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  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer to Premiere Next Tuesday

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer to Premiere Next Tuesday

    There have been many discussions and wars fought over when the next trailer would release for Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was already quite the discussion when it seemed like the initial one was getting postponed with each reference. Finally, after a long wait, we got a more definite release date as @BrandonDavisBD has shared that there’s a Spider-Man fan event next Tuesday, November 16th. It’ll be a trailer launch event so that fans can finally check out what is heading our way in December. There’s no definite release timing included.

    It’s been a long time coming, but it’s exciting to finally have a confirmed release date. They also avoided keeping it a secret and just randomly dropping it but rather being upfront about it. Of course, filling a theater for fans is a nice move but also a risky one considering the current situation with the pandemic. They do highlight COVID-19 safety registrations and there might be some surprises for those that manage to get in. Here’s hoping that the wait for the trailer online won’t take too long.

    Source: Twitter

  • BOOK REVIEW: ‘Agents of S.L.A.M.’ is a Delightfully Fun Read

    BOOK REVIEW: ‘Agents of S.L.A.M.’ is a Delightfully Fun Read

    Agents of S.L.A.M. is an upcoming graphic novel being released by Oni Press. It’s from creators Dave Scheidt and Scoot McMahon, who previously worked together on Wrapped Up, and tells the story of a wrestling organization with a huge secret. These are not just wrestlers. They are responsible for protecting the Earth from an extraterrestrial threat. 

    The story features Katie, a young girl who happens to also be a vlogger who loves wrestling. More specifically, she’s a huge fan of the Agents of S.L.A.M. and the wrestler Bruno. After being invited to tour the secret S.L.A.M. headquarters, Katie finds herself thrown into a world she never would have imagined capable of existing. Even worse? As the day goes on, she learns that sometimes we build our heroes up too high, making it all the easier for them to prove us wrong.

    What follows next is a story full of action, heart and hilarity. As someone who is not particularly a fan of wrestling, I admittedly was not sure I’d like Agents of S.L.A.M. Yet, by the end, I was glad I gave it a shot. This is a middle-grade title, technically, but it feels like a book that readers of all ages will come to adore.

    This crew of wrestlers is delightful and so diverse. From a grandmother who pilots the jet, to a female who leads the crew and a young girl who proves herself more than worthy of being a hero, it’s hard not to enjoy the fiascos of this crew. They are a disaster but in the best way possible.

    It’s an absurd story. Wrestlers that work for the president and go to space? It should be utterly ridiculous. Yet, what unfolds is a story of a makeshift family that is hilariously entertaining. If you’re looking for something you can enjoy with your children, Agents of S.L.A.M. is a title you should check out come April.

    Agents of S.L.A.M. releases in April 2022.

  • ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    Eternals‘ box office has been a highly debated discussion due to the film’s mixed critical reception. While it was behind expectations, it still managed to nab the fourth-highest domestic opening of 2021 with $71M. Of course, the first weekend is where any film builds its momentum and the question is how strong it can keep that top spot in the coming weeks. Well, it looks like the Friday numbers are in and the film faced a drop similar to Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The drop is around 75% that is a far cry from Shang-Chi‘s 67%. Still, it’ll very likely pass the $100M mark once the weekend is over.

    Eternals will take the top spot again in its second weekend, which is still a strong showing. What should be highlighted is that this film might not have strong legs as other projects, its international numbers may be giving it an additional boost. The numbers are also developing similarly to how July was right as the pandemic was only starting to slow down. The box office generally has a few milestones for various franchises, such as Dune also passing the $100M mark and the Venom sequel getting to $200M.

