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Ridley Scott Says the Next ALIEN Movie Might Not Have Aliens

Ridley Scott‘s original Alien movie was a groundbreaking horror sci-fi which introduced the world to HR Giger‘s horrifying Xenomorph, which quickly became one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time. Giger’s astonishingly designed extraterrestrial terror was literally straight out of the artists nightmares, and was brought to life by Nigerian actor Bolaji Badejo. But in a recent interview with Empire Magazine’s podcast Scott revealed that if he gets the chance to continue his Alien franchise the film might not actually be focused on the titular creatures at all!

In the interview Scott elaborated on his vision for the franchise after Alien: Covenant. “I think the evolution of the Alien himself is nearly over,” Scott shockingly stated. “But what I was trying to do was transcend and move to another story, which would be taken over by A.I.’s. The world that the A.I. might create as a leader if he finds himself onto [sic] a new planet. We have actually quite a big layout for the next one,” Scott teased. For fans of the later installments of the series this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

When Scott returned to the world of Alien with the prequel Prometheus in 2012, fans were split. They loved the philosophical world building of the film but also recognized that it stood in stark contrast with the bleak horror of the first movie and barely included the iconic monster or kickass action that’d defined the franchise for so long. Whether or not you enjoyed the movie, there was one thing that critics and fans alike lauded and that was Michael Fassbender‘s performance as David, the ship’s android who was raised as a son by the proverbial puppet master Peter Weyland, the head of the Weyland Yutani corporation. His chilling turn as an uncanny valley inducing robot with mysterious machinations was a stand out of the series and so it wasn’t a surprise when he became the center of the movie’s follow up, Alien: Covenant.

While Prometheus was hopeful and curious, Covenant was nihilistic and bleak, an existential mediation on survival and humanity that focused almost solely on Fassbender’s David, along with a new and “improved” android, Walter. Scott’s sequel strayed from many of the sci-fi tropes we know, instead creating a classic gothic horror story built around David’s journey into a modern Frankenstein, becoming obsessed with the Alien life form that he discovered in Prometheus. Ridley Scott‘s return to hard-R horror not only heavily featured Xenomorphs closer to the ones we know and love from the original movies but it was also a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, a ghost story focused on the ever-living instead of the dead. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, the last act reveal made it clear that the true focus here wasn’t the Aliens but the man(droid) who’d played a part in creating them.

Though the Alien movies are most widely known for Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley and the monstrous Xenomorph, creator HR Giger’s relationship with the franchise after the original was fraught. James Cameron openly stated he could make a better creation than the Swiss surrealist, cutting ties with Giger in a now notorious letter. For Prometheus, Scott invited Giger back and gave him an art direction credit, utilizing his incredible vision to create the expansive world of the prequel. But before he could return for Covenant. Giger passed away and with him went the ability to create more of the lore and look of the Xenomorph.

So maybe now is the perfect time for Scott to change the focus of the movies, expanding his exploration of a robot who in reality is just trying to do his best in the face of a species who he sees as irrelevant and dangerous. A very modern horror story that is becoming closer to reality every day? What do you think? Let us know in the comments?

Images: Fox

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THE WALKING DEAD Cookbook’s Chicken à la Lucille Is Smashingly Delicious (Exclusive)

Like most The Walking Dead fans, we’ve been counting down the days since last season’s finale. It was a long summer but the wait is finally (almost) over, with season eight premiering October 22 on AMC. Whether you’re with the Scavengers, the Hilltop, or you’ve got a tiger on your side, it’s easy to get into the spirit of the show with the new The Walking Dead Official Cookbook and Survival Guide.

This book contains more than just themed recipes; it also includes ways to actually help you survive a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. From food preservation tips to fishing basics, there’s also a section that gives scavenging strategies, like how to barter and what plants are edible. Good things to know if you find yourself on the run.

Written by Lauren Wilson, the cookbook features more than sixty mouthwatering recipes for breakfast, dinner, drinks, and even dessert, including iconic meals inspired by those featured on the show, such as Carl’s Chocolate Pudding, Carol Peletier’s Cookies, and Daryl Dixon’s Deer Stew.

