Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 11

Neil Druckmann Teases More THE LAST OF US Announcements Coming Soon

The news about Neil Druckmann stepping away from The Last of Us TV series as its co-showrunner after season two was shocking, to say the least. The head of Naughty Dog has been very, very involved with the series and a major part of its ongoing success. He finally spoke with Variety and essentially said it was a lot of work to run a show and also lead a gaming company, which makes sense. But, one thing about the interview that really caught our attention is when Neil Druckmann said more than once that there are The Last of Us announcements coming soon. 

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Neil Druckmann Leaves HBO’s THE LAST OF US Ahead of Season 3

Druckmann will still have very high level input into The Last of Us season three; however, his focus is more on the gaming side. When asked about future adaptations and expansions, Druckmann replied, “There’s just ongoing conversations around Uncharted, The Last of Us, and now Intergalactic as far as different adaptations or expansions. With The Last of Us, we did a graphic novel, for a while we were working on a movie that didn’t work out, and it became a TV show. And there’s more stuff happening in The Last of Us world that has not been announced.

HBO

He made it clear that no other Intergalactic adaptations would be happening until the game was solid. But, what does he mean by The Last of Us announcements? Does he just mean The Last of Us Part 3 game… or are there other game spinoffs in the works as well? Perhaps there is even something else that is coming to the live-action world that he knows about, but cannot speak on at this time. Hmmm.

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Mark Hamill Only Returned to STAR WARS Because of Harrison Ford

A decade ago, Mark Hamill returned as Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens, after a 32-year absence. But it was a return that nearly didn’t happen. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the iconic actor revealed that the only reason he came back was because of Harrison Ford. He never thought Ford, who once asked George Lucas to kill off Han Solo, would ever fly the Millennium Falcon again. But when he did, along with Carrie Fisher, Hamill didn’t want to be the odd man out. Here’s what he told THR:

I had real reservations about coming back. I thought it would be a mistake. You can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice — they should really focus on a new generation of characters. And I thought, ‘Well, Harrison is not going to do it anyway.’ Once I saw in the press that he had accepted. I felt like I had been drafted — because if I’m the only one who says no, I’ll be the most hated man in nerd-dom.

Lucasfilm

Despite his reservations, Hamill was happy to return to play younger Luke in The Mandalorian. Or at least provide Luke’s face and voice. He was always bothered that he never got the chance to play Luke at his peak. He told THR “The reason I did Mandalorian was that Luke had a beginning and an end. There was no middle… You never got to see Luke as a Master Jedi at the peak of his powers.” Both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett provided that for him.

Lucasfilm

In the back of his mind, we believe Hamill must have at least suspected that he’d wield his lightsaber again one day. As far back as the ’80s, Hamill mentioned that George Lucas always planned his return as the elder mentor figure. Someone “passing down Excalibur to the next generation.” Although back then, Lucas thought this return for Episode VII would film in 2011. Hey, he was only off by about four years, as The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015. Whatever Hamill may think of his sequel return, we believe his performance in The Last Jedi was award-worthy, and we stand by that.

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Fred Armisen Confirms WEDNESDAY’s Uncle Fester Spinoff Series Is Moving Forward

Wednesday’s favorite family member, Uncle Fester, is indeed getting his own spinoff series. We first heard news of Netflix developing a Wednesday spinoff TV series built around Uncle Fester a couple years ago. Since then, the streaming service has made it clear that it has plans to capitalize on the success of Wednesday with other shows in that universe, much like the company is planning for Stranger Things. 

Fred Armisen spoke to Jimmy Fallon about the Uncle Fester spinoff, keeping most details to himself, of course. He says that it is fantastic and amazing, among other things. “It’s so fun to do. It feels very organic,” said Armisen. “That’s all I can really say about it as far as the anticipation of it all. I love getting to do it and to embody this character who’s existed for a long time. That’s the fun of it.”

Vlad Cioplea/Netflix

Uncle Fester made a brief yet wonderfully memorable appearance on Wednesday to fans’ delight in season one. And, he returned in season two with a slightly expanded role, including getting committed to a mental institution and picking Wednesday up in the finale for a summer ride up north to find a wolfed-out Enid.

