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  • Peyton List on Season 5 of ‘Cobra Kai’ and Growing with the Show

    Peyton List on Season 5 of ‘Cobra Kai’ and Growing with the Show

    Ahead of Cobra Kai‘s fifth season, leading lady Peyton List sat down with the folks at Variety to discuss the show’s latest season and what it has been like growing up on the hit Netflix drama. The fifth season of Cobra Kai is the biggest season yet with growing families, bigger risks, and crazier fights, and no one is more surprised than List that Season 5 managed to outdo Season 4.

    While talking to Variety, the actress explained that she was sure Season 5 would be more relaxed than the prior seasons. But that was far from the case, especially for the original cast of the Karate Kid films. “With the All Valley tournament, I thought, “Season 5 is going to be a lot more relaxed on the fighting. I’m probably not going to be with stunts at all.” And then of course the writers just completely turned that around. Especially for the big guys, the older guys, there are just some intense fights. And so many returns of characters from the past that we haven’t seen that are very surprising.”

    List joined the cast of Cobra Kai during the show’s second season, and she’s been a mainstay ever since. As the show has gone on, though, the actors (including List) have continued to grow and age, while the series has seemingly kept them at the same age/grade. When asked how much longer she feels she could keep playing Tory, List didn’t seem eager to leave the role behind but she did seem ready to see the show’s young cast grow.

    When we first started, Xolo was still in high school and a couple of the other kids were still in high school, but now all of us are basically out of college. That’s one that I’m really curious about. With the writers I’m like, “What grade are we in now? What semester are we in?” We’re just taking it season by season, but we all look so drastically different each season. I have no idea. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. I would say by next season we graduate, but I don’t know if they would take it past that.

    List

    It remains to be seen how many seasons the writers have planned or what the end game will be for the young cast. Previous interviews suggested Season 6 could be the final season, but with how Season 5 ends, it’s clear there’s still plenty of story left in the tank just waiting to be told.

    Season 5 of Cobra Kai is now streaming on Netflix. If you haven’t already, you can check out our review by heading over here.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to End with Season Six

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to End with Season Six

    Hulu has renewed The Handmaid’s Tale for one more season.

    The streaming service unveiled the news on Thursday evening, posting a video across its social media platforms of the cast confirming the news. The renewal comes as Season 5 is slated to debut on Sept. 14th.

    The series is based on the iconic book of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The book told the story of a handmaid named Offred. After environmental disasters and declining birthrates result in a Second American Civil War, the Republic of Gilead rises to power and enslaves fertile women to bear children for those in power. Critically acclaimed actress Elisabeth Moss has played the role of Offred/June since the show’s debut.

    While The Handmaid’s Tale might be coming to an end, Hulu is far from ready to say goodbye to Atwood’s dystopian world. Bruce Miller, who developed The Handmaid’s Tale for Hulu, is currently at work on adapting the book’s sequel, The Testaments for the streamer.

    “It has been a true honor to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.” We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.” 

    Miller

    The Handmaid’s Tale stars Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel and Sam Jaeger. The first four seasons are now streaming on Hulu, while Season 5 will debut two episodes next week.

  • ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    There’s a lot of pressure for the live-action One Piece team to bring this iconic manga series to life. Not only will they be compared to the original work but also any other adaptation out there, most notably its anime. Still, it’s not an undertaking that is taken lightly and it seems cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker prepared quite a bit to bring this series to life.

    In an interview with the Filmmakers Academy, she reveals how she consulted with cinematographer Paul Cameron of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as well as some grips that worked on Life of Pi to get a better feeling for how she can film with boats. She also revealed that she had her crew for six weeks ahead of production, which just wrapped today.

    She has also actively prepared for the project for around three months in advance to prepare how she can tackle the project. In the interview, she confirms that she was mainly responsible for the “first block of production, which amounts to 62 days” as she worked alongside director Marc Jobst on the project. In the interview it was highlighted how they tried to make it stand out from the anime.

    They wanted it to stand out on its own and not just be a carbon copy of the anime. Together, they referenced different films along with photography and the look of the show. 

    She still did her homework as she actively watched 1,000+ episodes of the anime alongside her son, who’s seemingly a fan. She also seemingly read the manga to her kid in the past, which adds an extra connection to the project. She highlighted the following in regard to how they set it all up.

    There will always be fans and critics. You can’t please everyone but at the heart of it, the most important thing is the story. And if the story isn’t there, and that doesn’t grab the viewers, it doesn’t matter what you do. We can only hope that we’re going to gain a new audience and people that find it fascinating and interesting.

    Nicole Hirsch Whitaker

    It definitely sounds like she had quite a bit of fun working on the live-action One Piece series, and making it stand on its own feet to “gain a new audience” is exactly the right approach. While these projects are made for fans alike, it’s always a trouble to fall into familiar territory that pays more tribute to fans but doesn’t ease in new viewers. So, it’ll be exciting to see how they approached the series and added their own visual touch to make it stand out from the rest.

