Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1877

STAR WARS Cutesy Rolls Are the Most Huggable Creatures in the Galaxy

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is almost here, and your feelings may range from extreme excitement to uncontrollable emotions. With Carrie Fisher‘s last screen appearance as Leia Organa, there are certainly tears to be shed, so you’re going to need some help to make it through. ThinkGeek’s here to help. Their new huggable line of plush provide just the right emotional cuddle you need. They’re called Cutesy Rolls—and while that sounds like adorable sushi—they’re actually large 19-inch plush that are ready and willing to accept your love. Cutesy Rolls are officially licensed, and you can put your arms around Chewbacca, a porg, or Yoda. What, no womp rat option? If you say so, ThinkGeek.

The ideal size for cuddling, these pillowy cushions are squeezable and squishable and will always bounce back when you need them. These plush are exclusive to ThinkGeek and look like little bundles of Star Wars sweetness. Chewie has his iconic bandolier, Yoda has fuzzy ears, and the porg—well, we don’t know much about them yet—but this plush is as porgilicious as they come. Super soft and snuggly, all the details are sewn or printed on, so they’re safe for kids and four-legged friends.

If the wait for The Last Jedi is more than you can stand, or if the craziness of the holidays is becoming too much to bear, just think, now you can tote your cuddly support porg with you wherever you go.

Star Wars Cutesy Rolls are available on thinkgeek.com.

Which Cutesy Roll would you want by your side for a viewing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Let us know in the comments!

Images: ThinkGeek

More Star Wars products to covet!

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GAME OF THRONES’ Final Season Might Put Every Character in a New Place

Thus far there has been little insight from anyone associated with Game of Thrones into what we might see in the show’s eighth and final season, but like Samwell Tarly pouring over an old dusty book at the Citadel, we’re always digging for any information that might prove useful. So it’s only fitting something said by the man who plays Sam himself, actor John Bradley, has offered up one of the first truly intriguing clues into what might happen during the show’s last six episodes, and it could tell us something about everyone.

In an interview with TV Guide, Bradley talked about the show’s “rich” and “detailed” characters, and what it’s like to watch them when they are put in a “new environment.” That’s when he possibly slipped up and gave away a little bit more than he should have.

“Each of the characters this year is placed in a completely alien environment at some point in the season that they’ve never been placed in before. The thrill is seeing how they react to it and how they respond… This season, I think, more than any other is stretching these characters.”

Each character will be in an “alien environment” you say? Well that might not be overly specific, but considering we have a pretty good idea where the major characters will start season eight it’s way more than we’ve been given so far. So what can it all mean? Unless he’s talking hypothetically, as in “Cersei could find herself powerless for the first time” or “Jon loses a battle,” let’s do some good old fashioned speculating by looking at the major characters and where they could end up, which leads us to some famous places.

JAIME

It wasn’t 100% clear Jaime would actually leave Cersei and King’s Landing in the season seven finale, especially when it started snowing, but this feels like confirmation he is heading North to fight in the Great War. There is no more famous–or infamous–face in the Seven Kingdoms, so it likely won’t be easy for him to get there without any issues. And while Jaime went to Winterfell in season one, that was so long ago that the North and its people are dramatically different now, so it will be totally foreign to him. Especially when he goes there to fight with them and not against them like he has the entire show.

CERSEI

When it comes to the Mad Queen, Bradley’s comment might carry the most weight, since she has both been firmly ensconced in King’s Landing since arriving back their in season one, and she ended season seven by hunkering down there and sending for reinforcements to face whatever enemy emerges from the North. If Cersei is going somewhere entirely new though, the range of possibilities are pretty wide and exciting. She could eventually realize her plan to ignore the White Walkers is incredibly stupid and take her army North, or she could go there to attack a wounded foe if Daenerys and Jon defeat the army of the dead on there own but at great costs.

