Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 340

AMC+ with Ads Is Here, Ad-Supported Tier Will Cost $4.99/Month

Ads are the newest trend in streaming services. We now have Netflix’s ad-supported tier, Disney+’s ad-supported tier, , and coming soon, AMC+ with ads will arrive on our screens. As with other streamers’ ad-tiers, this AMC+ option will serve as a lower-cost offering designed to bolster subscriptions. Here’s what we know about the plans for this new ad-supported offering.

This new ad tier comes at a lower cost than the standard AMC+ service. AMC+ with ads will cost $4.99 per month. Currently, the ad-free version of AMC+ costs $8.99 per month. That is a fairly significant difference. Additionally, those interested in adding ads to their AMC+ can officially do so now. The AMC+ ad tier launched on September 28 and has begun its rollout. AMC notes that its ad tier will have “initial availability on its direct-to-consumer platform and apps, expanding to third-party platforms and channels providers in the coming weeks.”

AMC Networks

Kim Kelleher, the company’s chief commercial officer, shares more about how AMC+ intends to incorporate ads into its platform. She notes:

We will place ads in ways that are not disruptive, that are really thoughtful. Some movies will have no ads. Some movies may have a mid-roll, or some will have a pre-roll. It’s not one-size-fits-all, and we get to be very careful in how we place commercials in viewers’ streaming choices. AMC+ subscribers will get access to all content, no matter their choice. It will be the same product on both tiers. We are not going to take series and movies people expect to watch and say that you only get them if you pay more. We want this to be a great viewer experience.

AMC‘s release further shares that “the ad-supported version includes a light ad load of less than five minutes per hour and all of the same series and film titles that are offered on the ad-free version.”

AMC Networks Adds Ads Across Streaming Portfolio

In addition to an AMC+ ad tier, AMC Networks will now allow subscribers to choose cheaper, ad-supported tiers of Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited. Previously, standalone subscribers to these platforms did not have an ad-supported option. Additionally, Deadline shares, “In the planned rollout, ads will come to the individual services as well as AcornTV, HIDIVE and ALLBLK, which are not currently part of AMC+.”

Well, it sounds like a promising start for AMC+ with ads. At one time, the beauty of streaming was that there were minimal ads at play. However, with so many streaming options, the lowest-cost services could win the day.

Originally published on April 17, 2023.

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STAR WARS OUTLAWS Trailer Reveals Han Solo, Jabba the Hutt, and a Release Date

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, and you can watch it below. And, excitingly, Star Wars Outlaws has also finally set its release date.

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.

It 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.”

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The BORDERLANDS Movie Shares New Image, Teases Cate Blanchett with a Flame-Thrower

Borderlands made a splash when Gearbox Software debuted it on multiple gaming platforms in 2009. The video game is an open-world action roleplaying first-shooter and features a plethora of fiercely violent madcap characters. The game follows a core group of four Vault Hunters who are traveling to the planet Pandora (not to be confused with Avatar‘s Pandora) to look for the Vault. This stash supposedly has riches, glory, and fancy alien tech that many factions want to get their hands on first. A movie based on this game has been in the works since 2015, and now, it will finally make its way to theaters.

Lionsgate

Slowly, we’re beginning to see more details emerge from the Borderlands movie. In addition to a new image of Boderlands‘ main team, the film’s director recently teased that Cate Blanchett’s Lilith is quite an epic figure in the film. “You’ve seen [Blanchett] twirling the baton [in Tár], but you haven’t seen her twirling guns behind her back… She’s a master at it. A big part of the fun of the movie is watching it and thinking, ‘I can’t believe they all did this crazy stuff.’ Cate with a flame-thrower — a real flame-thrower — come on! That’s pretty badass.”

Here’s everything we know about the Borderlands movie so far.

Title Lionsgate

This video game movie adaptation will be called Borderlands.

Borderland’s Plot

Lionsgate shared an official plot synopsis on April 5, 2021:

Two-time Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett teams up with Kevin Hart in director Eli Roth’s Borderlands. Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful S.O.B., Atlas (Ramirez). Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland (Hart), a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis (Curtis), the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap (Black), a persistently wiseass robot.

