Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1794

New SPIDER-MAN PlayStation 4 Gameplay Footage Shows Off Speed and Powers

It’s been almost two years since Insomniac revealed the first glimpse of their Spider-Man PlayStation 4 game. They revealed Mister Negative as one of the game’s primary villains at E3 2017 and teased a role for Miles Morales alongside Peter Parker. The next E3 is still a few months off, but Game Informer has an early look at the new Spider-Man title, along with a fresh trailer which demonstrates several components of the gameplay.



At first glance, the new Spider-Man looks like an updated version of the previous Spider-Man games for the PlayStation 2 and 3. However, the speed of Spidey’s movement through the city and the fluidity of his motion are breathtaking. As the developers note in the video, this is a Spider-Man who is at the peak of his skills, and his confidence shines through his every in-costume moment. The developers also demonstrated a few of Spidey’s combat options, which includes swapping between melee, web, and gadget attacks on the fly.

While a more complete preview will likely follow at this year’s E3, Spider-Man is getting a full month of coverage at Game Informer, including a cover by Alex Ross. Game Informer tweeted out the first look at the image:

May Cover Revealed – Spider-Man https://t.co/SmBLrl97da pic.twitter.com/shMVzKuhVb

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) April 3, 2018

What do you think about the latest glimpse of Spider-Man’s PS4 adventure? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Activision/Insomniac

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Fireball Island is back!
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FIREBALL ISLAND Makes an Explosive Return

Assembling a molded 3D game board is a kind of satisfying you can’t get from any other activity. I feel accomplished when the plastic peaks of Fireball Island are in place and ready for action. I didn’t get to play the game as a youth, but as an adult, I’ve enjoyed playing on a board a friend tracked down online and launching bright red marbles from volcanic vents and from the tiki idol Vul-Kar.

Getting Fireballed is the worst/best, and I can’t wait for more players to experience the feeling with Restoration Games’ Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar. Yes, they’re bringing the game you know and love back, with some updated art and game play.

Restoration Games has had the official resurrection of the 1986 game planned since at least summer 2017, and the Kickstarter just launched. As I write this, the campaign has already exceeded the $250,000 goal within the first three hours.

The above video shows off some of the differences from the original game, and sample cards on Kickstarter go into more detail. Success on Fireball Island is a product of skill and luck, and while that will still be the case, the new cards will give players more control over their actions.

Ready to take on the risk of being chased by fire falling from the sky? You can support Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar on Kickstarter. You’re essentially pre-ordering the game, either a base game or one that comes with all the expansions. Restoration estimates delivery will happen in November 2018.

And in case you’re not familiar with the game, please watch this very retro commercial:

Have you played Fireball Island? Have you gone to extreme lengths to find a perfectly pristine copy from the ’80s? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Restoration Games

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter.

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A Game of Thrones Catan board.

Fox Signs Guillermo Del Toro to Make More Monster Movies

2017 was a banner year for mainstream horror, with It becoming one of the highest grossing films of the year, Get Out finding a huge audience and garnering Academy Award nominations and a win for screenwriter Jordan Peele, and Guillermo del Toro taking home much-deserved Best Director and Best Picture statues for his dark fantasy The Shape of Water. Hollywood has paid attention to this, and the studio behind Shape, Fox Searchlight, has doubled-down, offering del Toro a fresh new contract, and a brand new label to showcase horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films.

In a press release, Fox Searchlight says it has inked a deal with del Toro “that covers live action feature film projects to be written, produced and/or directed by del Toro,” which is very exciting; the world is a better place for having Guillermo del Toro movies in them. But that’s not even the coolest part!

“Fox Searchlight is also creating a new, soon to be named label which will serve as a home for projects in the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres,” the press release continues, “including those produced and curated by del Toro. Films will be financed, marketed and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.”

“For the longest time, I’ve hoped to find an environment in which I can distribute, nurture and produce new voices in smart, inventive genre films and channel my own. In Fox Searchlight, I’ve found a real home for live action production — a partnership based on hard work, understanding of each other and, above all, faith. After the wonderful experience I had with Fox Searchlight on ‘The Shape of Water,’ I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the relationship. I am more than grateful to Nancy, Steve, David and Matthew for their trust in me and for joining me on this adventure,” said del Toro.

The first film in this new label will be Antlers, “a story about an elementary school teacher who takes in a troubled student that harbors a mysterious family secret with deadly consequences.” This will be directed by Scott Cooper with a script written by Nick Antosca and Henry Chaisson, based on the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca. Del Toro will produce along with David Goyer and J. Miles Dale.