But she might also have to flee King’s Landing if either Daenerys and Jon come for the Iron Throne, or if the White Walkers march on the capital. In that case she could run to a number of places that would prove a poetic final spot. She could go to Highgarden, which the Lannisters took from the now extinct Tyrells. It would be deliciously ironic if Cersei met her doom in the home of the family she betrayed, which might have sealed her own fate. She could go south, right into the waiting hands of the Dornish who loathe her and her family. We don’t know if anyone is currently bothering to occupy the emptied Casterly Rock, but she could hole up in her ancestral home as Tyrion comes after her, or nearby to Euron Greyjoy in the Iron Islands, though if she’s no longer a ruling queen what are the odds he would even want her anymore?

She could even head east to Essos, much like Daenerys’s pregnant mother once fled when Robert usurped the Mad King. It would bring the story of the Iron Throne full circle in a beautiful, fitting way.

No matter where Cersei ends up though, that means someone else will hold King’s Landing.

DAENERYS, JON, AND THEIR ALLIES

Technically almost anywhere in Westeros will be new for Daenerys, including Winterfell where she is currently heading. If the White Walkers force her and Jon Snow south, that will also mean she visits a number of “alien” environments. That’s why it’s probably best to focus on the only place the Mother of Dragons has ever truly wanted to go, the Iron Throne room. Her vision at the House of the Undying in season two prominently involved a destroyed Throne Room covered in snow. Could she fulfill that prophecy by heading there after Cersei burns the city down on her way out? Or after the White Walkers destroyed it during the final battle in the Great War?

It’s hard to imagine a scenario outside one of them dying where Jon and Daenerys split their forces, not when they have to defeat the White Walkers, so wherever one goes we expect the other to be there too. But that also covers all of their closest allies, like all the Stark children, Sam and Brienne, Tyrion, Grey Worm, and Missandei, and others like Tormund and Beric Dondarrion (if they’re alive). That’s a lot of people to end up in new places, which is why this could be the best clue yet for how successful the Night King will be on his march into the Seven Kingdoms.

The White Walkers Will Reach King’s Landing

Nothing will move every single character to a new place more than the White Walkers making their way through Westeros. Jon and Daenerys are heading to the North now, but there’s no guarantee it will be in time to stop the White Walkers from rolling over the living since they just broke through the Wall. If that success extends to King’s Landing it could lead to Cersei fleeing the capital, while everyone else bands together for one final battle with the dead somewhere close to the Iron Throne everyone has been fighting over this whole time.

That also raises the possibility of an all new setting being prominently involved, especially one that already played a major role in the history of the Realm.

THE ISLE OF FACES

The Isle of Faces in the God’s Eye Lake is where the First Men and the Children of the Forest signed their peace pact thousands of years ago, and it might contain the secrets Bran needs to figure out how to defeat the White Walkers. We know he’s more like a reference book now as opposed to being omnipotent, so could he eventually turn his third raven eye there to look for answers, requiring others to physically go there?

Read more about the importance of the Isle of Faces in our History of Thrones series.

There are still many other characters whose stories will be finalized, like Theon who is going after Euron. Where could they end up facing off for the last time? Where might the Hound and the Mountain hold their Clegane Bowl? Which castle will Bronn move into? And how fast can Hot Pie run away from ice zombies?

It’s terrible we might be more than a year away from season eight, but at least we have time to start pouring over maps for possible escape routes. Because when it comes to searching for answers about Game of Thrones, Sam Tarly has nothing on us.

What do you think though? What could all of this mean? Give us your best guesses in the comments below.

Images: HBO

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Hot Toys Unveils THE LAST JEDI Luke Skywalker Deluxe Figure

This week, it’s time for the Jedi to end with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Fans had to wait until the final seconds of The Force Awakens to catch a glimpse of Luke Skywalker, but the original trilogy’s hero is about to step into a much bigger spotlight for the sequel. Fortunately, we won’t have to make the trip to Ahch-To to see Luke up close. Hot Toys has revealed its new deluxe sixth scale Luke Skywalker figure from The Last Jedi, and it’s impressive. Most impressive.

This Luke Skywalker figure has a new facial sculpt based upon Mark Hamill‘s appearance in the movie, and it’s an uncanny recreation of his likeness. The figure also features Luke’s darker outfit, a figure stand, a walking stick, and a blue lightsaber. It doesn’t confirm our suspicion that Luke’s lightsaber will be hidden in the walking stick, but perhaps that’s where he’s keeping his green lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.

