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Tag: TV News

  • ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Rights Up for Sale, ViacomCBS Interested

    ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Rights Up for Sale, ViacomCBS Interested

    Alvin and the Chipmunks have been a childhood classic for years. Now, it seems that the current owner Bagdasarian Productions is aiming to sell the iconic singing chipmunks for around $300M. Currently, ViacomCBS is interested in purchasing the rights, which includes all the films, songs, and TV shows that starred Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and their expanded family. The company is run by Ross Bagsdasarian Jr. and his wife Janice Karman. They’ve already actively had talks with buyers but no agreement has come as of now.

    The current price is at $300M but it’s uncertain if that will remain as such moving forward. Many streaming services are eager to add any potential streaming service to their repertoire. So, it’ll be interesting to see who is interested in ensuring they can bank on adding this franchise. While it did have some films, the series is mostly known for its young demographic.

    Netflix has quite the interest in these types of IPs, such as the recent purchase of Roald Dahl‘s children’s books which cost upward of $700M. Ross Bagdasarian Sr. created the characters in 1958 for a children’s music act. It wasn’t until 1961 that the original three chipmunks Alvin, Simon, and Theodore made their official first appearance. Depending on who garners the rights, they’ll have a lot to play with. In a way, Disney might have their eye on the franchise as it plays into their all-encompassing approach to media and intellectual property.

    Source: CNBC

  • ‘Y: The Last Man’s Natasha Mumba Reveals Her Role in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

    ‘Y: The Last Man’s Natasha Mumba Reveals Her Role in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

    It looks like one more actress has joined the upcoming HBO adaptation of the popular gaming franchise The Last Of Us. Y: The Last Man actress Natasha Mumba updated her Instagram profile to include her role in the upcoming series. She even adds the name of her character, Kim Tembo. Fans of the gaming franchise might notice that this character hasn’t appeared in one of the two games and might be another invention for the series.

    As this is the only news we have on her joining the project, it opens up the question of what kind of role she might have. There’s a good chance she may play a member of the Fireflies or the event offer a unique take on some familiar storylines. The core of the original story was isolation. So, it’s uncertain if this version takes a unique approach to explore how exactly she fits into the story. It’s great to see Mumba join the production hot off the tail of her success on series Y: The Last Man and The Handmaiden’s Tale. It’ll be interesting to see her dynamic with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

    Source: Instagram

  • Carole Baskin Sues Netflix for Using Footage of Her in ‘Tiger King 2’

    Carole Baskin Sues Netflix for Using Footage of Her in ‘Tiger King 2’

    Carole Baskin is suing Netflix.

    As Tiger King 2 readies to hit the streaming platform, Baskin is suing the streaming giant for using footage of her in the second season. Baskin and her husband, Howard Baskin, filed a lawsuit in Florida against Netflix on Monday. Variety was able to uncover some of the documents in which Baskin alleges she only signed on for a single season.

    Per Baskin, Netflix breached their contract by using footage of her and her husband in Tiger King 2. The court document states that footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue was only contracted for the initial documentary. “The Baskins believed that any sequel – though odious – would not include any of their footage.”

    Footage of the couple, however, was used in the trailer to promote the upcoming second installment hitting the streaming service this month. “By utilizing the film footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue secured by Royal Goode Productions under the Appearance Releases in ‘sizzle reels’ and promotional trailers for the sequel entitled ‘Tiger King 2,’ the Defendants are in breach of the terms of the Appearance Releases.”

    Baskin also described how the documentary was something different than what was originally pitched to her when they made Tiger King. During production on that project, Baskin believed it to be an exposé of the big cat breeding and cub petting trade along the lines of Blackfish. Instead, she felt as though the show focused far too much on Joe Exotic.

    It’s unclear what’ll happen with Tiger King 2 slated to debut on Nov. 17.

