Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 364

Denis Villeneuve Reveals Why He Kept Anya Taylor-Joy’s DUNE: PART TWO Role a Secret

After a very long wait, Dune hit theaters in the fall of 2021 to both rave reviews and big box office. This was despite bowing on HBO Max at the same time as its theatrical debut. But Dune was really just Dune: Part One. The first film only covered the first half of Frank Herbert’s epic 1965 novel. Luckily, the rest of the story is on the way. Dune: Part Two was officially announced on October 26, 2021.

Universal Pictures

Recently, we learned that Anya Taylor-Joy would appear in Dune: Part Two. This was a surprise bit of casting that was kept secret until the film began to screen. We won’t spoil which role Taylor-Joy plays in the film, but we’re definitely excited to see her in action. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, director Denis Villeneuve shared more about the casting and the secrecy around it. He noted, “I think that Hollywood is the most gossipy town on earth  wanted, as an experiment, to see how long we could keep a secret. We did it. It was a special unit, we went to Africa to shoot with Anya under super-secrecy. I just loved the idea to keep something a surprise for the audience until the very end; it was like a gift I wanted to keep for the fans.”

Here’s everything else we know so far about Dune: Part Two.

TitleWarner Bros/Legendary

The official name of the movie is Dune: Part Two.

Dune: Part Two‘s Plot

The official plot synopsis from Warner Bros. and Legendary for Dune: Part Two reads as follows:

This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

If you’re a fan of Frank Herbert’s Dune, this all sounds like a pretty faithful adaptation of the second half of his novel. And unlike David Lynch’s 1984 version of Dune, this packed second half will now have time to breathe. And who knows? Maybe we’ll see elements of the later Dune novels pop up a wee bit early.

For now, we can enjoy Dune: Part Two‘s first trailer, which highlight a crucial book scene: Paul riding on a sandworm.

The second trailer for the film shows more of Paul and Chani and the Fremen’s fight.

The chief takeaway is that Dune: Part Two is both a love story and a war movie, and we can expect both parts to shine.

Dune: Part Two‘s Cast

Almost the entire original cast from Dune is back for Dune: Part Two. At least if their character survived, that is. This includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, the “Kwisatz Haderach,” and Zendaya as his Fremen paramour Chani. Javier Bardem also returns as Chani’s father, Fremen leader Stilgar. Paul’s very pregnant mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) also returns for Dune: Part Two. Josh Brolin is back as Paul’s mentor Gurney Halleck, as is Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, the loyal Mentat to House Atreides.

Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures

Stellan Skarsgård reprises his role as the sadistic Baron Harkonnen, as does Dave Bautista as the Baron’s loyal lackey and nephew Glossu Rabban. Charlotte Rampling’s character, the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, is also slated to return. New cast members include Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan) Austin Butler (Feyd Rautha), and Christopher Walken (Emperor Shadddam IV). They are joined by Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot) and Souheila Yacoub as the Fremen warrior Shishakli.

Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures

Of course, certain major characters died in the first film, and are not scheduled to appear in Dune: Part Two. These include Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho and Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides. But there could be surprise flashbacks. So don’t count them all out just yet. We may yet see them on the sands of Arrakis. Most recently, Deadline reported Tim Blake Nelson joined the cast in an unknown role.

Click To View Gallery Behind the ScenesWarner Bros./Legendary Pictures

Just as he was for Dune, director Denis Villeneuve is back behind the camera for Dune: Part Two. Jon Spaihts wrote the script for the second chapter of the story. Hans Zimmer also returned to score the sequel.

Dune: Part Two‘s Release Date

Dune: Part Two hits theaters on March 1, 2024. It will release in IMAX 70 mm as well as in IMAX and normal theatrical formats.

Originally published on August 1, 2022.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

The post Denis Villeneuve Reveals Why He Kept Anya Taylor-Joy’s DUNE: PART TWO Role a Secret appeared first on Nerdist.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Showrunner On Expanding the Cartoon and If Anything Is Off-Limits to Change

Netflix’s highly-anticipated Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) live-action series recently released on Netflix. And, in celebration of its arrival, Nerdist talked with Avatar: The Last Airbender showrunner Albert Kim about the series, including the wonderful expansions it made to the ATLA cartoon, the ideas left on the cutting room floor (which we still might see!), and welcome changes the series made in terms of queer representation.

Netflix

Of course, the meaning of the word “adaptation” varies slightly on a case-by-case basis. As ideas evolve, one area that fans are always particularly interested in is the realm of romances between characters. The Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, of course, went down specific roads. But in fandom, there has long been ardent support for a non-canon ship, namely between Zuko and Katara, a.k.a. Zutara. This author actually ships Zukka (Zuko/Sokka), and so has no dogs in the race. But I was as curious as the rest to know where the boundaries of change are drawn for this specific Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action adaptation. Although showrunner Kim is wisely not going to weigh in on any ship debates directly, he did address how shifts from the cartoon could (or could not) come about. Good news, Zutura fans (and I guess Zukka fans, why not, hope springs eternal), there isn’t a 100% guarantee romances will change in the new Avatar live-action series, but the door also remains open for the possibility of it. It all depends on authenticity on many levels.

