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  • ‘Mortal Kombat’ Reboot to Include Kameo Fighters & Immersive Story Campaign

    ‘Mortal Kombat’ Reboot to Include Kameo Fighters & Immersive Story Campaign

    Seems the rumors have turned out true, as Mortal Kombat has skipped the 12 and just cut one of the 1. Mortal Kombat 11‘s story has set up a new era for the iconic Kombatants and now, Mortal Kombat 1 will continue the story of the Fire God Liu Kang’s new world. The first trailer has finally arrived hinting at quite a few familiar faces including the fact that Shang Tsung will be the pre-order bonus for new players.

    That isn’t all, as we will also seemingly get an “immersive story campaign” that might give players the choice to once again change the course of time. Of course, it’s just a theory based on how the story trailer hints at how the story might play out with familiar faces facing a familiar foe. The game is set to release on 19th September of this year across all consoles and PC. The game will be a pure next-gen experience as PS4 and Xbox One have not been mentioned.

    This marks another reboot of the franchise that builds on a similar style of how Mortal Kombat 9 used an existing character from a previous universe to rewrite time. Though, they may have given us a younger Raiden this time around with a more human backstory as his role has been passed on to Liu Kang. They will be joined by Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero. It’s unclear if Shang-Tsung is the main antagonist or just a misleading addition to the trailer.

    The other big addition is the so-called “Kameo Fighters.” They have seemingly reworked the system to include the opportunity to have an additional type of character that can support you during Kombat. The trailer doesn’t give away and some early rumors hint at characters like DC’s Peacemaker or The Boys‘ Homelander potentially joining the roster. We will also receive DLC in the form of Kombat Pack that confirms Johnny Cage in the game, who will have a skin that makes him look like his original inspiration, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

    It’ll be available at launch and also include early access to six new post-launch characters and five Kameo Fighters. Sadly, Day 1 DLC remains a constant in the industry and it seems it won’t be going away anytime. EArly access to six characters sounds rather curious though, as it almost implies that it’ll be a games-as-a-service type deal. We’ll have to see once more is shown from the September release.

    Source: EuroGamer

  • REVIEW: ‘White Men Can’t Jump’

    REVIEW: ‘White Men Can’t Jump’

    Reboots, remakes, requels, revivals and legacy sequels have carved out quite a niche in Hollywood. 2022 put Robert Pattinson in the cowl and Tom Cruise back in the cockpit as Maverick 36 years later. 2023 has already rolled out a superior Super Mario Bros. film, a new installment in the Evil Dead franchise, a requel sequel in Scream VI and will see a live-action The Little Mermaid, Timothee Chalamet bring Willy Wonka back to the screen and Harrison Ford back in action as Indiana Jones 15 years after his last big-screen adventure. Lost in the shuffle of all those big tentpoles films is a retelling of the 1986 classic White Men Can’t Jump and while it may not have been on your radar, you’ll want to add it to your list.

    Directed by L.A.-born and raised Calmatic, 2023’s White Men Can’t Jump smartly avoids one of the biggest pitfalls that too often plague remakes: trying to actually remake the original film. Calmatic, who cut his filmmaking teeth in the world of music videos, describes the film not as a remake but as “sampling” of the 1986 original in which he made bits of the classic feel new and familiar. Given the 1986 version starred two Hollywood icons in Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, Calmatic’s choice to create two original characters who could capture the spirit of the original film’s odd couple dynamic with modern sensibilities gave his film a chance to stand on its own…and it certainly does. Sinqua Walls‘ Kamal and Jack Harlow‘s Jeremy don’t have to be Sidney Deane and Billy Hoyle because 37 years later, why would they be? So while the name of the game remains the same–hustling the streetball circuit of L.A.–the players come complete with modern glow ups that give the film a foundation of heart and soul beneath the humor.

    (L-R): Jack Harlow as Jeremy and Sinqua Walls as Kamal in 20th Century Studios’ WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Parrish Lewis. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    And while the film and its actors exhibit plenty of range, White Men Can’t Jump is simply a good time. Walls and Harlow share an easy chemistry that allows the comedy between the two to feel as natural as their on-court game. Myles Bullock and Vince Staples, who play Walls‘ Kamal’s buddies Renzo and Speedy, might not add much in the way of support on the court but more than fill their roles as additional comedic relief. Laura Harrier and Teyana Taylor, the partners of Harlow’s Jeremy and Walls‘ Kamal, respectively, may not get quite enough to do–and neither gets as much to do as Rosie Perez’s memorable Gloria in the 1986 film–but certainly help fill out who Jeremy and Kamal are. Given what the film sets out to accomplish in its modest 101-minute runtime, the bulk of it is understandably focused on developing its co-leads. So much so that not even the great Lance Reddick, in one of his final performances, gets much to do. Ultimately, however, the focus on Jeremy and Kamal pays off as both Harlow and Walls give solid individual performances but truly shine when their together.

    Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump works in such a way that fans of the 1986 film will find resonance in Calmatic’s sampling and those who have never seen the original will find plenty to enjoy. Whether revisiting the courts of Venice Beach, recreating the original film’s “Rodney” scene with a flamethrower or giving Kamal an origin that would never have fit in 1986, Calmatic didn’t miss with his directorial choices. As one of my top five favorite Pistons always said, “Ball don’t lie.” White Men Can’t Jump should be on your list of 2023 re-whatevers.

  • REVIEW: ‘XO, Kitty’ Lacks the Charm of the ‘All the Boys’ Movies

    REVIEW: ‘XO, Kitty’ Lacks the Charm of the ‘All the Boys’ Movies

    When To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before first premiered on Netflix in 2018, no one could have expected it to become as popular as it did. After all, adaptations of popular Young Adult books simply weren’t doing the business they once were, but Netflix took a chance and opted to bring the Jenny Han trilogy to life and it ultimately ended up paying off. Not only was To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before a well-received adaptation among both fans and critics alike, but it also helped to further the careers of its young cast, even if the sequels weren’t as well-received as the first film. Still, despite the films being incredibly popular, many fans were surprised to hear that Netflix would work with Han to develop a new series set within the same universe… but this time starring the youngest Covey child, Kitty.

    XO, Kitty sees Anna Cathcart reprise her role as Kitty Song Covey from the Netflix films. This time, though, instead of worrying about her older sister’s love life, Kitty is trying to better her own. Having been in a long-distance relationship with Dae for a while now, Kitty is eager to reunite with her boyfriend and is willing to do whatever it takes to do so. Even if its means traveling to another country to surprise him without warning. The entire premise of XO, Kitty is ridiculous. Kitty is a high school student who manages to convince her father to let her travel to South Korea on her own to reunite with Dae and try to learn more about her mother. She has even magically gotten admitted to the same school he attends seemingly overnight. It’s a pretty simple plot, as absurd as it may be, and with Cathcart returning as Kitty, it seems like it’d be a delightful series. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. The magic of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before cannot be recaptured, no matter how hard XO, Kitty tries to do so.

    Cathcart is still a bright ray of sunshine as Kitty. The issue with the series is that it ultimately is trying to do far too much. The amount of love triangles and secrets can become rather frustrating. It’s great that the show does look at the changes and challenges that teenagers go through – it’s wonderful that these characters are allowed to explore who they are and try to find themselves in the world. That’s perhaps the show’s strongest selling point. It allows the characters — all of them — to fail and grow from their mistakes. It allows the teenagers to be teenagers. It’s just that, the fun rom-com series promised tends to feel like a chore after a few episodes.

    Thankfully, the series does finally find a decent footing by the end, though. Should XO, Kitty return for a second season (and the series definitely set up a second season), the show has plenty of options to explore and can, hopefully, learn from its first season bumps. Trying to cram too much into a story that’s already starting off on a shaky premise is not a strong idea. Give the characters time to breathe. Don’t just throw in drama for the sake of drama. The feelings need to be earned, and with short episodes, XO, Kitty‘s characters don’t really get to earn their feelings — they’re just jumping from angry to happy and from hatred to love far too easily. If there’s going to be drama, make the characters truly experience that drama rather than hastily shoving it in. More importantly, though, don’t forget that the key to the show’s success is in the titular character. Fans quickly came to love the young Covey sister in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. She’s always been a firecracker of a character that seems to delight all that meet her.

    What made the films so special was not only Lana Condor‘s chemistry with Noah Centineo, but also her ability to sell Laura Jean as a character. Cathcart has Kitty down to a tee. Let her shine.

    Final verdict: XO, Kitty is an easy watch, but it’s far from great. Those that enjoyed the films will thoroughly delight in this return of Kitty, but don’t get in expecting the charm of the first film.

    And if you’ve missed our exclusive coverage of the series, you can catch-up here. 😉

  • ‘One Piece’ and ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Remain Absent in Netflix’s New Fall Schedule

    ‘One Piece’ and ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Remain Absent in Netflix’s New Fall Schedule

    It’s not easy being a fan of a Netflix show. Besides the never-ending expectation of any show you love getting canceled at any moment, there’s also he problem with Netflix’s very flighty way of handling its marketing for new shows. In their hunt for the next Squid Game or Stranger Things, the streamer relies on little marketing and hopes the show’s quality or built-in IP audience might push it to record heights.

