Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2052

How Lin-Manuel Miranda’s MARY POPPINS Character Is Like Dick Van Dyke’s Bert

The return of Mary Poppins in Disney‘s oh so aptly named Mary Poppins Returns means the nanny with the carpet bag that can hold everything is coming back and so is her world. That means we get more of the unique combination of odd and wonderful that arrive with Mary, and that means we get to interact with her acquaintances–who are anything but ordinary. In the 1964 film, Dick Van Dyke‘s Bert made for an amusing and peppy companion. In Mary Poppins Returns, Lin-Manuel Miranda is stepping into a similar role opposite of Emily Blunt‘s Mary.

Emily Blunt, @Lin_Manuel, and the cast of #MaryPoppinsReturns go up to the highest height in exclusive new photos: https://t.co/gxdu9NE9FF pic.twitter.com/tPmDlxfOCn

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 7, 2017

One of the first things we learned about his character, Jack, is that he apprenticed with Bert in his younger years. Jack’s a lamplighter, Bert was a chimney sweep (among other things)–it’s not a stretch. Entertainment Weekly (EW) spoke with Miranda on set and learned Jack, like Bert, knows what up. Miranda said, “The magical is commonplace, at least to a couple of people like Mary and Jack, similar to the way it was to Mary and Bert. It’s almost like, ‘Well, yeah, we’ll just jump into the painting and spend the day in the painting, because why wouldn’t we do that?’”

If you’ve read the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers–and you should because they are wild and bizarre–you know you have to kind of roll with whatever bananas activities happen. Mary lives in a fairy tale-esque world, and though Jack isn’t featured in those books and is a new character for the film, I can easily see him having the right kind of “I’m gonna go with the flow attitude,” just like Bert did.

Also, Van Dyke returned for a non-Bert cameo in the film, and Miranda was excited to be in a scene with him. You can read full details over at EW, but I just imagine Miranda’s reacting like this when he was in the same room with Van Dyke:

What do you think Jack will be like? Share your thoughts about and hopes for the character in the comments.

Featured Image: Disney, TBS/Team Coco

Mattel Reveals JUSTICE LEAGUE Movie Action Figures

Superhero movies that feature multiple heroes often feel–in a good way–like the film’s director is playing with action figures all over again, just on a much larger scale. In fact, for those of us who did grow up to study film, concocting elaborate scenarios with Star Wars figures was probably our first inkling of what it might feel like to direct, and the beginning of a lifetime of interest. So the toys matter. And now, for everyone aspiring to be Zack Snyder with an assist from Joss Whedon, we can see what Mattel has in store for Justice League.

Revealed via the movie’s Join the League website, these figures will join Mattel’s collector-focused Multiverse line, though it’s interesting to note that only Batman and Flash definitely appear to have ab-crunch articulation so far, indicating a smart case-by-case approach to pose-ability versus aesthetic (these are likely prototypes and subject to last-minute changes, however). Superman’s inclusion seems to indicate he’ll be back in his familiar costume, though of course toy lines can and have been deliberately misleading at times in order to conceal spoilers.

Multiverse figures usually come with a “Collect and Connect” piece of a larger figure or accessory; just as the Wonder Woman movie assortment let you build Ares, I suspect big bad Steppenwolf might come in that form this time around, but we haven’t had a good look at him yet. And there will be the usual lower-priced figures aimed at kids that emphasize action features and accessories over detail–the Batmobile looks to be scaled for a smaller figure (or possibly a non-removable one, as often happens), and the site also posted a brief stop-motion video of one of their basic Batmans in action:

As odd as the Flash’s costume aesthetic is, I think it works really well in toy form, which is probably no coincidence. And one big advantage toy buyers have over the actual movie directors is that we get the full costumes in hand, while on set there are often motion-capture suits and digital cape replacement.

Check out all the figures revealed so far in our gallery below. Which one’s your favorite? Unite your thoughts in comments below.

Images: Mattel/Warner Bros.

Darth Vader Gets Another Chance at “Noooo!” in New Marvel Comic

“Nooooooo.”

If you’ve seen the Star Wars prequels, I bet you just read that line in the style of Darth Vader‘s desperate yell. Just before he screamed the memorable word, he’d gone through a painful transformation to become more machine than man after a dude who was like a brother dismembered him and left him burning on an incline near lava. Oh, and he found out Padmé died. It was not Anakin Skywalker’s best day. The guy deserved an emotional goddamn outburst. In fact, at this point in Anakin’s journey, it would be weird if he didn’t react with a display of Feelings.

That said, I’ve never been a fan of the tone of the delivery. What should be an incredibly powerful moment, where the last vestiges of Anakin Skywalker fall away and he fully becomes Darth Vader, is cheapened by an almost comedic “Noooo.” But a new comic from Marvel gives a different look at Vader’s anger and despair.

