Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 322

Mark Hamill’s Joker Officially Joins the MULTIVERSUS Game

For an entire generation, Mark Hamill simply is the Joker. He voiced the Clown Prince of Crime first in Batman: The Animated Series, continuing the role in a variety of projects over the decades. But with the death of Batman actor Kevin Conroy, it looked like Hamill would retire his Joker. Although that still seems to be the case, both Hamill and Conroy got to play their characters at least one more time. Via IGN, we’ve learned Warner Bros. and Player First Games will include Hamill’s Joker in MultiVersus. They even made a trailer showcasing Hamill’s return, which you can watch right here:

In the teaser, the Joker says “Wait till they get a load of me.” This is a reference to yet another iconic Joker from popular culture. It’s a rather famous like spoken by Jack Nicholson’s version in Tim Burton’s Batman. We see other Warner Bros. characters who will be a part of MultiVersus in the trailer aside from Batman and Joker. There’s Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Bugs Bunny, and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Those are just some of the famous characters from the Warner Bros. library who appear in MultiVersus.

After Kevin Conroy passed away in 2002, Hamill announced he would no longer play the Joker. He said, “Without Batman, there is no punchline.” Luckily, he had a few unannounced performances together with Conroy recorded and ready to go. One is MultiVersus, and the other appears to be the third part of the Crisis on Infinite Earths animated trilogy. The recent trailer for Crisis showed Batman and Joker fighting it out in their classic Batman: The Animated Series looks. That project is almost certainly their last one together, and should be something special for the fans.

Warner Bros./Player First Games

MultiVersus launches for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S for free on May 28. This will include full cross-play and cross-platform support.

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The ColourPop x POKÉMON Collection Invites You to Catch ‘Em All

We always love to catch ’em all when it comes to the world of Pokémon. But we especially love this most recent mission given to us by ColourPop’s collaboration with Pokémon. Because this time, we’re catching all the makeup. Not only is this ColourPop x Pokémon collection nostalgically perfect and incredibly gorgeous, but it also homages all our favorite Pokémon. ColourPop is known for really getting it right when it comes to fannish collections, and this one is no different. Let’s take a look at what’s in store.

ColourPopWhat’s In the ColourPop x Pokémon Collection?

The ColourPop x Pokémon collection features eye makeup, cheek makeup, and lip makeup. The official site describes the full collection as containing the following products:

Pallet Town Eyeshadow Palette – This exclusive collectable palette features 24 rainbow hues from soft pastels to fun brights inspired by the Kanto region!Super Shock Shadow – Our cult-favorite crème-to-powder shadow delivers supercharged, ultra-creamy sparkling colour with zero fading or fallout.Evolution Ultra Glossy Lip Trio – Swipe on our sheer pearlized hi-shine gloss made with Hyaluronic Acid for a hydrated pout! Inspired by Jolteon, Flareon and Vaporeon.Transforming pH Lip Balm – Transform your lips with our colour-changing lip balm that reacts to your natural pH to create the perfect pink shade! Inspired by Pikachu, Ditto, and Jigglypuff.You’re a Catch Berry Lip Mask – Nourish your pout with our leave-on lip mask that locks in moisture and softens lips with a yummy berry flavor. Comes in a collectable Poké Ball-shaped jar!Instant Crush Cream Blush – You’ll totally crush on our super blendable cream blush that melts into skin for a weightless wash of soft-focus colour with a diffused natural matte finish! Inspired by Pikachu, Clefable, and Gengar. 

You can check out images of this ColourPop collection in all its Pokémon glory below:

Click To View Gallery ColourPop ColourPop ColourPop ColourPop Colourpop When and Where Can You Buy ColourPop x Pokémon Collection?ColourPop

The ColourPop x Pokémon collection is available now on ColourPop.com, so don’t delay! Because we feel like some of these products will become increasingly rare very soon. Best to throw your Poké Ball now if you indeed want to catch ’em all.

