Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 251

The History of Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s BFF, Explained

Jimmy Olsen is a major staple of Superman’s mythology, going back to his earliest years at DC Comics. He’s been around almost as long as Lois Lane and Perry White, Clark Kent’s other closest confidantes at the Daily Planet. He’ll appear on screen again, played by Skyler Gisondo, in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman. Here’s everything you need to know about the Man of Steel’s longtime pal of 86 years, Jimmy Olsen.

Who Is Jimmy Olsen in Superman Lore?DC Comics

James Bartholomew “Jimmy” Olsen is a pop culture icon. He’s alternately portrayed as a photographer for the biggest newspaper in Metropolis, the Daily Planet, a cub reporter for the same publication, or both. Originally portrayed as a teenager, he’s since grown up in the comics. But he’s always been a close friend and ally to fellow Daily Planet employees Clark Kent and Lois Lane. They usually depict him as Clark’s best friend, despite being several years his junior. Sometimes he’s even been Clark’s roommate. Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White famously barks orders at him in the office, but loves him like a son. His wholesome, positive demeanor has been a staple of Superman lore for decades. To this day, most non-comics Superman media features Jimmy Olsen in some form.

Jimmy Olsen in DC Comics’ Golden AgeDC Comics

Jimmy Olsen first appeared, in a way, as an unnamed office boy in 1938’s Action Comics #6, only six months after Superman first appeared. The traditional hallmarks of Jimmy Olsen were there from the get-go, including the bowtie and the overeager attitude. Although, in that first appearance, he was blonde and not ginger. It was in The Adventures of Superman radio serials where they gave the character a personality as well as a name, finally calling him Jimmy Olsen. He would finally appear in comics with that name in 1941’s Superman #13. Without his popularity as a character in the radio show, who knows if that “unnamed office boy” would have ever become Jimmy Olsen.

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen DC Comics

Thanks to an increased presence in the Superman comics, Jimmy would get a bigger role in the mega-popular Adventures of Superman TV series. In 1954, DC capitalized on Jimmy’s newfound prominence by giving him his own series: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. It was during these Silver Age adventures that Jimmy would receive a special signal watch to alert Superman whenever he was in danger, and even gained powers. In fact, this happened many, many times. Jimmy became a werewolf and a mummy. He could later breathe fire, and gained octopus limbs. Jimmy would even gain stretching powers, becoming Elastic Lad. He famously became the giant kaiju-like Turtle Boy as well. He’d also go undercover as a woman at least five times. All of that just scratches the surface of Olsen’s wilder transformations in this era. Jimmy Olsen’s series ran from 1954-1982, with the series eventually renamed Superman Family.

Nightwing and Flamebird: Superman and Jimmy Olsen Become Like Batman and RobinDC Comics

There was a period of time when Jimmy was the Robin to Superman’s Batman. Inside the shrunken bottle city of Kandor, a slice of Krypton lived on in miniature form. Whenever Superman went inside, he lost his powers and became a regular Kandorian. But he was still a non-powered superhero, similar to his friend Batman. Kal-El took on the masked identity of Nightwing, and his crime-fighting partner was his buddy Jimmy Olsen, using the name Flamebird. The pair had many adventures together in Kandor, and eventually the name Nightwing was adopted by Batman’s first Robin, Dick Grayson, when he became an adult hero. The original Bat-Girl, Bette Kane, then took the name Flamebird.

Jimmy Olsen in DC Comics’ Modern AgeDC Comics

In DC Comics’ post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reality-rewriting reboot, Jimmy would stick around as a major part of Superman’s mythology. However, most references to his having powers or any of his more wild adventures were erased from continuity. Modern creators would reference some of those older, wackier stories in a tongue-in-cheek way. Now back as an ordinary guy with a job at the Daily Planet, he’d remain important to Superman lore, as he took the prize-winning photo of Superman’s death in the ‘90s. He’d also seriously date Lois Lane’s sister, Lucy Lane, something he also did more casually in the classic Silver Age comics.

Jimmy Olsen in Live-ActionWarner Bros.

In live-action, Jimmy Olsen first appeared in the Superman serial in 1948, played by Tommy Bond. Since then, he has appeared in most Superman-related on-screen material in one form or another. Jack Larson played him in the ‘50s TV classic Adventures of Superman TV series, which caused a spike in his popularity, leading to headlining his own comic book series. He then appeared in 1978’s Superman: The Movie, played by actor Mark McClure, who also played him in three sequels and 1984’s Supergirl, and also in several Super Powers action figure commercials. The ’90s saw two different actors portray Jimmy on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Michael Landes played Jimmy in season one, and then the more teen-looking Justin Whalin took on the role in seasons 2-4.

Smallville and Superman Returns

Jimmy played a major role in the TV series Smallville in the 2000s, played by Aaron Ashmore. Smallville’s producers eventually killed off this version of Jimmy, with his younger brother taking on the role of Daily Planet reporter alongside Clark and Lois in the series finale. In 2006, actor Sam Huntington played the character in Superman Returns. Interestingly, producers asked Aaron Ashmore’s identical twin brother Shawn to play Jimmy in Superman Returns, but had to bow out due to his role as Iceman in the X-Men films.