    In Netflix’s first Upfront ever, they tried to sell advertisers on the fact that they are able to host ads on the service with their ad-supported tier with a “wide” audience interested in seeing them. As part of it, they did some surprising big announcements for renewals for Ginny & Georgine or Virgin River; potentially trying to counteract a current perception of their overall strategy.

    In a Fall Scheduled shared by Variety for Netflix, they include four new prestige dramas that include All the Light We Cannot See, Blue Eye Samurai, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Griselda. Comedy-wise they have Neon, Exploding Kittens, Obliderated, and The Vince Staples Show. Strangely enough, two of their biggest new IPs are still missing.

    So far, One Piece has been promoted surprisingly frequently for Netflix’s standards but there was no mention of the show’s release. It wasn’t part of the Fall line-up and is currently just set under “Coming Soon” alongside a variety of other projects. Joining it is Avatar: The Last Airbender, which hasn’t had any mention since production started a long time ago.

    It’s hard to say if they are part of the Fall schedule at all at this point or even if they still have a chance for a Summer release. One Piece at the moment has the best chances of a 2023 release, but Eiichiro Oda has stated he has the final say on if a project releases or not. So, they may just be waiting for that final “go” before giving it a set release date or timing window. Earlier this year they promised 2023, so it’s not like the series has been completely left on the wayside.

    It’s a big show with a very big international audience that has yet to grow stateside. So, they will likely want to jump in as much as they can once they have a more set with the current rumor still pointing to a late August release. Perhaps it’s not part of the Fall line-up as it’s still set as the big final push in the Summer line-up that mainly has The Witcher’s next season on the horizon going into June and July.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender, however, is still a mystery. We don’t even have an official logo or Twitter handle for the series based on a very popular brand. While the original creators left the project, you’d think they would still want to push it heavily nay way they could given the built-in audience but silence still remains their de facto strategy for this property.

    They aren’t the only ones, as 3 Body Problem is also suffering from a silent promotion since the brief tease in last year’s Geeked Week. That event also seemingly has been left behind with TUDUM returning for an in-person event but no official promotion of any kind of their live stream teasing their future slate. Netflix is adjusting to a post-COVID world but is still leaving many wondering what exactly is their strategy and why are they so silent on some of their biggest ventures moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • Netflix’s Real-Life ‘Squid Game’ Eyeing November Release

    Netflix’s Real-Life ‘Squid Game’ Eyeing November Release

    Netflix’s first Upfront has come and gone with very little fanfare. They mainly focused on their ad-supported model and selling future advertisers that they should definitely invest in. Sadly, most of their future big projects are being left behind, there are some surprises like a double season renewal of Ginny & Georgina and Love is Blind surprisingly soon return later this year.

    Probably one of their biggest “IPs” is Squid Game. While Season 2 is still taking quite a bit of time to produce, it does seem like their upcoming reality show inspired by the anti-capitalism series (the irony still isn’t lost) will come sooner than expected. The series is set to premiere sometime this November, 17 months after it was given a green light.

    It’ll consist of ten parts and see players re-enact many of the iconic games from the original with the hope of winning the big prize. The last we heard about it was that some production issues had led to some concerns over the project. People go through hellish conditions to bring a simple concept to life. We’ll have to see how it turned out and with a potential November release, there’s still some time before any official trailer drops.

    Source: Deadline, Deadline

  • Den Den Murphy Episode 28 – More Live-Action ‘One Piece’ News

    Den Den Murphy Episode 28 – More Live-Action ‘One Piece’ News

    After a bit of a hiatus, Suki and Joe are back to talk all things One Piece. The excitement is rising with Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular manga series with an official statement by Eiichiro Oda. Not just that but the two also catch up on the manga, and discuss the new One Piece Odyssey DLC.

  • ‘Fast X’s Box Office Projections Hinting at a Strong International Bow

    ‘Fast X’s Box Office Projections Hinting at a Strong International Bow

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has given Marvel Studios one of its best second weekends in a long-time, hoping to secure a bit more positive momentum for the franchise moving forward after bigger drops throughout the last year. Its first real competition is about to arrive with Fast X, the latest entry in the Fast & Furious franchise. While some have been praising it online, Fast X has opened to a soft 60% reviews on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

    With a soft start critically, it seems that projections for its box office opening are a bit mellow going in, at least domestically. Projects have the film opening around $65M, which is quite a bit lower than what you’d expect from the tenth entry of a major film franchise. It would place it slightly lower than F9: The Fast Saga which opened to $70M during the pandemic back in 2021.

    Though, these films have a knack for massive international appeal. Current projects say that domestically it may only be around $60M but international release might go haywire at $235M. As such, it would be the third-best global release for the franchise. That also would put the film in similar shoes like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Twilight Saga: New Moon’s openings.

