Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 208

4 Movies That Prove Animation Can be Scary Too!

Most people don’t think of animated films as the ones that make you shudder. But hear me out: some of the best horror and thrillers are animated because of the medium’s flexibility. Concepts like reality warping can take a lot of artistic liberty in animation. Auteurs really shine by showcasing specific styles, like claymation. To push my animation agenda, I thought I would compile a list of a few of my favorite scary animated films to keep you up at night.

Perfect Blue Madhouse, Inc.

Satoshi Kon directed Perfect Blue, which came out in 1997. Despite its release before I was born [Editor’s Note: this just made the rest of us feel like walking piles of dust.], it is incredibly relevant to today’s climate of fandom and female stardom. This film is not only, in my opinion, one of the best psychological thrillers or animated features of all time but also one of the best films of all time.

The film revolves around a former pop star, Mina, who quits her band to pursue acting. Some fans are not happy about this. Suddenly, the people working around her are ending up dead. Kon delves deep into stars, specifically female stars, searching for agency and how, even if you’re a celebrity, people expect to have a certain amount of control over you.

Obsession is a frequent theme in horror and thriller fiction. However, Perfect Blue showcases it in the most contemporary way: fan culture. Kon crafts hallucinatory, nightmarish visuals to critique today’s parasocial relationships and the need to establish boundaries between fans and celebrities.

Kon’s entire filmography is worth checking out, but Perfect Blue is one of his best for sure. It’s available to rent or buy on YouTube.

Coraline Focus Features

A fan-favorite of kids from the 2000s, 2009’s Coraline is a children’s animation film that still sends a shiver down my spine years later. Henry Selick directed the film and also directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.

Coraline is about the 11-year-old title character of the same name, who discovers a secret door that leads to an alternate world where her life is amazing. In order to stay in the other ‘reality’, she has to make a real-world sacrifice.

The scary part about Coraline is that her dream-like fantasy in the “Other World” turns into a very real nightmare. To be honest, I’m still shocked that this film is for kids and rated PG.

I don’t know what other kids’ films explore concrete fears like your parents’ inherent flaws, your own privilege, and how abundance comes with a steep price. Perhaps the scariest thing is that, just like Coraline, we can’t always distinguish between good and bad. It’s a lesson that still rings true as an adult.

Selick’s stop-motion masterpiece is stylistically brilliant in a way only animation can be, bringing exaggerated fairytale illustrations to the motion picture. Coraline is available to stream on Tubi.

The Wolf House Globo Rojo Films

The Wolf House, originally titled in Spanish La Casa Lobo, is a Chilean film by directors Cristobal León & Joaquín Cociña. Its animation is really special, using stop-motion, painting, and papier-mâché for this broken child-like look. Its premise is based on a true story about Colonia Dignidad, an isolated colony in Chile established by German immigrants after World War II. The closed-off community grew in infamy as reports of torture and criminal activity reached the outside. This led to authorities and the press labeling it a cult.

María, a girl from Colonia Dignidad, loses three pigs and faces punishment, prompting her to run away to an abandoned house in the forest. The film frames itself as a fairytale-like propaganda film used to indoctrinate people into a cult. The Wolf House is incredibly interesting, incorporating elements of the avant-garde and surrealism throughout the story.

I was the most petrified when I realized I had fallen for the propaganda. In the beginning, I thought the wolf (a stand-in for the cult leader) was evil. Then, as the film progresses, just like María, I began feeling like maybe the wolf was right. It’s really an allegory for how people can take advantage of other’s fears and brainwash them like real cults.

Using people’s fear against them is what horror films do, and society too, through advertisements, social media, the news, etc. It’s really a testament to our own self-agency. I mean, we all have free will….right?

I recommend reading about the history of Colonia Dignidad before watching the film, as understanding the place’s background provides helpful context for the story. The film weaves many nuances from Chilean history into its narrative. Even if the film can be hard to understand, it wholly conveys the scary sentiment.

The Wolf House is available to stream on Fubo and Hoopla.

A Scanner Darkly Warner Bros.

A Scanner Darkly is an unexpected deep cut from the filmography of the Before Sunrise trilogy and Dazed and Confused, director Richard Linklater. The film is an eerie animation starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., and Winona Ryder.

The film, released in 2006, uses the technique of Rotoscoping, where animators trace over live-action footage to create lifelike animation. This means the actors in the film visibly appear as their characters, as the footage is an animated version of their performance.

