Tag: hollywood

Fallout Trailer Gives a Glimpse of Irradiated Wasteland Filled With Ghouls, Giant Roaches, More

The Fallout TV series just got a trailer, giving us a glimpse into its irradiated post-apocalyptic world. Unveiled during the Comic-Con Expo (CCXP) event in Brazil, the show brings forth an original story set in a dilapidated Los Angeles and runs canon to the Bethesda game’s universe — adding to the franchise, instead of adapting from one of its titles. However, just like the games, the tale largely follows a vault dweller who heads out into the nuclear wasteland in search of answers and in the process, meets countless eccentric characters — both good and bad — and uncovers the larger politics surrounding class divide, morality, and more. Fallout premieres April 12 on Amazon Prime Video.

“I know that I’ve lived a relatively comfortable life,” Lucy (Ella Purnell) says in the Fallout trailer, as she leaves her underground shelter Vault 33 and heads out to the topside. It’s unclear what caused her to leave, but some glimpses at the inside activities suggest that the dweller got into a scuffle, leading to mass bloodshed — presumably caused by the regular social experiments conducted by Vault-Tec Corporation. This is a universe set 200 years after a nuclear apocalypse ravaged the lands, with the wealthiest folk seeking refuge in cutting-edge, luxurious buried dwellings while the poor withered away to radiation or succumbed to its mutating effects. A lot of this is depicted in the trailer via vast stretches of emptiness, broken structures, and an abundance of radroaches, which as the name suggests, are enlarged mutated cockroaches. “Vault dwellers are an endangered species,” a voiceover warns Lucy, signifying how much the outside world had changed since the explosions were set off.

In addition to Lucy, the Fallout series will focus on two main characters — Cooper Howard and Maximus. The former (Walton Goggins) is a Ghoul — human survivors who got mutated by residual irradiation turning into noseless zombie-looking beings — living life as a dashing cowboy, accompanied by Dogmeat, the iconic German Shepherd who is briefly seen devouring a radroach in the Fallout trailer. Meanwhile, Maximus (Aaron Moten) is a wannabe soldier, raised by the metallic Brotherhood of Steel military troop, looking to prove his worth to the super soldiers fearing that he might be cast aside at any moment. Towards the end, we’re treated to visuals of battle as The Ghoul starts shooting people at a Western saloon, automated miniguns start firing at civilians, and an unnamed Vault 33 dweller with a fork stuck in her eye goes berserk. There’s also a quick look at a Yao Guai — mutated black bear — easily tearing through heavy metal power armours and a Chris Parnell as a cyclops Vault resident.

Fallout also stars Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) as Lucy’s father Hank, Moisés Arias (Nacho Libre), Sarita Choudhury (The Green Knight), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), and Zach Cherry (Severance). Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy helm the series, in addition to executive producing with game director Todd Howard. Nolan also directs the first three episodes and continues the filmmaking couple’s partnership with Amazon Studios, which previously saw the sci-fi series Peripheral getting cancelled after the first season.

Fallout premieres April 12, 2024, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Trailer: Anya Taylor-Joy Takes on Chris Hemsworth in Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer is finally here — in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. At this year’s Comic-Con Experience (CCXP) in Brazil, Warner Bros. dropped the first look at George Miller’s prequel film, with Anya Taylor-Joy portraying the younger version of the skinhead wasteland heroine originally played by Charlize Theron in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Slated to release in May 2024, the film appears to have amped up on the explosions and frantic vehicular action, as the future Imperator is seen finding means to survive out in the desert and plotting her eventual escape. Continuing his decades-long trend, director Miller has again teamed up with Nico Lathouris to write this new Mad Max movie.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer

The trailer of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga opens with a desperate woman’s voice cutting through the gunshots: “Whatever you have to do, however long it takes, promise me you’ll find your way home.” This is clearly directed at our protagonist Furiosa (Taylor-Joy) who is seen lost and dawdling about in the desert, presumably cut off from her bike gang abductors, who snatched her from the Green Place of Many Mothers, a lush haven in the sandy dunes where one could grow crops. It’s the same location where the Vuvalini tribe were found residing among the crows in Mad Max: Fury Road when the older Furiosa (Theron) finally reunited with them, years later. This prequel shows the character’s rebellious origins where she’s caught amidst a ruthless gang war between two tyrants on a sweeping journey to the Citadel.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Hindi trailer