This deluxe edition also comes with a recreation of Luke’s backpack, as well as a lightning rod…which makes us wonder what he needs the lightning rod for in the movie. Does Ahch-To get a lot of thunderstorms? Or does he use it to keep the porgs away?

That porg perched upon Luke’s lightsaber is also included, and Luke has a few alternate hands to go along with his multiple points of articulation. This is the perfect companion piece for Hot Toys’ Jedi Training Rey figure.

You can find more pictures of this figure and its accessories by scrolling below. Sideshow Collectibles is already offering The Last Jedi deluxe Luke Skywalker for pre-order.

What do you think about Luke’s latest figure? Feel the Force in the comment section below!

Images: Hot Toys

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DICK TRACY Returns in New Archie Comics Series

In 1931, Chester Gould created the Dick Tracy comic strip, and it’s still running. However, Dick Tracy has been absent from monthly comic books for a long time. That’s going to change next year when Archie Comics releases a brand new Dick Tracy comic series.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story about Archie’s Dick Tracy comic, which will be written by Alex Segura and Michael Moreci, with art by Thomas Pitilli. The series will take place in Tracy’s early years as a police detective, which will allow the creative team to revisit several of Gould’s classic villains. Judging from the first cover by Pitilli, it appears that Flattop Jones, one of the comic strip’s most popular bad guys, will be featured prominently.

“Michael, Tom and I are so excited to do a deep dive into the early days of Dick Tracy, one of the most iconic characters in pop culture,” said Segura when reached by Nerdist. “Like Batman, Dick Tracy has one of the most memorable and frightening Rogues Galleries in comics, and we’re planning on exploring it all from the ground up. It’s going to be a fun ride and we can’t wait to share it with readers.”

Segura also passed along a Dick Tracy cover by Afterlife with Archie artist, Francesco Francavilla.

Dick Tracy #1 will be released on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

Are you excited to see Dick Tracy get his own comic book series again? And which classic villains do you want to see in the comic? Let us know in the comment section below.

Images: Archie Comics

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Will Marvel Get the FANTASTIC FOUR Back After the Disney/Fox Merger?

Years ago, Marvel struck a deal to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen with a contract that had no end date as long as the FF movies kept coming. That deal was with Constantin Film, a German production company that later signed a distribution pact with 20th Century Fox. Despite the imminent merger of Disney and Fox, Constantin Film’s deal appears to insure that the cinematic rights to the Fantastic Four won’t automatically revert to Marvel Studios. But today’s Nerdist News is going to explain why that doesn’t necessarily mean Doom for the first family of superheroes.

Join host and H.E.R.B.I.E.’s replacement, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the occasionally confusing cinematic journey of the Fantastic Four. Old school fans may recall that there was a Roger Corman directed Fantastic Four film in the ’90s that was never released…and for good reasons! Constantin Film only produced that movie to hang on to the rights, and Marvel reportedly paid to make sure that adaptation was never released.

Apparently, there is some question as to whether the current distribution agreement will remain valid once Fox’s assets are acquired by Disney. Fox was the driving force behind the first two Fantastic Four films that saw the light of day, as well as the critically reviled 2015 reboot that no one seems to love. Comic book movie fans have held out hope that Fox and Marvel Studios could work out an arrangement that would let the FF into the MCU. That would also pave the way for the Fantastic Four’s stellar line up of villains to also come over, including Doctor Doom and Galactus.

The good news is that a new deal with Constantin Film could still be reached, which would essentially accomplish the same thing. Alternately, there’s also a chance that Disney could buy out Constantin Film’s contract as well. After all, once Disney drops $60 billion or more for Fox, what’s a few extra billion to finally get the FF as well?

Are you eager to see the Fantastic Four enter the MCU? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: 20th Century Fox

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David Bowie Discusses Creativity in Trailer for Documentary, THE LAST FIVE YEARS

It has been nearly two years since music legend David Bowie died and we earthlings are still missing his musical genius terribly. Although most know that Bowie released his album Blackstar right before he passed, his last few years on this planet were among his most prolific as a creator, a lot more than casual fans might realize.