These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other. Based on the game from Gearbox and 2K, one of the bestselling videogame franchises of all time, welcome to Borderlands.

Lionsgate

In some exciting news, we finally have our first good look at the live-action Borderlands movie. Lionsgate released two first-look images from Borderlands, which reveal one close-up of Cate Blanchett’s Lilith and one shot of the whole team. The team, of course, includes Kevin Hart’s Roland, an ex-soldier, Ariana Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina, a teenage explosives expert, Florian Munteanu’s Krieg, Tiny Tina’s bodyguard, Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tannis, a strange scientist/doctor, and Jack Black’s Claptrap, who is a robot.

LionsgateBehind the Scenes Gearbox_Software

Eli Roth, best known for his horror films, is set as the director. Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) is writing. Mazin is also working on HBO’s The Last of Us TV series. Producers for the Borderlands movie include Avi and Ari Arad, and Erik Feig, with executive producers Randy Pitchford (who served as executive producer on the game) and Strauss Zelnick. Deadpool‘s Tim Miller handled reshoots.

Borderland‘s Cast Warner_Bros./Gearbox_Software

And now we’re to the most exciting news about the Borderlands movie: the star power. Cate Blanchett landed the role of Lilith, the film’s lead. Kevin Hart will play Roland, a soldier. Lilith and Roland are two of the game’s Vault Hunters. Edgar Ramirez will play Atlas, who is the most powerful man in the video game’s universe. (Naturally, that means he’s a businessman and arms manufacturer.)

Jamie Lee Curtis has signed on for the film too, playing Tannis, an archaeologist. And we also know Jack Black will voice Claptrap, the game’s recognizable sassy robot sidekick. IGN reported on April 6, 2021 that Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters will play Krom. Additionally, Ariana Greenblatt and Florian Munteanu will star as Tiny Tina and Krieg, respectively.

The rest of the cast includes Gina Gershon as Moxxi, Cheyenne Jackson as Jakobs, Charles Babalola as Hammerlock, Benjamin Byron Davis as Marcus, Steven Boyer as Scooter, and Ryann Redmond as Ellie. In addition, Bobby Lee is also joining the cast in the new role of Larry.

We have a look at the movie, courtesy of star Jamie Lee Curtis and Lionsgate. It’s only the silhouettes of characters, but still:

LionsgateBorderland‘s Release Date

Borderlands will release in theaters on August 9, 2024.

Originally published on April 2, 2021.

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The COMMUNITY Movie Script Is Finished, Confirms Alison Brie

Original reporting by Melissa Miller.

The prophecy foretold six seasons and a movie, and now that will come to pass. The Community movie is coming to Peacock! Thanks to a tweet from series star Joel McHale and a report in Variety, we finally know it’s happening. We also know that series creator Dan Harmon will write and produce the movie. However, with the recent writers’ strike, things were on hold for a while. McHale revealed to Variety that Harmon and co-writer Andrew Guest were almost done with the script and had a director in mind before everything came on a halt in May. Harmon, McHale, and other members of the WGA were on strike because the union did not reach a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over many issues, including streaming residuals. However, now that the writer and actor strikes have resolved, it sounds like the Community movie is back on track.

NBC

Most recently, Community star Alison Brie chimed in to share, “We got a script, which is a major update. We got a script — you heard it here first.” She added of the Community movie. “I’ve read the script, and it’s so funny.” Sounds like good news to us.

The Latest Updates on the Community Movie

Creator Dan Harmon also noted to Variety in February that the script was almost done. He shared, “I can confirm Donald Glover’s report that I told him the script was done, but I will also say Donald’s sources are so unreliable because the script is always ‘almost done. What can I tell you about it — it’s set on the campus of Greendale Community College. I’m super excited about it, and we’re almost done.”

Meanwhile, star Joel McHale also shared that the script for the film is done as far as he knows, adding a further update about the movie’s filming. Deadline notes, “McHale said it’s his belief that the Community movie will shoot “this year.” He’ll be “shocked,” he said, if it doesn’t.” And McHale offered, “I really do think it’s happening this year, and probably next week. It’s basically working around Donald [Glover]’s schedule.”

