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GAME OF THRONES’ Arya Leads the (Wolf)Pack for Popular UK Baby Names

You wouldn’t imagine a deadly assassin with a long (literal) list of bodies in her wake would make for a popular baby name, but then again how many of them are one of the most beloved characters on the world’s most popular show? That’s why nurseries across the UK will be inundated with little Aryas next year. But she won’t be the only Game of Thrones named baby at daycare, because she’ll be joined by Tyrions, Briennes, Sansas, and the baby of dragons, Daenerys.

According to BBC News 300 newborn girls in Wales and England last year were named for Ned Stark’s youngest daughter Arya. That’s up from two years ago when . The little face-changing killer proved far more popular than Tyrion (11), her sister Sansa (5), Daenerys (4), and Brienne (3). But it’s not just names from Game of Thrones that parents are finding inspiration from, because a title from the show was the second most common baby name. That’s because 69 (nice) proud parents named their daughter Khaleesi.

We think we know who will be leading the kindergarten khalasar.

But before you come down too hard on my Game of Thrones people, they aren’t the only lunatics superfans out there. There were 90 (90!) babies named Loki. BABY LOKI. I don’t know if that is better or worse than the 18 who named their son Thor, but it’s definitely better than the 16 who went with Kal-El, Superman’s Krypton name, and the 54 baby Kylos born to strange Star Wars parents.

Those parents must be really positive Kylo Ren will have a redemption arc in the next two movies. At least the 12 new Anakins know Darth Vader eventually pulled it together.

But while some of these seem like unusual choices, one popular name from last year makes all the sense in the world. Because 35 boys and 7 girls were named for the late, great David Bowie. And knowing there are a bunch of baby Bowie’s out there makes us feel like the world is a better place today.

Plus, they might be the only kids who have a shot at having as many “faces” as all those Aryas.

What pop culture-inspired baby name is your favorite? Name yours in the comments below.

Want to Brush Up on Your Westerosi History?

Here are 9 spin-off series we’d totally watch.
Want a history of the Isle of Faces (which may mean big things for the series finale)?
And here’s one more potential spin-off—the legend of Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros!

Game of Thrones Images: HBO

Star Wars Image: Lucasfilm

BLADE RUNNER: 2049 Comes to Life in 2 Behind-the-Scenes Features

Plenty of people were skeptical/angry when a sequel to Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner was announced, and I was one of them. But after seeing trailers, and seeing how gorgeous it looked, my mind changed. Just like that Blade Runner: 2049 became my most anticipated movie of 2017. And I thought that even before seeing  the great behind-the-scenes videos from VICE‘s Kim Taylor Bennet’s set visit in Budapest, which has tons of never-before-seen footage from the film, along with interviews with directors Denis Villeneuve and Ridley Scott, as well as stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Jared Leto.

The first of these VICE Talks Films features gives an in-depth look at the making of the movie, from the stunning, massive sets that were used instead of green screens, to how they recreated the famous blaster and Spinner car from the original, and insight into some of the changes that have happened to the earth of Blade Runner over the decades. It might not seem possible, but it’s a far worse place to live than before. Yes, even though Ryan Gosling lives there.

“Part of the challenge, at least initially, was try not to be impressed by the environment–that this, in some way, had to be the only thing I’d ever known as a character.” That’s why Ryan Gosling is a professional. If I had been on those amazing sets every day, even after months and months of shooting, I would have shown up every morning screaming, “Holy **** look at this ****ing place!”

And while the cast was unwilling to give a lot away about the plot and their characters, we’re very intrigued by these “seismic events” that have happened in the intervening years to make the climate harsher and more brutal, and how big a role they will play in the story. (Although the idea of dining at a “worm farm” doesn’t sound very appetizing.) We’re also thrilled that it doesn’t sound like the movie will answer the famous question of whether or not Deckard is a replicant, but we still would have loved to have heard the conversation Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott had when they finally settled it. (I’m #TeamReplicant, but only because I like being right.)

