Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 333

GHOSTBUSTERS Life-Size Terror Dogs Return to Spirit Halloween This Year

Yes, we are still half a year away from Halloween. But for some of us, it’s never too early to prepare for spooky season. So for those of you getting a head start on things, Spirit Halloween has something you might want to jump on now before they all disappear. This year, the officially licensed Ghostbusters life-size Terror Dog is back. And it’s ready to guard the Temple of Gozer on October 31. Or maybe just your front porch. This replica recreates the iconic creature seen in the original film, as well as in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. You can order the Ghostbusters Terror Dog now for $599.99. You can check out several images of this supernatural mutt in our gallery below:

Click To View Gallery Sony Pictures/Spirit Halloween Sony Pictures/Spirit Halloween Spirit Halloween/Sony Pictures Sony Pictures/Spirit Halloween Spirit Halloween/Sony Pictures Sony Pictures/Spirit Halloween

So is this replica Terror Dog Zuul the Gatekeeper, or Vinz Clortho, the Key Master? That will be up to the owner of course. It’s hard to tell these Terror Dogs apart. This year is the perfect time to get one of the Terror Dogs for your Halloween display because 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters film. What better way to celebrate New York’s finest paranormal eliminations team? We suggest anyone who buys this puppy to greet all trick-or-treaters when they open the door with Sigourney Weaver’s immortal line “Are you the Key Master?”

Spirit Halloween

If you want a full-on Ghostbusters holiday this year, Spirit Halloween has several other decorations and props based on the iconic film. There’s an LED ghost trap replica, as well as a full-size Proton Pack and a walkie-talkie for those of you playing one of the Ghostbusters crew for Halloween. There’s also a Slimer trick-or-treat bag, bobbleheads, and a ton of Ghostbusters costumes, including one for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. To see them all, head on over to the Spirit Halloween website.

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Bethesda Shares FALLOUT 76 Builds for FALLOUT Series Characters

It’s no surprise the Fallout games are seeing a huge bump in interest and sales. Prime Video’s Fallout series just released, and the show is a mega-hit that not only fits into the canon world of the Fallout games but also evolves it. The series answers some burning questions about Fallout‘s world while leaving us with a plethora of new ones. Naturally, fans will now want to bring the world of the Fallout series and the Fallout games even closer together. Anticipating this, Bethesda has released suggested character builds for the Fallout series’ main characters: The Ghoul, Lucy, and Maximus. From perk loadout to outfit, these official character builds let you bring the Fallout series characters to life in your game. (Bethesda also shared canon S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats for the series characters via Fallout Shelter.)

Bethesda SoftworksFallout 76 Character Builds Let You Bring Fallout Series Characters Into Your Game

From game to series to game again, we love seeing how the Fallout franchise is expanding and growing. After spending eight episodes with The Ghoul, Lucy, and Maximus, we absolutely want to spend a whole game with them. Bethesda has shared some very nuanced character builds that fans can take into their Fallout 76 games and use to recreate the series’ main characters.

These character builds include a detailed rundown of each series character’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. translates to Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck in Fallout‘s world. And, of course, it’s all in the look. Bethesda did not forget to add a suggested outfit.

Build the Fallout Series Characters in Your Game; Jump To: The Ghoul’s Fallout 76 Character Build // Lucy Maclean’s Fallout 76 Character Build // Maximus’ Fallout 76 Character Build

The Ghoul’s Fallout 76 Character Build—S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks and Outfit

The Ghoul is one tough cookie in the world of the Fallout series. He’s been around for 219 years, after all, and has seen everything there is to see. The Ghoul’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks reflect that he’s a great marksman… and not afraid to feast on human butt jerky. Psychopath seems a little hurtful to us, though. But, we guess we have to agree.

Here’s how The Ghoul’s Fallout 76 character build comes together, according to Bethesda.

