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MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Characters and Places To Remember Before FURIOSA

George Miller is heading back to the Wasteland in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The Fury Road prequel will show how a young girl stolen from her beautiful home became a brutal tyrant’s greatest soldier. Furiosa won’t be the only character returning for more guzzolene-fueled fun, though. Other characters from Miller’s 2015 magnum opus will also be back. Which ones should we expect to see and what do we already know about their pasts? These are the most important characters, places, and events from Mad Max: Fury Road (as well as its canonical comic book mini-series) to remember before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga crashes into theaters.

Immortan Joe and the Wasteland’s CitadelWarner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa rose to the rank of Imperator under Immortan Joe, who ruled the Wasteland from his water-rich Citadel. Before the world “died” he was known as Colonel Joe Moore, a soldier celebrated for fighting in both the Oil and Water Wars that preceded the fall of civilization.

After the collapse the Colonel amassed an army of loyal soldiers. Joe eventually conquered the seemingly impregnable Citadel, becoming a living legend in the process. During his reign he built an armada of powerful vehicles and placed loyalists in charge of both an abandoned oil refinery and and a closed lead mining facility nearby.

Joe was more than just a violent, water-hoarding dictator. His people worshipped him as a god, especially his half-life War Boys. (Child members of Joe’s cult were known as War Pups.) Those loyal devotees, noted for their bald heads and white makeup, had short life expectancies due to nuclear fallout. They were happy to die in battle for Joe so they could ride beside him forever in Valhalla.

Immortan Joe’s Sons and WivesWarner Bros. Pictures

Joe had three sons, two of whom appeared in Mad Max: Fury Road. His youngest, Rictus Erectus, was a giant, powerful, angry man with the mind of a child. Joe’s oldest son, Corpus Colossus, was small and weak physically, but intelligent. He was described as a “a man in a child’s body.”

Joe’s third son was Scabrous Scrotus, a dangerous “psychopathic killer.” He’s the main villain of the non-canonical 2015 Mad Max video game, but he also appeared in the canonical spinoff comic series based on Miller’s official backstories. Furiosa could show us why Scrotus was not around for the events of Fury Road.

Vertigo

Immortan Joe was determined to have a healthy son who could be his heir. Over the years he had many slave wives. Furiosa herself was one for a short time, but Joe cast her aside when he learned she couldn’t have children. Immortan Joe’s desire to have a son born without any issues caused by nuclear fallout led him to lock five healthy, beautiful young women in a biodome within the Citadel. There he raped his wives until Furiosa helped the five “breeders” escape.

The People Eater and Gas TownWarner Bros. Pictures

Colonel Joe Moore learned about the Citadel’s secret aquifer from a former banker who nearly died before encountering Joe’s forces. The Colonel spared “The Fat Man” in exchange for the aquifer’s location. The banker then joined Joe’s group and was ultimately named warlord of Gas Town, home to an old oil refinery south of the Citadel. Gas Town, which also hosted its own Thunderdome and produced the guzzolene prized in the Wasteland.

The gluttonous, diseased warlord derived sexual pleasure from harming others. He also became known by the telling moniker The People Eater. In addition to his size and swollen feet, he was also recognizable for his business suit with nipple cutouts, fake gold nose that hid his leprosy, and a modified limousine.

He died after answering his ruler’s call to chase down Furiosa. Max Rockatansky used The People Eater as a human shield when Joe shot at him.

The Bullet Farmer and the Bullet FarmWarner Bros. Pictures

Major Kalashnikov served under Colonel Joe Moore before the fall and as his right hand man after it as Joe led his roving gang of former soldiers. Besides Joe, Kalashnikov was the only other survivor of the small group that conquered the Citadel. Immortan Joe then named his loyal brother-in-arms as warlord of the abandoned lead mine in the west. From the Bullet Farm, which also gave the Major his new title of The Bullet Farmer, oversaw the production of ammunition, arms, and gunpowder. He also began wearing bullet-covered bandoliers, including a bullet keffiyeh-like apparatus on his head.

The fearsome and fearless (some might say mad) Bullet Farmer died while trying to capture Immortan Joe’s wives. Furiosa’s sniper shot hit the spotlight on the Bullet Farmer’s car, and the explosion of hot glass blinded the warlord. He then charged forward in his car firing indiscriminately into the night, but Max Rockatansky killed him when he got closer.