There’s a lot to explore with this mischievous, strange, and highly adventurous character, played by Fred Armisen in the series. He’s basically a criminal mastermind who can shoot lightning from his fingers and certainly does not travel incognito. Oh, and he’s also always on the run for many crimes.

Wednesday gave us so many fun crumbs that an Uncle Fester spinoff show could build on. The series would presumably feature Armisen’s character in the present, but there’s always a chance for flashbacks. We want to know what happened during his stint at the Zurich Institute for the Criminally Insane in 1983. Or maybe we can see what went down during his five year imprisonment at a Tibetan monastery. This guy is truly living the wildest life.

Vlad Cioplea/Netflix

Right now, there are no further details about the Uncle Fester Wednesday spinoff television show. But with Fred Armisen’s confirmation that the series is moving forward, it won’t be long before we know more about this show. Now, if they could get working on that Grandmama Frump prequel, we’d really appreciate it! No pressure, Netflix.

Originally published December 18, 2023.

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Will Streaming Price Hikes Backfire? The Era of Subscribing & Unsubscribing

When streaming channels first emerged, they arrived as disruptors to current cable options. Cable seemed overpriced, clunky, and monolithic. It didn’t offer enough choice, nor enough control over what could be watched and when. Streaming was a newer, modern model—a high-tech alternative at a significantly lower cost. But over time, streaming became the very monster it sought to upend, turning into something that doesn’t look so different from cable’s original model. And these days, an endless array of price increases plagues the streaming world.

We at Nerdist have tracked the price hikes across major streaming platforms this year, and there were four in eight months. However, while these price increases seem to have been successful for streamers to date, do streaming platforms really have an endless ability to increase subscription prices? Or will this constant raising of costs eventually backfire with consumers? Welcome to the era of subscribing and unsubscribing.

HBO

There are two salient points worth noting about the world of early streamers: a) only a few streamers existed, b) NO ONE yet subscribed to streaming channels (because before that time, they hadn’t existed). And that meant the first order of business for streamers was to build their subscription base. At the start, the primary source of income for streamers was new subscribers. And how do you lure new subscribers into your channels? Why, you make the user experience a REALLY good one, so your consumers think, “Wow, what a great platform. I should join in.” These days, though, the age of the user experience at the forefront of streaming priorities is over. EVERYONE is subscribed to a streamer, more or less. There is no significant money to be had by trying to lure new subscribers into a platform that has saturated its market.

Love is sharing a password.

— Netflix (@netflix) March 10, 2017

So, of course, that leads to generating more revenue from the existing user base, which brings us to ads, password-sharing crackdowns, and price hikes. It’s no coincidence that in the past, streamers mostly didn’t have ads and turned a blind eye to or even encouraged account sharing. Because at that time, having the user be comfortable and happy was paramount. But now, the user experience is fading away, as simultaneously, price increases are coming at every turn. On top of this, more and more streaming platforms have emerged, making the overall cost to stream triple, at least.

So where does that leave consumers? For a time, it felt like consumers were pretty helpless in the mix, presented with two options: pay more for streaming channels or be unable to watch the shows and movies they love. But as price hikes continue to arrive endlessly, it feels like a third option has emerged. More than ever, the era of “subscribe and unsubscribe” is here when it comes to streaming platforms.

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Of course, we haven’t run any official research on the matter. Anecdotally, though, across real friends and online comments, we sense that subscribing to streamers is turning into a more temporary state of existence. Consumers note that they’ll subscribe to a streamer after a TV series they want to watch has been fully released or an anticipated movie has been added, watch it, and then unsubscribe from the platform. The cost vs. value proposition of remaining subscribed for the longer term simply no longer adds up as costs continue to increase. We’re sure there’s probably one main streaming platform that folks might wish to have available at any time, but by and large, the age of long-term subscriptions across ALL available platforms feels like it’s ending.

From a consumer perspective, subscribing and unsubscribing from streamers makes a lot of sense. Coming onto a streamer for a short period of time and watching a whole season of a new TV show, plus whatever else, and then unsubscribing definitely leaves the consumer coming out on top as far as costs go. Purchasing a season of a show is more expensive than buying a month of a streaming subscription. And, unsubscribing means that the costs don’t add up when there’s nothing else to watch. In this way, consumers opt out of the two-choice continuum. They no longer have to pay more than they want to, AND they get to watch the content they love.