Strength: Barbarian and Bullet ShieldPerception: Concentrated Fire, Rifleman, Expert Rifleman, Master Rifleman, Tank Killer, Ground PounderEndurance: Lead Belly, Cannibal, Ironclad, Ghoulish, Radicool, and Chem FiendCharisma: Lone Wanderer and Animal FriendIntelligence: Wrecking BallAgility: Moving Target, Action Boy/Girl, Evasive, Sneak, Adrenaline, and Gun FuLuck: Psychopath, Four Leaf Clover, Grim Reaper’s Spring, Quick Hands, Better Criticals, and Critical SavyBethesda Softworks

To really make The Ghoul, though, he obviously needs his hat. Happily, Bethesda suggests adding one in Fallout 76 and completing the outfit with a long leather duster and bullet belt.

Bethesda SoftworksLucy Maclean’s Fallout 76 Character Build—S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks and Outfit

Lucy Maclean, meanwhile, is the polar opposite of The Ghoul, at least at first. They might have more in common than either of them wants to think. But for now, these Fallout series main characters don’t share any S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks in common with one another in their Fallout 76 builds. Lucy may have to give in to cannibalism sooner or later, though. Of all of the below Perks, “Inspirational and. Magnetic Personality” combined with “Mysterious Savior” really seems to have Fallout season one Lucy nailed.

Here’s how Lucy Maclean’s Fallout 76 character build comes together, according to Bethesda.

Strength: Arms Keeper and Strong BackPerception: Commando, Rifleman, Crack Shot, Exterminator, and Long ShotEndurance: Rejuvenated and LifegiverCharisma: Inspirational and Magnetic PersonalityIntelligence: First Aid, Stable Tools, and Robotics ExpertAgility: Gun Runner and Packin’ LightLuck: Good With Salt, Pharma Farma, Starched Genes, and Mysterious SaviorBethesda Softworks

As far as Lucy’s outfit goes, Bethesda has equipped her with her trademark Vault-Tec suit and Vault 33 backpack. We wonder if Lucy will keep this look for season two of the Fallout series.

Bethesda SoftworksMaximus’ Fallout 76 Character Build—S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks and Outfit

A member of the Brotherhood of Steel, it’s no surprise that Maximus has many S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks in the area of strength. And, of course, he can go “all night long.” But we love seeing his good and kind heart honored here as well. In all, Bethesda really captures this Fallout series character in their Perk Loadout for him.

Here’s how Maxiums’ Fallout 76 character build comes together, according to Bethesda.

Strength: Pain Train, Bear Arms, Full Charge, Heavy Gunner, and Strong BackPerception: Crack ShotEndurance: All Night LongCharisma: Body Guards, Squad Maneuvers, and TenderizerIntelligence: Portable Power, Fix It Good, Wrecking Ball, Stabilized, Power Patcher, and Power UserAgility – White KnightLuck: Mysterious Savior and One Gun ArmyOutfit: Power ArmorBethesda Softworks

Bethesda also gives Maximus his power armor and associated S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perks.

Bethesda Softworks

This series character adored his power armor in Fallout so it’s only right Maximus gets it back as part of his Fallout 76 character build.

And there you have it, official Fallout 76 character builds for the Fallout series characters if you want to add them into your game. We just need CX404 to make a special appearance next.

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THE OFFICE Spinoff Hires Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore as First Cast Members

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. NBC is developing a potential follow-up series to The Office. Now we know at least two people who will be working at this new iteration if it ever opens. Star Wars‘ Domhnall Gleeson and The White Lotus‘ Sabrina Impacciatore are the first performers to join the spinoff’s cast.

HBO

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. This new version is in development from original series creator Greg Daniels and Michael Korman. However, neither NBC nor Daniels and Korman have confirmed any details about the show. They also refused comment to THR over this casting news.

Despite their silence this is still a big step towards bringing the series to either primetime TV or Peacock. 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 to make it to air anywhere.

