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Tag: TV News

  • Warwick Davis On How ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Helped ‘Willow’ Become Reality

    Warwick Davis On How ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Helped ‘Willow’ Become Reality

    2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story didn’t truly land with audiences or critics. More than that, it seems to have inspired Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy’s decision not to recast iconic roles. Having done so unsuccessfully with one of Harrison Ford’s most iconic roles, Kennedy refuses to do it again even as Ford’s last adventure as Indiana Jones prepares to hit theaters, choosing to create an Indy-adjacent streaming series for Disney Plus rather than misfire on another recast. However, not all the takeaways from Solo were negative; in fact, it turns out that some behind-the-scenes conversations during its production were the genesis of the Disney Plus streaming series Willow.

    During the global press conference for the upcoming series, star Warwick Davis, who first starred as Willow Ufgood when he was 17 years old, shared his belief that despite many attempts to get a follow-up to the 1988 movie off the ground, it would never happen. “For years it’s been talked about, not by anyone official but by the fans“, said Davis. “They’ve constantly pestered me“, he continued, “saying ‘when are we going to see a sequel to that movie?’ And it’s a question that I could never answer.”

    A question, Davis says, he wasn’t able to answer until fate intervened. A Willow sequel seemed impossible for the star “Until I met Jon Kasdan“, said Davis of the writer and executive producer of the Willow streaming series. It turns out Kasdan, the son of frequent Lucasfilm collaborator Lawrence Kasdan who also worked on the script for Solo. As it turned out, Kasdan the younger was a fan of the Willow film as a kid and, according to Davis, joined him in feeling the time was right for a sequel series.

    We decided that there should indeed be more ‘Willow,’ and so that was the catalyst for this project to happen, really, and it happened very quickly in Hollywood terms. You know, it wasn’t years and years of development, before I knew it I was sat on set, in Wales for the very first day of filming. Once again looking just like ‘Willow, but a slightly older, more mature, better-looking version. Sexier.

    Warwick Davis

    Of course, it didn’t hurt the chances of a follow-up happening that the conversations about it happened on the set of Solo, where Ron Howard, who directed Willow, was helming the Star Wars origin story. According to Kasdan, the three of them formed a triumvirate that believed there was more story to tell.

    There was the impulse certainly between Ron and Warwick and myself to continue this story, and return to this world. And I came at it as a fan, and they came at it both as the creators, and they found a champion in me, and I kept fighting and sort of hoping that we’d get a chance to go back here, and my ace was always that Warwick would be back and that he would look so attractive and America would – and the world – would really fall on their knees. I think everyone got that, and everyone appreciated that, that there was something really special in the opportunity to bring this character back to the screen.

    Jon Kasdan

    Fans of the original film will have a chance to decide for themselves how necessary the sequel series is when Willow streams on Disney Plus beginning November 30th.

  • ‘Andor’ Showrunner Teases a Fan-Favorites Arrival in Season 2

    ‘Andor’ Showrunner Teases a Fan-Favorites Arrival in Season 2

    While many downplayed a prequel series to Rogue One‘s Cassian Andor, the Disney+ series has quickly become a fan-favorite. Unlike the previous series on the streaming platform, it feels the most detached from the weight of Star Wars legacy. We did see some familiar faces, but they don’t overstay their welcome in a series that doesn’t hide away from the darkest aspects of the Empire’s rule.

    Diego Luna’s return as Andor gave the series a familiar face while telling a very detached story from the original film, but the upcoming second season will start introducing some familiar elements. The biggest hope for Rogue One was the arrival of the fan-favorite droid K-2SO, voiced by Alan Tudyk, and in an interview with Collider, showrunner Tony Gilroy seemingly hints that the character will finally join.

    Well, I think that’s one of the responsibilities of Part 2. Obviously, if we’re going to walk into Rogue, we have to deal with that.

    Tony Gilroy

    It’s ironic that when the show was initially announced, it seemed like K-2SO would feature in the series before suddenly Tudyk confirmed he wasn’t involved with the production. Seeing how the show tackled the Empire from the eyes of Andor, it does make sense that wanting to give him a more personal story it might’ve been too early to introduce the character. Keeping him for the second season opens up more potential, especially in how it established Andor’s overall view of the Empire. So an Empire droid ending up on his side might take the reluctant Rebel on a wild ride.

