Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 223

Reebok Releases UNIVERSAL Monsters inspired Shoe Collection

Shoe brand Reebok is releasing a new Halloween-inspired collection in collaboration with Universal Monsters called “Boktober.” The collection includes five different styles of sneakers, each taking style inspiration from a different Universal monster. The iconic creatures represented in the collaboration are Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Wolfman.

Reebok x Universal Monsters InstaPump Fury 94 Mid Shoes

The InstaPump Fury 94 Mid Shoes pay homage to the film Creature from the Black Lagoon’s monster, the Creature, also known as Gill-man. This particular shoe in the collection actually marks the 70th anniversary of Creature From the Black Lagoon and the 30th anniversary of Reebok’s Instapump Fury. A muddy algae-like print covers them. Parts of the shoe mimic the moss found where Gill-man lurks. The bottom of the InstaPump Fury has a reptile-like pattern. The Creature’s shoe will retail for $220.

ReebokReebok x Universal Monsters Pump TZ Basketball Shoes

The Pump TZ shoes are cleverly based on one of the most recognizable monsters of all time, Frankenstein, who is about to make a cultural resurgence with the upcoming film Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Artifical glue staining appears on the shoe, along with decorative stitching and metal hardware to look like the metal staples and bolts on Frankenstein. A translucent aged rubber outsole gives the shoes a worn-in look. The shoe retails for $180.

ReebokReebok x Universal Monsters BB 4000 II Basketball Shoes

The BB 4000 II shoes are based on everyone’s favorite vampire, Dracula…Okay, maybe not everyone’s favorite, especially when Mavis from Hotel Transylvania exists. But definitely the most famous one that started the vampire cultural phenomenon. The shoe is made from patent leather that can actually shift colors from the deep dark red/black above to a bright blood red when it ages. The shoe’s tongue and sock liner feature Dracula references. On the sole, it appears like its wearer has stepped into a puddle of blood. The shoe retails for $130.

ReebokReebok x Universal Monsters Club C Megacourt Shoes

The Club C Megacourts are inspired by the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, which was the sequel to Universal’s original Frankenstein. The shoelaces are a nod to the bride of Frankenstein’s legendary hair, appearing distressed and two-toned with white and black. There are also white decorative stitches throughout the shoe, evocative of the stitching on her face and white bandages. The shoe’s sock liner features a callout to its inspiration. The shoe retails for $120.

ReebokReebok x Universal Monsters Club C Bulc Shoes

The Club C Bulcs are based on Universal’s 1941 film, The Wolfman, which features the werewolf as its principal monster. The entire upper of the shoe is covered in a hairy suede that is similar to the Wolfman’s fur in the film. Akin to other shoes in the collection, the sock liner has the movie on it. Meanwhile, the tongue is distressed with scratch marks, and there are blood stains on the lining of the shoes. This shoe retails for $120.

With all these shoe options, it’s impossible to decide which one is best, but any pair would be a part of the perfect outfit for a Halloween movie marathon or running away from everything at Universal Horror Nights. The Universal Monsters x Reebok collection will be available on Oct 11 at 10 AM EST at Reebok.com and select retailers.

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NINTENDO Has a New Product and It’s an…Alarm Clock?

In an unexpected turn of events, Nintendo made an alarm clock. Yes, you read that right. It is an alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning. However, in a Nintendo twist, they are gamifying everyone’s least favorite process to start the day with the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo.

Nintendo

The new Alarmo is not your standard alarm clock. Instead, it features interactive alarm sounds that change depending on your movement in bed. Nintendo’s Alarmo does not just use game soundtracks to wake people up. There is a combination of music and game sound effects that are amplified by the clock.

Upon release, five different games will be used for sounds: Super Mario Odyssey, Pikmin 4, Ring Fit Adventure, Splatoon 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. An example of some of the stuff you can hear is ink splats from Splatoon 3, like you’re battling as you shift around in bed. Or the sound of collecting coins in Super Mario Odyssey. Each game mode has seven different alarm sounds, which Nintendo calls “scenes.”

Nintendo

The sounds start off as pleasant, then become more urgent the longer you stay in bed and don’t get up. When you finally wake up, Alarmo rewards you with a cheerful tune to start your day off right. And how does it know if you’re in bed or not?

Well, Alarmo uses motion sensor technology that tracks your movements in bed, allowing you to snooze or turn off your alarm without touching it. Since the motion sensor captures your movement, the in-game sounds respond directly to your actions.