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 necessarily 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.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD May Have Confirmed Important Character via Unlikely Source

Steve Rogers is either dead or a very old man, but the world still needs Captain America. Fortunately for Earth, someone just as worthy of that title as Steve took on the job. No, not John Walker. (Definitely not John Walker.) On The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson finally accepted the mantle his friend tried to give him at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Now Anthony Mackie is ready to lead the superhero franchise into the future with the MCU’s fourth standalone Captain America film.

Marvel Studios[image error]

Spoiler-phobes look away now because an unlikely source may have just confirmed a key character in Captain America: Brave New World. Though many already suspected this might happen, an ad for a McDonald’s toy line for the movie seems to hint that Red Hulk will appear in Captain America: Brave New World, likely Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross transformed.

McDonald's toys for 'CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD'! gives us our first look at Red Hulk, Ruth/Sabra, Falcon, and Diamondback! 👀

(Source: colecionaveis_fastfood | IG) pic.twitter.com/ooxl2ajKIk

— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) April 18, 2024

Here’s everything we know about Captain America: Brave New World.

Title

Marvel first announced Captain America 4‘s official title as part of its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It was originally called Captain America: New World Order. But in June 2023, Marvel changed the movie’s name. It is now called Captain America: Brave New World.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Plot

Marvel has yet to reveal many details about the film. Thus far, the title is our best clue about the film’s plot. It echoes both the main conflict of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic. Marvel executives have shared some tasty breadcrumbs, though.

That began with Nate Moore, VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, talking about how Harrison Ford will replace the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Brave New World. In an interview, Moore said:

Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross, which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.

Marvel StudiosBehind the Scenes

Malcolm Spellman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Dalan Musson are co-writing the film. Matthew Orton will also contribute to the writing. Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) is set to direct.

Ca ptain America: Brave New World‘s Cast

In addition to Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s Carl Lumbly will return as Isaiah Bradley. As will Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres.

Additionally, Brave New World will bring back Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) from The Incredible Hulk. Sterns, of course, is also known as The Leader. He will likely act as the film’s villain. Shira Haas will join the film as Sabra. Xosha Roquemore has joined the movie in an unknown role, and WWE wrestler Seth Rollins was spotted in costume on set.

Another original MCU star will also return after a long absence, too. Liv Tyler will reprise her role as Betty Ross. She originated the role in The Incredible Hulk.

Marvel StudiosCaptain America: Brave New World‘s Release DateMarvel Studios

Captain America: Brave New World will fly into theaters on February 14, 2025.

Originally published on February 14, 2023.

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FALLOUT Series’ Sarita Choudhury Teases a Queer Love Story and How Moldaver Survived the Bombs

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In media, there’s subtext, and then there’s text that just hasn’t yet gotten to tell its story. And when I watched the final episode of the Fallout series first season, I was convinced that what I saw brewing between Sarita Choudhury’s Moldaver and Lucy’s mother, Rose Maclean (in both ghoul and non-ghoul form) was simply text waiting until season two to blossom. Happily, I didn’t have to hang onto my suspicions until Fallout season two. We at Nerdist were thrilled to speak with Sarita Choudhury about Moldaver’s journey in the first season of the Fallout series and delve into her character’s backstory, romance, namesake, and more.

Prime Video

While Choudhury couldn’t answer all our questions (some things you just have to save until season two), the subtext of our Fallout interview definitely teases hidden depths, unexpected canon connections, and exciting future stories for Moldaver.

Nerdist: The scenes between Moldaver and Lucy’s mom, Rose MacLean, both in the present and in flashbacks, felt really romantic to me, like they were telling a tragic love story. So I have to ask, is Moldaver in love with Rose MacLean in the Fallout series? And if so, how hard was it to watch her turn into a feral ghoul?

Sarita Choudhury: I love that you did a smart thing. You asked the question, then you did a second. So, if I answered the second, it would answer the first. So, I can’t really answer, but I can tell you the level of closeness and the family structure with Hank, Rose, and Lucy—there is something there. And I can’t say more than that.

