Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 253

Fan Petition to Save THE ACOLYTE Gains Momentum

In the days since the announcement that Lucasfilm was canceling The Acolyte, fans of the show have galvanized online. Sure, this often happens whenever they cancel any show with a devoted following prematurely. But when you’re dealing with Star Wars fans, they tend to bring the Force as their ally. So of course, there’s already a Change.org petition to sign to renew the show for a second season. So let the folks at Lucasfilm and Disney know we want more of The Acolyte. Here’s the link, should you wish to make your voice heard if you want to see more of the High Republic world on Disney+.

Although much of the main cast of The Acolyte would not return for a second season (we won’t spoil why in case you have yet to see it), the adventures of Osha (Amandla Stenberg) and the dark side warrior known as “the Stranger” (Manny Jacinto) are just beginning at the end of the series. Also, after his first appearance in canon, many Star Wars fans are dying to see more of Darth Plagueis. How does he connect to the Stranger and, eventually, to Palpatine? How does the Stranger connect to the Knights of Ren? Fans deserve these stories to get their resolution on screen, not in spin-off materials.

Lucasfilm

Although some people might doubt them, sometimes these online petitions do indeed work. Paramount+ execs have said that petitions from fans to spin-off Captain Pike from Star Trek: Discovery led to the creation of Strange New Worlds. Revivals of both Futurama and Veronica Mars eventually arrived because of online fan outcry that never let up. Going Back to Star Trek, long before the internet was a glimmer in anyone’s eye, outraged fans poured close to one million hand-written letters to NBC to save Star Trek. That campaign, the granddaddy of all fan campaigns, got the show greenlit for season three, and the rest is history. Since “hope” is a key theme in Star Wars, fans should not give up just yet.

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The Many Forms of Sauron on THE RINGS OF POWER

In Tolkien’s lore, one of Sauron’s fearsome powers was his ability to shape-shift. Being a shape-shifter helped Sauron deceive and fight his many foes and, in fact, allowed him to create The Rings of Power in the first place, coming to elves in a fair form and deceiving them with promises of knowledge and gifts. It was this shape-shifting ability that also drove so many questions about the exact identity of Sauron during The Rings of Power season one. Ultimately, it proved that Sauron had taken the form of the human king, Halbrand, during the season, crafting himself an image that he thought would most appeal to Galadriel.

Prime Video

Although season two of The Rings of Power doesn’t release until August 29, a new featurette from the series reveals that Halbrand was actually a form Sauron shapeshifted into at some point in his backstory. Although no actor will replace Charlie Vickers as Sauron, the showrunners assure us, it turns out at least two actors play a form of the Dark Lord on The Rings of Power. And in addition to that, we’ve also been teased that Charlie Vickers will play more than one form of Sauron himself. But just how many forms has Sauron taken in The Rings of Power thanks to his shapeshifting abilities? Let’s take a look.

Sauron’s Earliest Form, Played By Jack LowdenPrime Video

In the first scene of The Rings of Power season two, Jack Lowden plays a form of Sauron. This is the form of Sauron that existed about 1,000 years before the events of The Rings of Power, immediately after Morgoth’s defeat in the War of Wrath. Jack Lowden’s Sauron seems intent on taking power and picking up where Morgoth left off in his pursuit of ruling Middle-earth. But, of course, we know that this form of Sauron won’t last the next 1,000 years on The Rings of Power.

Prime VideoSauron’s Halbrand Form, Played By Charlie Vickers on The Rings of PowerPrime Video

Next up, is, of course, Sauron’s Halbrand form played by Charlie Vickers. We’ll miss you, Halbrand. This Sauron form shifted into catering to the version of Sauron that Galadriel most wanted to see. In this form, Sauron pretended to be part of a royal lineage that ruled the Southlands. Sauron, in his Halbrand form, dabbled at becoming a true hero on The Rings of Power, the kind of leader his people needed, who could fight by Galadriel’s side and stave off the coming of darkness. Sauron convinced Galadriel and the Southlanders that he, as Halbrand, was meant to be their King with a necklace bearing a Southlander royal crest. But, of course, Sauron himself tells Galadriel, “I took it off a dead man.” In the end of The Rings of Power season two, Sauron’s ruse with Galadriel comes to a close, but his Halbrand form lives on a little longer.

