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  • SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    There’s been quite some excitement about what the future has in store with Disney+’s National Treasure spinoff. Many were sad that Nicolas Cage was not set to return in the series that has the subtitle Edge of History, but with a new generation of world adventurers looking for lost treasure, there’s always the chance they run across some familiar faces.

    As it turns out, the San Diego Comic-Con panel for National Treasure has unveiled that Harvey Keitel will return to the franchise. That is not all, as Twitter user @DAPs_Magic has shared a screenshot from the panel that offers our first look at the actor returning to the franchise after all these years.

    It’ll be interesting if they are starting to build up more cameos in future seasons. Cage is still the top choice to make a return and Keitel isn’t the only franchisee veteran to make a return, as Justin Bartha is also going to make his return from the original franchise. Disney+ has become focused on expanding its IP offerings beyond just Marvel and Star Wars, which still dominate its discourse. So, it’ll be interesting to see what surprises they might have in store for us.

    Source: Twitter, SDCC

  • ‘Teen Wolf’ Spinoff Adds Sarah Michelle Geller

    ‘Teen Wolf’ Spinoff Adds Sarah Michelle Geller

    Fresh off the San Diego Comic-Con stage, not only do we have news about the future of Teen Wolf, but we also just got some really exciting news about an off-shoot of the critically-acclaimed series. Nerd Royalty Sarah Michelle Geller, of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, has joined the first spin-off from the main franchise titled Wolf Pack.

    Described as a story that follows two California teenagers whose lives are upended by the emergence of supernatural forces, Sarah Michelle Gellar will both star and executive produce. The series will air on Paramount+ and marks the former star’s first foray into serialized television in almost two decades. It is based on the novel by Edo Van Belkom, and Sarah Michelle Geller will most likely play the lead investigator called in to discover what the hell is going on in California, as she tries to catch an arsonist they believe is responsible for a mysterious wildfire.

    It’s this wildfire that’ll connects characters from the past with those from present that protagonists thorughout the story. As they come together, they discover they’re connected by a wolf bite and a full moon. Sarah Michelle Gellar joins a cast that includes Bella Shepard from The Wilds, Armani Jackson from Honor Society and Chad, Chloe Rose Robertson from Wildflower, and Tyler Lawrence Gray from Macbeth. The series is set to debut later this year.

    Source: SDCC

  • SDCC: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Actor Teases Film’s Monty Python-Vibe

    SDCC: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Actor Teases Film’s Monty Python-Vibe

    When it comes to films, Hugh Grant is an underrated actor who has seen the likes of Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually. Grant is known for his rugged good looks and his subtle quick-wit humor. He effortlessly nails his roles, though you can tell the amount of irony he includes in his performances is something he has perfected.

    And though Grant is known for his rom-com career, the actor joined the cast of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Grant and his castmates sat down for an interactive panel today at San Diego’s Comic-Con to give their thoughts on what brought them to lend their talents to the movie. Grant mentioned he thought the script was very funny, saying “I hate all scripts. I’m notorious(ly) negative…(but) I thought it had a very Monty Python vibe to it.”

    Obviously, there’s a bit of Hugh charm in that answer, but he’s making a statement. He expects this movie to pull elements from the greatness that is Monty Python. For those who might not know, Monty Python and The Holy Grail was released in 1975 to critical acclaim and forever changed the landscape of comedy with its wild humor. Movies like Austin Powers and shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons were directly influenced by this style of comedy. If Dungeons and Dragons is remotely in this stratosphere, hand Grant his Oscar now!

    You can get in on all the action when Dungeons & Dragons hits theaters on March 3, 2023.

    Source: SDCC

  • Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Actor Shares BTS Image Teasing Shank’s Costume

    Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Actor Shares BTS Image Teasing Shank’s Costume

    We haven’t heard much from the upcoming live-action One Piece series in some time. While there was a recent quote from Netflix stating that it’s among their potential next generation of Stranger things-level franchises, things have gone quiet. We still don’t know how long production will continue, but with One Piece Day on the horizon, we may get some exciting new updates.

