Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 303

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Stamps Will Release at Gen Con

In this modern world, you may not need to send many letters. Maybe you mail the occasional card to a friend. Perhaps you have that one bill you have to pay with a check. But wouldn’t you like an excuse to send more mail? The US Postal Service has just the thing. The USPS has announced Dungeons & Dragons stamps for 2024. Yes, D&D stamps! It’s a way to level up any envelope. The set of 20 stamps features 10 different designs that revisit decades of Dungeons & Dragons art.

USPS

The Dungeons & Dragons stamps celebrate 50 years of the tabletop roleplaying game. It’s only become more and more popular in recent years with its fifth edition. Jumping into D&D is easier than ever (as long as you can find folks to play with) and it’s an excellent way to escape the world and stretch your imagination. We know mage’s spells aren’t actually real, but we like the notion that adding a D&D stamp to any piece of mail gives it magical armor.

Take a closer look at each stamp in the collection in the gallery.

Click To View Gallery USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS USPS

The stamps feature art from:

The Practically Complete Guide to DragonsFizban’s Treasury of DragonsWizards and Spells: A Young Adventurer’s GuidePlayer’s HandbookDungeon Master’s GuideD&D Basic SetBeasts and Behemoths: A Young Adventurer’s GuideMonster ManualD&D Starter Set

It seems very possible we’ll need a set of Dungeons & Dragons stamps to collect and a few sets to use for everything we mail in the next two years. The USPS will release the Dungeons & Dragons stamps during Gen Con, taking place in Indianapolis from August 1-4, 2024. They will be available at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of Gen Con and then the Indianapolis Main Post Office for those without Gen Con passes. Greg Breeding, the art director for the stamps, will be available for autographs at 10am on August 1 following the unveiling of the stamps at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Originally published on December 28, 2023.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON – THE BOOK OF CAROL Arrives in September

The Walking Dead is over but, as we know, the end of the flagship series that’s been in fans’ hearts for over a decade doesn’t mean this world is done. The show already has six spinoff series: Fear the Walking Dead, Tales of the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Most of them are completed; however, there’s a couple that are continuing this franchise with more seasons.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season Two – “The Book of Carol” Is Coming in September

We are done with the first season of Daryl Dixon’s adventure, but there is already great news about his show’s second season. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will bring Carol into the fold. We don’t know if she will also end up in France or if they will meet in some odd middle. Either way, it will be good to see those besties together again. Season two will release on September 29 with the first of six episodes.

Here are some fresh new images to get you ready for Caryl action:

AMC AMC

You can check out The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon‘s season two teaser below.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner David Zabel gave fans more insight into season two. He reveals that the Nest is a prominent location in season two and Carol’s previous comment about some mystery person coming back will come into play. “There’s also another clue… this moment in the radio call in episode 5 where she talks about something or someone having come back,” said Zabel. “And the impression we get, and Daryl also gets, is that something’s a little off for her, something’s wrong. And so that’s going to also function into the story for Carol in season 2.”

AMC

As stated above, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season two, “The Book of Carol” will come in Summer 2024. Norman Reedus himself posted the slick announcement in his IG stories.

AMCThe Walking Dead: Dead City Season Two Will Arrive in 2025

While this universe is trucking along with Daryl’s adventures, things are slower for Dead City. We’ve known that a second season was coming for a while but didn’t know the release window until now. We will get season two in 2025. Season 1 ended with Maggie trading Negan to get her son Herschel back. Now, Negan is working for The Dama, a dangerous leader in NYC. This next chapter will presumably focus on her organization and Negan’s attempts to escape… if he even wants to do that. Negan no longer has his family and really has no friends either, so he might as well crank up the evil again, right? As long as he stays far away from the Grimes family, I truly don’t care what he does.

Here’s a synopsis for Dead City‘s second season:

In season two, in the growing war for control of Manhattan, Maggie and Negan find themselves trapped on opposite sides. As their paths intertwine, they come to see that the way out for both is more complicated and harrowing than they ever imagined.