Prime Video

In clips from season two of The Rings of Power, we see Sauron bring Halbrand out to manipulate Adar. He pretends to be the King of the Southlands and murmurs in Adar’s ear that Galadriel has sided with Sauron. We’ll see how long Sauron’s Halbrand form lasts into season two.

Prime VideoSauron’s Annatar Form, Played By Charlie Vickers on The Rings of Power Season 2

In a featurette for The Rings of Power season two, Charlie Vickers shares that one of Sauron’s primary powers is the ability to change forms. And Vickers will be doing some form-changing himself in season two of The Rings of Power. Leaving Halbrand behind at some point in season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron takes the form of Annatar, a Quenya elvish word that means “Lord of Gifts.”

Prime Video

Vickers explains that “the Annatar form that we see this season is all for Celebrimbor because he needs Celebrimbor and his understanding and his methodology and his craftsmanship to make these rings. He’ll stop at nothing to rule Middle-earth.” Annatar is Sauron’s “fair form” in The Lord of the Rings universe, the one he initially wears to deceive the elves in Tolkien’s writings. On The Rings of Power, the story is a bit different, but no doubt Sauron’s Annatar form will be enough to convince Celebrimbor to forge more than a few rings. Shape-shifting will get you everywhere.

Prime VideoOther Sauron Forms We Might See on The Rings of Power

During the height of his powers, in the First Age of Middle-earth, Sauron would shapeshift into a serpent, a vampire, and even a wolf. We’d honestly love to see Sauron take on some of those forms in The Rings of Power. Even though we’ve left the first age behind us, we feel Sauron still has enough juice to quickly transform into a wolf for half an episode or so. It really would fool his enemies.

Whatever shapeshifting Sauron wants to get up, though, he’d better do it quickly. Soon, Sauron will lose this ability to change forms once and for all on The Rings of Power. And then he’ll end up stuck as an evil spirit just trying to make a body to survive.

Will We Ever See Sauron in Eye Form on The Rings of Power?Warner Bros.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings movies are probably asking if we will see The Eye of Sauron in The Rings of Power. And the answer to that is we very well might. In The Silmarillion, Sauron’s eye is first mentioned just after the sinking of Númenor.

Tolkien writes, “Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which he had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit arose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home. There he took up again his great Ring in Barad-dûr, and dwelt there, dark and silent, until he wrought himself a new guise, an image of malice and hatred made visible; and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure.”

Of course, in Tolkien’s lore, Sauron does not necessarily become only an Eye in his dark spirit era. But given the popularity of the eye as a symbol, it could very well make its way onto The Rings of Power as yet another possible version of the Dark Lord Sauron.

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STAR WARS OUTLAWS Launch Trailer Unveils New Info About Its Storyline

We feel thrilled that Star Wars will soon release an open-world game for us to explore. After all, some of the best parts of Star Wars revolve around its many detailed settings and deep lore. Allowing fans to delve into an open world is exactly the right move for a Star Wars game. But, of course, there’s more to Star Wars Outlaws than its detailed open world, the game, of course, has a fascinating story as well. And now, we finally know more about its tale, which teases, among others Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt. The full story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws has arrived, alongside a brief teaser that shares some Lando fun. You can watch these first looks below. And, excitingly, Star Wars Outlaws has also finally set its release date for August 30.

Mere days before its launch, Star Wars Outlaws rightfully put out a launch trailer that shows more details about its narrative as well as the characters.

Star Wars Outlaws Reveals Official Story Trailer and Plot Details

Not only does Star Wars Outlaws lets you run around inside of Star Wars world. It also lets you experience a morally grey life which can be a ton of fun. Of course, in true Star Wars fashion, you might also be secretly part of something bigger. The Star Wars Outlaws trailer certainly seems to imply there’s more to some of our major players than meets the eye. For the curious, a release helps shed some light on what we see in the Star Wars Outlaws trailer. You can also watch a new teaser below, which reveals an exciting glimpse of playing Sabacc with Lando himself.

The release reveals that the game will focus on “cunning scoundrel Kay Vess and her companion Nix’s search for an opportunity of a lifetime. During this era, the Empire’s rule is distracted by the rebellion that won’t quit, leading to a golden age for the underworld. As a skilled thief, Kay’s antics catch the attention of Sliro, the leader of a new, foreboding criminal syndicate Zerek Besh. After Sliro places a bounty on Kay’s head, Kay and Nix are offered their one shot at freedom—pull off one of the greatest heists of all time. Kay and Nix will need to navigate the underworld across the galaxy, building their reputation with legendary criminal organizations including the Pyke Syndicate, the Hutt Cartel, the Ashiga Clan and Crimson Dawn to earn the support they need to finish the job.”

