Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 164

Massive STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS LEGO Battle Took 2 Years and 250K Bricks to Complete

We’ve seen some impressive LEGO Star Wars displays created by fans over the years. Does anyone remember that incredible LEGO Galactic Senate Chamber? As cool as that was, we think someone just topped it. This one is so impressive, it literally took years to finish. David Hall of the YouTube channel Solid Brix Studios has created incredible LEGO Star Wars builds before, like the Jedi Temple. Now, he’s just outdone himself again. He’s turned his attention to the Battle of Geonosis from the animated The Clone Wars series. You can see the whole thing come together in a 9-minute time-lapse video below:

This Star Wars project took Solid Brix over two years to create, and is a whopping 15 feet long. And there are over 250 thousand LEGO pieces in it. Now, you may think this battle is the one from the end of Attack of the Clones. The one where Yoda whipped out his lightsaber for the first time. But as the Solid Brix tour of the full LEGO build on TikTok reveals, it’s actually from the second Battle of Geonosis. It’s the one from The Clone Wars episode “Landing at Point Rain.” It may be a different battle, but it’s the same planet. Not to mention, all the same players. You’ve got the Grand Army of the Republic, the Jedi Knights, the native Geonosians, and the Battle Droid army.

@solidbrix_david

My #LEGO #StarWars Battle of Geonosis MOC #Diorama @LEGO @Star Wars @Disney+

♬ original sound – David Hall

Solid Brix Studios

The Battle of Geonosis LEGO build has some incredibly cool details, all pertaining to the episodes of The Clone Wars it’s based on. In fact, the best little Easter egg in the set is a tiny theater inside the build actually playing that particular episode for some loyal Clone Troopers. To paraphrase another famous Lucasfilm character, this LEGO Clone Wars build is so great “It belongs in a museum!” We’re not sure how the Solid Brix folks plans to outdo it, but we can’t wait to see which Star Wars moment they try to recreate on a grand scale next. For more incredible LEGO builds, ranging from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, head on over to the official Solid Brix YouTube channel.

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Timothée Chalamet Shares Responsibilities with ‘Lookalikes’ in SNL Promo

Does anyone else on this planet of more than eight billion people look just like Timothée Chalamet? What about partially like him? Even just a little bit? This wasn’t really something I was thinking about previously, but for some reason it’s suddenly a topic that keeps coming up. Earlier this year the winner of a Timothée Chalamet Lookalike contest in 2024 joined the Dune star on the red carpet of the Golden Globes. Now the star of A Complete Unknown brought a cadre of copies with him to Saturday Night Live for a funny new promo. The thing is, none of these lookalikes actually look like him.

First things first: great SNL promo. The Mikey Day bit alone makes this a killer ad for Chalamet’s upcoming gig as both host and musical guest this weekend. It’s also nice to see Jimmy Fallon can be part of something that is actually funny.

But while obviously a big part of the gag here is how little these lookalikes look like Timothée Chalamet, at this point I’m wondering if there is another human on the planet who could feasibly pass as his doppelganger.

NBC

Only one of the four impersonators in this commercial could get hired as a Chalamet double. And that job would be on a discount cruise line. One currently in bankruptcy proceedings.

Still, that guy still looks way more like him than the actual winner of the big Chalament lookalike contest from last year, the one who walked attended the Golden Globes a couple weeks ago. (That was the contest Chalamet actually showed up at.) None of these people even have faces remotely the same shape! No one would think this is Paul Atreides! NO ONE!

Timothée Chalamet with his lookalike at the #GoldenGlobes is so 😭 pic.twitter.com/n9nPOeqYw4

— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) January 6, 2025

It doesn’t actually matter if nobody in the world looks like the star of Wonka. Who cares? I didn’t. But if I gotta keep hearing about Timothée Chalamet “lookalikes” can one of them actually look like him? That way I can stop wondering if anyone does.

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THE WHEEL OF TIME Season Three Reveals Action-Packed First-Look Images

The Wheel of Time season three will bring more drama (and presumably death) to our screens as the battle between Light and Dark continues. At the end of last season, Rand declared himself the Dragon Reborn in Falme, officially putting him on a new course as he settles into his new role. Moiraine and Lan are fully bonded once again and Egwene is essentially a phoenix who rose from a prison’s ashes. We cannot wait to see where The Wheel of Time season three takes us but, for now, we can delight in these first-look images. 