    Source: Variety

  • Writers Revealed for First Three Episodes of ‘Hawkeye’

    Writers Revealed for First Three Episodes of ‘Hawkeye’

    Hawkeye premieres with 2 episodes on Disney+ in little over 3 weeks. Up until now, most of what we have seen from the show has been the Christmas Holiday atmosphere it is leaning into. It’s quite clear from the trailers that Clint Barton’s past as Ronin will drag him along with Kate Bishop into a conflict with the Tracksuit Mafia just before Christmas. As we get closer to the release date there will be more details updated and released about the technical aspects of the show. The Writer’s Guild of America West has updated their site to show the credited writers for the first three episodes. 

    Episode 1 has been written by series Head Writer Jonathan Igla. He is most well known for his 2010 to 2015 run on Mad Men from Season 4 to Season 7. He also worked on Sorry for Your Loss, a bereavement-focused drama series executive produced by and starring Elizabeth Olsen. Writing Episode 2 is the newest name to be revealed from the Hawkeye writers’ room. Like Igla, Elisa Climent’s credits seem to be a mix of drama and comedy with the aforementioned Sorry For Your Loss, and a dark comedy about a female con artist called Imposters. Finally, for Episode Three, the duo Katrina Mathewson and Tanner Bean who previously announced their involvement on Twitter in March 2020 and who similarly have drama and comedy credits including a previous holiday film Christmas Ever After.

    With the glimpses of Rogers the Musical and the seriousness of Clint trying to get back to his family before Christmas it seems like Hawkeye tread the balance between comedy and drama as the the writers’ previous credits seem to indicate. As for how the series itself plays out, we’ll have to wait and see as it premieres towards the end of this month and concludes close to Christmas. 

    Source: WGAW via Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Casting Members of The Fire Nation

    Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Casting Members of The Fire Nation

    The Last Airbender amassed a huge following on Nickelodeon when its first episode premiered over 16 years ago. The story of Aang, a young Airbender, uniting with two Water Tribe siblings, and the exiled son of the Fire Lord, as he returns from being stuck in time resonated with people both young and old. Following Aang’s journey as he learned how to master the elements in preparation for his fight with the aforementioned Fire Lord was a masterclass in storytelling, and so many incredible stories were woven into its 61 episode runtime.

    At the height of its popularity, a live-action film was inevitable. M. Night Shyamalan was enlisted to bring the story to life, with Noah Ringer as Aang, Dev Patel as Prince Zuko, Nicola Peltz as Katara, and Jackson Rathbone, fresh off his role in Twilight, as Sokka. It was promptly ravaged by critics despite it earning more than double its budget. Like the Water Tribe, Avatar fans have been waiting for news of Aang especially after the incredible Legend of Korra. Well, the wait is almost over, as Netflix announced the core cast for a live-action remake of the cartoon in August of this year: Gordon Cormier (Gabby Duran and the Unsittables) as Aang, Kiawentiio (Beans) as Katara, Ian Ousley (Physical) as Sokka, and Dallas Liu (PEN15) is Zuko. Today, we have even more casting news.

    Thanks to our good friends at The Illuminerdi, we now have word on what roles the showrunners are looking to cast.

    First up, it seems, is General Iroh. For Avatar fans, that name will mean a lot as he is who counsels Prince Zuko into joining with the Avatar instead of doing his father’s bidding and who has one of the most heart-wrenching stories when he is recounting the Battle of Ba Sing Se. His character description describes him as a “now retired, but once top athletics coach in the country. Known for his tough coaching and winning record he’s calmed since his retirement and takes the time to smell the roses and taste the pleasures in life.”

    Up next, they are looking to cast who can only be Azula. For those who don’t remember her, she is the Princess of the Fire Nation and a firebending prodigy who manages to produce blue fire when battling Zuko in the later seasons. While she doesn’t play a big role in season one, she plays an integral role down the stretch and is the perfect foil for Prince Zuko. This character is described as a person who “has been training her entire life to live up to the legacy of her father. She inherited his single-mindedness and ambition and like her father has developed a ruthlessness that she exerts toward anyone she sees as competition, including her own family.”