Ubisoft

Missions from syndicates, terrifying foes, avoiding the Empire, building a crew and more, it sounds like this game will be a thrilling one for the Star Wars fandom. Douglas Reilly, vice president of Lucasfilm Games shares, “Star Wars Outlaws invites fans to experience a side of the galaxy that has a treasure trove yet to be explored, the exploits of the scoundrels taking advantage of the golden age of the underworld. We’ve been inspired by Massive Entertainment’s dedication to bringing this aspect of Star Wars to life, including both iconic and new things for fans to explore in an open world.”

Star Wars Outlaws‘ SynopsisUbisoft

Alongside its trailer, Star Wars Outlaws shares a synopsis of the game. It notes:

Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.

Which Locations Will Star Wars Outlaws Bring to Its Open World Game?Ubisoft

In celebration of its trailer, Star Wars Outlaws also revealed some familiar and novel locations that will be a part of the game’s open world. The release notes, “Kay and Nix will travel across the galaxy to gain the right resources and crew for the ultimate heist. In their journey, they’ll travel across distinct locations, both iconic and new: Canto Bight, Kijimi, Tatooine, Akiva, and the windswept savannah of Toshara. Along the way, Kay will explore bustling cities and cantinas, race across sprawling outdoor landscapes on her speeder, and pilot her ship the Trailblazer through the wilds of space. When things go awry, the Trailblazer will also help them chase, evade and attack to gain the upper hand in thrilling dogfights with the Empire and other foes.”

Ubisoft

Count us in on all of this excitement. We’re also curious to see how many new and old characters we run into in this game. Star Wars Outlaws‘ trailer teased Jabba the Hutt’s arrival onto the scene… And it also showed us a glimpse of Han Solo in carbonite. Very curious.

UbisoftStar Wars Outlaws Sets Its Release DateUbisoft

So, when will Star Wars Outlaws and its open world release for our playing pleasure? Star Wars Outlaws has set its release date for August 30, 2024. Star Wars Outlaws will be available to play on Xbox Series X|S consoles, PlayStation 5, Amazon Luna and PC through Ubisoft Connec. We can’t wait to “risk it all.”

Originally published on April 9, 2024.

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These 10 Disney Villains Need Big Presences in Villains Land

One of the big theme park announcements coming out of Disney’s D23 event was that a Villains Land was coming to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Fans have requested such a land for years, and its announcement got the biggest cheer from the crowd. Disney released very early concept art for the lad, which does not have an official name as of yet. (We’re just going to call it “Villains Land” for now.) The art definitely leans into spooky sinister vibes of their classic fairy tale films, which we’re very here for. So which villains of their many dozens need to figure prominently in the land? We have our ideas for which ten baddies definitely must have a significant presence when the land eventually opens its gates.

Disney

We should note, we’re only using villains from animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The concept art conveys a medieval feel, so we’re guessing bad guys like Syndrome from The Incredibles or Sid from Toy Story would not fit in. We’re also not including any Marvel or Star Wars villains. They have their own lands to roam. Oh, and for each of these villains, we are specifically looking at their original animated incarnations. No shade, but we go classic over those from any of the live-action adaptations every time.

10. Captain Hook (Peter Pan, 1953)Walt Disney Animation

Sometimes we love a classic Disney villain because they’re menacing, or ooze sinister cool. In the case of Captain Hook from Peter Pan, however, we just love him because he’s a complete bumbling idiot. As far as villains go, he’s really just a big goof. But we must admit, he has fabulous hair and a lovely hat, that make him a fashion icon. We don’t know if he warrants his own attraction, but Disneyland used to have Captain Hook’s pirate ship as a restaurant in Skull Rock decades ago. Maybe revive that concept for Villains Land?

9. The Evil Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)Walt Disney Animation

She may not have an actual canonical name, but that doesn’t stop Snow White’s wicked stepmother from being an icon. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 was Disney’s first animated feature film, and her appearance created the template for all other Disney animated villains to come. The unchecked jealousy, the snazzy purple and black wardrobe, the arching eyebrows; all the others followed in her footsteps in some way. She’s so iconic that her disguised form of an old hag is just as famous as her default glamorous mode. Hopefully they at least give her an apple cart somewhere in Villains Land. (It can sell churros too.)