    Source: Filmmakers Academy

  • Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    It’s hard to believe but Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series has officially wrapped production. We’ve first heard about it all the way back in 2017 when Eiichiro Oda revealed that they were starting work on the project but it wouldn’t truly start production until 2022. It’s been a long road but even more so for showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens.

    To celebrate the wrap-up, Maeda took to his Twitter account to share some photos from his time in Cape Town, as well as look back at the family he won through the time they worked on thee production. Of course, he also shared his hopes that this series will get picked up for another season which many of us share.

    Owens took to his Instagram account to share some fun pictures from his time in South Africa while also playing on the “the One Piece is real” meme making the rounds.

    That’s not the end of it, as the main star himself, Iñaki Godoy, has also announced he’s wrapped up his work on the production and is sharing what he learned from portraying a character like Monkey D. Luffy.

    There’s a lot of hope for this adaptation to break the curse that many have seen in the past. One Piece is an important franchise for many and has been running for 25 years, which is already impressive considering its entire story is from a singular person. With a recent boom in popularity in the Western markets, we may see the franchise get a second life even after dominating the world market with France and Japan alone.

    Source: Twitter, Instagram

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    There have been many discussions surrounding the decision of Warner Bros. Discovery in regards to Batgirl, and it seems like their CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels has quite a strong opinion about how it was portrayed online. According to him, it was “blown out of proportion” during the Bank of America Media, Communications, and Entertainment Conference. He had the following to say in regards to how the media has discussed it, as he believes “media likes to talk about media.”

    Media likes to talk about media, I guess. We have healthy relationships with talent, and we are offering one of the best platforms for anyone in the creative space.

    Gunnar Wiedenfels

    It’s certainly a high statement if one considers that Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock fall wasn’t because of a singular film. Plus, it’s vague enough to avoid any of the pitfalls that surrounded osm of the rather questionable decisions made, especially with not naming any talent involved with the project but speaking in broad strokes.

    Wiedenfles highlighted that they’ll continue to conduct “significant investments” on content but there is quite a bit more to this story. The sudden drop of animated originals and original HBO Max films from the platform revealed a rather questionable decision to save on taxes. There has not been a statement on any of the creatives that worked on Batgirl and for now the future still seems quite unsure.

    Source: Deadline

  • Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Many have noticed that throughout COVID, a lot more things have leaked from the normally super secret house of Marvel Studios. The company was well-known for keeping things tightly under wraps but much has changed in the last few years. COVID and a rise in home office have become one of the sources of their dismay as of late, at least according to a new report by The Hollywood Reporter.

    They have shared that quite a few leaks have happened not because people are sharing them directly from home but rather curious family members or friends get a quick snapshot. They also highlighted how their dependency on smaller studios also led to a rise in demand, which also meant schooling a lot of new people and scattering their offerings across more vendors. Of course, scattering their footage also didn’t help from things finding their way online.

    That didn’t stop them from their usual strict guidelines according to an anonymous source for THR, as they still tried to keep a tight lid as usual even during these difficult times:

    I had to go through a whole training course to make sure that I know exactly what I need to do and where to report [anything suspect.

    Anonymous VFX Artist

    There has been an increase in security since the COVID leaks from Marvel Studios, especially surrounding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which seemingly had the least information hit the web so far. It’s seemingly the return for many to their office that has helped even if some things still might find their way online in the future.

    Kevin Feige has openly discussed the leaks and focused on keeping the experience alive with or without knowing ahead of time. So, we’ll see how much finds its way online with future releases or if merchandise remains our main source for first looks at projects.

    Source: THR

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Actress Teases More Law-Focused Future for the Disney+ Series

    ‘She-Hulk’ Actress Teases More Law-Focused Future for the Disney+ Series

    As She-Hulk: Attorney at Law continues its run on Disney+, much speculation has arisen about where the plot of the series will go next. The fourth episode, which premiered earlier today, left off with Jennifer Walters having a lawsuit filed against her by a newly released Titania over the trademarked name of “She-Hulk”. Audiences who are anticipating a continued focus on the legal aspects of the series from this revelation should be excited for what’s in store. Actress Ginger Gozaga, who plays the role of Jen Walters’ best friend Nikki, spoke with TVLine about what audiences can expect for the second half of the series.

    Yes, that hot legal action with pens and highlighters that you’ve all been asking for! [Laughs] The show is now definitely switching into what it looks like when you have petty, idiot supervillains and superheroes who are either antagonizing you or need to be represented by you. The thing about working in a superhuman law division is we can represent anyone, so we get comic book characters that haven’t entered the Marvel Universe yet, that you haven’t seen in any of the trailers. And you get to see the idiocy of the ridiculously fun superheroes who have legal trouble and may or may not listen to their attorneys. I’m really excited for people to see these guest stars that are in the comic books.