    Source: Collider

  • Latest ‘Marvel Studios’ Legends’ Confirms Star-Lord Has a [SPOILER]

    Latest ‘Marvel Studios’ Legends’ Confirms Star-Lord Has a [SPOILER]

    Well, this is a surprising reveal that confirms a long-time theory. Marvel Studios has started the tradition of creating small supercuts to share the adventures the various Marvel Cinematic Universe characters have gone through in the past few years. Marvel Studios’ Legends is a great little guide for those that don’t actively follow every project the studio puts out. With the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on the horizon, we got a new entry recapping our favorite ragtag group of space heroes. Surprisingly, it includes a deleted scene that confirms a surprisingly familiar connection.

    As it turns out, Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis is actually Star-Lord a.k.a. Peter Quill’s sister. There have been some theories that this might be the case when we first meet Mantis with his father, Ego. There was a short showcase of his many lovers from across the galaxy, which included someone that looked quite similar to Mantis’ race. Plus, Ego has collected his children for one purpose and there always was the question of why he kept her around. With her being his daughter, it makes sense he kept her around just in case she might become useful.

    It’s interesting that she shared this with Drax, who’s the one to reveal it with the line “he should know you are his sister” and that they’d go out of their way to set up this connection as part of the recap. So, we’ll see if this might be something James Gunn explores further in the upcoming Holiday Special and third entry of the trilogy. Also, it’s nice to see someone find out they have a sister that isn’t seemingly planning on killing them; Thor could give him some pointers.

    Source: Disney+ via The Direct

  • ‘Andor’ Finale Post-Credit Scene Explained

    ‘Andor’ Finale Post-Credit Scene Explained

    Season One of Andor concluded with a bang. A series of them actually, as the people of Ferrix stood against the Empire in what could only be described as a revolution. The revolt may go down in the books as the first open act of defiance against the Empire, but as audiences already know, the Empire isn’t going down quite yet. In fact, it’s still building to its peak level of terror. To that end, the episode came with the first post-credit tag of the series which served as a chilling reminder that the worst from the Empire is yet to come.

    Set deep in space, the tag shows a group of small droids shuffling around and installing some very familiar-looking components into a much larger assembly. As the camera pulls back, it’s revealed that the droids are putting together a layer of the Death Star’s Superlaser. Given Andor’s 5 BBY setting and the massive undertaking of assembling a station the size of the DS-1, its construction fits the timeline as well as many fan theories that have swirling about since Episode 8.

    The Superlaser’s power came from the combination of 8 separate laser beams which were converged into the one massive, planet-killing beam that made the Death Star the most terrifying weapon in the galaxy. Though no details were given, it seems as though the droids are using the components to assemble channels for the individual beams.

    Of course, the most chilling aspect of the post-credit scene is the realization that the components being installed were built by Cassian and his fellow inmates in the prison on Narkina 5. The tag adds context to so much of Andor, Rogue One and really any other projects that take place in the timeline prior to A New Hope. The prisoners at Narkina 5, a place that felt so incredibly oppressive, were working tirelessly and competitively to create the Empire’s most oppressive weapon.

    For Cassian, coming to learn that he’d build part of the Death Star could go a long way in explaining his commitment to its destruction in Rogue One, where he’s willing to give his life to ensure the plans get to the Rebels. Finally, with the Empire becoming aware of the growing threat of a Rebellion and the fact that the tag shows the importance of the parts the prisoners have been building, it provides a terrifying additional layer to the idea that the prisoners of Narkina 5 were never getting out and also that by escaping, they may have paused the project just long enough to let the Rebels catch the break they needed to ultimately destroy the Death Star!

  • James Gunn Clears the Air on the Rumors Surrounding Henry Cavill’s Superman Contract

    James Gunn Clears the Air on the Rumors Surrounding Henry Cavill’s Superman Contract

    For those outside of the know, visionary director James Gunn is now in the driver’s seat at DC Films, alongside co-leader Peter Safran, and he’s not afraid to clear things up when the internet gets them wrong. A recent online rumor claimed British star Henry Cavill, who has portrayed Superman in the DCEU since 2013’s Man of Steel, had signed a new contract with the company that included the potential for television appearances. While Gunn has not yet fully denied this, he did take to Twitter to clarify that no current reports on the matter come from anyone with actual knowledge on the situation.