Supergirl and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

In the CW’s Arrowverse, actor Mehcad Brooks played the older James Olsen, becoming the first African-American actor to ever play the character. He appeared in five seasons of Supergirl starting in 2015, as the Editor-in-Chief of Catco, and Supergirl’s boss. During this same time, the character was all but removed from the Superman mythology in the DCEU. He didn’t appear in Man of Steel, and Zack Snyder only used the character in Batman v. Superman in a notorious cameo. In that film, released in 2016, Jimmy Olsen was a CIA agent who went undercover as a photojournalist. A terrorist shoots him in the head, killing him. Jimmy’s legacy was reduced to a shock value moment.

Jimmy Olsen in AnimationWarner Bros. Animation

In animation, Jimmy first appeared in the 1941 Fleischer Studios animated shorts. That marked his first-ever appearance on screen. He later appears as a major supporting player in the 1966 New Adventures of Superman, the 1988 Superman Saturday morning cartoon, and in the ‘90s in Superman: The Animated Series. They always portrayed Jimmy as Superman’s best buddy, and almost his sidekick in these shows. In this 21st century, Jimmy has made appearances in The Batman, Batman: Brave and the Bold, Young Justice, DC Superhero Girls, Justice League Action, and currently, in My Adventures with Superman. That series is the first animated show to portray an African-American Jimmy, and also depict him as knowing Clark Kent’s true identity early on in the narrative. The character has made cameos in multiple DTV animated films as well.

Jimmy Olsen in James Gunn’s SupermanJames Gunn

We’re not sure what role Jimmy Olsen will play in James Gunn’s Superman, but actor Skyler Gisondo looks like he stepped right out of a Silver Age comic book. We can guess he’ll be a photojournalist for the Daily Planet, and be friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent. It’s fair to conclude he won’t be killed in under two minutes of screen time, like his previous DCEU iteration. We certainly wish this version of James Olsen a long and fruitful life on the big screen.

The post The History of Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s BFF, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

TWISTERS Cast Celebrates SUPERMAN, A STAR WARS Wedding, and Other News Odds & Ends

The Boy and the Heron finally sets a US streaming release date. Meanwhile, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Karlach and Astarion strike out on their own adventure (and also get featured on Magic cards). New Disney American Girl dolls have arrived. So did Borderlands, but not to great applause. Here are all these news odds & ends, and more.

Twisters and Superman

The cast of ‘TWISTERS’ react to David Corenswet being cast as Superman. pic.twitter.com/XEombZ4n34

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 25, 2024

The Twisters cast adorably celebrated the news that their fellow co-star David Corenswet had been officially cast in the DCU’s Superman by James Gunn.

Star Wars 5healthMONO

Get ready for a Star Wars wedding. Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III – The Wedding Spectacular One Shot reveals the gorgeous wedding of Lula Talisolia and Zeen Mralia, freedom fighters gathering the resistance against the Nihil. It will bring together the talents of creators Daniel José Older and Harvey Tolibao along with Toni Bruno, Nick Brokenshire and many others. Additionally, the one-shot features “main cover art from Cherriielle,” and “two incredible variant covers that fans will need to collect to see every inch of the beauty this wedding has to offer. 5healthMONO showcases their energetic style in one variant, while Priscilla Bampoh’s iconic artistry completes the variant set.”

The description of the Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III – The Wedding Spectacular One Shot shares:

The time has finally come to gather the resistance forces on Eriadu to witness Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala, the young freedom fighters championing the fight against the Nihil, join hands in marriage. Friends and family throughout the galaxy will be joining in the celebration of light, life and love. But just in case, the dress code does include holstered weapons, as war could break out at any moment!

Priscilla Bampoh

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III – The Wedding Spectacular One Shot releases in stores on December 18, 2024. You can make sure you have a copy waiting at your local comic shop today, the one shot will cost $5.99.

5healthMONO Baldur’s Gate 3

If you’re a Baldur’s Gate 3 fan with a bit of chaotic evil in you, strap in. Larian Studios has shared a teaser for a new Dark Urge game ending. But beware spoilers abound.

Father would be so proud.

Embrace your destiny and feast your eyes on a new evil ending cinematic teaser for the Dark Urge, landing this September 👇

Warning: contains spoilers! pic.twitter.com/1TkwDGqyle

— Baldur's Gate 3 (@baldursgate3) August 19, 2024

Other evil endings are also on the way. These will come in Patch 7, releasing this September.

If you decided happily ever after wasn’t for you, there’s an assortment of evil ending cinematics new to Baldur’s Gate 3, arriving with Patch 7.

Here’s another sneak peek! Beware, some spoilers ahead! pic.twitter.com/1Z51dOnL2D

— Baldur's Gate 3 (@baldursgate3) August 14, 2024

LEGO Pixar: Bricktoons 

A new LEGO series is here, LEGO Pixar: BrickToons. A release shares more about this brand-new series of shorts featuring classic Pixar characters. It notes, “Join some of your favorite LEGO Pixar characters for all-new adventures!  Sing along with Miguel in the Land of the Dead, help Merida and her brothers through a beary rocky situation, take an epic field trip with Nemo, Marlin, and Dory, watch the Parr family try to save their neighborhood from Syndrome, and join Mater as he prepares Lightning McQueen for his next big race!”

All five episodes of LEGO Pixar: BrickToons release on Disney+ on September 4.

Pacific Rim Legendary Entertainment

A Pacific Rim prequel series is on the way from Legendary Entertainment and Eric Heisserer. Little is known about the series yet except that it will serve as an origin story for the Pacific Rim world.