Anywho, season two will bring new faces into the mix. Deadline reports that Sons of Anarchy alum Kim Coates will join Dead City‘s cast as Bruegel, the leader of a fierce NYC gang.

The Walking Dead‘s Potential Spinoff Crossover Event and The Ones Who Live‘s Future

As fans know, Rick Grimes was supposed to get three movies, but now it is the limited series alongside Michonne. The Ones Who Live is meant to wrap up their storylines; however, Gimple says there might be more story to tell. “Anything is possible — even if Rick dies in the last episode, anything is possible,” he said to Deadline. “We’re focused on this one right now. But this one came together in a really amazing way, where there were all sorts of plans. And then the world changed and we altered those plans.”

AMC Networks

We obviously know now (and honestly always knew) that Rick didn’t die. He got to reunite with Judith and meet Rick, Jr., but there are so many reunions that need to happen. Morgan is out there looking for Rick, Daryl will eventually return to the US, and there’s the rest of his found family back home. All signs seem to be pointing to a crossover event, which Gimple wants to happen.

“I do have dreams of merging this all together, and I have laid little breadcrumbs toward that, but you never know exactly when and how [it will come together], because of a variety of reasons,” he told TVLine. As long as The Walking Dead franchise is getting money and attention from fans, it will surely keep making more spinoff content. That’s fine with us but please, please don’t follow the comics and kill Rick Grimes if you bring him back in the future.

A lot is happening in The Walking Dead universe and there will surely be more details about other spinoffs if they happen. There’s plenty left to explore in the land of the dead, so let’s keep walking right towards these spinoffs.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

Originally published on April 7, 2022.

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Why MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Should Be a Series, Not a Movie

No IP has had as much trouble getting to movie status again as much as Masters of the Universe. After a long time in development at Netflix, to the point they even cast Noah Centineo as He-Man, they stopped pre-production on the movie and let the rights lapse. This was after years of trying to get the fantasy heroes of Eternia off the ground as a theatrical film. Now, Amazon and MGM have the rights, and are preparing to start shooting Masters of the Universe with director Travis Knight this summer. They’ve even found their He-Man, in Red, White, and Royal Blue star Nicholas Galitzine. But is a movie the right way to go for Amazon? We actually think Masters of the Universe should instead become an episodic live-action series on the platform. And here’s why.

A He-Man Live-Action Series Could Explore the Whole MythologyMattel

The Masters mythology, from both the original toy line and all its animated incarnations, is pretty expansive, especially for a property that really only had a relatively brief pop culture dominance. The original toy line ran from 1982 to ’87, while the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon show only had two seasons. Which, to be fair, were re-run in syndication for years. The toys’ and show’s mythologies differed greatly at times, and since the toy line ran longer than the cartoon show, there are elements from the toys that the classic cartoons simply never got around to.

Mattel

Yet a live-action series could incorporate all aspects of the Eternian mythos. A movie will barely have time to scratch the surface. Whether it turns out great or terrible, like the Masters of the Universe film from the ’80s starring Dolph Lundgren was, the truth is that a He-Man movie with a two-hour runtime is going to focus on just the heavy hitters: He-Man, Teela, Skeletor, Evil-Lyn. This means that many fan favorites from the cartoon and toy line would end up left out. Or worse, just be Easter eggs in the background.

Mattel

On a show, you have hours upon hours to explore all the beautiful craziness of this franchise in detail. There were over 60 action figures in the original toy line. If you reinvented this property as a live-action series, you might actually see some of the wackier characters come to life. Like half-man/half-bee Buzz-Off, or the Snake Men, or even Stinkor—the guy whose super power was smelling bad! Chances are, none of these guys would show up in a movie, unless that movie was so successful it spawned a franchise. But that’s always a big “If.”

A Masters of the Universe Series Would Have More Pop Culture Staying Power Than a Streaming MovieFilmation

These days, a streaming series has more pop culture staying power than a movie. We won’t name names, but think of all the big-budget streaming films that have hit in the last few years. Many with huge stars in them. All almost instantly evaporated from the pop culture consciousness. Because streaming series parse out episodes over time (at least they should) they have time to build an audience. A Masters of the Universe show on Prime Video might vanish from everyone’s radar after a weekend. A series has a better chance to build an audience.