The Vuvalini of Many Mothers and the Green PlaceWarner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa came from the Green Place, a verdant and beautiful land where crops could grow. It was also a matriarchal society run by the Vuvalini of Many Mothers, wise warrior women who raised the tribe’s daughters as a comunnity. Men and boys only lived in the outer swamps.

We also recommend rewatching Mad Max: Fury Road before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga comes to theaters on May 24. But in fairness, we always recommend watching Fury Road.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who thinks everyone should watch Fury Road at least once a month. You can follow him on Twitter and  Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Everything We Know About FURIOSA from MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

George Miller’s 2015 masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road introduced Charlize Theron’s Furiosa to the franchise. Now Anya Taylor-Joy will take on the role in the director’s upcoming prequel. The movie— written long ago and shared with Theron as part of her preparation to play the part—will show how the Imperator went from a stolen child to Immortan Joe’s greatest soldier. But the warrior’s past isn’t a total mystery. We’ve learned a lot about the character’s history from her big screen debut, canonical Fury Road comics, and interviews from those who helped brought her to life. And since that knowledge will only make watching her origin film an even richer experience, here’s everything we know about Fury Road‘s heroine ahead of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Where Did Furiosa Come From?Warner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa, daughter of Mary Jo Bassa, was born in the Green Place. The matrirchal Vuvalini (also known as the Many Mothers) ruled that lush land of vegetation, rich soil, and crops. Some men and boys lived in the swamps on the outer edges of the Green Place, but the abundant interior was a realm for women only.

The Vuvalini raised their tribe’s daughters together. Furiosa of clan Swaddle Dog named her “initiating Mother” as K.T. Concannon. The warrior women of the Vuvalini taught Furiosa how to survive a dying world, but they also taught her how to read. Her early education made Furiosa both a wise and cunning woman as well as a fearsome fighter.

When Was Furiosa Taken From the Green Place?Warner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa was stolen from the Green Place as a child. Her mother died three days after their abduction. That occurred 7,000 days (plus all the ones Furiosa forgot about) prior to the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. That places her kidnapping roughly 19 to 20 years before she fled the Citadel with Immortan Joe’s five wives.

What Did Furiosa Do Before Becoming Imperator?Warner Bros. Pictures

At some point, likely long before Mad Max: Fury Road, Immortan Joe branded Furiosa on the back of her neck with his flaming skull insignia. The War Boys seared that same symbol into Max Rockatansky after taking him prisoner.

Thanks to official comic books based on George Miller’s own internal backstories for characters, along with cast and crew interviews about the movie, we know Furiosa was once Joe’s property. She was one of his previous wives. When Joe learned Furiosa could not have children he gave her to the Imperator of a War Rig, whom Furiosa learned from. The Citadel’s ruler only wanted slave wives who could “breed.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa’s path to becoming the only woman soldier in Immortan Joe’s army began when her Imperator died and she assumed command of his War Rig. She eventually established herself as Joe’s greatest warrior, though she did lose an arm in his service. She ultimately rose to the highest rank of Imperator herself, earning the intimidating nickname “Bag of Nails” along the way.

Why Did Furiosa Help the Five Wives Escape?Warner Bros. Pictures

Immortan Joe did not think any of his three sons could serve as his heir. (Only two of them appeared in Mad Max: Fury Road, indicating the third had died by then.) Joe thought each boy’s health issues they’d been born with made them incapable of ruling. The Citadel’s ruler blamed the unhealthy world of the Wasteland and its nuclear fallout for his sons’ various problems and became obsessed with siring a perfect child. To do that he locked five of the healthiest, most beautiful young women he could find in a bio-dome inside the Citadel. There he gave them fresh air, fresh water, healthy food, and a wise teacher. He also raped them and performed horrific medical procedures on his enslaved “wives” in his quest to impregnate them.

Immortan Joe set his own downfall in motion when he assigned Furiosa to keep the five women safe from his child-like rage monster of a son Rictus Erectus. At first the wives clashed with quiet, serious Furiosa. The Imperator also hit one of Joe’s pregnant wives when she tried to end her pregnancy. But after many weeks together things between the women started to change. The wives, who knew Furiosa had been one of them long ago, came to like their protector. And as she saw the horrible pain Joe inflicted on them, Furiosa became more protective of the “Breeders.”