Beyond its unique animation, A Scanner Darkly delivers a riveting thriller as it follows Bob Arctor, an undercover cop in a future where much of America battles addiction to a hallucination-inducing drug. Arctor tries to immerse himself in the drug world to infiltrate the supply chain.

As Arctor gets more involved with the drug known as substance D, no one can differentiate the real from the fake. Everything causes paranoia since everyone in A Scanner Darkly uses scramble suits, hiding their real identity. This is really a demonstration of the more existent fear of not knowing people’s true intentions.

Neither the audience nor Arctor knows who to trust, and even worse, Arctor does the very thing he set out to stop. Arctor lives two different lives that begin to collide with one another, which is an experience relatable to many.

A Scanner Darkly is available to stream for free on YouTube.

Sony Pictures

There are so many more films I could talk about, from Phil Tippet’s incredibly terrifying and unsettling Mad God to another Satoshi Kon film, Paprika, which is the better Inception (or rather, Inception is the worse Paprika).

Yet, I digress. Animation often gets pushed into a category that limits it to children’s programming. I hope people begin to focus more on animation that uses its form to its full benefit. The benefit of embodying concepts that could never fully be expressed in our real world is too valuable to ignore.

The post 4 Movies That Prove Animation Can be Scary Too! appeared first on Nerdist.

Year-Round Halloween Horror at Universal Horror Unleashed

Four new haunted houses are coming to Las Vegas in 2025 as a part of Universal Horror Unleashed. The experience will mirror the haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights, but it will be year-round, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced.

Universal Destinations & Experiences

The immersive horror experiences will involve popular horror-based intellectual property. The four haunted houses will be Universal Monsters, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scarecrow: The Reaping, and Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer.

Three of the four haunted houses are based on specific film franchises. The odd one out, Universal Monsters, encompasses many different horror films that Universal Pictures produced in the first half of the 1900s. Films under this umbrella include Dracula, Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and The Mummy. There is a plethora of characters to pull from in this era.

Universal Destinations & Experiences

The haunted houses won’t be in isolation. The surrounding area of each haunted house will also offer an immersive experience with themed sections. Within the areas, live entertainment experiences are expected.

“Universal’s rich history in the creation of the horror genre drove our desire to bring a year-round horror experience to the incredible entertainment offerings in Las Vegas. We’re thrilled to have our award winning Creative and Entertainment teams working tirelessly to bring these terrors to life in 2025,” said Page Thompson, President of New Ventures for Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Universal Destinations & Experiences

Of course, if you’re spending so much energy screaming and your heart is racing, you probably want to recharge with some food. Guests of Universal Horror Unleashed can enjoy “eerie eateries and bars featuring horror-centric food and drink offerings,” according to a Universal Destinations & Experiences press release. The merchandise sold at the year-round horror experience will be one-of-a-kind, with seasonal events throughout the year.

Universal Horror Unleashed was first announced in 2023 as a part of Universal’s goal to introduce new ventures to reach new audiences in new markets. The experience will be one of the main focal points of the 20-acre expansion of AREA15, an immersive entertainment and events district in Las Vegas.

Universal Destinations & Experiences will release more information on the upcoming project through their website and their social media.

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Who Is Tommy, a.k.a. Speed, and Did He Appear in AGATHA ALL ALONG?

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Agatha All Along revealed the full backstory of Joe Locke’s character “Teen,” whom we now know is Billy Maximoff, a.k.a. Wiccan. And we also now know just what Billy was searching for at the end of the Witches’ Road—his lost twin brother, Tommy Maximoff. At the end of the series, he finds his brother’s wandering essence, helping guide him to a new body. But what do we really even know about his brother, Tommy? And who could he be in the MCU? First, let’s explore Tommy’s history in the pages of Marvel Comics, where he’s known as the super-fast superhero Speed.

Marvel ComicsTommy Maximoff Was Created from Parts of Mephisto by the Scarlet Witch

Like Wiccan, Speed’s origins began in ‘80s Marvel Comics. This was when husband and wife Avengers the Scarlet Witch and the android Vision moved to the suburbs and started a family, after Wanda magically gave birth to twins, William and Thomas. Eventually, West Coast Avengers revealed Billy and Tommy were only magical constructs, something Wanda subconsciously created from lost fragments of the soul of the demon lord Mephisto. They eventually disappear, with the witch Agatha Harkness wiping Wanda’s memory of their existence. WandaVision loosely adapted all of this.