This is amazing news. Few people have the knowledge and love for genre del Toro has and his taste is impeccable. It’ll be amazing to see what he can do given the chance to curate an entire wing of a movie studio committed to making that kind of movie. It’s a win for all of us! We can only hope this means del Toro will finally get to make his long-gestating At the Mountains of Madness movie, or at least some H.P. Lovecraft adaptation. The world needs HPL and GDT on the big screen!

Images: Fox Searchlight

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He is the writer of 200 reviews of weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!

Further reading for the horror fan!

One time, Guillermo del Toro played a werewolf in a Mexican Alka-Seltzer commercial!
6 H.P. Lovecraft stories that deserve to be big Hollywood movies !
The Outer Limits was actually more terrifying than The Twilight Zone!

Which Marvel Superhero Should John Boyega Play in the MCU?

The world recently got word that Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Pacific Rim: Uprising star John Boyega could be soon joining the MCU. Though details are scant, Bounding into Comics reported that Boyega himself hinted that he may be in talks to play a superhero in the upcoming “Phase IV” of the Marvel franchise… or perhaps even sooner. Of course, the question is: who might Boyega be playing? We put our thinking caps on, and came up with seven heroes that we think John Boyega would be the ideal actor to bring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Patriot

A founding member of the Young Avengers, young Eli Bradley, a.k.a. Patriot,  helped form the team to honor his hero, Captain America—that is, the very first, pre-Steve Rogers Cap: a black American soldier named Isaiah Bradley, who was used as a guinea pig by the U.S. Government for the Super Soldier program. Oh, and he also happens to be Eli’s grandpa. Introducing Bradley would be the first major retcon of the MCU, but if the comics could pull it off, so can the films A bigger issue would be that Eli is a teenager in the comics, though perhaps Boyega could play a later-in-life incarnation of the character. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see Finn fight bad guys with a Cap-style shield?

The Blue Marvel

Adam Brashear became The Blue Marvel after receiving his considerable array of powers during the Korean War. When his secret identity was discovered in the early ’60s, he was asked to retire by President John F. Kennedy, fearing backlash due to his race amid the turmoil of the civil rights movement. Remaining retired for decades, the Blue Marvel returned in the modern era and became a member of the Ultimates, a group of heroes tasked with stopping cosmic menaces before they can become bigger threats.

This may be the perfect inroad for an introduction to the Blue Marvel, as the Ultimates—a team also made up of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spectrum (who is rumored to be introduced in Captain Marvel), and Miss America Chavez—could fit right at home in a post-Avengers 4 MCU. In direct contrast to the issue with Patriot, Boyega may in fact be too young for the part of the Blue Marvel, but sci-fi has a way of working around these things.

Captain Britain

Because he hides his accent in films like Star Wars and Detroit, many forget that John Boyega is actually a tried and true Englishman. As such, our next pick for Boyega is the living embodiment of the British Isles, Captain Britain (also known as Brian Braddock)? The only obstacle is that Fox might currently still have the rights to the Captain, due to his association with the X-Men (his sister is perennial X-Man member Psylocke). But if the Disney/Fox deal goes through, who knows!

Wonder Man

Only a handful of characters that we’d consider among the ranks of the iconic Avengers, introduced in the first 100 issues of the original Marvel comic, have yet to appear in the MCU. Chief among them, though, is Wonder Man. In the comics, Simon Williams is the ionic-powered hero who was sent to infiltrate the Avengers and destroy them from within, but then turned against his original agenda, and ended up becoming an Avenger for real. Later he became a movie star as well as a superhero. We think Boyega has that effortless movie star quality it would take to bring the smug (but charming) Avenger to life.

Quasar

Wendell Vaughn was a low level S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who acquired a set of alien-powered Quantum bands, which he wore around his wrists to save them from being stolen from agents of A.I.M. The bands gave him significant cosmic powers, which led to his recruitment by Nick Fury. Going by the name Quasar, he joined the Avengers for brief time as a rookie during their early ’90s run, and even headlined his own book for a few years. Thanks to Star Wars, Boyega has experience playing the team “rookie” of a sort, so this could be an ideal match of character and actor.