    Luckily, it seems that actor Peter Gadiot had some fun teasing us with an image of him in his costume as Shanks. The only twist is that he’s kept his look hidden with shadows on a beach. So, we don’t actually get to see what he looks like but @piece_live was nice enough to save the photo before it disappeared from his stories, which is our first true tease of what he may look like so far.

    https://twitter.com/piece_live/status/1550090655115972609

    Ironically, One Piece‘s creator has a habit of hiding characteer reveals with the help of shadows. So, it’s actually quite true to the original manga and does build up some excitemeent if we might get a reveal during One Piece Day. Though, it does seem unlikely as we’re still waiting for some more casting news regarding a few key missing characteres.

    Gadiot was one of the biggest reveals during One Piece‘s first ever direct on the future of thee franchise. The Netflix series has a lot of potential and with Tudum on the horizon, who knows what elsee we might see very soon. The timing is also perfect with rumors of Shank’s return to th emanga very soon.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter

  • SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    After a long wait, we finally got a first look at the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film. With a surprisingly stacked cast, we take a look at the long-running fantasy world through the lens of the silver screen. While it’s not the first time that an adaptation was tackled, this may be the biggest budget one has ever received.

    Still, directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to reassure long-time players that this film still remains true to what the original games were all about. They highlighted how they tackled the story and to keep that feeling alive that you get with any other DnD round.

    D&D is not just a game… it’s about the feeling when playing the game and that’s what we tried to bring to the film.

    John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

    The pen and paper game has gone through many iterations throughout the years, even being accused of summoning demons back in the 80s. Stranger Things gave it a new life as a main part of the game and even how they name the creatures from the Upside-Down throughout. It’ll be interesting to see how a movie adaptation could bring that feeling to life. They did highlight during the panel that they’ve worked closely to ensure their lore also remains true.

    It opens up the possibility that we may see a game master potentially voicing over their adventures. It could add some fun elements to twist up whatever they have planned. It’s uncertain if it’s a straightforward fantasy adventure or perhaps could even take a LEGO Movie direction midway through. For now, we’ll have to wait until it releases on March 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jessica Alba Voices Concerns Over Still “Quite Caucasian” Marvel Movies

    Jessica Alba Voices Concerns Over Still “Quite Caucasian” Marvel Movies

    In recent years, Hollywood has come under fire for its lack of diversity – both behind the camera and in front of it. And while studios have been making strides, some might feel it’s not enough. Jessica Alba expressed her frustrations in a recent interview with Glamour UK, noting that not much has changed since her time in the Fantastic Four films. The actress and Honest Company owner specifically called out the Marvel films, noting that they are still majorly Caucasian. Alba does mention that although the superhero genre has started to become more inclusive, it has quite a ways to go still.

    “Even if you look at the Marvel movies – that’s the biggest driver of fantasy and what’s happening right now in entertainment, because it’s sort of the family thing – it’s still quite Caucasian,” the actress said. “I would say I was one of the few back in the day… And it was before Marvel was sold to Disney, but it’s still quite more of the same.”

    She continued by explaining that she hoped that younger people would be able to see themselves in the world on screen and in the stories we consume. “I just think more for the younger people who are coming up, who are going to be our future leaders, it’s important for them to see the world on screen, or in stories, in the dreams that we create as entertainers; it reflects the world that they’re in.”

    In recent years, Marvel Studios has made it a point to be more inclusive both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras. Recently, the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe saw the debut of its first Muslim superhero thanks to Ms. Marvel, its first Asian superhero with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as well as the introduction of two deaf heroes with Eternals and Hawkeye. Of course, as Alba notes, there is always room for improvement, and one can only hope studios continue to include more diversity in future projects.

    Source: Glamour UK via Variety

  • ‘Black Adam’ May Set Up Multiple Justice Society of America Spinoffs

    ‘Black Adam’ May Set Up Multiple Justice Society of America Spinoffs

    Black Adam‘s upcoming film is going to do more than just change the power dynamic within the DC Extended Universe. Not only will Dwayne Johnson introduce us to the anti-villain counterpart of Shazam but also the Justice Society of America. Now, it was uncertain if they may have had some future plans in store for these characters, and luckily Dwayne Johnson wasted no time teasing what the future has in store.