Marvel Comics

The twins are more or less forgotten about for years in the comics. Then, the Scarlet Witch nearly decimated the Avengers in the 2004 event Avengers Disassembled, after Wanda lost control of her power. In the aftermath, the Vision activates a protocol to recruit new young heroes as the next generation of Avengers. Among those heroes is teenager Billy Kaplan, who could wield potent magical powers, and calls himself Wiccan. He turned out to be the reincarnated Billy Maximoff. But if Billy was reincarnated, what of his twin brother Tommy?

Tommy Maximoff Becomes Tommy Shephard, the Speedster Hero Known as SpeedMarvel Comics

After Billy helps form the Young Avengers, he sets out to find new teen heroes to join. He’s not specifically looking for Tommy, as he doesn’t really know he’s Wanda’s son at this point. He and his team find Tommy Shepherd, a teenager from Springfield, New Jersey. Unlike Billy, he comes from a broken home, and had a less ideal upbringing. He has super speed powers just like the Avenger Quicksilver, who is Wanda’s twin brother. After accidentally vaporizing his school when his super-speed powers emerged, he’s placed in a high-tech facility, a souped-up version of juvenile hall. There, he was subject to experimentations so nefarious forces could turn him into a living weapon. Luckily, the Young Avengers rescued him, and he finally met his brother Billy.

Young Avengers Speed and Wiccan Search for their Mother WandaMarvel Comics

Eventually, the two realized who they really are—the reincarnated souls of Wanda and Vision’s children. They keep the how and why of this rebirth vague in the comics. Did their souls go back in time, and then born to other parents? Or, as Wanda believes, did they take over the existing bodies of two American teenagers? In any event, Tommy Shepherd takes the name Speed, becoming a member of the Young Avengers along with his brother. The two teen heroes eventually reunite with their mother the Scarlet Witch in Young Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. An openly bisexual character, Speed briefly dated teammate Kate Bishop/Hawkeye and then later David Alleyne/Prodigy, a young mutant who also joins the team.

Marvel ComicsDid Speed Make His MCU Debut in Agatha All Along?

Tommy did not appear in Agatha All Along, but we do get more information about him. In episode 8 of Agatha All Along, Billy tells Agatha that he can sense this his brother is out there somewhere. Unlike Billy, his did not find a new home right away in a new body. However, in the final trial of the Witches’ Road, Agatha helped Billy find his brother’s soul in the ether, and guide him toward a new body.

Although the details are vague, Billy found a young boy with no one who cared for him. A young boy who was bullied. This child was tormented so badly by other kids, they actually drowned him. At the moment of this unknown child’s drowning, Billy guided Tommy’s soul into this new form. We just don’t know exactly where that new body is yet. But we know he’s out there somewhere for Billy to find. We suspect the singular voice of a boy crying out for his mother that Wanda heard at the end of WandaVision was Tommy, not Billy.

Marvel Studios

While Tommy in his new body might be an existing MCU character, we have a strong feeling Tommy Shepherd will be played by someone not yet seen in the Marvel films or series. One thing’s for sure: Speed absolutely will show up in the MCU sooner or later, leading us closer to a Young Avengers movie or series.

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Does Agatha’s Ending in AGATHA ALL ALONG Line Up with Her Marvel Comics Storyline?

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At the end of Agatha All Along, after a telepathic connection with Billy Maximoff, Agatha Harkness chooses to surrender to Death at last. Kissing her ex-lover Rio Vidal, a.k.a. Death, her body instantly decays and goes into the ground, after several centuries of living. However, that is not the end of Agatha Harkness on this plane of existence. She pops up again in the final episode, now as a white-haired ghost. So how does this all match with her comic book counterpart’s history? Actually, it matches rather well, and hints at greater things to come for her.

Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics Agatha Harkness Was Originally an Old Crone WitchMarvel Comics

In the original Marvel Comics, Agatha Harkness was less a devious villain and more a mysterious presence in the lives of the Fantastic Four. She first appeared as an elderly witch, illustrated in the “Old Crone” cliche. She wore Edwardian clothing and was always stroking her pet black cat, Ebony. In the ’70s era of Marvel Comics, she not only babysat for young Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four, but also tutored Wanda Maximoff in the use of true magic. When Wanda realized her children Billy and Tommy were magical constructs, it was Agatha who wiped her mind of any knowledge they ever existed.

