Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 155

Original ROBOCOP Star Peter Weller Reveals If He’s Willing to be in Prime Video Series

A year or so back, it was reported that Prime Video was developing several series based on MGM properties. Now, via Variety, we know that at least one of those will be based on the classic sci-fi film RoboCop. Peter Ocko is developing a RoboCop TV series, along with James Wan under his Atomic Monster banner. The official synopsis for the upcoming RoboCop show is the following: “A giant tech conglomerate collaborates with the local police department to introduce a technologically advanced enforcer to combat rising crime — a police officer who’s part man, part machine.” That pretty much sounds like the premise to Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 film.

When asked about if he would return in the RoboCop series, original start Peter Weller kept his answer simple and vague. “Don’t know, good question. If the stars align.” There’s always a chance he could be playing coy because he will be a part of it. But, considering how things are just getting into motion, he probably truly doesn’t not know if he’d be interested or not.

MGM

RoboCop is an iconic property, but it hasn’t fared well creatively outside the original film. But that has not stopped creative powers from trying to make their ventures successful. Star Peter Weller returned as the title character Alex Murphy for RoboCop 2 in 1990, but the film was a disappointment at the box office and critically. Nevertheless, another RoboCop arrived in 1993, with actor Robert Burke taking over for Weller. In 2014, a reboot hit theaters, but again, failed to light the world on fire. In between, there have been several animated series and video games. Much like the Halloween franchise, most of them acknowledge the original 1987 film’s continuity, but ignore other parts of the franchise.

There’s currently no word on whether or not this will be a complete reboot, or a legacy sequel to the original. The latter is something that might renew fan interest would be the return of Peter Weller in the role. Especially after bowing out of it after two films back in the day. But in various interviews, he doesn’t seem too interested in returning to play the part again. A large part of what made the original work so well was that it was a satire of consumerist American culture. This is something other sequels and TV series have forgotten to lean into. We’ll see if the Prime Video iteration can finally recapture what made the original RoboCop so great.

Originally published September 25, 2024.

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Cyberpunk Classic NEUROMANCER Apple TV+ Series Casts Mark Strong as Armitage

One of the most celebrated science fiction novels of all time is soon becoming a series for Apple TV+. Neuromancer, based on the iconic novel by William Gibson, will become a 10-episode series for the streamer. Many credit the 1984 novel for creating the cyberpunk genre. Others even cite the novel for coming up with the term “cyberspace” in the first place. Forty years later, it is finally getting a proper adaptation. This series comes from creators Graham Roland (Jack Ryan) and J.D. Dillard, with Roland serving as showrunner and Dillard directing the pilot episode. Additionally, per Deadline, Masters of Air‘s Callum Turner has joined the cast as the series’ lead, Case.

Mark Strong is also a part of the Neuromancer TV series cast as Armitage, according to Variety.

HBOApple TV+

According to the official series description, the story follows a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Henry Case, who, as mentioned, will be played by Callum Turner. He finds himself in a web of digital espionage and high-stakes crime with his partner Molly. A razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, Molly aims to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with many untold secrets. Case soon comes in contact with a powerful A.I., decades before that term was in common use. Gibson followed up the original novel with two more in what he called “the Sprawl trilogy,” Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive. It’s unknown if these 10 episodes serve as a self-contained season, or if the other books are part of this adaptation as well.

Neuromancer is famously the only sci-fi novel to win the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award for an original paperback novel. Its influence is huge, and many have noticed its fingerprints on the themes and storylines of The Matrix. It’s the latest celebrated science fiction novel to receive the big-budget treatment as a series from AppleTV+, along with Isaac Asimov’s Foundation. No word yet on who will star in Neuromancer, or even when filming commences, but don’t expect to see the series on AppleTV+ before 2025.

Originally published on February 28, 2024.

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How Much Time Has Passed Between Seasons 2 and 3 of INVINCIBLE? Our Exclusive First-Look Clip Reveals Time Skip

Invincible season two concluded on many dramatic notes. Among other developments, Mark Grayson decided to walk away from his vision of a normal life in order to commit himself seriously to being a superhero, a choice that came after suffering an intense emotional breakdown and killing Angstrom Levy despite his desire not to take life. Mark also didn’t confess his love for Eve, even though he came super close. On top of this, Nolan/Omni-Man and Allen the Alien began to plan their escape from Viltrumite imprisonment. And Nolan even realized that he misses his wife, Debbie. With all these twists and turns, fans may wonder when we’ll next catch up with our favorite characters. And a logical question is, just how much in-universe time passes between season two and season three of Invincible?