Click To View Gallery Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video

We get quite a few fantastic photos of our faves. There’s one of Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne riding horses and looking nothing like they did in their novice outfits. We also see Moiraine channeling with a gold piece over her bright blue dress. We also see Rand and Moiraine with a couple new Aiel characters in a very Dune-like setting. Perrin and his golden eyes and Lanfear being dark and lovely both speak to me in very specific ways.

And, of course, there’s Lan and Rand (hey, that rhymes!) standing back to back with swords drawn. We don’t know if they are in battle or what’s going on but I personally like to see them fight… and stand… and breathe in general. There’s a running fanfic going on in my head that stars both of them at any given moment. But I digress. 

In addition to those new The Wheel of Time images, we also have a very robust synopsis: 

After defeating Ishamael, one of the most powerful of the Forsaken, at the end of Season Two, Rand reunites with his friends in the city of Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season Three, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both.

As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark…no matter the cost.

The Wheel of Time returns on March 13. 

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Jon Bernthal Will Star in Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY

What is a director, even one of Hollywood’s best, supposed to do after delivering an epic Best Picture winner? For Christopher Nolan, the answer is making one of the most famous epics ever. After some wild speculation and some big name casting news, we finally know exactly what story he will after Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures announced Nolan’s next movie is an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Netflix

The latest casting news from Deadline reveals that Jon Bernthal will star in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey film in a role that’s unknown at this time. We aren’t sure if he will be punishing others or not, but in the meantime we will watch him do that in Daredevil: Born Again.

Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.

— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 23, 2024

Christopher Nolan is moving on after Oppenheimer by going back. Way back. Described as a “mythic action epic,” his version of the ancient epic poem The Odyssey will rely on cutting edge technology to bring the story to life. Universal Pictures said the longtime IMAX enthusiast will be using “brand new” tech to shoot for the large-scale format.

But how he will shoot the film isn’t nearly as interesting as to what the film is actually about. It’s hard to imagine anyone would have guessed Nolan would adapt The Odyssey even if they had 20 years to figure it out. (If you don’t get that reference, this movie will be very educational for you!) Even then, there’s still so much we don’t know about the project. Will this be a traditional, faithful adaptation? Will it be a modern take on the story? And will Armand Assante and George Clooney appear for a Spider-Man: No Way Home style crossover?

Universal Pictures

While we don’t know any setting or style specifics, we can guess who is playing Odysseus. Matt Damon is set to lead the star-studded film. Nolan’s The Odyssey will also feature Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, and Charlize Theron. We also know the movie will arrive in theaters on July 17 2026.

That gives us plenty of time to start guessing which legendary characters from Homer’s epic everyone is going to play. (Theron as Circe, Calypso, Penelope, or Athena? She’s perfect for literally all of them.) It also gives us time to wonder just how good this movie will be. No one delivers epics live Christopher Nolan. What’s he going to be capable of when he makes one of the most famous epics ever?

Originally published January 2, 2025.

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Robert Eggers’ Next Movie Will Be WERWULF, Coming Christmas 2026

It’s the first month of the year, which means it’s time for the big news to start flowing. Here are some entertainment news tidbits that dropped in January.

Robert Eggers Follows Nosferatu with WerwulfFocus Features

On the heels of the success of Nosferatu, Robert Eggers is staying in the monster genre for his next movie. Once again, Eggers will be teaming up with Focus Features to bring Werwulf to our screens on Christmas 2026. No word yet on the exact details of the movie, but the strong bet is that it involves… Werewolves. (And knowing Eggers, at least 2,000 real wolves.)

RELATED ARTICLE

WOLF MAN Threads Needle Between Terrifying Monster Movie and Poignant Tale of Tragedy (Review)

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These Iconic David Lynch Scenes Haunt Us Still

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We lost one of the world’s most singular talents last week when we lost filmmaker David Lynch. Although Lynch had made only ten feature films, and a handful of television series, he changed both mediums forever. But which David Lynch scenes are the most iconic? Which ones still haunt and disturb us most? With so many scenes burrowed deep into our psyches, it’s hard to pick just ten. But here are the David Lynch scenes that have stuck with us the most over the decades, giving us beautiful dreams and terrible nightmares all at once. Fair warning—we spoil major moments from each film here. If you haven’t seen a particular movie or series mentioned, we suggest skipping that entry.