I saw it with my eyes. The show told us.

Choudhury: I love it.

Prime Video

Do you think we could see more of the relationship between Moldaver and Rose in season two of Fallout through flashbacks?

Choudhury: If there’s a season two, that whole period I’m so interested in because especially Hank is portrayed as the good guy, as I suffer as the bad guy at the beginning. So, I can’t wait to see the behind-the-scenes of that family unit and how I enter it.

Prime Video

So, this might also be going a little bit into the realm of theory, but in the Fallout series, we see ghouls taking medication to keep them from going feral, which we haven’t seen before in the games. And Moldaver is this scientifically savvy lady and she has a close relationship with somebody who’s becoming a feral ghoul in the Fallout series. Do you think she’s ever tried to come up with a cure for ghoulification or worked at all on that question?

Choudhury: I bet she did, and I bet she also knew how much… Say you take medication, just like in life, how much it helps, and then f**ks with you later. So, I bet you that was part of within surviving and trying to bring cold fusion back to the Wasteland, definitely. I just love this theory.

Prime Video

One thing I know a lot of people are really curious to know about is how Moldaver survived from the before times to the after times in Fallout. Is there anything you can share about how she made it through the nuclear apocalypse and the 200 years after it?

Choudhury: I can’t, but I like your predictions, and you can figure stuff out, I think. But again, it’s in line with the fact that she’s a scientist. The fact that she created cold fusion makes me think she can figure out how to live.

Prime Video

When we meet Moldaver in the past, she is this woman of science. And even in her Wasteland form, she seems like a pretty pragmatic person. But then she also has this Flame Mother personality that’s steeped in blood and ash and ritual. Did Moldaver herself develop this kind of occult form, and how did she get the name Flame Mother?

Choudhury: Well, first of all, I love that you use the word “pragmatic,” because when I’ve been asked, “How did I approach the role,” for me, the only way Moldaver would work was with pragmatism. If you become a cult leader, I don’t think you give yourself those qualities. I think they’re put on you, so blood, reverence, the kneeling is something the followers do. You could literally be just standing doing nothing. So, I think pragmatism, and not being crazy, and being almost logical actually is a quality that makes a leader in a world that’s apocalyptic.

I think it all came more from her pragmatism. I just love that you used that word. That’s what I was obsessed with… You’re a bit of a psychic.

Prime Video

In the same vein, where does the name Moldaver come from in Fallout? Because in her flashbacks, her last name was Williams, and does it mean anything?

Choudhury: So, you just need a season two. I don’t know what to say to you. You’re season two questions. If there’s a season two, you are going to be the first interviewer. You won’t even need it by then because you’ll be on season three.

We’ll wait for Fallout season two to learn more about the Moldaver origin story.

Choudhury: Perfect.

Prime Video

Ultimately, as we were saying before, Moldaver seems more of a good guy than a bad guy in the Fallout series. But of course, as the show says, a good bad guy doesn’t see themselves as the bad guy. How would you assess Moldaver as a character looking back on season one?

Choudhury: That’s why I wanted to play her because in life I’m a bit like that. I don’t really see things in terms of good and bad. I see things in terms of intelligence and curiosity as a gauge for people. And that’s why I enjoyed playing her in episode one where I was like, “I don’t care if people think she’s that bad, and then they think she’s good,” because she’s kind of both because to raid a vault, she’s still killing people.

But her mission is so pure that she’s saving multitudes. So, I think for her, it’s a game of math and heart.

Moldaver plants these seeds about Vault-Tec’s evil and Cooper Howard, who becomes The Ghoul later, but we don’t see them interact again in season one of the Fallout series. Where do you think the relationship went after what we saw from them in the past?

Choudhury: I think the fact the seed really entered him and the fact he started to look at that listening device and look at his wife, I think it’s interesting. If the bomb hadn’t happened, they would’ve formed an alliance that would be super interesting, but I’m curious what happened to them right after if they met.

