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  • Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke has been quite busy as of late. Comic fans are excited to find out what his mysterious role might turn out to be in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight. But that isn’t all he is working on, as he was also spotted on the set of Knives Out 2. It’s unclear what exactly his role is going to be, but there were many theories on what role he might potentially have. Turns out, he’s not really in the film that much according to his latest interview with ScreenRant. In it, he stated that:

    Knives Out 2, I just have a cameo in that movie. Don’t expect much from me

    So, it does open a curious question of what exactly a cameo would entail in a murder mystery. In a way, he may be the sequel’s victim that brings Daniel Craig’s, Detective Benoit Blanc, to join the unlikely party to uncover what exactly happened. Christopher Plummer took on the role of victim in the first film, where he had a minor role outside of the opening and a few flashbacks. So, he might have a similar role in the film.

    Yet, there’s also the chance that he really has nothing more than a brief cameo before he disappears. Perhaps his character might set up a third entry that is already in development as part of Netflix’s multi-million deal. It’s uncertain if director Rian Johnson wants to take a “cinematic universe” approach with the project, or will keep individual projects as a separate storyline with only Blanc acting as the connective tissue. Only the film’s release will give us a clear indication of where this new franchise is heading.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Composer Natalie Holt Joins ‘Batgirl’ Production, Shares New Set Photo

    Composer Natalie Holt Joins ‘Batgirl’ Production, Shares New Set Photo

    Just yesterday, we got our first set photo from the upcoming HBO Max original film, Batgirl. The story about Barbara Gordon’s time in the iconic mantle will explore Gotham in a new way. Director Adil El Arbi shared the photo on his Instagram account, which teased Barbara’s future as a beat cop in the series. production is finally revving up in Glasgow and it looks like they’ll soon be joined by a new GCPD cop that has some musical talents.

    Natalie Holt announced back in September that she joined the HBO Max original to compose its soundtrack. After her incredible work on Loki, her addition was an exciting prospect that got many wondering what exactly she may add to this particular story. Of course, it’s too early to get a feeling for exactly that, but she did tease that she is now on set. Her tease might also hint that she’ll have a cameo as a GCPD officer in the series.

    https://twitter.com/filmmusicholt/status/1466099113720692739?s=21

    We might see others of the production team appear as cops whenever Barbara is going through her job. She likely is working for her father, which will add quite a bit of tension between them. So, who knows how nosy her colleagues are and appear in the background during their discussions. It’ll be interesting to explore her story from the perspective of a police officer, as she’ll definitely be active as Batgirl throughout the story. It could lead to an interesting conflict of interest. Here’s hoping we get more teases or even a look at Leslie Grace in costume from what was teased during DC FanDome.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Lost $30M on the Now Canceled ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Spinoff

    HBO Lost $30M on the Now Canceled ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Spinoff

    Here’s an interesting surprise. Long before House of the Dragons was in development, there were stories about a Game of Thrones spinoff in development. It makes sense if you consider how large the original was when it aired on HBO. While they are currently on a high with many projects finding development, their first attempt failed and was swiftly canceled after the pilot was showcased. We knew very little about the project but Bob Greenblatt, who was chairman of WarnerMedia, shared some insights in his new book Tinderbox. In it, he revealed that it cost them $30M to produce the “prequel pilot” before realizing that it wasn’t what they were looking for.

    They had spent over $30 million on a ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel pilot that was in production when I got there. And when I saw a cut of it in a few months after I arrived, I said to [HBO boss Casey Bloys], ‘This just doesn’t work and I don’t think it delivers on the promise of the original series.’ And he didn’t disagree, which actually was a relief. So we unfortunately decided to pull the plug on it. There was enormous pressure to get it right and I don’t think that would have worked

    Bob Greenblatt

    It’s not uncommon that some gambles don’t always pay out, but $30M is a considerable amount for just a pilot. After the success of the original series, they were all in for the spinoffs and would take the gamble to give the series a considerable budget. It’s curious they outright canceled the project rather than reworking it to fit, but the investment might’ve not paid off if they did.

    Source: IndieWire

  • AMC Orders Anne Rice’s ‘Lives of the Mayfair Witches’ to Series

    AMC Orders Anne Rice’s ‘Lives of the Mayfair Witches’ to Series

    AMC has been quite excited to bring Anne Rice’s many classic stories to life. Not too long ago, they greenlight a series based on the Interview With the Vampire storyline. Casting has been underway, but we’re still waiting for more details. Yet, AMC believes in their new projects and has now ordered Lives of the Mayfair Witches to series. It’ll be based on the Anne Rice novels of the sesame name with Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford joining as showrunners. Mark Johnson will executive produce the project alongside them.