Nintendo

Besides waking someone up, Alarmo can also help you sleep, playing more calming game-inspired sounds to help wind down. Additionally, the clock keeps records of your sleep logs and movement in bed that you can look back on whenever. Alarmo also has a feature known as “hourly chime,” where a Nintendo character will signal a new hour has started.

Alarmo can be connected to the internet to receive free updates on alarms, with them potentially adding more games in the future. The announcement video hints at this when they show the covers of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing.

The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo will be available through retail in early 2025 for $99.99. However, if you are a Nintendo Switch Online member in the U.S. and Canada, you can purchase Alarmo early on the My Nintendo Store right now. The Alarmo is also available to purchase in person at the Nintendo New York store.

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James Gunn Teases Native American Character for PEACEMAKER Season 2, Which DC Character Might He Be?

DC Studios co-head James Gunn just shared a tease image from the set of season two of Peacemaker, showing a new character together with the caption “Who might this be?” Well, judging from the one photo, it looks to be a Native American man sitting around a campfire, shot from behind. And that’s all we really know so far. However, there are a handful of Native American characters from the pages of DC Comics this could be.

Who might this be? #Peacemaker pic.twitter.com/ShhebKi5DW

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 9, 2024

What we can tell from this image is that the character is male-presenting, and appears to be older. So that means we’re going to have to wait for female Native American heroes like Dawnstar for later projects. Since Peacemaker is set in the present day, we’re eliminating Western DC Comics heroes like Pow-Wow Smith, Brave Bow, and Tomahawk. Also, he’s probably not the World War I hero Johnny Cloud either. But here are our guesses as to who we think he may actually be when Peacemaker season two rolls around.

Apache Chief/LongshadowDC Comics

Perhaps the most famous DC Native American hero wasn’t even originally from the comics. In an effort to diversify their mostly all-white lineup of heroes for the Saturday morning Super Friends cartoon, Hanna-Barbera created Apache Chief. This Native hero could grow several stories tall, merely by reciting the words “inukchuk” out loud. The character would later be reimagined as Longshadow in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, before appearing on Young Justice as Tye Longshadow, a teen version of the character. Perhaps he’s making his live-action debut at last on Peacemaker?

Manitou RavenDC Comics

This DC hero drew inspiration from Apache Chief. He was one half of the husband-and-wife heroic duo Manitou Raven and Manitou Dawn. They first appeared in Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke’s excellent JLA run in the early 2000s. Manitou Raven is actually thousands of years old, part of an Atlantean tribe that would one day evolve into the Apache nation. Eventually transported into the present, he and his wife became Justice League members themselves. A shaman and sorcerer, Manitou Raven used his magic to fight alongside the JLA. As the photo James Gunn shared looks like an older gentleman, maybe it’s a truly immortal version of Manitou Raven?

Super ChiefDC Comics

Apache Chief may be more famous, but Super Chief is DC’s first true Native American superhero. He’s not just one hero, however, Super Chief is actually a mantle handed down to protect the Five Nations of Iroquois, powered by the ancient and magical Manitou Stone. The Super Chief has “the strength of a thousand bears,” “speed that surpasses the fastest of deer,” and “jumping prowess that surpasses those of the wolf.” In the weekly DC series 52, which covered a full year in the DC Universe without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the modern-day Super Chief, Jon Standing Bear, was a member of an interim Justice League of America. It’s not impossible that we’re seeing Super Chief, or at least one of them, on Peacemaker.

Black BisonDC Comics

Of course, it’s not safe to assume that this Native-American character is a hero. He may very well be a villain. If he is, then our top choice would be Black Bison, a.k.a. John Ravenhair, a frequent Firestorm adversary. After the death of his great-grandfather Bison-Black-as-Midnight-Sky, John became possessed by his rage-filled spirit. Taking the name Black Bison, he starts taking revenge on anyone he believes has wronged the Native American people. Using ancient mystical powers, Black Bison fought Firestorm many times over the years, and even joined DC’s Secret Society of Super-Villains. We could see James Gunn reinventing Black Bison for Peacemaker. Especially as there doesn’t seem to be a Firestorm project on the horizon.

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Kyle Chandler Cast As Hal Jordan In HBO’s DCU Green Lantern Series LANTERNS

In a real “didn’t we already know this?” piece of news, HBO has officially greenlit the DCU drama series Lanterns based on the Green Lantern comics. This was one of the titles James Gunn mentioned in his now infamous DCU slate video in early 2023. That certainly made it seem like it was a sure thing. However, given how fickle Warner Bros. is these days, I suppose it wasn’t. At any rate, HBO has given an eight-episode, direct-to-series order to Lanterns. Emmy-nominee Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country; Ozark) will serve as showrunner.