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Tamil trailer

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Telugu trailer

Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), the leader of a rowdy bike horde, is behind Furiosa’s abduction, tagging her along for every hellish mission across the dystopian, barren landscape. A power struggle ensues when the gang runs into a much younger Immortan Joe, sporting ghost-like makeup and a breathing apparatus — a conflict Furiosa sees as a viable opportunity to escape, as she smears war paint (it’s probably grease), grabs a buck load of firearms, and commandeers tanks to launch harpoons onto enemies. We might also learn how she loses her left forearm, leading her to brandish a prosthetic arm, as seen in the 2015 film. “The darkest of angels,” a bound-up Dementus says with a heavy Australian accent, staring up at a battle-hardened Furiosa, now sporting a buzz cut. “The question is… do you have it in you to make it epic?”

I’m not sure if director Miller did it intentionally, but in most scenes involving Hemsworth, he’s seen wearing a blood-soaked cape, a visual choice that’s heavily reminiscent of the Nordic God of Thunder Thor, which the actor is known for playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The previous film, Fury Road, opened to critical and commercial fanfare, grossing $380 million (about Rs. 3,166 crore) at the global box office — with Miller initially insistent on keeping Theron as the lead in the prequel through CGI de-ageing before plans fell apart. “Despite the valiant attempts on The Irishman, I think there’s still an uncanny valley,” Miller said in an interview. Furiosa also stars Alyla Browne (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) and Tom Burke (The Wonder).

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is out May 23 in theatres.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Naruto Live-Action Movie Adaptation Finds Writer in Tasha Huo: Report

The Naruto live-action movie has reportedly found its writer. As per Variety, Tasha Huo, best known for Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin and the upcoming Tomb Raider animated show, will serve as the scribe for the Naruto adaptation. Development on the film has been in limbo for years at Lionsgate, and this would mark the first official update since director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) took on the project in 2015. It seems as though the success of Netflix’s One Piece has caused several abandoned anime to live-action adaptation projects to be revived, as a means to cash in on the Japanese medium’s popularity, while introducing those stories to casual audiences.

Huo was noted by Variety as one of the top screenwriters to be on the lookout for in 2023, having written a script for Marvel’s Red Sonja, a sword-bearing barbarian warrior who leads a group of unlikely allies on a quest to free themselves from enslavement by an evil tyrant. “Adapting iconic characters or IP makes the writing of it easier because the passion for writing it is already there,” she said, claiming that it’s a good means to explore human stories. “I’m so inspired by these characters already that it’s exciting to just take a part of their journey and try to tell that fun story in a way that would appeal to me as a fan.” No other details were revealed, but the fact that it’s still in development is a massive update.

Created by acclaimed mangaka Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto is pretty much a household name in Shonen anime, easily on par with epics like Dragon Ball Z and the aforementioned One Piece — both of which have received live-action Hollywood treatment. 2009’s Dragon Ball: Evolution was a dud, alongside Adam Wingard’s Death Note and the Scarlett Johansson-led Ghost in the Shell, which completely diverted from the core themes and plot. Not to mention, the lead roles were largely played by Caucasian actors instead of Japanese. Clearly, Hollywood doesn’t have a great track record with such adaptations, but Netflix’s One Piece, which already has a second season in development, is a glimmer of hope that it is an achievable standard.

Naruto centres around the titular teenage shinobi Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan who is shunned by the village folk after an age-old catastrophe causes the spirit of a demonic fox to be sealed within him. Aspiring to be the Hokage (village leader), he embarks on a coming-of-age journey, making new friends, barely passing ninja exams, and battling a twisted scientist who can shapeshift into a serpent. The anime adaptation partly owes its popularity in the Western realm to Toonami, an anime so sprawling that it had to be split into two halves — Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, with the latter being set two-and-a-half years after, as our young shinobi returns from training with his lecherous Sannin mentor Jiraiya.

