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  • ‘Dune 2’ to Release Two Weeks Early in 2023

    ‘Dune 2’ to Release Two Weeks Early in 2023

    On Tuesday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Dune: Part Two is now set to release two weeks early. The news came after Disney announced a slew of new release dates, including a new date for the delayed-Blade. Dune will now take over Blade‘s vacated date of Nov. 3, 2023, instead of Nov. 17, 2023.

    Production on Dune: Part Two kicked off back in July. The film is set to tackle the second part of the iconic novel by Frank Herberts, and it’s set to star Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam and Javier Bardem

    The first Dune film was a box office smash when released in 2021. Produced on a $41 million budget, Dune went on to earn $401.8 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel was quickly announced, along with a spinoff television series tentatively called Dune: The Sisterhood.

    Dune: Part Two is directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Villeneuve.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 8

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 8

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at LawIn the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains, in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life and, the following week, on Jen’s nemesis, Titania. Episode 6, being a “self-contained wedding episode” was approached as its own thing while referencing a lackluster comic arc where Jen ended up being engaged herself. As for episode 7, with the introduction of Man-BullEl Águila, and Porcupine, we took a look at other She-Hulk villains that could be showing up down the line.

    Episode 8 gave us the long-awaited Matt Murdock / Daredevil appearance, which bore some similarities with The Good Old Days story arc featured in the 2014/15 Charles Soule She-Hulk run. Soule, who like Walters and Murdock is an attorney himself, got both characters meeting on opposing sides of the court with a slightly different setup than what we got in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the show, Jen was oblivious as to who Murdock was, to the point of directing a “Who is this asshole?” to the camera. She later looked him up ahead of their meeting at the bar, but not only was she initially unaware of who Matt was, but she also had no idea Daredevil was even a thing. In the comic, they were already familiar with each other, so much so that even previously in the same run, Jen had gone to Matt looking for some legal advice when dealing with a case involving Doctor Doom and his son, Kristoff Vernard. She then sought to do the same when defending Captain America only to be turned down in a way that only made sense a few pages ahead when she enters the courtroom and finds Matt as the opposing counsel. Unlike in the show, the shock of him being there isn’t only on the reader/viewer but especially on her.

    She-Hulk #8 (2014)

    There is a lot more lawyering in the comic than in the show, with Jen’s client being a bit more high profile than Leapfrog. Captain America, who had recently seen the Super-Soldier Serum within his body being neutralized (in the Rick Remender run that would lead to Sam Wilson becoming the new Captain America), was being charged with wrongful death in a civil suit and had approached Jen to be the one to represent him. Murdock was then the attorney for the plaintiff, looking to get Steve Rogers convicted of the role he played in the death of his friend Samuel in the 1940s, a few years before Rogers was even Captain America.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    Little did both Walters and Murdock know that Steve Rogers was (sort of) playing both sides. With his old age, he had enemies that would want to tarnish his legacy once he’d be gone, and that meant setting up the whole lawsuit situation. It wasn’t like he could just send in the Avengers to punch their way out of it since that would make it seem that he was indeed guilty of all charges. He had to find another way to not only avoid a conviction but to completely discredit the entire case. He then managed to get Murdock involved so that, in the public eye, everything was being done in order to convict him since Matt was regarded as being one of the best. As for Jennifer, as hard as he wanted Matt to go, he also needed someone equally as good on his side since, in his own words “I didn’t want to lose, you know.”

    She-Hulk #9 (2014)
    She-Hulk #9 (2014)

    Outside the courtroom, their late-night encounter also played a bit differently. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Jennifer left her apartment when trying to protect her client from being attacked, leading to her first confrontation with Daredevil and the eventual disclosure that Murdock was behind the mask.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the comic, it was Matt that came to Jennifer in order to get her out of the house and into the Los Angeles night sky. But even if he felt that they both should unwind following an entire day stuck in a courtroom, dealing with a case that both were having a bit of trouble adjusting to, his true purpose was to try and free Jen of the feeling that Cap should be above the law, and that his conviction should be taken as a real possibility. It is here that Matt tells Jennifer that when he was asked to step into the role of prosecutor, Cap was the one who ok’d it, making Murdock promise not to pull any punches. This made it seem, for both Jen and Matt, that Cap might actually be guilty after all, and that it was all a weird way of him finally coming clean about past mistakes.

