Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 234

Lady Gaga Releasing a JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX-Inspired Album Titled HARLEQUIN

One of the most anticipated movies of the fall is Joker: Folie à Deux, particularly for its introduction of pop superstar Lady Gaga into the role of Harley Quinn. Although this version of Harley will be decidedly different from her comic book counterpart, fans are still eager to see what Gaga will bring to the role. Now, Gaga has announced that along with starring as Harley, she’ll also be releasing a companion concept album titled Harlequin on September 27. It will feature 13 tracks, some from the film, and some inspired by it.

Harlequin. September 27. A companion album to Joker: Folie à Deux. https://t.co/86Y4cI5jSl pic.twitter.com/t8ifrVtJLF

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 24, 2024

Fans speculated for days an announcement like this was coming. Gaga posted on Instagram saying “I’m ready for my interview,” while another post stated “Don’t tell me what to wear.” A third post, which felt very Harley-esque, said “No duct tape. No mission.” There were also a few billboards teasing “6.5.” Her fans know that she numbers all her albums. The Fame would be LG1, and Born This Way would be LG3, etc. With her referencing Harlequin as LG6.5, it means she’s not classifying it as a full studio album. Her next studio album, which she only refers to as LG7 so far, hits in February. The first single arrives in October.

Warner Bros./DC

The tracklist for Lady Gaga’s ‘HARLEQUIN’ album:

GOOD MORNING
GET HAPPY (2024)
OH, WHEN THE SAINTS
WORLD ON A STRING
IF MY FRIENDS COULD SEE ME NOW
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
SMILE
THE JOKER
FOLIE À DEUX
GONNA BUILD A MOUNTAIN
CLOSE TO YOU
HAPPY MISTAKE
THAT’S LIFE pic.twitter.com/NSOl9fFGim

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 24, 2024

This is not the first time a pop superstar has released a concept album inspired by a character they portrayed in a film. Back in 1990, Madonna played singer Breathless Mahoney in the movie Dick Tracy. At the same time, she released I’m Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy. It was a concept album, all sung in the style of her character. It’s where her hit single “Vogue” originated from. Gaga has been plagued by Madonna comparisons since the start of her career, some justified, and some less so. So if she gets compared once again to the Queen of Pop, well, she’s no doubt used to it by now. One thing’s for certain, her fans won’t care one bit, and will be there on day one when Harlequin drops.

The post Lady Gaga Releasing a JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX-Inspired Album Titled HARLEQUIN appeared first on Nerdist.

YAMISHIBAI Is a Chilling Anthology Anime Horror Series That You’ll Love

Yamishibai, also known as Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories and Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai, is a series that few mention when discussing horror anime. However, it displays some of the most haunting images that keep viewers in a death grip of terror days after watching. There is a reason this series just completed its thirteenth season. Given its anthological style, not every story chills, but isn’t that the way with scary stories? Some make us laugh while others make us turn on all the lights in the house, light bill be dammed! Its unique animation, runtime, music, and relatable tales make it a knockout horror series that you should add to your Halloween viewing this year.

Yamishibai Uses Traditional Style Storytelling and Brings Terror to AnimeCrunchyroll/TV Tokyo

The series copies Kamishibai, a Japanese style of storytelling that uses picture cards for a paper play. Kamishibai was popular in the early twentieth century. So, the anime employs 2D cutout animation. But Yamishibai takes it further, making characters and backgrounds look like grainy, rough sketches. While the animation style may be initially disconcerting, there is a genius here. That grainy quality automatically adds a layer of discomfort, which increases as the story unfolds. 

Each background and character oozes an underlying dread for what’s to come. From the first episode, “The Talisman Woman,” everything looks dim and oft-putting. Even though the characters’ mouths do not move, the expressions etched on their faces sell the horror, creating nightmare fuel for the viewer. Even within the 2D style, episodes have varying degrees of detail. Episodes like the eleventh season’s seventh episode, “That’s Not Right, Dad,” a story that takes bedtime tales to a horrifying and unexpected level, lean into more obscure backgrounds. It paints the landscapes in broader strokes while giving more details to the character, such as the hair. 