It’s unclear how the live-action adaptation would condense the first part’s arc into a feature-length film unless Lionsgate already has sequels planned. The One Piece series was based merely on the East Blue Saga, but the character development never felt rushed because it was stretched across 10 episodes.

Currently, there is no release window for the Naruto live-action movie.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

The Last of Us Season 2 Will Reportedly Begin Filming in January 2024

The Last of Us season 2 will reportedly begin filming in early 2024. As per the FTIA production list, the second chapter is slated to shoot from January 7, 2024, onwards. The shooting schedule was delayed due to the Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes — both of which have ended now. Considering the show was not mentioned in HBO’s 2024 slate, we can assume it will be out sometime in 2025 at the soonest. This is a bit off course from what lead Bella Ramsey — who played Ellie in season 1 — suggested, at a time when there were murmurs of a potential strike. It goes without saying that the series will adapt the events from the gory and polarising sequel, The Last of Us Part II, with plans for the arc from the video game to play out for longer than a season.

It didn’t take long for HBO to greenlight The Last of Us season 2, with the announcement dropping merely 2 episodes into the debut chapter. There’s clearly a large fanbase for it and given the length and the ambitious scope of the sequel game, the studio has enough material to adapt for multiple seasons. Lead writer Craig Mazin confirmed in an interview that the team had mapped out ‘all of season 2,’ in addition to sending in the episode 1 script to HBO just before the writers’ strike began. He helmed the show with Neil Druckmann, creator of the original 2013 game, who claimed that he had no plans of recasting Ramsey since he found her portrayal of Ellie to be the ideal one. The Last of Us Part II is a longer story that explores cyclical violence, futility of revenge, and forgiveness even when consumed by relentless rage.

Think of the Kansas City arc from The Last of Us season 1 but on a broader scale with no time to breathe. “There are going to be things that are going to be different, and there are things that are going to be identical. There are things that are going to be added and enriched,” Mazin said in an interview, further hinting that we might get to see more action-oriented scenes with fungus-crazed zombies in the upcoming sequel.

A report from earlier this month suggested that leading man Pedro Pascal — who played Joel — has got Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 as his top priority project, indicating that all other productions will have to work around that schedule. Any delays to that film could subsequently cause issues with filming The Last of Us season 2 — it’s not like The Mandalorian, where he can simply send in voiceovers while the physical performance can be taken over by someone else.

The Last of Us Part II also introduced a buff new character named Abby Anderson, who served as the antagonist for the game. Understandably, Mazin, Druckmann, and HBO have been hunting for an actress to portray the same, with an undisclosed pick made sometime in August. An InSneider report now claims that HBO is in talks with Kaitlyn Dever, best known for Booksmart and No One Will Save You, for the role. Earlier this week, The Last of Us season 1 was nominated for Best Adaptation in The Game Awards 2023, in addition to 24 Emmy nods, earlier this year.

Currently, there’s no release window for The Last of Us season 2.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Coyote vs. Acme May Get New Distributor After Warner Bros. Shelves Project, Amazon Said to Be Prime Candidate

Coyote vs. Acme might not get shelved after all. Following reports of Warner Bros. axing the live-action-animation hybrid film as a tax write-off, it appears as though it will now be sold to other distributors. Principle photography on the movie was completed a year ago in New Mexico and upon hearing the initial announcement, a crew member leaked behind-the-scenes footage from the same, showing a reel of stunts, concept art, and set assets. Amazon Studios is reportedly the lead contender for the purchase, albeit a private screening is planned for all major streamers.

If filmmakers around the globe hadn’t rebelled against Warner Bros., this would have been the third film to get shelved as a tax write-off. The studio previously cancelled the Leslie Grace-led Batgirl live-action movie and Scoob! Holiday Haunt — both were unfinished, but it was originally claimed that the former was ‘irredeemable’ and not worthy of a theatrical release. Coyote vs. Acme almost suffered the same fate until several filmmakers cancelled meetings with the company since such cancellations were previously touted as a one-off event. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the unnamed filmmakers are taking a ‘wait-and-see approach,’ now that the film might find a new home.

Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You), a close friend of Coyote vs. Acme director Dave Green alludes that the latter stuck to the $72 million (about Rs. 599 crore) and even movie countries for 18 months to shoot the film. As a result, some film industry friends have also allegedly planned a ‘funeral screening’ at the WB lot, albeit the term is no longer appropriate because it might soon find a new home. While it’s true that canning a film as a tax write-off makes the quarterly financial results look good, it leads to uneven franchise-building and a lack of confidence from filmmakers working with the said distributor. Just like the aforementioned Batgirl, Coyote vs. Acme was part of Warner Bros.’s planned pivot from streaming content back to full-fledged theatrical releases, as the pandemic waned.

At the time, it was also decided that WB’s DC Comics slate would undergo a complete overhaul, in addition to HBO Max and Discovery+ being merged into a single streaming platform — now known as Max. Planned as a ‘popcorn-style crowd-pleaser,’ Coyote vs. Acme follows the silent Wile E. Coyote, who after failing to trap the noisy Road Runner using numerous ACME explosives and devices, decides to take the legal route and sue the corporation. In his pursuit, he teams up with a human attorney played by Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), leading to some hilarious consequences. The film also stars John Cena (Peacemaker) as the ACME CEO and Lana Condor (To All the Boys: Always and Forever).

Elsewhere, DC Studios co-chair James Gunn also reacted to the Coyote vs. Acme news on Instagram, with a picture of the titular Coyote cooking — possibly a meme reference to “let them cook.” The director also confirmed that despite the Hollywood actors’ strike — which has now ended — Superman: Legacy’s release date won’t be shifting. It is slated to release July 11, 2025, and stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/ Superman and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane.

Currently, there is no release window for Coyote vs. Acme.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire Gets New Trailer at Netflix Geeked Week

Rebel Moon, Zack Snyder’s Star Wars-inspired space epic, has received a new trailer at Netflix’s annual Geeked Week showcase on Sunday. The trailer marked the final announcement for the event, which kicked off November 6. Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire trailer showcased the stars of the film, teased plenty of action sequences, and detailed the setting of the upcoming Snyder film. Split into two parts, Rebel Moon follows the story of the people of Veldt, who rise up in rebellion to the Motherworld’s tyranny. First announced in 2021, Rebel Moon has spent years in the oven. The sci-fi space opera is an original story conceived and written by Snyder and was initially being developed as a Star Wars film before refocusing as a Netflix title.

Rebel Moon Part One trailer begins with the story of Kora (Sofia Boutella), the film’s protagonist. A total stranger with a mysterious past, Kora crash lands on Veldt, a far-off moon away from the universe’s attention. The inhabitants of the moon, most of them peaceful farmers, accept her as their own, but trouble soon follows when a giant Motherworld spaceship arrives. The forces on the ship answer to tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee), who has found out that the farmers have sold their crops to a group of insurgents working against the Motherworld.

As the farmers’ lives fall in peril, Kora becomes their last hope. In the trailer, Veldt’s people find out that Kora has combat training as she dispatches a bunch of Motherworld soldiers with ease. “We’re gonna have to fight,” Kora tells her companions. To mount a strong enough resistant, Kora must assemble a team of hardened soldiers who can help Veldt and its people survive the Motherworld’s wrath. In her search, Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a farmer from Veldt, travel to different worlds and add Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot, General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a veteran commander, and others to their team.

We are treated to a slew of action set pieces that look like they could belong in the next Star Wars film. Kora’s team of rebels wage an all-out war against the Motherworld. The trailer ends with a final shot of an ancient, mechanized protector named Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), who has awakened on Veldt just as the moon dives into battle. “It’s a new age for the universe,” he says as the title card shows up.

The Rebel Moon trailer was the final showcase at Netflix Geeked Week, where a wide lineup of upcoming films, tv shows, and video games were announced over the last week. Trailers for upcoming Netflix adaptations like Avatar: The Last Airbender live action series and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off animated show were released as part the event, as well.

Back in June, writer-director Snyder confirmed that Rebel Moon will be receiving an additional explicit cut. “I think for fans of mine and people who are ready to take a deeper, harder dive, that’ll be fun for them,” Snyder said in an interview.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire will get a limited theatrical release in the US starting December 15, before it arrives on Netflix globally on December 22. The sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, is scheduled to release next year on April 19.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Adam Driver shocks audience at film festival after critic calls ‘Ferrari’ crash scene ‘cheesy’: ‘F–k you’

Sometimes, it’s easier just to be blunt in the face of criticism.

