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Beyoncé Joins Live-Action THE LION KING Cast

Beyoncé‘s about to be crazy in love with a lion, because she’s joined the cast of the live action adaptation of The Lion King. Disney‘s announced the full star-studded voice cast for the upcoming film from director Jon Favreau, and if it’s possible, we’re looking forward to returning to Pride Rock more than ever. Beyoncé is playing Nala, and she’ll lead alongside Donald Glover’s Simba.

I hope Simba realizes he’d better put a ring on it.

Also confirmed to join the cast are Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, queen of the pack and mother of Simba. She’s joining the already announced James Earl Jones as Mufasa, because of course he’s reprising his role. Chiwetel Ejiofor will play Scar with Eric Andre, Florence Kasumba, and Keegan-Michael Key portraying Scar’s hapless hyena minions, Azizi, Shenzi, and Kamari, respectively. (And yes, in case you’re wondering, the hyenas had mostly different names in the animated film).

The live-action Lion King will be made digitally, a la The Jungle Book, also directed by Favreau. I saw the “Circle of Life” sequence at a D23 Expo panel over the summer, and I was completely blown away with how all the animals look and move. Knowing we’ll have those kind of visuals paired with this kind of voice cast? It’s the fulfillment of some sweet dreams.

The Lion King will be in theaters on July 19, 2019. What do you think of the casting? Practice your roar in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Images: Disney

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. She wants to sing like Scar. Follow her on Twitter.

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Dozens of Octopuses Wash Ashore in Strange Case of Mass Akrasia

Self preservation is one of those fundamental instincts that’s taken for granted, which is why it’s so odd when a large group of marine creatures wash ashore only to bring on their early demise. The latest example of this strange behavior was recently seen in West Wales, when a group of more than two dozen apparently healthy octopuses was found washed ashore, moving in the wrong direction, away from existing.

The Washington Post picked up the story of the strange cephalopod behavior, which was spotted by Brett Stones, the man in charge of SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips in New Quay beach in Cardigan Bay. Stones told BBC News that “There were probably about 20 or 25 on the beach,” and that “It was a bit like an end of days scenario.”

Stones said he first saw the curled octopuses (Eledone cirrhosa) washed ashore at night as he was returning from a tour. He wrote in a Facebook post commenting on the event that he and others took the ones that were the least submerged in water, carried them back to the end of the pier, and plopped them back into the ocean with the hopes that they would be able to swim back to safety. Unfortunately, it seems that many of the octopuses did not end up making it, and Stones himself found several of them dead in the sand in the morning.

Somebody from SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips has commented on Facebook that one possible explanation could be that this is simply the result of the end of breeding season. Populations of curled octopuses do indeed hit their lowest density levels in autumn due to a normal post-spawning die off, which sort of squares this whole phenomenon away. Except Stones, who presumably knows quite a bit about the area and sea life in general, also told BBC News that he had “never seen them out of the water like that.”

What do you think caused this group of curled octopuses to wash ashore? Was it just the end of spawning season, or does this kind of behavior require some more aquatic sleuthing? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: SeaMor Dolphin Watching Boat Trips

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First Look At THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Sequel Comic

Halloween has come and gone, but in 2018, it’s time for Sandy Claws to make a return appearance. As we reported in July, Tim Burton‘s The Nightmare Before Christmas is getting a comic book sequel next year from Tokyopop, and the first look at the character designs from the project have arrived online.

Via Entertainment Weekly (EW), Burton is providing story approval for The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero’s Journey, a 20-issue sequel series written by Tokyopop founder Stu Levy, with art by Ken Ishiyama, and covers by Kiyoshi Arai. Ishiyama and Arai have also shared their take on the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, as well as his beloved ghost dog, Zero.

ICYMI: check out the new #ZerosJourney character designs courtesy of @kei60522230 (Kei Ishiyama) and @akaiie (Kiyoshi Arai)! pic.twitter.com/kkpAUi8rWo

— TOKYOPOP (@TOKYOPOP) November 1, 2017

As the name implies, Zero’s Journey will place the ghost dog at the heart of the story. According to EW’s report, Zero will find himself lost in Christmas Town while Jack puts the breaks on the annual Halloween celebration to find his faithful companion. There’s never been an official comic book continuation of Jack’s adventures before, but the video game The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge was essentially a sequel as well. And we wouldn’t be surprised at all if Oogie Boogie makes his return in this comic as Jack’s primary adversary.

Tokyopop will release The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero’s Journey #1 in May 2018 as a full-color comic book that maintains the left-to-right format of manga titles. From there, the story will be collected as both a black-and-white manga digest and as a larger format trade paperback printed in color.

Are you excited to revisit the world of Nightmare Before Christmas? Sing us a catchy tune in the comment section below!

