Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 131

All About LE SSERAFIM’s Collab with OVERWATCH 2

Blizzard Entertainment has been killing it with the collaborations recently. Overwatch 2 is once again collaborating with K-pop group Le Sserafim so players can go “crazy, crazy, crazy” over new content. And we sure do love a K-pop video game collab. Expect in-game content, fresh player skins, and Bouncer BOB from Le Sserafim’s Overwatch-themed “Perfect Night” music video. The partnership comes at the perfect time to celebrate Le Sserafim’s upcoming album “Hot.”

Below is the trailer for Overwatch 2 x LE SSERAFIM.

Overwatch‘s second Le Sserafim collection comes after a successful collaboration between the two in 2023. This time around, players can buy the FEARLESS collection with skins of characters Mercy, Juno, D.Va, Ashe, and Illari. However, do not worry if you didn’t get the old ones of Brigitte, D.Va, Kiriko, Sombra, and Tracer. Recolored versions of their skins are available for purchase.

Dion Rogers, art director for Overwatch, said in an interview with Polygon that the Korean team worked on the skins with the Irvine team, and, of course, with Le Sserafim.

We try to work pretty close with our team in Korea on these particular skins…We did one of them here [in Irvine] as well, but because they’re close to this work, they have the best knowledge of how to translate what they see…We work closely with Le Sserafim as well, and the girls have their thoughts and ideas on what they like to see on the heroes. It’s a really fun collaborative process.

Overwatch

If you want all of the Overwatch 2 Le Sserafim skins, go for the Ultra Bundle, which includes ten skins, including both the FEARLESS collection and 2023 skins. Additionally, players can purchase the skins they want individually or as part of a customizable bundle. A part of the collaboration is also in-game challenges that, if completed, give people rewards—for example, the Legendary Fawksey James Junkrat skin.

Overwatch 2 x LE SSERAFIM arrives in-game for a limited time, starting March 18 till March 31. For more information, tune into the Overwatch 2 x LE SSERAFIM livestream event on March 17 at 8:30 PM PT, which features Le Sserafim‘s members.

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F1 Trailer Goes Into Full Throttle with Footage Filmed at Real Races

F1 racing, also known as Formula 1, is the latest sensation that’s sweeping the nation(s). It seems like everywhere, people are getting into the high-speed world of the fastest cars around. And that involves those of us going to the movies. Barreling into theaters soon is the high-octane, thrilling (though heartfelt) racing film, F1, from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. F1 is no normal race car movie though, much of the film was actually made and acted in real F1 cars going at top speed. And a lot of the footage was captured during actual F1 races because well, you just can’t fake the energy of that crowd. And now, to get us extra excited, the first trailer for the F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, and Damson Idris has arrived.

You can check out F1‘s trailer in all its glory below.

At a special event celebrating F1‘s trailer, director Joseph Kosinski revealed that no regular car was going to be able to capture the magic of a real F1 race car. And so the actors, including Brad Pitt and Damson Idris were actually filmed inside cars going at over 100 miles per hour. That’s a truly fast-moving movie. Pitt and Idris also learned how to drive the cars themselves in order to get the most realistic moments possible for F1 (as we can see in the F1 trailer.) Kosinski called the movie a live stage play at 180 miles per hour. That’s not something you see every day.

Additionally, we learned that Pitt and Damson were thankfully adept at driving fast while filming F1. Famed Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton gave them his very own seal of approval. Had they not been able to drive, the whole movie would have been very different.

Warner Bros.

F1 was also filmed in quick bursts right in the middle of F1 races, during Grand Prix weekends. Takes had to be nailed down in the fifteen minutes F1 had between the practice run and the actual F1 race. And the crowd that’s present in the movie is a real crowd, too. Something that makes all the difference.

But, of course, as we see in the F1 trailer, F1 has thrills but also deep emotional beats. Kosinski shared that the relationship between Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, what he called a three-decade friendship, really brought a true level of camaraderie to the movie, one that cannot be faked. Of course, seeing Idris and Pitt act opposite each other was also an incredible experience.