    Cavill made a grand return to his iconic role in last month’s Black Adam, while Gunn has been hard at work revitalizing DC’s television slate since the release of The Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker earlier this year on HBO Max. The return of Cavill to playing Superman after several years away from the superheroic spotlight has gotten audiences very excited, and reports like the one Gunn has shot down are likely to be plentiful. However, no official announcements have been made regarding what’s next for DC Films now that Gunn and Safran are in charge. Luckily for fans, the duo’s track record indicates they might have a lot to be hopeful about. A dedicated comic book fan and proven filmmaker, Gunn is slated to head the creative aspect of DC’s cinematic future while Safran handles the business side. When the pair are ready, there’s a good chance the DC fandom gets quite a bit of thrilling news. Until then, it appears reports about Superman and his fellow Justice Leaguers should be taken with a grain of salt.

    Source: Twitter

  • Vincent D’Onofrio Praises Alaqua Cox’s Performance in ‘Echo’; Teases ‘Born Again’ Connection

    Vincent D’Onofrio Praises Alaqua Cox’s Performance in ‘Echo’; Teases ‘Born Again’ Connection

    Marvel Studios’ streaming series Echo stands poised to be a trailblazing project in a number of ways. Not only will it be the first Marvel Studios project to feature a Native American lead and largely Native American supporting cast, but it also puts star Alaqua Cox, who is deaf and an amputee, in the spotlight making good on a wish she expressed during her time on Hawkeye to be part of the effort to “see more deaf and disabled role models to inspire the next generation.” Disney debuted footage of the series exclusively at D23 and though the show has completed production, rumors of issues behind the scenes have begun to swirl ahead of its slated release in the Spring of 2023.

    If there are any issues, they would seemingly come as a surprise to Vincent D’Onofrio, who has a sizeable role as Wilson Fisk in Echo. Speaking recently at Salt Lake FanX, D’Onofrio praised the performance of Cox as Maya Lopez “I have to say that in Echo, which is coming, where you get to see Alaqua Cox’s performance…it was just phenomenal.” The actor then went on to tease the scenes that his Kingpin shared with Cox’s Maya Lopez, hyping specifically “the last few episodes” and saying of the show that “it’s going to be quite something.“

    Before switching gears, though, D’Onofrio indicated that long-standing rumors that Echo would serve as a direct lead-in to his next MCU project, Daredevil: Born Again, are accurate saying, “And that leads into, of course, Born Again.” Again, whatever purported issues there are with the series, if any, D’Onofrio seemed entirely unaware of them at FanX, which was held in late September.

    Like many projects, it’s possible that Echo may require some more work and might even find its release date bumped back a bit. However, considering its importance as the first superhero project centered around Native Americans and the connection to Daredevil: Born Again, it seems likely that Marvel Studios will find a way to remedy any issues with the finished product.

    Source: Emmys.com, YouTube

  • Vincent D’Onofrio Hypes ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, May Hint at Showdown with The Punisher

    Vincent D’Onofrio Hypes ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, May Hint at Showdown with The Punisher

    Daredevil: Born Again is shaping up to be Marvel Studios’ most ambitious streaming series to date. The 18-episode event will take nearly all of 2023 to film before hitting Disney Plus in 2024 and is rumored to include a whole slew of characters including the Punisher and White Tiger, a new street-level character from the pages of Marvel Comics. Even without those characters, the hype for the series, which will see Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio share the lead for the first time since the Netflix Daredevil series was canceled, has always been high. But it can always get better…

    At a recent appearance at Salt Lake FanX, D’Onofrio took the time to get the audience in attendance even more fired up about the upcoming series. While responding to a question about what hero he’d like to face down the road in the MCU, D’Onofrio veered off-topic (or did he?) to hype Daredevil: Born Again.

    I will say though…see you guys have no idea what you’re in store for in Born Again. I know a little bit more than you guys and all I can say is, during that next series you’re not going to be thinking about anything but the next episode. I promise.

    Vincent D’Onofrio

    What made D’Onofrio connect the dots from a hero he’d like to face to the comment about Born Again? Though he’s often been clear that he’d love to see Kingpin take on Spider-Man in the MCU, he’s also made it known that a Punisher vs. Kingpin battle is on his list of goals. With the rumors of Jon Bernthal’s return to the role continuing to swirl, perhaps D’Onofrio’s comments could give fans of the character a little more reason to hope he’ll be included.

  • Kareem Daniel to Leave Disney, Streaming Division Facing Reorganization

    Kareem Daniel to Leave Disney, Streaming Division Facing Reorganization

    It was only a question of time but it’s insane that it only took a day before the news hit that former Disney CEO Bob Chapek‘s internal executive structure is already falling apart. As it seems, the head of media and entertainment distribution, Kareem Daniel, is set to leave the company as well with former CEO Bob Iger returning. It was a strong move away from Iger’s creative-focused era that has left the company with a few scars in its wake, especially souring the views on its streaming ambitions with Disney+. Iger always was the kind of leader that used data but didn’t overly rely on it to muddle creative ambitions; the issue the current leadership fell into, especially with dramas surrounding Black Widow‘s release.