Is subscribing and unsubscribing from streamers a perfect model? No. Of course, consumers will experience times when they wish they could watch or rewatch something from a streamer they have unsubscribed from. However, if one can’t afford to remain subscribed to all of the streamers available, then that’s the reality.

If this vision of unsubscribing or subscribing only for short periods of time catches on, then price hikes could finally betray streamers. Receiving, for example, $12 twice a year ($24) vs. $6 twelve times a year ($72) marks a fairly significant loss. Streamers could make three times more from the cheaper option. Of course, we are likely a long way from revenue being severely impacted because of short-term subscribers. But, as we said, it feels like more and more people are thinking about that avenue. And should all of them turn to subscribing and unsubscribing… we bet the streamers will be thinking about price drops pretty quickly.

We don’t know for sure what will happen in the streaming landscape, but it does feel like, at some point, endless price hikes will inevitably backfire on streaming platforms. They simply cannot go on forever.

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James Gunn Originally Wanted Dave Bautista to Play PEACEMAKER

John Cena has proven to be such a perfect Peacemaker it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. But it turns out James Gunn originally did exactly that. The Suicide Squad director revealed he wrote the part of Christopher Smith for someone else. It was a superhero he already knew very well. Gunn created the role with Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista in mind. Sky Cinema

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show (we first heard about at /Film), Gunn said the role of Peacemaker was meant for Drax himself. He created the part for his “good friend” Dave Bautista. He offered him the role, too. But Gunn said he turned it down because he had “two other movies and we weren’t paying him a lot, and so he had to go where the money was.”

Gunn then turned to Cena, who he said he had been a big of since Trainwreck. “I thought he was so, so funny in that movie that I met with him,” said Gunn. “We talked. We became instant, instant friends. And then, since then, you know, I’ve worked with him more than any other actor because I’ve done two seasons of Peacemaker, Suicide Squad, and we’re gonna be doing more together.”

What’s that creative head of the DCU? You’re going to be doing more together with Cena? The star of a show you said leads “directly” into your Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow? Hmm. Interesting.

Max

As is the idea of Dave Bautista as Peacemaker. Like John Cena, he’s more than proven himself as a great actor. In addition to his time as Drax he was especially excellent in both Blade Runner 2049 and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films. Both him and Cena are among the very best of those who have made the move from the world of professional wrestling to Hollywood. Bautista is also funny and intimidating, just like Gunn’s Christopher Smith. He would have been great in the role. But considering John Cena is already a perfect Peacemaker, we can’t imagine him being even better.

Instead we’ll have to imagine what role in the DCU Bautista might ultimately play. We imagine there’s a little more money available now to make sure that happens.

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Read Exclusive Pages From MAGIC: THE GATHERING: UNTOLD STORIES—ELSPETH Comic

Magic: The Gathering has an incredible wealth of stories hidden in its cards. The first modern trading card game has been around since 1993. And in those decades, it has spun up a lore that might make any franchise feel envious. The beauty of the stories that Magic tells through its cards, though, is that they are so rich and yet leave so much space for growth and exploration. Magic: The Gathering‘s cards reveal moments and snapshots brought out of an even richer tale. And happily, a new licensed publishing program between Dark Horse Comics and Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast division, MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories will dive into some of these epic tales and give them even greater life. At Nerdist, it’s our pleasure to reveal exclusive excerpt pages from MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth. This unpublished story from Theros Beyond Death reveals the highly anticipated story of how Elspeth finally escaped the underworld.

It’s a story you won’t want to miss.

Read 5 Exclusive Pages From MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth Click To View Gallery Wizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics Wizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics Wizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics Wizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics Wizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics

Get ready to hear the story behind Theros Beyond Death. The incredible Magic: The Gathering expansion set took us into the world of Greek mythology through the lens of MTG. And now, we’re delving even deeper into one of its myths with a four-issue comic miniseries that tells the story of Elspeth through incredible art, color, and narrative. It’s Magic: The Gathering like you’ve never seen it before.