In addition to the trailer, F1 shares a robust synopsis:

Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1®’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until he spectacularly crashed and burned. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling F1® team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to Formula 1® for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own accelerated pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in F1®, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

F1 releases in theaters and IMAX nationwide on June 27, 2025 and internationally beginning June 25, 2025.

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BLACK MIRROR Season 7 Drops Twisted Trailer and First-Look Images, Reveals April Release Date

Black Mirror season seven is so close that we can already feel the goosebumps on our arms. The popular anthology series dives into social commentary with a dash of horror, satire, and other dark elements that fans love. And, this season includes some of our favorite actors, including Barbie’s Issa Rae and Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi. Speaking of the latter, he’s rocking some wily hair and is rather unhinged in the trailer for Black Mirror season seven, as well as its first-look images. There’s even a release date for the next round of Black Mirror episodes.

The clip introduces a chip that can stick to the side of human heads. It alters a person’s neural structure and makes them not only more receptive, but a receiver. Well, that sounds like a terrible idea.

We discover that a few people we are watching are actually artificial intelligence and humanity is working out a way to “elevate” above them. The lines between what is reality and what isn’t will become blurred, which we see towards the end of the Black Mirror trailer. 

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BLACK MIRROR Season 7 Reveals Cast, Confirms 2025 Release Date Window

Check out these first-look images of Black Mirror season seven: 

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And, there are even more cast members joining in on the fun: 

Michele Austin (Hard Truths)Ben Bailey Smith (David Brent: Life on the Road)Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing)Josh Finan (Say Nothing)James Nelson-Joyce (The Outlaws)Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)Jay Simpson (Pride & Prejudice, The Holiday)Michael Workéyè (This Is Going to Hurt)What Is the Release Date for Black Mirror Season 7? Netflix

Black Mirror will return to Netflix on April 10.

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David Dastmalchian Joins DEXTER: RESURRECTION

Dexter will never die, apparently. Dexter: Original Sin brought Michael C. Hall back to narrate the prequel series about his early life. But wait, there’s more. There is yet another new sequel series, Dexter: Resurrection, that will have Michael C. Hall return to his infamous role yet again. Yes, we are also wondering how this will happen but we are along for the ride. In addition to Hall, it also sounds like this spinoff will have an incredible cast. The latest actors to join in on the murderous fun of Dexter: Resurrection? Neil Patrick Harris and Krysten Ritter.

Dexter: Resurrection‘s Cast

The newest star to join the cast of Dexter: Resurrection is Nerdist favorite David Dastmalchian. Dastmalchian will play the role of “Gareth” and will be a guest star on the show.

20th Century Studios

Neil Patrick Harris was also announced to guest star on Dexter: Resurrection in the role of “Lowell.” He joined Krysten Ritter as a part of the series. The Marvel’s Jessica Jones actress will play the role of “Mia” in the series. No other information is yet available.

BBCNetflix

Also part of the cast is Peter Dinklage. Dinklage will play Leon Prater, a character who is described as “a billionaire venture capitalist. To the world, Leon is a generous philanthropist, but behind his polished exterior lies dark intrigue.” Sounds like a great role for Dinklage.

HBO

In addition to the star studded list of names above, Uma Thurman will have a starring role in Dexter: Resurrection. According to Deadline, she will portray Charley, the Head of Security for a mysterious billionaire named Leon Prater. Charley is a former Special Ops officer who worked for high-level private security jobs before taking on her position under Prater.

Miramax Films What Is Dexter: Resurrection About? Paramount+/SHOWTIME

There aren’t many details about Dexter: Resurrection at this time. According to Variety, it takes place in modern day and is a follow-up to 2021’s Dexter: New Blood, which took place ten years after the original show’s events. This is very, very interesting, considering Dexter literally died at the end of New Blood. The name of this new series is very on the nose, indeed. 