An audience member at Poland’s Camerimage Film Festival told Adam Driver how he felt about the special effects for Driver’s upcoming film “Ferrari,” after the crowd was treated to a special screening followed by a Q&A with the actor on Sunday.

“What do you think about [the] crash scenes?” Driver was asked by the audience following the screening.

“They looked pretty harsh, drastic and, I must say, cheesy for me. What do you think?”

The 39-year-old actor did not hold back in his response to the criticism.

“F–k you. I don’t know? Next question,” the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star bluntly responded.

An audible gasp from the crowd filled the screening room from Driver’s nonchalant, profane response, followed by the sound of tense laughter from stunned audience members.

The Marine Corps veteran turned performer was honored with the Special EnergaCAMERIMAGE Award for an Actor during the festival.

The “Marriage Story” star also introduced “Ferrari” as an entry in the Camerimage Main Competition, according to Variety.

The audience member who viewed the film asked Driver what he thought of the crash scene after he believed it was “cheesy.”
Sky Cinema
Driver’s upcoming film ‘Ferrari’ is directed by Michael Mann.
Sky Cinema

Driver — also an executive producer for the film — plays the legendary Italian race car driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari in director Michael Mann’s biographical drama.

Set during the summer of 1957 as the Ferrari company nears bankruptcy, it follows Enzo’s journey of competing in the iconic Mille Miglia, an open-road motorsport race stretching 1,000 miles across Italy’s treacherous terrain while struggling with the death of his son.

In the film’s first teaser, released in August, Driver looked unrecognizable as the 59-year-old Italian sports car entrepreneur, sporting slicked-back gray hair and sunglasses.

Italian film producer Andrea Iervolino told Top Gear the film resembled a James Bond movie.

Driver as Italian race car driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari.
ONE Media/Youtube

“Adam Driver plays Enzo and he’s done an amazing job,” Iervolino said of the “House of Gucci” actor.

Penélope Cruz, Patrick Dempsey, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gordon, and Jack O’Connell also star in the film, which Troy Kennedy Martin scripted.

The movie is based on Brock Yates’ 1991 biography “Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine.”

The four-time Emmy-nominated actor has been on a months-long press tour to promote “Ferrari.”

Driver and Penélope Cruz attend the red carpet for “Ferrari” during the 61st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Oct. 13, 2023, in New York City.
Getty Images for FLC
The movie is based on Brock Yates’ 1991 biography “Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine.”
Movie Shelter / Youtube

The film, which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival in August, received a six-minute standing ovation following the screening, according to Variety.

This isn’t the first time movie-goers have seen Driver in the racing world: he recently appeared at the 2023 Indy 500 and starred in the 2017 comedy “Logan Lucky,” set during the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600.

Though Driver’s response may seem harsh to some, many across social media who saw the video praised the two-time Academy Award nominee for letting the critic know how he felt.

“My man,” ‘Knives Out’ director Rian Johnson posted on X. 

“This rules,” Barstool Sports podcaster Robbie Fox shared.

“Iconic. He really is Harrison Ford’s fake son,” Youtuber Kyle Katarn wrote.

“Normalize this response to stupid Q&A questions,” wrote X user @CinemaJoe.

‘Ferrari’ races into theaters on Christmas day.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

The Legend of Zelda Live-Action Movie Is in Development, Nintendo Confirms

The Legend of Zelda is getting a live-action adaptation. After years of rumours, Nintendo has finally confirmed that it’s working on a movie set in the enchanted lands of Hyrule, co-produced by the gaming giant and Avi Arad, who’s behind the recent Spider-Man spin-off films. Wes Ball — best known for the Maze Runner trilogy — is attached to direct, which isn’t being received well by fans of the franchise. Of course, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto is deeply involved in the project in a producer capacity, just like he was for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films,” Miyamoto said in the announcement tweet. “It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”

Nintendo confirmed earlier this year, its plans to turn the gaming company into an entertainment empire by slowly transitioning into theme parks and movies. They’ve both succeeded gracefully, with Illumination-produced The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossing $1.36 billion (about Rs. 11,324 crore), placed second among the biggest films this year. That’s a huge feat, considering the film ruffled fans’ feathers before release for casting Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as the titular plumber Mario.

