Beauty School : May 2021

'Don't you dare': Why Kate Winslet refused to have her sex scene edited in Mare of Easttown

Mare of Easttown has been praised for its grit and realism throughout and a large part of that is down to Kate Winslet's character.In a New York Times interview which dropped just hours after the series finale aired, Kate Winslet...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Demi Lovato gets candid about coming out as non-binary

Demi Lovato has said the "patriarchy" held them back from coming out as non-binary.Earlier this month, the singer shared the news that they were non-binary on their social media and had officially changed their pronouns to they/them.Now,...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Rebel Wilson poses in plunging black one-piece on beach in Florida

Rebel Wilson is making the most of her US summer.The jetsetting star has had an eventful few days, and she's been documenting it all on her Instagram to the delight of fans.After travelling to Florida in a private jet to present...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Marvel's new female, culturally diverse and queer superheros mirror our times

OPINION: Last week, the trailer dropped for what will be the 26th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise: Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao. Opening with a dreamy, misty shoreline, we hear Skeeter Davis' The End of the...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Teen's winning song a hit with Dunedin school kids

When Anna Feillet started strumming the first chords of a song during a "really boring" road trip, the last thing she expected was for it to become a hit sung by school pupils across the country."We were going up to the top of the...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Danish radio journalist interviewed man while having sex with him at swingers club

A young Danish radio journalist has sparked moral panic after she recorded an interview while having sex at a swingers club - and it was broadcast on air.Louise Fischer, from Denmark's Radio 4, could be heard moaning as she interviewed...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead DLC Available Tomorrow

Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead

Just when you thought the newest Watch Dogs entry couldn’t get any weirder, Ubisoft brought zombies to its version of London. The Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead DLC will be available to players starting tomorrow, on June 1, 2021.

According to IGN, Watch Dog: Legion‘s zombie DLC will be part of title update 4.5. Rather than the single-player experience that the game is known for, Legion of the Dead will pin four players against the undead in a PvE rogue-lite. The 22 minutes of footage shown features characters using the wild and wacky gadgets and gizmos found in the base game, but using them against the zombie horde.

In an interview with IGN, Watch Dogs: Legion online director Jean-Pascal Cambiotti discussed the team’s inspiration for their interpretation of one of the horror genre’s greatest threats.

“I think there’s something inherently fun about playing with zombies, beyond the instant gratification of destroying them,” says Cambiotti. “We were inspired by the multiple portrayals of zombies across popular culture, and in the game, we made the decision to make zombies slower but lethal. They can be used as a gameplay tool to create chaos by luring them into fortified Albion layouts while you sneak in and save your precious ammo for another fight.

Cambiotti also talked about the design strategy behind the Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead DLC. Essentially, the team wanted to use the existing systems already available in the game and do something a bit unconventional. Ubisoft will also be listening to player feedback to see what direction the audience wants to see the mode go.

“The design strategy on Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead was to expand on existing systems and flip them on its head – like creating a rogue-lite approach with Watch Dogs: Legion’s unique gadgets,” says Cambiotti. “We want to keep an open line of communication with the community and see where they want to take the game mode next.”

Cambiotti also mentioned that the team will be “starting small” with the Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead DLC and will provide frequent updates for the game based on feedback.

Watch Dogs: Legion is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Google Stadia.

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Demon Slayer Game Adds Murata to Playable Roster

Demon Slayer Game Murata

The playable cast for the upcoming Demon Slayer game just keeps expanding. It was recently announced Murata will be joining the fight in Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles.

Unlike some of his other buddies from the Demon Slayer Corp, Murata is somewhat unremarkable. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any fight in him. Murata uses the Water Breathing technique but can’t be seen unlike other users of the technique, such as Tanjiro and Sabito.

The upcoming Demon Slayer game is developed by CyberConnect2, the studio that brought Goku’s incredibly popular adventure to consoles and PC in the form of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. It will feature a “Solo Mode” which allows you to play through events that occur in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime. There is also the “Versus Mode” which allows you to pick your favorite character from the series and go head-to-head on the battlefield against another player locally or online.

Murata is the eleventh playable character to join the Demon Slayer game’s ever-expanding roster. Here is the full updated list of its playable characters:

Tanjiro
Nezuko
Inosuke
Zebutsu
Guyu
Sabito
Makomo
Shinobu
Urokodaki
Rengoku
Murata

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles, also known as Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Keppūtan, will launch sometime in 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Southeast Asia. A North America release has yet to be announced.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba began as a manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020. An anime television adaptation aired between April and September of 2019. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, a sequel to that anime series, was released in North America last month. It garnered $19.5 million in its first weekend.

本日発売の週刊少年ジャンプ26号にて「鬼滅の刃ヒノカミ血風譚」最新情報が掲載！

バーサスモードに村田が参戦！

村田は、炭治郎らと那田蜘蛛山で任務を共にした鬼殺隊の先輩隊士。
“水の呼吸”や村田特有のスキル（応援）も使用し活躍します！#ヒノカミ血風譚 #鬼滅の刃 pic.twitter.com/eINXtbY21R

— 家庭用ゲーム「鬼滅の刃ヒノカミ血風譚」【公式】 (@kimetsuHINOKAMI) May 31, 2021

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Tarzan star Joe Lara dead at 58 after plane crash

Tarzan star Joe Lara has died in a plane crash at the age of 58.The actor - who was best known for starring in the TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures - was among seven people who died when a small jet crashed into a lake near...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

PlayStation Now June 2021 Games Include The Witcher 3, Sonic & More

PlayStation Now June 2021

Another month, another collection of games coming to Sony’s game streaming service. The PlayStation Now June 2021 list is finally here and includes plenty of hits to enjoy.

Leading the list is the award-winning open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition. Developed by CD Projekt Red, you play as Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter seeking his adopted daughter Ciri as she is being chased by the Wild Hunt. This special edition of the game includes a total of 16 DLCs, including the two expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition is one of two games noted in the recent PlayStation Blog post available for a limited time. The RPG will be playable on the game streaming service until September 6, 2021. The second is the roguelike card game Slay the Spire, which will be available on the service until December 6.