“We are thrilled to have the brilliant Michael C. Hall reprise his iconic role as Dexter Morgan in Showtime’s most successful series ever,” said Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO, about Dexter: Resurrection. “While Dexter: Resurrections will appeal to the tens of millions of longtime fans, Dexter: Original Sin will introduce a whole new generation of viewers into this iconic series by starting from the beginning, which is sure to satisfy existing audiences as well.”

What Is the Release Date for Dexter: Resurrection and Dexter: Original Sin?

Dexter: Resurrection will hit Paramount+ with SHOWTIME in summer 2025 after Dexter: Original Sin’s December 2024 release. 

Originally published in 2024.

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The 10 Best New Anime to Watch in Spring 2025

Spring has sprung, which means another new season of anime is upon us! If you’re anything like me, all of the flowers beginning to bloom have you feeling like someone wrote “your sinuses” in the Death Note. So instead of sneezing yourself silly, kick back and relax in the great indoors with this guide to the very best anime you need to put in your eyeballs in spring of 2025.

Editor’s Note: This episode of Nerdist News is sponsored by Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Available March 20th.

Lazarus Is Shinichiro Watanabe’s Latest Offering, and John Wick’s Chad Stahelski Worked on the Anime

Release Date: April 5
Where to Watch: Adult Swim / Max

Honestly, the words “From the creator of Cowboy Bebop” should be enough to sell you on Lazarus, but we’ll elaborate. The GOAT, Shinichiro Watanabe, is back in spring of 2025, with a killer new sci-fi anime series set in a seemingly utopian future where a miracle drug has cured all pain. Unbeknownst to everyone who has taken it, they’ll die 3 years after ingesting it. Now, it’s up to Lazarus, a shadowy team of agents from all over the world, to save humanity before it’s too late. And in an even more unexpected twist, John Wick director Chad Stahelski served as action supervisor. So, if you’re a dog, bad news. If you’re a viewer, great!

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Takes Us Outside the Law

Release Date: April 7
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Get ready to go Past Ultra with this prequel that takes place five years prior to the events of My Hero Academia. Instead of the highly licensed and regulated superheroes of the original, this spinoff shines a light on vigilantes, who use their super-powered quirks to fight crime outside the bounds of the law.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, a college student with the incredible quirk “Slide and Glide,” a fearsome power that lets him…slide on the ground at a modest pace. Will he be able to glide his way to a fulfilling career in vigilante justice, or will his nemesis be Red Tape? We’ll find out when we watch this new anime series in spring of 2025.

Kowloon Generic Romance Goes From Romance to Mystery

Release Date: April 7
Where to Watch: TBA

At first blush, Kowloon Generic Romance seems like a sweet opposites-attract romance story between Reiko, a real estate agent who yearns for new experiences, and her coworker Hajime, a man nostalgic for a past that no longer exists.

But as Reiko discovers one day…her past no longer exists, at least nothing she can remember. In the claustrophobic streets of Kowloon Walled City, it quickly turns into an unsettling slow-burn mystery that evokes Memento and Chungking Express in equal measure. We’re definitely excited for this springtime anime coming to us April 7, 2025.

Your Forma Takes On a Deadly Technovirus (And Has a Sassy Android)

Release Date: April 2
Where to Watch: TBA

Imagine a world where detectives must literally delve into people’s memories via a brain implant that records their every sight, sound, and emotion. These investigators relive these experiences to solve all manner of crimes. But doing so comes with a risk: process too much information too quickly, and you could fry your own brain.

It sounds like a plotline from an apocryphal Deus Ex game, but that’s the tightrope walked Your Forma. It follows Echika Hieda, a young woman and elite investigator who, alongside a sassy android named Harold, must try and prevent a deadly technovirus from spreading around the globe before it’s too late. Which again reminds me a lot of the Gray Death in the first Deus Ex, but maybe with a bit of Psycho-Pass thrown in for good measure. Either way, I will be watching this anime in the spring and so should you.