One thing the book doesn’t tell you is how to avoid a homicidal maniac who carries around a baseball bat named Lucille. However, should you find yourself in possession of Negan’s beloved sidekick, the bat is useful for is making delicious pounded chicken breasts. We have an exclusive look at the cookbook’s Chicken à la Lucille, a simple recipe that makes for a flavorful meal whether you’re surviving in the apocalypse or living in the here and now.

So pour yourself some of Negan’s Lemonade, turn up Easy Street by Collapsable Hearts Club, and get to bashing. Just don’t let Negan catch you using Lucille to make dinner, he’s not the most forgiving guy.

The Walking Dead: The Official Cookbook and Survival Guide will be released October 10, 2017.

 

Chicken à la Lucille

(reposted with permission from Insight Editions)

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt

Black pepper

3 eggs

1-½ cups panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup Parmesan, grated

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

Put one breast between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a mallet, a baseball bat, or a heavy saucepan, pound the breast until it is uniformly thin, about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining breasts.

Add the flour to a shallow rimmed dish or container, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and mix to combine.

Beat the eggs in a second shallow rimmed dish until light and frothy.

Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and fresh parsley to a third shallow rimmed dish, and mix to combine.

Arrange the three pans in a row. Dip the chicken in the seasoned flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Repeat for all the breasts.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat.

Gently lower 1 or 2 breasts into the pan, being sure not to overcrowd them. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining breasts.

Lay the cooked breasts onto a tray lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

My notes:

-This chicken has a great crunch but if you want a little more spice, add some hot sauce to the egg mixture to give it a little extra kick.

-I always cook chicken to 165 degrees, so I definitely suggest investing in a meat thermometer. One of the worst things Negan could do is give you food poisoning.

Images: Jenn Fujikawa, Insight Editions

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HARRY POTTER-Inspired Butterbeer Donuts Will Make You Believe in Magic

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you are probably obsessed with Butterbeer. Either reading about the beverage in the books or seeing it on the screen in the film adaptations had your mouth watering. If you wanted that official Butterbeer taste, you had to plan a family vacation to Wizarding World at Universal Studios. That’s not the only option though; thanks to Sugar Shack Donuts, you’ll be able to enjoy Butterbeer and satisfy your donut habit.

A post shared by Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee VB (@vbdonuts) on Oct 5, 2017 at 9:13am PDT

Reported by PopSugar, Sugar Shack has started selling these awe-inspiring creations at their Virginia and Washington, DC locations, with their Florida location soon to follow. The donuts are covered with gold sprinkles and stars with a white glaze, with the Butterbeer flavor emanating from the donut itself.

One would think that would be magical enough, but Sugar Shack didn’t think so. If fans aren’t imagining enjoying a Butterbeer, they are probably visualizing themselves grabbing the Golden Snitch and claiming victory for their respective houses. Now you don’t have to go put your life at risk flying on a broomstick because the donut comes with a Golden Snitch! Made from fondant wings and a donut hole, the Golden Snitch looks so good you could just…eat it.

So what do you think? Are you already booking your travel to try these amazing looking donuts? What other movie-inspired treats would you like to try? Let me know on Twitter at @donnielederer or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Warner Bros., Sugar Shack Donuts

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An Entire PACIFIC RIM Universe Could Be on the Way

The first Pacific Rim film filled our hearts with kaijus, Jaegers, giant swords, and joy in 2013. Pacific Rim Uprising will continue the story in March 2018. Set 10 years after the events of the initial installment, Uprising is poised to expand the world we just started to explore. But, it could also expand the Pacific Rim universe in a big kaiju-sized way.

Nerdist followed up with the film’s director and writer Steven S. DeKnight about a comment he made on a panel at New York Comic Con (NYCC). He mentioned the Pacific Rim “franchise.” It turns out, as Erika Ishii learned, DeKnight meant more than only a third movie. If they receive enough support Pacific Rim Uprising, they can move forward with the next film, yes, but also stories in other mediums. Watch:

DeKnight specifically mentioned, “The plan was always to use this movie as a launching pad.” He wants to expand the universe a la Star Wars or Star Trek. That could mean more comics, novels, or even an animated television series. Since the possibility of a Pacific Rim cartoon was rumored to be on the table when Guillermo del Toro was on board, I hope it could still happen. We could all use a little more kaiju action in our lives, don’t you think?