The Cast of the Community Movie

Casting news isn’t official, but McHale tagged fellow stars Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, and Ken Jeong in his post, as well as Gillian Anderson (but we assume he meant to tag Gillian Jacobs, who played Britta). The series finale gave our beloved characters a nudge towards their next steps in life, but we’ll be perfectly happy to see them all back together at Greendale Community College. Three cheers for the Community movie.

.@alisonbrie @kenjeong @dannypudi @YNB @donaldglover @GillianA @peacock @SonyTV @CommunityTV pic.twitter.com/ynVqgaPuQD

— Joel McHale (@joelmchale) September 30, 2022

Six Season and a Movie

The show fulfilled half of Abed’s prophecy of “six seasons and a movie” with a final season on Yahoo! after five seasons on NBC. Its 110 episodes, all named like community college course titles, that mostly hit the mark of comedic and meta, takes on adult friendships. We cheered for the tight-knit study group through all the years of puppets, paintball, and pillow forts.

Community gained new popularity, and talk of the movie heated up when the show landed on Netflix in 2020. But it’s been part of the show’s lexicon since long before the series finale in 2015. It’s always a fun rewatch, and it’s never too late to watch the series for the first time.

NBC

We can’t wait to hear more official news for the Community movie. Will we finally learn what happened to Troy Barnes after he sailed off with LeVar Burton and was never heard from again? Donald Glover did join in when the cast reunited for a virtual table read in the early days of the pandemic. Happily, Dan Harmon has confirmed Glover would return for the movie. Glover himself also recently told The Hollywood Reporter he was still planning on the Community movie, saying:

Yeah, [Dan Harmon] told me what he wanted, and I was like, “This sounds great.” It’s a college reunion, but Abed [Danny Pudi’s character] is like this big director now, and basically this is his magnum opus. I’m like, “This sounds f**king tight.”

Maybe we’re not living in Abed’s darkest timeline after all.  

Originally published on November 4, 2022.

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Season of the Force Brings New STAR WARS Magic to Disneyland

The annual Season of the Force event has been taking place at the Disneyland since 2015. Nine years in, this celebration of all things Star Wars continues going strong. This year Season of the Force at Disneyland will run from April 5, 2024, through June 2, 2024. Nerdist and others were invited to preview this year’s Season of the Force offerings at the Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Among them is a return of Hyperspace Mountain, the Star Wars overlay of Space Mountain, plus tons of Star Wars-themed food, beverages, and merchandise. Read on for all the details, young Padawan.

Welcome Star Wars: Ahsoka’s Sabine to Galaxy’s EdgeNerdist

New characters are wandering around Black Spire Outpost in Galaxy’s Edge starting with Season of the Force, including Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka hero, Sabine Wren. The Mandalorian-turned-Jedi apprentice will be seen for a limited time wandering the Outer Rim planet, looking for fellow rebels to join the fight. Joining her are a pair of truly adorable BDX droids, straight from the game Jedi: Fallen Order.

Can’t get over how cute the BDX droids at Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland are. pic.twitter.com/nFN0CAW2vT

— Eric Ansley Diaz 🏳️‍🌈 (@GeekBoyEric) April 8, 2024

Star Tours: The Adventures ContinueLucasfilm

The two main highlights of Season of the Force this year are the debut of a new destination for the classic Star Tours attraction. During Season of the Force, park guests will travel to the planet Seatos from Ahsoka. C-3PO will pilot the Starspeeder 1000 through a pack of purrgil, the space whales seen in Ahsoka. Star Tours riders will also now receive transmissions from Din Djarin and Grogu, Cassian Andor, and Ahsoka Tano herself. If you look carefully, you may even see a familiar droid with her.

