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  • The Morning After Huddle: June 8, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: June 8, 2022

    It’s another day to be great and that means another chance to catch up with us. Welcome to The Morning After Huddle! The NFL is coming to Africa and a former Giants great is leading the charge.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • Osi Umenyiora is leading the NFL’s quest for more talent. The former All-Pro DE is spearheading efforts in traveling to Ghana for the league’s first official events starting June 21. A talent identification camp will be the centerpiece of the program. ESPN’s Jason Reid has more.
    • Twelve teams are conducting mandatory mini-camp this week and there are several noteworthy storylines: Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf was not present at minicamp on Tuesday as contract talks have not yet resulted in a new deal. 49ers WR Deebo Samuel did show up, which is a good sign that things with the team are not as frayed as we think. His teammate, DE Dee Ford, did not fair as well. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Ford will report to camp to take his physical, but will not be joining the team, suggesting Ford could be released. Across the league, Colts All-Pro LB Darius Leonard underwent successful surgery for lingering back issues and is expected to miss the start of training camp. Another Colts player to monitor – Pro Bowl CB Kenny Moore II. Though he showed up to mini-camp, Moore did not participate in voluntary OTAs because he is unhappy with his current contract.
    • Finally, your daily Key Signings Roundup: The Raiders are signing free agent TE Jesper Horsted. Horsted has spent the last three seasons in Chicago.

    Try not to think about us too much until tomorrow’s Huddle. We promise we’ll have plenty of news you want to know!

    ICYMI: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Edition

  • J.J. Abrams’ ‘Demimonde’ No Longer Moving Forward at HBO

    J.J. Abrams’ ‘Demimonde’ No Longer Moving Forward at HBO

    Well, now it’s official. After being teased for some time that HBO has been unhappy with the lack of developments as part of their Bad Robot deal, it seems that Demimonde is now officially dead over at HBO. Budget issues are the main issue and creator J.J. Abrams did try to make a last-ditch plea with Casey Bloys, the lead behind HOB and HBO Max, but decided against it as he was seeking a budget that was upwards of $200M.

    Even Game of Thrones‘ upcoming spinoff House of the Dragon doesn’t have a budget of that size and the uncertainty of its success may be the reason they moved away. While they did cast Danielle Deadwyler in the main role but very little moved forward with the project. The series already changed showrunners early on after HBO got the rights to it from a bidding war with Apple.

    The project isn’t quite dead yet, as it seems that Warner Bros. Television is actively finding a new home for it. Apple and Netflix are seemingly the big choices, as they are also already the home for various projects by Abram‘s Bad Robot label. The move is also not too surprising as newly appointed CEO David Zaslav has been making some big changes while reworking Warner Bros. Discovery. So, the future of this project is currently still quite uncertain.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Episode 1 of Ms. Marvel, “Generation Why”, came complete with some of the most inventive and impressive visual flair we’ve seen in an MCU production. The creative team behind the show seemed to work hard to give the audience the same kind of experience a comic reader might have, filling the screen with fun add-ons and images that really click and bring the dialogue to life.

    With so much to look at on-screen, however, one might be forgiven for missing a thing or two, especially during your first viewing, including, possibly, a very well-planted neon sign that could serve either as an Easter egg or as foreshadowing that one of Kamala Khan’s most unique villains could appear down the road.

    While Kamala and Bruno are talking atop a building with the Jersey skyline behind them, a sign for Edison Electric can be seen directly behind them. It might be easy to overlook, especially with everything else to see and the fact that, from the viewer’s perspective, it’s backward, but it’s there and this might not be the only time we see it.

    First appearing in 2014’s Ms. Marvel #7, the Edison Electric building served as the lair of The Inventor, Ms. Marvel’s first supervillain and the first of many incredibly strange adversaries she’d come across. The Inventor-part cockatiel, part Thomas Edison-is the result of a cloning experiment gone wrong and was part of a 7-issue arc that saw Kamala clash with bionic alligators and a couple of teenage henchmen before finally taking The Inventor out.

    Kamala came across The Inventor in her earliest days as a hero and their feud in the comics was intertwined with Kamala coming to understand her Inhuman heritage and the powers it gave her. The issues featured pretty heavy cameos from members of the Inhuman Royal Family, including Medusa, and Kamala got to hang out quite a bit with Lockjaw during them. Early rumors surrounding Ms. Marvel indicated that The Inventor and the Inhuman Royal Family would appear in the series, though there’s been no recent buzz around the appearance of those characters (other than Vellani indicating she tried to sneak a Lockjaw Easter egg into the show).

    For the time being, it doesn’t seem likely that Kamala is going to run around New Jersey with Lockjaw, but having the Edison Electric building front and center gives leaves the door open for The Inventor to appear, whether in this season or down the road. For the moment, it certainly appears that Kamran, played by Rish Shah and a family known in the comics as the Clan Destine are going to carry the bulk of the load as villains in Season 1, but with producer Sana Amanat saying she’d love to see the Inventor in Season 2, there’s hope that Ms. Marvel can cross paths with the crazy birdman some day! If not, it’s still an impressive bit of world-building that could pay off at any time.