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THE WITCHER Fans Need to Give Liam Hemsworth a Chance, Says Ciri Actress

Freya Allan wants The Witcher fans to keep an open mind as the show transitions from starring Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in season four. The Ciri actress shared with Collider, “I don’t want to speak for him, but from what I’ve understood, I feel like he’s really wanting to try and bring the heart. He’s been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it’s not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else’s role.”

Allan also notes she’s eager to see what Liam Hemsworth will bring to The Witcher and Geralt, offering, “I’m really excited to see what he does. And he’s such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?”

Netflix

Recasts can be difficult, especially when it’s the star of the series who is changing. But, hopefully, fans will give Liam Hemsworth a chance to prove himself a true Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher‘s upcoming seasons. The Witcher season four is now in production.

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TED Prequel Series Renewed for Season 2

We admit we weren’t really sure if a Ted prequel series was a necessary addition to our lives when we first heard about it. But it seems like the talking bear has once again won hearts and minds. Ted was originally envisioned as a mini-series at Peacock, but now Seth MacFarlane’s creation will get a season two, per Variety. According to Peacock, Ted was its most-watched original title to date and Neilsen data suggests it was one of the top streaming comedies in the US for over two months. How about them stuffed animals?

Peacock

The synopsis for the original Ted series reads, “In this comedic prequel event series to the Ted films, it’s 1993, and Ted the bear’s (Seth MacFarlane) moment of fame has passed. He’s now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder), along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan (Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach) and cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). Ted may be a lousy influence on John, but at the end of the day, he’s a loyal pal who’s always willing to go out on a limb for friendship.“

We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Ted the bear and his friends in season two.

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Mondo’s Sr Creative Director on a New Product Line Coming Soon and Embracing Fan Input

For a long time, Mondo has been the go-to for fans who love to celebrate their favorite properties with literal works of art. But as Mondo continues to change and evolve, bringing to the table posters, figures, soundtracks, and more, it’s heartening to know that fans and their desires are still at the center of the company’s core.

Mondo

At C2E2 in Chicago, Nerdist was delighted to speak with Peter Santa Maria, Senior Creative Director of Collectibles at Mondo, about what goes into creating a Mondo collectible, how fans shape the ultimate designs of Mondo’s works, what’s on the horizon for the brand, and more. Santa Maria was even able to tease a whole new kind of Mondo collectible on the horizon, citing something the brand has never done before. We can’t wait to find out what that is, but in the meantime, take a deep dive into the world of Mondo with us.

Nerdist: Mondo is known for its incredible creations and high-quality designs. Can you talk a little bit about how you decide what to make into a collectible and how you decide what it should look like?

Santa Maria: Yeah, across the board, whether it’s our soundtrack, posters, or collectible figures, we always start from, “Are we a fan of this internally?” So whoever is working at the company and is a fan is going to steer the product.

We don’t make something that we’re not likely to buy ourselves as a fan, right? So we have our favorite properties that we love to hit on, like Godzilla and Masters of the Universe; of course, we love Marvel and DC, but we also recently put out some Scott Pilgrim collectibles.

Mondo

We love that. But the idea is if you’re going to work with a franchise that’s very big, very well-known, and has products out there, what do we bring to the table? So it’s curation. It’s finding the right artist out there and then matching them up with the right movie, show, whatever it is, so that it’s like a new synthesis that happens. People are like, “Wow, I’m excited because I never thought I would see so-and-so designed in that style.”

So, that’s really what I mean. Are we getting excited about the idea of it? Are we excited for so-and-so doing such-and-such project? If we are then that means the fans for sure are going to be.

Nerdist: Yeah, I was looking at the latest set, and I saw the Beavis and Butt-Head poster, which I thought was super interesting. So I think it’s really cool that you kind of follow your fannish desires and not necessarily just go by what movie is coming out.