With The Legend of Zelda being a live-action production, Nintendo is partnering with Sony Pictures Entertainment to helm the film, with the former putting forward more than 50 percent of the financing. Currently, there’s no logline for the film but we can assume it follows the young warrior Link’s perilous adventures, as he’s tasked with saving the kingdom of Hyrule and its princess Zelda by defeating the evil King Ganon. The decades-spanning game series is loaded with legacy dungeons and puzzles to solve, but in recent years, veered into the open-world territory, allowing players to explore the entire realm at their own pace. 2018’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the first to do it, and it was later expanded in Tears of the Kingdom with special abilities that let you build machines and a whole Sky Island map section to explore. They’re both considered as some of the best video games ever made.

Director Ball is also slated to helm Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, slated for release on May 24, 2024, in which a feral young woman (Freya Allan) and an ape Cornelius (Owen Teague) head out on a spiritual journey to seek freedom from the rule of chimpanzee king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) — who took on the mantle following Caesar’s death and perverted his teachings. While fans are still wishing for the Zelda movie to be an animated take, this must mean a big deal to Ball, who back in 2010 expressed interest in seeing a Zelda movie. At the time, he also hoped for it to be a mocap film akin to James Cameron’s Avatar. Back in 2015, even Netflix tried to develop an animated series based on Zelda, though it never came to fruition.

Currently, The Legend of Zelda live-action movie does not have a release window.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Echo Series Will Debut Under New Marvel Spotlight Banner to Help Reduce MCU Homework

Echo, the upcoming Marvel Studios’ web series, will kickstart a new label in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dubbed ‘Marvel Spotlight,’ the new banner will allow audiences to jump into a superhero’s arc without worrying about continuity or having to catch up on other projects in the franchise. It is named after the anthology comic book series — originated in 1979 — serving as standalone origins stories for Spider-Woman and Ghost Rider as a gateway for new audiences. While the character of Echo, played by Alaqua Cox, was featured in the Jeremy Renner-led Hawkeye series, there’s absolutely no reason for newbies to be aware of its events.

“Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity,” Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s Head of Streaming said in a prepared statement. “Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.” While the concept of standalone shows under a new banner makes sense, especially considering the massive catalogue of MCU films and shows, I’m a little sceptical given how heavily the MCU is used to incorporating callbacks and easter eggs to other films. I wouldn’t be surprised if the series finale ended with a post-credits scene that tied it into Hawkeye or some larger event in the franchise.

A complete detachment from other projects is pretty much impossible since Echo is poised to have run-ins with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and her adoptive father Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. The new Disney+ Daredevil arc is also undergoing a complete reboot, so who knows where that story is headed. Regardless, Marvel Studios has now indirectly admitted that there’s way too much content to comb through and that it’s basically crumbling under its own weight since the epic saga began with 2008’s Iron Man. Teenagers who grew up with those movies are adults now, and it’s kind of silly to expect a new generation of audience to keep up with 15 years’ worth of lore — especially when the superhero movie fatigue is at an all-time high. With new projects piling on, it’s better to make a distinction between larger MCU tales and the stories that are disconnected from it — while still retaining the same actors.

Try not to confuse this with DC Studios’ Elseworlds strategy, which is set to introduce two Batmen — Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II and Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold — whose unique arcs run parallel to each other. The stories told in Marvel Spotlight do eventually tie into the larger MCU mythos, but you don’t need to do any homework to get into them. Last week, the studio dropped the first trailer for Echo, which showed Wilson Fisk protecting and raising a deaf Native American Maya Lopez into an adept assassin. Canonically, set after the events of Hawkeye, the five-episode series will see her try to reconnect with her Native roots while resolving some deep vendetta with her adoptive father.