Here are all the games coming to PlayStation Now this June:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition (leaving September 6, 2021)
Team Sonic Racing
Sonic Mania
Sonic Forces
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
Slay the Spire (leaving December 6, 2021)
Car Mechanic Simulator

Another notable entry in the PlayStation Now June 2021 list is Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. From Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku, the updated re-release features improved graphics and gameplay thanks to the developer’s Dragon Engine, which has been used in games like Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Judgment. It also features new online features not available in the original release, like custom tournaments and live spectating. It is also part of the recently revealed PlayStation Plus lineup for June 2021.

The PlayStation Now game streaming service is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. If you want to check it out, it costs $9.99 for a month. If you feel confident you’ll love the service, you can get 12 months of PlayStation Now for $59.99.

The post PlayStation Now June 2021 Games Include The Witcher 3, Sonic & More appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown DLC Has Nostalgic Costumes & Stages

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown

Virtua Fighter is finally making its return with Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. The re-release will feature a number of improvements and new features, as well as downloadable content that may have some gamers feeling nostalgic.

In a new trailer for the upcoming re-release, the Virtua Fighting 5 Ultimate Showdown Legendary Pack DLC will come with loads of customization items to use on the game’s 19 playable fighters. There are also spectator stamps you can use while spectating online battles that essentially serve as emojis. What really makes this DLC great for Virtua Fighter fans are the character models, stages, and a battle user interface inspired by the original 1993 release. The original background music will also be included in the DLC.

Here is everything you receive for purchasing the Legendary Pack DLC which costs $9.99:

Character customization items (all 2,000 types)
Character costumes (all 19 types)
Original Virtua Fighter character models (all 38 types)
Original Virtua Fighter stages
Original Virtua Fighter battle UI
Original Virtua Fighter series BGM (all 180 tracks)
Spectator stamps (all 36 types)

If you want to see a little peek of what to expect from the Legendary Pack DLC, check out the video below.

A recent PlayStation Blog post gives some insight on the reworked Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. According to the post by Sega’s chief producer Seiji Aoki, the fighting game began development in 2019. The reasoning Virtua Fighter 5 was chosen for the overhaul is because 2012’s Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown “represented the series pinnacle.” This meant that it would serve both fans and newcomers alike.

ALSO: Monster Hunter Rise Hits Milestone, Capcom Hands Out Free Item Pack

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown utilizes Ryu Ga Gotoku’s Dragon Engine, which has most recently been used in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Judgment. As such, the look and feel of the game has been “dramatically” upgraded with character models and stages entirely remade for this new entry.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown will launch for PlayStation 4 on June 1. It will be available for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers on day one.

The post Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown DLC Has Nostalgic Costumes & Stages appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella Reignite the Box Office

We’re back! After a year of dismal news, the anticipated horror film A Quiet Place Part II finally got the box office back on track with a $48M domestic opening over the three-day holiday weekend. The film is expected to earn another $9-10 million on Monday, bringing its four-day total to $57 million. Per Deadline, these numbers weren’t too far off from the $60M opening the film was expected to achieve in its original pre-pandemic release back in March of last year.

Internationally, the film amassed $22M in just 12 markets, meaning John Krasinski’s follow-up has totaled a massive $70.4 million globally in its first weekend — a number that could jump to $80.5 million if we include totals from Memorial Day.

Likewise, while not a gargantuan hit, Disney’s Cruella pulled in $21.1 million over the three-day weekend, and $26.5 million over the four-day break from 3,892 theaters. Obviously, it’s tough to gauge Cruella’s success considering its simultaneous release on Disney+ Premier where subscribers can purchase it for $29.99. By all accounts, the solo film about 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella De Vil, would have made a lot more money from theaters had the studio opted for a traditional theatrical release, but don’t cry too much for the Mouse House as the film is likely doing big business on their streaming platform.

Globally, the Emma Stone flick collected $16.9 million from 29 markets, which puts its global opening at $37.4 million through Sunday. Audiences dropped an A grade on the film, which should allow the family flick to do solid business over the summer months.

Otherwise, the other big news story was the continuing success of F9: The Fast Saga abroad where the Vin Diesel action sequel remained No. 1 with a second weekend gross of $31M from eight markets — an 81% drop, sure, but still solid. All told, F9 has grossed $229 million, becoming just the second Hollywood film to cross the $200 million mark this year (the other being Godzilla vs. Kong).

New Line/WB’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It opened in two markets ahead of its domestic release and collected $3.9M, while Demon Slayer – Kimetsu No Yaiba is expected to cross the $500M worldwide threshold sometime this week.

1.) A Quiet Place Part II (Par) 3,726 theaters Fri $19.3M/Sat $15M/Sun $13M/3-day $47.4M /4-day: $57M Wk 1

2.) Cruella (Dis) 3,892 Fri $7.7M/Sat $7.2M/Sun $6.4M/3-day $21.3M/4-day: $26.5M/ Wk 1

3.) Spiral (LG) 2,641 theaters (-350) Fri $635K/Sat $830K/Sun $810K/3-day $2.275M (-55%)/4-day: $2.9M/Total: $20.4M Wk 3

4.) Wrath of Man (UAR) 2,607 theaters (-400) /Fri $533K/Sat $819K/Sun $781K/3-day $2.1M (-28%)/4-day: $2.75M/Total: $22.76M Wk 4

5.) Raya and the Last Dragon (Dis) 2,015 theaters (-360), Fri $495K/Sat $800K/Sun $700k/ 3-day: $2M (+20%), 4-day: $2.57M/Total: $51.4M Wk 13

6.) Demon Slayer (Fun/Ani) 1,145 theaters (-755)/Fri $221K/Sat $321K/Sun $322K/3-day $864K (-44%)/4-day: $1.1M/Total: $46.8M Wk 6

7.) Godzilla vs. Kong (WB/Leg) 1,815 theaters (-737),/3-day: $885K (-37%)/4-day: $1.06M/Total: $98.3M Wk 9

8.) Dream Horse (BST) 1,284 theaters (+30), Fri $155,9K/Sat $255,1K/Sun $241,3K/3-day: $652,3K (-18%)/4-day: $817,3K/Total: $1.9M Wk 2

9.) Those Who Wish Me Dead (WB) 1,805 theaters (-1574)/3-day $590K (-69%)/4-day: $720K/Total: $6.9M Wk 3

