Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1918

What to Expect From STRANGER THINGS 3

Warning: there are massive spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 2! You should probably wait until you’ve finished the season before continuing. Or you can check out our recaps of every episode from season 2.

At long last, Netflix has finally reopened the curiosity door by dropping every episode of Stranger Things 2. Of course, now that it’s over, the long march towards the third season is about to begin. And while the new season didn’t leave too many major cliffhangers, there were some hints about what we may see in the future. That’s right, Nerdist News is all about what’s next for Hawkins in Stranger Things 3!

Join host and Mind Flayer Slayer, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the lingering threads of Stranger Things 2. Naturally, the biggest thing to worry about is the Shadow Monster/Mind Flayer, still very much alive in the Upside Down and—as the ending suggested—very much aware of Eleven and the rest of the kids trying to foil its takeover. And it’s almost certainly going to be looking for a rematch with Eleven when it eventually finds a new way to reach our plane of existence.

It also seems likely that Eleven/Jane will once again encounter her “sister” Eight/Kali—especially if Brenner really is still alive. But will the two sisters team up or are they destined to clash? The Duffer brothers may have also teased another time jump when Doctor Owens suggested that Jane lay low for a year before Hopper can openly raise her as his daughter.

The Demo-dog’s frozen body may have also been important, as we never saw it again after Dustin crammed it into the Byers’ fridge. Considering the way Will was infected by his time in the Upside Down, will Dustin and Hopper also suffer the same fate in season 3? Will may finally be free of the Mind Flayer’s influence, but we doubt that his ordeal will be so easily dealt with. If Will was traumatized before the Mind Flayer enslaved him, there’s no way it won’t affect him further later on.

Finally, it’s likely that the new season will bring our beloved AV Club into the ninth grade, and that means high school. Once Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max enter that level of Hell, they may very well wish they were still fighting Billy and the Demo-dogs. Speaking of psycho Billy, Max briefly intimidated him, but he really doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. Perhaps Billy would even be a more willing host for the Mind Flayer in the future?

What do you think will happen in Stranger Things 3? Share your theories below and let’s discuss!

CATCH UP ON EVERY EPISODE OF STRANGER THINGS 2!

Episode 1 – Stranger Things 2 gets off to a surprisingly somber start
Episode 2 – Stranger Things characters try to get back to normal
Episode 3 – What do you do when your bully is a transdimensional being?
Episode 4 – The real and figurative monsters plaguing Hawkins
Episode 5 – Stranger Things explores the tropes of trust and truth
Episode 6 – Stranger Things goes Aliens
Episode 7 – Why Eleven is the heart of Stranger Things 2
Episode 8 – All the Jurassic Park references this season
Episode 9 — Where does the gang go from here?

Images: Netflix

Batman and Scooby-Doo Reunite For THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Animated Movie

Long before Batman became king of the comic book crossovers, the Caped Crusader crossed paths with Mystery Incorporated twice during The New Scooby-Doo Movies. Since then, Batman and Scooby-Doo have had a few other comic book crossovers, and they even briefly shared the stage again during the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series. Now, for the first time since the ’70s, Batman and Scooby-Doo are teaming up for a full length animated movie. And for this new adventure, Batman brought along a few of his friends!

IGN debuted the first trailer for Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which appears to act as a follow up to their last animated encounter. Diedrich Bader is reprising his role as Batman from The Brave and the Bold, alongside John DiMaggio as Aquaman, Jeffrey Combs as the Question, Grey Griffin as Black Canary, Tom Kenny as Plastic Man, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Detective Chimp. Although the trailer reveals that Batman has formed his own mystery group in Gotham City, he seems unusually deferential to the Mystery Incorporated team. That’s very generous of him, but we still think it was probably a mistake to let Scooby drive!

Legendary voice actor Frank Welker is also starring in this film as both Scooby-Doo and Fred, with Griffin as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Kate Micucci as Velma. The teaser trailer hints that many classic Scooby-Doo villains like the Ghost Clown and Miner 49er will make their return, or at least they will somehow be recreated. Several of Batman’s rogue’s gallery will also be on hand, including the Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman. It also appears that Scooby and Shaggy will somehow find themselves trapped in Arkham Asylum, where they will encounter Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, as well as the Ventriloquist and Killer Croc. It should be fun to see them get out of that situation!

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold will be released on DVD on January 9, 2018.

Are you excited to see the Caped Crusader team up with Scooby and the gang again? There’s a Scooby Snack with your name on it if you leave a comment below!

