Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2046

The Killers Are Back with a New Single, ‘The Man,’ Album on the Way

It’s been a long time since we heard from Brandon Flowers and the rest of The Killers. Their last album, Battle Born, came out in 2012, and since then, we’ve been starved for new music from the group. That’s all about to change very soon, though, and in fact, it starts today. The band just announced that their upcoming fifth album is titled Wonderful Wonderful and they also shared the first single from it, called “The Man” (via Pitchfork).

Over the past few days, it was rumored that something was on the way thanks to, of all sources, an Australian rules football website, and now it has been confirmed. The new song is funkier and perhaps more dance-oriented than anything we’re used to from the group, but it’s a welcome change, like recent Arcade Fire but a bit more grounded. It’s a cracking comeback single that shows that the band has used its break from releasing albums wisely.

A press release refers to the “soon-to-be completed” album as “shaping up to be their most sonically forward-thinking record yet; an LP bursting with all of the blazing choruses and arena-filling anthems,” and based on the early returns, we’re totally buying it. If “The Man” is any indication of what the rest of the album will sound like, this is a comeback to look forward to.

Listen to “The Man” above, and let us know in the comments if you agree with us that it’s the right tune to introduce The Killers to 2017.

Featured image: Press Here

JOHN WICK Gets Its Own TV Show, Keanu Reeves Might Guest Star

In today’s Keanews, we have learned that John Wick will be getting its own TV show, tentatively titled The Continental, after Wick’s favorite hotel chain and home away from home. Sounds like it will be an HGTV classic!

Lionsgate has been developing the project with the franchise’s director Chad Stahelski and his writing partner Derek Kolstad who spoke with Indiewire about the television prequel to the John Wick film universe. The best revelation: Keanu Reeves could reprise his role as the titular character for a guest star appearance.

“I think he would make an appearance,” Stahelski told Indiewire. “I think that’s part of his thing, [but the series] isn’t centered around John Wick.”

So what is the show about? As a prequel, The Continental will delve into the seedy underbelly of the hotel chain whose clientele’s business is bloodier than your average white collar worker. It would revolve around a rotating cast of the hotel’s employees who have to deal with all manner of shady people.

Stahelski elaborated:“I like telling stories from my one character’s perspective. Once you put that aside with the TV show, [you can] expand to all the different characters and follow them throughout their journey. You can be with the consigliere, concierge, the sommelier — you can be with all these different characters and walk through the world in different aspects; ones that I’m a little limited [from exploring] by staying with my lead guy.”

Does this mean that John Wick now qualifies as an expanded universe? Will his pups be in the new storylines? If so, that’s the best (and I guess only?) Keanews we’ve heard all day.

Featured Image: Summit Entertainment

Our First Look at the Sea Creature from STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI!

Ever since we caught a fleeting glimpse of Luke Skywalker at the end of The Force Awakens, we’ve wanted to know more about Ach-To, the remote planet once home to the first Jedi temple. Later this year, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will offer up a more complete look at Luke’s home in exile, and it turns out that he may not have been alone on that island. Today’s Nerdist News is consulting our Holocron for the latest Star Wars scoop!

There are potential spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Last Jedi! This is not a drill, so consider yourselves warned.

If you’re still with us, then it’s time to join host and protector of the Hoojibs, Jessica Chobot, as she tells us all about the latest creature to inhabit the Star Wars universe. We’ve known since December that Luke was joined by the Porgs, an indigenous spices of bird creatures that are said to be a cross between a Puffin and a Furby. Porgs are supposedly the protectors of Ach-To, but it’s hard to see how…unless they’re getting help from another creature.

StarWarsNews.net posted the first look at a new sea creature from The Last Jedi, which appears to be a lot like Cthulhu by way of Dr. Seuss. Judging by the latest leaks and the commissioned artwork, it looks as though this is a practical effect puppet that will stand over nine feet tall. There have been rumorsRey will fight a sea creature in the movie, but is it this one? It seems pretty chill for a giant. If anything, we suspect that this character won’t be what they initially appear. For all we know, it could be one of Rey’s allies or even another mentor character.