    It’s not the first time we’ve heard about the project, as the first development news hit the web back in August. AMC Studios has opened up a writer room on the author’s famous line of books to develop direct-to-series orders and it’s certainly paying off. Spalding shared her excitement of adapting the series:

    The world of witches has fascinated and terrified for centuries, and yet Anne Rice’s particular lens on witches explored something new altogether – women who are powerful, and often brutal, and always committed to subverting our current power structures.

    Esta Spalding

    It’ll be interesting to see how they bring these stories to life and how they’ll continue on the various Rice adaptations. It’ll join the 2022 line-up that has been quite stacked with new projects and others coming to an end. AMC has been making strong pushes on building up their library to also support the streaming service AMC+.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3: The Clint Barton Convergence

    ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3: The Clint Barton Convergence

    The latest episode of the Marvel Studios Disney Plus series Hawkeye picks up the pace and presents probably the most complete and best episode so far. Part of picking up the pace meant speeding through flashbacks to tell the origin story of one of the series’ main characters, Maya Lopez. Much like the flashbacks that told the tragedy of Kate Bishop’s early life, Maya’s flashbacks take up about 5 minutes of screen time and end in a similar tragedy. Through the use of these flashbacks, the episode draws some intriguing parallels between the two young women and gives them a common point from where their paths through life diverged.

    Paterfamilias

    In the cases of both Kate and Maya, Hawkeye establishes a loving relationship between father and daughter. Both Derek Bishop and Willie Lopez are shown to share special bonds with their daughters. In Kate’s case, it’s made clear that her childhood relationship with her father is stronger than that with her mother. When it’s noticed that she is eavesdropping on her parents’ argument, her mother indicates to her father that he’s the one who will have more success communicating with Kate while she’s upset. In Maya’s case, it’s implied that her father is a single parent but it is clear that the two share a special bond. When Willie is unable to send Maya to a deaf school, he teaches her to embrace her disability and assures her that she’ll be stronger for it. He’s portrayed as a father who teaches his daughter to refuse to use her disabilities as an excuse and one who wants the best for her, even if his station in life doesn’t make it possible for him to deliver.

    Essentially both girls look up to their fathers as heroes but the two fathers’ lives are very different. Derek is portrayed as an optimistic silver spooner while Willie is equally optimistic but seems to have to scrape for every penny and chooses to do so as part of a criminal organization. And make no mistake about it, the difference in the circumstances in which Kate and Maya were raised lead directly to the divergent paths they took in life.

    For both characters, the relationships with their fathers have truly made them who they are. Both are shown to be uniquely skilled and driven; both are shown to be determined and dynamic; both are also shown to have apply those characteristics in very different ways.

    Death of a Father

    In the case of any child, the death of a parent is traumatic. Hawkeye draws another parallel between the two characters by having them both experience the deaths of their fathers. However, the responses of the two character to the death’s of their fathers are entirely different. The death of Kate’s father (bit mysterious, don’t you think? I’m not convinced her mom didn’t kill him) during the Battle of New York set Kate on her journey to be a protector, a hero, like her father; the death of Maya’s father (much less mysterious) set her on a journey to become a violent, vengeful criminal.

    The New Father Figure

    After suffering the loss of their fathers, Kate and Maya have father figures step into the void. In Kate’s case, Jacques Duquesne tries to charm his way into her life, going so far as to brag about buying a book about being a stepdad. In Maya’s case, her not-so-mysterious “Uncle” is still looking after her and she find herself in his employ. On one hand, we see Kate rail against allowing someone as slimy as Jacques into her life; on the other hand, we see Maya, choose the life of a mob enforcer. Simply enough, one chose the light while the other chose the dark.

    The Clint Connection

    The two characters have walked divergent paths following the losses of their fathers but those divergent paths have now converged thanks to a common interest: Clint Barton. The ending of Episode 2 and beginning of Episode 3 really highlight the entirely opposite interests the characters have in Barton: Kate comes crashing into the abandoned KB Toy Store warehouse to save Clint just as Echo makes her way to interrogate him about the Ronin. Clint Barton is the intersection of these characters lives and the revelation of his secret, which he’s holding from both of them, will greatly impact how both of them view him.

