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.
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.
It’s crazy to think that we first heard about the live-action One Piece series in 2017. For many years, we’ve waited for some sign of life until it suddenly picked up steam in January 2020 with creator Eiichiro Oda announcing the partnership with Netflix. We got an official logo, and a tease of the script, and finally, the project was slowly moving forward. While it wouldn’t start filming until January 2022, it still felt like we were closer than ever before. To kick off 2023, we got our first look at the series with not just one teaser poster but a second one hinting at the entire Straw Hat crew.
It’s been a wild ride following the many steps of this production and seeing as it evolved. Showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens have reassured their love for the franchise throughout the years and with Eiichiro Oda heavily involved, it almost seems like there’s a chance the anime live-action adaptation curse could finally be lifted. Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop may have been recently scolded by its creator, this project feels like there’s a chance things might go a little differently.
Even the small details in these posters give the feeling that a lot of love and care has already been put into the project. We know the first episode will be titled Romance Dawn like the manga’s first chapter. So, it’s fitting that we get our first look at Inaki Godoy‘s Luffy staring off into the beautiful orange of dawn. We get a good look at the iconic Straw Hat and his sleeveless red shirt from the East Blue Saga. If you zoom in, the bird in the sky is a News Coo, as he even has the iconic hat and bag around his neck.
The main cast image doesn’t give us a full look at their designs, but they are very close to what they were in the manga and anime. We have some minor details added (and people freaking out over Luffy not wearing sandals) but even seeing Usopp’s slingshot brought to life just adds that little something. We even got some iconic poses to just add that little tribute to the original. Their ship is in full display with her new figurehead, which truly brings the merry to the Going Merry.
Many fans online noticed that this may also be a tribute to the first ending of the One Piece anime with the characters from behind staring into the ocean reflecting the orange sun of dawn. It’s a recurring element in the early days of the anime, as it was also a visual utilized in the eyecatchers that were used in between commercial breaks. Twitter user @Monkey_D_2shar even used the poster designs to bring that iconic visual to life for the live-action variation.
We still don’t have a release date and the fact that Netflix is willing to promote a series early on without a fixed release date. It seems strange to say so but Netflix isn’t famous for truly promoting its shows and projects over a long period of time. Not only did we get cast announcements throughout last year but even a first look behind-the-scenes in a video during Netflix Geeked, their biggest live-streaming event.
Some have some concerns but that isn’t uncommon when seeing a manga being brought to life; though did not expect issues with sandals to overshadow the complete redesign of the Going Merry. Even though some pointed out a similarity to the Cowboy Bebop premiere poster but that is mostly due to the shot from behind with an orange hue, a poster does not reflect an entire production.
Plus, this poster isn’t with a set release date with only a few months to go like with the last Tomorrow Studios production. So, they are set to promote this over a longer period of time, and the last series to get a teaser poster was Wednesday and went on to actually get a rare Season 2 renewal from Netflix. There’s no direct correlation but if they are willing to promote it as much as possible, there’s a chance they believe in this project.
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.
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.
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 Thingvia 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.
Some Desperate Glory is an emotional rollercoaster of a book, but it’s a ride readers will be glad they’ve taken when all is said and done. It is a fast-paced, action-packed space story. You will laugh. You will cry. You will question what you’re willing to do when the world is dependent upon you. More importantly, though, this book will break your heart and somehow put it back together at the same time.
Some Desperate Glory by author Emily Tesh tells the story of a young girl named Valkyr, aka Kyr, and her life aboard Gaea Station. Earth as we know it is long gone, and Kyr and the rest of Gaea Station are humanity’s only hope at survival in an ongoing war against an alien race. It sounds like a simple premise, but there’s so much more to this story.
Kyr is, admittedly, a pretty unlikable character for most of the book. She’s stubborn, unrelenting and gullible. It can be frustrating as the entire book is told from her point-of-view, but we get to see her grow and became something more. Is she likable in the end? Yes and no. She’s still an incredibly frustrating character, but there’s so much growth by the final pages, that her issues are easy to forgive. She’s a perfectly flawed character who is forced to learn how to live when faced with the possibilities of a world beyond what she knows.
While a strong story, though, there are some hiccups in the book. The worldbuilding can be lacking occasionally, and sometimes, the way the story jumps around can make it difficult to follow. (This is an issue that happens later in the book.) But Tesh’s writing makes up for any shortcomings. She knows how to tell a fascinating story with complicated characters that you’ll both love and hate.