    She-Hulk #9 (2014)

    In the TV show, their late-night exploits lead them to Leapfrog’s secret-not-so-secret lair. After Matt explains that Patilio kidnapped Luke Jacobson the two work together to rescue the latter. They make quick work of the goons/henchmen defending the premises and get Jacobson to safety without breaking a sweat.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    There’s a very similar occurrence in the comics that happens once the case was settled (go read the comics to know exactly how that transpired). We also got a Daredevil / She-Hulk team-up when Steve Rogers seemingly figures who might have been the mastermind behind the entire lawsuit situation. Dr. Faustus, an Austrian specialist in psychological manipulation seemingly had access to old Nazi information from the ’40s and was able to explore the events in order to hurt Cap’s image. When faced with this information, Jen and Matt do not hesitate and, with the case already closed, have no issue with breaking into Faustus’ compound and, much like in the show, getting it done in the blink of an eye.

    She-Hulk #10 (2014)

    In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, following their day together—first in the courtroom, then at the bar, and finally rescuing Jacobson—Jen and Matt start making plans to meet up again after he goes back to New York since that would be his last night in LA. But, unlike in the comic run, that night out never happened since they skipped all of that and just…

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the book, it was almost the reverse situation. They also found themselves on the west coast (San Francisco, not LA, where Matt was living at the time) but it was Jen that had to go back to her practice in New York. When realizing that that would be her last night in town, Matt also asks Jen out, and they do end up going out, just not in the usual sense.

    She-Hulk #4 (2014)

    The first eight She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes are now streaming only on Disney+.

  • Sydney Sweeney to Star in ‘Barbarella’ Remake

    Sydney Sweeney to Star in ‘Barbarella’ Remake

    Sydney Sweeney continues her rise into prominence within Hollywood and is next set to lead a revitalized science fiction franchise. Deadline has announced that the actress will be starring in a new Barbarella film for Sony Pictures. The film will be based on the vintage French comic series by Jean-Claude Forest. It has previously been adapted to film in 1968 in a project starring Jane Fonda. The movie is still in the early development stages with no writer or director attached to the project at this time.

    Barbarella follows the tales of the titular character, an astronaut from the 41st century, from the evil ways of scientist Durand Durand. While not met with massive success financially at the box office, the film has garnered a relatively strong cult following in the over 50 years since its release. The character and literary series has served as a notable figure in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s.

    For Sweeney, this film will continue her strong working relationship with Sony Pictures. The young actress has a supporting role in the upcoming Madame Web film, which is set to branch off to a new corner of the greater Spider-Man universe. It’s currently unknown what role she is playing in the superhero film. She has quickly been rising in Hollywood thanks to her Emmy-nominated performances in the first season of The White Lotus and the second season of Euphoria for HBO.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Andor’ Episode 6

    REVIEW: ‘Andor’ Episode 6

    The idea that the collective nose of the Empire is so upturned that they can’t see what’s going on right beneath it has been a central theme through the first five episodes of Andor. Key members of the fledgling Rebellion, including Cassian, understand this perception and it’s become a crack in the Imperial armor that they’ve learned to exploit. Episode 6, “The Eye”, opens with a reminder of just how much disdain the Empire has for those they see as beneath them and ends with the Empire feeling for the first time just how dangerous these people they’ve regarded as inferiors can be. However, as the season progresses into its second half, the galaxy just became a much more dangerous place for those who wish to take down the Empire.