    How will Kate look at her hero when she finds out he was Ronin? How will Maya deal with discovering the identity of her father’s murderer? While it was Clint that brought the two together, the answers to those questions could well set them on divergent paths once more in the aftermath of Hawkeye.

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Has Yet to Fully Utilize Fra Fee’s Kazi

    ‘Hawkeye’ Has Yet to Fully Utilize Fra Fee’s Kazi

    We’re only halfway through the latest Marvel Studios series on Disney+, but we’ve gotten a glimpse at the main players throughout the rest of the series. Yet, it’s also noticeable that an iconic part of the original My Life as a Weapon run. While teased in the first two episodes, Kaz Kazimierczak finally had an actual role in the story but he’s quite a departure from the comics. While still an interesting character, it seems like they are going down a different route with him.

    In the comics, Kazi was better known as the mercenary Clown. He’s shown to be quite ruthless and even emotionless while shooting down anyone he’s contracted to do so. He also doesn’t have a connection with Echo directly but was contracted by the Tracksuit Mafia and Wilson Fisk in the comics. He also normally wears noticeably absent clown make-up.

    With more hints going around that the Kingpin will make his appearance soon, and the “uncle” mentioned by Kazi, it seems he’s generally a part of the Tracksuit Mafia rather than a hired hitman. He’s also an emotional anchor for Echo, whose story was adapted for the series quite a bit to fit the overarching MCU. Yet, it feels like his role could’ve been replaced by almost any other character.

    So, there is the possibility that he may potentially be turning into the character we’ve met in the comics. Live-action adaptations of any kind tend to showcase origin stories to give characters arcs. The events of this storyline could end with Kazi taking on a new personality and covering his face with the clown make-up at some point. The show does highlight his role in the story and perhaps he is taking a backseat before taking over in a potential future storyline.

  • REVIEW: ‘Crossing Swords’ Season 2 Fails to Capture the Uniqueness of Season 1

    REVIEW: ‘Crossing Swords’ Season 2 Fails to Capture the Uniqueness of Season 1

    The first season of Crossing Swords introduced audiences to an interesting new take on the raunchy adult animated series. Inspired by Robot Chicken, John Harvatine IV, and Tom Root took what they’d learned on the adult-oriented cartoon and applied it to this series, with an original project set in Medieval Times. The second season sees the return of Patrick the squire, still on his own personal quest to become a knight, and it’s when the show focuses on this plotline that it shines. Unfortunately, though, this season often feels astray and distracted when it decides to follow a linear path whenever it feels.

    The show’s most defining feature is probably its cast, which features the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Luke Evans, Seth Green, Alanna Ubach, Tara Strong, Tony Hale, Tara Strong and Maya Erskine. The cast is truly at their best this season. In fact, some of them are unrecognizable and seem to have become lost in their roles. This is particularly true of Hoult, Evans and Erskine, who are the standouts once again. It wasn’t until the episodes concluded that I was able to comprehend the actors behind the voices.

    I just wish the series used these characters to their full potential, with Patrick being the only character to get proper development in the series. This is where things begin to feel disjointed. Crossing Swords feels like it’s trying too hard to separate itself from another adult animated series by randomly deciding it wants to tell a linear story. The show quickly tries to wrap up the said story up and throw viewers right back onto an aimless path. The one-off episodes begin to lead up to a little story-arc, and this is where the show starts to get really interesting and felt like it wasn’t dragging for once, but it quickly wraps up the short burst of story development and throws you back into the outlandish nonsense that the series survives on.

    The series will have its moments and, if there’s a line they won’t cross, they have yet to stumble across it. Some jokes hit as they’re supposed to, and the humor is there, unfortunately, though, it’s missing the heart that many other animated series like this have. Crossing Swords feels as if the gas tank was low, so you decided to fill up, but then realized there was a hole in your tank and you’ve lost all momentum. The series ultimately feels as if it’s coasting by on its vulgar humor, but the act gets old fast. 

    Crossing Swords often feels like a modge-podge between Robot Chicken and something Like Rick and Morty, and could truly be something special and unique, but it doesn’t feel committed enough. The cast and distinctive animation style are some of its saving graces, but without a solid story, it can feel about as alive as its old king.

  • RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Teases a ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Skin for Hawkeye

    RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Teases a ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Skin for Hawkeye

    Marvel’s Avengers has added a new feature for players wanting to spend their in-game currency to access new skins, emotes, and nameplates. The first one rolled out with the latest update and includes a Wakandan-inspired skin for Iron Man. Well, it seems that there might be an odd error that reveals the potential next shipment will include a Hawkeye skin based on Captain America: Civil War.

