Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2013

A “Nintendo All Star” Classical Music Concert Might Be on the Way

In case you’re not familiar, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a touring classical music show that presents orchestrated versions of music from The Legend of Zelda series live on stage, and it’s absolutely amazing. This show has been going on for a few years now, and it’s been a great success. However, Jason Michael Paul, the show’s producer, would love to take things to the next level (via Gamnesia).

In a recent interview, Paul was asked if he’d be interested in giving other Nintendo games the classical treatment, and he said that ideally, he’d be able to do it for all of the games, in one sort of giant “Nintendo All Star” concert event:

“Of course, it’s all on Nintendo! I’ve already presented these ideas for years and years. Now so hopefully I’ll get my shot to be able to do that and hopefully I’ve done the Legend of Zelda franchise justice enough to be to be handed the torch to be able to do that because the idea of creating a Nintendo All Star concert is definitely something I would love to do. It would basically be all of Nintendo’s IP being presented all in one concert, it would be phenomenal.”

We’re waiting on you, Nintendo. Please make this happen.

Revisit the Symphony of the Goddesses performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below, and let us know in the comments below how excited you’d be to see this type of show with all of Nintendo’s classic music.

Featured image: Nintendo

6 Schwifty New RICK AND MORTY Season 3 Details

We’ve all been reeling with the possibilities for what the rest of Rick and Morty season 3 could have in store following the surprise drop of the season premiere episode back on April Fool’s Day. We’ll have to wait just a couple more weeks until the July 30 premiere of the rest of the season, but in order to fill your brains with more of the evil-hero mad scientist and his yellow-clad grandson, today’s Nerdist News Talks Back will be right up your alley. Creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland (also the voice of Rick and Morty, you know) swung by along with Chris Parnell (Jerry) to get all up in it and answer your questions.

A Major Character is Returning

We got a big reveal from them in the course of the episode: a character from the past seasons will return and have a major arc in season 3. Now which character would it be? Roiland said they didn’t go with fan-favorites like Krombopulous Michael, Snowball, Mister Meeseeks (who they said they WOULD like to bring back in a smart way), or even Abradolf Lincler, they went with Gearhead! And by Gearhead, of course, we mean Revolio Clockberg Jr, who will certainly have a score to settle with Rick after that whole “nuts in the mouth” thing.

There’s a Community Reunion Coming!

Harmon confirmed that two of the stars from his now-infamous and cult classic NBC series Community, Joel McHale AND Gillian Jacobs, would be appearing this season—(but what about Star-Burns?!)

And The Other Guest Stars? Equally Impressive

On top of the reunion, the creators also teased some big name guest stars, including Susan Sarandon (pronunciation your own), Christian Slater, Danny Trejo, Peter Serafinawicz, and Bill Cosby. Though not that last one at all. That was a joke.

Justin Thinks About THE SAUCE A Lot

Naturally we mean the now-infamous Szechuan sauce rant, which took the internet by storm in the season premiere. Turns out the sauce has been a longstanding part of the friendship between Roiland and Harmon, as it’s “one of the 10 things I talk about,” as Roiland put it. How they had no idea it would take off as much as it did is beyond us.

Rick is More Powerful Than Doctor Who

That’s right: according to Dan Harmon, Rick is more powerful than nine doctors from the Whoniverse combined. And now it’s canon so please adjust your fan art accordingly.

And Rick’s Portal Gun is FILLED with Midichlorians

OK, that last one might’ve been Roiland trolling us a little bit. Or a lot a bit.

Watch the whole episode for some prime name-generating riffs like Mr. Shwamswham, Googalls, The Cherry Pineapple, Gagarganahhh, Philip Philipps, Duck Feet, Duck Arm, Feather Head, and a deeply silly and hilariously improv’d bit about Rick putting a bat in poor Jerry’s cereal.

And if you’re going to be at San Diego Comic-Con this Saturday, our own Kyle Hill will be hosting the Science of Rick and Morty panel at 2:00 pm in room 7AB and will be joined by Roiland, Harmon, neuroscientist Crystal Dilworth, quantum physicist Spiros Michalakis, and series writer Mike McMahan. Be there or be multi-dimensionally square.

Images: Adult Swim

GIFs: NBC; BBC

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

Walton Goggins Joins ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

Next year, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily will reunite in the MCU for Ant-Man and the Wasp. And while we currently have no word about who the title duo will take on in the sequel, we have a pretty good idea about who might play the villain. Walton Goggins has reportedly signed on for Ant-Man and the Wasp in an undisclosed role.