    “The Eye” was many things and chief among them was that it was the first time that Andor really leaned into being a Star Wars series while also continuing its expansion of what a Star Wars series can be. Seeing and hearing the Tie Fighters roar into action rang the Star Wars bell, but setting the familiar chase scene amidst the beauty and rarity of the natural phenomenon occurring on Aldhani continues the hot streak for this creative team. They continue to world-build in a world that’s been accused of being too small in a galaxy so large. Why does everything happen on Tattooine? Why is everyone a Skywalker or know one? Why does Luke have to be in everything? It would have been low-hanging fruit to have Palpatine cameo in the brief Senate scene. They chose to keep the focus on Mon Mothma, who will become central to the series and the growing rebellion. Andor continues to trend away from these issues and cameos, content to exist and be judged on its own merits rather than connect itself to familiar faces and places.

    Episode 6 works incredibly well as a conclusion not only to the first half of Season 1 but also to the four-episode arc that introduced Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael and to the three-episode arc that saw Rael’s scheme unfold and, ultimately be successfully completed. It works so well as a conclusion that if Episode 6 had been the end of Season 1 of Andor, it would be hard to argue that it had been anything other than a triumph. The mission is complete; Cassian did Cassian things; the Empire is now aware that there’s a stick in their eye. The closing shot of Rael, who feared he may have overreached in his efforts to attack the Empire, finally releasing the tension he expressed in the closing shot of Episode 5. So many of the storylines put into play were tied up neatly by the events of Episode 6 and that’s no easy thing to ensure. The team of director Susanna White, writer Dan Gilroy and creator Tony Gilroy could be commended for putting the finishing touches on what’s arguably the best streaming series Star Wars has released on Disney Plus. But the brilliance of the series lies in the fact that Episode 6 serves both as the end of one arc and the beginning of another.

    For all its brilliance so far, Andor is just getting off the ground. By tying up the intersecting storylines with the completion of the mission on Aldhani, the series activated other storylines that had been weaved into the first six episodes. Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero, who had warned her superior that a threat was growing, is now on the precipice of becoming a central part of the second half of the season. With Cassian now back on his own, it’s time for Kyle Soller’s Syril Karn to get off the bench and get into the action. The investment in introducing and developing so many characters made by Tony Gilroy is about to pay dividends. Cassian, Mon Mothma and Luten Rael have had their moment. It certainly feels like the Empire is about to strike back.

  • Latest ‘Madame Web’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Conner

    Latest ‘Madame Web’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Conner

    We’ve gotten quite a few set photos from the sets of Madame Web but the latest batch might be our best looks yet. As shared by @DakotaJBRA on Twitter, more photos offer a clear look at the film’s main cast. We get a good look at Dakota Johnson‘s comic-inspired outfit as the leading lady herself while being joined by Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Connor, whose roles still haven’t been confirmed as of yet.

    We still know very little about the project,t but the set photos have teased that Madame Web is likely visiting Spider-Man’s home turf of New York City quite a bit. Of course, there’s the question of who might be their version of the character. Set photos that recently surfaced seemingly hinted at the adaptation of the character that may have a big role in the story, but there never was an official casting for a “Spider-Man” in the spinoff.

    Whatever they may be doing with this project, it could become their most unique take on a Spider-Man spinoff. Morbius didn’t quite pull in audiences as they hoped but perhaps a project that focuses primarily on the mythology based around the webhead could be something people would flock to theaters for. Here’s hoping that first trailer might be able to grab our attention and showcase what Sony has in store for us with this project.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jonathan Majors Teases His “Warrior Version” of Kang the Conquerer in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    Jonathan Majors Teases His “Warrior Version” of Kang the Conquerer in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    Kang the Conqueror will soon arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jonathan Majors first appeared as his Variant He Who Remains in Loki, but our true first introduction to the character won’t be until next year. He is teased as the big bad of this Multiverse Saga, especially with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but it seems that we’ll see just how vicious he can be in the Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel.

    Majors revealed in an interview with Variety that he added ten pounds of muscle to prepare for the role. While he’s also been busy preparing for this time in the upcoming Creed sequel, it seems the main inspiration was that he can explore different Variants of Kang throughout his Marvel cinematic Universe tenure.