Prime Video

And if they meet again or have met in the Wasteland.

Choudhury: Oh, that I love.

Even if we can’t talk about all of it, do you know your character’s whole backstory at all or just bits and pieces?

Choudhury: I know bits and pieces. I think that’s why the writers tried to not come to set too much. We just rush them. They were like our gold. But I know just a little more than you.

Prime Video

In the games, Shady Sands and the new California Republic have quite a bit of history and quite a few characters associated with them. Do you think Moldaver has history with any canon characters from the Fallout games that we know already? Or is she just kind of all original?

Choudhury: I think so. Again, I can’t wait to see what would happen if they showed that period of time. There’s so many characters, and she would have to interact with them, so I think so.

Moldaver and Wilzig seem to sort of be working together, but very distantly, and Wilzig has been in The Enclave and Moldaver has been in her sort of hideout. Have they been working together working to build cold fusion long distance, or was he doing his own thing without her?

Choudhury: I think more of their own thing, but there is such a connection. I think you’re too psychic to talk to.

Prime Video

Amazing. Well, here’s a closer, an easy one. It was so funny to me because I was watching the Fallout trailer, and I saw your dramatic appearance as Moldaver, and I was like, “Gosh, I really know her.” And then I realized it was from And Just Like That, but I actually think Seema and Moldaver have a connection. I feel like Seema could be a Moldaver if she set her mind to it. What was it like going from acting in the wilds of New York City to the wilds of the Wasteland?

Choudhury: Oh my God, it’s so funny. What was crazy was… It’s interesting. There’s definitely a boss quality to both, so that is easy. But just even the costume, when I was playing Moldaver in the vaults in my pretend vaults dweller outfit and dirty and then the guns and I was on a tank at one point, that’s when it departed, and the joy of having mud on my face at one point, I was like, “Finally.” I loved it.

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First-Ever ADVENTURE TIME Roleplaying Game Launches on Kickstarter

To paraphrase one of our favorite little humans ever, “Time to let your brain dial turn your joy volume up.” Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products have partnered for a first-of-its-kind RPG. And not even The Lich is going to be able to stop this Adventure Time RPG from reaching tabletops. Fans needed only an hour to fund the Adventure Time: The Roleplaying Game on Kickstarter.

The Adventure Time: The Roleplaying Game campaign is already a hit at Kickstarter. It surpassed its $100,000 funding goal almost as soon as it was posted. (And as of this writing already sits at nearly $400k with 26 days left to go.)

The RPG will allow fans of the animated series to step into the world of Adventure Time so they can go on their own journeys. The fifth edition (5E)-compatible game will also offer “new gameplay elements inspired by the series. That includes the “STORY” (Species, Talent, Occupation, Resources, Yonder) character origin mechanic, exploding dice mechanics, and a specialized set of Adventure Twists that encourage player creativity.” The RPG will also include 20 species and 12 subclasses. And it features 60 unique Magical Items and over 40 new Monsters in a bestiary that is also home to “observational notes” from Jake the Dog.

Cryptozoic Entertainment/Warner Bros.

In a statement Cory Jones, CCO of Cryptozoic, said, “Adventure Time created an amazing, fully realized world that fans couldn’t get enough of, so it was the ideal property for our first foray into roleplaying games. The gameplay is classic: Use your imagination and dice to overcome the Dungeon Master’s challenges. We‘ve focused on the core benefit of an RPG… unlocking YOUR creativity! Who wouldn’t want to be a part of their own Adventure Time story?”

For that players will begin starts with the Core Book, Prismo’s Guide to Adventures in Ooo. They will then create their character before embarking on their epic quest that will force them to make a series of choices.

Cryptozoic Entertainment/Warner Bros.

Supporters can choose to back the project from anywhere to $50 to $400. It’s scheduled to reach backers in March of 2025. Those who get in early via Kickstarter will also have access to a bunch of exclusives. Those tiers offer everything from the Core Book to an Adventure Book, exclusive slipcase, a custom Jake dice set, character journals, character sheets, game cards, and more. Every Core Book also comes with an Adventure Time-themed game mechanics booklet. And Cryptozoic Entertainment says it has stretch goals planned for the rest of the campaign.

