Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 202

Netflix’s Ad Tier Hits 70 Million Users, Spurred by Password-Sharing Crackdown and Price Shifts

After many years of insisting that its platform would remain ad-free, Netflix’s ad tier launched two years ago now. At the same time, Netflix also put significant efforts into its password-sharing crackdown, another long-time facet of the platform. And it seems like, in combination and alongside strategic price shifts, Netflix’s ad tier has found success.

Netflix

Last November, Netflix noted that its ad-supported plan “[reaches] 15 million global monthly active users.” And this year, that number is up massively to 70 million users, a huge jump. In this span of time, Netflix also became increasingly strict about account-sharing. And it moved to increase the price of its ad-free offerings, as well as finally discontinued the grandathered-in Basic plan for many of its users.

That means a large number of subscribers likely moved from their long-time plan to Netflix’s ad tier. Deadline noted last year that “Instead of paying the new fee to share their passwords, evidence suggests that many subscribers simply enrolled in the ad-supported plan.” Since Netflix’s ad-free plans cost nearly double its current ad-supported tier, it’s not surprising that users would be drawn to the cheapest option when faced with needing to change their mechanism of viewing.

Unfortunately for the consumer, it seems like what’s always been true for the television and movie business remains true for streaming. Ads generate money. Across the board, streaming platforms that once sought to disrupt the traditional ecosystem are returning to their roots. And for those trying to watch their favorite shows, that means more ads, more price hikes, and more password-sharing crackdowns are on the horizon.

Netflix

In 2023, Netflix’s update came with some good news for users, though. In an effort to enhance the member experience, Netflix has “upgraded the feature set of our ads plan to include 1080p versus 720p video quality, two concurrent streams, and downloads to become available by the end of this week. All members of the ad-supported plan will be able to download their favorite series and movies, making Netflix the only ad-supported streamer to offer downloads.” Downloads are a convenient facet of Netflix’s offerings, so it was nice that ad-tier users will get that ability back.

Netflix

Additionally, Netflix notes that it has developed a new “binge ad (wt) format.” Essentially this means that “after watching three consecutive episodes, members will be presented with a fourth episode ad-free.” Netflix has always based itself partially on a model of continuous viewing. We suppose this is good news if you were intending to watch a whole series in one sitting already.

No further perks were announced with this year’s ad-tier number announcement. As streaming shenanigans continue to occur, it will be interesting to see if these new developments are actually sustainable. Alas, it seems, so far, this change for Netflix has been quite successful.

Originally published on November 1, 2023,

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ICE AGE 6 Is in Production, Announced at D23 Brazil

Ice Age is defrosting and on its way back! The sixth installment of the franchise is in production, as announced at D23 Brazil on Friday. Cast members Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, and John Leguizamo appeared in a video announcing the new film below. Check out what we know about Ice Age 6 so far below.

Just announced at #D23Brasil: Ice Age 6 is now in production! ❄️ Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, and Simon Pegg are returning for an all-new big screen adventure. pic.twitter.com/b0lCN3tew5

— Disney (@Disney) November 8, 2024

The Ice Age 6 announcement video shows Ray Romano, who plays Sid the Sloth, shivering while trying to deliver some big news. Then, Queen Latifah, who plays everyone’s favorite possum-like mammoth, Ellie, calls Ramano and reveals the freezing cold room is her doing. Romano exclaims, “Ice Age 6 is coming to theaters.” Leguizamo makes an appearance right at the end, letting us know the herd is, in fact, back.

Audiences love Romano for his Emmy-winning starring role in Everybody Loves Raymond. Leguizamo, meanwhile, played Bruno Madrigal in the Oscar-winning animated film Encanto. Queen Latifah is most known for her successful music career and is half an EGOT winner after obtaining an Emmy and Grammy. So, all-in-all Ice Age continues to be in great hands, and we’re sure that Ice Age 6 will be the best one yet.