Happily, at Nerdist, we have the answer in our exclusive first-look clip from Invincible season three, episode one.

90 Days Pass Between Invincible Season 2 and Season 3

In our sneak peek from Invincible season three, episode one, we learn that about 90 days have passed between season two and season three of Invincible. That means there is a time skip between Invincible seasons, but a very reasonable one.

Invincible Season 3’s Time Skip Is Just the Right SizePrime Video

90 days (or thereabouts) seems like the perfect amount of time to skip forward between Invincible season two and Invincible season three. If almost no time had passed, we wouldn’t really have enough runway to develop the characters and allow them to take on new storylines in the fresh season. On the other hand, sometimes series skip huge amounts of time between seasons, and that can be tricky to pull off well. We want to catch up with the characters as we know them in Invincible, and we still want them to deal with the fallout of everything that happened in season two when they return in season three. About three months of time passing seems like the ideal amount for Invincible‘s between-season time skip.

Invincible Is Back For Season 3Prime Video

Invincible returns for season three on February 6. It streams on Prime Video.

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INVINCIBLE Season 3 First-Look Clip Teases Mark’s New Strength, Vile Villains, and Mysterious Plans (Exclusive)

It’s almost that time. Yes, the time to fly back into the world of Invincible and pick up where we left off with one of the darkest, goriest, cleverest shows around. Season two of Invincible wrapped up last spring, and it’s been a long nine months without it. But happily, a new season of Invincible is just around the corner. When we last left Mark Grayson in season two, he’d made some tough choices to forgo college (and the dream of a normal human life) and focus up on his superhero destiny instead after some harrowing reality checks. But where does this decision leave Mark now? To get you ready for Invincible season three, we have an exclusive first-look clip from episode one of the series. In this sneak peek at the upcoming season, we see how far Mark has come since the fateful season two finale and we get a sense of the villains and storylines in the season to come.

Invincible Season 3 Exclusive First-Look Clip

This Invincible season three first-look clip is just the tease you need to get you ready for everything this chapter of the series will bring. The sneak-peak features Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson, Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman, and more. Check it out above.

Mark Grayson Will Be Strong Like Never Before in Season 3

So what do we learn in this Invincible season three first-look clip? Well, firstly, we get a taste of Mark’s new strength and his resolve. It’s clear that Mark meant the choices he made in Invincible season two. We’re certainly far away from taking notes in a college classroom, having a coffee on the quad, or cheering the home team at a football game. No, Mark is now fully committed to his life as a superhero and the bigger picture to which he belongs. As the Invincible season three, episode one first-look clip reveals, Mark has increased his speed by 65%, his endurance by 70%, and his strength by 138% (and counting.) We can’t even begin to conceptualize how strong that makes Mark in Invincible season three, but it really shows his commitment to being a superhero.

Prime Video

Although this might make Mark strong enough to defeat the inevitable threats that will arise in Invincible season three, we have to ask. Is this really good for Mark? Fellow hero Rex Splode doesn’t seem too convinced and we have to say, we agree.

This Invincible Season 3, Episode 1 First-Look Clip Teases Nefarious Threats and Mysterious Plans

Speaking on those definitely coming threats, though, this Invincible season three, episode one sneak peek reminds us that they are absolutely on the way. Walton Goggins’ Cecil wants to know if Mark is now strong enough to beat the Viltrumite warrior Anissa, who came onto the scene in season two of Invincible—and Donald thinks he is… But he reminds Cecil (and the audience) that Anissa hinted someone much worse is coming to menace Earth. Anissa told Mark in season two, “Killing you is not my task, but soon another will come. And if he finds you still resistant to your destiny, he will demonstrate to you the error of your ways, and this whole planet will pay the price.” And judging by this season three, episode one reminder, that Viltrumite threat is still very much in play as Invincible continues.

But threats aren’t the only thing in the works. Cecil and Donald are scheming. They have Plans with a capital “P,” and getting Mark’s strength up isn’t the only tactic on the table. What other other plans are these? This new Invincible season three episode one clip doesn’t say, but it sure does get us excited to find out.

How Much Time Has Passed Between Season 2 and Season 3 of Invincible?