What would you want to see from a Pacific Rim universe that stretches across mediums? I’m all for a Mako Mori standalone comic or novel. Share your picks in the comments.

Images: Legendary

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

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DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT’s 3-on-3 Fighting is Button-Mashing Madness

It’s been almost a decade since the characters of Final Fantasy took their first leap from role-playing to brawling in the PSP title Dissidia Final Fantasy. In 2015, Japanese gamers were treated to an arcade installment of the series, and that game is finally making its way west in early 2018. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is built on a similar foundation to the previous games: heroes and villains from the long-running Final Fantasy series beating the hell out of each other. But to mix things up, this time around the battles are three versus three, making the action more chaotic—and sometimes confusing—than ever.

Dissidia NT boasts a cast of characters spanning decades of Final Fantasy games, from the 1987 NES original to last year’s Final Fantasy XV. Players taking the roles of the Warrior of Light, Onion Knight, Cloud, Tidus, Lightning, and Noctis (to name just a few) will find themselves equipped with a range of physical and magical attacks based on familiar abilities from the Final Fantasy series. Each team of three also has access to one summon, which can be called upon at certain points during each match to wreak havoc. It’s always fun to watch Shiva or Bahamut show up and drain the opposing team’s health bars.

A Square Enix rep described the game as an “action brawler,” which is an accurate way to describe its often hectic nature. Unlike most mainstream fighting games, Dissidia NT is less about pulling off meticulous combos and memorizing button inputs than staying on top of the action and spamming the attacks at your disposal. It’s a button-masher, for sure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it makes Dissidia more approachable for Final Fantasy fanatics who just want to check out their favorite characters in a new arena.

When you find the character that best suits your playing style and everything clicks, Dissidia NT can be really, really satisfying. To my great surprise, I dominated my first few matches despite being generally terrible at fighting games. But even after several rounds, I still felt like I didn’t completely understand what was going on around me. There’s a lot happening on the screen at any given point—there are prompts for attacks, a half-dozen health bars, tornadoes and lightning bolts striking left and right, and damage indicators popping up as characters’ HP gets drained. It doesn’t help that the camera can often work against you, getting stuck in inconvenient positions just as you’re trying to defend against a deadly attack.

With a little more time, perhaps I could have understood the various systems at work within Dissidia Final Fantasy NT better, but I still enjoyed my half-hour in that world. I didn’t always know what I was doing, but I loved seeing those characters in action again. Ultimately, your enjoyment of Dissidia depends less on your affinity for fighting games and more on your love of Final Fantasy, and for the latter group, this looks like a promising way to get that fix when it comes to the PS4 in January 2018.

Images: Square Enix

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Bryan Fuller Would Love To Do a PUSHING DAISIES Musical

Does pie make anyone else think about Pushing Daisies? The series from Bryan Fuller wove emotional storytelling into fantastical realms with a huge helping of delicious-looking pastries from The Pie Hole. Ned the pie maker, portrayed by Lee Pace, was able to reanimate the dead with a touch, but once he revived someone, he couldn’t touch them again–which led to a unique relationship with the love of his life, Chuck (Anna Friel). He brought her back to life, but they had to navigate the ins and outs of a partnership without touching. Oh, and they also solved homicides while doing this.

Yes, it’s every bit as delightful as it sounds, but it was unfortunately canceled after a two season run from 2007-2009 on ABC. But Fuller is committed to telling more of the story. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair in honor of the show’s 10th anniversary (via Vulture), he said he touches base with Warner Bros. every year to see if they’d be open to bringing the show back. He said he’d “love to see it return as a mini-series for Netflix, Apple, or Amazon, or whoever would pick it up.” And also? “I still would love to do Pushing Daisies as a Broadway musical.”

He’s been discussing the possibility of reviving Ned and Chuck in song and dance from since at least 2014. The idea then was putting the focus on Kristin Chenoweth‘s character, Olive Snook. She did burst into song in the series from time to time. But now, who knows? Fuller has someone in mind for the music. He told Vanity Fair, “I can just imagine Tim Minchin’s lyrics, can’t you?”