The second video focuses on the legacy of the first movie, and how it not only influenced the look and feel of this film, but how it has been doing so to films ever since it was released. It also touches upon how the themes of Blade Runner: 2049 are relevant to our own world today, and how that’s still true of the original. And while it thankfully won’t answer the great Deckard question, we’re excited it will settle other questions from the original, while giving us new ones to debate.

It’s impossible not to see the visual influence of the original movie across countless other films, but it had never occurred to me how much it’s score had its own lasting legacy.

It’s clear now that we–okay, I–should have known that Ridley Scott would never have handed over the reigns to Blade Runner unless he was positive it was in the hands of someone who truly understood what made the original such an important part of cinematic history. But at this point I’m honestly starting to think it’s possible Denis Villeneuve’s sequel might even be–dare I say it–better.

Especially since this movie will pay homage to the original without merely being a “replicant” of it. Plus now we don’t have to worry about them ruining the ending of the first one.

Some questions should never be answered.

But what do you think? Were you skeptical at first? How do you feel about this sequel after learning more about it? Take a spinner in our comments section below and let us know.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

Images: Vice

More sci-fi for your mind’s eye!

Our picks for a Deep Space 9 movie cast!
Hear Futurama‘s Bender as HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey!
See a plasma lightsaber on Science and Star Wars !

New Laser Defense System That Destroys Drones Is How Skynet Will Take Over

Think of futuristic or sci-fi warfare and chances are a half-dozen movies featuring laser weapons come to mind. There’s something about bullets that just screams, so last century, right? American defense and aerospace company Lockheed Martin certainly thinks that’s the case, and they’re investing in a new laser defense system dubbed ATHENA or Advanced Test High Energy Asset to prove it. It uses nothing more than a good ol’ high-energy light beam to take down its targets, and in the clip below those targets are ten large unmanned drones.

Watch, as the unmanned drones become but ants beneath a magnifying glass in front of ATHENA’s mighty laser!

ATHENA’s latest (literal) laser light show, which comes via Gizmodo, happened in August at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The tests, which were conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command, aimed to demonstrate the effective use of ATHENA against airborne targets in flight. And according to ten brand new heaps of scrap metal somewhere in the New Mexico desert, it was apparently mission accomplished.

“As we mature the technology behind laser weapon systems, we’re making the entire system more effective and moving closer to a laser weapon that will provide greater protection to our warfighters by taking on more sophisticated threats from a longer range,” Lockheed wrote in a press release associated with the laser test. It seems that they’re focusing on this kind of technology not only because it sounds cool, but also because it allows for the laser’s user to remain hidden while attacking. Lockheed also notes that with a laser there’s effectively an unlimited supply of ammo, noting that the system essentially has “unlimited bullets.” Dr. Evil would certainly approve.

If you’re not so impressed with ATHENA nailing drones mid-flight with its 30 kilowatt laser, then the below clip may do a little more to impress you. In the video, we see some of the hypothetical uses for the laser, including shooting down missiles, as well as, well, more drones. But it also totally nails the internal combustion engine of a car causing it to stop in its tracks too.

Lockheed doesn’t exactly outline a timeframe for when ATHENA-type lasers will become mainstream, but we can only hope for two things when they do: Please keep the real Skynet away from the lasers, and, if Skynet does take control of them, somebody program them to learn how to shoot by watching Stormtroopers.

What do you think about this laser defense system? Is this the natural evolution of weaponry or will lasers never catch on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: YouTube / LockheedMartinVideos

Was AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT Inspired by This Classic TWILIGHT ZONE Episode?

With this season’s American Horror Story now in full swing, we’re really starting to get a feel for the topics that the show’s interested in exploring and some of its potential influences. Aside from the creators’ clear political motivations and overt horror nods, after this week’s episode we began to notice some familiar framing and thematic threads from one of the most seminal episodes of the OG spooky anthology show, The Twilight Zone.