What do you think about the latest addition to lineup of Star Wars aliens? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

3 Actors Who Should (And 3 Who Shouldn’t) Play Elon Musk in a Movie

As the site responsible for Muskwatch, a show dedicated to all things Elon Musk, we take reports about a potential movie about his life very seriously. This is a man who might end up being responsible for some of the greatest advancements in the history of mankind…if he isn’t really a super villain hell bent on world domination.

Either/or.

Since such a figure deserves the right actor to tell his story, here are three we think should play him in a movie, along with three who definitely should not.

SHOULD: The Doppelganger–Kevin Durand

Image: Image Entertainment

Is this a photo of Lost actor Kevin Durand or an exhausted Elon Musk? You sure? Willing to bet your life on it? No, you aren’t, cause these two look exactly alike.

SHOULD NOT: The “Real-Life” Tony Stark–Robert Downey Jr.

Image: Marvel

We get it, Elon Musk is our own version of Tony Stark. It’s a fun comparison, one that would immediately become super lame if a movie took it too literal.

SHOULD: The Voice–Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Image: Open Road Films

The South African-born Musk has a distinct accent, and the only person in Hollywood allowed to play real people with unique accents is Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

SHOULD NOT: The Genius Retread–Michael Fassbender

Image: Universal Pictures

Like Robert Downey Jr. this is another superb actor who they should stay away from. We love Fassbender, but we already saw him play a soft-spoken, technological genius. And just thinking about his Steve Jobs movie makes us feel like napping. (Obviously this goes for Ashton Kutcher too, but for different reasons.)

SHOULD: Top Choice–Matthew Broderick

Image: Universal Pictures

He doesn’t just look like him, he has the right demeanor to play him. Broderick is 10 years older, but is baby-faced enough to pull it off. And if Musk really is a mad genius and we can’t see it coming, who better to fill that role than the eminently likable Matthew Broderick whom everyone loves?

SHOULD NOT: Last Choice/Cancel the Movie Instead–Jesse Eisenberg

Image: Columbia Pictures

Enough. The Tracking Board says the Musk spec script on the market, titled The Man From Tomorrow, is drawing comparisons to The Social Network. So let’s preemptively say no to Eisenberg who has already played brilliant masters of industry with dubious morals–real and fake. Enough already.

Especially because if Elon Musk really is an evil genius, we bet his master plan makes way more sense than Lex Luthor’s in Batman V Superman.

But what do you think? Which actor should play Elon Musk? Which ones shouldn’t? Send a rocket with your thoughts into our comments section below.

Featured Image: Maurizio Pesce

Are underpants a capitalist conspiracy?

DEADPOOL Sporting X-MEN Colors is the Latest SDCC Exclusive

In the world of Marvel Comics, the eternal question has been this — is Deadpool an X-Man, or isn’t he? Well, he first appeared in the pages of New Mutants, which is an X-Men spin-off, and has been a member of X-Force on and off over the years. And because of these facts, his movie rights are tied up with the X-Men franchise.

But as to be an actual member of the X-Men, he’s only ever kind of/sort of been one. And the only time he ever wore the classic “Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters” colors of blue and gold was one time, when losing a bet to Wolverine and Beast in the Cable and Deadpool series several years back.

But now, for fans who prefer Wade Wilson sporting his best Xavier’s School pride, the folks at Mezco Toyz are giving fans the action figure of their dreams, with a newly announced One:12 Collective X-Men Deadpool Figure, which will only be available through the Mezco Toyz website, or the Mezco Toyz SDCC booth #3445.

The figure will stand at over 16cm tall, have two head portraits, a One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation, hand painted authentic detailing, and eight interchangeable hands. The costume will come with sculpted gloves on each hand, armbrace on each forearm, a harness with sculpted pouches, and sculpted boots.