Once, we would have said that Masters was simply too elaborate a fantasy world for anyone to properly realize as a live-action series. However, times have changed. We now live in the era of major fantasy epics on streaming platforms like House of the Dragon and Rings of Power. Both of those series spared no expense in creating vibrant fantasy worlds on screen. If they can do it for those properties, nothing is stopping them from doing the same for Masters of the Universe. 

Mattel

A series also offers the creators a chance to go a little bit darker. There shouldn’t really be an R-rated He-Man per se, as this is a property originally designed for kids. But a movie in theaters would have to push the “fun for the whole family” aspect extra hard. If only to make it a four-quadrant blockbuster, and become profitable for the studio. A series, on the other hand, has a little more leeway. It can push the horror design aspects of the villains a little more than a movie could.

There is proof that these characters could look super badass if done right. A few years ago, a concept artist named Paul A. Gerrard, who has worked on projects like The Hellboy reboot, created some astounding concept art for a live-action MOTU. A lot of these pieces were for deep-cut characters that might not appear in a movie. Who wouldn’t binge-watch a show in order to see some of these designs brought to life? The series itself could be a stinker, but we’d still watch to see a cool version of Moss Man.

Netflix

Masters of the Universe continues to hold sway in our collective memories. The adult collector’s toys have been selling to grown ups for years, as has the Funko Pop! line. Netflix and Kevin Smith did two animated continuations of the He-Man lore, with Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Revolution. Both proved that long-form storytelling is the way to go with the property. Now, all that’s left is for them to do the right thing for the franchise, and make this movie into a backdoor pilot. Here’s hoping the powers that be they still “have the power” to know when to switch gears.

Originally published on January 29. 2020

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PEAKY BLINDERS Movie Officially Greenlit at Netflix

Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Actor in Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy will star in a feature film follow-up to hit period crime drama Peaky Blinders. We saw the news at Deadline. The series initially ran from 2013-2022. True to form with British productions, that nine years encompasses six seasons with a total of 36 episodes. Incredible. Anyway, series creator Steven Knight has written the script and Tom Harper will direct. Harper previously directed the final three episodes of the show’s first season.

Netflix

When asked about the project—which had been kicking around for a bit awaiting the official greenlight—Murphy had this to say. “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me. … It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders. This is one for the fans.”

Knight added: “I’m genuinely thrilled that this movie is about to happen. It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.” No idea when the movie will come out, but rest assured, those blinders will peak one more time.

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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All the STAR WARS Planets That Appear on THE ACOLYTE

The galaxy far, far away is a big place, and every new Star Wars show and movie makes it a little bigger by introducing new planets. That’s especially true on Disney+’s new High Republic era show The Acolyte. Which worlds has it visited? And how many are entirely new or places we’ve seen before? We’re keeping track of all the planets seen in every episode and what we know about them.

[image error]The Acolyte Episode 1 Planets

Ueda

Lucasfilm

The Acolyte‘s first location was all-new to the franchise. Mae attacked Jedi Master Indara in a bar located in a village on the planet Ueda. The Jedi was sitting with a diverse group of many species. While we didn’t get to see much of Ueda, its denizens clearly held the Jedi in high esteem.

Coruscant

Lucasfilm

The Acolyte’s premiere brought fans back to Coruscant, the Galactic Republic’s posh capital planet and main location of the Star Wars prequels. Coruscant and the Jedi Temple looked just as they will during The Phantom Menace, when the Jedi will still call it home.

Carlac

Lucasfilm

Osha’s prisoner transport ship crashed into the icy, snow-covered world of Carlac, a place Star Wars fans have seen before. Located in the Outer Rim Territories and covered in mountains and forests, it first appeared on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

During that episode Ahsoka Tano helped save a Ming Po tribe from total destruction at the hands of Death Watch. The Mandalorian sect had built an outpost there.