Let’s dive into all the insights that Kim had to share about bringing Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action to life.

Nerdist: You’ve mentioned before that the live-action Avatar is a remix and not a cover . But are there any tenets of the cartoon, like character fates or relationships that you consider to be set in stone? For instance, I know there’s a passionate group of people who would love to see a Katara and Zuko (Zutara) romance explored. Would we ever see something so major change?

Albert Kim: You’re not going to lure me into that debate! But in terms of what was set in stone, it’s more about understanding what the spirit of the original was and keeping faithful and true to that. I think there are certain elements of the characters that we all knew were never going to change, so we paid attention to that. The thing I’ve talked about in the past is that our byword for the whole production was authenticity, and that meant being authentic to the original source material, authentic to the cultures that inspired the stories, and authentic to the characters.

Beyond that, everything could possibly change and be fluid. And it’s a hard thing. It’s not like an objective measure. It’s not like this plus this plus this equals Zuko. It was more about understanding subjectively who that character was and that was a combination of both writing and direction and performance and all of those things. So that’s kind of the guidelines we had both with the characters and for the story.

Meanwhile in Omashu… pic.twitter.com/VotgV4nuKw

— Netflix (@netflix) February 24, 2024

Going off that idea, today marks 19 years of the Avatar cartoon existing in this world. So there’s been a lot of fan thoughts about what they could ever wish to see in the cartoon, like the “Gaang finds out about how Zuko got his scars,” is a super popular fan trope. Did you consider any of these throughlines as you planned the season, and was there anything you feel like you tried to specifically bring to life for the fans?

Kim: Well, one of the good things about a franchise of the Avatar, like you said, it’s been 19 years since the original, and there’s been a lot of follow-up materials that have come out, whether it’s the comic books or the novelizations or Korra and all that stuff. And we were very, again, we were first and foremost fans, so we were really into all that as well.

So we dove into all of that stuff, and die-hard fans will recognize some influences from all those works. In terms of fan expectations and theories, I’m sure we were, especially within the writer’s room, aware of various sentiments. And so again, it’s not a process of making a checklist; we should do this, we should do this, we should do this. It was more about going with our gut in terms of what felt true to the spirit of the original.

So I can say that I personally never went through and said, “Oh, the fans want this, so we should do it.” That never entered my thinking, at least. But again, I will say I was a fan, so there are certain things I knew I wanted. So going into the season, even before I wrote a word in the script, I’m like, “I’m going to have Cabbage Man in this season.” I don’t care. I was like, whether or not he fits in, we will find a way to fit him in. Those are the things I brought to the show from my perspective as a fan.

Netflix

As a queer fan, I was absolutely delighted when I realized that the tale of Oma and Shu is now a queer love story. I thought that was a really beautiful and powerful change to make to the mythology of the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe. How did that come to life, and what do you think it adds to the narrative?

Kim: I’m glad you noticed that. It was a subtle thing because it wasn’t the type of thing we wanted to hammer people on the head with. There is a tendency to try and pound messages in, especially if you’re doing an update of a story, and that’s not what we wanted to do. But when we took a look at the story of Oma and Shu, it occurred to us that this was really a story about forbidden love in a time when it wasn’t looked upon well.

And that naturally lent itself to being a story about two women lovers. Again, I just go to this principle we had, it felt true to the spirit of the original, and so that was a fairly easy change to make. It was like it felt right, and once you put it into place and you saw it in the show, it feels like that’s what it always should have been. That’s the feeling we had with it. So I’m glad you picked up on that. I hope others do as well. It’s a good example of a change that we hope gives fans a new way to look at something they already know about and maybe deepen their understanding of.

Netflix

I loved that it did feel really natural, which I think is an important element to have when telling these stories, and that a whole group of benders now has this queer origin story. I thought it was very beautiful. The Legend of Korra, which you mentioned earlier, had a powerful central queer relationship with Korra and Asami and a few other characters that were queer as well. But the original Avatar series really didn’t have much of that sort of arm of representation. Do you think we might see a little bit more of that within the characters of the live-action Avatar, should the series get more seasons?

Kim: It’s possible. To be honest, no one here has really thought about that future yet just because it’s been such a monumental task bringing this first season across the finish line, which is finally here. So that’s really more of a tomorrow question, than anything, but it’s not like it’s out of the realm of possibility. And, like I said before, those other follow-up works, whether it’s Korra or the novelizations, are all ones that we really liked and followed and will mine for the future. There are elements from Korra that we pulled into this season. They’re subtle, but fans, really die-hard fans will know what they are when they see them in our show.

I thought some of the scene extensions that we got in the live-action were really beautiful. I especially love the early bonding scene with Aang and Zuko after they escaped from Pohuai and the parallels that set up because Zuko’s journal really helped Aang when he was lost, and Aang’s, in return, helped Zuko when he was lost. Why did you feel it was so important to give that expanded time in the live-action? And obviously, you’re not looking ahead yet, but do you think we would see more sort of early friendship peppered in between the two?