As far as accessories go, Deadpool will come with  one machine gun with removable ammo clip and opening grenade chamber, four 40mm style grenades and four, throwing grenades, one katana with sheath, and one handgun with removable clip. Each figure is packaged in a deluxe, collector friendly box. You can check out all the images of the One:12 Collective X-Men Deadpool Figure down below in our gallery.

What do you think of this latest San Diego Comic-Con exclusive? Be sure to tell us your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Mezco Toyz / Marvel Comics

Talking E3 2017 Highlights, R-Rated MCU Film, Wonder Woman in JUSTICE LEAGUE

Alas, it is nearly time to bid adieu to E3 2017. But before we do, we here at Nerdist News Talks Back feel just jazzed enough by the bountiful revelations of this year’s convention to comb back through and pick out our favorite bits. Host Jessica Chobot will lead Nerdist Managing Editor Alicia Lutes, Science Editor Kyle Hill, and Associate Editor Kyle Anderson in a discussion of the most exciting prospects to come out of the latest Electronic Entertainment Expo, likewise what they’d like to have seen more of from the conference–hit us with some of your thoughts on the matter!

Moving onto matters of the big screen, the gang will discuss one thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to brave: an R rating. While Kevin Feige has newly said there are no plans to release an R-rated MCU film, he’s not writing off the idea as an impossibility. However, the next high-profile R-rated superhero flick on our radars, Venom, will be a Sony-only production, unlike its Spider-Man: Homecoming kin.

On the other side of the comic book fence, it seems that Warner Bros. is making use of the months leading up to Justice League to pump as much Wonder Woman into the picture as possible, even instituting reshoots to capitalize on the popularity of Gal Gadot’s Themysciran warrior. Does this make you more optimistic for the DC Comics team-up venture?

Turning our sights from DC future to DC past, we are faced today with remembering one of the most maligned entries in the superhero movie canon: Batman & Robin. So hotly despised is this movie that on the eve of its 20th anniversary, director Joel Schumacher came out and apologized for ever making it! The Nerdist News Talks Back team debates whether or not artists like Schumacher should be called on to “apologize” for their less reputable work, and perhaps even to defend some of his choices the Great Bat Nipple Fiasco.

Finally, a brand new look at the opening sequence from the rebooted DuckTales series. The team will weigh in with their own thoughts, but how about yours?

Let us know all your thoughts on E3 2017, an R-rated MCU movie, a Wonder Woman-heavy Justice League, and the legacy of Batman & Robin!

Image: DC

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II Makes Big Improvements on the First (Preview)

It’s no secret that despite receiving a good amount of hype, 2015’s Battlefront left Star Wars fans wanting more. It was so apparent that during the EA presser, CEO Andrew Wilson made a joke about taking to heart all constructive criticism they got regarding their first attempt. And let me just say, having gone hands-on with the multiplayer mode of Battlefront II earlier this week, this wasn’t just lip service. Here’s everything we learned.

Massive assaults

As soon as I jumped into a multiplayer session it was abundantly clear that we’d be seeing more variety out of this sequel than we ever did from DICE’s first attempt at Battlefront. There are now four new classes to choose from before heading into a fight: Assault, Heavy, Specialist, and Infantry. Each one of these classes includes its own special features, including sniper rifles or big-ass guns that can then be further customized (though we had to play with stock builds).

Once I chose my class and jumped in, I found myself in a massive map on Nebu as a member of the Separatist Droid Army. Our objective was to strike and infiltrate the palace while suppressing the Clones that were protecting it (the other team). This concept is not only cool, but also fits into the lore of the films–I can appreciate it not feeling like a random fight. With several choke-points, routes, and open spaces, I was effectively able to figure out different battle strategies. As the battle progressed more folk were flying around in aircrafts, while others either drove different vehicles or ran around as iconic characters, it felt like the ultimate showdown.

Once we breached the palace, the battles were much more condensed because of the smaller rooms we were running around. The match was over once the throne room was ours, and we came out with the W. I was pleased by the structure of the gameplay and the moment-to-moment choices I was given to control the battle. The gameplay is as tight if not tighter than it was in the 2015 release, while the customization was much better.