Fire of the Rising Moons Galaxy’s Edge Fireworks ShowYouTube/TheDIS

The other highlight is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’s new fireworks show, Fire of the Rising Moons, on select nights. It’s a display that finally showcases John Williams’ iconic music along with spectacular fireworks. Fans have long wanted to hear the classic themes from the Star Wars films in Galaxy’s Edge. Now, they’ll be able to experience them as if they were at the Endor celebration in Return of the Jedi.

Season of the Force Food and Beverage Offerings

At Docking Bay 7 at Galaxy’s Edge, folks from Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm shared details on the Season of the Force limited-time merchandise and food and beverage offerings. New this year is the Celto Slush, a nod to the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. Also new are the Wookiee Parfait, the Watermelon Slush (with a Death Star glow cub), the Fried Chicken Baos, and the Bantha Burger. We can attest to the Wookiee Parfait being especially delicious.

At the Grand Californian Hotel, guests can see a showpiece called the Galactic Creation. It’s made with edible ingredients and shows the Millennium Falcon arriving in Black Spire Outpost. Created by the Disney culinary team, it’s made with 300 pounds of powdered sugar, 80 pounds of crisped rice cereal, 60 pounds of marshmallows, and 100 pounds of dark chocolate.

Click To View Gallery Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Season of the Force Merchandise 2024

This Season of the Force sees the introduction of the all-new Jabba the Hutt popcorn bucket, featuring a Salacious Crumb keychain. Other items include the return of the Millennium Falcon bucket and an abandoned stormtrooper helmet. Additionally, the park has several new Star Wars pins and apparel. These include a new Star Tours hoodie sporting the ride operator’s classic color scheme. You can get a Darth Vader Stainless Steel Tumbler at the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland. Then at Oga’s Cantina, you can find the Acid Spitter/Orb Sipper.

Click To View Gallery Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist

As for the changes to Star Tours, we spoke to Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering who was fielding questions about Star Tours – The Adventure Continues. Given that Ahsoka only premiered recently, we asked if bringing the purrgil from that series into Star Tours was planned from the start. Here’s what he had to say:

That’s the beauty of having a relationship with Lucasfilm that they can say, “Hey, we think there’s going to be something really exciting for you in this new series. Come have a look.” And so we have a look. We look at the scripts. We start to look at what’s in there. And from our perspective of what do we think would make a great star to our sequence, which might be different than what would be a great sequence in the film or a series. It’s like what would be good with [an] emotional base and our storyline put together. So that’s how we start.

Lucasfilm

We also asked Tom Fitzgerald about how Imagineering incorporated Cassian Andor as one of the holographic messages in Star Tours—especially given how much more serious his story is than the likes of baby Grogu.

We treated it as a darker moment. So when you do get to see it, you’ll see that he comes out of the shadows and you don’t see the face. And there’s a moment where with the music and everything together, you’re like, “Ooh, is this a friend or a foe?” And then when he takes it down, it’s like, oh, it’s Andor. The music shifts. And so we got to have fun with that. And then Ahsoka, because she knows Artoo, we treated that as friends reuniting. Each one is a slightly different tone just to mix it up and also to keep each one unique. So you feel like when you see each one, oh, they’re all different.

With so many offerings for fans, Season of the Force remains a can’t-miss event for the Star Wars aficionado. If you find yourself in California from April through early June, then be ready to ignite your lightsaber, because you can’t pass up a trip to Disneyland to celebrate the Season of the Force.

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Everything We Know About STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE

The next few years are going to bring about many exciting Star Wars series to Disney+, including Ahsoka and further adventures for The Mandalorian and Andor. But one, in particular, announced in 2020, is The Acolyte.

Here’s everything we know about The Acolyte, a set a century before the events of the Skywalker Saga.

LucasfilmTitle

The official title for the upcoming Lucasfilm Star Wars series is The Acolyte. Its official title may or may not wind up as Star Wars: The Acolyte.

The Acolyte’s Plot

The Acolyte‘s trailer gives us our first good look at the series, which cautions that even in times of peace, evil is always rising. A synopsis shared with the trailer reveals:

In “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

Lucasfilm

When Disney officially announced the series back in December 2020, we got a slightly different description, which noted:

The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. 