In big news for the series, Kyle Chandler will take on the mantle of Hal Jordan in Lanterns. Yes, Chandler has officially been cast in the Green Lantern role. We think he’s a good choice, for sure. He certainly looks the part.

NBC/DC Comics

Additionally, the series reveals that Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad) will play Green Lantern John Stewart.

Max PR/Warner Bros Animation

Additionally, Slow Horses and Doctor Who director James Hawes will direct the first block of episodes for Lanterns. This from The Hollywood Reporter.

DC Studios

The synopsis of the series says it follows “new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Pretty interesting concept for a Green Lantern series. Intergalactic cops solving an mystery on Earth. Definitely has True Detective vibes.

Joining Mundy in the writing of the show are none other than heavy hitters Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

No word yet on when the series will debut. We will, of course, keep you up to date on any casting news as it develops.

Originally published on June 25, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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McDonald’s FRIENDS Adult Happy Meal Gives Us ‘Monica’s Marinara’ Sauce and More

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the premiere of the beloved 90s sitcom Friends, McDonald’s Spain launched a Happy Meal inspired by the show. The Happy Meal targets adults as opposed to its usual audience of kids and could point to future plans where McDonald’s targets older customers.

McDonald’s Spain

Because this Happy Meal caters to adults, a six-piece chicken McNuggets won’t cut it. Instead, the adult Happy Meal allows you to choose between a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, McRoyal Deluxe, CBO, or McChicken. Additionally, the collaboration offers an exclusive sauce called Monica’s Marinara. This is a nod to Friends‘ character Monica Gellar’s cooking expertise. Of course, you get the regular drink and fries with the meal.

The Happy Meal comes with a figurine of a Friends character, of which there are six to collect in total. The main gang, including Phoebe, Joey, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, and Monica, will be available throughout the month. At the end of the month, the remaining stock of figures will be available for people to complete their collections.

McDonald’s Spain will release a daily quiz about Friends, with five winners each. Winning will get you 500 reward points, which can then be redeemed for exclusive Friends merchandise like a tote bag or key holder frame.

On Oct. 10, McDonald’s will be transforming their Montera Street location in Madrid to Central Perk, the iconic coffeeshop from the show, so that fans can live out their favorite scenes. It might resemble the McDonald’s Spain ad above, transforming the restaurant into a scene straight out of the show.

To start the series or watch it for the nth time, Friends is available on Max.

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ABBOTT ELEMENTARY Shares Episode Number and Details for IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA Crossover

“The Gang Ruins A School (Probably)”

The crew at Paddy’s Pub will soon make a cross town trek for a television crossover. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is heading to Abbott Elementary. Rob McElhenney recently shared the news on social media. Now we know when to expect Mac, Dennis, Dee, Charlie, and Frank to get to class. Abbott Elementary‘s executive producers shared which season four episode they’ll appear in along with some details about just how involved they’ll be in the episode.

ABC

 In an interview with Variety ahead of the show’s seaosn four premiere this week, Abbott Elementary‘s Justin Halpern Patrick Schumacker offered fans insight into when their Philadelphia-based TV shows crossover will happen. The gang of It’s Always Sunny will arrive in episode nine. They won’t be arriving for just a cameo, though.

” We got the whole gang, the ‘A’ story, ‘B’ story, ‘C,’ ‘D,’ it’s all them” said Schumacker said, as the crossover with Paddy’s Pub will take up the entire episode. It will also feature “a pretty significant storyline” for It’s Always Sunny‘s Charlie Day. Is that because Charlie once worked as a school janitor on his own show? Can’t wait to find out.

pic.twitter.com/EGt5YpNwCx

— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) October 3, 2024

pic.twitter.com/ymQTnjNE6i

— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) October 3, 2024

It could also be because Day had the most availability. Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olsen haven’t even finished shooting all of their scenes yet because of other filming commitments.

The executive producers say Abbott Elementary viewers unfamiliar with long-running comedy It’s Always Sunny don’t have to worry about missing out. The cast of It’s Always Sunny will just feel like special guest stars. However, fans of the FX show will find “a much deeper meaning.”