Indiana Jones Paramount Pictures

An Indiana Jones hat worn by Harrison Ford in Temple of Doom just sold at auction for $630,000. The hat belonged to Ford’s stunt double Dean Ferrandini, who also wore the hat in the film. You can spy this expensive headwear in the Temple of Doom scene where Wilhelmina “Willie” Scott, played by Kate Capshaw, Short Round, played by Ke Huy Quan, and Indiana Jones, played, by Ford, use a raft to jump from a crashing plane to safety.

Pokémon

All your favorite Pokémon are now the stars of a flight safety video. You can learn how to correctly buckle your seat belts and what to do in the event of an emergency with Pikachu and the gang. Check it out above.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (Part 2)Wizards of the Coast

Astarion and Karlach, two of our favorite Baldur’s Gate 3 companions will be featured in a Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop celebrating Dungeons & Dragons. The Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons® 50th Anniversary Superdrop will feature, among others, the following two cards:

Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Astarion’s Thirst Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Karlach’s Rage 

In addition to the above, we now know which four other cards are included in the Astarion’s Thirst Secret Lair drop. In total the five Astarion cards are: Astarion, The Decadent, Exquisite Blood, Anguished Unmaking, Sanguine Bond, and Mortify. Check them out below.

Click To View Gallery Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast

We can’t wait to roll for these. The Astarion drop will be accompanied by four other Magic: The Gathering drops. These Secret Lair drops will arrive on August 27. Each one will cost $29.99, with foil variants available at $39.99 each.

RSVLTS @ D23

If you’re heading to D23, make sure to stop by RSVLTS’ booth, Booth #8002, also known as the Workshop of Wonders. There you’ll find some very special exclusives that come from the minds of Disney imagineer Tony Baxter and the dynamic artist/creative tandem of James C. Mulligan & Michael Mulligan, alongside the RSVLTS team. The theme of this ten-shirt collection is “Magic & Mystery,” so of course, there’s no one better than experienced Disney creative minds to have along.

RSVLTS will also showcase eight officially licensed Disney x RSVLTS pins that match the shirt designs available at D23. It’s truly a magical line-up. You can take a look at what’s available below. We know we’re obsessed with that Lion King button-up.

RSVLTS Borderlands Lionsgate

The Borderlands movie reviews have started to arrive and things don’t look too great for the movie. Borderlands debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 0% rating (and remained there after more than 20 reviews had been shared). It has since climbed up to 7%.

The CEO of Take-Two, the company that owns Gearbox, which created and owns the Borderlands franchise, is not despairing, though. Strauss Zelnick notes, “Let’s give the film a chance. A lot of people worked really hard on it. The underlying intellectual property is phenomenal, the cast is amazing, and I think the look and feel are really terrific. So let’s see what audiences have to say.”

It’s always possible the audience score and the critical score could be vastly different. But that is quite a rocky start for Borderlands.

Deadpool & Wolverine

One of the funniest “jokes” in Deadpool & Wolverine involved the idea that Hugh Jackman would play Wolverine for Marvel Studios until he was 85. Whether or not that’s the reality of things, Hugh Jackman is mentally preparing himself for it. Check out his dread-filled Instagram post that simply says, 2058. Good luck with playing Old Man Logan, Hugh Jackman. The concept is right there, after all…

Pierre Escargot

The people spoke, and Kenan Thompson brought back Pierre Escargot. It’s pretty hoh-hoh-hilarious. Check it out above.

Disney x American GirlAmerican Girl

American Girls have been icons of the doll world for generations. And now they’re teaming up with some even bigger super stars. That’s right, you can now American Girl versions of Ariel, Cinderella, and Tiana. And newly added to the collection are Frozen‘s Anna and Elsa and Rapunzel. It’s the greatest crossover the world has ever seen. These iconic dolls are available for purchase now.

Click To View Gallery American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl American Girl The Boy and the Heron Studio Ghibli

Hayao Miyazaki’s award-winning film The Boy and the Heron is finally coming to streaming in the US. The Studio Ghibli movie will stream on Max beginning on September 6. It joins the rest of the Studio Ghibli library exclusively available on the streamer.

A synopsis of the The Boy and the Heron shares:

After losing his mother in a hospital fire, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (Part 3)

Two of your favorite Baldur’s Gate 3 companions, Karlach and Astarion, recently teamed up to go on an adventure all their own. Samantha Béart, who voices Karlach, and Neil Newbon, who voices Astarion, participated in GenCon’s live Dungeons & Dragons show and explored what the duo might get up to if Tav didn’t invite them into their party. The description for the video shares, “Astarion and Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3 strike out on their own adventure after Tav doesn’t choose them for their adventuring party, meeting new friends and encountering challenges as they explore the Underdark.”

Sounds delightful!

Terrifier 3

Terrifier 3 released a teaser trailer for its Christmas-themed outing. In addition to many jump scares, it includes Art the Clown making blood angels… Very festive.

Screambox

Terrifier 3 releases on October 11. Its description notes, “In Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting’s Terrifier 3, directed once again by Damien Leone, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is set to unleash another round of chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.”

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Originally published on August 7, 2024.

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Why Cancelling THE ACOLYTE Feels Like a Major STAR WARS Mistake

The news that Lucasfilm cancelled The Acolyte sparked well-justified anger from many in the Star Wars fandom. And sadly, there’s a certain group of people who are gloating at this unfortunate news because they never wanted the show to succeed in the first place. All of this makes the optics bad for Lucasfilm, simply because it looks like the company is appeasing a very negative and annoyingly loud group of people. Even if that’s not the actual truth, that is the story that this group is probably painting in their minds right now. However, The Acolyte was indeed special for several reasons and deserved a second chance.