20th Century Studios

Denis Leary and Simon Pegg, who play Deigo, the saber-tooth tiger, and Buck, the weasel, respectively, are also slated to reprise their roles in the new film, according to the posts shared on social media. Leary is no stranger to voice acting, having played Francis the Ladybug in A Bug’s Life.

As someone who grew up with Ice Age, I am so ready for another film. It’s one of the only franchises that I will welcome another sequel from without hesitation. I need to see how Peaches and Julian are doing. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Keke Palmer makes everything better. The real question is, when will Scrat get the screen time he deserves, something more than Scrat Tales!! More Scrat in Ice Age 6!

20th Century Studios

Ice Age 6 will mark the first film in the franchise released since Disney acquired 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets. The Ice Age series began back in 2002 with five main films and various spinoffs, including my aforementioned favorite Scrat Tales. It will be interesting to see how this movie differs (or doesn’t) from the rest, now that it’s a Disney property. Ice Age 6 will arrive in theaters in 2026, though the exact release date is still unconfirmed.

The post ICE AGE 6 Is in Production, Announced at D23 Brazil appeared first on Nerdist.

Kevin Feige Says Marvel Is ‘Committed to Blade’ with Mahershala Ali After Removing Film From MCU Release Calendar

It’s been a rough go for the MCU’s take on Blade. The movie has been halted and reimagined more times than anyone would have liked to see. And most recently, Marvel Studios removed Blade from its release calendar altogether, sparking buzz among fans. Will an MCU Blade movie with Mahershala Ali ever see the light of day? Well, it sounds like we will get to see Blade, although we don’t know for sure when. Speaking at D23 Brazil, Kevin Feige assured fans that a Blade movie with Mahershala Ali was absolutely coming their way. In fact, Marvel is committed to it. But there’s not much more he can say for now that we don’t already know.

Marvel Studios

In full, Feige shared, “We are committed to Blade. We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You’re all up to date on what’s happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”

Okay, Blade is a full go in the MCU. And even though we’ve been waiting for the Blade movie since 2019, we shouldn’t despair of ever getting to see it live. It’s called development hell for a reason. For the full history of all of Blade‘s twists and turns, you can check out our piece here. But suffice it to say, we count at least four writers involved in the script and two directors involved at various points. And presently, the MCU’s Blade movie doesn’t appear to have a director at all.

We just hope that Marvel Studios is as committed to Blade as they… And that whichever direction the film goes in next, it will be right one to finally bring Mahershala Ali’s take on the character to our screens. Otherwise, Marvel’s prophecy in Deadpool & Wolverine will prove true.

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Ben Stiller Returns For HAPPY GILMORE 2, The Mustache Is Back

This news might turn some fans into Unhappy Gilmores or into Really Happy Gilmores, but regardless of how anyone feels about it, a Happy Gilmore sequel is heading to Netflix. According to Deadline, Netflix announced that a sequel to Happy Gilmore had been greenlit during its Upfront presentation. Netflix confirmed that Adam Sandler would return for Happy Gilmore 2, which we’re going to call Happier Gilmore for now. But no logline for the movie is available at present. However, we recently received a casting update. Bad Bunny will join Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2, and three original actors are also back on the golf course, including Ben Stiller as Hal L.

Universal Pictures

In addition to Bad Bunny and Sandler, the trades share that Ben Stiller, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald are returning for Happy Gilmore 2. As mentioned, Stiller will be back as Hal L and he brings his mustache with him.

Universal Pictures

Meanwhile, Bowen reprises her role as Virginia Venit, the love interest for Adam Sandler’s character, and McDonald is back as Shooter McGavin, the villain of the movie.