Desperate to escape, for both themselves and so their children would never be warlords, the wives convinced Furiosa to help them escape. The Imperator eventually agreed and said she would bring them to the Green Place if she could find it. But Furiosa stressed there was no guarantee they’d ever reach her childhood home alive.

Did Furiosa Try To Go Home Before Mad Max: Fury Road?

Furiosa said she tried to return to the Green Place “many times” during her two decades long absence, but she never made it back. She eventually wasn’t even sure where to find the Green Place.

The Vuvalini never knew what happened to Furiosa or her mother, but once she found them they knew her as one of their own. The Many Mothers then welcomed her, the wives, and even Max and Nux into their now small desert tribe. They’d abandoned the Green Place after the land turned “sour” and couldn’t sustain crops years earlier. That once lush area was a poisoned swamp overrun by a group known as The Crows.

What Did Furiosa Want in Mad Max: Fury Road?Warner Bros. Pictures

Furiosa named her reason for betraying Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road. She didn’t cite revenge or her long desire to return home. Neither did she say it was to save the five wives and their unborn children. And it certainly wasn’t to usurp Joe and claim the Citadel as her own as she ultimately. Furiosa said she what she wanted was “redemption.”

And while we can guess what she meant by that, in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga we’ll learn exactly what the woman who was stolen as a child only to become Imperator felt she needed redemption from.

The movie will cover many years in Furiosa’s life, including who stole her as a child and how she ended up serving as Immortan Joe’s most celebrated warrior. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga comes to theaters on May 24.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who thinks Mad ax: Fury Road might be the greatest movie ever made. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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7-Eleven’s New Hot Dog-Flavored Sparkling Water Seems Like an April Fools’ Day Prank

It’s the end of March which means we all need to officially be on high alert because April Fools’ Day is coming. The most annoying day of the year means brands will be trotting out fake products to rile up those not paying attention to the calendar. But not every absurd item will turn out to be a joke. Some companies truly commit to the bit. The issue is you can’t always tell which ones are merely a gag and which ones actually exist until someone confirms it. That’s why we have no idea if 7-Eleven is being honest about launching a Hot Dog-flavored sparkling water in a few days.

7-Eleven

7-Eleven has announced its partnering with Miracle Seltzer on a line of new sparkling waters. Three of them sound totally legit and are certainly real: Lemon Lime, Green Apple, and Sweet Orange. The issue is the fourth flavor and the details surrounding this alleged product’s release. The final drink in the collection is Hot Dog, a flavor inspired by the convenience store’s Bog Bite Hot Dog. If that sounds super gross it’s actually much, much worse. Here’s how the company describes this supposéd beverage in the official press release:

The Big Bite Hot Dog Sparkling Water combines the delicious and mouthwatering experience of 7-Eleven’s iconic Big Bite Hot Dog into one refreshing beverage – ketchup and mustard included. Gone are the days of alternating bites of a hot dog with sips of a beverage, now those on the go can swap the bun for bubbles.

Even with all these pictures this can’t be real, right? Maybe not. The three fruit-flavored sparkling waters are already available at select stores. Meanwhile 7-Eleven says “more details on the availability” of its Hot Dog drink “will be revealed on April 1.”

April 1. Of course.

Our bet is the only detail we’ll get on the foolingest day of the year is that this product will never be available because it’s not real. At least we hope so. We’d much rather get pranked than drink literal Hot Dog water.

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Who Are the Sentinels in X-MEN? The History of the Dangerous Marvel Enemy, Explained

Although Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men, not a lot of the villains they created for the mutant heroes became as iconic. Sure, there’s Magneto and Juggernaut. But aside from those characters, the most important X-Men villains to come from Lee and Kirby are the robotic Sentinels. That’s because these giant robots, while looking super cool and menacing (thank you Jack Kirby) also represent humanity’s hatred for anything that’s different. This is why they’ve lasted through so many iterations of the X-Men, from comics to cartoons to the big screen. Once again, they’re making life miserable for the students of Xavier’s School in X-Men ’97 on Disney+. Here is a brief history of the Sentinels in comics and beyond.