    Clifford the Big Red Dog will take the second spot but won’t give the latest Marvel Studios film much competition. It’s also been facing harsher critical reception but is doing better with audiences as a fun film for families to check out. So, it might be a quieter week but it’s very likely that Eternals will be dethroned once Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases next week.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Milestone), Box Office Mojo

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Farewell Amor’s Ekwa Msangi Directing an Episode of Showtime’s ‘Three Women’

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Farewell Amor’s Ekwa Msangi Directing an Episode of Showtime’s ‘Three Women’

    Showtime has been working on an adaptation of Lisa Taddeo‘s Three Women since 2019. The story of three women’s sexual and emotional experiences across the United States became a best seller in its debut. Even more impressing if you consider it was Taddeo‘s debut publication. The story of Lina, Maggie, and Sloane caught Showtime’s eye and it wasn’t until July that they gave it a series order with Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, and Betty Gilpin taking over the role of our main trio. We can now exclusively share that the production has added Tanzanian-American filmmaker Ekwa Msangi to direct an episode of the series.

    Msangi made a name in the industry for her work on the TV movie All My Friends Are Married, and her work on the film Farwell Amor back in 2020. Her work featured strong female leads exploring their place in the world, which makes her a perfect addition to the creative team aiming to bring Three Women to life. Her TV movie All My Friends Are Married explored women in their thirties trying to avoid turning into spinsters in New York City. Farewell Amor explored the story of an Angolan woman, as she bonds with a stranger through their love for dance.

    Taddeo spent around eight years working on the novel and explored the locations that are the focus of each character’s life. Lina is a suburban mother from Indiana while Maggie is a high school student from North Dakota. Sloane lives in the Northeast of the United States, where she has a very peculiar relationship with her husband.

    The episode is set to film late this year and into 2022. The series began production earlier this Fall and currently has no set release date.

  • ‘The Green Knight’s Director of Photography Worked on Disney+’s ‘Moon Knight’

    ‘The Green Knight’s Director of Photography Worked on Disney+’s ‘Moon Knight’

    Disney+ Day finally gave us our first look at Moon Knight. Oscar Isaac takes on the role of schizophrenic mercenary that becomes a brutal vigilante. We were given a brief teaser of the upcoming series that teases his fractured perception of reality with some beautifully done shots, especially when the camera pans into a room where Moon Knight is beating the hell out of someone. Luckily, it seems we also now know who’s involved with the project as The Green Knight‘s director of photography, Andrew Droz Palermo, announced his involvement with the DIsney+ series in an Instagram story during the Dsiney+ Day madness.

    It’s funny that he moved on from one Knight-focused project to another, but given that film’s visual fidelity, his addition is an exciting prospect. He’s also worked n a variety of other projects like 2017’s A Ghost Story and 2019’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy. He’s also worked on a few TV projects like Strange Angel in 2019, where he also worked as director of photography. He is sure to add an interesting visual style to make the series stand out from the rest alongside director Mohamed Diab.

    Moon Knight might be our first true window into the darker and mystical side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’ll be interesting to see. if the series might end up connecting to Mahershala Ali‘s upcoming Blade project that’ll introduce us to vampires. Marc Spector is no stranger to fighting supernatural beings and with his mind fractured, it might become quite the challenge to understand whatever he is facing is real or not.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Marvel Zombies’ Won’t Continue The ‘What If…?’ Episode

    ‘Marvel Zombies’ Won’t Continue The ‘What If…?’ Episode

    Disney+ Day offered some great surprises including the official announcement of an animated series adapting the iconic Marvel Zombies comic storyline. The timing was perfect as they were riding off of the popularity of the What If…? episode that introduced the concept into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The theories were that they’d continue where that episode left off, as a zombified Thanos took over Wakanda but it turns out they’re inspired by the comics and might take a different look at the flesh-eating heroes.

    Marvel Studios’ producer Brad Winderbaum discussed some of the new announcements, especially with their new animated ventures. He briefly touched upon the potential the return of the 90s animated X-Men project will offer with X-Men ’97 but also offered some insight into what Marvel Zombies will offer. In it, he may have confirmed that it’s not a direct continuation of Marvel Studios’ first introduction of the zombies.

    And then, of course, we revealed that we’re doing a series all about Marvel Zombies, continuing the universe that was set up in What If…? and just like the way Marvel Zombies was introduced in the Ultimates in the comics and then introduced a parallel universe of zombies that was explored and its own series, we’re doing a similar thing where we introduced in What If…? and now we’re going to take a look at that universe with a different lens.