8. Chernabog (Fantasia, 1940)Walt Disney Animation

Is Chernabog from Fantasia a villain? He certainly looks like one. The silent, mountain-sized figure is based on the God of Darkness from Slavic folklore. He commands an army of the dead, which he uses to terrorize a sleepy village in Fantasia’s “Night on Bald Mountain” segment. So, we guess that counts as bad guy behavior. We’re not sure where Chernabog would fit into Villains Land, but how absolutely awesome would it be if there was an actual Bald Mountain in that land with him on top? During the day, the giant wings would be folded up and at night they would open up to reveal Chernabog’s true demonic self. C’mon, Imagineers, this is an easy one.

7. Gaston (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)Walt Disney Animation

Gaston from Beauty and the Beast has no mystical powers nor is he an evil royal. He’s just a great big entitled jerk, toxic masculinity personified, someone who thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Oh, those poor ladies from Belle’s village, having to put up with his obnoxious self. So why do we love him? Well, it helps that he has a great song that goes with his name, and that kind of self-delusion can kind of be endearing. He also has a great pub where he hangs his hat, which could make for a great eatery in Villains Land.

6. Cruella de Vil (101 Dalamtians, 1961)Walt Disney Animation

Like Gaston, Cruella de Vil has no magical powers and she’s not an evil queen….except in her own mind. And that’s why we love this cackling, preening fashion icon. Yes, she wants to kill adorable puppies to make herself a coat. We should totally hate her for such gruesome intentions. But she has a heck of a lot of style, and that counts for a lot. We don’t think Cruella should get her own attraction necessarily, but at least one of the higher-end clothing shops in the land should be named “Cruella’s.”

5. Jafar (Aladdin, 1992)Walt Disney Animation

Jafar is another iconic villain from Disney Animation’s Renaissance era. The Royal Vizier of Agrabah in Aladdin, he wanted to rule the kingdom and get a hold of that pesky magic lamp. Animated Disney villains are known for their camp and coded queerness, and no one goes harder in this direction than Jafar. Like all good Disney villains, he rocks a great outfit, and has some killer facial hair too. His sidekick, Iago the parrot, was annoying, but Jafar is still one of the greatest. We’re sure he’ll be wandering around the land, holding his scepter, but we kind of hope he gets an attraction too. Maybe a terrifying Cave of Wonders?

4. Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)Walt Disney Animation

The mystical voodoo villain Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog was the last great Disney villain introduced in classic hand-drawn animation. Voiced by the great Keith David, the Shadow Man had a spooky and suave demeanor, that made us instantly fall under his spell. And like most of the great Disney baddies, he looks snazzy in a purple and black ensemble. For inexplicable reasons, he’s not used in the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, so he needs representation in the new Villains Land. At the very least, Dr. Facilier’s Magic Shop?

3. Scar (The Lion King, 1994)Walt Disney Animation

What makes for a better villain than a seethingly jealous sibling? Besides, when your name is Scar, what else is going to be your career path? Voiced by the iconic Jeremy Irons in The Lion King, Scar committed one of the more heinous acts of any of the animated Disney villains, actually killing the hero’s father. What can we say, Scar went in hard. Seeing as we likely won’t see Pride Rock in Villains Land, we’re not sure where a big imposing cat with hyena lackeys fits in. Hopefully, we should “Be Prepared” for something special in Villains Land for Scar.

2. Ursula (The Little Mermaid, 1989)Walt Disney Animation

When The Little Mermaid premiered in 1989, we hadn’t had a proper witchy villain in a Disney film in 30 years. And yet, Ursula instantly took her place among the pantheon of the great witches, first with her sassy dialogue, then her banger of a signature song, “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” The Sea Witch also had a visual design no one can ever forget, based on the late, great drag icon, Divine. And let’s hear it for black and purple again for the winning color combo. Because she figures prominently in The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, she might not get her own attraction. Hopefully, she at least gets her own seafood eatery inside the land.

1. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)Walt Disney Animation

Sleeping Beauty isn’t quite the greatest of all the animated Disney films, but it has the distinct honor of having the best villain. The sorceress Maleficent has it all—an iconic and memorable design, a tremendous voice performance by Eleanor Audley, and our girl turns into a giant dragon. Not to mention, her whole evil plan is revenge on a whole kingdom for not inviting her to a kid’s party. That’s a nuclear level of pettiness and we respect it. The concept art for Villains Land seems that Maleficent’s castle is prominently featured. The coaster also seems to show off Maleficent in dragon form. We don’t think we have to worry too much about Maleficent representation here. However, we would be remiss to not reiterate that she’s the Queen Bee. She deserves the royal treatment in Villains Land.