Yamishibai Is Bite-Sized Terror

Thirteen seasons seem daunting to start. However, Yamishibai‘s episodes are very short. Seriously. You can watch the entire first season takes less than an hour. That also means it won’t take up much time. Each episode is four minutes long, including the intros and ending songs. So, skipping the intro and outro makes it even shorter. There is no gradual buildup of terror; it throws you in when all hell is about to break loose. Plus, it’s mostly in anthology format, which allows viewers to dive into the series at any point. But why spare yourself the frightful, pulse-pounding first season? 

This Series Taps Into a Myriad of Emotions

Whether it’s emotions like love, jealousy, obsession, or loss, Yamishibai unravels the terrifying possibilities. It includes everyday activities in its horror, swiftly using the “what if” and hurling viewers off the emotional deep end. Episodes like the first season’s “Tomonari-kun” show the danger of making promises you do not plan to keep. Meanwhile, the third season’s “The Fourth Man” has an additional underlying fear in a world with new strains of illnesses running amok. The same goes for the latest season’s fourth episode, “Happy Girl Mushroom Tea,” which follows a girl looking to lose the weight she’s gained working remotely. 

Some, like season five’s “Flower Reading,” a story of a man who meets a little girl whose fortunes are always right, or “Blackbean,” where a man’s recently deceased cat returns, use the paranormal to capture a tragic yet heartwarming tale of loss and reunion. To pack such an emotional gut punch in such a short episode speaks to the skillful way Yamishibai crafts its series. Its episodes resonate with our past, present, or fears and hopes for our future.  

The Opening and Endings of Each Season Are Fantastic

Except for a few seasons, every season has the classic start of children playing in a part as the narrator calls for them to gather for storytime. They include the Kamishibai style, with a narrator and a small wooden stage for the intro. The sound effects are off-putting, with light wooden clanking. There is even what sounds like a shishi-odoshi, a bamboo fountain, which makes a distinct sound as the bamboo hits a rock. (Think of Kill Bill Part One when Beatrix fights O-Ren.)

The end songs differ for each season and are an eclectic mix of rap, rock, and pop with varying creepy tones. Often, the imagery accompanying these tracks remains clanging in the memory long after. With scratchy sound effects, eerie records on screen, and Hatsune Miku vocals, the first season’s “Kaikai Emaki” is disturbing, so much so that they use her vocals for the second season’s ending “Shinjukunichi Eyes.” But there are also the out-of-this-world heads rapping “Naa Naa Naa” as they increase with each episode of the third season before abruptly cutting off. It’s one of the terrifying best, on par with the creep from Paranoia Agent. Add to that the abrupt end of the rap, and Yamishibai brews an unforgettable mix of music and horror. 

Yamishibai maintains a high level of surprises and terror, and—with its variety—it’s easy to find the episodes that chill you to the bone. What’s horrifying is how so many stories deal with people going about their everyday routines, shopping, working, going out to eat, and the terror finds them. With thirteen seasons under its belt, it’s time more people checked out what they’re missing. After watching this series, you’ll say, “Yamishibai no jikandayo,” and feel that chill travel up and down your spine. 

Yamishibai is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

.youtube-embed{padding-bottom:56.25%!important;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.youtube-embed a,.youtube-embed iframe{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute}.youtube-embed iframe{border:0}.youtube-embed img.youtube-cover{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;height:100%;width:100%;cursor:pointer}.youtube-embed img.play-button{width:66px;position:absolute;left:46%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;cursor:pointer}@media only screen and (max-width:499px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:45%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:425px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:44%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:375px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:43%;width:56px}}@media only screen and (max-width:345px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:42%;width:50px}}.youtube-embed .progressive-img{-webkit-filter:blur(10px);filter:blur(10px)}.youtube-embed .progressive-img.loaded{-webkit-filter:none;filter:none;-webkit-transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;-o-transition:filter 1s ease-out;-moz-transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out,-webkit-filter 1s ease-out}.youtube-embed .kskdDiv{display:none!important}

The post YAMISHIBAI Is a Chilling Anthology Anime Horror Series That You’ll Love appeared first on Nerdist.