Don’t worry about those stretch goals. This is already a massively successful Kickstarter. There’s no reason letting your brain dial turn your fear volume up worrying fans won’t reach them.

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Netflix Will Stop Sharing Subscriber Numbers in 2025

Netflix just added 9.33 million subscribers to its platform, showing a huge growth in users that seems bolstered by its password-sharing crackdown efforts. But despite this, the streamer announced that it will no longer share its quarterly subscriber numbers beginning in 2025. This, of course, marks a huge sea-change in the streaming world. Since the inception of the industry, which was greatly led by Netflix, streamers have used subscriber numbers as benchmarks for success. Of course, while this announcement looks weird juxtaposed to a huge subscriber increase for Netflix, it actually makes a lot of sense looking at the landscape of the streaming world. Subscriber growth is just no longer a tenable variable to increase continuously. But what will replace it? Most likely, the revenue-generator for generations in television: ads.

Netflix

Netflix shared that it was ceasing its shares of subscriber numbers in the company’s earnings report:

As we’ve noted in previous letters, we’re focused on revenue and operating margin as our primary financial metrics — and engagement (i.e. time spent) as our best proxy for customer satisfaction. In our early days, when we had little revenue or profit, membership growth was a strong indicator of our future potential. But now we’re generating very substantial profit and free cash flow (FCF),” the earnings release reads. 

We are also developing new revenue streams like advertising and our extra member feature, so memberships are just one component of our growth. In addition, as we’ve evolved our pricing and plans from a single to multiple tiers with different price points depending on the country, each incremental paid membership has a very different business impact.

Netflix will, however, occasionally share subscriber numbers, noting, “We’ll also announce major subscriber milestones as we cross them.”

Netflix

Ultimately, Netflix’s decision to stop sharing subscriber numbers likely boils down to this. At the beginning of the streaming project, it was very easy to see gains in subscribers. Now, subscriptions are basically tapped out. If you’re going to have a Netflix account, you already have it, save for slow trickles. As its no longer a sustainable growth method, Netflix, and likely other companies, will turn away from subscriber numbers to other profit drivers. Sadly, for the user, this means we’ll likely see a dip in the user experience… And probably a return to essentially cable.

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FALLOUT Will Return for Season 2

Prime Video’s adaptation of Fallout only premiered one week ago. That’s hard for us to believe. Maybe that’s because time has no meaning when all you’ve been doing is thinking about Fallout. The TV series has added to the game’s canon by answering big questions, exploring the origins of Vault Boy, and so much more. And this journey through the Wasteland will only continue because Amazon has officially renewed Fallout for season two.

Prime Video

The news of Fallout season two comes after we learned in early April that the post-apocalyptic series would relocate filming to California for its second season due to a $25 million tax credit. But now, it’s official. That’s good because we have many questions after the ending of season one. Many.

Amazon reports the series lands among Prime Video’s top three most-watched titles ever and the most-watched season globally since The Rings of Power. Based on all the chatter we’ve seen about Fallout, we’re not surprised. Executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy said in a statement: “Praise be to our insanely brilliant showrunners, Geneva [Robertson-Dworet] and Graham [Wagner], to our kick-ass cast, to Todd and James and all the legends at Bethesda, and to Jen, Vernon and the amazing team at Amazon for their incredible support of this show. We can’t wait to blow up the world all over again.”

The story based on the video game from Bethesda took many paths through the Wasteland. It also showed the past and the choices that led to the bombs dropping. We can’t wait to see more of Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Walton Goggins’ the Ghoul, and Aaron Moten’s Maximus.