Deadline broke the news about Goggins’ casting and suggests that more details may be revealed later this week at Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation at Comic-Con. Goggins is best known for his starring roles in The Shield and Justified, but he’s also extremely in-demand for TV and film roles. He’s currently starring in History’s Six and HBO’s Vice Principals, with upcoming roles in the Tomb Raider reboot and Maze Runner: The Death Cure.

Naturally, the next big question is: which character will Goggins portray in the film? He doesn’t seem right for Egghead, and Ant-Man’s got a pretty thin rogues’ gallery from which to choose. That said, we think that Goggins could pull off Eric O’Grady, the third Ant-Man, who had some…shall we say, moral failings? Alternately, Whirlwind could be a possibility for Goggins. That character is more closely tied to the Wasp, but why shouldn’t she have her own nemesis this time? That could work out well.

Fresh off the Boat star Randall Park was recently cast in the movie, as was S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo, while Killjoys star Hannah John-Kamen is also set for a mystery role. So far, we’re very excited to see this cast come together!

Who do you think that Goggins should play in Ant-Man and the Wasp? Let’s get some buzz in the comment section below!

Images: A+E Studios/Marvel Studios

The First Look at JUSTICE LEAGUE’s Big Villain

Later this year, the Justice League will unite in live-action for the first time as they take on their greatest villain…or at least the villain adjacent to DC’s biggest bad guys. We were all probably expecting Darkseid, but instead, Steppenwolf will have the honor being the League’s first adversary on the big screen. A deleted scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice offered us a glimpse of Steppenwolf’s form, but now we’ve got a much better idea of what to expect from him. Today’s Nerdist News is braving the fire pits of Apokolips to break down the latest Steppenwolf visuals!

There are some minor spoilers ahead for Justice League, which will flesh out his motivations and his appearance. It’s not too major, but consider yourselves warned!

Join host and the top recruit for the Furies, Jessica Chobot, as she goes over the latest Justice League details to drop from Hollywood’s most reliable rumor source: the official toys from the film! The first look at the Steppenwolf action figure appears to be much closer to his New 52 incarnation than the vaguely non-human creature from Batman v Superman. His helmet seems to be more like an extension of his face, and there’s something odd about his villainous goatee.

Ciarán Hinds has also dropped a few tidbits about his portrayal of Steppenwolf in the film, particularly about his motivations. While Steppenwolf is Darkseid’s uncle and one of the leading commanders in his army, he’s also trying to get out from underneath his nephew’s control. Hinds describes his character as “old and bitter,” which makes sense. Before Darkseid came along, Steppenwolf probably had a much better chance of ruling Apokolips and conquering the universe by himself.

Additionally, Hinds revealed that his part in the film was done entirely through green screen and he never got the chance to physically interact with his co-stars in the movie. However, that may lend credence to the rumors that Steppenwolf will be about 8 feet tall in the movie, which would make him physically imposing even when pit against the best superheroes that Earth has to offer.

What do you think about the latest Steppenwolf details from Justice League? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

STRANGER THINGS’ Finn Wolfhard Directed a Western-Style Music Video

It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is passionate about music: He’s starred in multiple music videos for Canadian punk band PUP, and he even plays music himself from time to time. Now he’s stepping to the other side of the camera, since it was just revealed that he directed California band Spendtime Palace’s new music video for their song “Sonora” (via Billboard).

Wolfhard actually co-directed the clip, alongside friend and former Vine celebrity Josh Ovalle. The two eventually decided they wanted to direct some sort of project together, and that’s when Ovalle suggested a video for a Spendtime Palace song, since he went to high school with the band members.

“Once we listened to the song a bunch of times we were thinking of what the tone was and we thought it had a western feel, we thought, ‘What if we do a Western, but with two teenagers in 2017 California,'” Wolfhard said.

So that’s what they did, and Wolfhard stars as one of those teenagers. It’s worth noting that the clip also stars Iris Apatow, known for her appearance in Netflix series Love and also as the daughter of professional funny people Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow. Speaking of directors, Wolfhard said he got the bug to try it out himself by watching The Duffer Brothers work on Stranger Things:

“When I get off school or I’m on set, if I’m not filming I go and watch them direct another scene, and I definitely learn from them. There’s definitely a lot of patience and trusting each other [on set].”