Darkhawk

Another early ’90s throwback, Darkhawk has not had much love from even the comic books these days. But it’s still a cool concept. Darkhawk is actually young Brooklyn native named Chris Powell, who discovers a mysterious amulet that allows him to switch places with a powerful android, which he can then mind-control. The Darkhawk android is actually pretty cool-looking, and could translate into live-action pretty easily. And Boyega as a hip Brooklyn 20-something would be a real treat.

Blade

Although he almost seems too cuddly to be the half-human/half vampire “Daywalker,” a role first played by Wesley Snipes some 20 years ago, I could still see Boyega pull off a version of Blade for the MCU. I mean, who wouldn’t like seeing Boyega kicking vampire ass in a black trench coat? But I think there are still better roles suited for him in the MCU… like pretty much everything else on this list.

Who would you like to see John Boyega play in the MCU? Be sure to let us know your ideas down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics / Legendary Pictures

More from the MCU!

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Hugh Laurie Joins George Clooney’s CATCH-22 Series

Big, sprawling ensemble books are the sort of projects whose adaptations tend to enlist the maximum star power available. In 1970, Mike Nichols turned Joseph Heller’s 1953 classic of WWII military bureaucracy and the needless horrors of war, Catch-22, into a big ol’ movie starring the likes of Alan Arkin, Art Garfunkel, Bob Newhart, Jon Voight, Anthony Perkins, and Orson Welles, not to mention about a million other people. But the book is much too dense for a single film, which is why George Clooney is adapting it as a miniseries for Hulu. Clooney is likewise putting together a pretty great cast for the project, which, as announced on Tuesday, includes Hugh Laurie.

For those who’ve never read Catch-22, it’s the story of a terrified Air Force bombardier stationed in Italy who tries time and time again to avoid being sent out on any missions, for fear of death. The only way to get spared of this fate in one piece: being decreed insane, and thus unfit for battle. Unfortunately, there’s a military bylaw that states anyone who fears for his own safety is not insane and therefore has to fly missions, while anyone who does want to fly missions is insane… but still has to fly missions, because you won’t be dismissed without applying for exemption (which would then, in turn, prove you don’t want to fly missions, thus making you sane). The book is populated with a million side characters, each with their own tragicomic story about why and how they can’t just go home from the war.

Laurie has been cast as Major de Coverly for the limited series. Fans of the book will know that character as Major ____ de Coverly, a terrifying character who doesn’t seem to have any official duties other than pitching horseshoes and kidnapping Italian laborers to help around the base. Despite not having a first name as far as anyone can assess, he’s also a person of interest to intelligence agencies on both sides of the war, owing to his mysterious appearance at the fall of several major cities.

De Coverly was one of several characters from Heller’s novel left out of the 1970 film, so it’ll be great to see him in the series, especially played by such a great actor as Hugh Laurie. He joins Girls‘ Christopher Abbott as the lead character of Capt. John Yossarian and producer-director Clooney in the role of Col. Cathcart, the book’s de facto main antagonist. If Laurie is playing de Coverly, one can only guess who Clooney will get to play more pivotal characters like Milo Minderbinder, Nately, or Chaplain Tappman.

Catch-22 is expected sometime this year as a six-episode limited series on Hulu.

Images: Hulu/Fox/Simon & Schuster

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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The Writers Panel #378: Chappaquiddick

Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, writers of Chappaquiddick, discuss their motivation for writing about Ted Kennedy’s 1969 scandal, finding characters in well knows personalities, and more.

Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!

Subscribe to The Writers Panel on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

When Will Captain Marvel Make Her MCU Debut?

Next year, Brie Larson is flying solo in her own Captain Marvel movie, but will she be taking flight much sooner than expected? Marvel does like to set the stage for its heroes before they show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both Thor and Captain America were teased in the Iron Man films, while Avengers: Age of Ultron was giving Wakanda a shout out a full year before Black Panther appeared in Captain America: Civil War. Today’s Nerdist News is laying odds on when and where we’ll see Captain Marvel before her film hits theaters.

Join guest host Amy “Noh-Varr” Vorpahl as she runs down the recent rumors about Larson making an appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp. While it’s true the first Ant-Man had the Winter Soldier and Captain America in its end credits scene, it also had the Falcon as the connection between that moment and Ant-Man himself. It’s hard to see how Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel could fit into the movie unless she appears alongside a CGI de-aged Michael Douglas in another Hank Pym flashback.