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Wednesday Addams Enrolls at Monster High for New Collectible Dolls

Chalk this one up to one of the biggest toy no-brainers ever. Wednesday Addams is joining the girls of Monster High in a new line of dolls from the folks at Mattel. Joining her is that trusty loyal living hand, Thing, and her werewolf roommate, Enid, from the Wednesday Netflix series. She’ll also get her own Wednesday-themed Fisher-Price Little People Collection as well. You can check out images and details of these wonderful new spooky-ooky toys down below:

Monster High Wednesday Addams DollMattel Toys

The minds behind Monster High and Wednesday have collaborated to create a chillingly beautiful line of dolls inspired by the hit television series. Dressed to distress in all black from head to toe, this Wednesday Addams collectible doll drips dark charm in her Nevermore Academy uniform. With Thing crouched at her shoulder and killer shoes at her feet, she’s more than ready to uncover any morbid mysteries that lie in wait.  This doll will set you back $40.00.

Monster High Enid DollMattel Toys

This Enid Sinclair Monster High collectible doll looks iclawnic in an all-pink look featuring a beret and backpack accessories. As endearing in doll form as she is on the show, Enid is ready for anything — whether it’s getting the tea on school gossip or fighting off a homicidal monster. Like the Wednesday Addams doll, this Enid collectible is priced at $40.00.

Monster High Rave’N Wednesday DollMattel Toys

Just looking at this deluxe doll, we can hear Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary.” Inspired by the show’s viral dance scene, this collectible doll is drop-dead gore-geous in a gothic gown. With her groovy ruffled skirt, she’s ready to hit the dance floor like a ghoul possessed. The price for this deluxe doll is $65.00.

Monster High Wednesday Addams Paint It Black Fashion PackMattel Toys

For $25, collectors can also get the Paint It Black Fashion Pack. It offers a complete, curated look for any Monster High Wednesday doll looking to change up her #OOTD. That’s “Outfit of the Day” and not, as Wednesday insists, “Oddly Obscure Torture Devices.” These items channel the funereal fashion sense of the one and only Wednesday Addams. Accept no substitutes.

Fisher-Price Wednesday Little People Collector’s SetMattel Toys/Fisher-Price

This special edition Little People Collector figure set from Fisher-Price features Wednesday Addams with Thing, Enid Sinclair, Marilyn Thornhill, and The Hyde monster. Each of these characters is reimagined as Little People figurines. This set arrives in a window box package styled with dark and foreboding scenes from Nevermore Academy. This collectible set can be yours for $24.99.

All products are available now at Shop Mattel.

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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Concept Art of Unused Variants Is Wonderfully Goofy

In Deadpool & Wolverine, there are a metric ton of Wade Wilson variants in the Deadpool Corps. Actually, for all we know, some of them might not be Wade (or Wanda) Wilson at all! Even with all of those variants like Lady Deadpool and others, there were some that didn’t make the final cut of the film. Recently, Deadpool & Wolverine’s senior concept artist David Masson has been sharing some of the concept art pieces for the variants from the Void who never got to pop out of that portal via his Instagram. Seeing them now, we sure wish some of them did.

Wolverpool/Deadverine

First up is one we really wish got to be in the final film, based on his design. It’s Wolverpool (or perhaps Deadverine?) As the names suggest, he’s a Wolverine/Deadpool mashup. Is he Logan under that mask, or is he Wade? Maybe he some weird genetic experiment combining the two? Alas, we shall probably never know. But he sure looks cool, doesn’t he?

Punkpool

A punk rock variant was good enough for Spidey in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, so why not a punk rock Deadpool? Punkpool has all the classic punk rock tropes, from the studded jacket to the mohawk to the anarchy symbol. Maybe this version of Wade Wilson came from ’70s London? Oh, the absurd accent Ryan Reynolds could give him. Maybe they thought he was just too much like Spider-Punk in the end.

Masson is also sharing other variants that never made it past the concept stage, like Grandma Deadpool, and Mexican wrestler Deadpool. Maybe that one just looked too much like Batman villain Bane. And is that a Pigpool we see in the video? We expect Mr. Masson to share more soon via his Instagram. Who knows, maybe another Deadpool sequel might allow some of these weirdos to see life on the big screen. Anything is possible in the Multiverse, right?