Watch the video above, and let us know what you think of Wolfhard’s directorial effort.

Featured image: Josh Ovalle/YouTube

Nintendo’s SPLATOON Gets an Anime Series Adaptation

Splatoon, Nintendo’s rabidly loved newcomer, is turning into an anime series that you can watch on the CoroCoro YouTube channel beginning on August 12. The game series is a relatively new intellectual property (IP) for Nintendo, but it’s gotten off to a rocking start. In fact, it was recently named gaming’s most successful new IP in Japan since 2006’s Wii Sports.

The game has sold very well, critics and gamers alike have been pretty into it, and the Squid Sisters announcing duo has become pretty popular among fans — they even gave their first live concert performance last year. So, with an enthusiastic fan base, at least a couple of characters that a lot of people already like, and a sequel, Splatoon 2, coming out on the Nintendo Switch on July 21st, it’s an ideal time to capitalize on this flourishing universe.

There’s no concrete word yet on what the series will be about, but CoroCoro reports that episodes may not be TV-length, and that they’ll be based on the current Splatoon manga series, which runs in the magazine. That series is about Inklings engaged in a turf war, so that perhaps at least gives us some idea of what the show will be about. The manga series, by the way, is set to be localized to English later this year, and speaking of localization, we’re don’t yet know if the anime will be dubbed, or if it will at least be available with English subtitles.

What do you think the Splatoon anime series should be about? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image: Nintendo

Colonel Sanders Teaming Up with Green Lantern and It’s Great/Weird

It takes a lot of willpower not to eat an entire bucket of KFC when the opportunity arises, but willpower is the trait I am always missing when someone puts fried chicken in front of me. But I know I’m not the only one whose greatest weakness is greasy fried food. That explains why in his hour of need Colonel Sanders has turned to a hero who understands a little something about the awesome strength of willpower, and he will join forces with Green Lantern in an all new tasty comic book.

DC Entertainment announced their latest totally absurd–but frankly pretty awesome–team up with KFC, the third entry in their Colonel Sanders/Justice League union. This time the white-suit wearing symbol of finger-licking chicken goodness will go “cosmic in a star-spanning quest to bring crunchy, spicy satisfaction to a hungry universe, only to face a ‘thieving varmint’ who steals his space-bound Zinger chicken sandwiches.”

Stealing chicken sandwiches? Some evil schemes hit a little too close to home.

The comic, from former Green Lantern writer Tony Bedard, will be available at DC’s booth (#1915) at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con, from July 19-23, 2017. But if you won’t be able to make it out there for the nerd Super Bowl Big Game not to worry, because it will also be available for a limited time as a digital download starting on Thursday. You’ll be able to get it here.

But as for a greater sense of willpower, we don’t have the link for that. You’re on your own there. Fried chicken is basically our kryptonite.

Where does this unlikely comic book duo rank among your favorite strange team ups? Tell us your finger-licking good thoughts in the comments below.

Images: DC Entertainment

Free Diver Swims to Bottom of World’s Deepest Pool in One Breath

Every kid in the world does the same two things when they are in a swimming pool: they try to go the length of the pool entirely under water, and they see how long they can hold their breath at the bottom. But not every kid grows up and combines those two tasks into one amazing deep dive done in a single breath.

In this video French free diver Guillaume Néry swims to the floor of the deepest pool in the world, The Deep Joy Y-40 of the Hotel Terme Millepini in Padua, Italy, and he does it without any breathing apparatus.

At 40 meters deep (a little over 131 feet), it’s hard to imagine what this feels like in terms of the pressure it must put on Néry (think about how your ears hurt at the bottom of a ten foot pool), but the fact he does this without oxygen makes it surreal. Almost dreamlike.

Every time he reaches a new level, you think that must be the bottom, but then he just keeps going and going, like a real life Aquaman. I don’t know if this is more beautiful than terrifying to watch, but either way it’s impossible to look away. This isn’t even Néry’s deepest dive. In 2011, he set a record by plunging almost three times deeper, down to 117 meters.

As for the pool itself, it “contains 4300mc of thermal water kept at a temperature of between 32-34°C” (roughly 90 degrees), and is used for a myriad of reasons, from scuba training to filming movies.

But we think it’s safe to guess most people need more than a single breath to use it, just like when we were kids.

How would you describe this video? Swim down to the bottom of this article and let us know in the comments section.