    Lastly, we have the Fire Lord himself, Lord Ozai. Described as an “intense and steadfast CEO of a major corporation with perfectionist standards that he believes everyone around him should live up to. Infamously willing to sacrifice everything to gain power including his marriage. He sees it as his duty to groom his teenage children to see the world as he does and to be just as ruthless.” Ozai abused Zuko and then exiled him, took the throne without a challenge from General Iroh, and ruled over the world while Aang was frozen. Think the Mandarin to Shang Chi, and you’ll have an idea.

    This is all exciting news for fans of the cartoon, as a lot of us were hoping something would be done to redeem the series after the terrible job done by M. Night. As of right now, release is tentatively slated for the 2022 Holiday season.

    Source: Illuminderdi

  • RUMOR: Darth Maul to Return in an Animated ‘Solo’ Prequel Series

    RUMOR: Darth Maul to Return in an Animated ‘Solo’ Prequel Series

    Star wars has established its brand through live-action back in the day but saw quite the resurgence through animation before The Mandalorian was released. The Clone Wars offered a glimpse into a storyline that was barely teased in the original films. We got to revisit the stories of well-established characters, like the return of Darth Maul and his bizarre revenge-filled journey. His story, once again, came to an end in the final season of The Clone Wars released on Disney+, but a new rumor might be pointing to him not being done quite yet. Cinelinx’s Jordan Maison has recently shared the news on The Book of Boba Fett’s episode count and seems to double-downed on Star Wars-related news.

    In his latest article, he discusses that famous voice actors Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, and Sam Witwer were recording something. After some more digging, it seems that they may be developing a new solo project focused purely on Darth Maul. He goes on to state it might act as a prequel to the revelation in Solo: A Star Wars Story that he was leading the Crimson Dawn. Paul Bettany is also rumored to return as Dryden Vos in the project.

    Maul’s true last stand took place in Star Wars Rebels, which means there’s a chance we might find out how he ended up in that location completely powerless. If they already recorded the project, it might be far into production at this point. They didn’t announce it during last year’s Disney Investors Day. So, perhaps we’ll get a clearer picture once Disney+ Day arrives in a few weeks.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • New Photos Surface of Going Merry on the Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Set

    New Photos Surface of Going Merry on the Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Set

    We’ve been long waiting for any sign of life of the upcoming One Piece adaptation by Netflix. They’ve currently set their eyes on promoting Tomorrow Studios’ first anime adaptation with Cowboy Bebop but that doesn’t mean the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda‘s popular manga series. In September, we got our first glimpses of production gearing up in South Africa. We were also able to confirm that Black Sails and Daredevil director Marc Jobst will tackle the series’ pilot. Yet, as things have calmed down last month, some set photos have surfaced teasing the Straw Hats iconic ship, the Going Merry.

    Reddit user u/… updated a piece showcasing various updates on the Netflix series since its launch similar to what we prepared back in August. What caught our eye was the updates from October 3rd and September 25th. These link to Imgur accounts that feature new looks at the Cape Town to featuring a familiar-looking lamb head attached to one of the boats.

    It’s the first sighting since we got a glimpse back in March. They continue to confirm that production is preparing, as we’re still waiting for an exact production start date or even a glimpse at the cast. The pandemic delayed its production by quite a bit. Interestingly enough, the last time we saw photos the horns were covered. WE get a better look at them this time around, but they haven’t been colored yet. So, it’s uncertain if these are older photos that simply surfaced now again, or that step took a backseat due to production delays.

    Here’s hoping that the wait won’t take much longer until we get a new update on the production. The first teases and trailers of Cowboy Bebop did showcase a promising adaptation that tries to stay true to the original while also keeping Western tastes in mind. It’ll be interesting to see if they might utilize the upcoming 1000th episode to kick off their live-action venture.