Anne Shirley Is an Anime Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables

Release Date: April 5
Where to Watch: TBA

Anne Shirley. Or as I like to call it Anime of Green Gables! Folks, this is taking me back to middle school English class. This anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novels looks like a fantastic show for the whole family this spring 2025 season.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Anne of Green Gables has been adapted into an anime. Back in 1979, the late great Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata wrote and directed a 50-episode adaptation, so fingers crossed this lives up to that standard.

For those who don’t know, Anne Shirley tells the story of, you guessed it, Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is accidentally sent to live with the Cuthbert family after they requested a young boy. What follows is full of heart, humor, plum pudding, and ipecac–which is closer to the Four Tempers on Severance than I would have expected when I started this sentence.

Apocalypse Hotel Tells the Story of Lost Robots

Release Date: April 8
Where to Watch: TBA

Great news for everyone who has been saving those vacation days! Well, not everyone. As the title suggests, Apocalypse Hotel takes place at a hotel in Tokyo’s once-swanky Ginza district after an apocalyptic event wiped out all of mankind. Those who remain are a hotelier robot named Yachiyo and a gaggle of other service robots that run the hotel, waiting for guests who will never arrive.

So, if you want to split the difference between the afterlife of Tasokare Hotel and the android service story of Yokohama Shopping Log, then you should absolutely check into Apocalypse Hotel this spring once you’ve checked out of The White Lotus.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Brings Us Everything We Love From Gundam

Release Date: April 8
Where to Watch: TBA

If you’re super into ‘bot stuff and you’re jonesing for more Gundam after The Witch from Mercury, you’re in luck, thanks to a new Gundam series with an impossible-to-read title, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The katakana in the title sounds like “Ji-kyu-aku-su,” but, y’know, go with god – you’re fine. Call it “G-quox,” “G-quacks,” whatever floats your boat. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is the story of high school student Amate Yuzuhira who gets caught up in the underground world of illegal mobile suit dueling called “Clan Battle.”

What follows is textbook Gundam when she finds herself embroiled in far-reaching conspiracies involving the government and the police that could change the fate of the universe as they know it. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s co-written by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, so get ready for a G-Quuuux-istential crisis if you turn this 2025 spring anime on.

The Beginning After the End Brings Us a Cold-Blooded Baby

Release Date: April 2
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Imagine a fantastical world where you have the wisdom of a mighty king imbued in the body of a…baby. That’s right, folks. This adaptation of the popular series by TurtleMe follows the cold-blooded King Grey, who is reborn as a tiny baby named Arthur but retains all of his memories.

In his second go-round, he tries to correct all of his mistakes. Chief among them: dying under mysterious circumstances. Now, this might be the most controversial entry on this list because of the studio behind it, A-Cat, but fingers crossed they’ve learned from their past mistakes, and this will be as peak as fans want it to be. The Beginning After the End will be born this spring—the anime will release on April 2, 2025.

Witch Watch Brings Us Human Familiar Shenanigans

Release Date: April 6
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix

Most witches choose animal familiars like cats or toads to keep them company while they bubble bubble toil and trouble, but not Nico Wakatsuki in Witch Watch. This novice witch chooses her decidedly human childhood best friend Morihito Otogi and moves in with him in a decidedly non-magical society. What follows is a straight-up comedy with tons of easter eggs, tongue-in-cheek references, and unexpected gags. Especially if you enjoy Demon Slayer.

One Piece‘s Egghead Arc Will Return in Spring of 2025

Release Date: April 6
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Look, I’ll be honest with you. I am not caught up on One Piece. I just finished reading “Thriller Bark” in the manga, but whenever I talk to my friends and colleagues about this upcoming season of anime, One Piece is at the absolute top of their list. Then, when you tell them you’re reading or watching, they stare at you like this for a while.