Brendok

Lucasfilm

Mae and Osha’s childhood home world only appeared in a vision Osha had after her crash. That pseudo flashback showed the girls running through a forest. It also showed a raging fire, an event that haunts Osha.

Mystery Ocean Planet

Lucasfilm

The Acolyte‘s premiere ended with Mae returning to her Master on an unnamed ocean planet. The two spoke on a rocky coast.

The Acolyte Episode 2 Planets

Olega

Lucasfilm

The Acolyte‘s second episode introduced Olega, a planet of obvious importance because of its sacred Jedi Temple. Much like Ueda, Olega also appeared to be a bustling world with communities made up of a diverse citizenry. It’s also where Mae convinced Master Torbin to atone for his past sins with a fatal poison.

Khofar

Lucasfilm

Wookiee Jedi Knight Kelnacca is living in solitude deep in the woods on the heavily forested planet of Khofar in the Outer Rim Territories. Like Olega, Khofar is an entirely new world in Star Wars.

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THE LAST OF US Season Two Will Have Fewer Episodes But There’s Potential for More Seasons

The Last of Us season two is coming our way in 2025 and, to our chagrin, it will have fewer episodes than season one. There will be seven episodes; however, showrunners and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann also gave us some good news in the mix. First, one of the episodes will be rather long, which means we will still get plenty of story. Second, The Last of Us’ potential third season will be “significantly larger” with a wider scope. There’s so much potential storytelling that a possible season four of The Last of Us could be a reality. We love to hear that. 

HBO

Here’s what Mazin told Deadline about The Last of Us season two’s episode count: 

“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons. When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the national breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”

And, here are his thoughts about future seasons of The Last of Us: 

“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too. We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.”

We are looking forward to continuing Ellie and Joel’s apocalypse story.

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FALLOUT Season 2 Will Release ‘As Fast as Humanly Possible’

With the incredible success of the Fallout series on Prime Video, fans are already hungry to know when season two of the show will arrive. Wisely, showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner aren’t putting an exact date on it, but they do assure Fallout fans that it will be as soon as possible.

Prime Video

Wagner shares of the Fallout season two release date, “The internet has an interesting habit of making non-binding statements binding, so I’m hesitant to give a date that will be taken out of context and live on Reddit for a year or so. But we are going as fast as we possibly can, and we’ve got a lot of heavy lifting from Season 1 already done. We have sets, assets, visual effects, that are already done. We are hitting the ground running this season. We’re going to be pedal to the metal to get season two out as fast as humanly possible.”

But happily, Robertson-Dworet notes that they’re actually fairly far along on Fallout season two, thanks to the immense amount of work that went into season one. She shares, “There are so many things we wanted to do in Season 1 where we were like, “That would be amazing, let’s do that in Season 2.” So it feels like we’re so much farther along and it’s honestly really exciting and we’re just really grateful to have the opportunity to bring to the screen all the things that didn’t quite fit in Season 1. We’re excited to get to now do those now.”

We can’t wait to get more news from Fallout season two (sooner rather than later).

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After BARBIE, Mattel’s Cinematic Universe Is Ready with 15 Movies

Move over old MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), the new MCU (Mattel Cinematic Universe) has arrived, and it’s ready to launch with 15 announced movies and reportedly 45 more films waiting in the wings. How many phases is that? Bolstered by the success of the Barbie movie, Mattel is ready to turn all its toys into tales for the young and old. And while nostalgia is on their side, to a degree, it feels like the beauty of Barbie did not come simply from Barbie being a beloved and ubiquitous doll. Instead, the movie’s success stemmed from that truth mixed in with other integral components parts like heart, humanity, and a true purpose of story.

PBS/Mattel

Although the Mattel Cinematic Universe may gain some curiosity points for things like Wishbone for the modern age, and may actually deliver some more interesting movies, like a surrealistic take on Barney—it feels like most of these post-Barbie Mattel movies will likely not take away the correct lessons. Here are the 15 movies Mattel has in the works after Barbie.