Kim: That’s one of my favorite scenes in the whole season. And it’s actually the scene we used when we did, I think, some of the chemistry reads in auditions for the actors because I always knew about that scene even way back then. To me, that scene exemplifies really the point of doing the live-action, being able to take something that was either suggested at or there’s a kernel of in the original, because it is there, and just expanding it and giving it a little more room to breathe. And that helps make it feel a little more grounded for an audience who’s watching a live-action story, being able to see these two human beings connect in a situation where they think that they’re on opposite sides but realize they have much more in common.

Again, it was all there in the original, the notes of it were there. We just, like I said, gave it a little more room to breathe and let the actors inhabit those characters a little more. And Gordon [Cormier] and Dallas [Liu] did such a beautiful job with that scene. Someone else had asked me about some of my favorite days on set and that was one of my favorite days on set. Just watching them go through that scene multiple times, and they nailed it each time, and it was so great to watch. And again, for me, one of the primary reasons for doing an adaptation of such a beloved source material is being able to do scenes like that.

Another live-action Avatar twist that I thought was so powerful was making the 41st division be the men on Zuko’s crew in exile. I was like, “Oh God, this is genius,” and I think it also is interesting because Ozai clearly did that as a punishment, but then it leads to this moment where Zuko is actually honored in this way that he really hopes to be. Do you think he begins to understand how important his compassion is in that scene, and how did that sort of idea manifest?

Kim: Absolutely. I’m glad you brought it up. It’s probably my favorite change that we made because it is subtle. It’s not like a huge earth-shattering plot twist or anything we changed from the original. But again, it goes to the things that I’ve talked about in terms of adapting the show, just tweaking it here and there. We’re adding a little more depth and going out in a slightly new direction that enriches the original story.

We came upon this idea in the writer’s room while we were talking about that story, like what if the 41st division was the one that ends up becoming Zuko’s crew with him? And it just opened up this world of possibilities for both Zuko’s character and for Lieutenant Jee’s. Ruy Iskandar, who plays Lieutenant Jee, he played it so well because we do this slow burn through the season of how he’s demeaned and belittled and really builds up resentment against Zuko.

Netflix

But then it all flips in that moment when he realizes what Zuko sacrificed. Zuko saved his life. And that scene when Zuko walks down the gauntlet and gets the respect of his crew, when he realizes, he thought he’d lost everything, he thought he’d lost his family. He thought he didn’t have that respect from his father. And then he realizes this family he’s built gives him the respect that he deserves for being the person he is. It makes me cry every time. I’ve seen that scene a zillion times. Still brings a tear to my eye every time, and that’s all because of the incredible performances by the actors there.

Is there anything you really wanted to include from the cartoon in season one of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender that you couldn’t quite make fit in?

Kim: Oh, there’s a ton. I think my biggest regrets were the things we left on the cutting room floor. Not that we shot them, but the stuff that we couldn’t adapt from the original because there’s so much great material. I know fans are going to come at me for this kind of stuff, “Why didn’t you do this? Why didn’t you do that?” I’m first in line. I’m like, I really wish I could have done that. In the original series, the sequence when Aang is able to enter Roku’s Shrine by unlocking the lock is one of my favorite sequences in the whole season. And we couldn’t do it mainly for practical reasons, because it’s one thing to draw a sequence like that in an animation, it’s another to do it in live-action. There’s a huge investment in time and money and resources and story time.

And so it’s one of those things that we had to leave out, but it still kills me. I wish we could have done it. That’s just a small sequence, but it’s an example of things that I wish we could have done. I wish we could have done more with June. I really do. She’s a character who can come back, which is good. But given the amount of running time we had and how much story we had to get in there along with the new stuff that we’ve added that you saw, there were inevitably going to be casualties.

And that, like I said, that is among some of my biggest regrets, not being able to do that stuff. I’m sure there are entire episodes and characters that fans will go, “How could you not do that?” I’ll just say I agree. I asked myself that, like “How could you not do that?” But no, we just had to make those choices, and they were hard.

Netflix

Absolutely. And I feel like since it is a remix, yeah, maybe in the future, something from the past will come forward—who knows!

Kim: We pulled down certain elements from season two into season one, so there’s no reason we can’t do it in reverse.

What is the Easter egg or Avatar: The Last Airbender universe reference that you’re most proud of sneaking into the live-action?

Kim: It depends on what your definition of an Easter egg is. For me, it’s like, things that fans will pick up on that new viewers might not. And so there’s a lot of little things in there. Some of them are more subtle. There’s one point when Sokka and Katara are walking through the caves, and he starts talking about “hunch, intuition,” which actually echoes, in the original series, a running gag in the Jet episode when it kind of makes fun of Sokka for his hunches.

But then one of my favorites is when Aang comes into Bumi’s Palace, and there are giant statues of Flopsie, which new viewers won’t know what it means, and it’s like, what is this weird creature that he’s looking at? But fans will know who Flopsie is. And we couldn’t do Flopsie, the real Flopsie, in our version, but we made sure there were giant statues. And the art department made incredible statues and paintings on the walls. If you look really closely, there are lots of paintings of Flopsie on the walls that we put in there. So that was, to me, a fun Easter egg to do.