In our exclusive excerpt pages from MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth, we find ourselves at the very beginning of Elspeth’s unknown story. Elspeth has been sentenced to a terrible fate in the Underworld by the one whom she once championed. Now she must relive some of her worst nightmares, including her forced killing of her love Daxos, her terrible death at the hands of Heliod, betrayed by the god she had sworn to serve, and her horrifying capture by the terrible Phyrexians in her childhood. (They are CREEPY.) But that’s only the start for Elspeth. How will she ever escape her torment… We are about to find out.

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Theros Beyond Death promises us that Elspeth will conquer death, face the sun god, and take on her worst nightmares. It also reveals that the misery of the Underworld is no trifle. And hints at Heliod, the sun god’s might, rage, and fate. But how these pieces, these cards, if you will, come together, that’s the journey that MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth will take us on.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth SynopsisWizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics

The official synopsis of MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth reveals more to us about what we can expect from the comic story. It shares:

Elspeth is dead. But her story is not yet over.

The sun god Heliod, having grown envious of his champion, struck her down to the underworld. There, she is forced to relive the worst moments of her life for all eternity. But Elspeth does not submit to despair—she emerges from each conflict a greater hero than before. And for a great hero like Elspeth, what is death but another challenge to overcome?

We love a fearless hero, not cowed even by death. Elspeth has been through so much in life; what is a little underworld to her? Jackie Jones, Vice President of Creative for MAGIC: THE GATHERING at Wizards of the Coast, shares, “Elspeth’s journey has always resonated deeply with our fans, and bringing her untold story to life in this exciting new format has been a real creative highlight for us. Working with Dark Horse and this phenomenal team of artists and writers, we’re thrilled to give players and readers a deeper look into one of MAGIC’s most iconic heroes.”

“We can’t wait to finally tell the story of Theros: Beyond Death,” adds Roy Graham, Senior Story Lead for MAGIC: THE GATHERING at Wizards of the Coast. “Our fans and dedicated readers have wanted to see Elspeth’s escape from the underworld brought to life since the iconic set was first released, and working with Dark Horse to make it happen is a dream come true.”

And truly, is there a more iconic story than escaping the realm of death itself?

More About MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—ElspethWizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics

A comic narrative seems like the perfect choice to expand a Magic: The Gathering tale. The medium allows for more linear storytelling, but retains the magnificent art that Magic: The Gathering is so known for.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth will be a four-issue miniseries written by renowned author Dan Watters (Cyberpunk 2077: Psycho Squad, Home Sick Pilots, Nightwing), illustrated by Owen Gieni (Manifest Destiny, Rat Queens), colored by Hilary Jenkins (Hairball, Slow Burn), and lettered by Clayton Cowles (Helen of Wyndhorn, FML). It will feature covers by Gieni, Vincenzo Riccardo, and Anna Steinbauer.

Illustrator Gieni reveals, “I’m so honoured to illustrate the story of these great characters and lore. And Dan’s scripts are absolutely amazing, legitimately brilliant stuff. The only request I gave him at the start was to give me some of those epic Theros gods and monsters to draw, and he fully delivered with a vengeance! Killer stuff that I think MtG fans are gonna love.” 

In just our exclusive pages from the MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth comic, we see plenty of incredible AND terrifying gods and monsters. So we can’t imagine what the rest of the mini-series holds, but know it will be amazing.

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As mentioned, MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth #1 marks the first release of a new licensed publishing program between Dark Horse Comics and Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast division. This new era will expand the worlds of MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS with comics, graphic novels, art books, and more. And we absoutely can’t wait.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth‘s Release DateWizards of the Coast/Dark Horse Comics

MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Untold Stories—Elspeth issue #1 releases in stores on September 17, 2025. You can preorder it today from your local comic shop for $4.99.