    In the shipment, you can see a description of what is included in the shipment you are offered for around 31 days. While it seems to be based on RNG elements, you always see what you are offered when hovering over the shipment. The previously mentioned Wakanda Iron Man skin is still showcased but the text has curiously changed to mention an MCU-inspired skin for Twitter user @JrSolarisGamer.

    https://twitter.com/JrSolarisGamer/status/1465783146797060102

    @PlayAvenger has offered a translation of the text that highlights it is based on the 2016 design and not just a skin called “Civil War” that could’ve been inspired by the comics.

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1465901381013979143

    We don’t have a visual confirmation so have to take it with a grain of salt for now, as it could be an adaptation of the text. Still, if it turns out true, it’s a great addition to the shipments that might also inspire people to play the game regularly. Plus, it highlights they aren’t restricting these skins to the marketplace and giving players a chance to get their hands on them through playing the game. It’ll be exciting to see what other skins we might see get added in the future.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Includes Kingpin Easter Egg

    ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Includes Kingpin Easter Egg

    The hints are getting more obvious that Wilson Fisk is making his grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only do we have the mention of a mysterious uncle and his short hand-cameo in Echo’s flashback, but there is quite an emphasis on his role moving forward when even Hawkeye hints that he’s someone you don’t want to get in trouble with. There’s one more tiny detail that may have added to his upcoming appearance.

    At one point in Echo’s flashback, she visits her father at his workshop. It’s the sequence where we find out how she connects to Ronin, the location they are at is given a rather curious name, Fat Man Auto Repair Shop. Now, it is more than just an additional tease of Fisk’s appearance in the series in a later episode but also is a great little Easter egg for fans of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

    In the animated series, the Kingpin never physically makes an appearance. Yet, there’s a brief mention by the Grim Reaper who calls him “Fat-Man.” Plus, it’s an ongoing joke by Spider-Man to mock NYC’s most dangerous criminal about his weight. So, it adds a fun layer to his potential arrival and what the series has in store for viewers. Given the number of teases throughout this episode, it seems likely that we might get our first official appearance next week, but the team behind Hawkeye might also be playing the long con as the teases rise in frequency.

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Makes a Major Change to Echo’s Story

    ‘Hawkeye’ Makes a Major Change to Echo’s Story

    Episode 3 of Hawkeye, “Echoes”, delivered on last week’s tease and gave us a full introduction to Maya Lopez, aka Echo, played by newcomer Alaqua Cox. While the translation of the character to the MCU from the comics stays faithful to her Native American heritage, her deafness and her connection to Wilson Fisk, the series makes one major change to her origins that will have a huge impact on how the remainder of the series plays out.

    Episode 3 introduces not only Maya, but her father, Willie, and lays out that he works in “upper management” of the Tracksuit Mafia for the head of organized crime. This, too, is true to the comics were her father, Willie “Crazy Horse” Lincoln, works for the Kingpin. And in both the comics and the series, Maya is forced to watch her father’s life in crime catch up with him as he dies in her arms and places his blood-soaked hand on her face. However, Marvel Studios has chosen to make a major change to that event and the consequences of that change are already becoming obvious.

    In the 1998 Daredevil series, Maya’s father is killed by the Kingpin. While Kingpin called Willie his “good friend”, he ruthlessly shot him for an undefined mistake. Willie’s dying wish was for Kingpin to take care of his daughter, a promise he kept by raising her and affording her every luxury. Twenty years after her father’s death, Maya was told by Kingpin that it was Daredevil who murdered him, setting the two up for an epic clash. Eventually, Maya learns the truth about who murdered her father and takes her revenge my shooting the Kingpin in the face at point blank range.

    Hawkeye tells a very different version of Willie’s death, making Clint Barton the man responsible for it. In the series, Maya sees her father take the business end of Ronin’s blade and then holding him as he dies. The first two episodes of the series made it clear that the Clint and the Tracksuits had a history; this episode clarifies the extent of that history and now puts Clint not only in Maya’s crosshairs, but also potentially the Kingpin’s. In episode 3, Clint tap danced around the identity of Ronin both in conversation with Maya and Kate; it probably won’t be long before his secret comes out. How will the series choose to deal with the reveal? What will be the cost of Echo and Kingpin finding out? Hopefully Clint doesn’t meet the same fate as Fisk did in the comics, but it is clear that these changes will result in some very different takes on both Echo’s existing relationships and those she might forge along the way.