Happy Gilmore 2 is officially in production ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/IznOshH5Es

— Netflix (@netflix) September 9, 2024

For those who are somehow not in the know, Happy Gilmore is a golf movie and one of Sandler’s most famous. Its synopsis reads:

All Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has ever wanted is to be a professional hockey player. But he soon discovers he may actually have a talent for playing an entirely different sport: golf. When his grandmother (Frances Bay) learns she is about to lose her home, Happy joins a golf tournament to try and win enough money to buy it for her. With his powerful driving skills and foulmouthed attitude, Happy becomes an unlikely golf hero — much to the chagrin of the well-mannered golf professionals.

Well, we did just see a tennis movie hit our screens, so why not bring back golf? We’ll just have to wait and see what the Happy Gilmore sequel is all about. Maybe it will bring back Sandler’s alien co-star from Spaceman. That would be fun. Happy Gilmore 2, it’s your swing.

Originally published on May 15, 2024.

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George R.R. Martin Hints at Maisie Williams Collab, and We Hope She’s Lyanna Stark in a GAME OF THRONES Play

Every George R.R. Martin “Not a Blog” post, no matter how mundane or incendiary, is a de facto invitation to speculate wildly. That’s what happens when you’re roughly 37 years overdue on The Winds of Winter. But while the author’s latest entry has nothing to do with A Song of Ice and Fire‘s unfinished sixth novel, he still provided an opportunity to theorize about an exciting possibility in Westeros. He teased a potential new partnership with Arya herself, Maisie Williams. What could that be? Since the answer is “literally almost anything,” including projects unrelated to the Seven Kingdoms, we can have as much fun as we want throwing out ideas! And our very best is based on something else Martin wrote about in the same post.

A Game of Thrones play is coming to London next year, and it makes perfect sense for Maisie Williams to play her own fictional aunt, Lyanna Stark.

HBO

In a post titled “London Towne” Martin wrote about his decades long love of the iconic city. On his most recent trip there this past summer, the author said he saw People, Places, and Things, a play from Duncan Macmillan. The playwright, whom Martin also met with, is behind the upcoming adaptation that will bring Westeros to live theater. Macmillan is writing The Iron Throne, which will tell the story of the infamous and world-changing Tourney at Harrenhal when the show likely debuts in 2025. The Tourney at Harrenhal is where Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark fell in love. Their romance led to Robert’s Rebellion, the end of House Targaryen’s reign in Westeros, and the birth of Jon Snow.

Martin said he thinks the play based on the tourney is in “good hands.” He also heard “the show is coming along splendidly” and it should have its “choice of theatres.” That’s all wonderful news for fans of the Seven Kingdoms. (Especially since Martin has, uh, not exactly been excited about every recent adaptation of his work.) But the real intrigue of this London trip came from a different meeting he had with someone else connected to Westeros.

Martin wrote, “We also got together with Maisie Williams for pizza and pasta, and talked about… well, no, better not get into that, do not want to jinx it.  But it could be so much fun.”

HBO

C’mon, George. C’mon. We’re trying to live our lives over here! You can’t just casually drop Balerion-sized bombs like that. But fine, if you must we must also. We’re happy to take this opportunity to dream of spring. And since you spoke of this meeting with Maisie Williams in a post where you also talked a lot about a play based on the Tourney of Harrenhal, we made the most obvious connection our Westeros-soaked brains could: you talked to her about starring in The Iron Throne as Lyanna Stark because Arya looked just like her late aunt.

In A Song of Ice and Fire, Arya— with her brown hair, long face, and grey eyes—looks very much like a Stark. She stands in sharp contrast to her sister Sansa, the redhead who is considered among the most beautiful ladies in the world, the one who looks more like her mother’s side of House Tully. The other girls at Winterfell cruelly mock the youngest Stark daughter and call her Arya Horseface. The strong-willed, adventurous, athletic, and nimble Arya is also often confused for a boy. But some find Arya to be quite beautiful, including her father Lord Eddard. He thinks his daughter looks a lot like his sister Lyanna. Bran himself thinks the same thing when he sees a vision of Lyanna, who was also physically built the same as Arya.