    Brad Winderbau

    So, it seems that we’ll explore a different part of the multiverse where another zombie virus has spread, or they might stick to the What If…? timeline. His statement is vague because he confirms continuity, backtracks on it before connecting it again. He says it’s a continuation of that universe, but also says they’ll do something that the comics did. So, they might leave the origin of the virus the same, as the Quantum Realm does technically exist outside of the multiverse. So, maybe this is the current plan that changes as production continues.

    They also might want to explore this story in a way that isn’t shackled by pre-existing MCU canon and build their own storyline around the existence of superpowered zombies. They might also not want to rely on the 3D animation and give it a unique design. Sadly, the creator of the original comics, Robert Kirkman, isn’t involved with the project but they might consult him once production starts on it.

    Source: Marvel

  • EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    Home Sweet Home Alone is finally now out on Disney+. A pseudo-sequel to the Macaulay Culkin duology, the film presents a familiar concept in a contemporary manner. We spoke to stars Ally Maki and director Dan Mazer on the process of bringing a classic franchise back to life and what it was like to work with up-and-comer Archie Yates.

    According to Maki, Mazer played a crucial part in fostering a working environment that allowed the cast to go crazy with improv.

    Ellie and Rob just led that set with such warmth and hilarity. And I think having Dan Mazer as our director, who did Borat and Ali G., he really created such a fun atmosphere where he let us do a lot of what we wanted and that created the bond we have as a cast. It was so much fun.

    There was so much improv. Something I would be like, “Wow! He’s really letting us go on and on.” There was some stuff that didn’t make the movie. I feel like Tim and I could have our own Home Alone short just because of all the scenes we filmed. We had so much fun.

    Dan Mazer is a writer known for some of the raunchiest, and as he put in our conversation with him, filthiest comedy films of the past two decades. He elaborated on his process as a comedic filmmaker and how he incorporated it with the cast he had for the film.

    In my casting process in whatever project I do, I like to make sure that the people I cast are funny in their own right that if we ever throw away the script, they can be brilliant. And obviously, in the stuff I’ve done with Sacha Baron Cohen, there’s so much improvisation. That’s the excitement of filmmaking; seeing what you can come up with on the day. And when you have Pete Holmes, Ally Maki, Kenan Thompson, Chris Parnell, as your supporting characters, not to mention Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper, as a comic director it’s like having a toy box.

    Archie Yates stars as Max Mercer, the Kevin McAllister analogue of Home Sweet Home Alone. Yates previously wowed audiences with his supporting role in the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit. Mazer revealed what it was like to work with Yates on his first big starring role.

    We were in the middle of our search looking for Max Mercer. I auditioned lots of really talented kids. And then I saw Jojo Rabbit and had a thunderous moment where I fell in love with Archie Yates. It was like he was born to be on a film set. He walks on with absolute authority and total confidence. He slipped into the role effortlessly and made it his own. He was a treat to work with.

  • ‘X-Men ‘97’ Producer Teases An Emotional Impact In New Show

    ‘X-Men ‘97’ Producer Teases An Emotional Impact In New Show

    X-Men ‘97 is Marvel Studios’ first X-Men production. As a continuation of the ‘90s animated series that many adults grew up with as kids, the show has an in-built fan base. The announcement along with creative collaborators and returning cast means there will be more opportunities to talk about the project with the public. Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios appeared on Marvel’s podcast This Week in Marvel to talk about some of their animation announcements. 

    Winderbaum suggested that the original animated series has been a “touchstone” for many filmmakers Marvel Studios had conversations with over the years. He also talked about how head writer Beau DeMayo pitched the show, teasing an emotional shift at the end of the ‘90s and an important event that seemingly frames the new series: 

    He pitched us a show that didn’t just honor the original series, but also brought it into the modern world and talked not only about the 90s, but about the emotional shift that happened at the beginning of the new millennium, and how the show is actually going to explore that and see how the characters change, you know, after a very impactful event. And he talked about the soap opera of it all and was really compelling to us, but also the true emotional stakes to these characters.