Now, thanks to The Hollywood Reporter, we have our first look at HBO’s new documentary, David Bowie: The Last Five Years, which is set to premiere early next year, after its initial run on the BBC. As the name suggests, this new documentary covers the last five years of the rock icon’s life and career, during which he managed to record and release two albums, and produce a stage musical, Lazarus.

The new documentary was directed and produced by Francis Whately, and is the follow up to his 2013 documentary, David Bowie: Five Years, which was all about  Bowie’s meteoric rise to fame, and specifically focused on his career from 1970 to 1975, the period in which he released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Diamond Dogs.

The new documentary serves as a companion piece to the original, and features interviews with longtime Bowie friends and associates like Tony Visconti, Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey Carlos Alomar, and several other former band mates. David Bowie: The Last Five Years premieres on January 8, on what would have been Bowie’s 71st birthday.

Are you excited to see this look into the life of a true legend? Let us know down below in the comments.

Images: RCA Records

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Jacob Anderson Expects Grey Worm to Die Every Episode of GAME OF THRONES

Jacob Anderson‘s first appearance as Grey Worm on Game of Thrones came in season three’s fifth episode “Kissed by Fire,” when the Unsullied elected him as their leader. It then took him 35 episodes to get on a boat to leave Slaver’s Bay and finally (finally!) arrive in Westeros this past season. But it was a trip he never expected to take, not because he didn’t believe in his Khaleesi, but because he never thinks his character will make it out of a season alive.

We talked to Anderson about the series ahead of the release of season seven on Blu-ray, and while some of us (:raises both hands:) were absolutely relieved for Daenerys to finally get the hell out of Meereen, on a personal level Anderson wasn’t all that jazzed by it.

“As a fan of the show I was very excited for her to be on her way,” he said, “But as me, I could have stayed there forever, because we were always in the hottest places, like in Spain, Croatia, and Morocco. I was enjoying the heat. As soon as I got an inkling we were gonna be heading to Westeros I was like, ‘Aww, what? It’s cold everywhere else.'” His instincts weren’t wrong either, since he said Dragonstone was really as windy as it looked on the show. (That’s what happens when you dither in Essos and don’t leave for the Seven Kingdoms until after winter has come.)

Despite the cold it wasn’t all bad though, because he got to play on some great new sets in season seven, one of which had special meaning to him. He said the the map room in Dragonstone used a technique he used to love learning about as a kid watching Star Wars extras. “There’s a matte painting of the ocean in the background, and they have wave machines going so there were a few times I looked out that window and I could actually believe if you were to jump out that window that you’d be outside, and I just had a moment where I was like, ‘Oh my god this is like those behind-the-scene videos I used to watch when I was a kid, this is amazing.'”

But he never expected to head to Westeros at all, because while fans of the show were counting down the days until Daenerys finally left to take the Iron Throne, he was always looking over his shoulder for when the axe—literally and figuratively—would fall on his character. Everyone on Game of Thrones should have that fear, but for Anderson he was told when he joined the show there were no guarantees he would be around for very long.

“I didn’t think Grey Worm was going to make it past season three. I was told as much as well, that they weren’t sure yet whether this was going to be a character who was going to keep going or was going to be on the show for awhile,” he said, “They were bringing the Unsullied into it, and they wanted a character who represented them.”

It’s understandable why he wasn’t sure if season three would be his only one, but even now after surviving for so long and becoming a close advisor to the Mother of Dragons, his concern that every episode could be the character’s last has never gone away. That includes even after he has proof telling him otherwise. “I go into every day thinking (I’ll be killed off) even if I’ve already read scripts and I know what’s happening,” he said, “I’m like, ‘They’re going to change their minds and get rid of me at some point.'”

Considering the show he’s on it would be easy to chalk his fear up to the simple fact no actor should ever feel any job security on Game of Thrones (especially a soldier), but Anderson has a very unique problem that he thinks makes him especially vulnerable to being killed off.