Marvel Studios

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MEGALOPOLIS Trailer Recalled Due to Fabricated Critic Quotes

UPDATE: Please note that Lionsgate has recalled the Megalopolis trailer due to fabricated critic comments. But you can still read about it below. A spokesperson notes, “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis. We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.”

The original article is below.

One of the most mysterious and intriguing upcoming movies is undoubtedly Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The Adam Driver led movie sets up a trip of futuristic trip full of greed, warfare, and other things in a world that’s not like ours. The trailer for Megalopolis shows Coppola (and the film’s marketing team) striking back at past critics who dissed his previous films, instead saying that he is always on the wave of the future. And honestly, he isn’t wrong… and this trailer is absolutely fantastic. 

Here’s a synopsis for Megalopolis to accompany its trailer: 

Megalopolis is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

Ahhh yes. We finally have some more context to what’s going on here and it seems like a total vibe. The film’s poster is rather simple with Cesar standing with a golden hammer-like object and a caption that suggests he will rebuild the world for a better future. 

LionsgateWhat Is the Release Date of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis? Lionsgate

Megalopolis will hit theaters on September 27, so we don’t have long to wait for this epic film.

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Puzzle Over the Complete TERMINATOR Franchise Timeline

The big shocking reveal of the first Terminator movie back in 1984 was that (SPOILERS) John Connor had actually sent his own father, Kyle Reese, back in time to protect his mother, Sarah Connor. As a result of their brief time together, they conceived the savior of humanity against the machines. It’s a causal loop, one of the most complicated ideas in science fiction. So what happens when you turn that Terminator timeline into a franchise? Well, kid, it gets to be a bit of a mess.

Adam Murray/Nerdist

Our own Adam Murray lost years of his own life examining the entire 40-year franchise, including all the sequels, the TV spinoff, and the theme park rides, to put together a definitive timeline for the events. It’s…strange. It’s even stranger than the Alien timeline he worked on. From Judgment Day continuing to move to multiple John Connors sending back a half-dozen T-800s, the timeline is messy. But fun to talk about!

And if you’d like to hear the entire breakdown from the horse’s mouth, you can watch Adam’s full video below. It includes all the making-of minutiae and film discrepancies you could ask for, plus an ungodly amount of Los Angeles references. Celebrate the first Judgment Day, August 27, by giving it a watch.

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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LEGO’s Jamie Berard Talks LEGO Masters Creations and How the LEGO Love Just Keeps Growing

LEGO made quite a splash at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Bringing to life an entire space station at their booth, the toymaker introduced a spirit of discovery and creation to the convention. But, of course, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy experiencing new worlds and going on incredible adventures with LEGO if it weren’t for the people behind the bricks. At SDCC, we were excited to catch up with Jamie Berard, a Senior Design Manager and Creative Lead at The LEGO Company, who is also a judge on the hit series LEGO Masters. Berard shared some of his favorite aspects of being a judge on LEGO Masters and also took us deep into the heart of what it means to be a LEGO designer. From his favorite challenges, to the sets he’s most proud of, to why everyone should give LEGO a shot—check out our full interview below.

LEGO

Nerdist: We love LEGO Masters and your participation in it. Can you talk a little bit about what you felt the most exciting part of it has been for you?

Jamie Berard: For me, it is such a treat to be able to leave Denmark, which is a lovely place, leave my day job, and then get to hang out with these amazingly creative people who are willing to take a chance and go on national television and take that risk to be able to show their creativity and love of LEGO building. And so just to be surrounded by those people is inspiring, and then to be able to work with them and actually give guidance and pointers—and then for them to feed off of other people in the room; it’s just really special. And I think to be able to be a part of that is really the answer your question.

I actually recently built my first LEGO set about a year ago, and I really found it to be a beautiful experience. I felt like it was a wonderful act of creation, and it was just a very calming, chill experience. Do you think people see that show as Bake Off kind of experience where they can just watch people create and zen out?

Berard: Exactly. I think it’s just so aspirational to see that with such a small amount of time, without knowing at all what’s going to happen, and without any planning, what people can come up with. I think it’s almost magical. But I think it also gives you hope that at home, if you want to try some of these things, sometimes it doesn’t have to be the biggest, most impressive, beautiful sculpture. It can be something as silly as making something that’s really tall or something that you can shape and not have it fall apart. We actually see a lot of families that are trying some of these challenges as well and kind of making them their own. So I think it’s the level of different things that you get to see that hopefully you find something where you’re like, oh, I never thought of that. Maybe I could try that.