FX

While it’s hard to imagine the comedy stylings of these two shows matching up, Schumacker says that was clearly not a problem as soon as Day showed up on set. “All those concerns that we had about the tones of the shows butting against each other were alleviated the second we started filming with Charlie,” he said. Day and McElhenney’s involvement in the writing process also helped.

So even if the Paddy’s Pub gang does end up ruining a school, we know they won’t run Abbott Elementary.

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12 Iconic Horror Final Girls and Their Zodiac Signs

Just like villains are a key part of horror, so are the main characters they are pursuing. And, when it comes to the genre and all of its subsets, no trope is more prevalent and enduring than the Final Girl. A term coined by Carol J. Clover in “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film” (1987), the Final Girl is the apple of a killer’s eye. She’s the ultimate survivor and audience surrogate who lives through the final showdown with the big bad. 

She ranges from the quintessential ingénue who doesn’t indulge in common vices and likely needs to be saved to the brash badass who isn’t afraid to face a nightmarish situation and create her own kill count. Either way, the Final Girl is a hallmark of horror and, to celebrate her power, we are lining up 12 beloved survivors with the Zodiac sign that we think fits them the best. (Don’t worry, we did the same thing for horror villains, too!) 

Note: Yes, we did step outside of the classic Final Girl definition bounds a bit to include awesome women who survive films that are not slashers.

Nancy Thompson – Capricorn (December 22-January 19)Nerdist

A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Nancy Thompson has the grit, determination, and ambition of a Capricorn. When her friend Tina is killed, Nancy jumped into action and investigated what was going on with Freddy Krueger. She swiftly came up with a plan to trap him and was even bold enough to turn her back on a killer who is right in front of her in the real world, thereby taking away his power.

Later, she trains teenagers how to use their dream powers to their advantage. And, in the OG timeline, even when she dies in the end, she takes one last opportunity to stab Krueger with his own glove. She’s an all-around boss. 

Selena – Aquarius (January 20-February 18)  Nerdist

The Aquarian traits of independence and logic certainly apply to 28 Days Later’s brilliant woman protagonist Selena. We meet her in a zombie-infested United Kingdom where she kills her traveling partner Mike without hesitation the moment he gets an infected wound. She’s pragmatic and resourceful, giving her new companion Jim the rundown of this new world’s gritty reality and rules.

She accepts their new virus-riddled world as it is with no pipe dreams of a cure, instead adopting her fiery nature to this reality. But we also get to see glimpses of her carefree and quirky side, like when she gallivants through an abandoned store full of supplies. Considering 28 Days Later isn’t a slasher or an American film, her name isn’t as recognizable as Sidney Prescott or Laurie Strode. But she belongs among the great Final Girls of the horror world.

Sidney Prescott – Pisces (February 19-March 20) Nerdist

When it comes to the Final Girl Pantheon, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is certainly in this elite group. Her enduring saga in the Scream franchise continues to inspire Final Girl characterizations to this day. According to Google, Sidney’s birthday is supposedly March 14 which, if true, would make this Final Girl’s Zodiac sign a Pisces. And this actually fits her personality. In the midst of the ongoing chaotic violence in her life, Sidney often shows her empathetic side. She holds her killer brother Roman’s hand as he dies and works as a crisis counselor to help women in need. She’s fiercely loyal and protective of her very small inner circle and isn’t afraid to wear her ebbing emotions on her sleeve. Sidney’s also a creative who once had dreams of becoming an actress. 

But that doesn’t mean Sidney is a pushover. She can flip the switch and allow her righteous frustration, cunning, and well-timed rage to come to the forefront to save herself and others. She will take an antagonist to task, both verbally and physically, and can flow with the punches (and stabs) unlike any other. We love an adaptable and delightfully headstrong Pisces queen who can be tough at the right time.

Julie James – Aries (March 21-April 19) Nerdist

I Know What You Did Last Summer’s Julie James is certainly an Aries. She’s by far the most straightforward and honest person out of her friend group, and that integrity eats at her after believing they killed a man on a dark summer night. She’s level-headed and courageous, quickly moving forward to solve the mystery behind this killer and how she can save everyone around her.

And, when she stands outside and yells “What are you waiting for?!,” that is a challenge only a fiery Aries would issue against an antagonist. 

Laurie Strode – Taurus (April 20-May 21)Nerdist

Once again, according to Google, Halloween‘s Laurie Strode’s February 22 birthday makes her a Pisces. But this infamous Final Girl feels like her Zodiac sign is more aligned with Taurean traits. She’s super smart, resourceful, and very practical with her laser focus goal to eliminate Michael Myers again. Once Laurie sets her mind to a plan or approach, no one can distract her from her path, including her own daughter and granddaughter who believe she’s delusional.

