in a post-pandemic world. At the beginning of the pandemic, studios seemed to be reluctant to release the movie on a different online platform instead of a theatrical release, making it tough for them to choose the right platform to release their films. But, in times of desperation, more and more studios have started to opt for releasing their films on streaming platforms, some even going as far as making a hybrid option to release their films on theaters and streaming platforms on the same day, at no additional cost. And this has been a heavily debated topic during this past year, some calling the move bold and great for fans of these films, while others seem to think otherwise. Well now, it seems that Disney and Marvel may follow suit with the upcoming release of the Black Widow film.

    According to Variety, following the slate shift Walt Disney Studios did last week and seeing how the MCU films were practically left untouched, there exists a strong possibility that Marvel Studios could be considering a hybrid release for the first film of Phase 4: Black Widow. What does this mean? Chances are they’re waiting for the release of Raya and the Last Dragon, due out on March 5th. Raya and the Last Dragon is opting for Disney’s first hybrid release, so to speak, by releasing the film in theaters and via Disney+’s Premier Access service on the same day. Depending on how the film does with that hybrid business model, there is now a real possibility that Black Widow could opt for that option as well. And with the weight that this is a Marvel Studios film, chances are that this film could make some real gains in a post-pandemic world.

     

    The film has already been delayed twice this past year, and in any other normal case, the film could be delayed again no problem. But there is a catch and it is ultimately Marvel’s Achilles heel. By having these “Phases” into check, and by pushing the films further and further back, not only would Black Widow be delayed, but that would cause a domino effect that could shift the entire current MCU Slate back. There have been murmurs that the reasoning behind Black Widow‘s delay is due to the contract clauses that some actors have regarding this film, asking for a theatrical release rather than a full Disney+ Premier Access. So now, with this hybrid release becoming a possibility, there may exist a loophole to these clauses and there is a real chance that we could be seeing this on our devices really soon.

  • Robert Kirkman Confirms ‘INVINCIBLE’ Movie is Still Happening

    Robert Kirkman Confirms ‘INVINCIBLE’ Movie is Still Happening

    Ever thought that two Invincible properties are better than one? Me neither, but apparently franchise creator Robert Kirkman and Universal have taken this to heart. Despite a highly anticipated animated adaptation of the Image comic series being only a handful of weeks away, Kirkman revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the long-gestating live-action movie is also still in the works. The announcement of the Amazon series had led to many wondering if the film adaptation was dead. It seemed unusual to produce such a high-quality animated series and then follow it up with a live-action adaptation.

    There is the fear that it would just be repetitive. If I can watch a long-form version of the story, why invest the money to watch it in theaters again? According to Kirkman, there will be enough differences so that they can co-exist and complement each other. He does make the comparison between the Spider-Man live-action and Into the Spider-Verse animated film. The problem is that the stories told are very distinct from each other, so perhaps the live-action adaptation might have a unique take on the original story.

    The live-action version got announced in 2017. The film will be produced by the creative pairing of Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. The duo has previously found success with comedic works such as Superbad and The Interview. On another note, Rogan is also set to be a part of the concurrently produced animated series. He will be voicing Allen the Alien, so he is also involved with its production in some form. Kirkman did confirm that the film is in very early stages so it won’t release for a few years.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Kevin Hart Joins ‘Borderlands’ Film as Soldier Roland

    Kevin Hart Joins ‘Borderlands’ Film as Soldier Roland

    Here’s an interesting casting announcement. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Kevin Hart will officially join the upcoming adaptation of Borderlands. It seems that Lionsgate was hard at work closing a deal with the Jumanji actor, who will take on the role of soldier Roland. The character has appeared in various games including Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 2, and Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. THR points out that this will indeed be a more serious acting turn for Hart, who has a track record in comedies. So far, he is the second actor to join the project after Cate Blanchett, who is set to play thief Lilith. Director Eli Roth is working on the project based on a script by Craig Mazin. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President had the following statement:

    Kevin has been behind some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world’s best-selling video games. We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story and we couldn’t be in better creative hands.

    Borderlands is a popular franchise and released its official third entry in 2019. As THR points out, the franchise sold 66 million units since it initially launched. Hart is an interesting choice for the character of Roland. Roth also commented on the casting, as he is excited to showcase a different side of the actor. It is great to see Kevin Hart attempt a more serious role. He still has some comedies that wrapped up production recently, such as Man from Toronto and No F**s Given, but he is starting to venture out. One of his upcoming films Fatherhood deals with the story of a man losing his wife after she gave birth. So, Hart is slowly leaving his comfort zone to find new ventures in acting, which is always great to see.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Trailer Teases a Mystical Adventure

    New ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Trailer Teases a Mystical Adventure

    After revisiting the land of Arendale in 2019’s Frozen 2, Walt Disney Animation Studios is heading to the East and explore the story of Raya. It was among the many films that were delayed as a result of the 2020 pandemic, which will now see a release via Disney+ Premier Access and in theaters. As we are only a little over a month away, Disney released a brand new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon giving us our first official look at Kelly Marie Tran’s Raya and Awkwafina‘s dragon Sisu.

    https://twitter.com/DisneyRaya/status/1354066562903404544?s=19

    The film was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada alongside Paul Briggs and John Ripa as co-directors. The story takes place in the world of Kumandra, where the dragons once sacrificed their lives to save humanity from a great evil. Now that the evil has returned after 500 years, the young warrior Raya sets out to track down the last dragon. The visuals alone are already showcasing how far Disney has come in its 3D animation department. The film has a stellar cast with Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang, and many more. The trailer also came with a brand new poster:

    Raya and the Last Dragon is the second film t premiere on Disney+’s new Premium Access function. The movie will be available for $29.99 once it releases on March 5th. Everyone is going to keep an eye on the film’s release, as it may determine if the rest of the Disney line-up for 2021 gets delayed. the film looks to be a great addition to the Disney line-up and you can’t go wrong with a film that includes a baby that can do kung-fu.

    Source: Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Podcasting with David Lengel from Marvel Studios ‘WANDAVISION’

    EXCLUSIVE: Podcasting with David Lengel from Marvel Studios ‘WANDAVISION’

    In a special bonus episode of Murphy’s Law, Charles and Charles sit down for an exclusive interview with the hilarious David Lengel, the man behind the mustache and the funniest neighbor on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision.

    David talks about how he landed the role, the on-set secrecy, those awesome zingers and the theory that Phil Jones might actually be married to Squadron Supreme sorceress Arcanna!