The Acolyte Expanded Out of the Skywalker Saga At LastLucasfilm

Star Wars is a vast universe of story potential. To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope, the events of the galaxy far, far away cover “a thousand generations.” Yet, in both live-action and animation, which are the “official” parts of the canon, the franchise has confined stories to the roughly 70-year time period of the Skywalker Saga. From a business point, this makes sense to a degree. The iconography of that saga is known around the globe, largely due to the massively popular films from George Lucas. Even the most “out of the box” parts of modern Star Wars offerings like Andor have story ties to events in A New Hope.

Lucasfilm

So when Lucasfilm announced The Acolyte, which chronicles events set a hundred years before The Phantom Menace, fans rejoiced. Finally, no Stormtrooper helmets, Imperials, or Rebels/Resistance! Cheers to getting the Jedi at their peak and an alternate exploration of the Sith! We waited years for this.

Naturally, it was a risky move for Lucasfilm and Disney+. Casual Star Wars fans, the people who make up the vast majority of the viewing audience, like what’s familiar to them. They know characters like Boba Fett and Obi-Wan from their roles in the movies. Even The Mandalorian, which introduced lots of new characters to the fandom at large, crossed into the mainstream because of a “baby Yoda.” So once again, that familiar iconography was advantageous. The Acolyte didn’t have those crutches besides the concept of Jedi.

Star Wars Needs to Grow With New Material Like The Acolyte, or It Could Ultimately Wither Away

However, its existence is a reminder that Star Wars as a franchise cannot grow if it keeps repeating its greatest hits. There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia plays. Nostalgic content has its place. But if that’s all this franchise leans on, it’ll die a slow death. For that reason alone, The Acolyte should have a chance to thrive, even if it didn’t initially become the ratings phenomenon that Lucasfilm and Disney desired. Shows often need time to develop and gain an audience. This is fact that’s seemingly lost in the streaming age, where everything must become an instant hit or die.

That mentality would have deprived us of classics like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Breaking Bad, none of which were big hits out of the gate. Giving The Acolyte more time to explore previously uncharted live-action territory could have led to a major shift for the franchise.

The Acolyte Created Fans Outside Star Wars‘ Usual DemographicLucasfilm

It’s true that The Acolyte did not have a huge cultural moment that crossed over into the mainstream like The Mandalorian. However, the expectation that every Star Wars project must hit that level of success remains short-sighted and ultimately unattainable in a world with so many offerings. What The Acolyte did do was draw in new fans who loved the diverse cast and the on-screen chemistry of Osha (Amandla Stenberg) and the mysterious and sexy Stranger (Manny Jacinto).

Instead of cultivating this new fandom, which could create a group of Star Wars disciples for a new generation, Lucasfilm possibly alienated them from wanting to dive deeper into this world and explore future Star Wars content. This alienation sentiment also goes for existing fans who have witnessed some very unsavory behavior in the fandom for years. There’s a strong disappointment that comes from feeling like the negative voices are winning. In fact, saying it is a disappointment doesn’t quite scratch the surface considering what’s happened in very recent memory.

The Acolyte Was a Target Before and Throughout Its RunLucasfilm

Lucasfilm announced The Acolyte in 2020, revealing that Star Wars superfan Leslye Headland would write and produce the series. Headland made women and POC the center of its story, and she herself is a gay woman. That alone caused the many terrible people to attack the show before ever seeing a single frame of it.

Unfortunately, this is not new for the franchise. When Asian-American actress Kelly Marie Tran joined The Last Jedi, bigoted fans reacted by creating a mountain of content against her online. They even harassed the actress to the point where she had to leave social media. When it came time to film The Rise of Skywalker, Tran’s role went from a major supporting player to having less than two minutes of screen time. It was a letdown for Rose Tico fans. This behavior reared its ugly head again when Obi-Wan Kenobi hit Disney+ in 2022. Many of these “fans” bullied actress Moses Ingram, who played Inquisitor Reva on the show.

In the weeks leading up to The Acolyte’s premiere, many review bombed the show. Meanwhile, certain fans were very angry the show “broke canon.” The logic behind this notion was that if any Jedi had seen a Sith before The Phantom Menace, it would make the Jedi’s statements in that film a contradiction. (Of course, all those Jedi who saw a Sith died before the end of the season.) In reality, all of that canon- breaking talk was a smokescreen to say they were angry a Star Wars project didn’t center any straight white men for the first time. All of this was meant to create a rotten air around the series before it ever dropped to discourage casual fans from watching the show. And, from many fans’ perspectives, it seems their scheme largely worked considering this cancellation news.

Lucasfilm

We all know this is not the first Star Wars project to not get a second season. Obi-Wan Kenobi nor Book of Boba Fett got a second round but those shows were not designed to go past one season. The door was open for more certainly, but both shows were essentially conceived as miniseries. The Acolyte was designed with three seasons in mind, so it’s really the first live-action Star Wars show to get outright canceled mid-story. Sadly, the bigots among us will feel like they have been validated again, even if that’s not actually the case.