Our exclusive first-look clip from Invincible season three, episode one, reveals that about 90 days have passed between season two and season three of the series.

Invincible Season 3 Will Release on February 6Prime Video

If you need more Invincible season three ASAP, you’re in luck. The third season of Invincible releases on Prime Video on February 6. It will begin with a three-episode premiere and then release weekly every Thursday until March 13. In total, there are eight episodes of Invincible season three.

We can’t wait for the mayhem to start.

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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Reboot On the Way, Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Back as The Chosen One

For a long time, Sarah Michelle Gellar has denied any desire to return to her role as “The Chosen One,” Buffy Anne Summers. But recently, Gellar said she might be interested, thanks to the success of legacy sequels like Dexter: Original Sin, in which she stars. Now, it’s official — Buffy the Vampire Slayer is coming back to stake the undead, in a new sequel series reboot from Hulu. Via Variety, we’ve learned that the pilot has an official order from Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman. The former Poker Face showrunners will write, show run, and executive produce. Oscar winner Chloé Zhao is attached to direct and executive produce the Buffy reboot. However, that’s likely just for the pilot episode.

Twentieth Century Television

Although the series is still using the title Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Buffy sequel series will focus on a new Slayer. Gellar would appear in a recurring role, rather than leading this reboot series. The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series finale in 2003 ended with girls all over the world activating their Slayer powers. So there would now be a generation of Slayers who might need Buffy Summers, the Prime Slayer, as their mentor. We can easily see that as the premise of this Buffy the Vampire slayer reboot sequel series. We’ll just have to wait and see to know for sure, though.

One name you’ll notice not attached is that of original Buffy creator and showrunner Joss Whedon. Once upon a time, the notion of a Whedon-less Buffy series without its creative voice would have been blasphemous. But in the last few years, Whedon’s name has become toxic. Several of his former Buffy cast, as well as several Justice League cast members, have accused him of running an unpleasant set to say the least. Regardless, as the series creator, he’ll probably cash some form of check for the series even if he has no creative involvement anymore. Additionally, except for Sarah Michelle Gellar’s exciting return, we have no confirmation about other former cast members or writers coming on board for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot sequel series. But we expect a lot more news on this one in the months ahead.

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Chris Hemsworth Shares AVENGERS: ENDGAME Set Video of Ant-Man and Thor Dancing

I am in my feels hard right now after this video Thor, otherwise known as Chris Hemsworth, posted on Instagram with Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd. Hemsworth must have been scrolling back through his camera roll a lot to find this gem from the set. You can watch the video of Ant-Man and Thor dancing on the Avengers: Endgame set below!

The video appears to be from Avengers: Endgame, judging from Thor’s disheveled look that mirrors his character at the beginning of the film. Both Hemsworth and Rudd appear to be doing a semi-coordinated dance together…perhaps it was a deleted scene. Imagine them both playing Dance Dance Revolution in Thor’s mancave, that would’ve been hilarious.

This really brings back old memories of the OG Avengers era when I was still in high school. Back then, the best possible news was a new Marvel teaser or announcement. There really is nothing like the MCU’s first arc culminating with Avengers: Endgame. Honestly, still mourning moving onto a new set of heroes, but I’m excited for what’s to come nonetheless. Hemsworth was probably on his own journey down memory lane, posting this video. It’s nice to have the curtain peeled back on a film with such a serious tone, letting us as an audience in on the fun they were having on set.

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How Robert Downey Jr. Can Be Both Tony Stark and the True Doctor Doom in the MCU

I expect many more BTS videos to be posted by the cast of the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday. Some of the original Avengers will return as different characters. For example, Robert Downey Jr. will be Dr. Doom instead of Tony Stark. Chris Evans is also slated to return, but it is up in the air who he will be.

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Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ Gets a Unique Cover Using Pots, Pans, and Pigs

Yes, you read that right. Depeche Mode’s iconic single “Just Can’t Get Enough” was performed using pots, pans, a refrigerator, and even some pigs. French musical troupe Les Fo’Plafonds used 100% recycled items to produce the cover. They are able to capture the charm of the original song down to every small detail in the musical track. If you’re a fan of Depeche Mode or just want to see a cool musical cover, you can watch the video in its entirety below!