Minchin recently wrote the lyrics and music for the recent Groundhog Day musical, so I think he’s an excellent candidate.

If Pushing Daisies made a miraculous return, how would you like to see it come back? A limited event? A musical? An extended commercial? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Images: ABC, Giphy

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

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Record RICK AND MORTY Commentary and Eat Szechuan Sauce with Series Creators

Wubba lubba dub-dub it’s charity Rick! He’s joining with Omaze to raise money for a great cause! And that means one generous, very lucky Rick and Morty fan is going to win an amazing (and delicious) prize.

The newest campaign from Omaze is going to give one viewer the opportunity to record actual commentary for the upcoming third season DVD/Blu-ray with the show’s creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland. And they’ll be doing it all while eating some Chicken McNuggets dipped in that elusive Szechuan Sauce they reintroduced to the world during “The Rickshank Redemption.”

The winner will be flown out to Los Angeles and put up in a four-star hotel (at a time still to be determined), and then they will get to share their own thoughts on the last season so they can be included on the season three DVD.

But the best part is all proceeds from the campaign will go to support Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and you can donate and earn entries for the contest for as little as $10. As always with Omaze, the more you donate, the more sweet perks you can get, so be a Morty and not a Jerry when it comes to helping the cause.

As someone who managed to get his hands on some of that McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, I can tell you I’d be just as excited getting to eat more of it as I would be about winning a free trip to L.A. But getting yelled at by the “real” Rick Sanchez to stop talking with your mouth full? That’s priceless.

Which part of this prize would you be most excited for? Squanch your thoughts in the comments section below.

Images: Adult Swim

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Wonder Woman Takes Charge in New JUSTICE LEAGUE Teaser

DC’s Justice League will bring together Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Batman, and Aquaman on the screen on November 17. Since we’re inching closer towards the film’s release, Warner Bros. is dropping a second trailer tomorrow, Sunday, October 8. The initial trailer arrived during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) in July, so it is time for new footage to examine and analyze. To help us get through the remaining hours until the trailer and to feed the hype machine, Warner Bros. has a teaser. So, if you’re feeling especially hungry for Justice League imagery, watch:

Bizarre Therapeutic Japanese Robot Cat Has No Head

Are you a cat person, but really wish they didn’t have skulls? If you are, please send your name and address to the local authorities. But while you wait for them to arrive, you’ll probably want to purchase Qoobo, a cuddly kitten robot who has a wagging tail, but not a head.

We came across this bizarre product at Jezebel, and it comes from Yukai Engineering, a Japanese company who saw there was a huge void in the “pillows designed to look like a headless cat” market and decided to fill it. Apparently it is meant to be used as some kind of therapy device, but if the sight of a headless cat calms you down, you might want to invest in a more comprehensive, professional treatment instead.

If you think we’re being overly harsh of this robot, wait until you watch the equally bizarre promotional video for it.

What is going on here? Are we supposed to find the real dogs and cats at the start upsetting? Too challenging? Too lovable? Plus, why are people petting Qoobo like it’s real? Does it really look comforting? And who wants a pillow that wags?

I mean, I guess a cat without a head wouldn’t be able to eat, and no eating means no pooping, and no pooping means no litter box to clean. That’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard. The con? Your “cat” has no head.

But for those of you who are into that, Qoobo is expected to go on sale in June of 2018, in both “husky gray” and “French brown,” reportedly for around $100. I wonder what the cost would be to get one with a head.

Would you want to cozy up with Qoobo? Tell us why in the comments below.

Images: Yukai Engineering

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PACIFIC RIM UPRISING Honors Del Toro’s Vision and Pushes it Forward

The audience for the Pacific Rim Uprising panel at Madison Square Garden during New York Comic Con (NYCC) was beyond hyped. Four years have passed since the first film, which has become a sci-fi fan favorite. At times, there were doubts as to whether or not a sequel would even happen, but now Uprising is mere months away from theaters.