HBO

Lyanna and Arya didn’t resemble one another in just looks, either. They were cut from the same cloth. Lyanna was daring, brash, and brave. Some called her “wild.” Rhaegar seemingly fell in love with her because Lyanna anonymously entered the Tourney at Harrenhal to get vengeance for Howland Reed against some disrespectful squires.

Lyanna was a force of nature who also had a gentle side. (She cried when she heard Rhaegar sing for the first time.) She was as rough as she was beautiful, loyal to her family and friends, and entirely Stark in every way. Audiences will fall in love with her when they truly get to meet the not-so-ladylike Lady of Winterfell. The Iron Throne will need an actress who can capture all of that when she walks onstage.

HBO

We know Maisie Williams can do all of that and so does George R.R. Martin. We also know she looks just like Arya’s aunt. If she were to play Lyanna Stark in the play it would be, as Martin said, “so much fun.”

If, somehow, that exact possibility is what Martin actually was teasing in his post, we’ll just have to hope we didn’t jinx it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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This $3 Million Dollar, Fully Functional Batmobile Is Ready to Help You Fight Crime

When it comes to having some cool cruising and crime-fighting gadgets and toys, Batman is really that guy. That’s the benefits of being super rich and deciding to use your free time to chase chaotic people around Gotham. While we love his grapple gun and Batarangs (what a fun word!), the Batmobile is undoubtedly the best of them all. We know this because, well, we ranked every single live-action Batmobile. Sleek with a few sweet tools, Batman’s ride rides low, moves fast, and sweeps around a corner like it is on rails. Now, thanks to Warner Bros, there is a limited-edition Batmobile that is fully functional and can be yours for a mere three million dollars. 

Warner Bros./DC

This vehicle is the latest and perhaps wildest release to celebrate 85 years of Batman’s existence. Here’s a more detailed description of the Wayne Enterprises Tumbler and info about the Batmobile in general: 

The Batman brand is the 10th most recognized trademark on earth. The human and aspirational nature of this character’s mythology resonates across generations, geographies, cultures and demographics. The term “Batmobile” was not applied to Batman’s automobile until Detective Comics #48, February 1941. Over the next 8 decades, the car has evolved into one of the most iconic and revered vehicles in motion picture history.

For the car nerds among us, this three million dollar, fully functional Batmobile boasts 6.2-litre LS3 engine from GM with 486FT lbs torque. It weighs 5,511 pounds and is slightly over 9 feet wide, so good luck getting that into a standard parking space. For comparison, the average car is about 5.8 feet wide and a semi-truck is 8.5 feet wide. I do imagine that anyone who can afford this vehicle would not take it for a quick spin to Target. If they did, they would have to contend with the police because while this vehicle is functional, it is not street legal.

Anywho, if you are that richy rich person I’m talking about, you can apply for your sweet new Batmobile here. You better move fast because there’s only ten of them! 

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WICKED Dolls Link to Adult Site on Box By Mistake; Good News for Site, Bad News for Barbie

Don’t be offended by our frank analysis, but the latest viral moment of the day is kind of a big oops. Wicked is all about going on an intense journey of self-discovery, but some fans may have been about to discover just a little bit more than they bargained for through their love of Wicked. On the back of Mattel’s latest line of Wicked fashion dolls, a misprinted link on the packaging sent folks to a porn site instead of Wicked the movie’s website, as no doubt intended. Alas, on the back of the Wicked dolls’ boxes, the following URL appeared, “www.wicked.com.” And though we won’t link to it as the dolls did, that friends, is absolutely a porn site and not a site intended to promote the Wicked movie. (Although if it had been, that would have been a marketing stunt of great audacity.)

Mattel accidentally released official #Wicked dolls that link to a porn site

The URL was supposed to be 'Wickedmovie' but instead just says 'Wicked' and leads to a site requiring users to be 18 or older pic.twitter.com/Zf0Oq73G7j

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) November 10, 2024

We just hope no one was changed for good by accidentally typing in the porn site URL provided to them by the Wicked dolls. Of course, in the age of the internet, a juicy mistake is often discovered quickly and cannot persist for very long. Mattel has already ordered a recall of the Wicked dolls with the mistaken copy and shared the following statement:

Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel ‘Wicked’ collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.

Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.

In the meanwhile, these porn-site Wicked dolls have become something of a collector’s item overnight. Hey, they are an Internet Item of the Moment TM, after all. They may be difficult to get at this point, but reports from fans indicate some Targets and other stores may still have them on the shelves. If you want to be part of the joke, you can try your luck on the shelves.

Universal Pictures

But ultimately, the true winners are the purveyors of wicked.com, who have seen their Google searches surge to a 12-year record high thanks to this mix-up. We guess sometimes it’s good to be wicked. And, while this might not be the kind of press Mattel wanted for its Wicked dolls, it feels fair to say, they are getting more attention thanks to this URL mix-up than they might have otherwise. Honestly, we’re just crossing our fingers that AI was at fault for this snafu. That would be iconic.

Wicked (the non-porn version) releases on November 22, and the non-misprinted versions of the Wicked dolls are available now.

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Quests N’ Answers | Inside Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode Ep. 9

Welcome to Quests N’ Answers, the companion series to Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode! ***Spoilers ahead for episode 9***

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Were-Tippy on an airship! Join Dan Casey, special guest Ify Nwadiwe, and cast members Amy Vorpahl, Jason Nguyen, and Danielle Radford as they take you deep behind the scenes of that thrilling aerial battle in Goblin Mode episode 9, “Turbulent Skies”

New episodes of Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode air every Monday on Geek & Sundry or wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/goblinmodepod

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at https://www.geekandsundry.com/!

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Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode is a Geek & Sundry production made in partnership with Realm.

Official camera partner: FUJIFILM USA — Visit https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com for more!

#goblinmode #geekandsundry #rpg #ttrpg #sagasofsundry

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Turbulent Skies (w/ Ify Nwadiwe) | Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode | Episode 9

What could go wrong when the Terror Squad gets their hands on an airship? It turns out quite a bit. Bizzee, Tippy, Fibs, and Captain Raetelg may have successfully saved Plixie’s life, but now they must contend with dark skies and ill omens. Plus, Tippy makes a choice that will change everything. Find out if they’re up, up, and away or if everything comes crashing down on the latest episode of Saga of Sundry: Goblin Mode with special guest Ify Nwadiwe (“Um, Actually”)!

Goblin Mode is also available wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/goblinmodepod

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at https://www.geekandsundry.com/!

Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: http://goo.gl/B62jl
Twitter: http://twitter.com/geekandsundry
Facebook: http://facebook.com/geekandsundry
Instagram: http://instagram.com/geekandsundry
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geekandsundry

Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode is a Geek & Sundry production made in partnership with Realm.

Official camera partner: FUJIFILM USA — Visit https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com for more!

#goblinmode #geekandsundry #rpg #ttrpg #sagasofsundry

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Deep Trouble | Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode | Episode 10

Not everything is better down where it’s wetter. The Terror Squad ventures 20,000 leagues under the sea to the Erndker Fathom in pursuit of their missing friends only to discover sinister cults, apocalyptic prophecies, and dastardly riddles. Are you also having flashbacks to the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time or is it just us? Find out for yourself in a brand new episode of Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode!

Goblin Mode is also available wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/goblinmodepod

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at https://www.geekandsundry.com/!

Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: http://goo.gl/B62jl
Twitter: http://twitter.com/geekandsundry
Facebook: http://facebook.com/geekandsundry
Instagram: http://instagram.com/geekandsundry
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geekandsundry

Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode is a Geek & Sundry production made in partnership with Realm.

Official camera partner: FUJIFILM USA — Visit https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com for more!

#goblinmode #geekandsundry #rpg #ttrpg #sagasofsundry

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