Images: Warner Bros. Animation/DC Entertainment

More Scooby snack-worthy nerd news!

Hayao Miyazaki reveals the title of his long-awaited next film!
Marvel and Sony release a brand new teaser for their upcoming Spider-Man game!
Why everyone is wrong about The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Hayao Miyazaki Reveals the Title of Next Feature Film

This whole year has been spent intermittently being upset about the state of the world and excited about the prospect of a new Hayao Miyazaki movie in the works. After announcing his latest un-retirement in late February, we were left to speculate about what the project would be. I had assumed, as many others had, that it would be a feature-length version of the short he’d been working on, but a new report by The Ashahi Shimbun (via The Mary Sue) tells us it’s not the typical kids fare one might expect.

While speaking at Natsume Soseki Memorial Museum at Waseda University in Tokyo, the report says, Miyazaki revealed the title of his new anime as Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka, which translates to “How Do You Live?” or “How Are You Living?” The title comes from the title of a 1937 book by Genzaburo Yoshino, a journalist who “served as the chief editor of Sekai (The world), a progressive monthly magazine, for many years and was an opinion leader in postwar Japan.” Miyazaki went on to say “The film is about how this particular book featured prominently in the protagonist’s life.” He also said the movie would take about 3-4 years to complete, so we definitely have something to look forward to…just not any time super soon.

This kind of politically resonant storyline is not outside the norm for Studio Ghibli. Isao Takahata‘s masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies took on how war effects children, and his movie Pom Poko was a comedic take on Japan’s dwindling forests and wildlife. Miyazaki himself has dealt with these issues in more fantastical ways, including Princess Mononoke‘s condemnation of demolishing nature, and Spirited Away‘s warning about children forced into work. His most recent (and at one time final) feature film was the somber biopic The Wind Rises which took a look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the Mitsubishi engineer who designed the aircraft eventually used as fighter planes in WWII. While Miyazaki drew criticism of romanticizing the Japanese Empire’s losing effort in that war, he’d done it more as an allegory to one’s creation being perverted by those who own it.

It was recently revealed that Miyazaki came out of retirement because of his beloved grandson, and while on the outset a movie about a character’s devotion to a postwar text isn’t all that child-friendly, Miyazaki has a way of making everything feel like a storybook.

He also said the movie would take about 3-4 years to complete, so we definitely have something to look forward to…just not any time super soon.

Image: Toho/GKIDS/Studio Ghibli

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He’s the writer of Studio Ghibli retrospectives Miyazaki Masterclass, Takahata Textbook, and Ghibli Bits. Follow him on Twitter!

Enjoy more from the world of animation!

Our review of gorgeous new anime , and one of the best movies of the year, In This Corner of the World!
Add several Hayao Miyazaki movies to your Blu-ray collection!
Why the complete series Blu-ray of Samurai Jack is well worth your time!

Some of Mario’s Many Costumes in SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

It’s almost impossible to list the many delightful aspects of Super Mario Odyssey. The new Nintendo game is filled with fun twists and turns and a number of warm and fuzzy nostalgia-soaked moments. To write about every highlight would make for a long list, and hey, you probably want to discover them yourself. My favorite part of the game as I observed a playthrough is easily Mario’s many costumes. You can acquire them as you move through the kingdoms, and more than a few of them are nods to Mario’s long history. Easter eggs or not, I’m mighty envious of Mario’s vast wardrobe.

And it should go without saying, but if you don’t want to view the costumes for fear of spoilers, you should stop reading now because I’m going to show off several of our favorite ensembles.

Yeah, Mario can run around in his boxers. And yeah, maybe it’s mean to make him do that in a frigid environment…maybe.

Anytime Mario dances is my favorite part of the game, even if he’s wearing a football uniform while doing it.

Can I please don an aviator’s outfit and ride around on creatures and have adventures? This really image captures the utter joy and silliness of the game.

Can you even deal with more weird and great outfits? If you said yes, it’s your lucky day. Keep on scrolling to the gallery below to see more of Mario’s fabulous threads.

Have you discovered more of Mario’s costumes? If you could pick any single one of these to dress as, which one would it be? Press A to select your decision in the comments and share your Odyssey screencaps with us on Twitter at @nerdist and @amy_geek.

Images: Nintendo, snapshots by Aaron Fairbanks

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.

Keep playing with more Nintendo stories!

See a shirtless Mario in Super Smash Bros.
Don’t forget about Mario’s nipples.
Could Nintendo’s next classic be the Game Boy?