Marvel ComicsThe First X-Men Appearance of the Sentinels

First appearing in 1965’s X-Men #14, the Sentinels were introduced as the creation of a scientist named Bolivar Trask. Believing mutants would rise up and wipe out the human race, Trask used his genius in cybernetics to create giant robots. Machines with the ability to detect mutant genetics, and capture or kill them. Sentinels ranged from 20-30 feet tall to slightly larger than human size. These robots had faulty programming and believed the only way to protect humans from mutants was to rule them.

Marvel Comics

Over a three-issue storyline, the X-Men discover that the Sentinels are created by a Master Mold. This was an even bigger Sentinel designed with software to create more Sentinels. Trask is horrified that what he used to supposedly help mankind against mutants would have been their destruction as well. He died destroying the Master Mold. The mutant race was safe from Sentinels—but only for a time. 

The Sentinels Evolve Into the X-Men’s Most Dangerous FoeMarvel Comics

Over the following years, the X-Men fought new iterations of Sentinels. Bolivar Trask’s son Larry Trask picked up his father’s work. He created the Mark II Sentinels, new models that could adapt and counteract almost any superpower. Years later, another mutant hater, a robotics scientist named Stephen Lang, adapted Trask’s technology and created the Mark III Sentinels. He also created the so-called ‘X-Sentinels,’ which were androids that mimicked the X-Men themselves. And it was actually a mutant, the Hellfire Club’s Sebastian Shaw, who created the Mark IV-VII Sentinels.

“Days of Future Past” Shows the Sentinels at their Most Lethal Marvel Comics

The true indicator of how much of a threat the Sentinels were was in Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s iconic two-part storyline, “Days of Future Past.” Running in 1981’s Uncanny X-Men #141-142, that story showed us a future in which Sentinels became fully sentient AI and took control of North America. They hunted mutants nearly to extinction, forcing the team to send one of their own into the past. All in order to help the X-Men stop this horrible future from ever happening. This story cemented Sentinels as the X-Men’s ultimate foe, and provided the basis for a two-part storyline in X-Men: The Animated series. Not to mention the live-action 2014 film of the same name.

Modern-Day Sentinels Almost Decimate the X-MenMarvel Comics

In the “present time,” a Sentinel did massive damage to the mutant race. A giant “Wild Sentinel,” built by a lost Master Mold and made of metal junk, surfaced in South America. They were built in the service of Charles Xavier’s evil twin Cassandra Nova. She ordered them to obliterate the mutant island of Genosha in 2001’s New X-Men #114, killing 16 million mutants. Later, when the mutant population was decimated by 98%, human-piloted Sentinels were introduced. As a representative of humankind’s hatred of mutants, the Sentinels remained a perpetual thorn in the side of the X-Men.

Nimrod Is the Ultimate Evolution of the Sentinel Marvel Comics

As the ‘80s and ‘90s storylines progressed, so did the Sentinels. In the ’80s, readers were introduced to Nimrod, an advanced Sentinel from the future that came back to the present. Hailing from the “Days of Future Past” timeline, Nimrod can transform to look like anyone. Also, its consciousness can extend outside its physical form. A Nimrod unit and a Master Mold mystically fused into the android Bastion, who was a major enemy in the ’90s era. In the most recent X-Men era, Nimrod came online in the present day. It emerged in the service of the mutant-hating organization called Orchis. The product of a powerful Mother Mold, a Sentinel that creates Master Molds, Nimrod has recently set back the mutant cause years, essentially running them out of their homeland of Krakoa.

The Sentinels in X-Men: The Animated SeriesMarvel

The Sentinels first appeared as the antagonists in the very first episode of X-Men: The Animated Series in 1992. In that two-part opener, “Night of the Sentinels,” the deadly robots were shown as the embodiment of mankind’s hatred of mutants. They were utilized by government forces to track down and contain mutants. They largely kept their comic book origins and design, and kept reappearing throughout the show’s five-season run. Sentinels also appeared in later X-Men animated shows, like X-Men: Evolution, and Wolverine and the X-Men.