Image: Disney

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Did Adam Driver Spoil Rey’s Parental Reveal in THE LAST JEDI?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is less than two months away, and fans will soon learn exactly who Rey is. There have been a lot of theories for the past two years, but Lucasfilm has done a pretty good job of keeping its secrets…except when certain actors drop spoilers. We’re looking at you, Adam Driver! The man behind Kylo Ren/Ben Solo/Matt the Radar Technician has possibly given away a big part of Rey’s true identity. Today’s Nerdist News is unleashing the Force to discover what this means for The Last Jedi.

Warning: there are potentially huge spoilers ahead for The Last Jedi! Matt may have really bungled it this time. But you can still remain unspoiled if you make the jump to lightspeed now.

Join host and the penultimate Jedi, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the remaining possibilities after Driver seemingly outed Rey as royalty. During an interview with the British incarnation of GQ, Driver said “you have…the hidden identity of this princess who’s hiding who she really is so she can survive, and Kylo Ren and her hiding behind these artifices.” In context, Driver was also referring to The Hidden Fortress, the classic Japanese movie that helped inspire George Lucas‘ space saga. But using the word “princess” in that context certainly suggests that Rey is of royal blood.

Sorry, Obi-Wan! As much as we loved the idea of Rey as a hidden Kenobi, it doesn’t seem likely that Old Ben met another princess or queen that he loved after the death of his beloved Satine Kryze during The Clone Wars. Another possibility is that Rey is somehow related to the Emperor himself, but there have been no hints that Palpatine has ever loved anyone the way that he loved power. So, who does that leave?

We think that Rey has to be directly related to one of the Skywalker twins. And since Han and Leia never seemed to even raise the possibility that they had another child besides Ben, it certainly makes Luke the most likely person to be Rey’s father. And he still works as a potential candidate, because Luke’s mother was the Queen of Naboo.

Luke was the obvious choice from the very beginning of the new trilogy, but that doesn’t mean that this can’t work as a major revelation. Making Rey a Skywalker ensures that the primary family from this series can potentially endure beyond Episode IX. But first, Rey is going to have to carve out her own destiny, and it may not be as a Jedi.

Who do you think Rey’s parents will be? Share your theories in the comment section below!

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Images: Lucasfilm

Clever Short Film Explores What HALLOWEEN’s Michael Myers Does on His Day Off

Where does Santa Claus vacation? You know it. I know it. It’s a sandy beach with a cobalt blue sea and fruity drinks with umbrellas. The elves are there for some reason (maybe because Saint Nick forces his employees to go on vacation with him?), and they always want to play volleyball because it’s the one time a year they can dive face first without freezing their noses off.  Since Halloween‘s Michael Myers is the Santa Claus of Halloween, it’s high time we get a glimpse into his life when he’s not spreading holiday fear.

Cue the fine folks at Fright Rags, who’ve crafted the short film November 1st to help us understand The Shape on his first day off of the year. They are Dian Fossey, and a video store is their mist.

I love how they get this right from the title screen.

The short is fun and a little fiendish in its use of props, but it’s smart enough not to overstay its welcome. As soon as the gag starts to feel thin, they drop that P.J. Soles cameo (!) on us with a big wink and a sharp knife.

Plus, even though he’s an unstoppable monster, we can all empathize with what he’s going through. It’s the furthest from Halloween we’ll be today, and that sad situation deserves a visit to the cafe, some light house cleaning, a good movie, and a lot of deep sighs.

How many days ’til Halloween, Silver Shamrock?

How are you recovering from your post-Halloween blues? Let us know in the comments.

Images: Fright Rags

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Hulk and Rocket Will Be Pals in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Next year, the Guardians of the Galaxy are coming to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War as the fate of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hinges upon the battle with Thanos. We recently learned that Teenage Groot will find a new mentor from among Earth’s mightiest heroes, but he won’t be the only Guardian to make a personal connection. According to Mark Ruffalo, Rocket Raccoon is going to quickly form a bond with the Hulk.

While speaking with USA Today, Ruffalo confirmed the oddball pairing of his Hulk with Bradley Cooper‘s Rocket. “It’s a very funny relationship that the two of them have,” said Ruffalo. “First of all, it’s the biggest superhero and the smallest. Just keeping them in a frame together is a feat and hilarious in itself.” It may be an unusual visual, but it has roots in the comic book history of both characters. In fact, one of Rocket’s earliest appearances came in an issue of The Incredible Hulk.

Rocket’s co-creator, Bill Mantlo, was the writer of the ongoing Hulk comic, and he found a way to bring Bruce Banner’s alter ego to Halfworld, a planet of anthropomorphic talking animals like Rocket and his friends, Wal Rus and Lylla. From there, Rocket and Hulk had their first ever team up.

The MCU incarnation of Rocket is vastly different from his original persona in the comics, but there should still be a strong basis for the friendship between Hulk and Rocket on the big screen. Rocket is one of the funniest members of both teams, but Cooper brings real emotion when it comes to the tragic elements of Rocket’s history. Hulk’s existence also stems from a tragedy, but Ruffalo’s performance in the MCU has brought out a more humorous side of both Banner and the Hulk. Between Ruffalo and Cooper, we think we’ll be in for some really hilarious and heartfelt moments between the Hulk and Rocket.