Here’s hoping Prime Video will air season two of Fallout weekly instead of dropping the whole season at once. We want to make the travels through the Wasteland as long as possible

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Storm’s X-MEN ’97 Upgrade Gets an Infusion of Beyoncé Energy

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On X-Men ’97 this season, Storm has been through it. She lost her powers, found out the cute new guy she’s been seeing actually caused that problem, and faced down a demon. It’s a lot. But after many trials and tribulations, in episode six of X-Men ’97, “Lifedeath Pt. II,” Ororo Munroe got her weather-controlling powers back. She not only got her powers again, but she’s now wearing her original costume. That costume is from 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1. Now, a fan has mashed up Storm’s upgrade with Beyoncé’s song “Alien Superstar” from her album Renaissance. And yes, it fits perfectly. You can watch the video from Twitter user Steven T right here:

Storm you will always be that girl! We love a magical girl transformation scene, had to make this edit #Storm #xmen97 #xmen pic.twitter.com/22EmqdvK5p

— Steven T (@steventphoto) April 17, 2024

They describe this as a Storm’s magical girl transformation, and it really is just that. For those unfamiliar, the term usually applies to an anime trope, one where the heroine “utters a key phrase, accompanied by certain gestures and/or using some sort of magical device, and then hovers into the air over a magical background, then has her clothes disappear as her hero costume glows into existence over her.” Sailor Moon popularized this, but even that drew inspiration from She-Ra’s and Wonder Woman’s magical transformations on TV years before. Now, Storm follows in that same grand tradition.

Marvel Animation

#Beyoncé dressed as Storm is unbelievably sickening https://t.co/PJy4W9BESE pic.twitter.com/3xxFlJIaLA

— World of Wonder (@WorldOfWonder) October 26, 2015

Using Beyoncé’s hit song “Alien Superstar” is also fitting, because a few years back, the musical icon once wore an updated version of that Storm costume for Halloween, designed by Simone Bianchi. It’s a bit of a full-circle moment. Storm’s costume in the series is the first time in the X-Men: The Animated Series continuity she’s worn her original outfit. Designed by Dave Cockrum, this was Storm’s principal costume in the Uncanny X-Men comics for years. But aside from the failed pilot episode “Pryde of the X-Men” in 1989, Storm has never used it in animation. We can’t wait to see more of it in X-Men ’97.

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THE FALL GUY Cast Gets Extra Meta and Mocks Ryan Gosling in Hilarious New Promos

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt will play a stuntman and director who get caught up in a real-life thriller in the upcoming action-comedy The Fall Guy. It’s a story that blurs fiction and fact, with a meta film about filmmakers that looks absolutely delightful. Now it has its own delightful uber-meta promos. Its two stars, Hannah Waddingham, (actual) director David Leitch, and some surprise guests came together to market The Fall Guy as the ultimate interconnected movie experience. And to also ruthlessly make fun of Ryan Gosling.

Things get extra silly and extra funny in Universal’s The Fall Guy promos. They begin with a big pitch from the film’s fictional producer Waddingham. She shares her idea for selling the film by imagining Gosling and Blunt as the stars of other famous movies. It’s not a coherent strategy, but it does make for some very funny fake posters.

In the second promo Waddingham tries to get social media stars on board to promote the movie. Effective? Kind of actually, yeah. But be warned: do not watch this if you are hungry and not eating anytime soon. Anti-warning: do watch this if you love arguing over wizards and chicken parm.

In the third promo Waddingham recruits some big NBA stars to help out. Only, they’re not really into The Fall Guy. They’re only care about Blunt and The Adjustment Bureau. They think she should really work with Matt Damon again, as Gosling once again remains the butt of these ads’ jokes.

Universal Pictures

Great approach. No notes. If Gosling gets to walk around with that face and that much talent he should also have to eat s**t for our enjoyment. And we do enjoy these promos. If the movie is as good as these we are all in for a good time when it comes to theaters on May 3. The Fall Guy already looked like a lot of fun from its actual trailers. These might be meta commercials, but the cast’s charisma, comedy, and charm are very real.

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