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Tag: TV News

  • Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Here’s a sad surprise, it looks like Seth Green is taking over as the voice of Thunderbolt in the third season of CW’s Stargirl series from Jim Gaffigan. TVLine has broken the news that the wish-granting genie will have a new voice actor, but no reason is given on why exactly he was recast. He only voiced the character in a few scenes of the second season and it may be that he has a larger role going into the third.

    Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson) is the wielder of the mysterious pink pen that Thunderbolt exists in. He helped the team of unlikely heroes and a reestablished Justice Society of America to take down the threat that was Eclipso. Green is no stranger to voice acting, as he has been a long-time member of the Family Guy voice cast, and worked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H and Guardians of the Galaxy series.

    It’s sad to see Gaffigan leave the production, as he’s always a great addition to any project but with the role potentially growing, it could be that he had other projects lined up and just couldn’t return. Still, Green is a great get for the series, and given the supernatural origin of the genie, they could play around with the fact that he has a new voice every season as a fun running gag.

    Source: TVLine

  • Updated ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer on Disney+ Teases Improved CG

    Updated ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer on Disney+ Teases Improved CG

    It’s an understatement to say that the CG of She-Hulk’s first trailer was quite controversial. The timing of CinemaCon seemed like Marvel Studios may have had no real choice but to release something while Disney+ embraces an ad-supported model. Yet, it seems that some more work is being shown off with a brand new trailer that has been made available through Disney+, as first noticed by The Direct.

    There have been many that worried they might not truly improve upon the CG, but the new look highlights what may have been its underlying issue. Unlike Mark Ruffalo‘s returning Professor Hulk, the model used for She-Hulk had a lack of texture. Her body seemed too smooth in a way, which adds to the Uncanny Valley effect that it was out of place with its environment. Plus, it doesn’t feel as real as it could given how it stands out from the background.it brings Tatiana Maslany to life.

    via The Direct

    The close-up might be the best showcase of just how much adding texture to the model makes a difference. The version on the right highlights pores on her face with more detailing added that highlights what was “missing” in the initial trailer release. Naturally, low-resolution footage doesn’t help matters and just adds to the issue while watching.

    via The Direct

    The difference in the amount of time since the initial trailer release is impressive, but the trailer hasn’t been made available in all markets yet. They are very likely still actively working on the effects, which may become one of Marvel Studios’ most expensive series but it does help add some relief for those that wondered if the CG wouldn’t be reworked over time. It’s unclear just how much work went into this version and the next trailer release might help some get a better feeling for how the CG might end up being.

    Source: Disney+ via The Direct

  • J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    In 2019, J.J. Abrams signed an overall deal with HBO Max that cost the streaming service $250 million. Since then, Abrams’ Bad Robot has yet to actually produce anything under the said deal, which is leading Warner Bros. Discovery to question what the holdup is.

    Ever since Discovery completed its acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T in April, WBD CEO David Zaslav has been going over projects in various stages of development to try and determine whether or not they are worth continuing. One project that has already received the axe is the recently announced Wonder Twins film. The project was originally announced in February, then the project cast its leads in April, only for the film to be halted in early May. Unfortunately, Wonder Twins looks to be only the start of Zaslav’s changes. It’s expected that the newly merged studio will continue to crack down on projects in development – potentially even those being developed through Abrams’ overall deal.

    One of many projects announced as part of Abrams’ overall deal was Demimonde, a science fiction drama set to star Watchmen alum Danielle Deadwyler. The project was expected to consist of 10 episodes, but it might now be on the bubble with Bad Robot reportedly eyeing a budget north of $200 million for the series. As if that isn’t bad enough, Abrams is also developing HBO Max’s DC Comics-based Justice League Dark franchise, which will include shows like Constantine and Madame X. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is possible to even those projects could come under scrutiny from Zaslav.

    Part of the frustration is said to be that Abrams has “laid claim” to numerous DC characters but has yet to see a project through to fruition. While Warners has seen scripts for Constantine and the pilot of Madame X, the lack of movement could result in action from Zaslav as the streaming service is said to be dealing with a pipeline issue. As it stands, there is reportedly no delivery plan for any of the projects being developed under Abrams’ Bad Robot banner.