Netflix

And, I remember one other one! In the cartoon, when they sneak into Omashu, Aang calls himself as Pippinpaddle Oppsokopolis, which we didn’t do in our version, but then we snuck in that name later when Sokka is talking to the little girl in the forest [in episode five of the live-action, “Spirited Away”]. So those kinds of things were fun like, oh, we couldn’t get that in here, but let’s sneak it in here, and so no one will know except for the die-hard fans. But it made me laugh.

When you’ve talked about this season, you’ve talked about there being kind of a few big gaps in Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, one of which was not getting to see the Air Nomad Genocide that the cartoon left open. Can you tell us about some of the other gaps that you kind of just see as places that the live-action could fill in?

Kim: Well, the big one obviously is the Zuko and Ozai’s Agni Kai. You never see that in the animated series, and we wanted to show that. That was a big one. The Southern Air Temple attack was obviously a big one. Those were two really monumental moments in the mythology of the show that weren’t actually depicted in the original series, and we had the opportunity to do that. So it was great to be able to finally see that.

Netflix

Yes, Zuko’s Agni Kai with Firelord Ozai was so intense. What was it like imagining what that fight would actually look like and also what aftermath scenes and things of that nature to include?

Kim: Roseanne Liang, who directed that episode, she directed it brilliantly. She made sure to carve out an entire day just for the duel, and so we spent a lot of time setting that up, both in terms of stunts, VFX, the performances. It was one of the great days on set, being able to see Dallas [Liu] and Daniel Dae Kim do the whole sequence. And if you watch carefully, it’s not just about action and choreography, there are character beats in there. There’s a very important moment when Zuko gets the upper hand but doesn’t use it, and Ozai feels it’s a weakness. But in the end, you find out it’s not. It’s a strength. And so all of those moments had to be reflected within the battle itself. So that was one of the really fun things about being able to do a sequence like that.

And like we talked about before, it led to a lot of fun emotional scenes afterward, like the one with Lieutenant Jee on the deck of his boat. And speaking of, the scene right after that, which is Ozai and Iroh going to Zuko when he’s wounded, that’s also a scene that was never seen. That’s something that we filled in. Oh, now they’re all coming back to me. The scenes in the fourth episode with Iroh at his funeral.

Again, that’s one of those gaps we filled in, the scene with the, the ending scene of that episode when Iroh first comes on board Zuko’s ship and says, “I’m coming with you,” that’s a scene we never got to see before. It’s all there in the original mythology. We just gave it life.

Netflix

Those new scenes were incredible.

Kim: Now that we talked about those scenes, I don’t know whether it’s an Easter egg, but in the funeral scene, we play “Leaves From The Vine.”

So again, new viewers, it won’t mean a whole lot, aside from it’s a beautiful piece of music, but for fans it’ll just add that extra emotional punch when you hear that, and Takeshi Furukawa, our brilliant composer, did such an incredible. I listen to that track on my own, just on its own in my car because it’s so good, because it goes from the piano to the strings and just wrecks me every time. So that’s a great Easter egg.

The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series is now streaming on Netflix.

The post AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Showrunner On Expanding the Cartoon and If Anything Is Off-Limits to Change appeared first on Nerdist.

Marvel’s X-MEN ’97 Comic Bridges the Gap Between Old and New Shows

We’re a mere month away from X-Men ’97 dropping on Disney+. But before Xavier’s students return to protect a world that fears and hates them, Marvel Comics is releasing a new X-Men ’97 comic that will cover the gap between the end of X-Men: The Animated Series and the new show. This new four-issue limited series, also titled X-Men ’97, will hit within days of X-Men ’97’s Disney+ premiere. It’s written by Dark X-Men writer Steve Foxe, with art by Salva Espín, and a cover by Todd Nauck. Marvel.com has released several pages of the first issue, which you can check out in our gallery below:

Click To View Gallery Marvel Comics Marvel Comics Marvel Comics Marvel Comics Marvel Comics Marvel Comics

Although the pages are textless, we can see a lot of the classic X-Men tropes we all love at play. We’ve got Magneto attacking a city, throwing cars around like pillows. (Is this the Danger Room?) Also, Cyclops and Wolverine yelling at each other, and getting in each other’s faces. Not to mention the team beating up a bunch of bigoted thugs. We also see Bishop with the team. Hopefully, we’ll get an explanation in the comic about how the time-traveling future mutant permanently found a home with the X-Men in the past. On, and last but not least, we see Storm debuting her mohawk look. It seems Jubilee is far more excited about Ororo’s new ‘do than Kitty Pryde was in the comics (she ran and cried).

Marvel Comics

Salva Espín’s art style recalls the cartoony style of the old series, but with a modern twist. Marvel Studios hasn’t been clear just how much time will pass between the end of X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97, but in the trailer, Jean Grey looks pretty far along in her pregnancy. So we’d say at least several months. We’ll find out for sure when X-Men ’97 #1 arrives on March 27.

The post Marvel’s X-MEN ’97 Comic Bridges the Gap Between Old and New Shows appeared first on Nerdist.

THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods

It’s an unnerving feeling when someone is watching you. Even if they are not in your eyesight (or your eyes are closed), that strange tingle in your spine that alerts you to their surveillance is chilling. Usually, it is just your active imagination or someone (or something) that is no threat at all. But what if it is something far more mysterious and possibly sinister? How do you prepare to fight against the unseen and unknown? The Watchers—an upcoming film produced by M. Night Shyamalan and written/directed by newcomer Ishana Night Shyamalan—will explore this in a remote location with creatures lurking about. The trailer for The Watchers is very strange in a great way.

I especially love the round of applause that the main character gets at the end. It’s delightfully baffling and makes me want to check this film out even more. The Watchers gives us a weird trailer, but hopefully this synopsis from Warner Bros. Pictures will clear things up a bit: 

From producer M. Night Shyamalan comes “The Watchers,” written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by A.M. Shine. The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

“You can’t see them, but they see everything.” is a great tagline.

The Watchers has some great cast members whom we meet in its trailer. The cast includes Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouere. Hopefully, Campbell’s character is much smarter than the one she portrayed in Barbarian. And Fouere deserves far better than what she got as Sally Hardesty in 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I’m rooting for everyone, honestly.

When Will The Watchers Debut in Theaters?Warner Bros.

The Watchers will hit theaters on June 7.

The post THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods appeared first on Nerdist.

Wendy’s Threatens Surge Pricing, Uber-Style

Where do we begin on this one? Usually, we’re writing up the latest in streaming shenanigans: price increases, more ads, fewer features, etc. But today… Today, a new evil is rising in the form of fast food shenanigans. Is nothing sacred anymore? It’s bad enough that fast food is barely cheap these days, but now we might have to contend with surge pricing for it. That’s just too much. That’s late-stage capitalism for you, though. In a truly egregious move, Wendy’s has revealed that it plans to experiment with surge pricing, Uber-style. Yes. Wendy’s wants to set surge prices so that the costs of its burgers, fries, and more increase during times of high demand. Wendy’s is referring to this as “dynamic pricing,” ostensibly to make it sound more palatable than “surge pricing.” And while I love a Frosty, I will be referring to it as “thanks, but no thanks” pricing.

Wendy’s

In news that we first saw on Gizmodo, Wendy’s will begin its surge pricing experiments by 2025. Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner shared, “Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing. We are planning to invest approximately $20 million to roll out digital menu boards to all US company-operated restaurants by the end of 2025.”

As you may guess, digital boards are great for multiple reasons, and one of these is changing around pricing on a whim. There aren’t official details on this “dynamic pricing” yet, but we’ll go out on a very short limb and hypothesize that Wendy’s will surge prices during high-traffic times like lunch, dinner, or always.

Wendy’s is likely hoping that rideshare surge pricing, as introduced by Uber and Lyft, has softened consumers to the notion. But, personally, I feel they’ll find they’re mistaken. Unlike a Wendy’s burger, folks often defer to surge pricing on Uber because they really have to get where they’re going at a specific time. And there’s most likely little consumer choice available in the area of ride-sharing apps. Cravings can be strong, but it’s unlikely that anyone will really need a Wendy’s burger at 5 pm. Of course, other fast food companies may get in on this surge pricing game, too (see, password sharing in streamers), and then we’re all screwed. At least we can cook at home… I guess until grocery stores also introduce surge pricing. And then, probably, the revolution. It feels like this all should honestly be illegal.

We just hope streamers don’t get wind of this surge pricing notion, or watching shows during primetime is about to get way more expensive. Ultimately, we’re going to strongly suggest that Wendy’s reconsider this surge pricing plan. At some point, if your consumers have no money left because they’re being gouged left and right, they’re not going to spend it. Then, you won’t make money either. Put that in your Frosty and think on it.

The post Wendy’s Threatens Surge Pricing, Uber-Style appeared first on Nerdist.

How BLACK PANTHER 3 Could Set Up Doctor Doom for AVENGERS 5 and 6

The future Avengers movies are in a state of flux. Avengers 5 was originally titled The Kang Dynasty. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it seems Marvel Studios is moving away from Kang as the primary antagonist in the upcoming Avengers films. This has led to much speculation that Kevin Feige is pivoting toward Marvel Comics’ all-time greatest villain for Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars—Doctor Doom. Although in no way confirmed, it would not be shocking if Doom was our new Thanos for these next two Avengers films. Especially if you consider his important role in the original Secret Wars comics, where he was the primary antagonist.

Marvel Comics

Right now, there is a vocal group of MCU fans saying that Dr. Doom “needs more build-up” before a big Avengers two-part saga. He hasn’t “earned it” yet. After all, Thanos had all that build-up, right? Only, he didn’t really. Truthfully, Thanos only appeared in two very brief, post-credits scenes in Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Both of those scenes lasted mere seconds. The only film where he had a sizable speaking role before Infinity War was the first Guardians of the Galaxy.

Based on that template, Doom would only need a post-credits appearance in one movie, perhaps two. Then, he’d need a major villain role in another film. So, how could this happen? Well, a post-credits scene with Doctor Doom could take place in Fantastic Four. Then, we think the most obvious movie to showcase Doom in full villainy is a third Black Panther film. Of course, there’s comic book precedent as to why this makes sense.