Les Fo’Plafonds also has other covers, like a mashup of the Ghostbusters theme with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “The Final Countdown,” all made using recycled household items. They get really creative with some of the items they use, including the aforementioned squeaky pigs. Their use of a pressure cooker whistle to create the small “ahh” sound in the song’s track particularly impressed me.

For more information on their upcoming shows and their group, you can head over to their website.

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THE SIMS and THE SIMS 2 Get Re-Releases for Game’s 25th Anniversary

Never did I think a day like this would come. Video game company Electronic Arts is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its beloved original life simulation game by re-releasing both The Sims and The Sims 2. However, the release is only available for Windows users so Mac users (me) will have to sit this one out.

The Sims and The Sims 2 are available together, bundled as The Sims 25th Birthday Bundle, as well as separately under the titles The Sims: Legacy Collection and The Sims 2: Legacy Collection. As mentioned above, the rerelease is only available to Windows 10 and 11. But it’s okay. I will still be able to play The Sims 4 and watch the upcoming Sims movie.

“Bringing back our original Sims games where all the chaos first unfolded and the life simulation genre began is special for our team and a birthday treat for our players,” said Vice President and General Manager of The Sims franchise Kate Gorman Revelli. “Our players have been wishing to relive all the nostalgia, and we knew our birthday would be the perfect moment to celebrate with them and introduce The Sims to new players. We look forward to another exciting 25 years of The Sims as we continue empowering our community to reimagine all the different ways they play with life.”

EA

The games can be downloaded from multiple sources, including the EA app, Epic Games Store, and Steam. Members of the upper tier of EA’s subscription service, EA Play Pro, have unlimited access to both titles. EA Play costs $39.99 a year, with the Pro tier at a steeper price tag of $119.99 yearly.

The latest release of the franchise, The Sims 4, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. I have been playing The Sims 4 from the beginning of high school all the way till my college graduation, so you can imagine how happy I was to hear that EA announced that it would continue updating and expanding it. However, they are choosing this path in lieu of making a Sims 5.

EA

Both titles are chalked full of bonus content and expansion packs. The bundle retails for $39.99. For the complete information on both the games, you can check out the EA’s page for The Sims and The Sims 2.

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THE LAST OF US Season 2 Drops Snowy New Images

The Last of Us ended its first season on HBO with Joel and Ellie returning to the commune in Colorado. Sure, Joel might have doomed all mankind to save one young girl, but at least they have a place nice to live. For now. Fans of Naughty Dog’s popular video game franchise know new terrors and sadness await the pair in the years to come, and we’ll see all of it come to life when the hit series begins adapting the sequel game in its second season. What else can we expect from the show after a lengthy wait?

Check out some fresh images for The Last of Us season two:

Click To View Gallery Max Max Max Max

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us‘ second season so far.

The Last of Us Season 2 PlotHBO

HBO has not yet shared an official synopsis for The Last of Us season two. We still have some idea what to expect. The franchise’s second video game will provide the source material for the TV series. Showrunner Craig Mazin has said the show will take more than one season to adapt the sequel game, but like with the television series’ first season they are not making a direct adaptation. Fans will once again see some major changes alongside some major moments and stories taken directly from the game. That might very well include a huge—though temporary—change for one character. (We won’t risk spoiling it for those who don’t know what that means.)

A recent trailer teasing upcoming Max releases in 2025 spotlighted The Last of Us season two. You can check out what this trailer chose to highlight at the 1:43 mark and then watch the full second season teaser below.

One thing that won’t change is the importance of The Last of Us Part II‘s Abby Anderson. She will debut during the second season and play a significant role in Ellie’s story. And like the video game sequel, the HBO series will also feature a time jump.

HBO

New footage from season two promises that it will definitely be explosive. Joel is tearful and Ellie is going through some sort of horrific challenges of her own. We also get a look at Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Wright in their new roles. It is not totally clear who Catherine is playing, but Jeffrey is reprising his role as the game character Isaac. According to Entertainment Weekly, he is “the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.”

These new images also have us super hype.

Season 2. pic.twitter.com/YooeHDxaJk

— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) August 5, 2024

Behind the Scenes

The Last of Us‘ second season was in pre-production before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes put the show on hold. The first episode had already been written at the time. With both unions finally getting fair deals, the show is now expected to begin filming in Vancouver in early 2024.