Watch Terry Crews Learn How to Play POKÉMON in New Series from Geek & Sundry

Are you ready, trainers? Geek & Sundry has teamed up with The Pokémon Company International for a new miniseries, The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown Showdown. Hosted by Alison Mattingly and featuring production by Hyper, the series brings celebrity guests to the studio to play Pokémon, all while discussing their careers and lives. Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown Showdown‘s first guest is Terry Crews. Geek & Sundry fans know this isn’t Crews’ first time swinging by to nerd out; he played Thodak the Blacksmith in an episode of CelebriD&D. Here, Terry Crews learns the ins and outs of playing the Pokémon TCG!

Somehow, we are not at all surprised the Terry Crews picks up throwing down Pokémon cards like he’s always known how to do it.

The party is just starting, too! Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown Showdown’s subsequent episodes will feature Jacob Batalon and Abigail Breslin. Batalon will battle on October 1, with Breslin’s turn at the table coming on October 8. They’ll play the Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown expansion and dive into the world of Pokémon TCG. And that’s not all! Each episode will offer a special surprise for Pokémon TCG Live players.

Geek & Sundry

Catch new episodes of The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown Showdown on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel on Tuesdays at 12p.m. PDT!

.youtube-embed{padding-bottom:56.25%!important;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.youtube-embed a,.youtube-embed iframe{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute}.youtube-embed iframe{border:0}.youtube-embed img.youtube-cover{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;height:100%;width:100%;cursor:pointer}.youtube-embed img.play-button{width:66px;position:absolute;left:46%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;cursor:pointer}@media only screen and (max-width:499px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:45%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:425px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:44%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:375px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:43%;width:56px}}@media only screen and (max-width:345px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:42%;width:50px}}.youtube-embed .progressive-img{-webkit-filter:blur(10px);filter:blur(10px)}.youtube-embed .progressive-img.loaded{-webkit-filter:none;filter:none;-webkit-transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;-o-transition:filter 1s ease-out;-moz-transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out,-webkit-filter 1s ease-out}.youtube-embed .kskdDiv{display:none!important}

The post Watch Terry Crews Learn How to Play POKÉMON in New Series from Geek & Sundry appeared first on Nerdist.

Is Doomsday Secretly an Avengers vs X-Men Movie?

Doctor Doom is coming to the MCU, but before Secret Wars could the Avengers be facing off against an even more formidable foe? Kyle Anderson breaks down the fan theory as to why a mutant matchup could be on the horizon in today’s episode of Nerdist News!

Follow Us:
Facebook https://facebook.com/nerdist
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nerdist
Instagram https://instagram.com/nerdist/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdist

Image: Marvel

#NerdistNews #Marvel #SecretWars #Avengers #Deadpool

The post Is Doomsday Secretly an Avengers vs X-Men Movie? appeared first on Nerdist.

George R.R. Martin’s HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Drama Explained

House of the Dragon season 2 might be wrapped up, but it seems some of the Targaryen drama has carried over into the real world. Dan Casey breaks down all the latest George R.R. Martin hot takes and what they could mean for the future of HOTD!

More House of the Dragons News:
https://nerdist.com/topic/game-of-thr...

Follow Us: Facebook https://facebook.com/nerdist
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nerdist
Instagram https://instagram.com/nerdist/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdist

Image: HBO

#NerdistNews #GoT #HouseOfTheDragon #HBO

The post George R.R. Martin’s HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Drama Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Everything We Know About THE BOYS Season Five

The Boys season five is going to be an explosive ending to a winding and wild ride of a story. Season four left things in a major lurch with the Boys collective broken, Homelander once again having way too much power, and the United States in chaos. What will go down in this final round? Can the Boys team ever forgive Butcher for his betrayal and heinous acts? 

That remains to be seen but we do know that there’s a familiar face joining the crowd. The Boys announced on its social media pages that Daveed Diggs would be a part of the season five cast. That’s all the show is giving us for now but we are already intrigued. 

New S5 crumbs… let’s all welcome Daveed Diggs to The Boys family, shall we? He’ll be playing a character in the show. That’s all ya get for now. pic.twitter.com/rgEf740UNN

— THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) September 24, 2024

Here’s everything we know about The Boys season five. 