    It was the character and dimensions of Kang [that drew me to the role]. And the potential that it had. I thought, ‘I’ll take a chance on that

    Jonathan Majors

    According to his coach Jamie Sawyer, we may also get a very combat-focused take on the character in Quanumania; one of the reasons he also added the muscle is to ensure that he was fittingly reflecting his role.

    He is the warrior version of Kang, so there was a focus on what that warrior would look like who’s been around through the ages and has developed every type of combat skill. It was about making him look like an imposing figure.

    Jamie Sawyer

    Even Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige teased that the actor has a presence when he enters the room, which adds to his position as the new big bad for the franchise moving forward. We’ll see what they may have planned for the character and what other versions we might see

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Dahmer’ Series is Netflix’s Second-Biggest English Series Ever

    ‘Dahmer’ Series is Netflix’s Second-Biggest English Series Ever

    As it turns out, people have been obsessed with Ryan Murphy‘s adaptation of Jeffrey Dahmer’s story. Evan Peters takes on the title role and has seemingly pulled in quite the audience throughout the weeks, as the series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now Netflix’s second-biggest English TV show of all time. In its third week, the series has held on the top 10 spot. With 701.37 million hours viewed, the series is only behind Stranger Things 4, which stands at an amazing 1.35 billion hours viewed within 28 days.

    As of now, the latest Netflix drama has been viewed more times than the first two seasons of Shonda Rhimes’ hit series Bridgerton in just four weeks. Squid Game still remains the undisputed record holder with 1.65 billion ours viewed in 28 days, but Netflix makes a distinction between its English-language and foreign-language projects when it structures its Top 10 lists.

    It’s crazy to see the popularity of this story, as the ten episodes follow the real-life serial killer who went on to kill 17 people between 1978 and 1991. While the series is massive with viewers, the fact that it has a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes is quite an interesting development. It’s not uncommon that fans and critics have different feelings about projects, as the Transformers franchise went on to be critically hated but still was a sure-fire win at the box office.

    Yet, Dahmer may have also pulled in audiences due to the controversies of adapting a story that isn’t too long ago and still shows real-world repercussions to this day. The recency of this story and the curiosity surrounding it may have drawn in quite a few eyes, especially with some of the reactions that we’ve seen online.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Beyond ‘No Way Home’: A Balancing Act

    ‘Spider-Man’ Beyond ‘No Way Home’: A Balancing Act

    As Marvel Studios prepares its future phases and the Multiverse Saga, there is still one key character seemingly missing on the horizon. After making a massive splash at the box office during the pandemic, Spider-Man: No Way Home took our favorite wall-crawler to his limits as he faced Variants, tragedy, and a world that has forgotten who he is. It raised the question of what the future might have in store for him beyond the lurking Symbiote left behind by a multiversal visitor.

    The ending of that project highlighted a potentially new direction, as Spider-Man was no longer a well-recognized face without his mask. The entire world has forgotten Peter Parker and he’s lost everyone dear to him. Without Aunt May or his friends by his side, he now has to do his best to cover rent, follow up on his education, and balance life as Spider-Man. The future seems difficult and challenging for our favorite hero.

    At the same time, it opens up a new challenge for Marvel Studios and whoever may take over the franchise. While Spider-Man: Homecoming was a bit more grounded, he still was shackled under the shadow of his mentor and an Avenger. His first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had him take on Captain America, he would travel into space, take down Thanos alongside his army, fight fake elementals, join Nick Fury’s mission, and so much more.

    No Way Home brings magic and the multiverse to Spidey’s corner of the MCU, which seemed like the perfect high point for the development of this trilogy. Yet, it opens up the question of: where do you go now? Any higher and we might lose any fabric of what defines Spider-Man. We already had five films before this trilogy. So, it seemed fitting that they’d take him to new places and further explore his time in the comics, where he ended up getting wrapped up in other characters’ plots in various team-ups. Plus, if you introduce Peter Parker into the MCU, it comes with the territory.