Mattel’s 15 Announced Projects—From Polly Pocket to UNO and More

Mattel’s CEO Ynon Kreiz recently spoke more about the Mattel Cinematic Universe, sharing, “What you saw around the Barbie movie was, we believe, a template, a case study, an opportunity to truly understand the value and appeal that our brands have, the cultural resonance, and, importantly, our ability to execute these projects both creatively and commercially…We hope and expect to have more. I’m not saying it will be as big or as successful as Barbie, but it will be the same approach.”

Here are the projects Mattel has in store.

Monster High

A Monster High live-action movie is heading to screens courtesy of Mattel and Universal Pictures. Currently, Akiva Goldsman is attached as a producer. Little is known about the movie, but it will seek to bring to life Monster High’s message of celebrating “the unique sensibilities at the core of who we are as individuals.”

BarneyPBS Kids/Universal Pictures

Of all the movies on this list, Barney feels like it will have the most legs to stand on. Produced by Daniel Kaluuya, this take on the movie won’t necessarily feature a “dark” Barney, but will likely share some of Barbie‘s more adult visions of the childhood classic. Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon noted to The New Yorker that the movie was “surrealistic.” And offered, “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”

Interestingly, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz softened this description a bit recently. According to Variety, he offered, “It’s too early to be specific, but I can tell you we are taking a fresh approach that will be fun, entertaining, and culturally oriented. It will not be an odd movie.” We guess we’ll have to see what balance of strangeness is struck in the Barney movie.

Kaluuya, meanwhile, previously noted, “Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood… We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of ‘I love you, you love me’ can stand the test of time.”

Like Barbie, Barney evokes a specific set of feelings in different generations. A Barney movie does seem like a rife place for Mattel to take the right next step in their cinematic universe.

American Girl

Now, we don’t feel surprised Mattel wants to explore an American Girl movie as part of its cinematic universe. In fact, the American Girl brand could actually be a movie universe all on its own, considering it has many stories already ready to go. But it sounds like for now there will only be on American Doll movie. According to Variety, it will be “a family comedy” which will “help girls grow with confidence and develop character.” 

Most recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Paramount Pictures and Temple Hill would develop this movie. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines‘ Lindsey Anderson Beer write and produce the movie. Beer shares, “Growing up, my sister and I were American Girl girls. I had Kirsten, and she had Molly. They didn’t feel like dolls to play with, rather real people whose worlds we got to imagine ourselves in. They are historically accurate toys and accessories that feature elaborate and immersive backstories uniquely suited to bring to screen.”

Polly Pocket

If one doll can make for a successful movie, we can see how Mattel imagines another can. A Polly Pocket movie does certainly have an interesting setting. Everything is small, for one. So we guess that could make for some sort of interesting commentary, although Polly Pocket doesn’t seem to come with as strong a perspective as Barbie, as far as the brand goes. The Polly Pocket movie will star Lily Collins and come from writer/director Lena Dunham.

Hot WheelsPeak Time Racing

J.J. Abrams is set to bring a Hot Wheels movie to life. People certainly do love Hot Wheels and car movies have seen success in the past… So we guess we’ll just have to wait and see what kind of emotion, character, and lens flare can come of a Hot Wheels movie.

Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots

We somehow feel unsurprised to hear Vin Diesel will star in a movie featuring Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. We supposed there’s a real tragedy in having to constantly hit someone else for your whole existence. But we feel this might become a gritty action movie instead. Ryan Engle is set to write the script.

Magic 8 Ball

According to Variety, the Magic 8 Ball movie will “probably be a PG-13 thriller.” But, we think Mattel should go with an R-rated horror movie surrounding the Magic 8 Ball. Now that would give us truly something we could not have expected. But we can see it now. Ask a question if you dare and no do-overs to your fate.

Masters of the UniverseStarz/Netflix

A live-action He-Man adaptation has been in the works for a long time. After being canceled at Netflix, the Masters of the Universe movie found a new home on Amazon. Nicholas Galitzine is set to star as He-Man.