Santa Maria: No, no, and there are a lot of times where we will turn something down that’s a big thing because we don’t have a personal connection or we don’t know what we would bring there.

So if it doesn’t talk to us, we’ll be like, “Not yet, maybe in the future.” But you mentioned Beavis and Butt, we just did that beautiful screenprint of the artist, Kensausage. Probably one of my favorite artist things of all time. He designed a bunch of sketches for us for what that poster could be like and we’re like, “Yeah, they’re all awesome, which one do we pick?” But that strange mutant version of Beavis and Butt together, we felt, we have to have that. It’s a new interpretation, but it feels of the show, of the movie when they have their psychedelic experience or whatever it is.

And now we’re also introducing a bunch of fans to Kensausage. And then you can place the poster back to the artist and their other artwork and it creates a brand new audience for that art, which is the best part of what we do.

Nerdist: So really, at any time, Mondo might decide to create something new for an older property? (Nerdist personally pitched more Hannibal posters.)

Santa Maria: Yeah, if we have the license, and we feel like there’s excitement about it, or we think, “We wouldn’t normally do this, but this looks awesome we should probably,” then yes.

You never know; you might see us design like a big robo-mechanized Hannibal that looks like it’s a figure that came out of Japan in the ’60s. Right? No one else would make that. That’s the idea.

Mondo

Nerdist: I would be so into that. And I think that’s really great because so often, if you’re a new fan to an older franchise you won’t get the opportunity to experience new merchandise, so it’s cool that’s where Mondo can step in.

Santa Maria: Exactly, 100%.

Nerdist: How much does fan input influence your decision-making?

Santa Maria: We’re always listening to the fans in terms of, there are comments sometimes it’ll be about, “Hey, I love this line so much, please don’t forget to include such and such character because he always or she always gets overlooked.” Or, “I love the franchise. I love that you’re doing it on this scale, but why don’t you guys do it in soft line or whatever it is?” So we’re always listening to that, and that’s how we get better. We’re not going to be able to do this without fans and the fan’s excitement. So we do what we think is awesome, we put it out there, fans respond and go, “Great idea, or hold on we’re almost there,” and then we work on that.

Nerdist: Do you have an example of that kind of interaction?

Santa Maria: Yeah, Masters of the Universe, specifically. I can’t reveal anything, but there are certain characters that we know from other lines that don’t get put out as figures very often. In the Facebook group, people mentioned it, and I’ve seen it in the YouTube comments, and so we go internally, “You guys, we have to do this.”

And when people see it, they’re going to flip.

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A post shared by MONDO (@mondonews)

Nerdist: That ties into my next question: Are there any upcoming releases that your fans can get really excited about?

Santa Maria: Yes, there are some big surprises that are going to be mentioned tomorrow in our panel. And then at Comic-Con, we have our brand new Scareglow from Masters of the Universe 1/6 and Scaremare, our original. We designed a character for Masters of the Universe that Mattel allowed us to do, and we’re debuting it at that show, and it’s going to be super, super exciting. Of course, Scott Pilgrim is coming out. Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle vinyl figures are releasing. We’re trying to hit every fandom we can with something new, refreshing, that feels worthy of your shelf space.

Nerdist: Mondo is pretty well-known for its posters and, as you mentioned, figures, vinyls, and more. Is there another sort of arm or kind of collectible that you imagine putting out in the future or thinking about?

Santa Maria: I mean, yeah, we are working really hard on our posters, our screen prints, to figure out what hasn’t been done yet, what interpretations haven’t been done yet. We love going back to visit the universal monsters. We love going back to visit that.

But we’re exploring anime now in a bigger way and how anime gets reinterpreted when the fans already love the style of anime. But can we challenge those aesthetics and make something new and interesting? That’s a big one for us.

Also, our soundtracks, we continue to want to really engineer exciting designs for the packaging, so that people have that whole experience when they’re opening them up, listening to the music, but also going through the album. You can expect some great stuff.