  • ‘Doctor Who’s Director Tackling Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Baratie Episodes

    ‘Doctor Who’s Director Tackling Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Baratie Episodes

    We just recently got the announcement of some additional cast members, as well as a first official look at the impressive sets from Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series. It was announced that actor Craig Fairbrass would be taking on the role of Chef Zeff, Sanji’s mentor, and father figure. Yet, his agency, United Agents, may have accidentally also revealed who is directing the episodes from the Baratie.

    In an official tweet congratulating Fairbrass, they reveal that he’ll appear in episodes directed by Emma Sullivan. So far, we only knew about Daredevil‘s Marc Jobst, which we reported back in September, and later on, would find out about Lost in Space‘s Tim Southam. So, it’s our third confirmed director on the project. It’s also our first confirmation that Sullivan will be tackling multiple episodes and hints that Baratie will not be told in just one singular one.

    It’s great to get more and more details in regard to what the series has to offer. Netflix does oddly rarely announce its directors in advance, but it’s great to get some teases of who’s bringing this vision of the East Blue to life. Before One Piece, Sullivan has directed quite a variety of shows that include The Watch, Doctor Who, 4 O’Clock Club, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness, and more. So, she definitely is no stranger to

    Source: Twitter, IMDb

  • ‘One Piece’s Final Saga to Kick Off With Chapter 1054 in July

    ‘One Piece’s Final Saga to Kick Off With Chapter 1054 in July

    When the message arrived from Eiichiro Oda that he was going to take a break to restructure the upcoming final saga of One Piece, many theorized that it might still be some time until they actually jump into the final steps of the iconic manga franchise. Yet, it turns out that it wasn’t just a generalization.

    During a live stream to promote the upcoming One Piece Film RED, Oda’s editor came in and teased that there will be some special concept art released building up towards the return of One Piece after the break titled “The Road to Laugh Tale.” Yet, he also went on to confirm that Chapter 1054 will be the official start for the final saga and the Straw Hat crew will move on from Wano. It’ll be made available with Weekly Shonen Jump #34.

    So, we have three more chapters to wrap up the current storyline which is still hard to believe considering how long the saga went on. Still, it seems that the final years of the manga franchise have begun. Don’t worry that this means we’re only getting a few more chapters, but as it is highlighted as a “saga,” we might have a few more yers ahead of us before the story wraps up. There’s no specific timeframe or chapter count given, but it’s still bizarre to think after 25 years, the end is near.

    Source: YouTube, Twitter, Twitter

  • Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix Returning for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

    Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix Returning for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

    Back in 2019, there was the heavy buzz surrounding the release of Joker, a standalone film following the origins of the clown prince of crime. The film took home a plethora of awards such as Oscars, BAFTAS, and even the coveted Golden Lion award from the Venice film festival. The film was a smash hit at the box office, bringing in over a billion at the box office with a small $60+ budget. Word has been around for quite a while now that a sequel to the film was in the works, with co-writer and director Todd Phillips returning.

    The word seems to have been true as Phillips has taken to Instagram to confirm that the script for the sequel is complete and even posted a photo with Joker himself, Joaquin Phoenix holding the script, all but confirming the actor’s return. The script was once again co-written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, who return from the first film. It’s unknown if Phillips will direct the sequel, but seems very likely.

    The sequel features a pretty interesting sub-title, with Folie à deux translating into “Madness for Two” hinting what the sequel will hold for fans. One plot we could see is Joker facing another Joker. Towards the end of the first film we saw Arthur Fleck rally the citizens of Gotham city to riot in the streets, and fight back against those that look at them as a lesser being. It would be interesting to see Arthur face the consequences of his actions, and come face to face with someone whom he has inspired to rise up in his absence, as we saw Fleck locked up in Arkham at the end of the film.

    We still await word on the sequel as we’ve yet to hear any casting information or even when the film could possibly release. Its definitely and interesting turn for Phoenix, as this would be the actors first sequel in his entire career.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Inventing Anna’s Julia Garner Offered the Role of Madonna in Upcoming Biopic

    ‘Inventing Anna’s Julia Garner Offered the Role of Madonna in Upcoming Biopic

    Deadline has revealed that Julia Garner is set to play Madonna in a forthcoming biopic about the pop icon. Per the outlet, Garner managed to emerge the favorite from over a reported dozen candidates. The actress is said to have been a frontrunner for the part for a few months now, however, the offer was just now presented to the rising actress. It is expected Garner and her team will accept the offer.