    Yet, the answer is still not there for what to do next. A fourth entry is definite after the last film’s success and Sony’s ongoing deal with Marvel. They both want Tom Holland‘s take on the character to remain a sturdy figure in the franchise. With the ending of No Way Home leaving the young man on his own, it seems like perhaps the best strategy is to take a step back rather than continue to push forward. In a world without Avengers, there are no more ties to a bigger world but a whole new one to explore.

    Swinging throughout the snow-covered New York City, Peter is on his own. Yet, it comes with a new freedom that no longer sees him as part of what he once was. It seems fitting that perhaps his time in college also comes with a more grounded time as the wall-crawler. He’s no longer in a place where he has to face world-ending threats but rather help the locals. Everyone still remembers the webhead and he is no longer in a place where the Avengers will just call for him. Now, he has time to figure out his place in a world that doesn’t remember him.

    The sequel will likely be a story in a smaller scope even with the Symbiote on the horizon. Its tease actually sets up the perfect comic tribute with him potentially getting his hands on it during Avengers: Secret Wars as he did in the comic. We shouldn’t expect that storyline to instantly kick off, as Marvel Studios has a challenging balance to keep moving forward. We’ll see him in Avengers films but we’ll likely not see him in the same capacity as before.

    He’s no longer an Avenger and none of the remaining members would even know that he is Peter Parker. So, he’s just a guy in a costume that helped out. So, moving forward we’ll still have these bigger-than-life stories with Spider-Man but his own franchise will take that step back to ground him even more. The balance that Marvel Studios and Sony will have to balance moving forward is the very notion of his two worlds. No matter how you look at it, it’s going to be a tough balancing act, and either they once again restart a trilogy that continues to escalate or try to create a distinct line between Peter Parker’s two alter-egos: Spider-Man and forgotten Avenger.

  • Disney+’s ‘Goosebumps’ Series Adds Isa Briones, Zack Morris and More

    Disney+’s ‘Goosebumps’ Series Adds Isa Briones, Zack Morris and More

    The cast for the upcoming Disney+ series adapting the iconic children’s horror books Goosebumps is growing, as the project has now added to its cast. Just recently, we learned that Justin Long was going to be part of the film’s cast and now they have added quite a few more. The cast now includes Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Ana Yi Puig, Will Price, and Miles McKenna.

    With the new cast announcements, we also got an expanded official logline that offers a closer look at what the main cast will be up to in this new take on the franchise:

    The series follows a group of five high schoolers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town and must all work together — thanks to and in spite of their friendships, rivalries and pasts with each other — in order to save it, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process.

    Morris has been cast as the football player Isaiah while Briones takes on the role of Jane, who is the series’ bookworm. The roles for the rest of the cast have not been announced yet but it’s safe to say we might see some of the classic horror archetypes in this adaptation. Nick Stoller and Rob Letterman will act as the executive producers and are the co-creators of this adaptation. Neal H. Moritz is also attached as an executive producer, who also was a producer on the 2015 and 2018 films.

    Source: Variety

  • From ‘Velma’ to ‘Midnight Club:’ Hunter’s Top 5 NYCC Experiences

    From ‘Velma’ to ‘Midnight Club:’ Hunter’s Top 5 NYCC Experiences

    After months of anticipation, New York Comic-Con has come and gone. Four incredible, lovely, tiring days of being a professional nerd. If one were to tell my younger self he was attending events like NYCC as a member of the press, that little guy would explode with excitement. It’s an honor, and every moment spent sprinting around the convention center is one worth talking about. However, we have neither the time nor the patience to discuss every second, so I’ve narrowed it down to my top five experiences instead. Creating a list like this is difficult when so much of the weekend was such a good time, so don’t take it as a condemnation of anything that didn’t make the cut. It’s really just the highlight reel for a perfect game.

    5. Cosplayers

    I love other nerds, so getting to see and talk to them is always going to make the list. I’ve been to quite a few conventions in my day, and if I’m being honest, this year’s NYCC might have been one of the most impressive when it came to fan creativity and cosplay. Every day, the costumes roaming the show floor seemed to become more and more complicated. Many were striking enough to stop me in my tracks. There were giant functioning robot suits, perfect renderings of classic comic looks, hilarious combinations of characters that most would never think to put together, and even one or two people who defied gravity. I saw a man floating and I’m still not sure how he did it.

