Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 374

THUNDERBOLTS Release Date Could Be Delayed, Not Mentioned in Disney 2025 Slate

The Thunderbolts have been a long-awaited MCU team. The quasi-villainous anti-hero/misfit gang is a staple of the Marvel Comics world, and many heroes have been a part of it at some time or another. As the MCU slowly gathered the right members, fans speculated harder and harder that the Thunderbolts were coming. And finally, in 2022, Marvel Studios made the big announcement—the MCU’s Thunderbolts movie was finally on the way.

Marvel Studios

Although Thunderbolts is scheduled for a July 2025 release, it looks like its release date may be delayed. In a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger reviewed Marvel’s 2025 releases and he mentioned Captain America: Brave New World and Fantastic Four in the lineup, but Thunderbolts went unmentioned. Of course, this doesn’t guarentee that the Thunderbolts release date has been delayed, but it’s not exactly a good sign either.

Bob Iger only mentioned CAPTAIN AMERICA and FANTASTIC FOUR as 2025 releases for Marvel. No mention of THUNDERBOLTS – though can't imagine he was looking to share the full roster for next year. pic.twitter.com/GcUJ06w0OJ

— Adam Hlaváč (@adamhlavac) February 7, 2024

Here’s everything we know so far about Thunderbolts.

Title

For now, the movie about the Thunderbolts is simply called Thunderbolts.

Thunderbolts‘ PlotMarvel Studios

We don’t know anything about the plot of Thunderbolts. However, we know who will be part of the MCU Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts will comprise of Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Ghost, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier), US Agent, and Taskmaster.

Thunderbolts‘ Cast

Accordingly to the MCU Thunderbolts line-up, here is the projected main cast of the movie so far, pending any surprise recastings:

Marvel Studios

Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. Hannah John-Kamen will play Ghost. David Harbour remains as Red Guardian. Florence Pugh will reprise her role Yelena Belova. Sebastian Stan will again take on the role of Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier). Wyatt Russell will appear as US Agent. And Olga Kurylenko will appear as Taskmaster.

Geraldine Viswanathan will now take on a mystery role initially meant for Ayo Edebiri. And reportedly, Lewis Pullman will replace Steven Yeun as Sentry.

Behind the Scenes

Eric Pearson will write Thunderbolt‘s script, and Jake Schreier will direct the movie. Beef‘s creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jin has also come aboard as a writer of the movie. Kevin Feige is, of course, producing this Marvel Studios’ production.

Thunderbolt‘s Release DateMarvel Studios

Thunderbolts is scheduled to release on July 25, 2025.

Originally published on January 27, 2023.

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DUNE: PART TWO 7-Minute Sneak Peek Shows Paul Riding a Sandworm

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune ended with the Fremen welcoming Paul Atreides into their tribe. The film’s final moments also promised the next film would take its young hero on an quite a ride. House Atreides’s new Duke, the person some on Arrakis believe is their prophesied hero, the Lisan al Gaib, watched a Fremen riding atop a sandworm. Will Lady Jessica’s son also stand upon the back of Shai-Hulud? We knew he was destined to try. Now, we can already see if he’s successful. A new extended clip from Dune: Part Two features Paul’s attempt to truly become a member of the Fremen by riding atop the sandworm himself.

The YouTube channel MovieClips partnered with Fandango and Warner Bros. Pictures on an extra-long, sandworm-centric sneak peek at Dune: Part Two. It includes some behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with the cast, as well as some footage from the film. But the star of this promo is an extended look at a very big moment from the film. And we do mean big. Much bigger than Paul’s mentor, Stilgar, expected.

The scene opens with Javier Bardem’s Fremen leader speaking to Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides in the desert sands of Arrakis. Other members of their tribe look on from nearby. While some make jokes, Zendaya’s Chani is too nervous. Paul is making his first and only attempt at successfully riding a sandworm in this scene from Dune: Part Two. Either Shai-Hulud will let him, or Paul will die. What follows is an intense scene, as a gigantic sandworm answers the call of the young Atreides’s sand thumper.

Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures

See? Even on Arrakis, public transportation really is just so important.

This sandworm moment might seem like a major scene to give away ahead of Dune: Part Two, but considering how the first movie ended, we knew it was coming. The bigger question has always been, what will Paul do from atop the Fremen’s only true master?

Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures

For that, we’ll have to wait a little longer. Denis Villeneuve Dune: Part Two rides into theaters like Shai-Hulud on March 1, 2024.