Lucasfilm

In many ways, The Acolyte is the straw that broke the bantha’s back for many fans. It’s going to be difficult to trust any new Star Wars series on Disney+ coming from Lucasfilm from now on to get a proper conclusion. Why invest in the upcoming Skeleton Crew if it might end with a cliffhanger that never receives a resolution? Sure, the dangling plot threads from The Acolyte will probably find resolution in some novel or comic book down the line. But can you imagine if The Empire Strikes Back decided to resolve its cliffhanger ending in a book?!

Star Wars isn’t just any other franchise—it’s the biggest of all sci-fi/fantasy franchises. So yes, fans expect a certain amount of storyline follow-through from the proverbial King of the Hill. Now everyone will have to see if, and how, certain threads are addressed for The Acolyte.

Does The Acolyte Still Have a Future? Lucasfilm

Hopefully, Lucasfilm hears the fan outcry and rethinks its decision and gives The Acolyte one more season to wrap up its story. Andor was originally meant to go five seasons, but was truncated to two, allowing Tony Gilroy to tell his story. Leslye Headland deserves the same grace. Even if the show has bigger budget restraints this time. If Lucasfilm essentially continued the new story in a sequel series with a new name, fans of The Acolyte certainly wouldn’t be against it. It’s not the name they’re attached to, it’s the characters.

Thus far, Lucasfilm has not put out any official statement regarding The Acolyte. This is Lucasfilm’s opportunity to show that the future of the franchise lies in growing new fans and expansion versus making moves that, while not made specifically for anyone, still make many in the fanbase who want Star Wars to remain a stagnant franchise happy. The franchise cannot keep remixing its best parts over and over. Was The Acolyte perfect? Absolutely not. But it did stretch the universe of Star Wars in bold new directions. That’s something this franchise desperately needs as it approaches its 50th anniversary.

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STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY Begins Production and Welcomes Its New Cadets

Although Star Trek: Discovery will soon end with season five, a new live-action StarTrek series will arrive to replace it. After years of rumors, Paramount+ has officially announced a series order for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. This show will follow an all-new class of Starfleet cadets. And we’ll get to see students coming of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will serve as co-showrunners. Gaia Violo wrote the series pilot.

The series just began production in August 2024 and shared a photo of its new cadets at work.

School is in session, cadets! Today marks the official start of production as the #StarTrek Stage welcomes #StarfleetAcademy. pic.twitter.com/i6Bmtz5Tuh

— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) August 26, 2024

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Series Casts Its New Cadets

In the latest piece of casting news for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, another new actor has joined the series as a cadet. This time, it’s Sandro Rosta who enlists in the Academy.

Yellow Belly Photo

He joins a slew of actors already announced as cadets in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. These include Karim Diané (One Of Us Is Lying), Zoë Steiner (Significant Others), Kerrice Brooks (My Old Ass), Bella Shepard (Wolf Pack), and George Hawkins (Tell Me Everything).

Steph Cammarano/Paradigm

All these actors will play the newest cadets in the Star Trek universe. But for now literally all we know about them is that they are “cadets.”

K. Brooks/David Muller/Yellowbelly

Right now, we don’t know any more about their individual characters than that. But since the series is all about “a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy,” we bet they’ll be very important. We can’t wait to learn more about these Starfleet Academy characters soon.

Paul Giamatti Joins Starfleet Academy as the Series’ Villain

Paul Giamatti has also come aboard the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Giamatti will play Starfleet Academy‘s villain. A release shares, “Giamatti will play the season’s villain, a man with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets.” Very ominous indeed.

Every Starfleet crew has their villain. We are beyond excited to announce that Paul Giamatti has joined the cast of #StarfleetAcademy as a recurring guest star! #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/VHNWRCmYWK

— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) June 11, 2024

Giamatti will be a recurring guest star.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Casts Holly Hunter as Its Captain

In an exciting turn of events, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy revealed that it has cast Holly Hunter as the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy. A release reiterates that, “The series will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy.”

All cadets, rise for your captain! Academy Award winner Holly Hunter has officially been cast as the captain and chancellor of the upcoming @paramountplus series #StarfleetAcademy 🖖 pic.twitter.com/6ZLA2Kjnxk

— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) May 21, 2024

Co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau share, “It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius. To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on STARFLEET ACADEMY is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of STAR TREK.”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Synopsis

You can read the official description of the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series right here:

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.

Paramount+

Paramount+ also released a special “recruitment announcement” from the legendary institution itself:

Admission is now open to Starfleet Academy! Explore the galaxy! Captain your destiny! For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years (or species equivalent) who dream of exceeding their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who value friendship, camaraderie, honor and devotion to a cause greater than themselves.

The coursework will be rigorous, the instructors among the brightest lights in their respective fields, and those accepted will live and study side-by-side with the most diverse population of students ever admitted. Today we encourage all who share our dreams, goals and values to join a new generation of visionary cadets as they take their first steps toward creating a bright future for us all. Apply today! Ex Astris, Scientia!”

CBS/Viacom

The mention of the Academy opening up for “the first time in over a century” suggests the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series will be a spinoff of Discovery. We learned in recent seasons that because of a terrible galactic incident, the Federation was reduced to just a few worlds by the 32nd century. But by the end of Discovery season three, Starfleet began the climb back, and the Academy reopened.

Recently, Doug Jones seemed to confirm this, noting of a possible Star Trek return, “It would be a character by character, case by case, kind of a thing. Just as an actor in general, if I’m presented with a story I want to help tell, a character that I would really love to play, you know, it’s a case by case thing. So yeah, never say never, yes. And if Saru were to be invited back to another, let’s say Starfleet Academy, that’s the right timeline for him, he could do. I’m absolutely game to do so.”