    Ginger Gonzaga

    Based on what Gonzaga has described, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is fully swinging into the perspective of the “legal comedy” that the series was initially previewed to be. Specifically, a legal battle between the characters of She-Hulk and Titania could very well become a more central arc that the show can take on for the remainder of its first season. This is something that Jameela Jamil seemingly alluded to as early as the red carpet premiere of the series.

    Ultimately, fans of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will have to wait till next week to find out more about this direction of the series as the fifth episode is set to premiere on September 15 on Disney+.

    Source: TVLine

  • EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Discusses Feminist Themes of ‘Barbarian’

    EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Discusses Feminist Themes of ‘Barbarian’

    Georgina Campbell is the star of this year’s most surprising horror film, Barbarian. The movie centers around a woman who is shocked to find the Airbnb she booked is already occupied, and the increasingly dangerous events that transpire once she ultimately steps inside. As the premise suggests, much of the plot is based on the female perspective – examining dangerous scenarios through a lens that men might not always have to worry about. Speaking exclusively with Murphy’s Multiverse, Campbell explained how this theme impacted her appreciation for the film and how director Zach Cregger helped her understand how it all comes together:

    To be honest, I didn’t necessarily get it all the first time I read it, because so much is happening. And then I spoke to Zach and he really kind of broke everything down to me, and y’know, there’s all these different things going on that all kind of connect. He gave me a book that was about fear, and it was about women’s instincts and all these stories of women that have been through kind of traumatic situations and then look back on it and go, ‘there was actually this moment or there was this moment and I just kind of forgot about it or didn’t worry about it because it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time’. So that was really interesting, and he just, y’know, wrote that so beautifully. It was great.

    Georgina Campbell

    Once everything clicked for Campbell, she couldn’t get enough. The actress, known for her work on Black Mirror, also commented on how much she enjoyed the story at large. After being nudged to discuss what she really thought of the script, Campbell replied:

    It was so interesting, right? The first time I read the script I just, was like, amazed at the story itself. I just thought it was fantastic, and all those twists and turns. I was entertained reading it. It was like a breath of fresh air. You get sent so many scripts and it’s very rare you get these scripts that you just can’t stop thinking about.

    Georgina Campbell

    Barbarian arrives in theaters on September 9th.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    With the Cars on the Road series hitting Disney+, we finally get a chance to discuss some of the fun additions. Earlier concept art even dating back to last year’s Disney+ hinted at an episode including the duo of Lightning Mcqueen and Mater in prehistoric times. As it turned out, the episode also was a way for the animation team to pay tribute to Ray Harryhausen‘s claymation era.

    In an exclusive interview with the creative team behind Cars on the Road, Steve Purcell shared the initial inspiration for tackling this episode and why they decided to include a tribute to Harryhausen. Plus, he praises his animation team for managing a way to bring that unique animation type to live in a new medium.

    I think in that case it was really specifically wanting to see that and I think it worked because it’s in a dream environment. It helps to separate that world from the regular world but I had this itch I wanted to scratch. I wanted to see this world animated in that style and I thought our animator’s swung for the fence and they hit it.

    Steve Purcell

    Furthermore, he also highlighted that they used the opportunity to pay homage to Harryhausen with the way they animated the prehistoric T-rex-inspired car.

    There’s a little homage in there where the dino kind of let’s go and waits for a minute and then snaps him up again. It goes back to any kind of dinosaur movie from the 30s or 60s.

    Steve Purcell

    It’s great to always see how these stories come together and use the opportunity to pay tribute to the animations that paved the way to the modern era. It also sounds like a unique challenge for the animators that wanted to add a special flair to what the Disney+ series has to offer.

  • ‘Uncharted’ Creator’s Marvel Game Is Rumored to Be A WW2 Captain America Game

    ‘Uncharted’ Creator’s Marvel Game Is Rumored to Be A WW2 Captain America Game

    Last year, a report surfaced saying that Uncharted creator Amy Hennig was working on a AAA Marvel under her new company, Skydance Games. While no other information was divulged in the report, the game was described as a “narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game, featuring a completely original story and take on the Marvel Universe.”

    A Twitter account is claiming that the game Hennig is working on is a Captain America-Black Panther adventure set in WW2. Regarding their track record, said Twitter account is also claiming they leaked Matt Shakman directing Fantastic Four ahead of The Direct so take as much salt as you will.

    Should this story be true, this won’t be the only Black Panther game in development as EA is reportedly working on an open-world Black Panther game set in Wakanda. Nonetheless, a WW2 game starring Captain America game seems like the kind of story-driven game a visionary like Hennig would work on. While it’s not being developed by Naughty Dog, a Captain America-Black Panther with the gameplay and graphical fidelity of the Uncharted games would be incredible.