Universal Pictures/New Line Cinema/MGMPeeping From the Closet – Blue Velvet (1986)

“I don’t know if you’re a detective or a pervert.” — Sandy Williams, Blue Velvet

In Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet, amateur college detective Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) thinks he can unravel a local mystery by spying on a woman (Isabella Rossellini), who is a lounge singer with ties to local criminals. Believing she is an accomplice to murder, he hides in her apartment closet to spy on her. He thinks he remains hidden, until she discovers him first. Chaos erupts. What follows is a sustained 12-minute scene of unhinged psychosexual depravity. This scene is even more disturbing when the twisted drug dealer Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) arrives. There’s nothing otherworldly present here, it’s just the perfect encapsulation of Lynch’s vision of America. In Lynch’s mind, it’s a place where the most disturbing acts happen behind closed doors in regular spaces, all in our own neighborhoods.

Agent Cooper’s Red Room Dream – Twin Peaks (1990)

“Let’s Rock!” — The Little Man from Another Place

It’s arguably the signature moment of Twin Peaks, and it came to David Lynch in a vision. Lynch designed the original pilot for Twin Peaks to leave dozens of questions, each leading into a serialized drama. However, the financial backers required a closed ending to sell the film theatrically in Europe. So while touching the warm hood of car one day, images of a room with bright red curtains flashed into Lynch’s brain. His “closed ending” would take place in this otherworldly space, with an older Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), murder victim Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), and a mysterious backward-talking person sitting in said room.

This entire sequence was as surreal as it gets, with cryptic words spoken and a truly bizarre dance scene. In the show’s third episode, Lynch recontextualized it as a dream sequence. This dream contained all the clues needed for Cooper to unravel the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer. American TV audiences had likely never seen anything so weird in their lives, and it became the water cooler scene of the day. From that moment forward, Twin Peaks was either too weird for you or it fully hooked you in. It’s since been parodied on The Simpsons, Scooby-Doo, and more. But nothing beats how that original scene gets under your skin.

Club Silencio Performance – Mulholland Drive (2001)

“No hay banda! There is no band. It is all an illusion.” — The Magician, Mulholland Drive

Universal Pictures

Like Twin Peaks’ otherworldly Red Room/Black Lodge, Mulholland Drive’s mysterious Club Silencio is where the narrative of the story shifts from the conscious world into the unconscious world. When aspiring actress Betty (Naomi Watts) and her amnesiac lover Rita (Laura Harring) wake up in the middle of the night, they suddenly go to a strange theater deep in the heart of Los Angeles. This sparsely populated location, known as Club Silencio, is one where all performances are recorded on tape and lip-synced on stage.

After listening to a heart-wrenching Spanish language cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” by Rebekah del Rio, the women are shaken out of this dream state they’ve been living in. From there, the narrative of the entire film shifts. Was everything we witnessed before Club Silencio merely a dream? Is Club Silencio a dream within a dream? Only Lynch knows for sure. But regardless, it’s a truly haunting moment. Especially with its sinister MC, credited as “The Magician,” guiding us. Add in those eerie blue lights and red curtains (again), and it’s a cinematic moment that stays with you always.

The Lady in the Radiator – Eraserhead (1977)

“In Heaven, everything is fine.” — The Lady in the Radiator

Eraserhead was David Lynch’s first film, after years of making experimental shorts. The movie’s plot, for lack of a better word, centers on Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), a man who must care for his severely deformed newborn child. Much of the movie’s scenes are left open to interpretation, but one of those scenes will never leave you. Slowly driven mad by having to care for his monstrous offspring, Henry imagines a woman with giant cheeks living inside his radiator. Things get truly unsettling when she sings a song that says “In Heaven, everything is fine. You’ve got your good things, and I’ve got mine.” Some fans think the Lady in the Radiator is pushing Henry toward suicide. Whatever it is, it’s hard to get her strange puffy cheeks and that tune out of your head once you’ve heard it.