    It is of note that, along with producing a new Star Trek movie for Paramount, Abrams was just announced to be producing a Speed Racer series for Apple TV+ through his Bad Robot banner. That project is actually being produced as part of his overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, which is also producing the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • J. J. Abram’s ‘Demimonde’ on the Bubble Due to Budget Concerns

    J. J. Abram’s ‘Demimonde’ on the Bubble Due to Budget Concerns

    Not everything is going smoothly for J.J. Abrams with his new HBO deal, as it seems at the series Demimonde is facing some trouble. The series has been in production since 2018 and was part of Bad Robot’s deal with HBO. Yet, the issue seems to be that the project is looking at a budget beyond $200M, which is less than the upcoming Game of Thrones‘ spinoff, House of the Dragon. Naturally, as nothing of the $250M deal has come to fruition just yet over the years, it’s been becoming antsy over at HBO.

    The future of Demimonde is seemingly dependent on a decision by the end of this week. It recently cast Watchmen’s Danielle Deadwyler and eight of the ten episodes’ scripts are currently being supervised by Warner Bros. TV. It should be pointed out that the overall deal isn’t in jeopardy, but it could have a lasting effect on other projects, especially as HBO Max is getting impatient with the lack of output while Abrams seemingly makes external deals.

    Earlier, news hit that he was executive producing a series for Apple that would bring the classic anime Speed Racer to live-action once again. So, it’s not hard to see that HBO is starting to question how they truly benefit from the deal that was made in 2019 if they still haven’t seen anything produced since. So, there’s a lot riding on Demimonde and if they continue the production as planned, or decide to move away from it to lower risks.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Live-Action ‘Speed Racer’ Series Heading to Apple, J.J. Abrams on as Executive Producer

    Live-Action ‘Speed Racer’ Series Heading to Apple, J.J. Abrams on as Executive Producer

    In the age of Netflix’s strong focus on bringing iconic anime and manga franchises to live-action, it seems that Apple is the next to throw its hat into the ring. It looks like Apple is working on a live-action adaptation of Speed Racer with J.J. Abrams set as its executive producer. It already got a series order with Ron Fitzgerald and Hiram Martinez writing, as well as executive producing the series. They will also act as showrunners.

    It’ll be part of Bad Robot’s deal with Warner Bros. Television. It’s the second live-action adaptation of the franchise with The Wachowskis still being a cult favorite from back in 2008. While not a financial success, the film found a new life online with its unique visuals. It’s unclear if that’ll be a more grounded take on the franchise, or if it’ll keep its more out-there concepts.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they embrace the anime’s roots as we meet a man whose actual name is Speed Racer, who takes on anime’s original Wacky Races with a Mach 5. He works with his girlfriend Trixie, his father, little brother, and their pet chimpanzee, Chim-Chim, to take on the world. It would be great to see if they pay tribute to some of the cast from the original film, who might be open to returning.

    Source: Variety

  • REPORT: Runtime for ‘Ms. Marvel’s First 2 Episodes Revealed

    REPORT: Runtime for ‘Ms. Marvel’s First 2 Episodes Revealed

    As first reactions are hitting the web from Ms. Marvel, we also get some teases on what the first two episodes have to offer for those excited to check out Marvel Studios’ latest project. There’s always some excitement, or even uncertainty, about the runtime of these episodes as Marvel Studios has not truly broken beyond the one-hour mark with its drama series. It looks like the same can be said for the

    The first episode of Ms. Marvel will be 47 minutes long with the sequel running for two minutes longer. As per usual, it also includes the usual credits that are different depending on what region you are from, as they also include the local dub actors. So, keep that in mind if the runtime is slightly off in your local region.

    The runtime discussion has been an interesting one, as many have gotten the feeling that Marvel isn’t using more time to fully explore these stories. As we’re seeing these projects as quite new for Marvel Studios, who mainly focused on three cinematic productions per year. As they expand, they likely have to adjust to it and we’ll see how they learn moving forward.

    Ms. Marvel will explore the story of Kamala Khan. A young teenager who looks up to the heroes she grew up admiring, only to suddenly gain a special ability of her own. As the Pakistani-American tries to find out what she is truly capable of, Khan also has to balance her studies, avoiding high school’s usual trappings and the watchful eye of her family.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Echo’ Head Writer Shares Set Photo With First Look at New Logo

    ‘Echo’ Head Writer Shares Set Photo With First Look at New Logo

    It’s not uncommon that Marvel Studios’ projects go through a variety of logos while they go into development. Initial announcements tend to use a logo strongly inspired by the character’s comic runs before starting to evolve into its own unique design. While we knew long before Hawkeye entered production that the character of Echo (Alaqua Cox) would get her own Disney+ series.

    It wasn’t until Disney+ Day that we got our first look at its logo, which took a very simple design approach that isn’t new with any of the Marvel films. Yet, it looks like production has recently updated that they’ve updated the logo once again, as shared by the series head writer, Marion Dayre, on Twitter. While we don’t see anything from the actual production, we do get the series’ production name Solidarity alongside the new Echo logo.