Agatha Goes From Old Witch, to Ghost, to Young New BodyMarvel Comics

Years later, Wanda discovered she once had twin sons. Learning this sent her into a rage. She was furious that Agatha and her fellow Avengers hid the truth from her. Losing control of her powers, she presumably killed Agatha, keeping her decaying body in her home. When Nick Fury found her corpse, he surmised that Agatha had been dead for a very long time. But that wasn’t the end of Agatha Harkness. She reemerged as a ghost, after the Scarlet Witch had found redemption. She guided her on the Witches Road, mentoring her again, only in spectral form. Later, Agatha gained a new mortal body, much younger, with jet-black hair and a white streak. This was thanks to the witch Natalya Maximoff, Wanda’s mother.

Marvel ComicsMCU Agatha Now Resembles Her Classic Marvel Comics Incarnation

So how does the MCU version of Agatha line up with her comic counterpart’s destiny? The two versions of the character began to resemble each other much more at the end. Like her comic book version, MCU Agatha also died, but stuck around in this plane as a ghost. In fact, Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha in her ghostly form has white hair, just like the original Jack Kirby comic book design. And Agatha now seems ready to mentor Billy Maximoff in this new ghostly form. This is very similar to what she did for his mother Wanda in the comics.

Marvel Comics/Marvel Studios

One thing that hasn’t happened, at least not yet, is that Agatha Harkness in the comics has a new flesh-and-blood body. Meanwhile, MCU Agatha is obviously still a ghost. Funnily enough, Agatha in the comics was given a new younger body with black hair after Kathryn Hahn made that version of the character so popular in WandaVision. Now comic book Agatha looks more like Kathryn Hahn, while the actual Kathryn Hahn looks more like her original comic book appearance. (So much for corporate synergy). But who knows what happens next? Perhaps Agatha could return to mortal life and the comics and MCU versions will truly align. We just hope whatever that project is, it happens soon.

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NEW FEAR UNLOCKED Productions Is Ready to Serve Fans Black Horror Stories

Over the past few years, Black horror films have begun to dominate the genre’s overall landscape. The resounding success of Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2012) opened the mainstream floodgates for more scary narratives with Black people both in front of and behind the camera. From comedic films like The Blackening (2023) to downright slasher-inspired remakes like Candyman (2021), there’s a wide scope of stories infused with the standard elements of horror while offering new context through Black perspectives. Indie filmmakers continue to fill the many gaps left in this space with wildly creative offerings, like Moon Ferguson’s chilling Criblore, A Horror Anthology (2023), which plays on common archetypes like the neighborhood “candy lady.” But, as always, there’s plenty of room for more spine-tingling, blood-splattering, laugh-inducing, and stomach-churning stories to entertain the horror aficionados of the world.

Confluential Films

That’s where Confluential Films comes into play. The company, led by award-winning filmmaker and creator Tommy Oliver, is know for films like the romantic thriller The Perfect Guy (2015) and stirring documentary 40 Years a Prisoner (2020). Now, Confluential is stepping to the dark side with New Fear Unlocked Productions, its genre label dedicated solely to Black horror. We spoke with Tommy Oliver about his formative experiences, creating Confluential and New Fear Unlocked, and the upcoming horror flick Goons, which will launch his company into uncharted waters.

Nerdist: Before we get into your current creative endeavors, I want to go back to your childhood. What were some of the stories and films that shaped your formative experiences?

Tommy Oliver: I watched and read a lot, and it was all over the place… I grew up in the hood in Philly, so there were certain types of projects that we watched and things that we cared about. There were also things that we just didn’t know about. My favorite movie growing up was probably The Lion King. I love that movie, but I watched everything from Goonies to stuff like Short Circuit, which was really fun.

As I got a little older, I got into Boyz In The Hood, The Wood, and The Best Man and Malcolm X. I remember getting into [Stanley] Kubrick, too. I had never seen a Kubrick film, and one came on TV at maybe 11PM and it was A Clockwork Orange… I was mesmerized and watched the entire movie. This was during the time when DVDs and box sets were big, so I bought Kubrick’s entire collection and went through every single movie. 