Are you excited to see Rocket and Hulk reunite in the MCU? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel

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Nerdist Comics Panel #124: Image Comics: Excellence in Storytelling

Nick Dragotta (East of West), Marjorie Liu (Monstress), Dustin Nguyen (Descender), Marc Bernardin (Genius), Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl), and Greg Hinkle (Black Cloud) are some of the best storytellers around. Their stories are hilarious, wrenching, exciting, and heart-breaking in equal measure. These creators make the kinds of comics you love to read, and they’ll share their tips and techniques in this can’t-miss panel.

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Funko Brings Your Favorite FRAGGLE ROCK Characters to POP! Life

For most people, Jim Henson’s greatest creation was the Muppets, or maybe even the big screen fantasy Labyrinth. But for many of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, it was Henson’s miniature underground dwellers on Fraggle Rock who were the Henson creations we were exposed to the most. Originally appearing on HBO, and then on VHS tapes that your mom would rent at Blockbuster, the Fraggles have seen a resurgence of late, with a new comic book series and a new movie on the way.

Now the Fraggles are the latest pop culture icons to join the Funko Pop! world, with a new wave of vinyl figures. Included in Wave 1 are Boober. wearing his brown cap and scarf, the explorer Gobo, and Mokey the dreamer, the oldest of the Fraggle Five. Completing the series is the athletic and energetic Red, and also Wembley wearing his palm tree shirt. Each of the Fraggles comes complete with their own Doozer, who are the even smaller, green little creatures who love to work in the underground mines all day long.

And, of course, as with most Funko Pop!s, there will be a series of retailer exclusives, starting with a flocked version of Red, which can be found at Books-A-Million. Another Fraggle Rock exclusive is the intelligent dog Sprocket, which can soon be found at Toys “R” Us stores. Wave 1 of Fraggle Rock Funko Pop!s will hit this December, and you can check out images of the entire first wave in our gallery down below.

Are you excited to add the Fraggles to your Funko shelf? Be sure to let us known down below in the comments.

Images: Funko

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Mark ‘The Hulk’ Ruffalo Wants to Join the STRANGER THINGS Gang

Stranger Things 2 just hit Netflix on October 27, but most of us have already zipped through the entire 9 episodes. Fans of the show have had quite a lot of strong feelings about the season and are even more excited about joining Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Eleven, and Max’s party than they were after season 1. One of those people seems to be the Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo.

Ruffalo appeared on Good Morning America Tuesday, as did several members of the Stranger Things 2 cast. Noticeably absent, however, was Finn Wolfhard aka Mike Wheeler, and Ruffalo saw Wolfhard’s absence as the perfect opportunity to make his move to join the party.

Can I be the new Mike? @Stranger_Things pic.twitter.com/lCDj7RLgnB

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 31, 2017

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think Hawkins could handle a Hulk in addition to all of the other craziness going on in that town! Of course, if the show found room for a hobbit in Sean Astin, maybe they can find room for Ruffalo too, right?

But don’t worry, Finn Fans. The official Stranger Things Twitter was quick to respond that though no one could replace Wolfhard, Ruffalo could potentially servce as Wolfhard’s understudy if Ruffalo could master that classic Mike Wheeler scowl.

No one could replace @finnskata, but if you want to be the understudy you have to be able to make this face pic.twitter.com/0xyuhGQLOd

— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) October 31, 2017

So it looks like the Hawkins AV Club is sticking with its original members. Still, we love that Ruffalo loves Stranger Things just as much as we do!

If you could be any character from Stranger Things, which one would you be? Tell us in the comments!

Images: Marvel/Netflix

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New Rubik’s Cube World Record is 4.59 Seconds!

For many years in Hollywood, the shorthand for conveying genius in film and television was letting the audience see a character effortlessly solve a Rubik’s Cube. Ernő Rubik’s combination puzzle box captured our collective imaginations during the ’80s, and it remains popular to this day, with many vying for the title of fastest Rubik’s Cuber in the land. Now, we’ve got word that a new world record has been set by speedcuber SeungBeom Cho, who also goes by the name Steve. As you can see in the video below, Cho solves the cube in 4.59 seconds!

This video was spotted at Laughing Squid, which reports that Cho accomplished this feat at ChicaGhosts 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Perhaps the most striking thing about this video is how excited the rest of the competitors became once they saw what Cho had done. Almost instantly, the rest of the crowd broke out into an enthusiastic round of applause while offering Cho their congratulations. This is the very definition of a healthy competition.

On the surface, a Rubik’s Cube completion time of 4.59 seconds seems like an unbeatable feat, and it would probably be extremely difficult for even Cho to match that.  And yet, it may not be impossible. As Laughing Squid noted, the previous world record time of 4.69 seconds was set by Patrick Ponce back in September.

Given the increased competition among speedcubers, it seems entirely possible that future world records could continue to shave tenths of a second off of those times. And it’s going to be fun watching that play out in the weeks and months ahead.

What do you think about these record breaking Rubik’s Cube solutions? Assemble your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: SeungBeom Cho/YouTube

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