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

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Disney+ Sets Summer Start Date for Password Sharing Crackdown

What a shock. After Netflix’s extended password-sharing crackdowns proved to be unfortunately successful, Disney+ has decided this is a good time to start a password-sharing crackdown of its own. Actually, we aren’t surprised. It seems like the new streaming playbook includes password-sharing limitations right alongside price increases and ad-supported tiers. Disney+ had previously indicated such a password-sharing crackdown was on the horizon earlier in the year. And now it looks like it’s finally arrived. Here’s what we know about Disney+’s password-sharing crackdown efforts so far.

Disney+ Will Start Its Password Sharing Crackdown This Summer

At an earnings call that took place in February 2024, Disney shared more details about its planned password-sharing crackdown for Disney+ users. According to The Verge,  Disney’s Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston noted that Disney+ accounts “suspected of improper sharing” will be notified that different users will need to make different accounts. Disney+ will also follow in Netflix’s footsteps, allowing users to add people outside of their household to their accounts for an additional fee. That fee currently remains unknown.

Disney

In full, Johnston’s quote about Disney+’s password-sharing crackdown reads, “As it relates to the opportunity we see on paid sharing, beginning this summer, Disney Plus accounts suspected of improper sharing will be presented with new capabilities to allow their borrowers to start their own subscription… Later this calender year, account holders who want to allow access to individuals from outside their household and will be able to add them to their accounts for an additional fee.”

Johnston further noted, “Paid sharing is an opportunity for us,” Johnston added. “It’s one that our competitor is obviously taking advantage of, and one that sits in front of us … We’ve got some very specific actions that we’re taking in the next couple of months.” Doesn’t that just make your blood boil?

As mentioned in Johnston’s quote, the Disney+ password-sharing crackdown will arrive in the summer of 2024.

Disney+ Notifies Users of Password Sharing CrackdownMarvel Studios

Disney+ first revealed its crackdown intentions in Canada late last year. According to The Verge, Disney+ sent an email to subscribers in Canada alerting them that password-sharing was on notice in September of 2023. The email noted, “We’re implementing restrictions on your ability to share your account or login credentials outside of your household.” Although Disney+ did not go too deeply into detail about what its password-sharing crackdown would look like, it feels like the streamer is emulating Netflix’s version. In fact, Disney+ even references the idea of “households,” a term Netflix created so it could enforce who could and could not use one Netflix account.

In the meanwhile, Disney has also given a similar notice to Hulu users in the United States.

Changes to Disney+’s User Agreement in Canada

In the case of Disney+, an updated Help Center page notes, “You may not share your subscription outside of your household.” Additionally, a new “account sharing” heading now appears in Candian subscribers’ user agreements. As shared by MobileSyrup, the section includes the following information:

Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household. “Household” means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein. Additional usage rules may apply for certain Service Tiers.

We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement. If we determine that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement (including those set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement).

You will be responsible for any use of your account by your household, including compliance with this section.

It doesn’t seem all that likely that Disney+ would actually terminate a user for password-sharing, but now it can’t say it didn’t warn you.

When Will Disney+’s Password Sharing Crackdown Begin?Lucasfilm

For most Canadian users, these changes in password-sharing policies went into effect on November 1. That corresponded with the launch of Disney+’s ad-supported tiers in Canada. While its not clear if Disney immediately moved to enforce the password policy, it is clearly making sure users know it intends to at some point.

As mentioned above, it looks like a wider password-sharing crackdown is coming to Disney+ in the summer of 2024. There is no word yet on how that will effect different regions or who will be hit first.

We guess we’ll see how seriously Disney+ will take this new initiative.

Originally published on September 28, 2023.

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KNUCKLES Trailer Brings Back SONIC’s Red Warrior and Idris Elba for Spinoff Series

How is an Echidna warrior stuck on Earth because of a sacred vow supposed supposed to fill all his free time? Star in his own spinoff TV series, obviously. Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s super powerful red alien is coming to Paramount+, and the first trailer for the upcoming Knuckles series reveals that he doesn’t need to build his own living room/fighter pit. Not when there are plenty of other dangerous enemies out to get him.

Idris Elba is officially back as Knuckles in this fun trailer. (As is ESPN 8, The Ocho!) After helping his friends in his big-screen debut Knuckles is getting his own six-episode special event. (Which takes place after Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and before the series’ upcoming third film.) The live-action spinoff series will follow Knuckles “on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.”

We learn in this trailer, that when not fighting, Knuckles will also enjoy some human snacks and coffee. Good for him. He might be intense, but even the greatest fighters need to some me-time occasionally, you know?

Paramount Pictures/SEGA of America

The show also features an incredible supporting cast. It includes Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up), Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), Julian Barratt (Mindhorn), Rory McCann (Game of Thrones), Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul Scheer (Black Monday), and Rob Huebel (Childrens Hospital).