Buffalo Hunting – Wild at Heart (1990)

“We hunt buffalo now. Can’t wait no more.” – Juana Durango

MGM

In Lynch’s Wild at Heart, iconic character actor Harry Dean Stanton plays low-level criminal Johnnie Farragut. A rival for the affections of his girlfriend, the wicked Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd), hitman Marcello Santos (J.E. Freeman) makes getting rid of him a condition of doing a job for her. Santos ambushes Johnnie and sends him to his sinister associates, Juana Durango (Grace Zabriskie), a voodoo queen from New Orleans, and her bizarre friends Reggie (Calvin Lockhart) and Dark Shadow (David Patrick Kelly).

The trio take him to a secluded location, where they tie him up and torment him, calling it “buffalo hunting.” This scenario ends with Juana getting sexual satisfaction only when Johnnie is shot in the head. It’s pretty twisted stuff, even for Lynch. It’s a true reminder he can do horror better than just about anyone else, even in a non-horror film. Kelly and Zabriskie were both series regulars on Twin Peaks at the same time this film was released in 1990, playing polar opposite characters. This showed Lynch’s ability to find actors with incredible versatility.

Mystery Man Phone Call – Lost Highway (1997)

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” — The Mystery Man

Lost Highway is perhaps one of Lynch’s most puzzling films. The first half focuses on jazz musician Fred Madison (Bill Pullman), who is perplexed at the series of videotapes of his own house he keeps getting in his mail slot. These tapes show him and his wife (Patricia Arquette) sleeping inside. While at a fancy party, a strange, pale man approaches him, with a simple statement: “We’ve met before, haven’t we?” He then insists that he’s currently in Fred’s house, thus in two places at once. When Fred calls his home, this same “Mystery Man” answers the phone. His demonic laugh afterward is not one you’re likely to forget, nor are his intense and piercing eyes. This scene has a certain meta-creepiness to it all. Mainly thanks to the Mystery Man being played by the future accused murderer, actor Robert Blake. But it was still unforgettably disturbing even before that.

The Darkness Behind Winkie’s – Mulholland Drive (2001)

“I hope that I never see that face, ever, outside of a dream.” — Dan

“I had a dream about this place” says Dan, played by Patrick Fischler. The place in question is Winkie’s, a thinly veiled stand-in for Denny’s, or any average American diner. He met his friend at this Hollywood Winkie’s location to tell him about the awful feeling that there was something (or someone) hiding behind this eatery, and he had to come there and know for sure. As he approaches a dumpster outside the restaurant, Angelo Badalamenti’s score drives the tension up higher with each passing second. Then, a vagrant covered in dirt and tar appears, scaring him so badly he faints (or possibly dies of fright). We’re not sure what this being represents. A burned witch? (the credits list actress, Bonnie Burton as “Burn.”) Our own illogical fear of the unhoused? Whatever it is, it’s undeniably scary as hell. This scene alone almost qualifies Mulholland Drive as a horror film.

The Woodsmen Arrive – Twin Peaks The Return (2017)

“Gotta light?” – The Woodsman

The last major work of David Lynch’s career yielded one of his most memorable scenes of all time. While Twin Peaks: The Return was divisive for some fans, pretty much everyone can agree that Chapter 8 was one for the history books. Literally. A great deal of the episode takes place in the ‘40’s and ‘50s, in a de facto origin story for evil in the Twin Peaks universe. The scene in question goes back to the Trinity nuclear tests in 1945, making this episode something of an Oppenheimer sequel, believe it or not.

In Lynch’s mind, the evil of the first atomic bomb detonation unleashed several dark beings into our world, among them, the sinister BOB, and the unnerving Woodsmen. When the Woodsmen materialize in ‘50s America, it’s literally a scene from a horror film. Emerging from thin air, these filthy, grubby men from another realm murder random citizens with the sound of The Platters playing in the background. But not before asking them if they’ve “Gotta light.” When the lead Woodsmen recites a cryptic poem over radio airwaves, you find yourself hypnotized. There are other amazing parts of this episode in particular (Nine Inch Nails performs!) but the murderous rampage of the Woodsmen is the clear standout moment.