Crunchyroll

Anyway, after a 6-month hiatus, the Straw Hats will resume the ongoing “Egghead” arc. So, if you’re a One Piece enjoyer, buckle up because it sounds like things are about to get genuinely crazy. And if you really want to go down the rabbit hole, make sure you check out Alison Mattingly’s video about everything Oda and company have up their sleeves this year and beyond.

The answer is, as always, weird fruit.

And there you have it, folks! Those are the best new anime coming your way in the spring season of 2025. And remember – if I left something off the list, like Fire Force or Wind Breaker, it was, in fact, a personal attack, Kyle. You know what you did.

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This episode of Nerdist News is presented by Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Fight for justice as a deadly ninja and a powerful samurai in 16th century Japan when Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (including Steam on Day 1), Mac, and Amazon Luna on March 20th! 

Learn more about Assassin’s Creed Shadows!

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How Sadie Sink’s SPIDER-MAN 4 Role Could Connect to the MCU’s X-Men

Spider-Man 4 is gearing up for production soon for a 2026 release. And reports have surfaced that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is joining the cast in an unspecified role. However, following months of rumors, the prevailing theory is that Sadie Sink will be the MCU’s version of a founding member of the X-Men, Jean Grey. Yes, Sadie Sink does look a lot like Spidey’s main love interest Mary Jane Watson. However, the “MJ” of the MCU is clearly Zendaya. So this just lends more fuel to the fire that Sadie Sink will be the X-Men’s premiere telepath. But why is Jean Grey, of all the Marvel Comics mutants, in a Spidey movie? We have some theories. We also have some ideas for another Marvel mutant that Sadie Sink could play aside from Jean Grey, with deeper ties to Spider-Man lore, Firestar. But first, let’s start with Jean.

Marvel ComicsCould Sadie Sink Play Jean Grey in Spider-Man 4? Peter Parker’s Comic Book Connections to Jean Grey of the X-Men

Although Sadie Sink is great rumored to play Jean Grey, Jean Grey and Spider-Man don’t have much overlap when it comes to comic book stories. True, the X-Men and Spider-Man have shared a few adventures together over the years. Spider-Man did also steal a kiss from Jean Grey once during their early hero years, in front of a horrified Professor X. And decades later, Jean kissed him on the cheek after he helped the X-Men out on a mission. But it’s not as if Jean Grey specifically had much to say to Peter Parker in those stories. In Marvel Comics, writers famously cloned both heroes, replacing them with genetic duplicates for a time. So they do have that common bond. However, none of that would apply to the MCU.

Marvel ComicsBut Jean Grey’s Telepathic Powers Could Make Her Immune to Doctor Strange’s No Way Home Spell in the MCU, Paving the Way for Sadie Sink

The end of Spider-Man: No Way Home could point to how Jean Grey could be useful in Spider-Man 4‘s story. At the end of that movie, Doctor Strange casts a massive spell on the world, erasing everyone’s memories that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same person. But a mind-altering spell like that? It might not work on someone who is as strong telepath on the level of Jean Grey. Remember, Jean’s telepathy is so strong she bonds with the Phoenix Force. That would give Peter Parker someone his age who knows who he really is and can share his burden. And it could be a good argument for Sadie Sink to play Jean Grey in the MCU movie.

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Is AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY and SECRET WARS Gearing Up to Be an Avengers/X-Men Crossover?Marvel Comics

Although Peter Parker and Jean Grey don’t have a history as such in the 616 Marvel continuity, the MCU could transpose one romance Peter had with another member of the X-Men to a different mutant. In the Ultimate Universe, X-Men member Kitty Pryde transferred to Peter’s high school from Xavier’s School for an extended period. The two had a brief romance even though they ultimately decided to just be friends. (MJ is seemingly Peter’s one true love in every reality). For the MCU iteration, Marvel might switch out Kitty Pryde for Jean Grey. It would also be refreshing to see a version of Jean Grey with someone other than Cyclops or Wolverine.