Battle points are battle-tastic

Another new feature that was added was the battle points, which can be used to unleash vehicles and champions like Darth Maul and Rey. This in-match currency is earned in a multitude of ways outside of just taking out your foes, giving the game a feeling of progression that was missing in the first. It’s an ingenious way to keep you engaged at all times, helping your squad in any way possible to get those sweet points. And the rewards are well worth it.

The champions require a lot more points than vehicles do, so you have an option to either wait to stack up your points for a bigger impact towards the end of the match, or you can spend them periodically to sway the match more subtly by controlling the battlefield with vehicles. It’s like being in an arcade all over again, trying to choose between spending your tickets for that instant gratification by grabbing the smaller candies or saving up to eventually get that one Power Rangers toy you’ve always wanted.

Merging the Star Wars eras

One of the coolest moments I experienced as a Star Wars fan was watching Darth Maul (the only good thing to come from the prequels) duking it out with the new saga’s badass saber-wielder Rey. It wasn’t scripted or anything, just an organic moment that made me squeal like the sad fanboy that I am.

DICE is very aware that Star Wars fans are now all ages and have grown up with different versions of the franchise, making it imperative to include characters from all the films—even the awful prequels. Why not use all of the Star Wars lore to make the best game possible?

Is it better?

We give credit where credit is due, and DICE and EA deserve praise for listening to fans, even if it took John Boyega to tweet about the lack of a single-player campaign to make it all happen. The gameplay mechanics were never the issue with the game; it was the lack of content that really turned people away from the title, and at least as of now, it appears like most of the issues have been addressed. The quality of the rest of the package will determine just how good the title is, but the potential is definitely there, especially since a single-player campaign will now be included.

How excited are you for this sequel? Is there anything missing from the game? Use your Jedi mind trick your thoughts into the comments section below!

Images: EA

Killing Nazis is Satisfying as Ever in WOLFENSTEIN II (E3 Preview)

Perhaps you’ve heard this story before: years after the Nazis successfully won World War II, a U.S. soldier wakes up to discover this hellish new world. It’s how 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order kicked off, revitalizing the classic shooter series, and the follow-up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus circles similar territory as it begins.

Okay, it’s not exactly the same. BJ Blazkowicz does wake up from a coma about ten minutes into the sequel, which was where our hands-on demo began, but this time he’s only been out a few months, not years. This directly follows the ending of New Order, which left BJ’s fate ambiguous; now we know that he survived and was eventually rescued.

Unfortunately, Nazis have found the resistance forces and taken over the U-boat, hampering a clean escape. Against doctor’s orders, the wheelchair-bound BJ grabs a gun and starts shooting, despite failing kidneys and rapidly draining health. The player’s health won’t stay above 50% during this time, so caution is necessary, as are the health packs scattered around the boat. When bullets alone can’t get the job done, the electrical traps set up throughout the level are ideal for turning clueless enemies into a fine red mist. If you thought shooting Nazis in the face was satisfying, just wait until you basically disintegrate them with the flip of a switch.

After wheeling his chair down stairwells and up conveyor belts, BJ is finally reunited with his lady love Anya (queue the awkward kissing animation), who’s now pregnant with twins. The happiness is short-lived, however, because outside they discover that the Germans have them trapped. The propaganda line from the enemy is that “Terror Billy” is a murdering terrorist, which is just a slight distortion of reality (not to mention ironic coming from a literal Nazi). In order to save his soldiers, BJ presents himself to the German leader Frau Engel, back from The New Order with a scarred jaw and even more contempt for people who don’t meet her distorted standards for humanity.