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James Gunn’s MAN OF TOMORROW Is for the Clex Shippers

Come on, admit it. You know it, I know it. Maybe James Gunn knows it, but Lex Luthor was basically in love with Superman in the DCU’s hit summer movie. I mean, he studied every one of his movements so that he could emulate them precisely with a click of a button… through the mechanism of his very own obedient Superman clone. The line between love and hate is thin. And the line between obsession and infatuation is even thinner. It’s what we like to call around these fandom parts, Clex. After all, where did Lex put Superman when he captured him, yes, in the interdimensional prison where he keeps his exs. Hrm. If that weren’t enough, Lex’s official DCU Superman playlist is, and I say this as a queer person, so, with love, pretty gay. There’s Prince, and Bowie, and Queen—bona fide queer icons. And, if that weren’t enough, Perfume Genius. Yeah, there’s a song about inducing gay panic in Lex’s playlist. So, you know. Although, of course, Lois and Clark were the chief romantic interlude of Superman, the movie left a lot of room for Clex shippers to rejoice. But nothing, and I mean nothing, was as triumphant to Clex-kind as the announcement for the next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow. DC Studios

I admit it, I flailed when I saw it. Three pieces of new DC art to celebrate Man of Tomorrow and in all three Lex and Superman are all up in one other’s space? I’m pretty sure that they’re downright flirty in the one where Superman is holding…wait for it… a screwdriver. I’ll let that sink in, but since this is a family show, I won’t go too far into all the implications the screw…driver has to offer. I’ll suffice to say again. Screwdriver. And add to that how both of them seem kind of pleased to be in one another’s company, maybe even fighting together, and bam! Clex nirvana.

DC Studios

And we all know who would support Clex if it happened. (Yes, it’s Nicholas Hoult, 100%) Then, of course, there’s the canon possibility that Lex and Clark will have a child together sometime in the DCU. So the odds are really stacking up in our favor here.

Okay, so the likelihood that Clark and Lex Luthor are going to fall in love in the next Superman movie is pretty slim. Although I again point you to Lex listening to Perfume Genius, which, maybe you’ve heard of if you’re not a queer person, but the odds seem slim. But James Gunn has confirmed that Man of Tomorrow is all about Lex and Clark’s relationship, and, in fact, the Superman film will see them team up against a much greater threat. (Something I totally called for Clex by the way.)

Gunn shares that Man of Tomorrow is “A story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat. It’s more complicated than that but that’s a big part of it. It’s as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I loved working with Nicholas Hoult. I relate to the character of Lex, sadly. I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. I just love the script so much.”

DC Studios

Please, James Gunn, create something extraordinary between the two of them. Give us the Clex we need and deserve. After all, wasn’t Superman’s epic monologue at the end of the movie, really just about telling Lex that he believed in him and hoped he would do better eventually? And Nicholas Hoult brought such an extraordinary fragility to the terrible character of Lex; we can’t let that go to waste. In any other hands, he would have been absolutely wretched. But here, there’s something more to him. Even if it’s not fully Clex, we just want to see these two be frenemies instead of total enemies. The rest we have on lock in the fanfic universe. And it sounds like we are about to get our wish.

Superman‘s sequel, Man of Tomorrow, releases on July 9, 2027.

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Noah Hawley’s STAR TREK Film Would Have Connected to Data

Creator Noah Hawley is currently reinvigorating the Alien franchise thanks to his incredible FX series Alien: Earth. And a few years back, he created one of the unique X-Men-related projects ever with Legion. But not that long ago, he was also developing a Star Trek film. This was one of the many, many different Star Trek feature film projects that Paramount has been developing since Star Trek Beyond back in 2016. Not surprisingly, given the subject matter on Alien: Earth, the film Hawley was developing was going to tie into the beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation android officer, Data (Brent Spiner). Here’s what Hawley told Men’s Journal, via Slashfilm, about developing his now-canceled Trek film:

It was great. And we had sound stages in Australia. We were on the runway, and we were negotiating with actors. Mostly, what I can say is that it was a really hard loss because we got so close. It was an original story that was not Chris Pine-related, nor was it Captain Kirk-related. I guess the thing that might stick with people is that there was an unboxing of Data, the idea of the android. And that was to become an element in the films.

Paramount Television

So would this movie have been about the actual creation of the first sentient android, Data? A prequel to The Next Generation of sorts? In Star Trek canon, Data was the lifelong dream of a brilliant scientist named Dr. Noonien Soong. His prototype sentient android, Lore, became twisted and evil, forcing his creator to deactivate him. Data became Soong’s second, more successful attempt, created without emotional capabilities because of what happened to his “brother.” All of this might have been great fodder for a Star Trek film, but we see how some of those ideas are now playing out on Alien: Earth. In the meantime, Paramount remains committed to still making the fourteenth Star Trek film. Although what form that may take is still a mystery.