If Captain Marvel isn’t coming to Ant-Man and the Wasp, then the only other option is a cameo on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.…don’t worry, we’re kidding. If it’s gonna happen, look for it in Avengers: Infinity War. The Russo brothers have said up and down Captain Marvel isn’t going to be in their next movie. But isn’t that what they should say if they want to leave it as a surprise?

Here’s how we think it will play out: Captain Marvel won’t appear in Infinity War until one of the post-credit scenes. That way, her onscreen debut could be a special moment and it may even set the stage for the still untitled Avengers 4. We already know Larson is on board for that one.

Where do you think Captain Marvel will make her MCU debut? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

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#WARGAMES Star Jess Nurse Tells Us About Being Part of an Interactive TV Experience

Hearing a television show watches you back would normally be terrifying, but that’s half the fun when it comes to Eko’s new interactive series #WarGames. On today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, the show’s star Jess Nurse talked to us about how they have re-imagined the classic film for 2018, and we also discussed our favorite April Fool’s Day pranks, and John Boyega‘s future in Star Wars—as well as possibly even the MCU.

Joining guest host Dan Casey today was producer Jason Nguyen and Nerdist News writer Aliza Pearl; they welcomed Jess Nurse from #WarGames (you can watch the first episode right here at Nerdist). First, they went over which April Fool’s Day prank was their favorite this year, like possibly the one about how Warner Bros’ standalone Joker film will be a Dark Knight prequel. Is there a chance that could ever actually happen? Did we prefer the absurd Rick and Morty “episode” or our own The Last Jedi thala-siren breasts featurette?

Speaking of Star Wars, John Boyega had some comments about how Finn and Rey will be getting back together in Episode IX. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they got to hang out again, but since they were apart for The Last Jedi, we’re interested in seeing how their relationship will change. And in another universe, Boyega may have some talks with Marvel about a role in the MCU.

Then, we heard from Jess all about Eko’s new series #WarGames; she said her character Kelly is “the 2018 version of Matthew Broderick.” Except this series has an interactive element because it also watches the viewer. She said, “If you take a different approach to it you’ll get a very different story.” What will it take to access all four different potential endings of episode three that even Jess herself can’t unlock?

Nerdist News Talks Back airs Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. live on our YouTube and Alpha channels, and then Nerdist News What the Fridays, our expanded recap of the last seven days in pop culture, ends the week at 1 p.m. PT exclusively on Alpha. It’s not a show that watches you, but it does talk back to you live, so always tune in with us and join the conversation.

Share your thoughts on today’s show in our comments section below.

Image: Lucasfilm

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Mezco’s Strangely Realistic POPEYE Figure Comes Loaded for Sea Voyages

It’s been just over a year since Mezco revealed they had re-acquired the Popeye toy license, and were using it to make a crazy-detailed figure of what Popeye and his cartoonish proportions would look like as an actual human being. Robin Williams, he ain’t.

The sheer novelty of this figure alone would sell it, but there are no half measures here. This Popeye comes with everything you’d think Popeye would need, and more.

Spinach cans and a pipe are expected, but this Sailor Man also comes with his removable pea coat, duffel bag, two interchangeable heads (a “stern stare” and a “salty glare”; ah, the shades of subtlety in combative expressions!), multiple corncob pipes, three hats, a spyglass, and a compass. Plus the spyglass is collapsible and the compass has an opening lid, which is all the more impressive when you realize this is part of the One:12 Collective series and in the six-inch scale. Which is to say he’s compatible with your standard Star Wars Black Series or Marvel Legends figures, but much higher end.

At an $80 preorder price, he’s on the cheaper end of the Mezco One:12 scale, but it’s hard to imagine anything that’s lacking here, unless you were jonesing for a similarly twisted baby Swee’Pea he can hold. If you want a Bluto, though, they may be teasing a future one in this image.

Popeye figures will be delivered in January 2019, kicking off the new year with a smile.

Clarification: you’ll be the one who’s smiling. It’s harder to make that face while clenching a pipe in one’s teeth and considering the merits of a life in which one’s fiancee is constantly being abducted by an obese brawler who never learns his lesson.

Does this Naval gazer blow you down? Let us know in comments.

Images: Mezco Toyz

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6 Reasons the LOST IN SPACE Reboot is Out Of This World

Let’s get one thing straight: when it comes to reboots, this particular writer is not the biggest fan. It’s nothing new, but, for us, there needs to be a good reason and context for it, and it cannot—under any circumstance—simply be a rehash of the old story. It must evolve the conceit and prove to us its necessity—particularly in these well-stocked TV times.