    A biopic about Madonna has been in the works for a while now, but this is the first real movement on it. In the past, Madonna has expressed interest in having Florence Pugh (Black Widow) portray her in the film. Interestingly enough, Pugh is among those reported to have been in contention for the role at one point. Other actresses that auditioned included Alexa Demie (Euphoria), Odessa Young (The Professor), Bebe Rexha, and Sky Ferreira. The production took its time trying to find the right actress for the role, with those auditioning needing to showoff not just their singing abilities but also their abilities as dancers.

    The untitled Madonna biopic is currently set up at Universal Pictures and is expected to follow the early days of the “oft-controversial artist and queen of perpetual reinvention.”

    Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley won the project in a bidding war between studios. Amy Pascal, the former Chairperson of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony Pictures Entertainment, is on board as a producer.

    As of right now, the film does not yet have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Apple Purchases Brad Pitt’s Formula One Film With ‘Top Gun Maverick’ Director Attached

    Apple Purchases Brad Pitt’s Formula One Film With ‘Top Gun Maverick’ Director Attached

    Here’s a big move but it looks like Top Gun Maverick director Joseph Kosinski continues to have that need for speed. His upcoming Formula One racing film has now been purchased in a massive deal by Apple, Brad Pitt is currently attached to star in it. It took five months to finalize this deal, which will see Kosinski reunite with Top Gun writer Ehren Kruger alongside producers Chad Oman and Jerry Bruckheimer.

    What makes this deal stand out is that Apple is eyeing a theatrical distribution model for this release. A game-changer in the streaming model as it’ll be made available for at least 30 days (maybe even up to 60 days) in theaters before heading to Apple TV+. Sir Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time F1 world champion, is also joining to produce with Pitt‘s Plan B banner, whose additions are one of the selling points for this massive deal.

    It’s not the first time this has happened, but it does seem like Apple is trying to gain a stronger share within markets. there have been theories that Netflix would follow suit with their Knives Out acquisition but no announcement has been made so far. The filmmakers also will have a 50-50 taken from the big screen showcase, which is quite a unique deal and pays the creative teams through upfront fees, buyout fees, and a theatrical backend. So, everyone might pull a nice payday from this venture even if it might not reach Maverick‘s highs.

    Source: THR

  • New She-Hulk Merch Teases a Split Personality and Comic-Inspired Outfit

    New She-Hulk Merch Teases a Split Personality and Comic-Inspired Outfit

    She-Hulk is only a few months away from releasing. While the first trailer was met with some controversy, the series is still seemingly eyeing its initial release. We haven’t gotten anything outside of the trailer release, and it seems that we may have to wait until next month for more updates. Luckily, it seems that Fathead has released a few murals and designs inspired by the upcoming Disney+ series that highlight Jennifer Walters’s upcoming struggle between her daily life as a lawyer and superhero. What stands out however is one of the murals. is titled “Split Personality.”

    There are also some that offer a good look at her updated costume, which she’ll be wearing as She-Hulk. We only initially saw it from behind but it seems that they went with a very comic-inspired look that has some small updated detailing. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see what it looks like on the show.

    One more mural includes a full look at her costume, as well as showcasing the general theme of her duality. She-Hulk is described as her “Alter Ego” in the title of this mural which normally just hints at her “superhero” self. It could also hint at an inner conflict with this new personality of hers. So, it may be more than just Walters getting Hulk powers.

    We may get an emotional arc of She-Hulk facing the challenge of embracing her newfound powers and potentially it adding to a subconscious she wasn’t even aware of. While Bruce Banner’s main focus has been his inner rage, she has a different dormant emotion that leads to the alter ego that is She-Hulk. It’ll be interesting t see if this series also explores that very dynamic.

    Source: Fathead

  • Duffer Brothers Confirm Time Skip Going Into ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    Duffer Brothers Confirm Time Skip Going Into ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    It looks like we’re going to have another time skip going into the fifth and final season of the Duffer Brothers‘ iconic Stranger Things series. We’ve explored the 80s and all of its memorabilia but it looks like the cast’s continued aging has become a bit of an issue for the team to keep up and as a result, Ross Duffer confirmed that there will be another time skip going into the final season.

    I’m sure we will do a time jump. Ideally, we’d have shot [Seasons 4 and 5] back to back, but there was just no feasible way to do that

    Ross Duffer

    There were some moments where the age differences from the last season going into the current one stood out, and it seems the team is very aware of that fact. So, they will try to remedy it with another time skip. Surprisingly, they revealed that they are still actively working on Season 4, as two more episodes are set to release in July.

    Believe it or not, we’re still working on Season 4. We’re trying to finish the final two episodes, they’re so massive.

    Ross Duffer

    So, they haven’t even started writing anything for the fifth season. Some time ago they did reveal that they already pitched their vision of the ending, and now it’s just about getting all the episodes together to bring that vision to life. All eyes are currently on the final episodes of Season 4 and it seems we won’t get an update on the final season for some time.

    Source: TVLine