Many fans crossed their fingers and hoped that Starfleet Academy might take place in the post-Picard timeline. We would have loved to see characters from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager as instructors. But it seems more likely we’ll see characters from Discovery instead. We do also hope the new Star Trek series won’t be completely Earthbound. It would be amazing to see cadets training on starships, as we did in The Wrath of Khan.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Release Date

Speaking to Collider, Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman shared Starfleet Academy is  “halfway through the writers room now” and preparing to film this summer. He additionally noted, “It could end up not airing until 2026. We don’t know. But by starting [shooting in late summer], just building the sets alone is a massive endeavor, then six months of shooting, then six to eight months of post.” The publication additionally notes, “While he confirmed they ‘haven’t started casting the kids,’ it sounds like some of the adult roles have already been filled.”

A recent article from Variety additionally notes that “this summer, the first Star Trek YA series, Starfleet Academy, will start production on the largest single set ever created for Star Trek on TV.” The article also describes “plans for the series’ central academic atrium, a sprawling, two-story structure that will include a mess hall, amphitheater, trees, catwalks, multiple classrooms and a striking view of the Golden Gate Bridge in a single, contiguous space. To fit it all, they plan to use every inch of Pinewood Toronto’s 45,900 square foot soundstage, the largest in Canada.” But rest assured, the article notes, there will be starships. Although since Starfleet Academy “is set in the 32nd century, an era so far into the future Kurtzman and his team need to invent much of its design language.”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will likely debut on Paramount+ sometime in 2024 or 2025, but we guess 2026 is also on the table.

Originally published on March 30, 2023.

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The Surprising Connections Between ALIEN: ROMULUS and THE LAST OF US

When you think about the Alien film franchise and The Last of Us games and TV series, you probably don’t see any similarities at all. And why would you? One is a slowburn, cross-country journey about the end of the world with fungus people. The other is…The Last of Us. Wakka wakka wakka, funny joke. At any rate, both are creature horror with sci-fi bits but that’s where the comparisons likely stop. But if you’re a filmmaker like Fede Alvarez, you might have used one to inspire the other, as the filmmaker shared that The Last of Us: Part II did indeed inspire Alien: Romulus.

20th Century Studios/Naughty Dog

On Twitter, the Evil Dead director responded to a follower’s question about whether or not he’d played TLOU2. Alvarez shared he was playing the game whilst writing Alien: Romulus and took direct inspiration from it for one of his characters.

“The story of a pregnant Dina made me think of having the character of Kay be pregnant too. Then I cast Isabella Merced to play Kay…. A year later she gets cast to play Dina on the HBO show…. True story.”

Fun fact: I was playing #TheLastOfUs2 while writing #AlienRomulus The story of a pregnant Dina made me think of having the character of Kay be pregnant too. Then I cast Isabella Merced to play Kay…. A year later she gets cast to play Dina on the HBO show…. True story. https://t.co/fABV9L1x1I pic.twitter.com/prDV6bHTYf

— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) August 24, 2024

That’s less life imitating art but art imitating art, really. The utter happenstance of Isabella Merced playing Kay in Romulus only for HBO to cast her has the analogous character in The Last of Us is super fascinating. In the game, and series, Dina is Ellie’s girlfriend who bears the brunt of the latter’s quest for vengeance.

But that isn’t the only fun parallel. Another Twitter person noticed a visual similarity between the character of Lev in TLOU2 and Navarro in Romulus. Both people of Asian descent with shaved heads. Alvarez confirmed this, too, in gif format.

https://t.co/dFvLmFilhA pic.twitter.com/FgpFWOyQ5F

— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) August 25, 2024

So the moral of the story: play video games. Thank you.

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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SUPERMAN’s Jimmy Olsen Revealed—James Gunn Shares First Look at Skyler Gisondo in DCU Role

James Gunn recently revealed another look at the upcoming DCU Superman movie. This time, he shared a first-look image of a familiar face that we’re all very excited to see: that of Jimmy Olsen. In honor of the 83rd anniversary of Jimmy Olsen’s first DC Comics appearance (at least, his first named one), Gunn shared an image of the DCU’s Jimmy Olsen played by Skyler Gisondo in Superman. And honestly, Skyler Gisondo looks like the perfect person to play Superman’s best pal. There’s a sweetness to the image that we love; it offers a very wholesome feeling vibe that is exactly right for Jimmy Olsen. Gisondo frankly looks like he fell right out of a Superman comic book. Thumbs up, indeed.

You can check out our first-look at Jimmy Olsen in DCU Superman movie below.

James Gunn

Jimmy Olsen, of course, is a photojournalist who works alongside Clark Kent and Lois Lane at the Daily Planet. We loved his recent portrayal in My Adventures with Superman, but he’s struggled to make it onto the big screen in a faithful way. Olsen had a brief appearance on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it was a) kind of strange, and b) really short because he was killed off very quickly. Jimmy Olsen did, of course, have a successful run on the ’50s TV series, Adventures of Superman, where Jack Larson played him. It was his popularity on that series that led Olsen to have his very own spinoff comic series, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. And that series had a nearly 20 year run, so we know the people love Jimmy.