The Boys Season Five’s Plot 

Right now, there’s no information about the show’s plot. But showrunner Eric Kripke promises that there will probably be “lots of deaths” and that he does have an ending already in mind. That makes sense considering that he’s been saying he had a five season arc in mind for a few years. Here’s what he told SlashFilm: 

I’d say we’re squarely in the middle. Every season we know that we want Homelander to get a little more disconnected from reality, and we want Butcher to get a little scarier. The show is, at the end of the day, about these two forces charging towards each other, between Butcher and Homelander. I know that them finally smashing into each other, once and for all, will be a big part of whatever end game we come up with. But beyond that, and beyond knowing where I want Hughie, it’s like I know where I want a lot of the characters to end up. That’s what I would say. I actually don’t even necessarily know the climax of the show, as much as I know that 10 pages that happens at the end, when they say six months later, and you see where everyone is. I know where everyone is. Then my job, as whenever we get to it, my job is to just make sure we can back into that.

Behind the Scenes Jasper Savage/The Boys

Of course, Eric Kripke will continue to steer The Boys ship as its showrunner. It remains to be seen who will step in as directors for the episodes. We can assume the writing staff will return for the fifth and final season. 

The Boys Season Five’s Cast 

All the usual suspects should be coming back, including the Boys collective with Karl Urban (Butcher), Laz Alonso (MM), Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Erin Moriarty (Annie/Starlight), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), and Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell). Jeffrey Dean Morgan will surely reprise his role as Joe Kessler too. For the supes, Antony Starr (Homelander), Valorie Curry (Firecracker), Susan Heyward (Sister Sage), and Chace Crawford (The Deep) will certainly be there. And, sorry to be spoilery, but Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy will be a The Boys season five regular.

We will see if others like Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett), and Giancarlo Esposito (Stan Edgar) will come back as well considering their rather ambiguous endings in season four.

The Boys Season Five’s Release Date 

There is currently not a release date for The Boys season five. The show is expected to start filming in late 2024 through mid-2025, so it is likely that we won’t see new episodes until 2026.

The post Everything We Know About THE BOYS Season Five appeared first on Nerdist.

The Rings of Power: Season 1 (Recap)

Need a refresher on Middle-earth’s Second Age before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two? Join our resident hobbithead Matt Caron as he breaks down everything that happened in this The Rings of Power season one recap.

Thank you to Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws for sponsoring today’s video! Available on Xbox X|S, PS5, and PC on August 30. Learn more: https://bit.ly/SWOutlaws

Read more about The Rings of Power on Nerdist: https://bit.ly/3MoXGjE

Follow Us:
Facebook https://facebook.com/nerdist
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nerdist
Instagram https://instagram.com/nerdist/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nerdist

Image: Prime Video

#NerdistNews #LOTR #LordOfTheRings #TheRingsOfPower

The post The Rings of Power: Season 1 (Recap) appeared first on Nerdist.

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi Cast in Upcoming WUTHERING HEIGHTS Adaptation

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are slated to star in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film Wuthering Heights, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s book of the same name. The film is currently in pre-production and set to start shooting in the United Kingdom next year. Robbie will play Catherine Earnshaw, the main female protagonist of the novel. Elordi will portray Heathcliff, the Earnshaws’ foster son.

Amazon MGM Studios/Warner Bros.

MRC and LuckyChap Entertainment are producing the film along with Fennell, who will also be writing. Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara founded the production company LuckyChap Entertainment. Among the films LuckyChap has produced are I, Tonya and Barbie, both of which have won an Academy Award and star Margot Robbie.

Fennell announced her intention to make a Wuthering Heights adaptation in July through a social media graphic. The Wuthering Heights adaptation will be Fennell’s third film with LuckyChap Entertainment. Fennell has previously directed LuckyChap Entertainment-produced films, Promising Young Woman and last year’s Saltburn. Fennell’s social media sensation Saltburn saw Elordi as one of the main actors. Elordi gained recognition for starring as Nate Jacobs in the teen drama Euphoria and as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Elordi will appear in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which is filming now.

Warner Bros.

Robbie is an actress and producer most known for her titular roles in last summer’s box office hit Barbie. Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023. Additionally, Robbie earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for I, Tonya. Robbie will be appearing in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, releasing May 2025.