So, what is the most exciting LEGO Masters challenge, in your opinion, or your favorite?

Berard: There have been some that I’ve been completely blown away by. So I would say something like any of the fashion challenges—wearing anything made out of paper bricks is extremely difficult. So that that’s incredible. That’s from a few seasons back. It was just a gorgeous challenge. And it wasn’t just nicely built LEGO models. They were actually very stylish, very artistic. I mean, the handbags from the last season, also. You’re like, these are genuinely runway-worthy handbags. So, I think those have been nice to see. And it’s nice to see how people can actually have an artistic side that has that design style. But I also love things like the rollercoaster challenge. We had Brent here (Brent Benedetti), who was our challenge coordinator and challenge producer. He would tell you that I was trying to talk about it because I’m like, this is one you could end up with a lot of people pulling their hair out if they are too ambitious and they run out of time.

But you get to see like, Christopher and Robert come up with something that I was like, I’m not sure you’re going to be able to finish this. That lift elevator, that kind of spirals around, for example. It was just so fun to see the imagination and just the audacity to be brave and go all in. And then, in the end, to see it all work out and see everybody celebrate their engineering side and their creative side, for me, that is just like high fives awesome. And I’ve learned to be a little more optimistic and not so unsure of what people are capable of. Sometimes, they just need that little bit of motivation.

LEGO

I feel that really comes into LEGO’s San Diego Comic-Con theme of exploration and discovery. When you’re given the opportunity to take a step beyond, then you rise to meet it.

Berard: Exactly. When else would you have a chance to do what they’re doing on LEGO Masters? They get 10 million LEGO bricks, they get all of these creative people around them, and then they get eight hours, 10 hours, 12 hours to just do something awesome. And it’s like one take. They don’t get to do a practice run and try again. They’re so present. I think if you ever want to feel like you’re alive, you feel these people all in the room have lived 10 lives at that moment because it’s just so much adrenaline.

I can’t imagine. I love a creative challenge. Listening to you, I really think you all need to collaborate with Project Runway and have a crossover LEGO Fashion Challenge.

Project Runway, get our number!

Fox

Is there any LEGO Masters challenge that you wish you could have participated in?

Berard: Amy (Corbett) and I were talking about that. Of course, I love the rollercoaster challenges because I’m a big theme parks fan. That’s what got me into the LEGO company. I got hired because I make amusement park rides, so that’s kind of an easy one. But then, for me, it would feel a little bit too fun. I might enjoy a little too much. But I love the crazy one where the kids came in a few seasons back, the Taker-Waker with the Book Chicken, when it’s just making up ridiculous things that no one’s ever seen. I love that because it’s not like an expectation or a script, it’s your chance to really do something fun, silly, and imaginative. And how can you go wrong with that?

You’ve had four amazing seasons of LEGO Masters, and season five is happening. Is there anything you can tease about the upcoming advent of season five?

Berard: Good question. I don’t know how much we can tease because we have the Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular coming up, and it’s just one of my favorite times of year. It’s the gift that keeps on giving as a show. We have four more wonderful celebrities coming on.

And what I like about it is just how you get to see a whole different side of the builders you already know and love, but then you get to see Will with his best friends just having a blast. It’s pure holiday games.

LEGO

So now, let’s get more into you and your LEGO journey. Do you have a favorite LEGO set that you’ve designed that fans could look out for?

Berard: That’s a tough one, but I think the rollercoaster, obviously. I keep going back to it. But the rollercoaster LEGO set is one that I’m so thrilled about because it brought together the whole team. And that’s why I was nervous about the LEGO Masters version of the challenge. It took my aerospace engineer, and my architect, and brilliant people all coming together to bring it to life. And then I also got to actually physically build on that. So that’s one that I’m really proud of.

Alex Nunes YouTube

Is there a LEGO set that you wish you could have helped create?

Berard: Yes, very specifically, the Disney Castle. I started it, the project started in my area, and then over time, it evolved in conversations, and they ended up moving into the Disney team. So I have a first sketch of that. I was so jealous of Marcos (Bessa) but so happy with the way it turned out. Of course, he did an amazing job. But it’s just one of those sets that was just out of reach. So I am actually considering finishing my version, just to see how it would’ve turned out; not to take anything away the final one, but it’s just such an icon that I was just so excited to work on it.