10.) World War Z (Par, re) 80 theaters Fri $88K/Sat $133K/Sun $126K/3-day: $347K /4-day $448K/Total: $202.8M Wk 415

The post A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella Reignite the Box Office appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Pauly Shore Is Ready For an Encino Man Sequel at Disney+

Pauly Shore was celebrating the 29th anniversary of the popular comedy series Encino Man over the holiday weekend by revealing he is apparently ready for a follow-up. In a new Instagram post, Shore shared an old photo of himself with co-star Brendan Fraser on the set of Encino Man where he asked fans to “hit up Disney+ and tell them myself, Brendan, and Sean [Astin] are ready for the sequel.” You can check out the post below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pauly Shore (@paulyshore)

Encino Man was directed by Les Mayfield in his directorial debut and premiered in 1992. Written by George Zaloom and Shawn Schepps, the movie revolves around two high school outcasts from Encino, Los Angeles, California, who discover a caveman frozen in a block of ice. After thawing him out, the teenagers introduce the caveman to modern life while he in turn teaches the teens about actually enjoying life.

The comedy film also starred Mariette Hartley and Richard Masur along with Shore, Fraser, and Astin.

Encino Man initially received negative reviews but was a box-office hit, earning $40.7 million globally from a $7 million budget.

The post Pauly Shore Is Ready For an Encino Man Sequel at Disney+ appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Interview: Neil Sandilands on Playing Sweet Tooth Villain Steven Abbot

steven abbot sweet tooth

Veteran actor Neil Sandilands is set to play the lead antagonist in Sweet Tooth, who is named Steven Abbot. After a virus changes the world in the upcoming Netflix series, which debuts June 4, 2021, Abbot becomes a general that leads an army. To learn more about the character, ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to Sandilands about playing the villain.

Check out ComingSoon’s Neil Sandilands interview below to learn more about how he approached his role in Sweet Tooth, what it was like working with Tom Hanks, and if he would ever play The Thinker in The Flash again.

Tyler Treese: Did you read the original comics to prepare for this role, or since the television show character is different from the comics, did you stay away from it?

Neil Sandilands: [I didn’t read the original comics], but I know there’s a lot of fans out there. I did have the visual. I tried to do a little bit of due diligence into what existed prior to, but just my physicality… There’s a whole range of things that were different to what came off the page. I think certainly understanding the archetypical value of the character, I think, and the discernible temperature that went along with that. I think that is what appealed to the creators. You can inform it certainly with who you are and with your homework as it were in what you want to bring to a character, but ultimately this is a team that creates a really good show like this. You are there to serve the team and the collaborative experience and what works, what makes for good television or cinema then. So you have to be at least pliable to a certain extent.

Your character, Steven Abbot, he’s a self-appointed general of a post-apocalyptic army.

“With intimidation, wit, and quirkiness.”

Exactly. So can you talk a bit about the character? We don’t really know all too much, except for that little quick blurb that has been released.

Yeah. Quirky, I never imagined this. Obviously, I take myself very, very seriously [laughs], but people have told me that I do have a tendency to be somewhat quirky. I’m playing a malevolent character, but I can have fun with it as well. Even if it’s on the dark side of things, and I think my personality lent itself very well to inform the character in such a way. So you are a very, very bad man, but you’re not going to play it with the undertones of being a bad man. You are going to have some fun with being a bad man. Does that make sense?

Yeah. I thought it was a bit ironic that the show itself deals with a virus, and then you filmed this during the COVID-19 pandemic. What challenges were there shooting in New Zealand?

Tremendous challenges. They shot the pilot prior to us knowing anything about the global pandemic. So they were set on New Zealand. That’s part of the miraculous quality about the show. I mean, Jeff Lemire created it in [2009]. They shot the pilot in New Zealand and then COVID happened, and then during COVID times, we went to New Zealand to complete the entire production. So the serendipitous nature of what happened there, I can only describe as being miraculous that we pulled it off in the first instance. Hats off to the entire team. I was in South Africa at that time when I booked the part and I had to fly to Dubai, then from Dubai to New Zealand. I had to do quarantine in Dubai. I had to do quarantine in New Zealand. Certainly, the whole time we had to follow a protocol. We had to get through an entire production without having any incidents. So you can imagine the stakes and they were certainly there. We were not immune to what was happening globally,

Neil Sandilands

The show stars such a very talented young actor, Christian Convery. How was it like working with someone, so talented yet so young? He’s only like 11. That’s amazing.

He’s a trooper. I started my career when I was 14 and Christian was even younger than that. So I’ve got a vague understanding of what he’s going through and especially being number one on the call sheet. He is Sweet Tooth. It’s a tremendous responsibility. You need to be super professional, you need to have talent, and Chris embodies all of those qualities. His mother Lisa, who was also on the [set], she’s there in a guidance capacity, but he’s a natural. He just, he brings it. I didn’t have a lot of screen time with Chris because I’m obviously the nemesis and there’s a buildup to what happens and I don’t want to give too much away. I had very little interaction on screen with him, but we’ll see what happens as I don’t want to give you any spoilers. But I had plenty of opportunities to see him operate in the working environment and the kid certainly commands my respect.

You recently starred in News of the World with Tom Hanks. As you mentioned, you’ve been working in this industry since you were like 14, and after several decades, what did it mean to get that recognition and the opportunity of such a high-profile role with one of the biggest actors in the world?

What did it mean? That’s a difficult one to get your head around. I can tell you what it was like. I remember the day I had the privilege of meeting Tom and how gregarious and jovial he was. Literally arms outstretched, he saw me from afar. We were in Santa Fe high desert. He was like, “We all played brothers!” Because I had the beard going and he had the beard going. He just made me feel super comfortable It was a lovely experience working there because it was so tranquil and harmonious.