Image: Guillaume Néry

DAVE MADE A MAZE Takes Papercraft to Fantastic New Heights

Calvin & Hobbes taught an entire generation that a simple cardboard box can be anything you need it to be, and in the new film Dave Made a Maze, imagination seems to run amok IRL when the worlds of child-like make–believe and indie film absurdity crash together in perfect harmony.

My childhood was absolutely filled with cardboard re-purposed as playthings, which is why I think I’m so enamored with this trailer. My Ninja Turtles, Army Ants, and Food Fighters needed bases to fight in and cities to protect, and what better way to turn things up a notch than with sprawling lengths of cardboard destined for more than just the recycle bin.

The new film features Nick Thune, Meera Rohit Kumbhani (Weird Loners), James Urbaniak (The Venture Bros.), Stephanie Allynne (Dream Corp LLC), and OK Go’s Tim Nordwind venturing deep into a labyrinth of cardboard and paper craft that’s taken on some sort of supernatural property. Its outward appearance is that of a kid’s cardboard fort in the middle of an apartment, but inside it becomes a winding, handmade world full of dangers at every turn. Case-in-point: a cardboard Minotaur that’s none too happy people are in his labyrinth.

This utterly charming paper craft film is available to pre-order in digital format on iTunes for a Aug 18, 2017 release. We’ve got our fingers crossed it’ll include some behind-the-scenes footage because we absolutely need to know how much time and effort went into these amazing cardboard creations.

What do you think of the trailer? What were your best cardboard creations as a kid? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Dave Made A Maze | YouTube Movies

Let’s Break Down the State of the Realm in GAME OF THRONES Season 7

The return of Game of Thrones means Nerdist News Talks Back has been reborn through fire as All Kings Considered. Queen of Nerdist News Jessica Chobot has brought on her most faithful confidants to discuss everything Thrones. Joining her are Direwolf Lover Alicia Lutes, Knight of the Queensguard Dan Casey, and Maester Joan Ford of House Nerdist News. No Dragonstone is unturned as they discuss every character under the Citadel’s clockwork sun. SPOILERS AHEAD!

First up are our favorite cold, brooding siblings, the Starks. Arya’s revenge-filled cold open marked a gripping start to the season and let us know that this season will not be messing around. Except with Ed Sheeran. The internet and many here in the office are ablaze with opinions about the fiery-haired lad, specifically that his scene broke immersion. The cameo was a gift for Maisie Williams, though, so we’re willing to let it slide. As for the other Starks, some tension is brewing between Sansa and Jon as they disagree on how to rule, and Bran has finally reached the Wall. Though not a Stark, Sam Tarly is so connected to Jon’s story that he fits in here. He got a shit-montage and found out some new info about Dragonstone (that he already knew but didn’t believe?)

Speaking of Dragonstone, Dany has finally returned to her birthplace! We’ve been waiting six seasons, and it has finally happened. Granted, that march up to the castle was a little indulgent, but that final line made it all worth it. With Tyrion, Varys, and the Greyjoys by her side, Daenerys is finally ready to light a fire under Cersei’s ass. Since Dragonstone is sitting on a Dragonglass mine, surely she’ll come into conflict with Jon as well. Though maybe she’ll allow him to have the glass once she realizes it can cure Jorah “The StoneBear” Mormont.

Tyrion’s place at Dany’s side puts him in direct conflict with his siblings over in Kings Landing, who are in deep trouble. The scene between Jaime and Cersei was full of conflict and emotion, with the war and all that has happened finally getting to them. Plus we got the sexy new Euron Greyjoy, who came to propose to Cersei armed with a thousand ships and some sick burns, brah.

Since this is Game of Thrones and we’re never ready to stop talking about burns, The Hound saw a prophetic vision in the flames. Sandor Clegane has come a long way from abandoning the Battle of Blackwater because of the fire. The fact that he was even willing to consider looking into Thoros’s fire is a dramatic leap for Clegane.

But of course, we always return to ice and winter. The White Walkers are coming, and there are not enough people south of the Wall to fight them. Especially since they have UNDEAD GIANTS. With Wun Weg Wight Dar Wun on their side, who can stand in their way?

You can watch and interact live with Nerdist News Talks Back every weekday at 1:00pm PST and All Kings Considered on Mondays on YouTube and Alpha, and catch up with the archives just after the show!

Image: HBO