That’s a wide variety of interests and your list is so indicative of the Black Gen X and Millennial experience. We grew up with so many things that told our stories but also found joy in a lot of films didn’t have us in them at all. I love that you had some horror and thriller leaning interests. I’m a horror lover, a for real monster kid. 

Oliver: My family didn’t really like [horror] movies, so I’d watch them by myself. I’d either get a VHS or they would just be on TV, like A Nightmare on Elm Street. And I remember Freddy Krueger doing his thing and being wacky, but it was so much fun. But I was never scared of horror movies. I enjoyed them. I was nine years old, turning the lights off in the bathroom and saying “Candyman, Candyman…” 

Victoria Kovios

That is wild behavior but I love it. So was there anything you watched specifically or something that happened that made you decide to pursue a career in filmmaking? 

Oliver: I was always naive enough to think that film and TV and entertainment has the ability to inform the way people see the world, to make them think about something different or even just to not allow them to think about real life for a bit and just be a piece of entertainment for two hours until you go back to real life. And so it was just loving the experience of going to the movies to see stuff like The Fast and the Furious and The Matrix and what that felt like… I was drawn to the idea of being able to tell stories that centered Black people… I like to connect with people and see us in ways that are rooted in who we really are.

It must be a wonderful thing to give others that same feeling of escapism but also be able to do that by telling our stories in an authentic way. You don’t always see people who look like us and when you do, they’re not always depicted in an authentic nor respectful way across many genres. I’m glad to see you counteracting that with Confluential Films. What are the goals and aspirations you had when you first founded the company?

Oliver: Confluential was very much the confluence of our entertainment business and cultural specificity. I wanted it to be about telling stories that we can be excited about and be proud of that are done with us in front of and behind the camera, and in a way that is commercially viable. If we’re not making stuff that actually works, we don’t need to keep making stuff.

Absolutely. So when you’re partnering with a creative, what are some of the parameters or things that you’re looking for in a story to ensure that it aligns with your brand?

Oliver: That’s an interesting question, especially in terms of our brand. I had to define the brand, it’s very much about things that center us in ways that are authentic, and that’s broad. Goons is our first horror movie and if you looked back on the things that we’ve done before, you wouldn’t think it fits the brand, but it does! It’s coming from a creator who loves horror and I appreciate horror… our brand is being good partners to people who have the experience and the desire and the passion where we can work together to be able to figure out how to elevate a story to its best version.

I’m glad that you are widening out that scope to horror because it is such a varied landscape with many subgenres to explore through a Black lens. And that’s why I was so excited when I heard about New Fear Unlocked, your genre label under Confluential designed just for Black horror. How will projects under that label bring something fresh to the landscape?

Oliver: There’s so much fertile ground because there’s not enough movies that center us and are made by us in a commercially viable way. There’s an audience that is significantly underserved, and finding voices that we can develop stuff with and support will allow us to tell culturally specific stories with purpose. Goons is Black on purpose and it is fun. 

I am very intrigued by Goons. The cast that’s been announced so far is great and I’d love to hear more about that film. What can you share with us?

Oliver: Goons is fire! It really is. I’m so excited for audiences to see this film. It is a proper slasher and it really goes there from the very first scene. Like you said, we’ve got an incredible cast with Michael Rainey, Jr., Chole Bailey, YG, Tyler Lepley, J. Alphonse Nicholson, SteVonté Hart, and Serayah McNeill. [Director] Gerard McMurray did his thing, he’s a bonafide horror lover and wanted to make something that was a love letter to the audience and those who enjoy these kinds of things unapologetically. He wanted to make a fun, enjoyable slash event. From the kills to the score… all of it really came together in an exciting way. This movie’s going to do some stuff next year.

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SQUID GAME Season 2 Trailer Brings More Risky and Deadly Scenarios

Netflix’s Squid Game became an absolute sensation in 2021. The show’s intense tragedy and heart-pounding suspense made for an explosive mix that captivated viewers. We learned earlier this year that Squid Game would return for season two in 2024. Now, thanks to a new Squid Game season two date announcement, we not only know that it is returning on December 26 but will also get a third and final season next year.

The show’s director, writer, and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote this letter to fans:

It’s been almost three years since Season 1 was met with incredible response around the world and many unimaginable events took place. I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for Season 2 and share the news of Season 3, the final season. On the first day we began shooting Season 2, I remember thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m back in the world of Squid Game.” It almost felt surreal. I wonder how it will feel for you to be back in Squid Game after three years, as well. Seong Gi-hun who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1 returns and joins the game again.

Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year. I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story. We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride. I hope you’re excited for what’s to come. Thank you, always, and see you soon, everyone.

Squid Game Season Two Teasers, Trailers, and Images

Behold, a season two trailer for Squid Game gives us all the wild action we can handle.

The new season two clip for Squid Game is short but brings us up to speed with this season’s players. We are three years ahead in time and Player 456 is back in the game.

Netflix previously debuted the first clip from Squid Game season two, as well as first-look images and a brief synopsis of what’s to come.

Netfflix shares of the Squid Game clips, “A heart-pounding clip from Season 2 also debuted in the “Next on Netflix” trailer… showing Gi-hun making a critical decision. Portrayed by Lee Jung-jae, who won ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ at the 74th Primetime Emmys, Gi-hun abandons his US plans after a mysterious call and embarks on a chase with a motive.”

That doesn’t sound like a super great idea, but we guess we’ll have to wait and see. Netflix also offers of the show, “The new season will also welcome other beloved characters back like Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and Recruiter (Gong Yoo). Adding to the intrigue, a new character played by Park Gyu-young makes her debut, sparking curiosity about the new character.”

You can check out season two looks at these new and old Squid Game characters below.

Click To View Gallery Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix What Is the Release Date for Squid Game Season Two?

Squid Game season two will release on Netflix on December 26, 2024 with a third season coming next year. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what the next chapter of the show has in store. Hopefully, it won’t make us cry too much.

Originally published February 1, 2024.

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WELCOME TO DERRY Reveals First Look Images From IT Prequel Series

Stephen King’s IT has haunted us since 1986. But most recently, IT and IT: Chapter Two directed by Andy Muschietti really captivated popular imagination. The devious Pennywise and his red balloon caused a stir among die-hard horror fans and casual viewers. And now, we’re heading back to Derry for more of that specific world. The has officially greenlit and ordered Welcome To Derry, an IT prequel series from Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. And now we know who will star in Welcome to Derry and when it will arrive on our screens. We even have our first look at the series thanks to some new images from Max.

Click To View Gallery Max Max Max Max Max Max

Welcome to Derry was also part of a Max sizzle reel for upcoming properties earlier in the year.

The footage of Welcome to Derry is brief, but it does tease us with an ominous red balloon. It also confirms that although the Pennywise series was slated for a Halloween 2024 release on Max, the series will officially be released in 2025.

Max

So far, we know that Welcome to Derry‘s cast will include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. According to Deadline, Madeleine Stowe and Stephen Rider have also come aboard in recurring guest and series regular roles, respectively.

Welcome to Derry.

Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, and Chris Chalk have been cast to star in the Max Original Series and prequel to the IT films, coming in 2024 to Max. #WelcomeToDerry #ITSeries #ITMovie 🎈 #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/wnX3YTIB21

— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 12, 2023

According to TV Line, Andy Muschietti will also direct several episodes of the series, including its first. The publication reports the HBO IT series will be set in the ’60s. It will delve into the origins of Derry’s curse and, presumably, Pennywise the Clown. The HBO Max show will eventually lead to the first IT film.

Paramount Pictures/A24/Fox

It’s not clear whether we’d see Pennywise become the main character of the Welcome to Derry prequel show. But we are excited to see Bill Skarsgård step into the role once more.

Warner Bros.

We’ll just have to see what else lies in store for Pennywise and Derry.

Originally published on February 23, 2023.

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AGATHA ALL ALONG Reveals What Really Happened to Nicholas Scratch

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Agatha All Along’s final episode took us to the end of the Witches Road but also back in time. We went to Salem in 1750 to discover more about Agatha’s life and her relationship with her son Nicholas Scratch. Predictably, it was a sad story that explains why she’s such an agent of chaos in the present day. Here’s what really happened to Nicholas Scratch in Agatha All Along and how it affected this entire journey down the Road. 

Agatha is alone in the woods and gives birth to a baby boy. Shortly afterward, Death arrives to claim her son Nicholas. She begs her lover not to take her son and Death agrees to offer more time. Agatha wants to know how much more time but Death leaves before answering. She lives with this looming fear that Death will take her son. As he is born, she recites the line, “I spoke no spell. I said no incantation. You… You I made from scratch.” 