I wondered why that was, and it occurred to me that you’ve got all these masterful people in the elementary disciplines operating, right? So you can allow them to be masterful at what they do. You don’t really need to come in and throw in your two cents worth. People at that level, expect you to pitch up and do what you do best. That’s been the case certainly with Tom. He’s a consummate gentleman and professional … and just all-around pleasant experience. I’m super happy that it was received so well. It got four Oscar nominations, and suddenly my local audience I’m inside Africa at the moment. It meant a great deal for the people back home. So all around, it was a good experience and I’m super thankful to have had it.

sweet tooth steven abbot

You also had a very highly regarded role on The Flash as The Thinker. That run is over and the character kind of meets his end, but with comic books, nobody’s ever truly gone. Would you be open to reexamining that role in the future or are you happy enough with that arc?

We kind of joked about it. Eric [Wallace] and Todd [Helbing], the showrunners at the time. You know, how can we make this happen? I had a particularly pleasant time working with David McWhirter. We went like, “Hey, we got, gotta do this. We’ve got to bring that back.” And we were thinking about ways to do that. They’re delightful, a super talented writing team. I’m sure they can come up with something. But I would imagine that either there would be something like in a pre-history or the idea of A.I. and where that is going. DeVoe, maybe he morphed into some form of artificial intelligence. Yeah. I don’t know. That’s a creative solution, but it would be grand and lovely to come back as DeVoe and shoot in Vancouver again.

In fact, I’ve got to love the anecdotal value that I can offer you. The very first cinematographer that I ever worked with is a South African gentleman by the name of Alwyn Kumst. I worked with him in 1989 and 27 years later, I walked into Vancouver Film Studios, and who is the director of photography on The Flash? Alwyn Kumst. So that was also a delightful reunion.

Being a South African actor, how do you balance taking roles worldwide, and then doing stuff in your native land and representing it. It’s probably an honor to be able to do these wide roles and then also be able to represent your country.

You know, often these simple questions are way more complex than you might imagine. I’d say this. I’m very, very proudly from my hometown of Randfontein. I’m very proudly Afrikaans. I’m very proudly South African, but I’m also a dual citizen. I am a citizen of the United States of America and I’m proudly American. So these worlds can certainly coexist. Now where America has been tremendous, and I’m not saying this glibly or lightly, but it taught me something about the power of possibility. You know, if you can dream something, it sounds a little bit cliched, but it certainly is the possibility.

Where I find Americans are a tremendous people because they never capitulate on dialogue. They never close it down. They never shut it down like, “No. No. No.” At least this is my experience. They always go, “Yes. Oh, that’s awesome.” The enthusiasm that is in the discourse, which for me, is the power of possibility. You and I can disagree on minor things. Of course, we can, but it is finding that one thing that we agree on and taking that as the principle for how we move forward. Right? And I got that from Americans. So I know that’s a long, and long-winded answer to your question. So yes, I represent when I go to America and I work there, I like to think that part of my street value being from Randfontein, Afrikaans, etcetera. It is maybe something that people over there see, and go “Hmm, this is interesting.” And then similarly, when I come back to South Africa, I’d like to think that there is something of value in what I’m learning there that I can bring back here. So it’s a very healthy symbiosis. And I hope to keep on doing that. It’s an exchange of ideas. It’s about learning, right? Isn’t that what we, what we hear for becoming better somewhat.

Yeah. Beautifully put. Last question, can you just speak to Sweet Tooth and why fans should be excited?

When I was presented with a script of [Sweet Tooth], and I’ve read plenty of scripts in my life, I imagined it to be a certain way. Then when Jim Mickle, showrunner, writer, and director of the show, sent me the pilot episode of what that shot. I was absolutely blown away because it was one of the few instances in my life where I read the script, and what I saw was not only as good as the way that I’ve imagined it, it even surpassed that. I can honestly say that. That was my experience. After having worked 30 years in this industry, I think people are in for a ride.

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Neon Machine: Barry Producer Jason Kim Developing Comedy Series at Amazon

(Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Deadline brings word that Emmy nominee and Barry producer/writer Jason Kim is developing a new comedy series titled Neon Machine along with rapper Tablo, SB Projects, and Amazon. SB Projects’ Scooter Braun has a multi-year first-look deal with the streamer, inked back in 2019, to develop scripted and non-scripted projects for Amazon Studios.

Neon Machine tells the tale of an out-of-left-field K-pop superstar who hits a global chord but might lose it all in the process. The series will be produced by a primarily Korean team. Executive producers for the project include Kim, Epik High leader Tablo, Braun, James Shin, and Scott Manson.

Tablo, aka Daniel Lee, is a best-selling author in the U.S. and in South Korea with the short story collection Pieces of You (purchase here) and has released 10 albums through Epik High, along with a solo album that was released in 2011. Additionally, Tablo has produced other big names in K-pop and served as a judge on the hip hop competition series Show Me the Money.

Kim’s other television credits include Love, Girls, Gracepoint, and Divorce. He is also adapting Choe Sang-Hun’s New York Times story, “Running Out of Children, a South Korea School Enrolls Illiterate Grandmothers.”

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The Patrick Star Show Teaser Trailer Hypes July Debut

Nickelodeon has finally released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff series titled The Patrick Star Show, which now gives the spotlight to everyone’s favorite lovable starfish best friend. The video provides us a preview of Patrick’s imaginary variety show that comes from the bizarre and hysterical depths of his own brain. The series, which is scheduled to make its debut this July, serves as a prequel to the original Nickelodeon series.

The Patrick Star Show is a family sitcom that features the return of Bill Fagerbakke lending his voice to the titular character. It follows a younger Patrick living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood for his TV-turned-bedroom. Joining Patrick are the rest of his family including happy-go-lucky dad Cecil Star, kooky oddball mom Bunny Star, little sister Squidina Star, and genius grandpa GrandPat Star, who all get constantly disrupted by Patrick’s wild whims and surreal imagination.

The 13-episode prequel series features the voices of Tom Wilson, Jill Talley, Cree Summer, Jill Talley, and Dana Snyder, who will be joined by the main cast from SpongeBob Squarepants including Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown, and Mr. Lawrence as they reprise their roles as SpongeBob, Squidward, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and Plankton, respectively. Squidward’s grandmother named Grandma Tentacles will also appear.

Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, The Patrick Star Show hails from executive producers Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller, and Jennie Monica. This marks the second prequel spinoff series based on Nickelodeon’s second-longest-running animated series, with the first one being Paramount+’s CG-animated series Kamp Koral.