DC Comics

Gunn writes, “Happy Anniversary to Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, who debuted on this day in 1941 (although he did appear earlier as “office boy” in Action Comics 6). Created by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Bob Maxwell. I can’t wait for you to see Skyler Gisondo’s portrayal in Superman on July 11, 2025.” And frankly, we can’t either. Superman‘s Jimmy Olsen, we love you already.

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TED LASSO Season 4 Takes a Step Closer to a Greenlight, Options for Main Cast Secured

Do you believe? As unlikely as it seemed, given that Ted Lasso season three’s final episode felt like a series finale, Ted Lasso season four is apparently well on its way toward being greenlit and returning to our screens. On the one hand, Ted Lasso is a show that brought us all some much-needed joy during hard times, so hearing that season four may really exist is good news. On the other hand, many will surely ask whether we really need Ted Lasso to be renewed for season four. Ultimately, though, fans don’t have the final say on whether a show secures a renewal, especially not these days. Reports indicate that Ted Lasso season four has taken a huge step forward toward being greenlit, and that’s the current state of the Ted Lasso union. Here’s what we know about where Ted Lasso season four currently stands.

Apple TV+

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Television has secured options for three of Ted Lasso‘s main cast to return to return for season four. The cast members currently on board include Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift, who would reprise their roles as Ted Lasso‘s Rebecca Walton, Roy Kent, and Leslie Higgins in a potential season four. Of course, deals with Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, the series creators, executive producers, and stars, as well as Juno Temple, and others, will still need to happen. The Hollywood Reporter shares that “Phil Dunster (Jamie Tart) has not been picked up.” Presumably, the actor will not return due to conflicts with other shows.

Apple TV

Of course, Jason Sudeikis is a huge (and necessary) piece of the puzzle for Ted Lasso season 4 to proceed. Earlier in the summer, Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence shared what it would take for Ted Lasso to return for another season. He noted, “Whatever Jason [Sudeikis] feels like doing and whatever his decision is, we’re all down with it… Not only is he the star, he’s the head writer, and he’s also the dude whose life just has to be completely overhauled and moved to a foreign country with young children.”

Additionally, Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey has previously hinted at Ted Lasso season four, noting, “I mean, you watched the finale, there’s a little bit of a door that could be kicked back open if need be… I wouldn’t put the period on the end of that sentence just yet. There is still a lot of love for ‘Ted Lasso.’ And I think that there still is a lot of enthusiasm on the part of Apple for ‘Ted Lasso.’ Should the opportunity arise, we’d be excited to jump back in to making more…. There are always conversations that are ongoing, just nothing that’s official.”

Apple TV+

And to be clear, there still isn’t anything official about Ted Lasso‘s renewal. Firstly, there is no official word yet on Jason Sudeikis’ response to this Ted Lasso season four news. Variety reports, however, that “It’s believed that Jason Sudeikis is involved in the revival in some capacity as an executive producer.” Meanwhile, Deadline notes of Ted Lasso season four, “Starting the process for a Season 4 green light indicates that the main Ted Lasso driving force on and off-screen, Sudeikis, is on board for a new installment as the studio would not have proceeded without his consent.”

Secondly, Warner Bros. Television and Apple TV+ have also not yet commented. Of course, as indicated above, the latter duo have always seemed open to the idea of more Ted Lasso. And who could blame them? The series has received much love and acclaim throughout its run. We suppose we already know the truth. If Jason Sudeikis really does want to return for Ted Lasso season four, then it will probably happen.

We guess we’ll hold out belief that if Ted Lasso season four does secure the green light for another season, that season will tell a story worthy of what has come before it.

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Winona Ryder Had a Hard Time Imagining an Adult Lydia in BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

For decades now, we’ve heard rumors about a sequel to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1988 hit, which cemented his signature style. The story of a young goth girl (Winona Ryder) who tries to help two ghosts in her haunted home scare her parents away. The ghost they hire is a “Bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice to do the deed. A cult classic to this day, plans for a sequel have always been rumored. During the ’90s, they even floated “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” to Kevin Smith.

But now, some 35 years after the original hit theaters, a sequel to the adventures of the “Bio Exorcist” is finally on the way. Original star Michael Keaton, director Tim Burton, Winona Ryder, and Scream and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega have all signed on for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Speaking of Ryder, she revealed to Slash Film that she had a hard time imagining Lydia Deetz as a grown up, much less a mother and TV personality.

“I think certainly, I never pictured Lydia either having children or in any type of relationship,” Ryder said. “I just always thought she was just probably in her own world as she got older. Just sort of in the attic and happy, but alone.”

But, after meeting Ortega and Justin Theroux, who plays Lydia’s boyfriend Rory, it was easier to find this unexpected version of Lydia. We certainly didn’t think she’d be on TV, either.

Let’s bust out that Handbook for the Recently Deceased; here is everything we know about the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Title

As we hoped, the title for this movie is Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! We love it, because this way, if they ever make it a trilogy, they can call the third one Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! and Michael Keaton will magically appear when summoned, just by saying the title.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s Plot

The Beetlejuice sequel will center on the daughter of Lydia Deetz from the first film. And somehow, the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice will play a part as well. We think it’s safe to say that both ghosts and the afterlife will play a rather large role. The teaser trailer also finally have our first look at Ortega and Keaton in their roles. We get to see Ortega’s character in deeper detail in another Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer.

Warner Bros.

The official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sheds more light on the plot, sharing:

Beetlejuice is back!  After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River.  Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.  With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

Warner Bros.