A Taurus will totally turn her house into a trap for a masked killer and patiently wait 40 years to achieve her ultimate goal. Laurie may show spurts of emotion but she still manages to remain calm and cool, like when she bravely faced Michael at her university in Halloween: H20. She’s extremely protective of the few good people in her life and will go to war if anyone tries to mess with them. You gotta love Laurie. 

Adelaide – Gemini (May 22-June 20)Nerdist

A part of this choice is obvious, given that Adelaide’s big battle in Jordan Peele’s Us is against her underworld doppelganger. But Adelaide, like a Gemini, has two different personalities that could surface at any time. On one hand, she’s a loving yet awkward mom and wife. However, she quickly shifts into a fierce and calculating personality when Red and her Tethered family show up. As the film comes to its ending, we discover that Adelaide’s life is all about the duality of pretending to be someone who you are not. She’s in fact the villain who played the game of making herself appear to be the victim. Now that’s one hell of a final girl twist. 

Sally Hardesty – Cancer (June 21-July 22)Nerdist

Sally Hardesty and Leatherface are a horror villain and final girl Zodiac match made in heaven. It’s pretty clear that Leatherface, who literally hides behind someone else’s face, is a sensitive Cancer at heart. And we’d dare say the initially free-spirited Sally Hardesty shares that sign. Poor Sally does a whole lot of screaming and crying, which is understandable when a very large man is chasing you with a chainsaw.

The future Sally became more externally hardened and preoccupied with one day facing her tormentor, but her caring nature for others never waned. We see her come to the rescue in the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre film and sacrifice her life to save others. 

Ellen Ripley – Leo (July 23-August 22)Nerdist

Ellen Ripley is undoubtedly one of the best sci-fi protagonists of all-time. She has all the confidence, bravery, poise, and general badassery needed to go up against something as terrifying as a Xenomorph in the Alien franchise.

Like a Leo, Ripley is not afraid to take center stage and will not back down from an argument. She’s right, she knows it, and you will also know it, thank you very much. Even after her death, Ellen’s name still rings among the masses as a certified legend and a leader. 

Erin Harson – Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Virgos are incredibly popular among the Zodiac signs for good reason. When you share a sign with high achievers like Beyoncé and Kobe Bryant, you can’t help but be driven, focused, and incredibly smart. That’s Erin Harson from You’re Next, an underrated Final Girl who, as the youth would say, stands on business.

Her childhood on a survivalist compound makes her the perfect person to go up against a group of masked killers with a variety of weapons. She expertly secures the house and sets elaborate traps to take out all the killers. Her methodical approach to eliminating targets is stunning to see. Honestly, she should consider becoming a villain because she’d rock it.

Grace le Domas – Libra (September 23-October 22)Nerdist

Grace finds herself going from the best to the worst of circumstances in Ready or Not. A former foster child, she marries into the wealthy le Domas family for a stable and hopefully happy future. But she soon finds herself in a deadly cat-and-mouse game where the cursed family must sacrifice her before dawn, lest they want to die themselves.

Like a Libra, Grace is a quirky and fun person who seeks balance in her life. And, once she discovers the truth, Grace is determined to tip the scales back in her favor and seek justice against her new in-laws by any means necessary. This resourceful Libra never faces a challenge that she cannot overcome and, although brutality isn’t in her nature, she’s not above doing the needful to survive. And, she’s still stylish, even on the worst night of her life. 

Naru – Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Imagine facing the same threat that Ellen Ripley and others faced but without any of the fancy tech resources they had because it is 1719. Now, imagine being just as much of a boss while doing it. Naru doesn’t have to imagine because she did just that in Prey.

The Comanche hunter and trained healer is a stealthy and natural born leader who is willing to face a threat she doesn’t fully understand with zero fear. She stings like a Scorpio when she’s in battle, striking fear into her enemies and becoming a full-fledged war chief with Xenomorph blood on her face. 

Jess Bradford – Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)Nerdist

Jess Bradford essentially laid the foundation for what it means to be a modern day final girl, despite her ending being left rather ambiguous. The Black Christmas (1974) protagonist bucked many of the horror heroine norms of the time, refusing to be a damsel in distress or the stereotypical airheaded sorority girl. Instead, Jess’ character is boldly feminist, from the emboldened way she interacts with men in her life to her decision to have an abortion. Having a horror heroine make this choice in the midst of the Roe v. Wade era was truly iconic.