    The communal love we show each other at places like NYCC, as people with a common interest, is so inspiring. I found this to be especially true at the Marvel booth’s cosplay contest, where dozens upon dozens of folks dressed as every Marvel character a person could think of gathered to celebrate one another. There was no hostility or jealousy. Just a lot of compliments and happy reunions.

    4. The George Lucas Talk Show

    I’m a sucker for comedy and a lover of Star Wars. Therefore, showing up for a live recording of The George Lucas Talk Show at NYCC was a given. For those outside the know, this a satirical show in which comedian Connor Ratliff dresses up as Star Wars creator George Lucas and interviews real celebrities with deadpan delivery. It’s sort of a niche little corner of fandom to find yourself in, but if you like absurdist humor, it comes highly recommended.

    The George Lucas Talk Show records an episode at NYCC every year, using the event to secure top Star Wars talent as guests. This time, they managed to secure Mandalorian stuntmen Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, as well as Aphra comic writer Alyssa Wong and show regular Zach Cherry – who exists more in the world of Marvel than the galaxy far, far away. Belly laughs were aplenty, especially when Wayne admitted that Din Djarin is “never nude,” and the recording was a great little break from the chaos of the show floor.

    3. The Midnight Club

    I’ve loved Mike Flanagan’s work for years. He’s easily one of the best horror creatives currently shaping the genre. So, it was my great pleasure to see him and the entire cast of The Midnight Club take the stage at NYCC for the world premiere of his latest Netflix series. Watching horror with a crowd is so much fun, and the delightful Q&A that followed was even better. The cast and crew were brought onstage alongside a choir of mysterious, hooded, candle-carrying figures, with the lights dimmed all the way down. A theatrical touch I greatly appreciated.

    I was also there in person to see Flanagan and his team awarded the Guinness World Record for Most Jump Scares in an episode of television. Not only did it make for a great laugh, but now I’m able to check “watch someone receive a world record” off my bucket list. A little two-for-one special at one of the convention’s most underrated panels. Make sure you watch the show, it’s worth it!

    2. Velma

    My time at NYCC began with coverage for Velma, the upcoming animated adult comedy from The Office star Mindy Kaling. Before the Main Stage panel began, I had to opportunity to attend the project’s press room, which meant I was lucky enough to share space with Kaling herself as she answered a variety of questions from the journalists in the room. This was exciting in and of itself, but it was Kaling’s genuine kindness and clear joy that really made it so memorable. It was only my second time in a convention press room, and it was all so warm and welcoming.

    Of course, things only got better once the actual panel started. The casting announcements were a surprise for me, and I almost dropped out of my seat when Sam Richardson and Glenn Howerton’s faces appeared onstage. Those of us in attendance were also treated to a screening of the series’ first episode, which was wonderful from start to finish. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Velma going in, but it was definitely not a disappointment. Now, I consider it one of the best moments from the entirety of my time at Javits Center.

    1. Violent Night


    I never would have expected this going into the convention, but the World Premiere screening of Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night was probably the most fun I had during all four days. Starring David Harbour as Santa Claus, the film sees jolly old Saint Nicholas mercilessly tearing through a group of trained hitmen on Christmas Eve. This isn’t the space for a review, but I can say witnessing that madness with the cast and crew sitting beside me, and a theater full of screaming fans, was an absolute blast. There’s something special about living through the magic that is a large group being insanely happy in unison.

    A member of the cast sat behind me during the showing, and hearing the hoots and hollers from his family during key moments was fulfilling and sustaining. Screaming, laughing, and cheering with all my fellow horror fans was a ride. Sitting in the first few rows, and being only feet from Harbour and John Leguizamo as they introduced the screening, was a very warm feeling. One of those experiences that reminds me why I’m doing what I do.