The Only Celebrity Costumes We Care About Are These Excellent Nerdy Ones

Halloween isn’t until tomorrow, but many people did the party thing over the weekend. That means social media is practically overflowing with pictures of ridiculous, creative, and everything in between costumes—including many from celebrities. They dressed up like so many characters from pop culture, including Spider-Man and Princess Mononoke among others, we had to round up the best ones.

Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi director, and Karina Longworth, host of the You Must Remember This podcast, went Twin Peaks with their Diane and Agent Cooper costumes.

A post shared by Rian Johnson (@riancjohnson) on Oct 28, 2017 at 10:36pm PDT

Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn 99 dressed as America Chavez.

Build-a-Bear Creates Collectible Cuteness with Their LAST JEDI Line

Chances are you’ve already had the “Imperial March” stuck in your head for weeks, or at least since you snagged your opening night tickets for The Last Jedi. It’s about to become a permanent fixture now that The Last Jedi merchandise is hitting stores worldwide, and naturally, toys are at the front of the pack. Not to be outdone by your standard action figures and lightsabers, Build-a-Bear Workshop is rolling out a new line of both customizable and premade stuffed animals. If you’ve always wanted a teddy bear to look just a little bit more like Chewbacca, then you’re in for a real treat.

Along with the new addition of Chewie, the most prominent name in the make-your-own-stuffed-animal game offers a Captain Phasma customizable bear and a porg (not customizable, but come on, it’s still a cuddle-worthy porg). Already part of the Star Wars collection are Kylo Ren, Rey, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and a few others. There are also costumes that fit other Build-a-Bear plush toys, so even if all you have is a Toothless or a Hello Kitty or one of the countless other pop culture-adjacent stuffed animals, you’ll still be able to outfit them in your favorite Han, Leia, Finn, or other iconic getup. We’re partial to the Poe Dameron ensemble and only a little heartbroken that none of the bears don Lando’s cape.

Part of the bear-building process is the option of adding sounds to your new friend, theme songs, Yoda sayings, and Darth Vader breathing included. That means if you want Chewbacca to speak in Wicket’s voice, you’re golden (although I question your motives). Currently, Build-a-Bear is offering a couple promotions through their website—two for $45 Furry Friends (that means “bears”) and a free lightsaber when you spend $50 on Star Wars-specific bears. If you buy a bear alone, it’ll cost you $35, but search your feelings, you know the “I need this” you’re hearing in your head to be true. Now, excuse me while I attempt to convince myself that I can live without a Kylo Ren bear on my desk.

Which bear do you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Build-a-Bear

Summon the Force with more The Last Jedi stories!

A Last Jedi star made a porg costume for Halloween.
Go behind the scenes with Rian Johnson in a new reel.
Contemplate whether Kylo is actually Rey’s brother.

New STRANGER THINGS Funko Toys Go GHOSTBUSTERS

Note: If you haven’t yet watched the second season of Stranger Things, this post does contain minor spoilers about a new character.

Stranger Things season two arrived to Netflix on Friday, and by now, you’ve likely made it through all nine episodes. Now that you’ve spent time with characters old and new, you’re probably ready to celebrate the world of Hawkins and the Upside Down with new toys. Unsurprisingly, Funko has your back with a new wave of Pop! figures inspired by the supernatural series.The newest slate of Stranger Things Pops! were announced via a recent Funko blog post, and I’m loving the fact that Hawkins’ resident pop culture nerds are dressed in their Ghostbusters Halloween costumes in these figures. And these four kids wouldn’t really be “ain’t afraid of no ghost” without their super-powered pal, Eleven, sporting her new hairdo and looking like she’s about to telekinetically kick some ass.

There’s also a new Joyce figure that looks a lot less stressed than she did in the first season. She has had some time to process the whole “getting her son back from an alternate dimension” thing.And joining the gang this time around is the new character Max; she’s new to Hawkins, Indiana.There’s also a Hot Topic exclusive figure where she trades in her skateboard for her literal Halloween costume as Michael Myers. Which new figure is your favorite? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Images: Funko

Collect more Funko toys!

These Saga vinyls aren’t lying.
Control the world with Masters of the Universe Pop! toys.
Relive Disney Afternoon with Funko’s action figures.

What’s This? A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Carousel Pie!

It’s nearly Halloween, and we’re seeing everything through Nerdoween goggles. This showstopping The Nightmare Before Christmas carousel pie doesn’t need special glasses though. It practically screams Halloween.