Mondo

Nerdist: But in addition to that could we see any new types of Mondo projects in addition to collectibles, figures, and soundtracks?

Santa Maria: Yes, there is a… Let’s see, I have to say this without spoiling. There is a new product line coming that will be announced in the next couple of months from Mondo. We’ve never done it before. I think people, especially people who love to do unboxings on YouTube and watch those, they’re going to love this one.

Mondo

Nerdist: Just to wrap it up, what do you think your most successful release has been? And what is your personal favorite?

Santa Maria: Well, I’m biased to the figures that I personally designed, like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, and Mechagodzilla. But in terms of the most successful releases this year, I mean, we had a huge success with Rogue from our X-Men 1/6 animated line. We had a huge success with Scareglow, our soft vinyl figure from our Masters of the Universe line.

We also had a Godzilla: Minus One poster that worked well for us. That was huge. So you never know. You can kind of get a sense of what it’s going to be, but you never know. You always just have to see where the fans are and what they direct to you.

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Okay Sure, Disney and Warner Bros. Announce Disney+, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

These times are uncertain for streaming services. Platforms that were once separate have merged. Various streaming services have increased prices and brought in ad tiers. Let’s not even get into various crackdowns on password sharing. But in a turn of events we could not have seen coming, Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced a new streaming bundle. This streaming bundle comes with Disney+, Hulu, and Max and will be available this summer in the US. What times we live in.

Marvel Studios

A Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle obviously brings a lot of brands together. The release points out it encompasses ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, and Warner Bros. among others. Customers will be able to purchase the bundle on any of the three streaming platform’s websites and choose between ad-supported and ad-free plans. It’s not yet clear if subscribers will be able to access the bundle through a single interface or separate services. If it’s a single interface, we can’t wait to see that design and how they make it not overwhelming.

Joe Earley, President, Direct to Consumer, Disney Entertainment, said in a release:

On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value. This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.

Additional details about the Disney+, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle will be shared “in the coming months.” Summer arrives next month, so we’ll see.

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DOCTOR WHO: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson & Russell T Davies Talks New Series

Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) and Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), and showrunner Russell T Davies sit down with Nerdist’s Kyle Anderson to discuss the new series, their favorite costumes, and the episodes they’re most excited for fans to see!

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WEDNESDAY’s Thing Becomes a TikTok Influencer to Celebrate Season 2

Who could have imagined Wednesday‘s thing engaging in a skincare routine or doing a fit check? We certainly did not have it on our Bingo cards. But in celebration of Wednesday season two, Thing is taking the TikTok world by storm and sharing its beauty and fashion secrets. What’s not to love about that? Take a look below.

@wednesdaynetflix

Rest. Reset. Resuscitate. Get ready with me for Wednesday S2! @VictorDorobantu

♬ som original – ThingTok

Honestly, we can’t wait to see what manner of thing Thing will cook up next. We’re crossing our fingers that a fun TikTok dance will come next. And hopefully, Thing’s TikTok will make an appearance on Wednesday season two. It’s the one thi- piece we were missing.

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WEDNESDAY Season 2 Begins Production, Reveals New Cast Including Christopher Lloyd

The Addams Family is about to get a whole lot bigger. It’s also bringing back one of its most famous, most beloved alums. To celebrate the start of production on Wednesday season two, Netflix shared the many new cast members joining the show during its sophomore outing. The list of both regular and guest stars includes a familiar face from the franchise’s past. The former Uncle Fester himself, Christopher Lloyd, is back for more kooky, ooky, spooky fun.

Netflix

Jenna Ortega’s macabre master of deadpan is finally back at work on her hit series. And she’s bringing a whole lot of friends with her to Wednesday‘s set in Ireland. That’s where the cast had its first table read before filming began on season two of the popular Netflix series. She and her fellow season one co-stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (all upped to series regulars) have a whole lot of newcomers with them there.