Marvel ComicsFirestar Is Another Famous Mutant Redhead in Spider-Man’s Life, and One of His “Amazing Friends”

There is another Marvel mutant that could easily fit into Spidey’s world from the comics, and Sadie Sink could very capably play. That’s Angelica Jones, a.k.a. Firestar. Actually, their connection began first in animation, in the 1981-1983 cartoon Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. In that Saturday morning show, Peter Parker fought crime with his two college buddies and roommates, Iceman and Firestar. Both were mutants and former X-Men, although Firestar was created specifically for the series, as Marvel didn’t have the TV rights to the flame-powered Human Torch at the time. She soon joined the comic book continuity, and has been both an X-Man and an Avenger. But her existence began as one of Peter Parker’s best friends at Empire State University.

NBC/Marvel Productions/Disney+

If Spider-Man 4 goes this route, we could see a live-action version of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, which could expand on the concept of mutants in the Sacred Timeline of the MCU. Also, with Ned Leeds and MJ not remembering who Peter Parker is, then he’ll need a whole new supporting cast. Why not the X-Men’s Bobby Drake and Angelica Jones? They could then roll over into the upcoming Marvel Studios version of the X-Men we know they’ve got coming. Iceman is a major X-Men character, and this could also be a fun way of introducing him to the MCU. While we tend to think Sadie Sink is being set up for a bigger MCU role in the form of Jean Grey, the X-Men’s Firestar is our runner-up choice.

Marvel ComicsWe’d Love for Spider-Man to Meet the X-Men, Regardless of Who Sadie Sink Plays in the Movie

Introducing X-Men concepts in a Spider-Man movie might also lead to some cool things for Peter Parker in the future of the MCU. Despite not being a mutant (technically, Spider-Man is what we call a mutate), he ended up teaching at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters at one point. This was chronicled in the series Spider-Man and the X-Men. Eventually, the MCU will have to age up Tom Holland’s Peter. A cool adult career path for future films would be to have him become a teacher to young high school students. If those students had powers like him, that would be even more fun to watch. Maybe his entire connection to Marvel’s mutants starts with Jean Grey or Firestar, someone he’s known possibly since college. We’ll likely find out soon, as Destin Daniel Cretton’s untitled Spider-Man film is set to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

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10 Anime You Need to Watch This Spring

Spring is here and so is a crop of awesome new anime! Dodge your seasonal allergies with Dan Casey in this guide to the best anime coming your way this spring on today’s Nerdist News.

This video is presented by Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Fight for justice as a deadly ninja and a powerful samurai in 16th century Japan when Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (including Steam on Day 1), Mac, and Amazon Luna on March 20th!

Learn more about Assassin’s Creed Shadows: https://bit.ly/ACSNerdistNews

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Here’s the full list of anime discussed in the guide:

Lazarus (Adult Swim, Max) – April 5
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Crunchyroll) – April 7
Kowloon Generic Romance (TBA) – April 5
Your Forma (TBA) – April 2
Anne Shirley (TBA) – April 5
Apocalypse Hotel (TBA) – April 8
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux (TBA) – April 8
The Beginning After the End (Crunchyroll) – April 2
Witch Watch (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix) – April 6
One Piece (Crunchyroll) – April 6

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#Anime #OnePiece #Gundam #AssassinsCreed #AssassinsCreedShadows #Sponsored

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A 4K IMAX Restoration of PRINCESS MONONOKE Is Coming to Theaters

For the first time since its original 1997 release, you can follow the Kodama to theaters to watch Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki‘s Princess Mononoke, restored in IMAX format. To celebrate legendary animation house Studio Ghibli’s 40th anniversary, GKIDS will present a brand-new 4K restoration of Princess Mononoke in North American theaters. (And you can see another older film in theaters, thanks to Revenge of the Sith‘s 20th anniversary re-release.)

In case you need a little refresher on the plot for this film, here’s a quick synopsis:

Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. 