Liane Hentscher/HBO

Co-creators, writers, and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are back for season two. Writers Halley Gross (The Last of Us Part II) and Bo Shim worked with Mazin and Druckmann on season two. Deadline additionally reports that The Last of Us season two has set its slate of directors, both new and old. These include four new directors: Succession‘s Mark Mylod, Perry Mason‘s Nina Lopez-Corrado, Watchmen‘s Stephen Williams, and Loki‘s Kate Herron. They join returning director Peter Hoar, who directed the incredible season one episode “Long, Long Time,” and the show’s creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

The series comes from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog.

The Last of Us Season 2’s CastHBO

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return as Joel and Ellie. Also expected back is Gabriel Luna. He plays Joel’s younger brother, Tommy. As is Rutina Wesley. She plays Tommy’s wife Maria.

Netflix/Naughty Dog

Regarding new casting news, The Last of Us season two has cast Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Abby is an important character from The Last of Us Part II game. Additionally, Isabela Merced has joined the season as Dina, who also hails from the second The Last of Us game. Dina is described as “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.”

Most recently, Isabela Merced, who will play Dina on The Last of Us season two, shared, “I’m so excited for people to see my chemistry with Bella. Bella and I have so much chemistry. From the first day, it was there. There’s no work to be done. I really respect Bella. I just saw Catherine Called Birdy, and Bella has such range and just an honesty about their work. I’m learning so much. I’m very honored to be here.”

Max/Naughty Dog

We’re glad to hear it because we can’t wait to see Dina and Ellie’s complicated romance come to life. Currently, The Last of Us season two describes Dina as “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.”

Netflix/Naughty Dog

The Last of Us season two has also cast Beef‘s Young Mazino as Jess. Jess is described, per Variety, as “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at a terrible cost.” That sounds ominous. Generally speaking, from Jess’s role in The Last of Us Part II, we can assume he and Ellie will build a friendship.

Finally Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord have all come aboard the second season of The Last of US, they will all feature as characters from The Last of Us Part II.

Naughty Dog/Paramount Pictures/Netflix

Variety reveals:

Ramirez will play Manny, described as “a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most.” Barer will play Mel, said to be “a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism.”

Gabrielle has been cast as Nora, “a military medic struggling to come to terms with the sins of her past.” And Lord will appear as Owen, “a gentle soul trapped in a warrior’s body, condemned to fight an enemy he refuses to hate.”

The Last of Us Season 2’s Release DateHBO

The Last of Us‘ second season wasn’t expected to premiere until the start of 2025 before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Even with production delayed, HBO is still reportedly targeting a 2025 return for the show. In December, Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette confirmed (via Variety) a spring 2025 premiere for The Last of Us season two.

Max

Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO and Max Content, recently gave an updated release window for The Last of Us season two. Bloys offered the following answer to the question, “What can you say about premiere dates for the new seasons of White Lotus and The Last of Us?” He noted, “All I’ll say now, generally first half of the year, I expect them to be in the Emmy window.” The Emmy window means that The Last of Us season two’s release date will likely be anytime before late May of 2025.

Originally published on December 29, 2023.

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FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES Trailer Teases a String of Family Demises

The fifth film in the Final Destination franchise gave fans the ultimate full circle ending. The survivors of that film’s events board a plane to Paris, only for us to realize that Death would still get the last laugh because it was the ill-fated Flight 180 from the first film. It was a great way to cap off a wild franchise but it appears that Death has some more souls to collect. Final Destination: Bloodlines will revive this franchise once again with new characters, one of whom we watch die in its first teaser trailer.

We must admit that this is an interesting peek into what’s coming. Instead of showing several characters and showing a few gnarly looks at the film, we get one scene that’s a little over two minutes of a person’s death. It is a tattoo and piercing artist named Erik, who lost his father recently. He gets called in to not only work, but do closing duties at his job.

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Death begins its Rube Goldberg machine foolery that ends with him being strung up by his septum piercing before he eventually falls to his fiery death on the floor. We suspect that others in his family are going to be in for some serious pain. 

Here’s the synopsis for Final Destination: Bloodlines to go along with its trailer: 

Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.

Is the clip we saw just a part of her dream? Does Erik have a real life connection to Stefanie? Who knows. The film stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Rya Kihlstedt, Anna Lore, with Brec Bassinger, and the late Tony Todd.

What Is the Release Date for Final Destination: Bloodlines?Warner Bros.

Final Destination: Bloodlines will hit theaters on May 16.

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