Sagittarians have a lot to say, and Jess does not mince words at all. But Sagittarians can also be rather chaotic, which can lead to big mistakes, which Jess does when she accidentally kills Peter in a panic. Still, Jess does what she wants when she wants, and that’s why this final girl takes the Sag Zodiac sign spot on our list.

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Every Movie Based on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’s Sketches (and Sheer Existence)

It’s hard to fathom many sketch comedy series getting the sort of big screen biopic treatment that Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night offers. However, SNL is not your typical sketch comedy series. Now in its 50th season, it is a true television institution. The show has launched the careers of a staggering number of incredibly successful writers and actors. Saturday Night is also hardly the first time SNL’s existence has directly resulted in a feature film. In fact, we’re now in the double digits when it comes to SNL-based movies.

Paramount Pictures/Universal Pictures

Here’s a rundown of every Saturday Night Live-based movie to date.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s Jake and Elwood Blues weren’t genuine sketch comedy characters. They would tend to appear on SNL doing full musical performances. But their leap to the movies was an extremely successful $115 million-grossing action-comedy that delivered great musical set pieces, memorable dialogue (“We’re on a mission from God!”) and impressive action, via one hell of a destructive car chase. 

Blues Brothers proved Saturday Night Live could be a viable source for movie material. So Hollywood would strike while the iron was hot… 12 years later.

Wayne’s World (1992)

With many a kid already parroting their catchphrases, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey took low rent public TV hosts Wayne and Garth from their popular recurring sketches into a big screen adventure. The production was a rocky one, including notable clashes between Myers and director Penelope Spheeris. But Wayne’s World was a major hit.  

Wayne’s World made $183 million on a $20 million budget and was quoted and referenced incessantly thanks to its funny and knowing send up of all things pop culture. This includes everything from a sequence that called out distracting product placement to the delightful sight of Wayne, Garth, and their buddies lip syncing and headbanging to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” That latter scene became so popular, it turned Queen’s 1975 song back into a modern hit. It cemented the song as a radio staple even beyond what it had been before. 

Coneheads (1993)

Paramount’s follow-up to Wayne’s World, Coneheads, surprisingly dated back to the show’s first five seasons. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain reprised their roles as Beldar and Prymaat. The characters are two married, cone-headed aliens pretending to be humans while living in suburban America. 

But the results were less than stellar, with Coneheads receiving negative reviews, many of which noting that sketch comedy characters often work in sketch length stories. It also flamed out at the box office, making just $21 million on a $30 million budget. 

Wayne’s World 2 (1993)

Opening the same year as Coneheads, Wayne’s World 2 found a much larger audience. Still, despite some funny bits, both its box office and the response from critics and audience members reflected the unmistakable air of diminished returns. 

Wayne’s World 2 earned $72 million, a very nice amount for your standard comedy of this sort, but a huge drop from the first film. A third Wayne’s World would not be in the cards and a few years later, Myers would drop out from doing another SNL-based movie, Dieter, based on his Sprockets sketches. 

It’s Pat (1994)

The SNL movie boom of the ’90s hit its bleakest period in the middle of the decade with a couple of barely-released, barely seen films. First was It’s Pat, which is a bit interesting behind-the-scenes in that it’s the only SNL-based movie made by Disney (via their Touchstone label). But clearly they were not happy with the end result, given they only opened the movie in 33 theaters, where it received abysmal attendance alongside its abysmal reviews. 

The sketches featuring Julia Sweeney’s androgynous character are now more problematic under a modern lens, which is something Sweeney herself has grappled with. But in 1994, It’s Pat was the most egregious example yet of something that worked as a sketch feeling like it was now being stretched out way further than the concept allowed, repeating the same joke over and over. 

Stuart Saves His Family (1995)

Technically, Stuart Saves His Family “beat” It’s Pat at the box office, making over $912K vs. Pat’s $60K. But that’s a showdown with no real winner. Al Franken’s Stuart Smalley sketches were great, but at this point, it felt like major miscalculations were occurring when it came to what an audience might find appealing as a sketch vs. what they would pay for as a movie.

Though Stuart Saves His Family’s reviews were by and large, negative, there were some bright spots, including two thumbs up from Siskel & Ebert. Through the years, a small but appreciative audience has come to praise the Harold Ramis-directed film and its well-meaning look at self-help guru Stuart and his relationship with his family (including Vincent D’Onofrio as his brother).