“I’m worried they’re going to get rid of me because I’m bad at keeping a straight face,” he said, “You know that thing about ‘you had one job,’ I have one job and it’s to look stern and to take things seriously.” That’s an incredible problem to have when you play Grey Worm, and he says it’s a constant issue, because he’s “in danger of ruining” every scene every day. But what about the one scene where he was supposed to smile, when Grey Worm, Missandei, and Tyrion were telling jokes? Surely that wasn’t a problem, right?

“I didn’t know how to smile. How does a person who has never smiled in their life smile? And I kept doing these weird faces that could have ruined that scene,” he said, adding eventually the director just told him to smile normally. He had a related problem when Grey Worm was on a boat for the first time too, in the season six finale, because he was overreacting to that experience with a “freaked out” face. “The director told me, ‘He’s seen water before, there’s definitely water in Slaver’s Bay.'”

But despite all of his fears about why he would never make it to Westeros, he is still standing as we head into the final season and the Great War with the White Walkers, and for that we’re glad.

Even if it means he has more filming to do in even colder climates.

Did you expect Grey Worm to ever make it to Westeros? Set sail in our comments section below and tell us why.

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Images: HBO

THE PUNISHER Renewed for Second Season on Netflix

The Punisher wasn’t initially part of Marvel and Netflix’s four series deal, but he’s already become a major player in that corner of the MCU. After less than a month, Netflix has officially renewed The Punisher for a second season with a video on the official Facebook page for the series. Much like his comic book counterpart, Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle will once again unleash his brand of vigilante justice.

The Punisher series is actually the fourth attempt to bring Frank Castle to live-action. Prior to Bernthal’s incarnation of the character, none of his predecessors officially reprised their roles. But fans have embraced this version of the Punisher, which is why he landed a spinoff series after his turn in Daredevil season 2. Given that Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are all getting new seasons in 2018, it stands to reason that The Punisher‘s second season won’t arrive on Netflix until 2019 after the third season of Daredevil.

It’s unclear where the next season of the series will take Castle, as the first season had a storyline that was only loosely inspired by the comics. While it would be interesting to see Daredevil or one of his fellow Defenders go after Castle, the series seemed to deliberately keep the Punisher away from the MCU’s superheroes. Perhaps that will eventually change. But if nothing else, we’d really like to see Castle take on Barracuda, an assassin from Garth Ennis‘ Punisher Max run.

Are you excited about the return of The Punisher? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Netflix/Marvel TV

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Daisy Ridley Shares What Kind of STAR WARS Role Josh Gad Should Play

Josh Gad became Daisy Ridley‘s best friend on the set of Murder on the Orient Express. We assume they’re tight because of all the positive interactions we saw between the duo, you know, like Gad constantly bugging her for spoilers about The Last Jedi. He tried to catch her off guard but didn’t succeed in uncovering any top secret information—not even when he brought in Dame Judi Dench. But Ridley must not hold it against him, because they’re teaming up for a Netflix superhero comedy film, and if Gad were to ever land a role in Star Wars, Ridley has thoughts about what kind of character he could play and it’s all about the laughs.

Though Gad played a serious character in Orient Express, he’s perhaps better known for his comedy chops. It’s no wonder the notion of a humorous role comes to Ridley’s mind first. I have a hunch Gad could kill it whether he played a human or an alien. And even if he’s not in Episode XI, we’re apparently getting Star Wars films forever, so who knows?

And hey, Star Wars is full of weird creatures. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for a critter to look like a walking snowman. Gad isn’t limited to playing a snowman forever, obviously, but I’d like to him voice a creature or alien that then offers a stormtrooper warm hugs. I bet it would end well.

What kind of role would you give Josh Gad in the Star Wars universe? Share your picks in the comments.

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. She likes Star Wars a little. Follow her on Twitter.

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The Writers Panel #364: The Exorcist

Show creator Jeremy Slater (The Umbrella Academy) and co-showrunner Sean Crouch (Numb3rs) discuss the Fox series’ second season, horror on network TV, capturing the feel of both the original film and William Peter Blatty’s book, and more. The season finale of The Exorcist is December 15 on Fox. You can catch up on the show on Hulu! It’s worth it!

Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!