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Bryan Fuller Wants Zendaya to Play Clarice Starling in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Reboot

More Hannibal has been something fans have craved for a decade now. It’s been 10 years since the incredible show concluded, but Fannibals (and basically anyone with taste) are still hungry for more. But what form would more Hannibal take? If you ask Bryan Fuller, the answer is an ever-changing prospect. But currently, Fuller reveals he’d like to see more Hannibal take the form of a Silence of the Lambs limited series with Zendaya playing Clarice against Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter. Hey, we stan.NBC/Warner Bros.

Fuller shared, “My dream project is to do a limited series of Silence of the Lambs with Mads and Zendaya as Clarice Starling. If I could put anything out into the universe, I would put that into the universe.”

Okay, relax, relax. RELAX. I hear you. I feel you. I see you. I am you. Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham would ABSOLUTELY have a place in a Hannibal follow-up Silence of the Lambs series that has Zendaya playing Clarice. Just because Fuller did not say Hugh Dancy’s name in his vision of the limited series does not mean Will Graham would not be a part of it. Fuller has said on countless occasions that Will Graham and Hugh Dancy would absolutely feature in any future plans involving Hannibal. And there is literally no reason to imagine that changing.

Casting Zendaya as Clarice in a Silence of the Lambs follow-up, when she is much closer to the age of Kacey Rohl than anyone else on Hannibal. (Rohl played Abigail Hobbs on the series, Will and Hannibal’s ill-fated surrogate daughter), actually implies exactly how Will could fit into the narrative. Hannigram is very much on the menu, as Fuller has shared with Nerdist before. It stands to reason that Will Graham and Hannibal would be love interests in a Silence of the Lambs mini-series follow-up, with Zendaya’s Clarice filling the role of yet another one of Hannibal’s stand-ins for his lost sister, Mischa.

Regardless of the semantics, I think we could all agree that seeing Mads Mikkelsen and Zendaya in a scene together would blow all of our minds. And seeing more Hannibal might course-correct the trajectory of the universe as we know it. In Bryan Fuller, we trust.

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Original BLUES’ CLUES Host Steve Burns Launches ALIVE Podcast for Adults

Steve Burns left hosting duties on Blue’s Clues way back in 2002, but he never really left the show behind. Over the last few years he’s found new ways to reconnect with his (now grownup) audience. Now he’s set to take on a very different type of hosting duty. Only, he wants to still capture the spirit of the Nickelodeon show that made him a beloved part of so many childhoods. He’s launching a podcast for adults that will serve as a “continuation” of Blue’s Clues. Steve Burns’ podcast, Alive, will officially release on September 17.

This September, Steve Burns will host Alive, his own original weekly podcast. Burns is producing it in conjunction with Lemonada Media. He says his show will “continue what we started decades ago,” an obvious reference to the Nickelodeon series that made him famous. Each week Burns and guests will discuss “what it means to stay human in a complicated world.”

Burn shares, “Sick of all the shouting and noise out there? Then good news. Steve Burns is back and he’s making a podcast with you. Not for you — with you. Starting September 17, tune in as Steve sits down with some really smart folks for genuine and respectful conversations about all the big, messy questions of being alive in an ever-harder world. There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to. This one listens back.”

Burns said his show will be different from many other podcasts. It’s not going to focus on creating something you merely listen to. He says Alive “will be a podcast that listens back,” which is what “Steve” on Blues’ Clues did. He “listened” to kids calling out answers to his questions.

Alive With Steve Burns

His YouTube video announcing the show also provides insight into what his audience (who, for the record, will still have to actually listen) can expect from the show’s inaugural year:

Season 1 will tackle issues near and dear to Steve’s fans. As millennials navigate an ever-changing world, Steve will host conversations on topics ranging from personal finance to spirituality and modern love.

For the Alive podcast to match Steve Burns’ run on Blue’s Clues, it will have to last for at least six seasons and more than 100 episodes. Will his kids-turned-adults fans stick around that long? We wouldn’t bet against it. After all these years they haven’t left behind the show anymore than he has.

Alive releases on September 17.

Originally published on June 25, 2025.

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