    Source: Imgur via Reddit, Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Might Have 9 Episodes

    RUMOR: ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Might Have 9 Episodes

    After a long wait, we finally got the first trailer for the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett. There’s still quite some time until it releases at the end of December. As a spinoff of The Mandalorian, it was assumed it might also follow a similar structure with around eight episodes getting released. Disney+ doesn’t restrict their episode counts and we’ve seen many series adapt the length depending on what the series requires. It looks like that Boba Fett’s upcoming adventure might run for around nine episodes according to Jordan Maison, who has shared stories in the past such as on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game.

    As this is the first time the show doesn’t follow a specific episode count, it does open the possibility that future entries on the streaming service don#t abide by a specific structure. Marvel Studios sets six episodes for hour-long series while half-hour shows will get around ten. As streaming doesn’t have to abide by any rules, it’s curious that most of them seem to try and structure their episode counts in advance rather than what the story requires. Still, it may be a way to keep the stories as focused as possible and consistent for viewers, especially with Disney+’s focus on weekly results. We’ll see if we get a confirmation on the episode count in the near future.

    Source: Twitter

  • Roku turns Toronto into NYC in ‘Most Dangerous Game’ Set Video

    Roku turns Toronto into NYC in ‘Most Dangerous Game’ Set Video

    Toronto has become the home of many productions. It’s quite popular for the CW network, which has shot many of their DC comics series in the Canadian city. It’s also currently the home to the Nick Sanora created series Most Dangerous Game. Originally premiering on the now-defunct Quibi app, it’s based on Richard Connell‘s 1924 short story. After the mobile streaming service closed up shop, Roku Channel purchased the rights to the series and gave it a second season.

    The rules are simple. You’ll have 24 hours to survive with hunters trying to take you down. Each hour you survive, you’ll get money. Liam Hemsworth‘s Dodge Tynes finds out he has a brain tumor, he takes the risk to ensure his family’s future. The series is currently filming its second season in Toronto, where David Castañeda takes on the lead role. @TOFilming_EM shared a TikTok featuring the series set as they turned the Canadian city into New York City.

    When Deadline reported the new lead, we got the confirmation the upcoming season takes place in New York City. The only confirmed returning actor from the previous season is Christoph Waltz, who plays a mysterious businessman by the name of Miles Sellars. He’s the one who offers the initial deal and organizes the hunts. It’s a simple but effective premise for an ongoing series. It’ll be interesting if we also see some familiar faces that return as the series continues.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline

  • ‘Superman and Lois’ Showrunner Teases Season 2’s Villain

    ‘Superman and Lois’ Showrunner Teases Season 2’s Villain

    Superman and Lois‘ first season reinvented the way we see stories around the Man of Steel. This time around, Clark Kent is faced with the biggest challenge ever, raising two sons alongside his love Lois Lane. He did face off against some new foes like Adam Rayner‘s Tal-Rho. Of course, it opened up the question of what other villains he might face off against in the upcoming second season. Luckily, showrunner Todd Helbing offered a small tease when he was asked if we’ve heard of the next villain he’ll face.

    You have, yes. The only tease I will say is, in the same way that we took Morgan Edge and twisted the mythology a little bit—made him Clark’s brother and ultimately the Eradicator—we’re trying to go into the comic books to find lesser-known villains and reinvent them. We can introduce them and people can then go read the versions in the comics.

    Todd Helbing

    In the same interview, he also highlights that we haven’t seen the last of Tal-Rho either. So, it’ll be interesting to see how many villains he might end up facing in the upcoming second season. It’s great that they want to explore smaller villains that normally wouldn’t get a chance on the silver screen or generally in live-action. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle it. Helbing also revealed that they recently pitched the second season to the studio. So, they are still in the early stages of getting the ball rolling on the project. So, we might not see any new updates for some time until they start entering production.

    Source: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Special Collector’s Issue via TV Insider