The Live-Action X-Men Films’ Version of Sentinels Twentieth Century Films

Despite being in several early drafts of the first two X-Men movies, their robot adversaries did not appear in the final films. We saw a glimpse of a Sentinel in the Danger Room sequence in X-Men: The Last Stand, but they weren’t the real deal, just a training hologram. Sentinels finally made their big screen debut in X-Men: Days of Future Past. In that 2014 film, Sentinels drove the entire plot. We learned that Bolivar Trask invented them as more rudimentary mutant-hunting robots in the ‘70s, reflecting their comic book aesthetics. We also saw future Sentinels in that film, which were highly advanced thinking machines that could replicate mutant powers. They had also taken over the world, making it a dystopian hellscape. We glimpsed the movie universe’s Mark I Sentinels one last time very briefly in a Danger Room sequence at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse.

The Sentinels in X-Men ’97Marvel Animation [image error]

In the first episode of X-Men ’97, we learn that a secret army of Sentinels is being constructed in the Sahara desert, created by Bolivar Trask and Henry Gyrich. The X-Men arrive, and take them all out in an amazing action scene. Storm in particular does some damage. In an echo of the original cartoon, the revival series is using the Sentinels early on, hammering home the notion that these robots are the mutant race’s ultimate enemy. We’ll see as the first season of X-Men ’97 unfolds if more Sentinels are still out there, waiting to say “Halt Mutant!” in their eerie robotic voices.

Originally published on March 18, 2024.

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GODZILLA X KONG: Who Would Be the Worse Kaiju Roommate??

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stars Rebecca Hall (Dr. Ilene Andrews), Brian Tyree Henry (Bernie Hayes), Dan Stevens (Trapper), Kaylee Hottle (Jia) and director Adam Wingard sit down with Nerdist’s Hector Navarro to talk the meaning of the title, green screen acting, and debate which of their kaiju costars would be the worst roommate.

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Nicolas Cage Says NATIONAL TREASURE 3 Is Not Happening, But Bruckheimer Says It’s On

Sometimes, the most exciting news is the kind dropped the most casually. Back in 2022 during a conversation with ComicBook.com about Top Gun Maverick, iconic producer Jerry Bruckheimer seemingly revealed a piece of information many fans have been eager for, for a long time. He said that National Treasure 3 movie was in the works with Nicolas Cage’s possible involvement. It sounded like they were in the early stages of the script and movie. We were hype about actually getting National Treasure 3 with Cage involved, but now that doesn’t seem to be the case.

UPDATE, 3/13/2024: In a 2024 interview with ScreenRant, Nicolas Cage said that there is no National Treasure 3 after all. His statement on this apparently nonexistent sequel is very direct, indeed. “Here we go!,” said Cage. “See, you’re the one that brings these things up and they go out and they eclipse everything else. No, there is no National Treasure 3. If you want to find treasure, don’t look at Disney, okay? It’s not there.”

UPDATE, 3/27/2024: Despite Cage’s comments, Jerry Bruckheimer shared that National Treasure 3 actually is in the works. He noted to MovieWeb, “Well, we hope there’s a National Treasure 3 . We’ve been working on it for quite a while. We have a brilliant writer working on it right now, so hopefully, if we get a script in a timely fashion, we’ll send it to Nic [Cage] and, if he likes it, we’ll make another one. We certainly would like to.”

We need Benjamin Franklin Gates to get on this mystery, stat.

Disney

PREVIOUSLY: Jerry Bruckheimer notes that he’s “working on another National Treasure” as one of three big things on his plate right now. When asked if Nicolas Cage would return for National Treasure 3, he offers, “Let’s hope. We’re working on a script right now, hopefully, he likes it. But I think it’s really good, so hopefully, we’ll get it to him shortly.”

Meanwhile, Justin Bartha, who plays Riley Poole in the franchise, offered:

There is a script. That’s all I’ll say. There have been a few different scripts, actually, but the one thing that has to happen is for all the stars to align. I had seen something awhile ago, and it was solid, but the unsung hero of these movies that doesn’t get mentioned as much is Jon Turtletaub. Those movies really are an extension of his being. He is very smart and funny, and has a buoyancy to him that mirrors the tone of the movies. I think he has to feel really comfortable and feel like he can see the movie before it happens — and it is getting closer to that.

There’s been a lot of conversation around Nicolas Cage and National Treasure recently. Nicolas Cage, of course, starred in movies such as Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. During the press tours for these movies, he talked a lot about his career. And, in all honesty, Cage’s interviews did not make it seem like National Treasure 3 was on the table. He even said that there would “probably not” be another movie.