If you’re thinking that there will be more Beetlejuice because his name is in the title twice, think again. In an interview with Variety, Keaton said he didn’t want too much screen time in this sequel. “The idea was, no, no, no, you can’t load it up with Beetlejuice, that’ll kill it,” Keaton said. “I think the Beetlejuice character doesn’t drive the story as much as he did in the first one. He’s more part of the storyline in this one as opposed to the first one, which is a case of, this thing comes in and drives the movie a little bit.”

Click To View Gallery Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s CastWarner Bros.

The cast for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is shaping up to have a combination of stars from the original, and other actors Tim Burton has recently worked with. Michael Keaton will return as the titular character, joined by Jenna Ortega, who recently worked with Burton on Wednesday, as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz character from the first film. Winona Ryder is returning as well, as so is Catherine O’Hara as her stepmother. Other original cast members, like Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, are likely not returning.

Warner Bros./Netflix

New to the cast is Willem Dafoe, who is playing a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Empire Magazine revealed a new look at Willem Dafoe’s character ‘Afterlife Crimes’ cop Wolf Jackson.

EXCLUSIVE 💚

Willem Dafoe is 'Afterlife Crimes' cop Wolf Jackson in #Beetlejuice #Beetlejuice.

'It’s not a normal role,' he tells Empire. 'The most important thing was to find the tone. It had to be rooted, but free enough to play with it.'

READ MORE: https://t.co/hAaTCa0xcv pic.twitter.com/4xLsPBWW1m

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) June 3, 2024

Empire shares, “the film sees Dafoe play the brilliantly-named Wolf Jackson – an actor who, given that he was known for playing cop ‘Frank Hardballer’ when he was alive, has taken on a similar role in the afterlife as the head of the Afterlife Crimes Unit. Oh, and he has a segment of skull missing, leaving a bit of his brain exposed. ‘It’s not a normal role,’ admits Dafoe. ‘The most important thing for me was to find the tone. It had to be rooted, but it also had to be free enough that you could play with it.'”

Another new face is Justin Theroux, in an as-yet undisclosed role. Also new to the world of the afterlife is Monica Bellucci, who will play the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice. This will be the first time working on a Tim Burton project for all three actors.

We love seeing them in this new poster:

Here to make all your nightmares come true. #Beetlejuice #Beetlejuice – Only in theaters September 6. pic.twitter.com/Y4oXEBTvHa

— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) July 18, 2024

Behind the ScenesWarner Bros.

Returning behind the camera is original filmmaker Tim Burton. Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the hit Netflix Burton/Ortega collaboration Wednesday, wrote the screenplay for the sequel. Tim Burton’s longtime friend and collaborator Danny Elfman is returning to compose the score. It just wouldn’t feel like Beetlejuice without an Elfman score, would it?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s Release Date

The long-awaited sequel to the Tim Burton horror/comedy classic Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 5, 2024.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

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A STAR TREK Movie By Quentin Tarantino Is Not Happening

A few years ago, there were many rumblings about a Star Trek movie with Quentin Tarantino as its director. We at Nerdist tried to imagine how this film would play out considering it is rather far from Tarantino’s typical wheelhouse. We came up with a few ideas but now it seems that none of that matters anymore. During a podcast interview with Bill Maher, Quentin Tarantino confirmed that his Star Trek movie will never, ever happen. Oh well. (Thanks to Comicbook.com for bringing this to our attention.)

“It’s never going to happen,” said Tarantino. “There’s been so much misinformation about what it was going to be—nothing but misinformation. I live in a special zone and part of my zone is because I’m not on Instagram and Facebook, I’m not creating this constant dialogue with the world with what’s going on with my life.” 

Paramount

Tarantino continued and basically said that it’s easy for a reporter to take some news/rumor and run with it because he’s minding his own business off the internet. It was something he had an interest in at one point, but that’s simply not the case anymore. Honestly, that’s awesome for him. A Quentin Tarantino Star Trek is not happening but that doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty to look forward to. Star Trek: Section 31 is coming to Paramount+ in 2025 and it looks awesome. And there’s still yet another Star Trek film coming to continue the film series starring Chris Pine as a young Captain Kirk.

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SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY Trailer Details a Real-Life Hero’s Journey

Sometimes, an actor’s offscreen life is just as inspiring and compelling as a character they play. That’s certainly the case with Christopher Reeve, who rose to fame when he famously portrayed Superman in several films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His dashing good looks, bold activism, and cheerful personality made America fall in love with him. (He also has the best Superman suit of all-time, but that’s another story.) This sentiment only grew after Reeve got into an accident in May 1995, falling off his horse and becoming paralyzed from the neck down. His perseverance and openness about finding his new normal was inspiring, indeed. Now, the trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story reveals a documentary film that will take us through the highs, lows, and relationships in his life. 

Here’s a bit more about what you’ll see in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story to accompany this trailer: 

From the directors of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this film includes never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary trove of personal archive material, as well as the first extended interviews ever filmed with Reeve’s three children about their father, and interviews with the A-list Hollywood actors who were Reeve’s colleagues and friends. The film is a moving and vivid cinematic telling of Reeve’s remarkable story.

What Is the Release Date for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story?Warner Bros/DC Studios

Warner Bros. Pictures and Fathom Events will release Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story in select theaters on September 21, followed by an Encore Presentation on Christopher Reeve’s Birthday, September 25.

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