Filmmakers have adapted Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights into film multiple times in various languages. Famously, the Academy nominated the 1939’s Wuthering Heights for Best Picture. Most recently, in 2011, the book was adapted into a film starring Kaya Scodelario.

The post Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi Cast in Upcoming WUTHERING HEIGHTS Adaptation appeared first on Nerdist.

Piece by Piece Minifigure Generator Launches to Promote Pharrell’s Upcoming LEGO Biopic

Focus Features launched a Piece By Piece LEGO Minifigure Generator to celebrate the upcoming Pharrell William animated biopic Piece by Piece. The film is about the renowned producer’s life, as shown through LEGO bricks. Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville is set to direct the movie. The Minifigure Generator is available on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Focus Features

The Minifigure Generator allows fans to be able to create their own Minifigure character with seven skincare options and over 60 hairstyles to choose from. Additionally, 90 clothing options are available to choose from, including exclusive pieces from Pharrell’s fashion brand, Billionaire Boys Club. Facial expressions from scenes of the film inspired the expressions available in the Minifigure Generator. After designing your Minifigure, users can download a picture of their creation with Pharrell’s Minifigure or its own.

Focus Features

The Minifigure Generator comes after LEGO released Over the Moon, a collaborative set with Pharrell. Over the Moon was co-designed by the LEGO Group and Pharrell. The set features a space shuttle with a rainbow jet stream inspired by Pharrell’s love of space. The set featured the widest range of Minifigure skin tones ever included in a LEGO product at seven.

The LEGO Group

Matching the name of the upcoming film, Pharrell released a new original song titled “Piece By Piece.” Pharrell is a producer, songwriter, recording artist, and the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee for his song “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 and for producing the film Hidden Figures. The film, produced by 13-time Grammy winner’s company i am OTHER in partnership with LEGO, centers on his life and upbringing. Piece by Piece releases in theatres Oct. 11.

The post Piece by Piece Minifigure Generator Launches to Promote Pharrell’s Upcoming LEGO Biopic appeared first on Nerdist.

Everything We Know About STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY

Currently filming its first season, with an eye on a 2025 launch date, is the latest series in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Some kind of Starfleet Academy project has been rumored since the ’80s, for both film and TV. But one is finally happening at last. Starfleet Academy is the fourth Paramount+ Star Trek live-action series, and the ninth live-action Star Trek series overall. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series.

Paramount PicturesTitle

The official title of the upcoming Paramount+ series is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Although, we think that most fans will simply refer to it as Starfleet Academy without the brand name attached. We also imagine in the greater Star Trek fandom the name of the show will be shortened even further to ST:SA.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s PlotParamount+

The new series is a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, and will take place in the 32nd Century, some 800 years after the time of Star Trek: Picard. After a period of 100 years where the Federation dwindled to a handful of worlds, and Starfleet was a small operation, Starfleet Academy will introduce the first class of cadets in a century. Below is the official description from Paramount+:

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Behind-the-Scenes

Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will serve as co-showrunners for Starfleet Academy. Gaia Violo wrote the series pilot. Kurtzman of course is the head honcho for all things in the Star Trek universe on Paramount+, including Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Picard.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Cast

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has a robust cast, headlined by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter. She’ll be the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy, presumably still located in San Francisco. She’s the third woman to headline her own Star Trek series, after Kate Mulgrew and Sonequa Martin-Green. The series’ main villain is none other than Paul Giamatti, who plays “A man with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets.”

Paramount+

Speaking of the cadets, in the roles of the student body we’ve got Karim Diané, Zoë Steiner, Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, and Sandro Rosta. Legacy actors from Star Trek: Discovery joining the series include Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr, and Mary Wiseman. The biggest surprise in terms of legacy Trek actors is Star Trek: Voyager‘s Robert Picardo. He returns as the Emergency Medical Holographic doctor.

K. Brooks/David Muller/YellowbellyStar Trek: Starfleet Academy Release Date

There is no release date yet for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but it’s expected in the latter half of 2025 on Paramount+. Presumably, it will drop some months after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wraps up its third season.

The post Everything We Know About STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY appeared first on Nerdist.