All five episodes of Echo drop January 10 on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
  • Genre Superhero
  • Cast

    Alaqua Cox, Zahn McClarnon, Vincent D’Onofrio, Charlie Cox, Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene

  • Director

    Sydney Freeland, Catriona McKenzie

  • Producer

    Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Stephen Broussard, Richie Palmer, Marion Dayre, Jason Gavin, Amy Rardin, Sydney Freeland, Christina King, Jennifer Booth

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Further reading:
echo, echo series, marvel spotlight, echo release date, echo cast, alaqua cox, marvel, mcu, disney plus, disney plus hotstar, echo trailer, hollywood

WhatsApp Web Allows Beta Testers to Search for Messages by Date: Report



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Marvel Reportedly Considered Bringing Original Avengers Cast for New Movie, Replacing Jonathan Majors, More

Marvel Studios reportedly held talks to bring back the original cast members for a new Avengers movie. As per Variety, studio executives, including President Kevin Feige, recently discussed the idea of reviving Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/ Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow for a new saga — albeit they aren’t committed to it. It’s not even surprising to see something like this happen in a superhero movie, given comic books are notorious for killing off characters and resurrecting them. However, doing so in Hollywood could require a big investment, with the report noting that Downey’s salary for 2013’s Iron Man 3 was $25 million (about Rs. 208 crore).

Marvel has released some stinkers this year, with both its slate of films and TV shows like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion releasing to widespread negative reception. With films in Phase Four failing to impress despite commercial success, and its Phase Five faltering, it’s hardly surprising that Marvel is considering getting the old band back together. But betting on something this monumental could be risky — even if the fans would be excited about it.

You see, the reason the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Endgame performed well at the box office was partly because of its conclusive ending. The movie was fitting culmination of years of hype and character development over 22 preceding films. Reviving characters just out of the blue would raise questions about canon events, in addition to being an extremely obvious attempt to capture the long-lost Marvel magic that had audiences lining up at theatres at midnight. The superhero movie fatigue has never been so clear, and the MCU is still trying to salvage what they can to deliver a proper ending to the Multiverse Saga.

According to the Variety report, discussions also focused on the franchise’s current main villain Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, who’s been involved in legal issues this year. The actor was arrested in March on charges of domestic violence, with Disney seemingly in wait to see how the ordeal plays out. Majors’ upcoming film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty isn’t slated to begin filming until 2024. The actor was eventually dropped by his managers and hit with more allegations, as he now prepares to stand for a trial in November. The controversy has caused Marvel executives to consider another key villain, the genius Dr. Doom — a huge shift, considering the studio has built up Kang to be the ultimate adversary through both seasons of Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Variety’s sources, however, insist that Marvel had considered building up a new villain regardless of Majors’ legal run-ins, owing to Quantumania’s poor box office performance.

A chunk of the film’s criticism stemmed from subpar CGI, with VFX artists pointing fingers at Marvel Studios for diverting all its major resources towards other films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — thereby leading to time constraints. Long working hours and unrealistic deadlines caused the VFX department to unionise in September, with some claiming that the VFX head Victoria Alonso was responsible for the lacklustre effects. She was fired in March, citing a contract breach, albeit insiders believed that quality assurance was freefalling since they began dishing out Disney+ Marvel shows. Meanwhile, another group claims that Alonso was simply a ‘scapegoat’ and that the CGI issues in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law show stemmed from scripting and scheduling conflicts, causing artists to fix them in post-production.

The studio prepares for its newest film on November 10 — The Marvels starring Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris, which was made on a $250 million (about Rs. 2,081 crore) budget. The report notes that the film warranted four weeks of reshoots, with its director Nia DaCosta heading out to work on another movie during the post-production stage. “If you’re directing a $250 million movie, it’s kind of weird for the director to leave with a few months to go,” Variety’s source claimed.

Furthermore, the long-gestating Blade reboot film starring Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, which has cycled through multiple writers and directors, is being tweaked from the ground up. Turns out, the vampire tale once morphed into a ‘narrative led by women and filled with life lessons,’ while the lead was buried way below. Ali, at one point, was willing to leave the project due to script issues, but Feige then hired Logan writer Michael Green to whip up a fresh story, which will be developed at a $100 million (about Rs. 832 crore) budget. Blade is now eyeing a release sometime in 2025.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version