    The design seems a bit more steeped in what the series represents, and we may hopefully also get that in the eventual updated design for the logo, which has become part of their usual development cycle. The logo showcased above is very likely not going to be used outside of the production.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania had a unique logo design that was hard to decipher at first but was only meant for the production team. So, this design is very likely also following that very rule. Still, it’s always great to get an update, no matter how small it is and there’s a lot of promise to explore a smaller scale story with this series.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 to Introduce a New Sensei

    ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 to Introduce a New Sensei

    According to Deadline, Alicia Hannah-Kim has joined the series as a South Korean Sensei named Kim Da-Eun who is a part of Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) plans to quickly grow the Cobra Kai franchise. Along with the addition of Hannah-Kim, Season 4 newbie Dupree Young, who portrays Kenny Payne, has been upgraded to a series regular for Season 5.

    Given how the end of Season 4 played out, with Martin Kove’s John Creese being arrested, it seems likely Da- Eun will play a leading alongside Silver. We know that Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) has already brought in his former enemy, Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), to help out Miyagi-Do as William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence took off to Mexico in search of Miguel (Xolo Maridueña). Da-Eun looks to be filling the shoes of Creese for Cobra Kai. Whether or not Da-Eun becomes another victim of Silver remains to be seen.

    Hannah-Kim recently appeared in HBO Max’s Minx as Wendy Mah. She has also appeared in Freeform’s Alone Together and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. As for Payne, outside of Cobra Kai, he has appeared in Nickelodeon’s Cousins for Life.

    The fifth season of Cobra Kai wrapped production back in December. The creator of Cobra Kai, Josh Heald, has previously teased that the series would run for six seasons. As of this writing, Netflix has not confirmed the sixth season, but scripts are already being written.

    Season 5 of Cobra Kai hits Netflix on Sept. 9th.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ to Take Inspiration From Martial Arts Films

    ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ to Take Inspiration From Martial Arts Films

    Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland got a chance to sit down with Vanity Fair to talk about the future for Star Wars fans with her new series, The Acolyte. We’ve been anxiously awaiting an update on what to expect from the series. The new interview gave us a tease of how she’s approaching the series by highlighting the advice she got from The Mandalorian‘s Jon Favreau.

    Jon Favreau said that when you’re working in this world, you want to go back to what George was inspired by. There were Westerns and then of course, Akira Kurosawa samurai films, and the fact that he originally offered Obi-Wan Kenobi to Toshiro Mifune …

    Leslye Headland

    Hearing that there are many ways to approach the series, it seems that she focused on martial arts films as how she’ll approach the series. Headland highlights some of the inspirations that she is taking with her while working on this series.

    So I actually went more toward martial arts films, and storylines that are a little bit more personal and less global and galactic. Those warriors were on missions that were deeply personal, with people feeling wronged and having to make it right. Wuxia Films and martial arts films from King Hu and the Shaw Brothers, like Come Drink With Me and Touch Of Zen. They’re monks that are also martial arts heroes.

    Leslye Headland

    The projects mentioned certainly sets up a great concept. Most of Star Wars inspirations were from westerns and samurai films. We’ve seen some influences from martial art films, but never a project that was built around the concept. So, here’s hoping we get some great action and drama that these iconic films are known for.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • ‘The Acolyte’ to Explore the Rise of the Sith During the High Republic

    ‘The Acolyte’ to Explore the Rise of the Sith During the High Republic

    Russian Doll‘s Leslye Headland will head into a galaxy far far away with the new Star Wars series Acolyte. We’ve learned that the series takes place long before the prequel trilogy with around 100 years stated. Now, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Headland offered some more details on how the storyline will explore how the Sith grew in power before the events of the Prequels. Headland highlights a quote from Mace Windu that inspired her to take on the story:

    In the prequels, Mace Windu says: ‘There’s no way that the Sith could have reemerged without us knowing about it.’ And Yoda says, ‘Hard to see, the dark side is. He acknowledges that this is a part of the Force that has been dormant, or at least hidden from them, for so long. What I immediately wondered about this particular period was: Who is practicing it

    Leslye Headland

    She also teases that the title has many significant references to where the story heads, such as pointing to someone that is closer to the dark side of the Force. So, we may be seeing the rise of the Sith, with Amandla Stenberg set to play the leading role. Though the wording also hints at someone who assists a religious leader in a ritual. So, we might see the padawan that supported Palpatine’s rise to power. Many also hope that perhaps we meet Darth Sidious, who has been teased briefly in an iconic sequence from the prequels.

    Source: Vanity Fair