We’ve also learned that the drama unfolds about a century before the events of The Phantom Menace, during a time when the Sith were still in hiding, getting ready to make their move to take over the galaxy. Aside from canon novels, the High Republic is an era totally unexplored in any live-action or animated Star Wars projects.

Behind the ScenesBUILD Series

Leslye Headland is on board as writer and producer. Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). A release shares, “Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.”

The Acolyte’s Cast

Production has begun on “The Acolyte,” an upcoming Original Star Wars series from Lucasfilm coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/g6apnGXSmr

— Star Wars (@starwars) November 7, 2022

The Acolyte‘s cast is turning out better than we could have imagined. Playing the lead role in the show is Amandla Stenberg, recently seen in Bodies Bodies Bodies. Joining Stenberg are Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joonas Suotamo. Suotamo is playing a Wookiee and Henderson will portray Vernestra Rwoh. This High Republic character was one of the youngest ever to become Jedi Knight. Of course, we’ll see her much older in this Star Wars series.

In The Acolyte, the green-skinned Jedi Master, played by Rebecca Henderson, is a cool 116 years old and lives in the temple on Coruscant. In an interview with Empire, series creator Leslye Headland affirms that Rwoh is the only character from that book series who will be in The Acolyte …at least, for now. Headland speaks more on the character’s personality, saying she’s been through a lot. “That has resulted in her going from this fun-seeking adventurer character [in the books], to a little bit closer to the [type of] Jedi that we see in The Phantom Menace.”

Christian BlackThe Acolyte‘s Release Date

The Acolyte will release on June 4, 2024. It will premiere with its first two episodes.

Originally published on May 10, 2023.

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Rick Grimes and Michonne Return Home in THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE

Rick and Michonne Grimes (yes, they are married!) made their epic return to television in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Prior to this show, the last time we saw Rick, he was being taken off in a helicopter alongside Jadis to parts unknown. Meanwhile, Michonne left Alexandria after finding Rick’s belongings at Bloodsworth Island. So, where do Rick and Michonne go in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and what are they doing? Here’s what happens with Richonne, including a triumphant finale that brings them a well-deserved happy ending.

Rick Grimes Was at the Civic Republic Under the Rule of Its Military in The Ones Who LiveAMC Networks

Anyone who has kept up with The Walking Dead’s universe knows that the helicopter that took Rick away belonged to the Civic Republic Military (CRM). But it wasn’t clear where the helicopter went with our beloved hero and why Rick hadn’t made it home. That guy certainly knows how to get out of a sticky situation. The Ones Who Live reveals that Rick is living at the Civic Republic, which is located in what was formerly Philadelphia. (For more information about this collective, check out our Civic Republic and CRM explainer.)

Rick has been desperate to get home for a long time. The show takes us back five years after he left Virginia when he’s on a mission to eliminate walkers. His group wears those brown CRM jackets and are on wire wrist leashes so they won’t escape the soldiers. Rick cuts his own hand off to free himself from the wire but gets caught once again. (Comic book fans are shaking right now.) We learn a lot about his life at the Civic Republic via letters he wrote—and obviously couldn’t send—to Michonne. 

He reveals that the CRM’s code of “security and secrecy” means that residents can never leave the Civic Republic. The people that they rescue, like Rick, live just outside the city and do menial jobs like killing walkers for energy, growing crops, and managing waste. The outsiders are called consignees and have to work for six years to enter the city. While others relish the chance to get into the Republic, Rick keeps trying to escape. One of those dedicated people is Pearl Thorne, an acquaintance of his who has given up on her previous life. She believes in the CRM way and the Republic wholeheartedly and keeps her eyes on Rick’s moves.

Rick Becomes a CRM Soldier and Eventually a LeaderAMC Networks

After many failed attempts to leave, Rick ends up bowing to CRM leader Okafor’s constant requests to join the military. He hopes that he can use his position to somehow leave. We see him playing the part and going through all sorts of training. He comes up with a great plan to escape via a tunnel but a little girl and Pearl Thorne, now also a CRM soldier, thwart them.