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)

The death of John Belushi in 1982 meant the Blues Brothers sequel was missing one of its two core original performers. And it probably speaks to the hole Belushi left that no less than three characters (played by John Goodman, Joe Morton, and J. Evan Bonifant) were brought in to replace him. Yet it still couldn’t give the movie a spark of its own, with the exception of some lively musical numbers. 

Returning director John Landis criticized Universal for their insistence that the film be PG-13, despite the first entry being R (mainly due to its language). He may be right that it could have been better as an R, but they probably should have left well enough alone regardless. Blues Brothers 2000 made about $32 million, but given it cost $30 million, that wasn’t a good investment.

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

As Saturday Night Live moved into a new era, with a new cast of breakout stars, another batch of SNL-based movies came in rather quick succession, based on then-current sketches. The first was A Night at the Roxbury, with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan playing two brothers who desperately want to be the coolest guys at the nightclub.

The Roxbury sketches, powered by Haddaways’ earworm “What is Love,” were red hot when the movie was made. Bringing in $30 million on a $17 million budget, A Night at the Roxbury ultimately was a decent money maker, despite terrible reviews, especially as it moved to VHS and DVD. The movie had a couple of solid laughs, though it proved the difficulties in taking a nearly dialogue-free, music-driven sketch and trying to make a full fledged film around it. 

Superstar (1999) 

Molly Shannon took her ultra-weird high school character, Mary Katherine Gallagher, to the big screen with the next Saturday Night Live movie. Superstar’s reception was similar to Roxbury, including reviews that bemoaned that the joke from the original sketches quickly wore out its welcome at feature film length. But it also was similar by bringing in around $30 million, this time on a leaner $14 million budget. 

In an era where mid-budget comedies becoming modest box office successes was much more encouraged by the studios than it is now—particularly with a post-theatrical market that could greatly boost initial profits—the SNL movies were a dependable bit of programming for Paramount at the time. The studio released A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar and the next film on this list over the course of three consecutive Octobers. 

The Ladies Man (2000)

A nearly decade-long run of Paramount SNL movies (only It’s Pat and Blues Brothers 2000 were made by other studios during this period) concluded with The Ladies Man, as Tim Meadows’ radio host Leon Phelps took his turn at bat.

Bad reviews for SNL-based movies were now expected and that was again the case with The Ladies Man, despite a fun supporting cast that included Billy Dee Williams, Eugene Levy, and Julianne Moore. Box office-wise, it made $24 million on a $13.7 million budget. It was hardly a Pat or Stuart-type disaster but still a drop from Roxbury and Superstar, and Paramount decided they had gotten all they could out of SNL by that point.

MacGruber (2010) 

The first new SNL-based movie in a decade arrived via Universal with MacGruber. Directed by The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone, the MacGruber movie expanded Will Forte’s MacGyver riff into an hysterical, unhinged parody of the action genre in general. Unfortunately, its 48% Rotten Tomatoes score reflected divisive initial reaction, and the movie was a box office bomb, failing to even make back its $10 million budget. 

But the years since were kind to MacGruber, as its reputation grew and it became a beloved cult favorite—endorsed by no less than Chrisopher Nolan!—which ultimately led to it getting a 2021 follow-up via a Peacock streaming series. 

Saturday Night (2024) 

Now, there is a new movie that completely owes its existence to SNL in a different manner. It is not an adaptation of any specific SNL character or sketch. Instead it’s a biographical comedy-drama that depicts what went on backstage in the 90 minutes preceding the first-ever episode of the series. Saturday Night will include a talented cast playing numerous iconic SNL producers, writers and cast members. 

It remains to be seen if the Sony-released Saturday Night will be a mainstream success. But if it is, maybe it’ll get a studio to suddenly greenlight What Up with That?: The Motion Picture or The Californians Go to New York. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS 

There are a handful of movies that don’t quite fit the usual criteria for what we think of as Saturday Night Live-based movies. But they are, at the least, strongly SNL-adjacent as far as their origins are concerned.

Bob Roberts (1992)

Tim Robbins wrote, directed and starred in 1992’s Bob Roberts. It’s a well reviewed mockumentary in which he portrays a slick (and frequently singing) right-wing politician. Saturday Night Live has occasionally included short films made by people from outside the show. And that was the case six years before Bob Roberts opened with one such short, in which Robbins introduced the character. Things would eventually go a bit full circle when Robbins, while hosting SNL later in 1992, played Bob Roberts once more during a sketch. 