Marvel Studios

This explains the Nicholas Scratch moniker, but also presents two possibilities about how Nicholas came to be. This could be taken as Agatha had a natural born child with a man, which isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. He doesn’t exhibit any clear powers and ends up being rather sickly. Even comic Nicholas Scratch doesn’t have an identified father. But there’s also the chance that Agatha, a powerful witch, crafted her son from nothing, much like Wanda did in WandaVision. That would be another source of connection between the two. 

Either way, Agatha and Nicholas begin this long process of killing witches. He provides the setup, which we see when he steals and sings songs, particularly a little tune that eventually turns into the Witches’ Road theme song. And Agatha absorbs their essence. When he asks why they do it, she says it is to survive and says that they cannot live among the witches because they will try to kill them. It’s an odd explanation that doesn’t fully answer why she does it.

Perhaps it is because she hopes to be powerful and protective enough to keep her son from a sad fate, even though she knows it probably won’t work. But, there’s also a chance that she thinks those deaths will somehow keep Death fed enough to leave her son alone. It seems to work for a while, until Nicholas decides one day to not go along with killing witches. Death comes for him that very night and Agatha is devastated. That Three of Swords tarot card really defines her guilt of being powerful enough to do magic and kill others but not enough to save Nicholas. 

Marvel Studios

But a young woman who heard the song comes to her for help to see the fictional Road. So Agatha comes up with a whole new ruse to take witches spirits/essence by gathering covens to go on the Road only for it to not exist. She’s able to get away with this for centuries as the legend persists, and even told Billy that was her intention when they gathered in her basement. But that time, Billy was powerful enough to actually craft a Road, just like the magician he is. 

Agatha eventually gives herself to Death but her ghost lingers, afraid to go to the other side and face her son. So she becomes the ghostly guide for Billy to help him find his brother, whose soul is in a boy somewhere in the world. Maybe one day Agatha will be able to reunite with her son on the other side.

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Janelle Monáe Dresses as E.T. for Halloween, Creeps Everyone Out

Some celebrities really don’t fool around when it comes to their Halloween costumes. Folks like Megan Thee Stallion in her Starfire costume come to mind. But right up there with Megan is singer Janelle Monáe, whose Halloween costumes over the last few years have been incredible. She first made news for her Halloween ensemble in 2018, as Batman villain Two-Face. Since then, she’s been the Grinch, a version of Frankenstein, The Fifth Element’s Diva Plavalaguna, and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. But this year, she topped all her previous costumes, portraying a disturbingly screen-accurate version of E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.

Janelle Monae as E.T. for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/FnehYQjpWr

— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) October 30, 2024

Monáe debuted her creepy yet incredibly detailed E.T. costume on the October 30 episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. The singer and show host was both impressed and noticeably creeped out. In a photo shoot that Janelle Monáe shared on social media, she showed that not only did she do E.T. cosplay, but she also dressed up for some photos as E.T.’s best friend, Elliot. She recreated that iconic “flight against the full moon” scene from the 1982 Steven Spielberg classic. That scene, interestingly enough, takes place on Halloween night. So while E.T. might not be a horror character, he certainly counts as a Halloween icon.

Warner Bros. Television

In the Instagram caption, Monáe wrote “You finally came home. Welcome back E.T. Thank you Google Maps. Starring yours truly as both E.T. & Janellllliott.” Aside from elaborate costuming, the Grammy-nominated actor/singer just loves the spooky season overall. She even had her own attraction at this year’s Los Angeles Haunted Hayride this year, called Monáe Manor. And she was the host of the annual FearFest on AMC, showing her love for all things horror and macabre. Right now, it may seem like her E.T. costume will be impossible to top, but we have a feeling that next year, she somehow will find a way.

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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE’s Dafne Keen on Her Favorite Deleted Joke

Hugh Jackman wasn’t the only hero from Logan to make their MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine. His young co-star Dafne Keen also joined him in the Void for some multiverse fun. What was it like to not only team-up with Jackman again but to also work with so many other famous faces? Nerdist asked X-23 herself about that when we got to talk to Keen ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine upcoming arrival on Disney+. We also wanted to know what Wesley Snipes is really like, her favorite moment that didn’t make it into the movie, why it wasn’t so bad being the only character not wearing a super suit, and more.

Marvel Studios

Nerdist: What was the best thing you filmed that didn’t end up in the movie?