Thanks to Thorne, Rick discovers that Okafor knows about Michonne, who threatens to kill everyone Rick loves if he ever escapes. Rick tries to get Okafor to just let him go freely or kill him, but he refuses and says that Rick fights there now. Rick finally gives up, burning everything he held onto to remind him of his former life. He goes ahead and becomes the good CRM leader who tries to save the world, leaving his letters behind for good. Throughout it all, Major General Beale has a watchful eye on Rick Grimes.

Rick and Michonne Finally Reunite in The Ones Who Live 

In the present, Rick is in a helicopter with Okafor and others when things go awry. Shots kill Okafor and another soldier, which causes damage to the helicopter. He loses control of the vessel and crashes along with a few remaining soldiers. Someone dispatches a few CRM soldiers and eventually gets their hands on Rick. The person removes their mask and we discover that it is Michonne. Rick and Michonne stare at each other silently and every Walking Dead fan cheered triumphantly at their reunion.

Where Has Michonne Been in The Walking Dead Universe? How Did Michonne Find Rick in The Ones Who Live?AMC Networks

Episode two tells Michonne’s side of the story. We catch up with her and those two people she saved at the end of season ten, Aiden and Bailey. The massive caravan is their community that willingly leaves behind injured people to save the collective. Michonne doesn’t stay long but before she leaves the community, she meets Nat, one person in the caravan who does believe in saving others. Michonne nearly gets taken out by a hoard, but Aiden, Bailey, and Nat come in with a powerful weapon to disperse the walkers. They, along with a few other unnamed survivors, decide to accompany her on her quest to find Rick and she promises to bring them back home with her. She learns a bit about everyone, including discovering that Aiden and Bailey are expecting a child. 

Predictably, things go awry on their journey. It’s not super clear where they are but it seems they have made good progress up north. A CRM helicopter spots them and drops chlorine gas, killing everyone except Michonne, Nat, Bailey, and Aiden. The quartet hole up in a warehouse, where Aiden and Bailey soon die. A dying Aiden even tells her to just go home to her kids instead of risking her life anymore. Michonne manages to get oxygen for herself and Nat, and they spend a whopping year recovering from the gas’ effects. It’s a gut-wrenching sequence, from seeing Michonne try to regain her physical strength to her reeling guilt over the lives lost.

AMC

She refuses to give up on finding Rick and eventually leaves with Nat by her side. They finally make it to Bridgers Terminal in New Jersey only to discover a long-abandoned cruise ship with the banner “Safe Harbor” on it. There are many dead and burned bodies, to Michonne’s horror. (It’s likely the CRM is responsible for this.)

Nat tries to convince her to go home for the millionth time but a tearful Michonne says she still “feels” Rick. She finally gives up and they head home but another CRM helicopter crosses their path. Nat shoots it down and we once again get that scene of Rick and Michonne coming face to face. Michonne tells him that Judith is alive and Rick insists that he’s not really with the CRM. They finally kiss and hug after so, so many years.

Sadly, Nat is killed by a CRM soldier because, well, that’s what the plot warrants. Rick tells Michonne that they cannot simply go or run and instructs her to lie about her name and entire situation. He says she cannot show them that she’s a strong leader, which makes sense considering what we know about A and B people. Rick says they have to go back and he will find a way for them to escape.

Unfortunately, this will be hard to do because Jadis returns to the Civic Republic and spots Michonne. She threatens to kill all their family and friends if they try to escape. Oh brother.

Rick and Michonne Best the CRM and Return to Their ChildrenGene Page/AMC

After Michonne spent some time (poorly) pretending to be a “B” at the CRM, the duo ended up escaping thanks to her throwing them out of a helicopter. It took a lot of arguing and anger but Richonne got back together again. They were heading towards Alexandria in episode five but Jadis caught up with them. She ends up dying (mostly due to being dumb) and Richonne goes back to not only retrieve the hidden information from Jadis’ room but to also get the Echelon Briefing so they can leak it to the Civic Republic.