    In an interview with Den of Geek, the Black Adam actor has revealed that their plan was always to honor the mythology of the characters from the comics while building up their stories, which may potentially expand into movies TV shows or anything else they might.

    The whole goal was that our film was going to set off a larger universe, where we were able to introduce the JSA and then also build from there. If audiences respond to these characters—which we believed that they would, and now we see that they do—we want to honor their mythologies and build out their stories on their own in terms of spin-offs, movies, TV shows, and things like that. That was always important.

    Dwayne Johnson

    It’s not too uncommon for projects nowadays to set up spinoffs and it’s interesting that they’ve already had it in mind when tackling the JSA. They don’t specify what direction they might take, especially as they won’t want to give away whatever may happen to the various members. So, we’ll have to wait a little longer until we find out what they have planned.

    Source: Den of Geek

  • Marvel Studios President Had One Request for ‘Ms. Marvel’s Mutant Reveal

    Marvel Studios President Had One Request for ‘Ms. Marvel’s Mutant Reveal

    Ms. Marvel may have changed the game for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it was the first instance that the mutants were introduced into the mainline timeline. While we still don’t know when we can expect some more familiar faces, we did get a rather familiar tune to accompany the reveal. As it turns out, this was an idea that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had when they discussed how to reveal it.

    According to Bisha K. Ali, the series creator, it was Feige’s idea to include the music element to highlight that she is a mutant. She also shared her excitement to further explore the character’s future and be part of this new X-Men era

    Well, to begin with, it was the last thing we read. So that was a best-kept secret. Nobody knew about it until we read the last version of the script and all of a sudden it was like, damn. And then we would ask producers about it and we would not get any answers. Then Kevin Feige said: Just shoot this, put the little music on, and that’s it. We can only hope that we be part of the future of “Ms. Marvel” because it would be super nice to have some “X-Men” flavor in there.

    Bisha K. Ali

    While some have called it “milking” the 90s nostalgia, there’s a genius aspect to the musical cue given that not only is a reboot on the horizon, but it also gives the franchise an audio cue. If they are interested in introducing the Inhumans and other super-powered characters, the mutant element is given an easy indicator for the audience to instantly make the connection.

    Source: The Wrap

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ BTS Images Offer Closer Look at Bastet

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ BTS Images Offer Closer Look at Bastet

    We were all quite excited for the arrival of Thor: Love and Thunder, as it would expand our understanding of godhood in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While our visit to Omnipotence City was relatively brief, it did feature a host of interesting characters scattered throughout a sequence.

    Now, the most significant addition was that we could briefly see what looks to be Bastet in the foreground. While she sadly didn’t receive any lines, a new batch of behind-the-scenes photos shared by Luca Vannella offers the best look yet at her design from the film, which highlights her Egyptian background.

    It’s still bizarre they’d include such a monumental character of Balck Panther’s mythology and not even explore it in the story. We got a few short moments, and there’s some great inclusion of New Zealand deities, but we sadly didn’t quite get to explore the other pantheons throughout, even if Moon Knight already had us covered there.

    Perhaps they are setting up some more exploration of godhood that will be forced to get involved once a certain Conqueror potentially gets his way. We’re still in the set-up phase and there is a lot to be excited about. So, we’ll see where it’s all heading with SDCC heading our way starting today.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ To Be Unveiled This SDCC Weekend

    ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ To Be Unveiled This SDCC Weekend

    This SDCC weekend isn’t just going to cater to live-action MCU properties. Marvel Studios’ animation division is set to also have their own presentation where the likes of Spider-Man: Freshman Year, What If…? Season 2, and hopefully, X-Men 97, will be unveiled. Freshman Year executive producer Jeff Trammell confirmed the show’s inclusion in the panel.

    There’s not much known about the canonical Spidey spin-off series other than it will explore Peter Parker’s early days as a crimefighter and that Tom Holland will unlikely be a part of the series. Fans have been looking forward to what kind of art and animation style the show will have and this presentation is guaranteed to shed light on that. Hopefully, the presentation also gives us a rundown on which villains to expect.