Lipstick Freakout – Wild at Heart (1990)

“I’ve done something real bad.” – Marietta Fortune

MGM

David Lynch’s road picture romance Wild at Heart doesn’t get as much attention as it probably should, despite winning Lynch the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage as on-the-run lovers Lula and Sailor Ripley, it’s Dern’s mother, Diane Ladd, who steals the show. She plays Lula’s mother Marietta Fortune, an over-the-top Southern matriarch. And Marietta wants her daughter away from bad boy Sailor more than anything. After realizing that her schemes to ruin her daughter’s love are leading to the death of her boyfriend (Harry Dean Stanton), she has a massive psychotic break. Alone in her bathroom, she applies red lipstick to her entire face. Coupled with Angelo Badalamenti’s music, it’s both weirdly funny and terrifying all at once. This scene of wildly out-there behavior likely earned Diane Ladd her Oscar nomination for the film.

“In Dreams” – Blue Velvet (1986)

“Here’s to your f**k, Frank.” — Ben

Actor Dean Stockwell only has one brief scene in Blue Velvet but he makes the most of every second of screen time. Here he plays Ben, an overly frilly drug dealer who dresses almost like an 18th-century dandy. Holding court in his home of oddballs, drug dealer and domestic abuser Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) comes by, with a kidnapped Jeffrey Beaumont in tow. Ben is the literal opposite of the loud and brash Booth, soft-spoken and precise. But clearly, no less sinister. In this iconic scene, he calms Frank’s rage by grabbing a handheld light, lip-syncing to Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams,” all because Frank demanded “the candy-colored clown,” as if only this performance could soothe his savage beast. It’s bizarre, it’s haunting, it’s inexplicable, and it’s perhaps the signature scene in all of Blue Velvet. We never listened to Roy Orbison the same way again.

The Killer Revealed – Twin Peaks (1990)

“It is happening again.” — The Giant

David Lynch famously didn’t ever want to reveal who the killer of Laura Palmer was in Twin Peaks. In his mind, that mystery was sacred. But thanks to ABC executives, the killer was revealed halfway through season two. In a harrowing episode, we finally discover the truth, when Laura’s father Leland (Ray Wise) possessed by the demonic BOB (Frank Silva) murders her cousin Maddy. This scene was so brutal, it tested the limits of what broadcast TV allowed in 1990. But what makes this scene more than just a horror show? It’s when we immediately cut to the Roadhouse right after. As haunting music plays, Laura’s friends start to uncontrollably cry. It’s as if they’re intuiting the truth of what happened to Laura herself. Lynch might not have wanted the killer revealed but we’re ultimately glad he capitulated because it gave us one of his greatest scenes of all time.

The Pink Room – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

“Don’t expect a turkey dog here” — Laura Palmer

New Line Cinema

If Twin Peaks the series was all about “Who Killed Laura Palmer,” then the prequel film Fire Walk With Me was all about “Who WAS Laura Palmer?” Finally brought to life by Sheryl Lee (who played her corpse in the series), the film explores 17-year-old Laura’s descent into drug abuse and prostitution in the wake of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of her father, Leland. In this scene, Laura takes her innocent best friend Donna (Moira Kelly) to a mysterious Canadian nightclub called the Pink Room. There, Laura, while on an arranged sex work date with two truckers, meets her seedy drug-dealing friends.

What makes this scene brilliant is the sound design; the droning beats of Angelo Badalamenti’s track “The Pink Room” are so loud, they drown out the dialogue. So Lynch uses subtitles. A perfect cinematic representation of not being able to hear yourself talk at a loud bar. Here, it represents Laura not hearing her own better angels, and she descends further into debauched behavior, taking her best friend down with her. This scene is a perfect example of how Lynch masters sound design as much as visuals, and it’s maybe the stand-out moment in Fire Walk With Me.

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Finn Wolfhard Faces a Camp Counselor Killer in HELL OF A SUMMER Trailer

Finn Wolfhard is undoubtedly one of the most prominent faces in modern day horror. From his starring role as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things to his appearances in films like IT and The Turning, this guy knows how to face a terrifying conundrum. Now, Finn is both starring in and serving as a director and writer for Hell of a Summer, an upcoming horror comedy film with a trailer that pays homage to ‘80s slasher flicks. 

In the clip, we meet Jason (no, not the hockey mask wearing one), a 24-year-old who works as a camp counselor to his mom’s chagrin. He shows up at Camp Pineway to whip a new crew of teenage counselors into shape while also feeling like a total grandpa in their presence. But, not being in touch with the youngins proves to be the least of his problems because, well, there’s a masked killer afoot who is killing the counselors one by one. That sounds awfully familiar but it makes sense considering this film is poking fun at and paying tribute to the Friday the 13ths and other films that came before. 