And that’s what they do in spectacular fashion. Rick kills Beale after getting the info, Michonne takes out Thorne after she tries to thwart their plan to blow up the CRM forces, and the pair use Jadis’ helicopter to leave. A broadcast reveals that there will be major changes in the CRM and that people will be allowed to have a choice to leave the Civic Republic. Portland is safe and Rick finally goes home to reunite with Judith and meet his son RJ. What a lovely ending to an enduring love story.

Originally published on February 25, 2024.

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A Guide to THE WALKING DEAD’s Upcoming Spinoff Adventures

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, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. A few of them are completed; however, there’s a couple that are continuing this franchise.

Dead City, starring Maggie and Negan, is returning for a second season in the future along with Daryl’s spinoff. AMC has shared a sneak peek look at a couple of scenes from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season two, “The Book of Carol.” In it, we see Daryl in the middle of some action and Carol being a badass. But most importantly, we feel their reunion brewing.

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

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

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. An early teaser shows that next season will focus a lot on Carol’s journey.

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

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season two, “The Book of Carol” will come in Summer 2024, which is shortly after the Richonne series ends. Norman Reedus himself posted the slick announcement in his IG stories.

AMCThe Walking Dead: Dead City Season Two Adds Anarchy to Its Cast

While this universe is trucking along with Daryl’s adventures, things seem to be slower for Dead City. We know that a second season is coming but we aren’t sure when that’s going to happen yet. 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.

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 certainly hope Rick doesn’t die because there are so many reunions that need to happen. Morgan is out there looking for Rick, Daryl will eventually return to the US to find Rick, 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.

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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Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum Sell Space to America in FLY ME TO THE MOON Trailer

Not everyone believes the United States actually put a man on the Moon in 1969. Some people think the whole lunar landing was filmed in a sound studio. It’s an old, fully debunked conspiracy theory getting a fun new cinematic twist. What if that staged production was nothing more than a backup plan? That’s the premise behind Apple Original Films and Columbia Picture’s upcoming movie Fly Me to the Moon starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. The Fly Me to the Moon trailer tries to sell itself to audiences by focusing on how NASA sold the space program to America.

You can’t put a person on the Moon with only hard work and knowhow. You also need a whole lot of money. And to get that you need a whole lot of support. Since rocket scientists aren’t exactly marketing geniuses, NASA calls in an expert in the first-look at Fly Me to the Moon. But getting the public’s buy-in doesn’t guarantee a successful mission, and that’s something the government can’t risk.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

Fly Me to the Moon is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up and the countdown truly begins…

Sony Pictures/Apple Original Films

The film comes from director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) with a script by Rose Gilroy. It also stars Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Ray Romano, and Woody Harrelson.

Fly Me to the Moon has a great trailer and we can’t wait until it lands in theaters on July 12, 2024. The conspiracy theory about whether or not the government truly faked the Moon landing will continue on long after.

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Live-Action MOANA Film Gets Pushed to 2026

It usually takes some time for an animated Disney film to get a live-action film adaptation. But according to the Mouse House, they’re bringing the beloved 2016 film Moana into live-action. This film was meant to hit theaters in 2025 but now, according to Entertainment Weekly, the live-action Moana movie is coming on July 10, 2026. That actually works, considering it will be the tenth anniversary of the original movie.

This live-action Moana will even see one of its original stars producing and, potentially, starring. And yes, that star is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who played the part of demigod Maui in the original film. Johnson tweeted the official announcement of his return to the world of Moana, which you can watch right here:

Humbled to say we’re bringing #MOANA’s beautiful story to the live action big screen!#MAUI changed my life (miss you grandpa) and I’m honored to partner with @DisneyStudios to tell our story thru the realm of music & dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people🪝 pic.twitter.com/CxJFKQewUS

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 3, 2023

The Walt Disney Company and Dwayne Johnson also released this statement on the new, live-action iteration of Moana:

I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.

The Walt Disney Company

Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated film, is also one of the producers. She shared on Instagram in May that she, however, would not be reprising the role of Moana. Cravalho said, “As an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength.”

What Is the Release Date for the Live-Action Moana Movie?

The live-action Moana will arrive in theaters on July 10, 2026.

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

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