Disney+

The National Treasure franchise, meanwhile, has yielded a Disney+ TV series. National Treasure: Edge of History released in December 2022, and it saw two actors from the original franchise return to the world. Harvey Keitel returned as Peter Sadusky, and the aforementioned Justin Bartha returned as Riley Poole. While the creators of this National Treasure series have indicated they would love for Nicolas Cage to come on board, he does not seem involved.

All this to say, people have hoped for a National Treasure 3 movie starring Nicolas Cage since National Treasure 2 aired. And while it seems like the movie has had many false starts before, maybe it is finally on its way. We hope Nicolas Cage likes what he sees when reads the National Treasure 3 script.

Originally published on August 19, 2022.

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Hulu on Disney+ Officially Launches, Merged Content Will Appear in Unified App

Bundles are becoming an increasingly common offering in this age of streaming. But Disney+ and Hulu have now taken their bundling to a whole new level. As previously promised, Disney has merged Disney+ and Hulu apps into one unified service on the Disney+ platform. While Disney+ and Hulu are still available as stand-alone apps, Hulu on Disney+ has now officially launched. And this content merge is “branding color change” official.

What Does Hulu on Disney+ Mean for Users?Disney

Essentially, Hulu on Disney+ means that Hulu will now become a tile within the Disney+ ecosystem. Users who subscribe to both Hulu and Disney+ will soon see Hulu content populating their search and viewing recommendations. Of course, subscribers will be able to watch Hulu content inside the Disney+ app. Disney hopes this will streamline the user experience and create a hub of desirable content.

A release shares:

The Walt Disney Company announced today the official launch of Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. for Disney Bundle subscribers, bringing together the extensive Disney+ and Hulu libraries – including beloved characters, award-winning films and series, and 100 years’ worth of inspiring stories – all in one place.

The new experience is a seamless showcase of the value of the Disney Bundle that allows Bundle subscribers (or those who hold subscriptions to both standalone apps) to stream extensive Hulu content, including critically acclaimed fan favorites like Grey’s Anatomy, Only Murders in the Building, Poor Things and The Bear, directly in the Disney+ app. 

What Does Hulu on Disney+ Cost?Disney

Of course, Hulu on Disney+’s merged content means a price increase for subscribers. With ads, a Disney+ and Hulu bundle costs $9.99/month (that’s $2 more than Disney+ Basic currently costs). Without ads, the Disney+ and Hulu merged offering is priced at $19.99. This is a bit of a higher increase from the cost of Disney+’s standalone premium offering, currently priced at $13.99/month ($6 more per month).

Of course, purchasing Disney+ and Hulu separately will cost users more than the bundle cost. And ostensibly, at some point, the ability to purchase these streamers separately will vanish. (Likely just in time for a cost increase.)

Disney+’s Logo and Branding Change Color to Include Merge Hulu Green and Disney BlueDisney

We know this Disney+ and Hulu merge is serious because Disney+ has changed all of its branding to accommodate the new content on its platform. Disney+ blue has become a Hulu-fied greenish blue hue, which The Verge reports Disney is calling “Aurora.”

A release notes about the new Hulu on Disney+ branding, “The roll-out also features refreshed branding for Disney+, including a refined logo, color palette, and orchestral mnemonic created by Academy Award®-winning composer Ludwig Göransson. This evolution blends Hulu’s signature green into the legacy Disney+ blue, creating a premium and elevated feel to welcome Hulu on Disney+ and mark a new chapter in storytelling for the streaming service.”

You can listen to the new sound from The Mandalorian and Black Panther composer below.

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Disney-Animation-and-Mnemonic.mp4

As streamers continue their bid to increase their profits, we’re likely to see more of this kind of thing occur. But it does make us wonder… When will all streamers combine on one platform and bring us back to the age of cable?

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Katy O’Brian Joins Cast for Eighth MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Movie

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took a motorcycle jump off a cliff into theaters in July 2023. The film brought back Ethan Hunt for his first adventure since 2018’s Fallout. The seventh and eighth Mission: Impossible installments were filmed back-to-back and after many delays, Part One finally made it to theaters. The follow-up will pick up the story and see Hunt and his team attempt to stop the Entity.