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Everything We Know About CRYSTAL LAKE, the FRIDAY THE 13TH Prequel Series

Billy Bryk is Wolfhard’s right hand collaborator as a fellow producer, director, and star in the film. The trailer for Hell of a Summer shows off its cast, including Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Bakeri, and Adam Pally. 

What Is the Release Date for Hell of a Summer? NEON

Hell of a Summer made its debut at TIFF 2023 and will hit theaters for all to see on April 18, 2025. 

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ANNE RICE’S THE TALAMASCA Releases a Cryptic Message – ‘We Watch the Vampires’

AMC’s “Immortal Universe” of series based on the novels of Anne Rice is expanding. A new series based on the psychic order of scholars the Talamasca is coming next year. In Rice’s books, the Talamasca is an ancient and secret order that catalogs and studies the supernatural. We now have a new, brief teaser video for Anne Rice’s The Talamasca, showing a transmission from order member Jasper (William Fichtner), saying, “We watch the vampires.” They also watch a lot more than vampires. They keep tabs on all supernatural shenanigans across the globe.

[OFFICIAL #TALAMASCA MESSAGE RECEIVED] pic.twitter.com/PymzExWn3r

— Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (@AnneRiceAMC) January 20, 2025

Anne Rice’s The Talamasca Cast

Among the cast for Anne Rice’s The Talamasca is former Downton Abbey matriarch, Elizabeth McGovern. She’ll play Helen, “a seasoned veteran of the Talamasca, and the leader of its New York Motherhouse.” Helen believes London’s Motherhouse has fallen to traitorous elements. When a mysterious death occurs, she recruits Guy Anatole, played by Nicholas Denton, who becomes her protégé.

Carnival Films/AMC Networks

McGovern is joined by another veteran actor who’s a familiar face to many, William Fichtner. It’s Fichtner we saw in the special transmission. Fans know him from decades of roles in films like The Dark Knight. He’ll be playing a character named Jasper, who Variety describes in the following way:

Jasper is a mysterious American who has quietly assumed control and influence over the Talamasca’s London Motherhouse. Though his motives and methods are cloaked in shadow, his charm and righteous sense of purpose are as dangerous as the power he’s pursuing.

Warner Bros./AMC Networks

He’ll be joining the previously mentioned Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons), who has been cast as the lead. Denton will play a character named Guy Anatole, who, like Jasper, seems to be created just for this series and not from the novels. Here’s the Talamasca character’s official description:

Guy Anatole is brilliant, handsome and sharp on the surface, but he’s always known his mind works a little differently. On the cusp of graduating law school, he is approached by a representative of the Talamasca, a secretive agency that monitors and protects us from the supernatural world. When Guy learns that the Talamasca has been tracking him since his childhood, he falls headlong into a world of secret agents and immortal beings who, up to now, have maintained a fragile balance with the mortal world. But for that balance to hold, and for Guy to survive, he will have to learn to embrace the dark, treacherous depths of his true and singular self.

AMC Networks More About Anne Rice’s The Talamasca TV Series and Its Origins

The six-episode season will focus on the people responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe. Viewers have met members of the Talamasca already on Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire. Although, they are a bigger presence on Mayfair Witches so far. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (Halt and Catch Fire) will be the series writers, co-showrunners, and executive producers. Hancock will also direct. 

Unlike the previous two series inspired by Rice novels, there is no Talamasca series of books by the late author. Instead, she used them as seasoning throughout several of her supernatural novels. In the 2000s, when Rice “crossed over” her Witching Hour series and her vampire books, they played a significant role. Rice often teased a standalone Talamasca novel, but it never came to fruition. She finally revealed the origins of the organization in her 2014 novel Prince Lestat. She tied their beginnings more strongly to the vampires. The AMC shows change much of the mythology Rice created, so who knows if any of that will stick in Anne’s Rice’s The Talamasca series.

Nerdist

According to Dan McDermott, president of AMC Studios, a Talamasca spin-off series is something the studio has been thinking about since their Anne Rice Immortals Universe began. He said, “This is a story we’ve been developing and wanting to tell from the earliest moments of this franchise, focused on a fascinating and compelling secret society that has already appeared in both of our existing Anne Rice series.” Shooting starts this fall in Manchester, England. In the novels, the main Talamasca Motherhouse is in England, so this makes sense. Anne Rice’s The Talamasca series debuts on AMC and AMC+ in late 2025.