“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” is arguably one of the most lauded and discussed episodes of Rod Serling’s dark and delirious anthology show. The Twilight Zone had numerous incredible conceits, yet there’s something about this intimate exploration of neighborly suspicion that truly grabbed the imagination of the public, including–we suspect–Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

Originally aired in 1960, the 22nd episode of the first season tells the story of a small suburban street that tears itself apart during a blackout. If you’ve been keeping up with American Horror Story then this may already sound familiar to you. Over the last two episodes the creators have borrowed heavily from this Twilight Zone classic, introducing an (apparently) statewide blackout that led to Ally becoming increasingly paranoid, saw Winter turn on her, the Harrisons arm her, and ended with Ally murdering the chef from her restaurant, Pedro, in a fit of paranoid fear. A death that plays similarly to the hysteria fueled murder of a neighbor in the Twilight Zone episode, who’s also shot during a blackout in a case of mistaken identity.

This exploration of the simmering tensions of a small street boiled over into this week’s episode “Neighbors From Hell,” with most of the hour being focused on Ally and Ivy’s house and the claustrophobic idea of being trapped where you live. The small, perfectly kept street becoming a prison for the people who live on it. Murphy and Falchuk leaned heavily into themes of invasion too, with the newly arrived Harrisons turning on Ally and threatening her, demanding that she leave the street to which she exclaimed, “We were here first!”

If you’ve seen “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street”, you’ll know that the story is driven by the idea of invasion, as the residents of Maple Street descend into a rabid group hysteria focused on the one family who haven’t left their house during the blackout. In the Twilight Zone episode, the invaders are thought to be aliens. Though a radical end stage reveal proves the residents are *almost* right–outside intergalactic influence is there–as the title suggests, the real monsters are the ones who already inhabit the titular street.

Manipulation through fear is one of the strongest threads of AHS: Cult. It’s clearly the driver of Kai’s actions as he works to manipulate Ally, a woman who’s basically being controlled at every step by her phobias and his aim to use political instability and fear as a means to gain absolute control have been clear from his first appearance. “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” utilized the influence of fear in a much more subtle way, truly leaving the residents of the street to tear themselves apart. We suspect that the creators of American Horror Story have taken this simple conceit and run riot with it, making Kai the puppet master, and lending modern fuel to the fire with heavy handed references to our current political climate and social struggles.

Will you be checking out this classic Twilight Zone episode? Do you see the similarities between these anthology installments? Would you love to see a Murphy and Falchuk Twilight Zone? Let us know in the comments!

Images: FOX, CBS

More terror from American Horror Story!

What connections to Watchmen are in AHS: Cult?
Is this season directly connected to AHS: Asylum ?
The show’s fascination with scary clowns , and clowns throughout history!

Is Damon Lindelof the Right Person to Lead HBO’s WATCHMEN Series?

Who watches the Watchmen? HBO has decided Damon Lindelof is the person for the job, but do we trust him to get a new adaptation right? That’s what we tried to figure out on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with what to make of the new trailer for Murder on the Orient Express, and whether the Young Han Solo movie might make a run to the spice mines on Kessel.

Watching over the show today with host Jessica Chobot was Geek and Sundry‘s Amy Vorpahl, and Nerdist producers Jesse Gill and Jason Nguyen. First up was HBO‘s Watchmen adaptation and whether or not the network is the right place for it. Do we think Lost‘s Damon Lindelof, coming off his work on the critically-acclaimed The Leftovers, can be trusted to get this right? Will the show be better than Zack Snyder’s 2009 film? And should HBO stick to just the original 12-issue comic books, or include some of the other related works? They discussed all of that, including doing little fan-casting, but make sure to check out Eric Diaz’s own dreamcast for the show.