Well, friends, allow me to be the first to let you know that Netflix’s Lost in Space is doing the reboot thing exactly right. Reimagining the Robinson family into the near-distant future now has allowed for further exploration of the human spirit, the moral grey areas, and what it means to be a member of the human race in a time of increased connectivity despite the millions and trillions of miles between us.



Featuring a stellar top line cast that includes Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, and Parker Posey—and child actors Maxwell Jenkins, Minda Sundwall, and Taylor Russell—Lost in Space is like if Stranger Things launched into space aboard the mechanics of The Expanse. Which is to say it is very, very good and something to put on your to-watch list when it hits Netflix on April 13.

It’s Got the Mystery

When you’ve got the scientific systems and technological advancements inherent in an intergalactic mini-van (basically), it’s hard to understand how someone could get lost. Yeah, well, guess what? Lost in Space utilizes a few changes to its characters origins (no spoilers!) and a big, fantastical battle sequence to show—but maybe not tell—exactly what happened. And in doing so, it plays the long game: there are enough mysteries to deal with on a micro level when you’ve crash landed onto a goldilocks planet teeming with life, so you can save the “how in the heck did we all get here?” for season two.

And the Hard Science

There are plenty of shows out there cherry-picking scientific plot points to make their stories more interesting—but very few make it as important as the interpersonal machinations also at play. Lost in Space manages both in equal footing, organically interplaying the two in a way that feels organic and earned. Here, scientific knowledge is not only power, it saves their lives on multiple occasions and it’s, frankly, refreshing to see that sort of knowhow held in such high regard (especially now). The ingenuity at the intersection of science and humanity doesn’t muck up the gears, it makes them flow all the more organically—and makes for some seriously cool, new, and inventive ways of solving problems. If you were a fan of the poop potato ingenuity of The Martian, this is like that times six. And if you’re a fan of The Expanse, you’ll be equally as enthralled by what’s happening, mechanically speaking, in Lost in Space.

The World-Building is Spot On

Why in the world would near-future humans leave Earth? And how in the heck did they end up with a humanoid robot friend? And what in the world is so scary about all of it, when there’s that much technology around? All those questions are answered, but not all at once—a strength in storytelling, as it doesn’t doubt the audience’s intelligence. Don’t exposition the audience to death: let them go on the journey. That’s exactly what Lost in Space does. It shows rather than tells, but even when it has to tell you what’s going on—listen, space is still an incredible complex environment foreign from our every day—it’s fascinating and engaging.

And perhaps more exciting than that is the way they make the planet onto which the family has crashed both foreign enough to be exotic and accessible enough to wrap our heads around.

Every Character is Interesting

When it comes to big, flashy science fiction shows, side characters get pushed into more stereotypical, placeholder roles, living forever in service to the main characters’ machinations. Not so in Lost in Space: every character has their own motivations and rich inner life, fully realized and integral to the story—not just the main characters. And the self-assuredness and competence of the women at the heart of the show, particularly Judy and Maureen, adds a more dynamic human level to the on-screen female characterization most women are hungry to ingest.

And they’re diverse to boot! Just as we would expect space to look like—and in spite of our in-road to the story being a majority-white family—there’s a lot more people of color populating this world. This will always be a good thing.

Parker Posey: Need We Say More?

One of the smartest things the series has done—beyond increasing the amount of diversity on the show—is cast Parker Posey as their morally-gray baddie. In the role, Posey plays Dr. Smith with heaps more intrigue and genuine humanity (even if that humanity makes poor life decisions), her complicated backstory perfectly informing the decisions she makes. And it makes for a far more fascinating relationship with the Robinson family as a whole. It’s just a more interesting and dynamic characterization than in the original and we are here.for.it.

Also let’s just be real: Parker Posey is an international treasure we should be using more in things.

And Did We Mention the Science?

Listen: if you’re a hard sci-fi fan, this show is going to get your spidey senses tingling. There’s real—and really cool!—science being used here, both to create and solve problems in a deeply organic way. We won’t give anything away but we will say this: keep an eye out for a scene involving tar, a balloon, and some helium. It’s…very cool.

Are you looking forward to the Lost in Space reboot? As surprised as we are at how flippin’ good it is? Let us know in the comments below!

Editor’s note: Nerdist Industries is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor, creator/host of Fangirling, and resident Khaleesi of House Nerdist. Find her on Twitter

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