Major Matt Mason

This Mattel doll is a little different from the others mentioned, Major Matt Mason is an astronaut action figure from the 1960s. He lives and works on the moon, so we guess we can see where this is going. Mattel’s Cinematic Universe will likely reach space much more quickly than even the MCU did. The movie will star Tom Hanks, and Akiva Goldsman and Michael Chabon are attached as writers.

UNO

Okay, an UNO movie really has us shaking our heads. UNO is a great card game, but we’re not really sure how it’s a movie! Marcy Kelly, however, will figure it out as the named writer.

Wishbone PBS

Does Wishbone really need a reboot? The Wishbone PBS ’90s show lives as a perfect masterpiece and we shouldn’t touch it. Not even if it means another cute and well-read Jack Russell terrier on our screens.

Matchbox

The Matchbox movie will be another car-centric piece for Mattel. Apparently, it will be an action movie depicting the toys from 1953.

Recently, Deadline revealed that Extraction‘s Sam Hargrave would direct the movie.

Thomas & Friends

Thomas & Friends had 24 seasons and aired from 1984 to 2021—a good long life. But now Mattel will resurrect Thomas & Friends as a fantasy movie from director Marc Forster.

View Master

Who doesn’t remember the classic red View Master. This Mattel toy will become an adventure movie—but we think it ought to skew toward horror too.

Christmas Balloon

Mattel will give themselves a biopic with this movie based on a true story. Per Variety, Christmas Balloon will tell the tale of “when Mattel donated toys to help make a young girl’s dream come true after she tied her Christmas list to a balloon that was found by a grieving couple who worked with the toy company to fulfill the girl’s wishes. Mattel looks to produce a family drama drawing from the story.”

Originally published on September 8, 2023.

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MONSTER HIGH Live-Action Movie On the Way From Mattel and Universal

The Mattel Cinematic Universe is rising to life again. This time, Mattel will bring Monster High to the big screen with the help of Universal Pictures. The movie will be produced by Akiva Goldsman. Of course, if Mattel can do it with Barbie, why not with Monster High? The Monster High line of dolls features “the spooktacular children of legendary monsters” such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. We can see the potential here for a fun movie, or even maybe a horror film, if Mattel was daring. We’ll have to wait and see what the live-action Monster High movie will bring us.

Mattel

Mattel Film’s Robbie Brenner notes, “Monster High helps fans discover the great beauty in being true to yourself and celebrates the unique sensibilities at the core of who we are as individuals. We’re proud to partner with Universal Pictures and the brilliant Akiva Goldsman to usher this important message to audiences worldwide.”

A release about the movie additionally shares of the Monster High brand, “First introduced in 2010, Monster High immediately became a beloved expansive universe rich with inclusive storytelling and doll play, fostering a fandom that spans generations. The brand continues to encourage fans of all ages to embrace their authentic selves and what makes them unique.”

We do love that message. Currently, no writer, director, or cast is attached to Mattel’s Monster High live-action movie.

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LEGO’s New MINECRAFT Set Will Let You Build a Crafting Table

Minecraft is one the best-selling video game ever, but the franchise isn’t content with resting on its sanbox laurels. It’s getting both a live-action movie and an animated Netflix series. Now it’s also moving from the screen into the real world. LEGO’s newest set is a recreation of Minecraft‘s Crafting Table.

LEGO

The LEGO Minecraft The Crafting Table celebrates ($89.99) the series’ 15th anniversary. This 1,195-piece collectible features detachable biomes, popular mobs, and Easter eggs for fans to find. Designed for adults, it’s many features include “Taiga with a dripstone cave, Plains with a village, Ice Spikes with an igloo, Cherry Grove with an abandoned mineshaft, and the Deep Dark with a lush cave.” It also comes with eight microfigures: Steve, Alex, a skeleton, witch, Creeper, villager, cow, and pig. It also has stickers of iconic in-game phrases. The only thing you can’t craft with it is a faster timeline to get your copy. The LEGO Minecraft set starts shipping August 1, 2024.

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