Jenna Ortega also revealed a behind-the-scenes image from the set of Wednesday season two, celebrating the beginning of production. The post also contains a fun video featuring Thing.

Here we woe again. pic.twitter.com/FPYrc5Tnaj

— Wednesday Addams (@wednesdayaddams) May 7, 2024

Netflix announced Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, and Noah Taylor have also joined the show as full-time cast members. Piper will portray a character named Capri. The streamer also confirmed previous reports Steve Buscemi has signed on for a big role as Barry Dort. (He’s expected to play Nevermore Academy’s new principle but perhaps he’s someone else altogether.) The newbies will join Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa, and Isaac Ordonez on the series.

Paramount Pictures

Season two will also feature a litany of guest stars headlined by Lloyd. He played Uncle Fester in the 1991 and 1993 big screen Addams Family installments. (The show’s own Fester, Fred Armisen, is also set to appear.) Joanna Lumley, Frances O’Connor, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo, and Joonas Suotamo will also pop up during season two in guest roles. Lumley will portray Grandmama, a character we hoped to see this season. Netflix also confirmed Thandiwe Newton will round out the list of guest stars as someone named Dr. Fairburn. Now that sounds like a Nevermore Academy leader.

We also discovered in the above video that the first episode is titled “Here We Woe Again.” Nice to see that the episodes are still honoring this child full of woe.

“We are thrilled that the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season along with a dream cast of icons and new faces,” said creators, writers, and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar in a press release.

We’re happy about all of those people enrolling there. But we’re obviously especially excited by one new/old member. Historically, Addams Family stories with Christopher Lloyd are always great.

Originally published on May 7, 2024.

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THE OFFICE Spinoff Gets Series Order at Peacock, Shares Plot Details and Midwestern Setting

Pop culture has long warned us about the perils of spending too much time inside an office. Yet Hollywood can’t stop spending time in one. And now, it’s official. Peacock has picked off The Office spinoff and given it a series order. We officially have some details about The Office spinoff’s plot. And we know at least two people who will be working at this new iteration if it ever opens.

The Office Spinoff’s Setting and PlotNBC

We finally have some more information about The Office spinoff. Variety reveals that this series is “a new mockumentary show with a new cast set in the same universe.”

Additionally, the logline for The Office spinoff is as follows:

The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.

Very interesting indeed.

Lisa Katz, president of NBCUniversal Entertainment shares “It’s been more than ten years since the final episode of ‘The Office’ aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock. In partnership with Universal Television and led by the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, this new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper.”

The Office Spinoff’s CastHBO

Star Wars‘ Domhnall Gleeson and The White Lotus‘ Sabrina Impacciatore are the first performers to join The Office spinoff’s cast. The Hollywood Reporter says Gleeson and Impacciatore have signed on for a possible new sequel show to the smash hit NBC series, which remains as popular as ever thanks to streaming.

More About The Office Spinoff

This new version of The Office is in development from original series creator Greg Daniels and Michael Korman. Reports of a potential The Office spinoff first came to light last September. Daniels then put together a writing room in January. But there’s still a long way to go for it before it airs.

NBC

With two established stars joining the show, though, it feels closer than ever to filming. Impacciatore is an Emmy-nominated actress, and Gleeson is known around both this world and the galaxy far, far away as the detestable General Armitage Hux. Does that mean Gleeson could be stepping into the Michael Scott-equivalent role on this new series? (He did just star opposite Steve Carrell on FX’s The Patient.) Or could the show opt to have Impacciatore play the show’s boss? That only happened for the first time ever on any country’s version with Australia’s The Office last year. And she does have the necessary managerial experience thanks to White Lotus…

Or could neither of these two be the boss? Might they be the new Jim and Pam instead? Dwight and Angela? To find out we’ll have to go to the one place pop culture keeps telling us is terrible for us to be, even if it’s fun to watch others go there.

Originally published on April 29, 2024.

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