As io9 brought to our attention, Vader gets another chance at “No!” in Darth Vader #1 by writer Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. The new series begins with Vader arising on Mustafar and talking to Palpatine. In the comic, I interpret Vader’s reaction as him realizing what he’s become in a physical sense and how it was out of his control, and he’s not super pumped about it. We get in his head and see him repeat “No.” He thought joining forces with Palpatine would give him everything he wanted, and he’s understandably ticked when he gets how he wrong he was.

He still gets an outburst, but it’s a firm and powerful “No” that knocks Palpatine off his feet instead of a caterwaul-like yelp. It’s more effective.

Also, I want to point out Palpatine talks to Vader about Padmé’s death and says, “But in her death, she has given you a gift.” Palpatine is referring to the pain Padmé’s loss brings and suggests Vader should use it. However, it makes me think of the fan theory that Palpatine takes the living Force from Padmé and uses it to help Anakin recover. That would be quite the gift.

Have any moments featured in Marvel’s Star Wars comics changed how you look at something in the films? Tell me all about it in the comments or come chat with me on Twitter.

Images: Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, Giphy

Let’s talk Last Jedi goodness!

A Livestreaming ZELDA Marathon Is Raising Money for Charity Right Now

In case you’re not aware, playing video games non-stop for days at a time, believe it or not, has been turned into a good thing. For example, Awesome Games Done Quick is a charity video game marathon, and at this year’s event, gamers and fans managed to raise over $2.2 million for charity. Stephen Colbert even got in on the action around this time last year, when he raced against a Super Mario Bros. 3 player and a track team (it makes sense when you watch the video, promise).

AGDQ may be the biggest video game charity livestream in town, but it’s not the only one bringing in big bucks for an important cause. Zeldathon is another major player: The event, which is like AGDQ but focuses on The Legend of Zelda games, has so far raised $1.5 million over 18 marathons, including upwards of $376,000 during the most recent event.

Is The Nintendo Switch Worth Your Money?

This year’s marathon, dubbed Zeldathon Wild, is live right now, and the cause this year is The WILD Foundation, which works to protect the environment. As of this posting, the event has raised over $89,000, so if you’ve been meaning to watch somebody who is probably better at games than you are play The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (which they’re doing right now) or a different Zelda title, this is probably the best possible way for you to do that.

Learn more about Zeldathon and how to donate at its website, watch the stream above (sorry for the autoplay video, by the way), and let us know in the comments which game you’re most looking forward to watching.

Featured image: Nintendo

Talking STAR WARS Stand-Alones, Super Nintendo World, DUCKTALES

Though much of the internet’s attention this afternoon has been acutely affixed on some pretty serious courtroom kerfuffles over in Washington D.C., there’s still plenty of nerd-friendly tidbits for you to sink your teeth into here in the safe space of Nerdist News Talks Back. Today’s episode will take host Jessica Chobot and her guests, Nerdist Senior Editor and The Dan Cave guardian Dan Casey and writers Joan Ford and Aliza Pearl all over the geekiverse, from Bespin to the Mushroom Kingdom to Duckburg to… well, Queens.

First up in Star Wars news, we delve into the hot topic of Donald Glover’s upcoming reinvention of the series’ beloved Lando Calrissian. In talking to Deadline, Glover himself had some interesting things to say about the character and his relationship with Han Solo, leading us to believe that we might see hints in the upcoming Lord and Miller-directed Star Wars film of the Cloud City schmoozer’s penchant for double-talk.

Speaking of stand-alone Star Wars movies, it won’t be long before Disney announces the next entry in their ever-expanding lineup. After Rogue One and the Young Han Solo film, where do we think–and hope–they’ll take the universe next?

Ditching hyperdrive spaceships for flying turtles, we set our sights on the new trailer advertising Universal Studios Japan’s new Super Nintendo World. Word has it that the attraction will feature something in the vein of a real-life Mario Kart experience, though whether we’re talking a controlled ride or a bona fide go-kart course is yet to be determined. What other corners of the Mario universe would we like to see take life in Super Nintendo World? And what about some less appreciated properties outside of Mario’s realm?

Earlier today, we caught wind of a few new details on the developing DuckTales reboot, which will center on a whole new set of adventures for Scrooge McDuck, his grandnephews, and a slew of other avian allies and adversaries. Joining old favorites will be a collection of revamped characters, including the Beagle Boys, Gyro Gearloose, and newcomer Mark Beaks: a Silicon Valley-esque inventor, played (appropriately) by Silicon Valley star Josh Brener. So what do we think about these new additions?

Finally, we’re impelled to take a long, hard look at ourselves for a Nerdist News segment that seems to have ruffled a few feathers. Yesterday, we tackled the controversial subject of Peter Parker’s new-and-improved webslinging device in Spider-Man: Homecoming. We may have gotten the technology a bit wrong, as a few commenters have pointed out to us. That said, no part of the episode was more hotly debated than Jess’… interesting laugh.

What do you think about future Star Wars stand-alones, potential Super Nintendo World attractions, new DuckTales characters, and Jessica Chobot’s laugh? Let us know!