Studio Ghibli

Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, wrote the story for the hand-drawn animated Princess Mononoke. The film was produced by another co-founder, Toshio Suzuki. Of course, Joe Hisaishi, frequent collaborator of Miyazaki, composed the film’s soundtrack, just like the majority of Studio Ghibli films.

Atsushi Okui directly oversaw the creation of the IMAX version of Princess Mononoke using a never-before-seen 4K restoration of the film. Okui has worked on almost every Studio Ghibli film since Porco Rosso as a cinematographer. Princess Mononoke re-releases in theatres March 26. To find out which theatre near you, head to the IMAX website.

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Quests N’ Answers | Inside Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode Ep. 19

Welcome to Quests N’ Answers, the companion series to Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode! ***Spoilers ahead for episode 19***

Join Dan Casey and cast members Amy Vorpahl, Jason Nguyen, and Danielle Radford as they break down the biggest moments of Goblin Mode episode 19, “Prophet Motive.” The penultimate episode was full of shocks, surprises, and long overdue showdowns, so join as we dive deep into the utter chaos unfolding in Sundaros!

New episodes of Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode air every Monday on Geek & Sundry or wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/goblinmodepod

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at https://www.geekandsundry.com/!

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Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode is a Geek & Sundry production made in partnership with Realm.

Official camera partner: FUJIFILM USA — Visit https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com for more!

#goblinmode #geekandsundry #rpg #ttrpg #sagasofsundry

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Everything You Need to Remember From THE LAST OF US Season 1

After a two-year hiatus, The Last of Us will soon return to HBO. While trailers have teased the nightmares that await in the show’s sophomore outing, after a lengthy wait for new episodes you might not remember all of the old ones. Why exactly do monsters now rule the world? How did Joel and Ellie end up living in a commune? And what world-shattering secret is he keeping from her? Here’s everything you need to remember from The Last of Us season one so you can have a fun(gi) time when season two premieres.

A Fungus Conquered Humanity Creating a Dystopia of MonstersLiane Hentscher/HBO

HBO’s The Last of Us opened in 1968 with a talk show featuring epidemiologists discussing potential calamities. One of them explained why fungus, possibly adapting to a warming planet, worried him more than any virus. Eventually his fears came true, when the parasitic fungal infection cordyceps began infecting mankind in 2003. The mind-controlling cordyceps quickly spread around the world, turning humans into horrifying zombie-like puppet monsters.

Note: Unlike in the video game series, those monsters did not emit floating spores that spread infection. Those spores are coming in season two, though.

HBO

For the next 20 years, survivors in America either lived in QZ zones under the brutal control of FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency), established their own communities, or risked being on their own entirely. Some also joined the underground resistance group opposing FEDRA, the Fireflies. During those two decades of disease different types of monsters developed.

READ MORE

How The Last of Us Made Pop Culture’s Scariest Zombies Even More Terrifying
How HBO’S The Last of Us Changed the Way Its Infection Spreads
The Last of Us Infected Zombie Types Explained: Clickers, Bloaters, and More
How FEDRA Is Different, and Scarier, in The Last of Us TV Show

How Joel and Ellie Ended Up Together on The Last of UsHBO

Joel Miller lived in Austin, Texas when the outbreak began. In the initial chaos a soldier shot and killed his daughter Sarah. He eventually made his way with his brother Tommy to Boston’s QZ. There he lived and worked with his romantic partner Tess as smugglers. In the show’s present time the two were trying to get a hard-to-find car battery so Joel could travel cross country to find Tommy who had left Boston years earlier.

That plan ultimately led to them making a deal with Boston’s Firefly leader, Marlene. They would get their car battery in exchange for getting a young girl named Ellie outside of the QZ to Massachusetts’ State House. During their journey, though, Tess got infected. With the Fireflies waiting for Ellie dead, Tess’s dying wish before she sacrificed herself was for Joel to take the young girl to Utah.