They also broke down the latest trailer for Murder on the Orient Express, including their predictions on who the killer will be. Will the movie stay faithful to the book, or switch it up? And what other Agatha Christie novels would we like to see get the big screen treatment?

Note for Murder Mystery Fans! Make sure you tune in to next week’s Alpha Book Club at 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Project Alpha so you can help us pick which murder mystery we’ll be reading this October. There will be lots of (talk about) muuuuuurder.

Finally the gang ended with the ever-so-small, super tiny, practically irrelevant news that the Young Han Solo movie MIGHT SHOW US THE KESSEL RUN. Director Ron Howard tweeted out a photo of what looks like a mine, with the caption “spicey.” But if that means what we think it does (including the possibility of giant spiders), are we happy to be learning more about his infamous Kessel Run boast? Or are we tired of origin stories?

And remember, Nerdist News Talks Back airs live every weekday at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels. Tune in with us so you can get in on the conversation.

Because when it comes to discussing Watchmen, who watches the panel? Wait, that’s too literal to make sense here. Maybe we can get Lindelof to write us a new line.

What do you think about today’s topics? Talk back to us in the comments below.

Need More Watchmen?

Lindelof teases his new Watchmen HBO series.
Will the show be better than the movie?
What does the Doomsday Clock mean for Watchmen and the DC Universe?

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

THE LION KING Was Almost a Very Different Film, Co-Director Reveals

Ever since its debut in 1994, The Lion King has proven to be one of Disney’s most popular animated movies of all time. It was an instant classic upon its debut, and remains beloved to this day. But that may not have been the case if Disney Animation hadn’t made some significant changes to the original story. Now, co-director Rob Minkoff has revealed that, originally, The Lion King had a much different story at its center than we could have imagined.

While speaking with Collider about the recently released The Lion King Walt Disney Signature Collection Blu-ray, Minkoff noted that the early version of the script was missing key elements – like Mufasa’s ghost –  and kept much closer to home than what ended up on screen.

“Mufasa got killed,” related Minkoff, but, “Simba never left Pride Rock. He just stayed on Pride Rock. Timon and Pumbaa were childhood friends. So they were at Pride Rock. Rafiki was part of the community of Pride Rock, not the same witch doctor living on his tree as a hermit. And there was a stampede, and Mufasa got killed by Scar, but then as soon as Simba took over as a teenager, Scar was acting as his regent, the prince regent. So he was kind of running the show behind the scenes, but Simba was there, acting like a terrible, teenage wastrel guy.”

It really is hard to picture that version of the story, especially considering that Simba fled from his home and spent so much of his time with Timon and Pumbaa outside of Pride Rock to gain a better perspective. More hilariously, the report adds that Timon and Pumbaa were originally supposed to perform the Oscar winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” But if Pumbaa’s voice actor, Ernie Sabella, is correct, then Elton John personally insisted that they keep his songs away from Timon and Pumbaa. (Probably for the best, to be honest.)

You can read the rest of Collider‘s report here, and it offers other lesser known details about the film, including the Shakespearean title that then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner almost gave the finished movie.

Could The Lion King have worked if Simba never went into exile? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Need More Lion King?

Did you know they cast Seth Rogen and Bill Eichner in the live-action remake?
Donald Glover and James Earl Jones are in it, too! (Crazy, right?)
And yes, before you ask, Jon Favreau is directing it.

Images: Walt Disney Pictures

More UNBREAKABLE Actors Coming Back for GLASS

It’s pretty clear M. Night Shyamalan has hit upon a cultural desire for a cinematic universe by revealing [SPOILER!] Split takes place in the same universe as his 2000 film Unbreakable. The follow-up film Glass will feature Split‘s two leads (Anya Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy) as well as the two stars of Unbreakable (Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson). Naturally, having two heroes and two villains is a good place to start, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Shyamalan is bringing important characters from the earlier film into Glass as well.