Check out The Patrick Star Show teaser trailer in the player below!

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Pam & Tommy Director Talks Sebastian Stan & Lily James’ Performances

Pam & Tommy: Craig Gillespie Teases Sebastian Stan & Lily James' Performances

After creating buzz online with Sebastian Stan and Lily James’ striking transformation into Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson in the first Pam & Tommy photos, director Craig Gillespie continued to hype up Stan and James’ upcoming performances, teasing how the audiences will be incredibly surprised with how they’ve brought these two iconic celebrities to life on screen.

“It’s been an incredible journey for them to do that transformation, physically with their training, but also what they’re doing as actors,” Gillespie said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s such a tall order whenever you’re taking on iconic characters in the media, and they’re going to be scrutinized a lot. And trying to take on a character like Pamela, who’s so familiar, and to be able to do what is not just an impersonation, is a daunting task for an actor. I think audiences will be incredibly surprised by just how much Lily’s [James] been able to bring that character to life as a fully formed person, as opposed to an impersonation.

“Tommy Lee has this energy and this spontaneity to him that I just haven’t seen in Sebastian’s work, necessarily, before. It’s a completely different version of anything I’m familiar with in regard to him. But innately, I felt like he could get there, and he’s done so much work, even physically transforming himself to get to that place. It’s been so much fun to do, I’ve got to say. The two of them in scenes together, I’m finding them quite electric.”

The acclaimed filmmaker also went on to confirm that he wasn’t expecting the big response that the photos had gotten when it was first released, revealing that the black-and-white photo of James and Stan somehow encapsulated Pam & Tommy‘s relationship.

“I was in the middle of shooting that day on Pam & Tommy, and every time I stepped out of the set, everybody was kind of going nuts about the response that was happening. I didn’t expect it at all,” Gillespie said. “I actually wasn’t even sure they were dropping photographs. But they were the photographs that I had wanted them to drop, particularly that black-and-white one. I just so felt that it encapsulated their relationship, in the show as well.”

Pam & Tommy follows the tumultuous relationship between the Motley Crüe drummer/co-founder and former Baywatch star/model, including the notorious incident in which their honeymoon sex tape was stolen and subsequently leaked to the public. Though it will be included, the story will not focus on the scandal but rather explore their relationship going back to their marriage after only 96 hours of knowing each other.

The 8-episode miniseries will star Sebastian Stan (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Tommy Lee and Lily James (Baby Driver) as Pamela Anderson. This marks Stan’s latest collaboration with director Craig Gillespie, following 2017’s biopic I, Tonya.

Joining them are Seth Rogen (This is the End) as Rand, the man who stole the couple’s sex tape and sold it off, Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as porn impresario Uncle Miltie, and Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black) Erica, the porn star wife of Rand.

Pam & Tommy is being directed by Craig Gillespie from a screenplay written by Rob Siegel. Producers are Rogen and Evan Goldberg through their Point Grey banner, Dave Franco, Sue Naegle, Limelight’s Dylan Sellers, and Annapurna’s Megan Ellison.

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Sam Richardson Gets Secret Role in Harley Quinn Season 3

Executive producer and co-creator Patrick Schumacker took to Twitter to confirm that Veep alum Sam Richardson has been cast for an undisclosed role in the highly-anticipated third season of Harley Quinn. The Kaley Cuoco-led popular DC animated series currently has no official return date yet, but creators Schumacker and Justin Halpern revealed in a previous interview that they’re hoping that Season 3 could potentially premiere later this year.

I am extremely excited for this possibility and equally if not more extremely excited for the reality of @SamRichardson showing up as [redacted] in @dcharleyquinn season 3! https://t.co/2iMehg7aG0

— Patrick Schumacker (@PMSchumacker) May 30, 2021

Richardson is no stranger to voice acting as he previously lent his voice in a number of animated shows such as Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Archer, Human Discoveries, BoJack Horseman, The Fungies!, and most recently Hulu and Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. Richardson is the first casting addition to the new season after nearly a year since it was announced that Harley Quinn had been officially picked up by HBO Max from DC Universe, which has been rebranded as a sole premium comic book service called DC Universe Infinite.

The series follows Harley Quinn‘s adventures after her break with the Joker. The story centers around Harley, Poison Ivy, and other DC castoffs including King Shark, Clayface, and Doctor Pyscho as they try to help each other in order to earn a seat at the biggest table in villainy: the Legion of the Doom. Season 2 ended with Harley and Ivy finally getting together, following Ivy’s failed wedding with Kite Man.

The voice cast includes Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco as the titular villain, Lake Bell (Children’s Hospital) as Poison Ivy, Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Clayface & Joker, Ron Funches (Powerless) as King Shark, JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Frank the Plant, Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) as Sy Borgman, Wanda Sykes (Black-ish) as Queen of Fables, Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) as Lex Luthor, Natalie Morales (Bojack Horseman), Jim Rash (Mike Tyson Mysteries) as Riddler, Diedrich Bader (Veep) as Batman, Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep) as Dr. Psycho, Chris Meloni (Happy!) as Commissioner Gordon, Rahul Kohli (iZombie) as Scarecrow, Sanaa Lathan (The Twilight Zone) as Catwoman, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman and Jacob Tremblay as Robin.

Based on the DC character created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Harley Quinn is created and executive produced by Justin Halpern, Schumacker, and Dean Lorey. In addition to starring, Cuoco is also an executive producer through her Yes, Norman Productions.

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Emma Stone Denies Appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home

BEGIN SLIDESHOW

Earlier this month, Golden Globe nominee Andrew Garfield was the latest Spider-Man vet to debunk his much-speculated appearance in Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now, in a recent interview with MTV News, Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone has finally addressed the circulating rumors about her potential appearance in the Tom Holland-led Marvel Cinematic Universe feature. Just like her The Amazing Spider-Man co-star, Stone quickly denied the rumors of her involvement, confirming that she won’t be reprising her role as Gwen Stacy.

“I have heard those rumors,” Stone said. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to say anything, but I’m not [involved]. I’m not. I don’t know what you’re supposed to respond as an alumnus (laughs)…”

The Cruella star also went to open up about her experience in working on the Amazing Spider-Man films, revealing that even though it was challenging to do, she still had a great time because of how much she loved working with director Marc Webb, and the whole team behind the Andrew Garfield-led Spider-Man films.