HBO

Joel reluctantly agreed, and the two spent season one traveling across the country. It was a perilous trek that saw them almost die multiple times. They also killed a lot of awful people and awful monsters to make it.

Joel did it in spite of his self-doubt, grief, panic attacks, and hearing issues because he ultimately knew Tess was right. Someone needed to protect Ellie, whom he grew to love, because she’s so important. She’s immune to cordyceps.

Why Ellie Is Immune to Cordyceps?HBO

Ellie is the only person in the world known to have a natural immunity to cordyceps. Tess and Joel witnessed a monster bite her without anything happening. She’s special because of a unique, almost-impossible-to-replicate sequence of events.

An infected monster bit Ellie’s mom Anna right as she gave birth. Anna also became infected before she could cut her umbilical cord. (Which she did with the same knife she’d just used to stab the monster.) Her friend Marlene then arrived, and while skeptical, she believed Anna when she lied about cutting the cord before the bite. Marlene then took the baby and cared for her. She helped keep Ellie safe in an unlikely place, too. She put her into FEDRA military school. (Ellie remained there until she broke out with her best friend and romantic interest Riley one night, a tragic evening that led to Riley getting infected and Ellie having to kill her.)

Despite knowing Ellie since the hour she was born and promising to care for her, Marlene was going to sacrifice Ellie’s life to save mankind.

The Plan to Kill Ellie and Use Her Brain for a Cordyceps CureLiane Hentscher/HBO

The Firefly doctor in Salt Lake City believed cordyceps had grown in Ellie’s brain since birth. As Marlene explained to Joel, that’s why they believed Ellie was the key to ending the infection forever.

It produces a kind of chemical messenger. It makes normal cordyceps think that she’s cordyceps. It’s why she’s immune. He’s gonna remove it from her, multiply the cells in a lab, produce those chemical messengers. And then we can give it to everyone. He thinks it could be a cure, Joel. A cure.

Liane Hentscher/HBO

Joel knew the plan meant killing Ellie and demanded it stop. Marlene said Ellie had no idea what her surgery was really about and therefore wouldn’t suffer. She then ordered Firefly soldiers to escort Joel from the city.

Joel did not go along willingly with either them or the plan. He wasn’t ready to lose Ellie, the person who’d finally helped him move on with his life, the way he’d lost Sarah.

How Did Joel Save Ellie in The Last of Us Season 1 Finale?Liane Hentscher/HBO

Joel attacked and killed the two armed guards escorting him before they got outside the hospital. He then went on a killing spree, murdering every Firefly he encountered, even those who laid down their weapons.

When he got to the operating room Joel found the surgeon preparing to cut into the anesthetized Ellie. The doctor said he wouldn’t hand her over so Joel shot immediately shot him in the head. He then ordered the nurses to unhook Ellie. Once they did Joel let the three nurses go, the only people who knew what was happening that day that survived. That’s because Joel also killed Marlene in the parking garage as she begged him to stop.

He didn’t tell Ellie about anything he’d done or why.

HBOJoel Lies to Ellie About Her Immunity and What Happened in UtahHBO

Ellie woke up in her hospital gown in the back seat of a truck outside Salt Lake. She knew something wasn’t right, so Joel lied about everything. He told her the Fireflies had found other immune people but that the doctors said none of them can provide a cure. He also explained her lack of clothes by saying raiders attacked the hospital, killing Marlene and all the other Fireflies, and that he barely got them both out of alive.

The only true thing he said was that they were heading back Wyoming. They’d live with his brother Tommy (who knows about Ellie’s immunity) and Tommy’s pregnant wife Maria (who doesn’t trust Joel) on their commune.

Liane Hentscher/HBO

During the final moment of season one, just outside the fortified Wyoming community, Ellie stopped and said to Joel, “Swear to me. Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.”

He did, and Ellie finally accepted his story with an “okay.”

And now that you know everything you need to remember from season one, it’s okay for you to read about everything we know about The Last of Us season two.

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