Originally published on September 4, 2024.

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Velveeta Announces First Ever Single-Serve Offering Vel2Go Condiment Packets

Do you love adding creamy bright orange cheese to your meals but just don’t have the time to melt any yourself? Well if that odd, highly specific issue really does apply to you, today is the best day of your entire life. Velveeta is getting into the condiment market with its brand new single-serve Vel2Go packets. And they are exactly what they sound like.

The Kraft Heinz Company

Velveeta wants to “satisfy cheesy cravings like never before,” and it’s doing that in a way it never has. The Kraft Heinz Company is making its iconic cheese available for the first time ever in a single-serve offering. New Vel2Go packets, which feature a creamy version of the signature orange foodstuff, also mark another first. They are also Velveeta’s entrance into the market as single-serve condiment.

Starting today, January 22, you’ll be able to take a packet of creamy Velveeta cheese with you anywhere the same way you might grab some ketchup and mustard. Hungry customers can grab this initial limited run of Vel2Go cartons at Walmart.com for $5.91 “while supplies last.” Each carton comes with four 1.1 ounce packets. If Vel2Go goes off we expect to see these packets become available full time. Especially because it’s the latest product in the company’s “La Dolce Velveeta” campaign that recently launched Velveeta’s ready-to-eat line of queso earlier this year.

The Kraft Heinz Company

What does “La Dolce Velveeeta” actually mean? It encourages “pleasure-seekers to live and embrace what the brand stands for – unapologetically living for outrageous pleasure every day and indulging in the things they love most.”

That’s exactly what we always thought Velveeta stood for so that checks out. But today is less about pleasure-seekers and more about you, the person we met at the start of this post. You’ve been so busy you didn’t even have time to eat Velveeta as often as you wanted. But those days are over. Finally/thankfully.

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THE TOXIC AVENGER Reboot Will Hit Theaters 2025

The Toxic Avenger is one of the pillars of ’80s horror and remains a splatter classic to this day. That’s why we were so excited when Macon Blair of all people signed on to write and direct a remake. Starring Peter Dinklage, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon, we first heard about the movie all the way back in 2018. It opened the 2023 Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX, and subsequently played more genre festivals that year. We thought for sure it would release shortly thereafter. But that’s not always how things work. Luckily, according to Variety, The Toxic Avenger will see theaters this year.

Legendary Pictures

Cineverse will distribute the movie some time in 2025 and Blair expressed gratitude to both them and his collaborators for their patience in this process. In an official statement, the director said:

“It’s so cool that folks will have the chance to see this in theaters, it’s a fun rowdy movie you wanna see with a crowd. Mutant hero smashes bad guys with a mop: perfect entertainment for the whole family! Our goal was always to preserve the heart and spirit of the original Toxie (which was seared into my brain at a very young age) and try to make something that Troma fans would dig and at the same time do something with the character that feels fresh. Lloyd and Michael at Troma have been a blast to work with, absolutely everyone at Legendary are stars, and I can’t wait to start working with the champs at Cineverse to bring this version of Toxie to fans new and old.” 

The original Toxic Avenger debuted in 1984 and put Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz, and Troma on the map with its blend of irreverent, often puerile humor and over-the-top splatter gore. Troma has produced three sequels for the title as well as, of all things, a short-lived early-’90s children’s cartoon.

Legendary

The new film centers on Dinklage as Winston Gooze, a hopelessly unlucky janitor at a toxic waste facility who, though a series of unfortunate events gets doused in chemicals and transforms into a hideous, green mutant. “Armed with his signature mop, the unlikely hero battles freaks, gangsters, and corrupt CEOs while trying to save his relationship with his son. The story channels the subversive gonzo energy of the original Toxic Avenger while delivering a fresh, contemporary twist,” reads the official synopsis.

I for one am very excited for people to finally get to see this one on a grander scale. I got to see it at Beyond Fest in LA in 2023 and even talk to Macon Blair about it for Nerdist‘s Laser Focus podcast. It’s a very fun time, and just as delightfully gross as you’d hope. And funny, too.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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