Emma Stone channels her dark side in @cruella, but this isn’t her first big blockbuster. She spoke with @joshuahorowitz about her fond memories on the set of #SpiderMan – and those @SpiderManMovie casting rumors.

Watch our full interview here: https://t.co/cuF7yeJVIa pic.twitter.com/JFAdhSiNAh

— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) May 30, 2021

Spider-Man: No Way Home sees the return of Tom Holland as the beloved titular wall-crawler, who will now be joined by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. They’re expected to team up against Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, who are currently the only ones that had seemingly confirmed their return. Like WandaVision, it has been confirmed that No Way Home will tie into the events of Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The third installment to the MCU’s Spider-Man films is also expected feature the return of most of the first two films’ cast including Emmy winner Zendaya (Euphoria, Dune) as MJ, Jacob Batalon (50 States of Fright) as Ned, Marisa Tomei (The King of Staten Island) as Aunt May, Tony Revolori (The French Dispatch) as Flash and Hannibal Buress (Tag) as Coach Wilson.

Following the casting of Jamie Foxx, many casting rumors about the highly-anticipated project have been continuing to circulate online, with the most popular and important one being Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s potential return to the Spider-Verse. The most recent casting rumors include Charlie Cox, who will reportedly reprise his fan-favorite role as Daredevil as well as Willem Dafoe’s return as Green Goblin.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2021.

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The Masked Singer episode 8: Unwanted strippers and Monster royally flushed

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The Crown will feature storyline about how Martin Bashir secured Diana interview

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VIZ’s Latest Cover Reveals Include Animal Crossing: New Horizons Manga

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

BEGIN SLIDESHOW

Just when you thought the Animal Crossing hype was dying out, VIZ Media reveals a brand new manga based on the popular Nintendo Switch entry.

Revealed on Viz Media’s official Twitter account, we get the first look at the cover for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1 Deserted Island Diary. It is scheduled for release on September 12, 2021. Looking at the cover, it certainly embodies the cute aesthetic of the beloved video game franchise, but still distinct on its own.

As seen on the cover, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons manga will be written and illustrated by Kokonasu Rumba. According to the manga’s Barnes and Noble pre-order page, it will be 128 pages long.

Rumba’s manga adaptation of Animal Crossing answers the question we’ve all been asking: What do villagers do when you’re not playing the game? From the description, the manga will be filled with “goofy gags and silly stories.” For those who play Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there will be tips and tricks in a special bonus section of the book.

The Animal Crossing manga is just one of five covers revealed. Covers for new volumes of Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Spy x Family, and No. 5 have also been shown. Here is the full list of reveals, as well as when you can expect them to hit store shelves:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1 Deserted Island Diary – September 12, 2021
Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 12 – October 5, 2021
My Hero Academia: School Briefs, Vol. 5 – October 5, 2021
Spy x Family, Vol. 6 – October 5, 2021
No. 5, Vol. 2 – October 19, 2021

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It allows you to create your own villager and begin life on a deserted island. Whether you want to spend your time building a village on your island or just fishing for rare fish, you play the game your way and at your own pace.

You can check out the gallery below to see the covers for yourself!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1 Deserted Island Diary

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New The Suicide Squad Image Shows Idris Elba’s Bloodsport & More

The Suicide Squad director James Gunn gives us another peak of the DC Extended Universe film with a brand new image.

Shared on the director’s Instagram, the image capture reads, “Squad Undercover in Corto Maltese: Ratcatcher 2, The Thinker, Bloodsport, & Polka Dot Man in The Suicide Squad.” You can check out the picture for yourself below.

The last part of the caption refers to the characters played by Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Idris Elba, and David Dastmalchian respectively. The setting, Corto Maltese, is a fictional island from the DC universe. It has been referenced in a few DC-related properties such as Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and in the CW show Arrow.

The Suicide Squad features a star-studded cast playing several fan-favorite and deep-cut characters from the ever-expanding DC comic book universe. Alongside the previously mentioned actors, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Taika Waititi, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Alice Braga, Jai Courtney, John Cena, Viola Davis, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Freddie Stroma, Mikaela Hoover, Jennifer Holland, Flula Borg, Steve Agee, Joaquín Cosio, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Mayling Ng, and Tinashe Kajese.

The standalone sequel to the Academy Award-winning Suicide Squad will be directed and written by Gunn. The Warner Bros. film will be produced DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and The Safran Company.

The Suicide Squad is set to debut in theaters on August 6. It will also be available on the HBO Max streaming service for its first month of release.

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Matthew Perry: Friends reunion director Ben Winston responds to 'unkind' comments about the actor's slurred speech

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Heidi Klum in legal battle with father over her daughter Leni's name

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Pam & Tommy Editor Says Hulu Series Is ‘Surprisingly Emotional’

(Photo Credit: Hulu)

It seems the crazy antics that will certainly ensue in Pam & Tommy will not just be all fun and games. The editor of the Hulu series, Tatiana S. Riegel, actually teases quite the opposite.

According to Variety, Riegel is pretty tight-lipped about the upcoming series set to depict the story behind the tumultuous celebrity relationship between Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson. However, she does have some positive things to say about Pam & Tommy.

“It’s going to be good. It’s outrageous,” says Riegel. “There’s Disney. Then there’s Pam & Tommy. It’s a big difference.” The “Disney” refers to her most recent project Cruella, which stars Emma Stone in the titular role.

“It’s a surprisingly emotional thing,” adds Riegel. “You end up having a lot of compassion and insight into people that you certainly don’t at the beginning of it.”

Tatiana S. Riegel has been credited as an editor on multiple projects. This includes Lars and the Real Girl, 2011’s Fright Night, and The Way Way Back. More recently she helped edit I, Tonya and Cruella. The upcoming Hulu series actually reunites Riegel with Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie.

As mentioned, Pam & Tommy will explore the wild relationship between the Motley Crüe drummer and actress/model. It will even depict the infamous debacle of the Lee and Anderson honeymoon sex tape that was leaked.

Pam & Tommy will be an 8-episode miniseries from Hulu. Sebastian Stan (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Lily James (Baby Driver) will star as the titular characters. Seth Rogen (Invincible), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), and Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black) are also set to star. It will be directed by Craig Gillespie.