    Brad Winderbaum

    All of that seems like an intriguing set of circumstances with which to evolve the original series.  We’ll have to wait quite a while longer to see it play out as the show is set to release on Disney+ in 2023. As animation takes quite a while, it can perhaps be expected the show is already reasonably far into production so we might start to hear more from the creators soon! 

    Sources: Marvel

  • ‘She-Hulk’s Origin May Take Place Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    ‘She-Hulk’s Origin May Take Place Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded in so many ways, it’s quite difficult to keep up with where everything takes place across its timeline. Marvel Studios still refuses to provide a definite map to keep an overview, but the new Disney+ shows and films shave been hinting at where everything might take place. There are visual cues that commonly hint at where exactly it takes place or even just an outright confirmation such as Eternals‘ Ajak openly discussing the battle of Thanos. Disney+ Day offered us a glimpse into what 2022 has in store for us with the highlights being Moon Knight and She-Hulk. The latter will have the most connective tissue due to Mark Ruffalo‘s Bruce Banner having an active role in the story. The teaser also hinted at Jennifer Walter’s origin story and also may have given us a glimpse of when it takes place.

    In the trailer, we don’t get a clear look at Tatiana Maslany as the titular character. We do get a tease of her iconic outfit from the comics, but not her actual transformation. In a brief sequence, we see Professor Hulk discussing with Walters what it means to be a Hulk while she is in a containment field. Most likely, Banner used this lab to fuse both personalities together and crate his current alter ego. Yet, what stands out is if you take a close look at both of his arms. In Avengers: Endgame, Hulk makes the sacrifice and snaps half the universe back into existence but sacrifices his arm in the process. While he still can use it, we can see heavy burns that scarred him. Those wounds are noticeably absent here.

    There’s always a chance they haven’t finished work on this scene and might add it in post-production, but the detail does offer a look into the series timeline. It’s also worth highlighting due to Bruce Banner’s last appearance post-Endgame in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In the film’s post-credits sequence, we see a hologram version of Banner (not his Professor Hulk form mind you) talking about the ring’s mysterious origins. As soon as we get a full view of Banner, he is still recovering from using the Infinity Gauntlet. The sling is also noticeably for his right arm, which is absent above.

    Is this a confirmation that her origin takes place before the events of Endgame? Not necessarily, as there’s also the story that She-Hulk builds up a film spin-off exploring the World War Hulk storyline. So, there’s a chance that we catch up with Banner at a point where his wounds have finally healed. Banner’s arm in Shang-Chi does not show any visual scarring, but it’s just interesting that he still has a sling to keep it steady. He’s also back to being a regular Banner again, which simply adds to the confusion. So, perhaps Walters gets the blood transfusion while he is Professor Hulk during an incident. He then tries to help her control the abilities but ends up joining the Avengers briefly. Once he retruns, he learns that she has fully embraced her Hulk-side and makes her way back to her normal life.

  • Marion Dayre to Be the Lead Writer for Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    Marion Dayre to Be the Lead Writer for Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    In July of this year, Marion Dayre, who worked on the acclaimed TV series Better Caul Saul for 5 seasons, indicated she was the showrunner of an upcoming but unknown Marvel Studios streaming series. Following yesterday’s official announcement of the Alaqua Cox-led streaming series Echo, Dayre was excited to reveal that she was the lead runner of the new series.

    https://twitter.com/mariondayre/status/1459478204142419968?s=21

    Nothing is known about what shape the Echo series will take, but with the character, who will debut in Hawkeye, has serious ties to organized crime including, in the comics (and strongly rumored to be in the MCU, too), Wilson Fisk. With Dayre’s years of experience working on one of television’s most successful crime dramas, she seems a good fit. It is strongly believed that Native American writer Bobby Wilson (Reservation Dogs) has joined the writers’ room as well. Etan and Emily Cohen were originally reported by the trades to be head writers for the show, which is tentatively set to go into production this April and is currently searching for additional members for the cast, including several Native American roles.