Spencer Treat Clark who played Joseph, the son of Willis’ David Dunn in Unbreakable is set to reprise his role. Joseph’s belief that his father is an impervious superhero leads to an incredibly tense moment in the movie, involving the child nearly firing a gun at David. The actor—who will be turning 30 on September 24—has had a steady career since Unbreakable including stints recently on TNT’s Animal Kingdom and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Also added to the cast is Charlayne Woodard who had the small but pivotal role of Elijah Price’s mother in 1975. Her son—who’d grow up to be Samuel L. Jackson’s art collector/supervillain—was constantly sad about having a rare bone disease that made him incredibly fragile, so she buys him his first comic book, ultimately leading him to believe himself to be the villain in a real-life comic book story. Woodard had a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and more recently guest starred 0n The Leftovers and The Blacklist.

Both of these characters were integral to the given circumstances of the hero and villain respectively, and bringing them back will be incredibly important to making sure this is truly a continuation of Unbreakable and not simply a Split sequel that happens to have Willis and Jackson in it. The movie IS called Glass after all.

Let us know what you think about All this Split/Unbreakable/Glass business in the comments below!

Images: Touchstone

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

We’ve got sequels on the brain!

Our first real look at Wasp’s costume in Ant-Man sequel!
The It sequel will have tons of interdimensional Pennywise stuff!
Our Kingsman: The Golden Circle review explains how Eggsy’s world’s a bit too safe now!

THE WALKING DEAD Season 8 Teases “All Out War” From the Comics

Everything in The Walking Dead season seven led to one major storyline: “All-Out War.” The upcoming eighth season will send Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors up against the Saviors as they try to end Negan’s reign of terror. If the story sticks to the source material from the comic book series, then it’s going to be a bloody ride and not everyone is going to make it out alive. But this war is only the beginning, and a new promo video from AMC is already teasing what’s coming next for the series.

A war can’t be fought alone. Season 8 premieres October 22. #TWD pic.twitter.com/YlkYA6YZuX

— The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) September 21, 2017

The key takeaway here isn’t Rick’s speech, it’s Maggie’s: “We need to keep our faith in each other. If we can hold onto that with everything we have, the future is ours. The world is ours.” As you probably know, The Walking Dead comic book is years ahead of the TV show, and there are many stories left to tell. Maggie’s rallying cry may actually be setting the stage for the big time jump that was teased back at Comic-Con (and is a major part of the “All-Out War”). And the new world that’s coming is very different than the one we’ve gotten used to on this show.

There are potentially minor spoilers ahead the back half of The Walking Dead‘s upcoming season. You’ve been warned!

In the comic, the first storyline after “All-Out War” was “A New Beginning,” and it featured a two-year time jump, though considering the look of Rick in the teaser video, we have to wonder if that gap is going to be longer than the two years on the series. We also don’t want to give away the fates of other characters who may not make it out alive. You can head to the comics to find out more, but know there are at least a few people on the show who have outlived their comic book counterparts.

The producers of this series have already promised that the Rick and Negan conflict would be resolved this season. That leads us to suspect that the mid-season finale is the probably the best place to start adapting “A New Beginning” and give fans a glimpse at the vastly different landscape.

It’s also likely that the next big threat to the survivors will also be introduced in the second half of the season. Without giving away too much, they’re called the Whisperers, and are far deadlier and stranger than even the Scavengers tribe. The thing about the Whisperers is that we may have already seen them and not realized it. For now, let’s just say that they’re very good at hiding in plain sight.

The Walking Dead season eight will premiere on Sunday, October 22.

Are you excited about the new season of The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comment section below!

Need More The Walking Dead Details? We’ve Got You:

Here’s how the Rick/Negan conflict will be resolved.
Here’s that Comic-Con trailer that got us curious.
And here’s a deleted scene from season 7 that will wreck you.