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Freddie Stroma Replaces Chris Conrad in HBO Max’s Peacemaker

(Sarah Shatz/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)

Freddie Stroma will be taking over Chris Conrad’s role in HBO Max’s The Suicide Squad spinoff show, Peacemaker.

According to Deadline, Stroma will play Vigilante. Also known as Adrian Chase, the once lawyer began taking the law into his own hands after losing faith in the system he once served when his family’s killer was let free. In addition to his hand-to-hand combat expertise, Vigilante has the ability to heal quickly and regenerate his body after receiving some serious damage. The character was originally created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and first appeared in New Teen Titans Annual #2.

Conrad was set to play the role of Peacemaker‘s Vigilante. However, he left the project amicably due to creative differences.

The Suicide Squad director James Gunn will write Peacemaker, as well as direct several episodes. Gunn, Peter Safran, and Matt Miller will executive produce the upcoming series. John Cena, who will play the titular character in the series and upcoming film, will serve as co-executive producer. It will be produced by Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television.

As mentioned above, Peacemaker is a spinoff of the upcoming Gunn-directed DCEU movie The Suicide Squad. It will be a sort of origin story for the character Peacemaker. Alongside Cena, Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks, Christopher Heyerdahl, Jennifer Holland, Robert Patrick, and Chukwudi Iwuji are set to star in the series.

Stroma has appeared in several films such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Pitch Perfect, and 13 Hours. More recently, he has appeared in both The Crew and Bridgerton.

Peacemaker is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in January 2022. You’ll be able to see Cena as the vigilante in The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021.

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Martin Freeman Praises Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Script

Martin Freeman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

While the title of the next Black Panther film was recently announced, there really isn’t much information on the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film. However, actor Martin Freeman has teased that he has read the script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and had plenty of praise for it.

In a recent interview with The One Show, host Ronan Keating asked Freeman if he could give any information on what to expect. The answer may disappoint Black Panther fans as he replied, “No, apart from the fact that it’s happening because, as you will have guessed, Marvel have sworn us all to secrecy.”

However, his unfortunate response isn’t all bad as he did mention that he has read the script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and that it is “very good.” Also, he mentions that he will be filming in the U.S. for the film in the next several months.

“I’ve read the script. It’s very good and we will be doing it at some point I guess in the next several months,” said Freeman (via Metro). “I’ll be going to the States and doing that. But I’m very excited about it, yeah.”

Freeman will be returning as agent Everett Ross. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be his third MCU movie having appeared in the first Black Panther, as well as Captain America: Civil War. He is also known for his roles as Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit films and Watson from the Sherlock TV series opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.

As mentioned, not much is known about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, especially after T’Challa himself, Chadwick Boseman, passed last year. Both director Ryan Coogler and co-star Lupita Nyong’o have discussed doing the film without the actor.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Coogler will return to direct the sequel. While Boseman’s role of T’Challa will not be recast, much of the cast who starred in the first film will return, including Nyong’o, Freeman, and Letitia Wright. The film is expected to debut on July 8, 2022.

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Opinion, review: Australian 60 Minutes' hit job on Jacinda Ardern Government 'cosying up to' China

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Stop Letting Lore and World Building Define Your Enjoyment of Things

Tenet world building

There was a point where I was watching Tenet and wondering if I was watching the same film as explained by reviews and fan reactions. The puzzle box of a plot I was expecting wasn’t there. While there are details that were undoubtedly missed on my first viewing, it never felt like I was missing some key piece of the narrative or like I needed to re-watch it several times to truly have a grasp on whatever director Christopher Nolan intended. A part of me wonders if most of the folks talking about it have even watched it because discussions are still centered on it being “impenetrable” instead of a film with a time travel gimmick and people working on different time flows were wearing different color armbands. Nolan and his films spark an intellectual curiosity in viewers, but they refuse to expand outward, instead remaining inward, confined to the film itself and spinning meta-narratives in defiance to abstraction, even if what inhabits the film itself isn’t particularly deep or insightful.

Tenet was a lot of fun, but hardly a mind-bending piece of staggering genius. Instead, it felt like a number of sequences like the bank heist in The Dark Knight with little concern over character development or any sort of depth. Still, people want it to be more than what it is, largely in part because of the movement Nolan helped cultivate where viewers need to decipher every last clue from the narrative to get the “real” meaning of the story, which there is always one true meaning, or else they lack the intellectual bandwidth to understand the genius of said work. Was the spinning top Leo’s totem? Or was it his ring? Watch Inception twelve times with a fine-toothed comb to find out! Broader, open-ended questions can’t take root within this closed loop.

Of course, Nolan didn’t create humanity’s desire to have definitive answers to everything, nor did he and his brother create the concept of piling as much information into a piece of work to leave no stone unturned. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Silmarillion is a work that exists and remained overlooked by publishers until his passing and the subsequent popularity of The Lord of the Rings books, where there was a comprehensive history of Middle-Earth, its lore and went further to build out the world for the most ardent of fans. Dungeons and Dragons players can attest to games going as little as three hours, but knowing the proper games sprawl out over dozens of hours with every detail codified with painstaking detail.

It’s nerd culture, and what was once unique has become ubiquitous.

(Photo by Marvel Enterprises/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

Comic book lore and fantasy/science fiction world building have been the gold standard for these “nerd” properties for as long as there was a market, but they kept to the fringes for the hardcore fans or those who moonlit as nerds in their downtime. Obsessing over minor Star Wars characters was once a badge of honor, now some of those fan-favorite characters have become money generators in the age of nerd culture’s time in the sun. Marvel has monetized characters like Ant-Man and Dr. Strange, on top of creating a “cinematic universe” spanning multiple shows and dozens of films in service of said “universe,” enhancing the whole through lore and world building. Sure, you could find yourself invested in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame without watching Ant-Man or the latest iteration of Spider-Man, but imagine how much better those characters’ moments hit after you’ve spent an additional block of hours with them?