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.
When Star Wars: The Clone Wars was canceled abruptly in 2013, it left numerous planned storylines laying on the drawing board. One of these unused concepts, perhaps the best of the lot, was set to focus on the kindly Wookies and their homeworld of Kashyyyk. The abandoned four-episode arc would have explained Yoda’s vague Episode III – Revenge of the Sith line about having “good relations” with the planet and its people, teaming the famed Jedi Master with both the Bad Batch and the Wookies in a battle against the Separatists and their Trandoshan allies. In this week’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, this plot is revived, albeit condensed, and replaces Yoda with a far more important figure from George Lucas‘ lore – Gungi, the legendary Wookie Padawan.
Titled Tribe, the sixth episode of The Bad Batch‘s second season is, without a doubt, one of the series’ best overall. Admittedly, the return of Gungi, who hasn’t been seen since his brief introduction in The Clone Wars‘ fifth season, plays a huge role in the amount of palpable joy felt throughout the 25-minute installment. Simply put, it’s great fun to watch him do anything, and it’s honestly sort of shocking it’s taken this long for him to pop up again. While it’s always enjoyable to see unique characters achieve worthwhile screen time, using one like the Force-sensitive Wookie, who has deep connections to multiple aspects of the universe he exists in, as a means of mixing fan service with actual thematic storytelling is just a stellar move to make.
Tribe makes an obvious effort to compare Gungi with its own Omega, crafting a mirrored experience between the two young heroes as lost members of their respective tribes (that’s the title!), struggling to be innocent in a world rebuilt for the immoral. As unsubtle as it is, the theme works wonderfully, inserting a simple message into the midst of some pretty cool, fairly grand world-building. It’s enough to make a viewer wish The Bad Batch spent more time fleshing out arcs, as opposed to moving on so quickly between episodes. The original four-episode plan contained a multitude of details and features that could have easily transitioned from The Clone Wars era to the time of its sequel series, but instead, the writers packed as much as they could from that longer pitch into only a single entry, resulting in a somewhat rushed adaptation of a larger tale.
That being said, what actually makes it to the screen in Tribe is impeccable. Kashyyyk, which continues to be one of the Star Wars franchise’s best locations, creates a beautifully dynamic setting for the show’s protagonists to function. The Wookies’ connection to the planet’s wildlife, and its flora, help bolster the action sequences and set up some rather gratifying payoffs in the episode’s third act. Additionally, it looks pretty awesome when Wookies show up to fight Trandoshans on massive cats with bat-like ears. It’s the type of “wow factor” that Star Wars can fully lean into without betraying its defining thematic elements, and honestly, probably should happen more often. Also, Our Lord and Savior Gungi the Wookie Jedi finally coming into his own as a warrior and peacekeeper is the stuff dreams are made of and is likely to be exactly what Star Wars fans dream about after seeing the episode.
With any luck, this will not be the last time audiences get a glimpse of Gungi and his (hopefully) soon-to-be-storied career, but if it is, it’s definitely a worthy send-off. Tribe is a solid grab bag of the action, emotion, and moralities that often compose the animated branch of Lucasfilm’s long-lived fictional galaxy, and both Gungi and the titular team of rebellious clones thrive for it.
As Marvel Studios continues to search for their Fantastic Four, rumors continue to swirl about a slew of talented actors and actresses who may or may not be up for the roles. Adam Driver, Ryan Gosling and Diego Luna have all been rumored to be in contention for one role or another in the film and all might make sense depending on which role and the route that director Matt Shakman has in mind for the film. Until there’s an official announcement from Marvel Studios, it’s unlikely the rumor mill will stop churning and the latest turn has a fan favorite taking the lead as a front runner for the role.
Patel, whose work in 2021’s The Green Knight drew glowing reviews, is the right age for the role (32) and fits the bill of the type of talent Marvel Studios tends to grab for franchise roles such as Mister Fantastic. Though he’s been on the radar since his role in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, Patel has consistently put together solid performances but has yet to take on a career-defining role. Landing the role as Reed Richards, which would presumably last at least a decade, would instantly make Patel one of the most recognized talents in film.
Marvel Studios Fantastic Four is currently slated for a February 14, 2025 theatrical debut.
Source: Reddit
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