There’s still so much to learn about this film, but we did get a recent cast update thanks to Deadline. Katy O’Brian of Love Lies Bleeding fame will be in the eighth Mission Impossible film. We don’t know what role she will play yet, but we hope that she will keep her killer muscles.

Paramount

Here’s everything we know about Mission: Impossible 8.

Title

The next Mission: Impossible movie is a sequel and for now we will call it Mission: Impossible 8.

Mission: Impossible 8’s Plot

We don’t have a plot synopsis for Mission: Impossible 8 yet, but when we left Ethan, the search for the Entity was on. He learned the name Sevastopol from Paris. That’s the Russian submarine housing the source code for the Entity. It’s the only place Ethan can stop the AI once and for all. He and his team just have to find it and access it. That’s not an easy task since the submarine is at the bottom of the ocean. We expect Ethan will grapple with Gabriel again, too. Maybe we’ll learn more about their tangled past.

Behind the Scenes

Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this eighth installment. The movie was filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning Part One.

Mission Impossible 8’s Cast

Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell will be back, too. Though the others from Part One aren’t confirmed, we wouldn’t be surprised to see anyone who didn’t die return for this film. That could include Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust. Rolf Saxon’s William Donloe will come back, too.

Newcomers include Hannah Waddingham, Nick Offerman, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, and Lucy Tulugarjuk.

Mission Impossible 8′s Release Date

According to Variety, Mission: Impossible 8 will arrive in theaters on May 23, 2025.

Originally published on August 1, 2023.

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STAR TREK: SECTION 31 Shares First-Look Image

Cameras have begun rolling on Star Trek: Section 31, starring Oscar Winner Michelle Yeoh. She will reprise the role of Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the film, a character introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season one. Yeoh first played Captain Philippa Georgiou in the first part of Discovery, a decorated Starfleet Captain who died in the pilot episode. She then portrayed the version of that character from the darker Mirror Universe for much longer. Now stranded in the mainline Star Trek universe, she began working for the mysterious Federation spy cabal Section 31.

Jan Thijs/Paramount+

Although we don’t yet have a release date for Star Trek: Section 31, we recently learned that movie wrapped filming. Cast member Robert Kazinsky revealed the news on his Instagram. On the heels of this Variety also shared our very first look at the Star Trek film. Hopefully that means we’ll see even more movement on the movie sooner rather than later.

NBC/Paramount

The article additionally revealed that Kacey Rohl will play “a young Rachel Garrett, a character first introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the older fearless captain of the USS Enterprise-C.” Garrett appeared as captain of the Enterprise-C in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s episode,  “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

Paramount+

Here’s everything we know about Star Trek: Section 31 so far.

TitleParamount+

Although many refer to it as simply Section 31, the proper title is, of course, Star Trek: Section 31.

Star Trek: Section 31’s PlotParamount+

Although originally planned as a series, it has since morphed into a film for the Paramount+ streaming service. The plot for Section 31 is unknown at this time. All we know is that it’s likely set in the same timeframe as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This would be some time after Discovery season two, and still several years before the events of the original series. At the end of Discovery season two, Phillipa Georgiou was sent to the far future with the Discovery crew. Not long after, the powerful Guardian of Forever sent her back to when she left. This leaves room for her Section 31 story to take place in that time period. The official description is as follows” “Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, [Georgiou] also must face the sins of her past.”

CBS/Viacom

The franchise introduced Section 31 as a concept in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. They were an organization so secret, they were not an official part of the Federation or Starfleet. However, they acted on their behalf. Many in Starfleet saw Section 31 and their covert and often immoral ways as against what the Federation stood for. They attempted genocide on the shapeshifting Changeling race behind the Dominion during the later seasons of DS9. In Discovery, we learn they were more of an official part of Starfleet a century before the events of DS9. Perhaps the Section 31 movie will reconcile how this covert group went from a known part of Federation intelligence to something of a galactic myth a century later.

Behind-The-Scenes

Olatunde Osunsanmi will direct and executive produce the film, with Craig Sweeny serving as writer and executive producer. Alex Kurtzman and his production company Secret Hideout, which is behind modern Star Trek shows like Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds, is also behind Section 31.

Star Trek: Section 31’s CastParamount+

Aside from Michelle Yeoh, also in the cast are Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sam Richardson, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, and James Hiroyuki Liao. No word yet on any known Star Trek franchise actors from Discovery or Strange New Worlds, but we expect to see at least some of them.