This need for completion—for total understanding—has become big business and the norm. After the popularity of the Lord of the Rings, the rather small single volume of The Hobbit, a children’s book, found itself chopped up and stretched out into its own epic trilogy filled with immense battle scenes and new characters. Amazon is producing an expensive television series about it. Loved Game of Thrones and how thorough George R.R. Martin has been about that? Don’t worry, there’s a prequel series coming to HBO even though Martin hasn’t finished the mainline books yet. And if one of these properties has an unsatisfactory ending that fans don’t feel aligns with the lore or world building they’ve obsessed over? Look no further than the reaction to the last season of Game of Thrones. I’d argue the last few seasons of Game of Thrones felt stilted and poorly written in general, but the series grew into a goliath that could meet no one’s expectations considering the writing team’s experience and the fan reaction was brutal.

Fans want answers to everything. Definitive versions of what they love to get a sense of completion. I’m excited to return to the Mass Effect series with the remastered edition’s recent release, but fan expectations helped to sully the series almost beyond repair. The incessant need for closure compounded with the J.J. Abrams style “mystery box” storytelling he baked into the series Lost, mixed in with this need for definitive answers, has led to a moment in popular culture where there’s no room for reflection on storytelling. A character in the MCU reflects on the dust of a fallen comrade not to ponder the futility of existence, but because people have emotional reactions to bad things happening. If we didn’t get that moment of reflection, how would we know to be sad? The four other films where those characters exchanged quips won’t matter as much if they don’t have that moment, right?

Does that sound cynical?

Mass Effect world building

Let’s go back to Mass Effect, whose ending angered fans in such a profound way they forced the developer to release a “director’s cut” of the ending that was more concrete and less abstract. It upset fans with the abstraction of the ending, many citing their disdain for “magic in space.” They’d spent dozens of hours as Commander Shepard and there had to be a reason for all of it, right? It almost ignores the melancholy tone and atmosphere of the entire third game, where our intrepid heroes are in a race against time to stop these mysterious Reapers in their plot to destroy the galaxy, but the game itself was far more reflective than that. Sure, there were datapads around every corner describing the Reapers, their indoctrination, and history, but there was also a very real theme of “man” against nature, the questions of existence itself and a reflection on the Reapers’ and their methods to how us, the actual people in the real world, act in the name of progress and treat other people.

The problem is they buried those themes under loads of lore and world building, the stuff people find easier to grasp onto and fall in love with. To reflect on those problems means to not have a jigsaw puzzle laid out before the viewer, instead just open questions without solid answers. So while viewers are conditioned to think Christopher Nolan is an auteur director and writer who crafts meticulous experiences and would never produce something disappointing or lacking in some areas, the threadbare plot and characters won’t show through. Because there’s a wink or a nod early on. Bad dialogue mixing? That’s not on Nolan, that’s on the viewers for not stretching their brains out to imagine the director giving some audible clue to a theory that may or may not be true, although it literally doesn’t matter to the plot of the film.

Being overloaded with raw information and stimuli is a feature of how this generation consumes media. This coincides with humanity’s long struggle to understand everything and wrap ourselves in the flag of logic and reason to explain our everyday struggles. Our art and entertainment serve as a reflection of this need for answers and a way to parse the deluge of information at our disposal while refusing to engage it in a non-critical manner. Criticism comes from not just understanding, but emotion and experience. The more our art and entertainment play to just this idea of understanding, with emotion and experience taking a backseat to or only there as set-dressing, the further we can collectively slip away from ourselves.

A game series like Mass Effect presented gamers with a few branches at the end, which some saw as a betrayal of the series’s many choices. Shepard, gravely injured and pushed to the limit, has an experience with something Shep doesn’t quite understand but knows there is a choice to make. The television series Lost was built on Abrams’s mystery box idea, but there were too many threads, too many characters and too much the writers wanted to say, so they chose an abstraction. Inversely, when Game of Thrones tried to tie everything together in a neat bow, what was an inevitable, depressing, and somewhat open-ended ending came. This drove fans to petition for a better ending and has seemingly tied the hands of George R.R. Martin to where he’s unsure of how to continue writing his series knowing the weight of every decision and the fervor of the fans.

citizen kane

Our entertainment and popular art has taken the hardline stance that there needs to be more of everything. No stone should ever be left unturned, metaphor be damned. We’ve somehow still refused to see a film like Citizen Kane for what it is, even with the release of Mank, a dramatized fiction about the writing process behind Citizen Kane, that plainly explained it was a film about a wealthy man who had everything he could ever buy, but lost his humanity and sold out his people in the process of. Instead, people keep asking the question that the film’s narrative used as its framework: why did he say “Rosebud” when he died, and what does it mean? Hollywood today would create a Citizen Kane 2 centered on Kane’s missing sled and uncovering his fond childhood memories so everyone could say “see, he was happy as a kid because he had his mom and his sled, not just money!” An observation that a viewer could come to by watching Citizen Kane and asking themselves some questions afterward and reflecting on the experience.

Instead of taking a series like Twin Peaks and reveling in the absurdity and abstraction, someone will always come along with a four-hour-plus video called “Twin Peaks ACTUALLY EXPLAINED (No, really),” where the presenter sits and presents his theory as a definitive take because, look, it’s all right there in the text, right? Well, sort of. Probably not. Somehow breaking down an expansive work into a YouTube video to explain “David Lynch thinks television is evil,” while ignoring thematic elements about the lurks beneath the surface of idyllic small towns and the part they play in systemic abuse, even with four hours and thirty-five minutes of explanation, feels flippant and ridiculous.

Meticulous detail, lore, and world building is a tremendous feature that can help expand our understanding and relationship with a piece of work. When done well, it can be astonishing and rewarding. It still does not replace the need for coherent storytelling and weaving meaningful metaphors into work. Being able to look deeper into a world will be something that reverberates beyond this movement in film, television, fiction, and entertainment at large, but hopefully without being such an inward, stifling crutch purporting to have definitive answers to big questions. The last thing any of us need is someone else telling us what to think or feel instead of letting us explore the work we love ourselves and determine how it made us feel while taking those cues from the creators as guides along our journey, not going along for their ride but creating our own within their worlds.

Dave Walsh is an author responsible for a pile of science fiction novels and co-creator of the ongoing satirical wrestling web series, SCFL Pro. Find out more at dvewlsh.com.

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