Who Is Doctor Doom and What Is His Marvel Comics History?Marvel Comics

Before we get into why Doctor Doom should be the “Big Bad” of a third Black Panther, here’s a brief history of Marvel’s most infamous villain. First appearing in 1962’s Fantastic Four #5, Victor Von Doom was presented as the ruler of the fictional Eastern European nation of Latveria. A genius in both utilizing science and sorcery, Doom was an egomaniac who blamed the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards, his old college friend, for the accident that disfigured his face, forcing him to wear a menacing metal mask. In truth, the accident was his own fault. Yet he blamed Reed just the same. He also couldn’t stand that Reed represented the only man alive who was smarter than he was. Doom believed that only by living under his dictatorship could Earth truly know order.

Why Doctor Doom Is One of Black Panther’s Greatest EnemiesMarvel Comics

The Latverian monarch not only clashed with the Fantastic Four regularly, but also Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men. Actually, just about every Marvel hero counts Doom as an adversary. But aside from Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, one other hero sees him as their greatest foe. It is none other than the Black Panther. In the comics, Doom coveted the vibranium of Wakanda, hoping to use the unique metal to conquer the world. In the 2010 Doomwar event, he even invaded Latveria in an effort to obtain it. This event solidified Doom as a major antagonist for T’Challa. It placed him in the same Black Panther villain rankings as Killmonger, M’Baku, Klaw, and Namor. And Doomwar should be at least the loose basis for a third Black Panther film.

Black Panther 3 Should Adapt Doom WarMarvel Comics

We know almost nothing about a third Black Panther film, aside from Ryan Coogler still being attached to direct it. But with the massive success of the second film, there is no doubt there will be a third. Will the third Black Panther take place shortly after Wakanda Forever, continuing the adventures of Shuri as Black Panther? Maybe. However, we have a feeling that we might get a big time jump, as much as a decade. We suspect that Black Panther III might involve an 18-year-old T’Challa II, returning to Wakanda to take his place on the throne and claim the mantle of Black Panther from his aunt Shuri.

Doctor Doom vs. Wakanda’s New Black PantherMarvel Comics

A younger T’Challa would allow them to incorporate aspects of his father’s comic book backstory we didn’t see in the MCU the first time around. In the comics, a young T’Challa lived abroad when he was growing up, and he even had an alias while in University, Luke Charles. It was during these years that he met and fell in love with future X-Man Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm. None of these aspects were part of the version played by the late Chadwick Boseman. Yet they could all be a part of T’Challa II’s history. Especially as the MCU can now use mutant characters like Storm, something the studio couldn’t do in the first Black Panther.

Marvel Comics

Imagine a Black Panther story where young T’Challa II, living years away from home as Toussaint, returns to his homeland at age 18. He’s ready to assume the mantle of both King and Black Panther. But just as Namor warned in Wakanda Forever, the outside world will eventually attack Wakanda and try to take the vibranium for themselves, straight from the source. It would be problematic to have a real-world country as the invading force. But what if it was Latveria? Doom attacking Wakanda would truly introduce the villain as a force to be reckoned with. It would not only provide a young T’Challa II with a major adversary to prove himself against, but setting up Doom as someone worthy of fighting the Avengers.

Fighting Black Panther Sets Up Doom as an Avengers-Worthy Enemy

Black Panther is Marvel Studios’ biggest solo character franchise, with only Iron Man coming close. With that series now wrapped up, it makes sense for Doctor Doom to appear first in a Black Panther story. Taking on an advanced nation like Wakanda would truly showcase what a threat he really is. Certainly, more than Thanos sitting in a floating chair in Guardians of the Galaxy, issuing evil orders to his lackeys. Doom attacking Wakanda would more than set him up for bigger things in Avengers 5 & 6, proving he is worthy of taking on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The post How BLACK PANTHER 3 Could Set Up Doctor Doom for AVENGERS 5 and 6 appeared first on Nerdist.

Everything We Know About THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU

Disney+’s two biggest stars are headed to the big screen. The next adventure for Star Wars‘ Din Djarin and his little green son will take place in theaters. What awaits the two when they get there? Who else will join them in making the move from television to cinema? And who will tell this new chapter in their story? Here’s everything we know about The Mandalorian & Grogu so far.

The Mandalorian & Grogu‘s PlotWalt Disney Studios

The movie’s official announcement did not include a plot synopsis or any specifics about its story. It’s also unknown how it might connect to other Disney+ shows, characters, and other planned featured films. The only insight came from Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy’s statement in the press release. She said The Mandalorian & Grogu will tell a “new story” she describes as a “perfect fit for the big screen.” The movie’s first official artwork does show Din and Grogu fleeing an exploding ship, but that might be just a normal Thursday for them.

Until we get any actual details about the film’s plot, any speculation about The Mandalorian & Grogu will be based on where the Disney+ show left the characters after season three, as well as the known state of the galaxy far, far away during the time period of the early days of the New Republic and what we know followed it.