Office Space (1999)

Mike Judge’s beloved comedy had a similar path as MacGruber, going from box office dud to cult favorite. And both movies also boast a history somewhat tied to SNL. Years before his movie, Judge introduced the socially awkward, stapler-obsessed character from Office Space in three Milton animated shorts. Those shorts aired on SNL episodes between 1993-1994. However, an additional caveat comes into play here. At least one of the Milton shorts actually made its debut even earlier. It first aired on MTV’s animated anthology series Liquid Television in the early 90s. 

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer are longtime comedic collaborators, which most famously resulted in the creation of Spinal Tap. But their other notable fictional band, The Folksman, first sprung forth from Saturday Night Live long before they were a central part of Guest’s mockumentary about a trio of folk acts reuniting.

There are a lot of asterisks here, though. McKean, Guest and Shearer’s ongoing friendship and partnership means we likely would have met the Folksman eventually no matter what. But the fact remains that on a 1984 episode of SNL—hosted by McKean, during the period when Guest and Shearer were cast members—the three first publicly appeared as the Folksmen. It was a segment about the band having a long-awaited reunion that pre-dates the similar plotline in A Mighty Wind by nearly 20 years.

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Jodie Turner Smith of THE ACOLYTE Hopes Disney Speaks Out Against Bigoted Harassment of Its Actors

It’s now been a few months since Disney+ and Lucasfilm canceled The Acolyte. And it’s fair to say that the fandom still hasn’t let it go. As the petition to continue the show keeps getting traction, more actors from the series, like star Amandla Stenberg, are speaking out. Especially when it comes to the bigoted vitriol the show faced from almost the moment they announced it. In speaking to Glamour, via TV Line, The Acolyte’s Jodie Turner-Smith, who played Mother Aniseya in the series, called out the powers-that-be directly for failing to stick up for their actors receiving bigoted attacks online. Here’s what she had to say:

Stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting f–king dog-piled on the internet with racism and bullshit. It’s just not fair to not say anything. It’s really unfair. It would just be nice if the people that have all the money… were showing their support and putting their feet down. Say this is unacceptable…. Make a really big statement and just see if any money leaves. I bet you it won’t, because people of color, and especially Black people, make up a very large percentage of buying power. They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.

Lucasfilm

Needless to say, she did not mince any words in this interview. The behavior she spoke of is hardly limited to The Acolyte (or even Star Wars in general). But we’ve seen it happen time and time again over the past decade with this franchise. John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran during the sequel trilogy, Moses Ingram in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the list goes on. And although Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor did speak out against the harassment, he did this of his own volition. Would an official statement from Disney/Lucasfilm stop the harassment? Of course not. But it would be nice to know the people in charge have your back, and aren’t just throwing their actors to the internet’s wolves.

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Ridley Scott Already Working on GLADIATOR 3

Maybe Ridley Scott is taking a page out of James Cameron’s book, or maybe the 86-year-old filmmaker is just trying to make sure he stays busy. Whatever the case, the Alien director—who has returned to many of his earlier triumphs in recent years—is apparently already working on Gladiator 3. He’s a forward-thinking guy, so it makes sense. What’s perhaps a little surprising is the 24-year sequel Gladiator II is still a month away from release.

Paramount Pictures

Speaking to TotalFilm (via Deadline) Scott explained he’s in the early plotting stages for a follow-up to the follow-up. “I’ve already got eight pages. I’ve got the beginning of a very good footprint,” he told the publication. He also teased, “If there’s a Gladiator 3, I don’t think you’d ever go back into the arena. But I had to go back into the arena…” Certainly not 100% clear what he means by that.

Scott has been telling other outlets about this, too. He told French magazine Premiere he’s “lit the fuse” on a third installment. “The ending of Gladiator II is reminiscent of The Godfather,” Scott said, “with Michael Corleone finding himself with a job he didn’t want, and wondering, ‘Now, Father, what do I do?’ So the next [film] will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”

Little bit “cart-before-the-horse,” if you ask me. Especially in a world where legacy sequels aren’t always the cash cows they were a few years ago. Also, did I mention Ridley Scott is 86 years old? I mean, I get he’s a spry guy but holy cow, man. Granted it’s only eight pages and a lot will depend on how Gladiator II does on November 22, but Scott also has four other films in development or pre-production, so who even knows if he’ll get to a third movie? Time will tell!

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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