Images: AMC

New SCIENCE AND STAR WARS Show Launches with Plasma Lightsaber Build

While you may not immediately think of realistic science and technology when you think of Star Wars — the laws of physics kind of take a back seat to hyperdrive, the Force, and all that — the fictional universe still provides an interesting jumping off point for questions about what’s theoretically possible in this reality. Which is exactly what the new Facebook Anthology series, Science and Star Wars does. On top of asking those kinds of questions, the show’s members also build things, like functional plasma lightsabers.

The Lucasfilm series, which is sponsored by IBM, just launched on the Star Wars Facebook page, and it essentially aims see how closely the physics and technology of the galaxy far far away can be mimicked here in reality. Like other online science- and pop culture-focused shows, like our very own Because Science, Science and Star Wars aims to educate as it entertains by explaining the science behind what’s built or theorized.

In this first episode (above), host Anthony Carboni is joined by Taylor Gray (who plays Ezra Bridger on Star Wars Rebels), as well as Allen Pan, the engineer behind the YouTube channel, Sufficiently Advanced. The episode centers around an attempted build of a weapon for a more civilized age, the lightsaber, by utilizing Pan’s knowhow to build a functioning “thermic lance.” And while the thermic lance definitely allows Bridger to Qui-Gon the hell out of a steel door as if he were using a lightsaber, it’s actually a common heavy duty demolition tool that’s used to cut down metal scraps and remove axles from their casings.

Image: IBM, Lucasfilm 

Because the show is sponsored by IBM, Carboni is also joined by Watson, IBM’s natural language processing A.I., which in this case is used to scour through Star Wars data and also suggest which lightsaber color works best for somebody’s personality. Watson may be used for more in-depth tasks in the future however, as the show continues its ten-episode run exploring everything from bacta regeneration tanks to a H.U.D. (Heads-Up Display) for Boba Fett.

New episodes of Science and Star Wars will premiere on Tuesdays on the Stars Wars Facebook page, but if you just can’t wait for more Star Wars — and — science, you check out one of the many Because Science videos that focuses on Star Wars, including the one below.

What do you think about this new science-focused Star Wars series? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Lucasfilm, IBM

Enjoy more examples of science being awesome!

Neural network creates 3D model of 2D faces and boy they’re creepy!
Final amazing images from Cassini prior to its death!
How dense is Legolas from Lord of the Rings!

Our First Full Look at The Wasp in ANT-MAN Sequel

It feels like we’ve been waiting forever to see the Wasp to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joss Whedon almost had Janet van Dyne in the first Avengers movie, but she was left out of the script. And then Wasp was lost in the Quantum Realm decades before the events of Ant-Man. But next summer, Evangeline Lilly‘s Hope van Dyne will follow in her mother’s footsteps in Ant-Man and the Wasp. A few weeks ago, Lilly posted the first peak at her new Wasp costume from the movie. But in today’s Nerdist News, we’ve got a much better look at Hope’s upgraded superhero outfit!

Join host and Microverse explorer, Jessica Chobot, as she breaks down the details of the new Wasp costume. You may recall that the Wasp outfit glimpsed in the mid-credits scene of Ant-Man had short sleeves and a gold design on the front that seemed to be very much in line with Janet’s comic book outfits. Hope’s Wasp costume has made some significant changes, including the loss of the gold and the transition to a full body suit that resembles Ant-Man’s costume. However, her helmet retains a nod to the Wasp’s comic book roots by featuring dual points that resemble antennae.

The plot of this movie is still largely under wraps, and it’s not even clear whether it takes place before or after Avengers: Infinity War. We do know that Lilly will suit up again for the currently untitled Avengers movie that will hit in 2019.

What do you think about the new look of the Wasp’s costume? Shrink down and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

Keep your eyes peeled for more superhero splendor!

Second wave DC Comics Bombshells Funko POPs coming soon!
An exclusive preview of The Mighty Thor #700 !
Does the Punisher trailer prove the MCU has gone too dark?