Behind-the-Scenes

The Mandalorian creator and showrunner Jon Favreau will direct the film. He’ll also serve as a producer along with both Kennedy and longtime Star Wars stalwart Dave Filoni. 

Production is set to begin in 2024. It will shoot for a scheduled 92 days in California, where it has received one of the state’s biggest tax credits ever for a movie. Reports say work on The Mandalorian & Grogu will include 500 crew members, 54 cast members, and 3500 background players.

The Mandalorian & Grogu‘s CastLucasfilm

Pedro Pascal’s voice is all but certain to be a part of the movie. It’s unclear how much, if any, he will physically play the role, though. At this point on the Disney+ show the part of Mando is primarily a voice-over one for Pascal. Actors Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder share responsibility for playing the masked Din Djarin on film. If Din never removes his helmet in the movie, Pascal’s involvement could take place entirely off-screen. He did physically play the character in the past. Maybe he’ll put on his beskar armor once again for a big budget film.

Star Wars has yet to announce any official cast members for the movie. Other members of The Mandalorian are likely to also star in the film, however. Those alums include Katee Sackhoff, Emily Swallow, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Ahsoka stars like Genevieve O’Reilly, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, and Eman Esfandi are also obvious candidates to appear, as is Boba Fett himself, Temuera Morrison.

The Mandalorian & Grogu‘s Release DateLucasfilm

The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled to come to theaters on May 22, 2026

The post Everything We Know About THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU appeared first on Nerdist.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Season 4 Planned Azula’s Redemption and More

Book One: Water. Book Two: Earth. Book Three: Fire. The naming conventions of the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon certainly left the door open for a season four. Fans everywhere would have loved to see Book Four: Air. But it was not meant to be. Still, the recent release of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix has fans looking back at what they learned about a possible cartoon season four, even if it never came to pass. After all, given this new form of storytelling for Avatar, old ideas could still rise to life.

Nickelodeon

In 2019, the head writer of the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon gave a very detailed description of one storyline he planned for a potential season four of the show. It’s one fans would have loved to see. Other story details also emerged in the time following the series’ third season. Let’s take a look.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Four Arc: Azula’s Redemption

I always intended for #Azula to have a redemption arc in the story of #AvatartheLastAirbender. (thread)

— aaron ehasz (@aaronehasz) April 1, 2019

You can visit Aaron Ehasz’s twitter to see the full thread in-situ. But, below, we’ve compiled the writer’s full thoughts on the potential Avatar: The Last Airbender season four redemption arc for Princess Azula.

Ehasz writes:

I always intended for Azula to have a redemption arc in the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Longer and far more complicated than Zuko’s. She had not bottomed in the end of season 3, she had further to go. At the deepest moment in her own abyss she would have found: Zuko.

Despite it all, her brother Zuko would be there for her. Believing in her, sticking by her, doing his best to understand and help her hold her pain that she can no longer hold alone. Zuko — patient, forgiving, and unconditionally loving – all strengths he gained from Uncle Iroh. That’s how she would have gotten out, and changed. With the faith and love of someone she had hurt, but who stuck by her anyway. Just as he had been saved by faith and love from someone he had hurt, but who stuck by him.

And I always imagined that after coming out the other side, she would be one of those people who hilariously over-shares her own feelings all the time, and that she would be a bit over-apologetic. Like a Canadian version of Azula.

Zuko and Azula as Foils and MirrorsNickelodeon

Honestly, reading this description of the Avatar: The Last Airbender season four that could have been really touches us. It would have made for the perfect continuation of the narrative. For so long, Zuko and Azula seemed to be foils for one another. And that’s where Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s final cartoon season left them. Azula, despite her competence and power, allowed fury and ambition to consume her. Whereas Zuko finally found some solid footing and let go of some of the rage he had carried for so long. Azula and Zuko became perfect inversions of one another.

Should Avatar have gotten a season four, however, it could have taken Zuko and Azula to a place where their storylines became mirrors instead. It would have been a beautiful conclusion to both their tales. Plus, we love the idea of an over-apologetic, over-sharing Azula. 10 out of 10, no notes.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Four Arc: Aang’s Struggles and Friendship with ZukoNickelodeon

Speaking with Den of Geek, Ehazs shared even more plotlines that figured into the imagination of an Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon season four. He revealed, “One plotline would have followed up on Aang taking away Fire Lord Ozai’s bending at the end of the third season.” And shared:

My feeling about that was like there’s always a cost, right? There’s always some balance. You can’t just be like I’m the Avatar, taking your powers away. It’s a great power, but part of it is you just took all this evil into you. To take it away from someone else you’re holding onto it to protect the world.

The story I wanted to tell with Aang was about him struggling with taking some of that inside and probably a considerable amount of anger and guilt and big feelings. By the way, guess who would be the best person to have a mini vacation with? It’s Zuko! Someone who’s processed a lot of anger on his own, right?

We love Zen Zuko being the stable shoulder for everyone to cry on. And even though the ending of Avatar: The Last Airbender is unequivocally perfect, there’s nothing like a good aftermath story. We also would have felt excited to see the friendship between Zuko and Aang blossom with more space.