Engel is thrilled to have BJ in her possession, gleeful over his weakened condition and ready to broadcast it to the world. She viciously berates her own daughter for the terrible sin of being overweight and tries to force the younger woman to behead a resistance member. The demo ends there, a bit ambiguously; personally, we hope the younger Engel turns the axe on her mother, but I guess we won’t find out until October 27 when Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is released on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

As interesting as it was to decimate bad guys from the confines of a wheelchair, the demo didn’t give us a great sense of the overall story. It would’ve been nice to see some of the new characters shown off in the most recent trailer, but their absence didn’t make the gameplay during our 30-minute session any less fun. We’re eager to spend even more time with Wolfenstein II later this year.

How do you feel about Wolfenstein II based on what you’ve seen and heard so far? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Images: Bethesda

STAR WARS ADVENTURES Comics Will Start with Rey and Clones

IDW Publishing, you had me at Rey and clones. Okay, let’s be real. You had me at Star Wars.

The company teased their upcoming all-ages comic series Star Wars Adventures at Celebration Orlando, and they’ve just released creator and synopses for the first two issues to CBR. The canonical tales are set to feature characters from various points of the saga from the prequels to The Force Awakens era. It’s a big sandbox, and I’m glad they’re not being limited to the timeline around Episodes VII-IX.

Star Wars Adventures #1 will kick things off. Like all issues of Star Wars Adventures, there will be two stories. For the first and second issues, both stories are written by Cavan Scott with art from Derek Charm. Take a gander at the main cover:

Cover for #1 by Derek Charm

The design is all action and excitement, and I’m into the art style. It reminds me of Genndy Tartakovsky‘s Clone Wars series.

As for the story, we’ll see “Rey’s early adventures on Jakku as well as a comical tale of clone catastrophe.” I’m thrilled to see all the Rey, and I kind of expect it–she’s the current and beloved lead of the sequel trilogy. I’m not one hundred percent certain the clone catastrophe refers to clone troopers, but my fingers are crossed. We saw myriad tales about those characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and discovered how rich they were.

Cover for #1 by Eric Jones

We only know one of the stories for issue #2, and it involves the slimy Unkar Plutt. Rey gets stuck in a situation where she has to save him. And because she’s Rey and she’s kind, I’m sure she doesn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand.

See additional covers for the first and second issues of Star Wars Adventures at CBR.

Will you be adding Star Wars Adventures to your pull list this fall? The first issue is expected to arrive on September 6, with the second issue dropping on September 20. Take your speeder to the comments and let us know your thoughts on this new series.

Images: IDW Publishing, CBR

BLACK MIRROR Goes Low-Tech with a Short Story Collection

It’s no surprise that dystopian fiction has been on the rise lately. English anthology series Black Mirror was a bit ahead of the curve in that regard with its technophobic “Twilight Zone for the 21st century” feel. Now, series creator Charlie Brooker is editing the first of three collections of short stories that will reflect the TV series’ tone in what Brooker self-mockingly dubbed “high-tech ‘paper’ format.”

Brooker told EW, “Apparently, you just have to glance at some sort of ‘ink code’ printed on paper and images and sounds magically appear in your head, enacting the story. Sounds far-fetched to me, but we’ll see.” (Actually, it sounds a bit like the plot for a future Black Mirror episode taking place entirely in the protagonist’s head. Trademark that idea.)

Penguin Random House’s Del Rey imprint will release the trilogy opener in the States next February. That means that the next series of the TV show may drop before the book, giving us plenty of time to build anticipation.

We don’t have a list of contributors yet, but speculation is part of the fun. It’s highly possible Jesse Armstrong, the satirist behind the brilliant In the Thick of It and series one closer “The Entire History of You,” or Rashida Jones and Mike Schur, who penned the teleplay for series three’s “Nosedive,” could have a hand in the collection. Of course, there are countless other authors that would be a great fit for a techno-dystopian collection, from Margaret Atwood and Grant Morrison to Neal Stephenson and Ann Leckie. It’s all purely speculation at this point, but given how quickly we devour Black Mirror once it’s available for bingeing on Netflix, we can’t wait to get it on our bookshelf, too.

Whose take on the Black Mirror universe do you want to read? Let us know in the comments!

Image: Netflix