Dafne Keen: I’m so happy you’ve asked me. No one’s asked me that. I was quite excited I had a funny joke and they cut it out. Maybe I just wasn’t funny, but I got to say something snarky to Ryan. He was saying something about Magneto’s helmet. He was like, “We can convince Cassandra.” And I got to turn to him and say, “Holy shit, I have shoes smarter than you.” That was really exciting but they cut it.

It’s actually good, because it works (Laura’s) quiet because she’s a quiet character. She did not mean to be saying funny lines, but it was fun to say it to Ryan. I had a great time.

What’s the funniest thing that happened on set while making Deadpool & Wolverine?

Keen: Honestly, any interaction between Ryan and Channing Tatum was the funniest thing. Ever. Because all of that sequence in the cave, from what I remember, is mainly improv by them. We’re all just kind of watching in awe as these two comedic geniuses, comedic titans, are coming up with this incredible, genius, comedic rapport. That was very, very enjoyable for us.

Marvel Studios

Could you understand what Channing was saying?

Keen: Like 20% of it. Not really. I’d ask him after takes. I’d be like, “What did you say” And he’d say, “Oh, dat dat dat dah.” And I’d be like, “Okay, sure. No, you didn’t. But okay.”

It’s insane, I think when it was lines that were scripted, after like six takes, I’d be like, “Oh, I could see how that could….” But it would take me a few takes to figure it out for sure. Not the first try.

I have to ask this question: What was it like working with Wesley Snipes?

Keen: Iconic. He’s probably the most iconic person I’ve ever met. He would come to set, he’d be completely quiet. The only the only reason he wasn’t quiet was because he figured out I spoke Spanish and he speaks pretty good Spanish. So sometimes he’d chat to me in Spanish. He’ be completely quiet, and then he’d suddenly drop the craziest Hollywood bomb. Then he wouldn’t acknowledge it, and I’d be like, “Sorry?” And he’d just be in his own world. It was hilarious.

It was also insane watching him do all his stunt work. Probably one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. He was so casual. We were all really stressed about it, and he was like, “Whatever.” It was insane. It was amazing.

You’re still really young, but you were just 11 when you filmed Logan. What was it like playing Laura now when you’re a little bit older and more experienced?

Keen: It’s kind of terrifying. When you do something as a kid it comes out in a really natural way. You don’t really have to even think about it. And when I played Laura (in Logan), even though I prepared for it a lot, it was such a natural kid process. Then when I was asked to come back as a semi-grown up, because I didn’t think I have grown up, you kind of freak out you won’t be able to emulate something that came so easily to you at 11.

So I was really terrified of that. And the way I managed to do it was I just I just put in a bunch of work on the physical side. I did as much stunt training as I possibly could. I’d come in on days I wasn’t working. I’d practice at home. I would practice in my garden. And then I honestly think it’s all Hugh. Working with Hugh again, felt like no time had passed. I honestly felt like we’d wrapped Logan on a Friday and we were now filming (Deadpool & Wolverine) on a Monday. It was crazy. It was really, really beautiful.

20th Century Studios

Speaking of him, what’s something about Hugh Jackman you learned working with him this time around that maybe you didn’t know or appreciate before?

Keen: We had a lot of fun on Logan, but (Deadpool & Wolverine) was such a funny set, and I always thought he was funny, but Hugh is a hilarious person. And I don’t think I realized just how hilarious he was before because he was making jokes that, as a kid, go over your head. This time around I was like, “He’s funny. He’s a funny, funny guy.” Cool guy. I love him.

Marvel Studios

Everyone else got to wear a comic accurate costume except for you. Any resentment about that and did you demand Marvel rectify that in the future?

Keen: Yes. :smiles: No, honestly, I really wanted a suit. I think it’s really cool we went with jeans and a top. I felt I felt a bit left out in the beginning, and then when we got to set and they were all really uncomfortable in latex and corsets and things I was having a great time in jeans and a top and a backpack. So I was very chill with my costume. I was like, “Great. Sick.”

And to be fair they were nice. They did give me an X-Men belt, so I was quite happy about that. I got a little X-belt, and I was like, “You know what? This is kind of my suit. And I got my sunglasses, so I’m not complaining.”

If Marvel wants to bring me back in jeans and a top, I will not complain. I’ll come back in it. I can come back wrapped in toilet paper, and I’ll do it. I’ll do anything for them. Happily.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who also could only understand 20% of what Gambit said. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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