Other Ideas for ATLA‘s Season FourNickelodeon/Netflix

Additionally, “Ehasz stated other storylines included one around the spirit world featuring Iroh.” And Ehasz also noted the following details about Avatar season four’s stories, revealing the series considered “a story about a child being born that people were wondering if this was another Airbender or not. In particular, Aang started to wonder if this was the reincarnation of Gyatso. That was something I wanted to do and talk about the idea of friendships lasting beyond lifetimes.”

Interestingly, we saw Aang reconnect with Monk Gyatso in the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series. We’re curious to see if any of the Netflix version of the show hints at any of these ideas.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Four Never HappenedNickelodeon

Despite all these great ideas, Avatar: The Last Airbender never received a season four. Ehazs shares, “In my mind, I was always thinking this was going to be a four-season arc. Mike and Bryan’s initial plan was three seasons, but there was a period where they were open to the possibility of a fourth season. There was a period where Mike said, ‘Hey, can you run season four?’ Then some of those plans got interrupted.” And, “We had a fourth season if the world had deemed it.” But alas, the world did not deem it.

However, in recent years, the original creators of the series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, announced they’d be making a new sequel film. This new outing continues the story of the cartoon’s first three seasons. It’s possible that some of season four’s best ideas could make their way into the new Avatar movie featuring Aang, Zuko, and the rest. If nothing else, please give us over-sharing Azula, we beg of you Avatar gods!

The post AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Season 4 Planned Azula’s Redemption and More appeared first on Nerdist.

FANTASTIC FOUR’S Ebon Moss-Bachrach Reveals Details on the Thing

After years of speculation, Marvel Studios finally revealed the MCU Fantastic Four. Playing the part of the “ever lovin’ blue-eyed Thing,” as Stan Lee often called him, is The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach. While on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor revealed a few tidbits about the highly anticipated Marvel film, which also stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. You even get to hear him utter the Thing’s signature catchphrase “It’s clobberin’ time!” for the first time. You can watch the clip right here:

During the interview, Moss-Bachrach mentions his version of Benjamin J. Grimm will be motion capture, and not a practical suit. We’ve seen both practical and CGI versions of the iconic hero over the past 20 years. The Michael Chiklis Thing wore a practical suit for the 2005 version of Fantastic Four and its sequel. The 2015 version of the character, played by Jamie Bell, was all CGI. Neither version was entirely successful. But given how great Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk was in the Avengers films, we expect similar results for the Thing.

ABC/Marvel Comics

Ebon Moss-Bachrach also name drops Yancy Street, confirming this part of Ben Grimm’s backstory will remain in the new film. In the comics, Yancy Street is the rough and tumble, fictional Lower East Side of New York neighborhood the Thing hails from. Essentially, it’s a fictionalized version of Delancey Street. When self-proclaimed Marvel nerd Jimmy Kimmel pressed the actor about the announcement image, which indicates the movie might be set in the ’60s, Moss-Bachrach played coy. He said, “Yes it does seem to be ’60s themed.” Based on just these little hints, we think Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four might be the most comic book-accurate adaptation about the family yet.

The post FANTASTIC FOUR’S Ebon Moss-Bachrach Reveals Details on the Thing appeared first on Nerdist.

Netflix Not Moving Forward with KANE CHRONICLES Movies From PERCY JACKSON Author

Fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books were recently delighted by the live-action series adaptation created by Disney+. The live-action Percy Jackson garnered much fan approval, critical acclaim, and even a season two renewal. But unfortunately, adaptations of other books in the Percy Jackson world just received less welcome news. Netflix has elected not to move ahead with adapting Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles into a trilogy of movies. Here’s what we know.

Penguin Books

Speaking to a fan on Goodreads, in a now-deleted post, Riordan revealed the news. Variety recorded his reply and notes that it read, “Right now, Kane Chronicles is in ‘turnaround,’ which means Netflix has decided not to move forward and their option has lapsed after trying for two years to develop a script they liked. Now it depends on whether another studio would like to step in, assume the preproduction costs, and move forward.”

He added, “This is not at all unusual. It happens, I would guess, with the majority of film projects. Also, the streaming industry as a whole is shrinking their development slate right now, meaning they are cancelling more content and making less content. Kane got caught in that trend, despite the strong success of Percy TV.”

Disney+

While the lack of present forward motion for The Kane Chronicles movies is disappointing, perhaps, given that the novels are a part of Percy Jackson‘s universe, we might see some interest from Disney. These stories would expand the world of the current live-action show, after all. The Kane Chronicles contain three books, “The Red Pyramid,” “The Throne of Fire,” and “The Serpent’s Shadow.” They follow Carter and Sadie Kane, who are descendants of Egyptian pharaohs Narmer and Ramses the Great. In them, Carter and Sadie meet gods from Egyptian mythology during modern times.

Egyptian mythology has always been a fan-favorite area of exploration. So, we have our fingers crossed that Rick Riordan’s The Kane Chronicles stories find their way onto our screens in some form.

The post Netflix Not Moving Forward with KANE CHRONICLES Movies From PERCY JACKSON Author appeared first on Nerdist.