We learned about this Jack Skellington-centric creation via Laughing Squid, and we’re once again reminded of the culinary talents of YouTuber Pies Are Awesome. The channel–which boasts a new “pie-oneering” video each week–is full of all manner of pop culture-inspired fandom baked directly into incredible (and edible) creations.

A few weeks back we shared the Calvin & Hobbes pie-scraper and were baffled by the level of detail on the finished product. This time around we’re even more gobsmacked by the intricacies in bringing The Nightmare Before Christmas to life. Or…un-dead? Were the characters dead? Are societies consisting of the physical embodiment of a holiday alive? They feared injury at times, right? Never mind. This isn’t the place for that discussion when there’s such ins-PIE-ring things being baked.

The time, effort, and care put into each piece to build this character-covered carousel is a thing of beauty. Pieces of crust are meticulously cut, molded, and carved into to create a truly awesome level of detail. You can spot Oogie Boogie, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, and even Zero. We only wish the Lazy Susan it was built on was somehow motorized to turn on its own so we could get the full effect of a Jack Skellington carnival ride.

What’s your favorite video from Pies are Awesome? Know of any other desserts designed around The Nightmare Before Christmas? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Pies Are Awesome

Get scared with more Nerdoween stories!

Watch a stop motion pumpkin animation.
Snack on Halloween-themed bento boxes.
Say aww about cute pups in Halloween costumes.

This Ron Swanson Makeup Transformation Is Better Than All the Bacon and Eggs

There’s been a lot of incredible makeup work done in celebration of characters from television series and films, including this Homer Simpson lip art and these Game of Thrones facial designs. But no makeup tutorial yet, not even this piece honoring Pennywise, has been quite as amazing as YouTuber and makeup artist Kiki G.’s transformation into Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation. Yes, the video is from 2016, but the release date makes it no less impressive.

It’s no surprise makeup artist Kiki G. totally knocks this Swanson paint job out of the park, seeing as how she’s had a lot of practice turning herself into everybody from Steve Buscemi to Buster Bluth from Arrested Development. Not to mention she’s also an award-winning makeup artist who’s worked on a bunch of television series, so that probably helps, too.

Despite the skill involved, the unnerving factor here is extremely high, especially towards the end of the video, when Kiki mouths Ron Swanson sound bites, including his whole “frozen yogurt is the celery of desserts” classic.

There is one big outstanding question here: would Ron Swanson ever allow himself to undergo a makeup transformation turning him into Kiki G.? No, of course he wouldn’t. He would hate that, and he would break the arms of anybody who tried to touch him with a makeup brush. But for this transformation? He’d probably appreciate the amount of work Kiki poured into it.

What do you think about this insane Ron Swanson makeup transformation? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Kiki G., NBC/Giphy

Support Pawnee with more Parks and Rec stories!

Embrace the wisdom of Ron Swanson.
Adam Scott and Ben Schwartz respond to Parks and Rec fan theories.
Steve from Stranger Things is Jean-Ralphio’s dad.

TEMPEST Will Be RepliCade’s Next Mini Arcade Recreation

Earlier this month, the RepliCade X Centipede captured our attention with its incredibly detailed recreation of a real Centipede arcade cabinet along with a playable version of the game itself. After less than a week on Kickstarter, the mini Centipede has already blown past its fundraising goal. And now, RepliCade is ready to reveal its next miniature recreation: Tempest!

Much like the mini Centipede, RepliCade X Tempest is fully licensed by Atari and will be a 1/6-scale replica of the arcade cabinet complete with miniaturized spinner controls and a working copy of the game. A working prototype hasn’t yet been unveiled yet, but RepliCade did release this sharp looking piece of 3D concept art.

The Tempest arcade game was a true classic; it stood out in 1981 as one of the best games of its era. Players controlled a starship named the Blaster that flew on the edge of a playing field that constantly shifted while the player attempted to repel an alien attack. But to really appreciate what the game was like, you have to see it in action.

Because the Centipede Kickstarter campaign will continue until November 17, RepliCade is promising a discount code for the RepliCade X Tempest to all Centipede backers when pre-orders open later this year. Now that RepliCade has proven that there’s an appetite for these retro arcade recreations, we’d love to see more games follow Centipede and Tempest.

Are you intrigued by the RepliCade X Tempest? Insert coin and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Atari/RepliCade

Play with more stories about gaming!

Learn about a Dungeons and Dragons game that’s lasted 35 years.
See Conan O’Brien and Aaron Rodgers play Assassin’s Creed Origins.
Find out how to beat carnival games using science.