    What is pushing the film is opening in 81 markets including the always highly coveted China release While the market has been unreliable for Western releases, it still surprised many in how it’s currently pushing Guardians 3’s box office, which is still set to make around $33M if it keeps up the strong word-of-mouth. There’s a chance that it might also still keep some of its audience and keep Fast X at bay, but the weekend will tell.

    Source: Box Office Pro, Deadline, Rotten Tomatoes

  • New Set Video Offers First Glimpse at Stitch’s Design in Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’

    New Set Video Offers First Glimpse at Stitch’s Design in Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’

    Ever since director Dean Fleischer Camp joined the production of a live-action Lilo & Stitch film, it seems like production has kickstarted into overdrive. Not too long after the first castings came out, production already started and now we seemingly have our first set video find its way online. While we don’t get a look at the cast, there’s one familiar face involved.

    In the video shared by @reelnewshawaii, they are seemingly filming a beach sequence. A group is driving out with a camera, but what stands out is what one of them has in their hand. If you look closely, it seems like they are working with the stand-in for Stitch going by the body shape and ears.

    While we don’t get a close-up shot of the stand-in, it does seem pretty close to what we got from the character in the original animated feature. So, it seems like they will be sticking to that original design quite closely rather than making any major changes to what he looked like.

    Of course, the stand-in doesn’t necessitate that they’ll truly stick to the design, but they might go down the route of Pinocchio, which had the exact same design but mostly adapted his design from the original animated film but with more added texture. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what he’ll look like once they start promoting the film.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Cast Continues to Grow

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Cast Continues to Grow

    Is it perfect timing ahead of Netflix’s first attendance at the Upfronts that a variety of actresses and actors are revealing their involvement with Netflix’s live-action One Piece series? Probably not, but it’s a fun coincidence either way as a variety of new cast members have been unveiled.

    Once again, @OP_Netflix_Fan and the @OPLAfandom, whose discord you can check out by clicking here, have uncovered a slew of talent revealing their involvement with the upcoming series. Interestingly enough, while these are mainly supporting cast, there are some rather important cast members included.

    Let’s kick it off with the two biggest flashback characters. Mackenyu Arata’s younger self will seemingly be played by Maximilian Lee Piazza. He’ll take on the role of Zoro during the iconic flashback from the East Blue saga. It was rumored for quite some time since September of 2022, but it’s great to have a confirmation now. He’ll be joined by Audrey Cymone, who will take on the role of Kuina, Zoro’s childhood friend.

    We also seemingly have a casting for the role of Ririka, who is the mother of Rika and is set to be played by Nicole Fortuin. While she doesn’t have a major role in the story, she does appear in Zoro’s introduction arc in Shells Town. Yet, that is not all, as we also finally know who is the other half of the Nyaban Brothers (or Siblings rather) Albert Pretorius will take on the role of Buchi and star opposite Bianca Oosthuizen, who will play Sham.

    It’s great to get some more announcements and here’s hoping that the timing for them adding to the CV might have some meaning. We’ve been anxiously waiting for any details we can get our hands on nowadays, as the show’s release seems closer and closer with every day. While we don’t know if something will drop during the Upfronts, the hope is definitely alive going in and beyond.

    Source: Twitter, Instagram, APM (Ririka), APM (Buchi)

  • Aubrey Plaza Teases ‘Agatha’ Disney+ Series With Disney Reference

    Aubrey Plaza Teases ‘Agatha’ Disney+ Series With Disney Reference

    Marvel Studios just recently used the Disney Upfronts to tease what the rest of the year has in store for us for its Disney+ series. We finally have a release date for not just Loki but also Echo, which has finally been confirmed to release later this year. Yet, they also have other projects in development and it seems Aubrey Plaza is having fun teasing another project that is rumored to arrive tomorrow.

    Without any real word, Aubrey Plaza has shared an image that states Marvel Studios: The Darkhold Diaries. While it might be easy to think this might be a new spinoff series from Agatha: Coven of Chaos, there’s been no word that they’d want to add even more shows after already dialing it back this year.

    What is more likely, this might be a reference to the series she’s working on and the logo might be a new production title for it. Plus, the logo and font seem to be a dark twist on the Disney classic The Princess Diaries. We still know very little about the project but it’s great to see the excitement of Plaza’s involvement with the project.

    For now, we might not know for quite some time what exactly the is teasing with this image. Perhaps we will get a better tease in the near future and this is just the beginning, but it’ll generally be interesting what the future has in store for Marvel Studios’ overall Disney+ strategy.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s success might push them towards reworking where Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fell into a slump. Perhaps dialing it back with their Disney+ projects is just the first step and spreading them out even further. We don’t know how long the wait will be for the next but there’s a chance after Echo, we’ll see another slowdown until the summer kicks off.

    Source: Instagram