    In a world and business that is awash with data, it is tempting to use data to answer all of our questions, including creative questions. I urge all of you not to do that.

    Bob Iger

    Daniel and Chapek’s goals were quite ambitious and they aimed to grow Disney+ as fast as possible with investment, but it seemingly led to many sparks internally, especially with the issue of return on investment being left behind in those ambitions. Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu stand at a proud 235M combined subscriber base making it quite competitive with Netflix and shouldn’t be ignored, but the concern that the $1.5B investment can’t be recouped by the time it was meant to be is definitely one of the reasons for this massive executive switch. Still, with Daniel‘s exit, we can expect some major changes in Disney+’s streaming strategy and structure moving forward.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Bob Iger Returns as CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek Exits Company

    Bob Iger Returns as CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek Exits Company

    Disney has been under constant fire for some time with a lot of uncertainty about where exactly the company is truly trying to head. Bob Chapek took over at a rather rough time, as streaming was still a booming market, and then suddenly the pandemic happened. No matter where one lies in regard to streaming’s future, Disney was all in long before Chapek took over and Bob Iger was still leading.

    in a shocking twist though, it seems that Iger is back in business. While having left the position behind, the iconic manager has once again decided to return to the position. Chapek is set to leave the company with the Disney board of directors has announced it on a Sunday night, a very uncommon move in the industry.

    We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.

    Susan Arnold, Chairman of the Board

    What makes this announcement bizarre is that Chapek already signed a multi-year contract. So, he’ll definitely be leaving with a nice package as he leaves the role behind. Iger has already sent out an e-mail to employees and going by online reactions, there’s a certain excitement in the air.

    It should be noted that Iger’s new contract is only set for two years, as he prepares for a true successor; a highlight of why this decision was made. The controversies surrounding their digital expansion have definitely left a sour taste with the market’s boom, especially when Netflix hit a sudden ceiling; though has seen some more positive developments as of late.

    The issue on top of it all is also the controversy surrounding Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which was a PR nightmare for the company and ended up souring its relationship with many. Add in some harsh quarter developments with heavy investments and not hitting profitability targets, and the board definitely has been concerned and took immediate action to correct the course, or rather find the man to steer a “complex period of industry transformation.”

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Jonathan Majors Teases the “Many Variants” of Kang

    Jonathan Majors Teases the “Many Variants” of Kang

    Jonathan Majors‘ memorable performance as He Who Remains in the Season One finale of Loki was a titillating taste of the type of talent the ascending actor brings to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though He Who Remains met his end at the hands of Sylvie, Majors isn’t done with the MCU. As teased in Loki, there are many Variants of Nathaniel Richards in the Multiverse, including “something worse” than He Who Remains.

    It looks like “something worse” will come in the form of Kang the Conqueror in next February’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Both Majors and director Peyton Reed have described Kang the Conqueror as a warrior who looks poised to be a threat not only to Scott, Hope, Cassie, Janet and Hank in the Quantum Realm but also to Earth and its other heroes. The first look at the film makes it clear that this Variant of the character is nothing like his quirky doppelganger from Loki and according to Majors, the ability to create different versions of the character is exactly what drew him to the role.

    In an interview with THR, Majors was asked if the opportunity to never play the same Kang twice was what ultimately sold him on taking the role:

    Yeah, absolutely. That’s what’s on the page. That’s what the IP says. I was cool, very cool. Kang just lives in his own world in the MCU. No spoilers here, but there’s so many variants of him.

    Jonathan Majors

    Expanding on the thought, Majors pointed out that Marvel Studios’ “brain trust” is working hard behind the scenes to make the most out of one of Marvel Comics’ most fascinating villains.

    And with the powers that are the MCU, that intelligentsia and that brain trust there, they’re just really working to use the IP to its best ability, and it’s extremely humbling that they picked me to step into that. So I’m honored to do it, and I’m always excited to see what we’re doing…Kang is a career in itself. It’s either the cake itself or the cherry on top, I don’t know. But to play multiple versions, it’s just beautiful. It’s a workshop every day.

    Jonathan Majors

    Given Majors’ versatile talents, it’s easy to see why Marvel Studios went after him for the role and it’s also becoming increasingly difficult to imagine anyone else in the role.

    Source: THR