Image: Lucasfilm

A Full Breakdown of How an ALIEN Xenomorph Would Wear a Hat

Sometimes LV-426 and LV-223 align perfectly, and the internet gives us something that feels like it was created solely for us here at Nerdist. For instance, the latest probing question to make its way across social media: How would the Alien movies’ notorious monster, the Xenomorph, wear a baseball hat?

How would a Xenomorph wear a hat?

The STRANGER THINGS Soundtrack Gets a Cassette Tape Release

At this point, we’ve pretty much run out of nice things to say about Stranger Things, so we’re going to re-hash an old point: The Netflix hit’s soundtrack, by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of synthwave group S U R V I V E, is pretty darn good. It perfectly captures the vibe of ’80s horror movies but in a modern way. We’ve already seen the show’s score released digitally, on CD, and on vinyl, and soon, it’s going to come out on the only format from the era that’s still around today at least in some capacity: cassette tape.

That’s coming out on July 14 via Lakeshore Records, and if you want to snag a copy for yourself, you’ll have to head to your local Urban Outfitters, because that’s the only place that’s going to be selling it. It looks like this release is going to be worth the trip, though, because it just looks so darn cool: Once you slide the cardboard slipcase off, the plastic cassette case looks like a VHS tape.

You remember, those things that used to get jammed in your VCR until you pulled them out and rewound the tape back in with a pair of scissors? The cassette itself is also a very slick-looking translucent red, so all in all, this is excellent packaging.

Check out the cassette artwork above, and let us know in the comments below what your favorite musical moment from the show is.

Images: Netflix, Lakeshore Records

Nerdist Podcast: T.J. Miller #3

T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley, Deadpool, Cashing in with T.J. Miller podcast) chats with Chris about how he deals with anxiety, the ways they both cope with being so busy and why he is choosing to spend more time on stand-up and with his wife. T.J. also talks about how he chooses his projects, they speculate why people believe things that aren’t true and he gives Chris a present! Make sure to watch his special Meticulously Ridiculous and his show Gorburger on Comedy Central!

Image: Tyler Ross

Spider-Man and Venom Go Head to Head in Inked Wednesday

If getting a full arm or leg tattoo isn’t your style, but you still want to have a few pieces of ink from your most cherished fandom, consider getting a matching set of tattoos. Ben V. took that tactic with his Marvel tattoos featuring Spider-Man and Venom. Each character gets an arm, and the similar style and artistry of the tattoos unites them.

Spider-Man and Venom (Marvel) | Source: Ben V., inked by Fernando Esnaola of Lost Souls Tattoo

They make quite a pair, don’t they?

Sling a web to the gallery below to see more examples of geeky tattoos, including a Chewbacca straight from Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, a colorful watercolor take on Majora’s Mask, a Magikarp from Pokémon, and more.

If you have nerdy ink on your skin or you’re a tattoo artist that applies pop culture, STEM, music, or other nerd-inspired ink (tl;dr: I want to see basically all of the tattoos) on a regular basis, then please hit me up because I’d like to highlight you in a future Inked Wednesday gallery. I’m especially interested if you have a sleeve or other large tattoo. You can get in touch with me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me photos of the tattoos you’d like me to feature (the higher resolution, the better) and don’t forget to let me know the name of your tattoo artist if you have it, as well the name of the shop he or she works out of. If you are the tattoo artist, give me links to your portfolios and/or Instagram accounts so I can share them with our readers.

Featured Image: Ben V.

Let’s Jam with This SIMPSONS/COWBOY BEBOP Mash-Up

The news that beloved anime series Cowboy Bebop is getting a live-action television adaptation has got us in a tizzy here at Nerdist HQ. There’s just so much we hope and fear when it comes to taking something that’s already perfect and doing anything with it—much less recreating it in live-action.

And while our own Kyle Anderson has already got some thoughts on what it needs and who should be in it, the news of the series has reinvigorated out Cowboy Bebop awareness and lead us to finding wonderful things. Like this mash-up of its theme song with The Simpsons‘.

That right there is quite possibly one of the best mash-ups we’ve seen in quite a while. YouTube’s Grayson D—who has the best timing in the universe for releasing this days before news broke about the series—combined the opening credits to the late 90s anime series with everyone’s favorite jaundiced family of Springfield.

Compare it to the original to see just how good it is:

What’s a bit odd is just how well footage of The Simpsons works when mixed into the Cowboy Bebop intro. Being on for decades lends itself to a hefty library of footage sure to have moments that match the original Bebop shots. Though, we’re surprised it includes that much Lionel Hutz and not nearly enough Stupid Sexy Flanders.

However, it might be that the distinct style of the credits sequence and the highly energetic theme song “Tank!” is just so good that it’d it’d work with any show. Oh man! Think we can make requests? Imagine Cowboy Bebop’d versions of The Office, Game of Thrones, or The Walking Dead!

What do you think of this mashup? Could Spike cut it in Springfield? Would Lisa and Bart make good bounty hunters? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Images: Grayson D, Gracie Films | 20th Century Fox Television