Star Trek: Section 31 Release Date

There’s no release date yet for Star Trek: Section 31, but we expect it no earlier than late 2025.

Originally published on February 2, 2024.

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STAR TREK 4 Names New Writer for ‘Final Chapter’ of Series

For a while there, it certainly seemed like we would never get a Star Trek 4. But in February of 2022, another Star Trek film was announced. Since then, though, we haven’t heard very much about the progress of the potential fourth movie that would reunite Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and more. And updates, both good and bad, have been slight. Still, it looks like the fourth Star Trek film remains in the works, even though some recent comments about it were not wholly positive. The latest piece of news on it even names a writer for the movie. Here’s everything we know about the progress of a possible Star Trek 4 movie.

The Latest Updates on Star Trek 4: A New Writer Emerges

Variety has revealed that Star Trek 4 officially has a new writer onboard. Steve Yockey, the co-creator of Max’s series The Flight Attendant, will now pen the next (and last) movie in this version of Star Trek‘s world.

Recently, Variety also reported that “the fourth installment of the rebooted ‘Star Trek‘ film series remains in development, with the studio describing it as the ‘final chapter.'” We guess that’s good news. But we’ll wait for something a little more concrete to celebrate properly.

Paramount PicturesChris Pine on the Status of Star Trek 4

But if Star Trek 4 is still alive, Captain Kirk doesn’t seem to know. Recently, Chris Pine spoke about Star Trek 4, but he didn’t really have much to say. When chatting to Comicbook.com, Pine was asked about any updates about the movie. Pine responded, “Not that I know of.” And when asked if Pine had potentially read any Star Trek 4 scripts, he responded very plainly with “No, of course not.” Hopefully, he’ll hear about it soon, now that a new writer is involved.

While that doesn’t inspire much hope in the status of the movie, Lindsey Anderson Beer, who was initially involved in the writing of the Star Trek 4 script, noted to Collider in September of 2023 that the project was still moving forward. She shared, “It is, it’s still on the tracks. I love that project, and it was another one that I had to hop off of to direct this movie, and that was a hard thing to do. But I love that everybody involved with that project.”

The Initial News About Another Trek Movie

These updates come a few years after the initial burst of news we received about Star Trek 4. According to Deadline‘s February 2022 article, negotiations were underway with the intent to bring back all of the mainstays in the rebooted franchise. That includes getting Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Simon Pegg to return for Star Trek 4. It was just one of the many major developments to arise out of the ViacomCBS Investor Day call in 2022. J.J. Abrams appeared on the call, confirming the reports that the fourth movie was a go.

WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman was originally on tap to direct Star Trek 4 but has since bowed out of the project. We will wait and see who may replace him. Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires were slated to write the script at the time. According to Deadline, their version is based on a script from Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Now, of course, Steve Yockey has come aboard. Depending on how it goes, this film might have a lot of credited scribes.

Paramount PicturesStar Trek 4‘s Plot

Naturally, other details about Star Trek 4 remained under wraps, including the plot. It’s been a turbulent last several years for Star Trek 4. Back in 2018, plans for another film with the cast stalled, reportedly after Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth, who played George Kirk in the 2009 reboot, walked away over pay disputes. But Hemsworth later told Variety he wasn’t completely on board with the script.

Over the last several years, several people, from Noah Hawley to Quentin Tarantino, have tossed around ideas for a Star Trek film. (The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood writer-director really wanted to make the first R-rated Star Trek project.  Mark L. Smith, who wrote The Revenant, even wrote a draft.)

Still, though, many, including John Cho, held out hope that the fourth film in the rebooted franchise would eventually happen and that the Enterprise crew would get back together—save one very important cast member.

Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the first three films, sadly passed away in 2016. Abrams confirmed at the time that the role would not be recast. He told the Toronto Sun, “I would say there’s no replacing him. There’s no recasting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.” We’d imagine this sentiment remains in place. And we can’t wait to see how they pay tribute to the late actor.

Where We Stand with Star Trek 4 Right Now

For now, Paramount has removed Star Trek 4 from its release schedule. And that’s about all we know for sure. One way or the other, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more Star Trek 4 developments and any glimpse of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and the rest.

Originally published on June 8, 2022.

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