There can never be enough amazing Lego sets out there for us to enjoy! Do you have a dream LEGO set that you’d like to create?

Berard: I actually stopped answering that question a long time ago because when we dream stuff that we think we can’t do, sometimes things change and we can do it. So I would say crazy things like a Titanic, like four-and-a-half-foot-tall Eiffel Tower. I used to talk about ridiculously large, complex sets like roller coasters. I said rollercoasters from day one. We didn’t have the tracks, we didn’t have anything, and then we made rollercoasters. So I’m an optimist, and I would just say if you can dream it, tell us because we can probably make it.

LEGO

Exactly, that’s exactly what I mean. Not a set you think you can’t do, but one you dream of getting to do!

Berard: Yes, I do have some. But I’m going to save them because I’m actually planting seeds on some of our models. They can actually take two or three years of prepping and planning. For example, the rollercoaster track, for which we had to build a whole new system and get everybody on board. So, I do have some great ideas. But I think you’ve already heard some of my areas of interest…

What do you think is one thing fans might not realize about what goes into the creation of a LEGO set?

Berard: I think fans might not see the team effort. More often than not, I’m very privileged to get to represent the company. They see me, and they think, oh, Jamie did everything. Or they’ll see some of the designers in videos or photos. But it really is incredible. We have so many talented people with such diverse skill sets. We have some people that just know four-year-olds perfectly or five-year-olds and six-year-olds. And they become masters of them. So that way, when we make a model, they can actually talk with the designer to make sure it will work. They say, oh, actually, that’s going to be hard for a child to put together or even just take apart or to play with. And these people think about it from the perspective of these children.

We also have people that intentionally build very badly because they want to try to figure out, for instance, if somebody’s at home in poor lighting or they have that arthritis in their hand or something, what will happen? They will intentionally build like a kid or build like somebody that’s distracted. And then we can say, oh, oops, I made a mistake, maybe we could actually change this and make it better. That way, we don’t have those pauses or those moments when people feel self-conscious, like, oh no, I did something wrong. We really try to think ahead of that, and when we do it well, we get ahead of that, and hopefully, everybody just gets to the end and whatever model it is, at their level, they love it.

LEGO

Do you have a LEGO fun fact that you love?

Berard: A little fun fact that people might not realize is we have this robotics set called LEGO Mindstorms, and just on a whim, before LEGO Masters and everything, they just asked me, because I did YouTube videos, “Would you mind being the voice of the LEGO Mindstorms robot?” And then I came in to record it, and then they recorded, and they said, oh, actually, that works pretty well. Let’s do it one more time. And then I had to cancel the next two times because I had a cold, and they said, well, we don’t have any more time, just come in. I recorded it with a cold, and they said that was the voice they wanted. And then that became the voice of Mindstorms robot.

What would be one thing you’d say to somebody who’s never built a LEGO set to encourage them to join the LEGO world?

Berard: I think we have enough things that people should be able to find something interesting, even if it’s just a little Minifigure. There’s something very satisfying about just putting some legs together with the torso and a hat, and then that character is somebody they care about. It might inspire an accessory. They can build a little car; they can make a little scene for it. And I think that’s something that’s so simple, there’s no expectation of that. I think if you just start small, then you might be surprised that, oh, actually I have a little bit of confidence that this isn’t so scary. And then you can find another set that maybe you build off of.

Nerdist

Just to finish off, how do you feel LEGO has evolved since you started working with it, and what do you think is next on the horizon?

Berard: I am just so impressed that things that we never thought possible 18 years ago have slowly become the norm. That’s where I was genuinely saying that I am such an optimist right now. I’m just like, we are literally talking about the human constraints of “can they carry it out?” or we can actually dream of crazy, wonderful stuff. And we keep seeing things we never imagined would sell, they just go crazy. So we have such a broader base of fans or people that are interested in the zen moment, and disconnecting, and having that “everything works in the world” moment, it’s a nice little escape. And I think there are just so many things that I’m just inspired, that it’s like I said, anything’s possible, and that just makes me get excited every day to go into work.

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The MCU Has a Post-Credits Scene Problem

With Avengers: Secret Wars threatening to hit the reset button the MCU, will we ever get satisfying conclusions to these post-credits scenes?

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 MCU’s post-credits scenes on Nerdist: https://bit.ly/3YRhzY4

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