Director Steven S. DeKnight is well aware he has big shoes to fill with Pacific Rim Uprising. Moderator and SYFY Editor-at-Large Aaron Sagers stated that DeKnight must be living “every nerd’s dream” having come from working on shows like Spartacus and Netflix’s Daredevil; the director called it an honor to be working on the Pacific Rim franchise. Having grown up on Godzilla and other big monster movies, DeKnight said that he’s glad to be expanding on the world Guillermo del Toro “expertly executed the first time around.”

DeKnight was able to expand a bit on Uprising’s story, which takes place ten years after the original. A new generation of Jaeger pilots, too young to remember a pre-kaiju world, are ready to step up when the threat returns. “It’s the human inside the Jaeger that’s a hero,” DeKnight said, a theme that would be reiterated throughout the panel: no matter who you are or where you’re from, you can make a difference.

If you watched the trailer that premiered at the panel yesterday, you’ve seen some of the new Jaegers, redesigned from the ground up. Leading the charge is the Gipsy Avenger, which uses a “gravity sling” to grab buildings, cars, and whatever impossibly large objects are available and hurl them at the monsters. Bracer Phoenix is a three-pilot brute force machine, with the third pilot operating vortex cannons in its chest. The most advanced—and experimental—of the bunch is Saber Athena, which uses plasma swords. The one with the “ball of death”—DeKnight’s words, not ours—on the end of its arm is called Titan Redeemer. Guardian Bravo also uses sheer force to “smack the hell out of” anything in its way. We’ll also see homemade Jaegers like the tiny Scrapper; in the years since the first kaiju attack, people have pilfered technology and parts to make their own machines.

After giving us the rundown on Uprising’s new toys, DeKnight was joined onstage by Burn Gorman, Cailee Spaeny, Scott Eastwood, and John Boyega, the last of whom said it was “cool to step into another franchise” as the son of Idris Elba’s character Stacker Pentecost. Jake, the younger Pentecost, isn’t really trying to live up to his father’s status; he’s not interested in following the family business of defeating kaiju, but finds himself pulled into it and eventually embraces his new role.

Spaeny’s character Mara sounds especially interesting; Mara’s a tech-savvy survivor dedicated to learning everything there is to know about Jaegers. Her family was killed in the first attack, and she always believed the kaiju would be back, so she makes it her mission to be prepared. Spaeny describes her character as an independent badass—“I’m not, but she is!” This being her first film ever, she said she had to learn about the physically demanding set of an action flick, but the other panelists were quick to praise her performance.

Burn Gorman was the only person onstage returning from the first film, and he said “life has sucked” for his character Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. Though he’s an important scientist with this huge budget, Gottlieb still has problems with personal hygiene and continues to have a love/hate relationship with Charlie Day’s Dr. Geiszler. “It’s an odd couple scenario,” Gorman said of the characters’ friendship, but in real life it was “effortless” stepping back into that scenario with Day.

Nerdist News broke down the trailer in great detail, but when it premiered during the panel, my first thought was, “I understand the ball of death now.” Having visuals to accompany DeKnight’s Jaeger descriptions really brought the vision to life, and the audience was pumped as they started lining up to ask the stars questions.

When asked about how he planned to appease fans of the first Pacific Rim while bringing in a new audience, DeKnight said again that he wanted to honor what del Toro created while expanding the audience. Moving the timeline forward ten years was the way to do just that, and the director added that he hoped Uprising would just be the first step towards an even bigger franchise.

John Boyega described Pacific Rim fans as “hopeful,” both in their desire to see a sequel come to fruition and the quality of Uprising itself. The ongoing conversations about the sequel, as well as fans’ reactions, were what pushed him to pursue a behind-the-scenes role as producer as well. “We’ve got all of your backs, don’t worry,” he promised. When a fan described him as a “sci-fi icon,” Boyega said he didn’t feel like one yet, but added, “Do I have a mission to be a part of every single thing? Pretty much, yeah.”

The panel wrapped with a video from Pacific Rim “superfan” Charlie Day, who treated the audience to delightful original theme music with absurd lyrics. It’s doubtful that any of his songs will make it into the final production when it premieres in March 2018, but at least fans can rest assured that Uprising strives to respect the original’s world and make it even bigger.

Images: Legendary

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

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