Elba and Pally aren’t the only franchise stars back for more fun, either. Ben Schwartz will appear as the expanding cinematic universe’s leader, Sonic in the Knuckles series. Special guest star Tika Sumpter will also return as Maddie. And Colleen O’Shaughnessey will pop up to voice Tails once more.

Fans of the Sonic franchise can also keep an eye out for another new Knuckles trailer during this year’s Super Bowl. Then we’ll have to wait until this spring to see the show. All six episodes of Knuckles will premiere on Friday, April 26, exclusively on Paramount+ in the US. Sadly there’s no way to speed that release date up. So maybe just brew a pot of coffee and turn on The Ocho until then.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

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Disney Renews PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS for Season 2

Disney+’s adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians brought Rick Riordan’s books to life with joy, adventure, and magic. Perfect casting and creative storytelling made for an entertaining take on the first Percy Jackson book. Percy figured out who stole Zeus’ Master Bolt, but that’s far from the last quest the demigod goes on. And luckily, we’ll get to see at least one more. Disney+ has renewed Percy Jackson and the Olympians for season two. This makes sense, as Disney reports the show has over 110 million hours streamed to date.

The second season of Percy Jackson will adapt the second book in Riordan’s series, The Sea of Monsters. In it, mythological monsters threaten Camp Half-Blood. Percy must act to save the special haven for demigods, along with Annabeth and Grover. And the Sea of Monsters? That’s the Bermuda Triangle. It’s all going to be fine, we’re sure.

Riordan said in a statement, “I can’t wait to bring the next season of Percy Jackson to Disney+! Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters!”

Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri will of course return as the main trio in the Riordan and Jon Steinberg-created series. We’re bound to see many familiar faces from season one, along with plenty of new ones. You never know which gods and creatures Percy Jackson will run into.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season one is now streaming on Disney+.

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Disney Returns to the Sea with MOANA 2

Surprise! Moana’s story isn’t over. During an earnings call on Wednesday afternoon, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Disney Animation is working on Moana 2. The sequel follows up the 2016 movie centering on a girl who longed for adventure, and in taking said adventure, helped her people and found herself. The Moana sequel is already well underway and will see the characters Moana (obviously) and Maui returning. Disney even already has a brief first look. Watch it here:

The footage accompanies an image that hints at a grand journey ahead for Moana and Maui. It’s making us hope that Moana 2 has even more of life under the sea. For now, we know this about Moana 2‘s story:

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

Given that Journey of Water recently opened at EPCOT, it feels right to get more Moana stories. We know there’s a live-action Moana in the works, but that’s not the same as continuing her tale. As much as I wish Disney would focus on original stories, I still feel excited about watching Moana return to the sea and learning what happened after she saved Motunui. This round, however, had better include more Pua. The first film didn’t feature enough of that cute little pig.

Disney

Dave Derrick Jr. will direct Moana 2. The film will feature music from Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.

We won’t have to wait long for Moana 2. It’s sailing to theaters on November 27, 2024.

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Disney and Epic Games Announce a ‘Games and Entertainment Universe’

Epic Games found incredible global success in 2017 thanks to the immense popularity of Fortnite. Now, they are taking things to the next level, thanks to a partnership with Disney that lives up to their name. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that The Walt Disney Co. and Epic Games will create a brand new “games and entertainment universe” that brings Disney characters from their various franchises together. In the brief teaser trailer they released, we see characters from Frozen, Star Wars, the Avatar films, Indiana Jones, Pixar, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all in one world. You can watch the brief teaser, which states it’s all coming “soon(ish)” right here:

Here’s what Disney CEO Bob Iger said about the upcoming partnership:

Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe. This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways.

Epic Games/The Walt Disney Company

Disney will also invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside this gigantic multi year project. “This will be a world-class game experience, inter-operating with Fortnite,” the statement said. The new “persistent universe” allows consumers to engage with characters from across the Walt Disney Company’s vast library of IP. Players will create their own stories and experiences and share content with each other. And Unreal Engine will power all of this. Disney has already utilized Unreal Engine for the attraction Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Not to mention the games Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Marvel’s Nexus War with Galactus, and Kingdom Hearts 3. We expect a lot more details about this new venture over the coming months.

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THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU Will Arrive in 2026

The Mandalorian‘s third season ended with Din Djarin and his little green son establishing a quiet life for themselves. They earned that peace, too. The beloved Star Wars duo helped take back Mandalore for their people after defeating Moff Gideon and his budding army of Force-sensitive clones. But we all knew the good times wouldn’t last. Not when so many dangers still exist in the galaxy far, far away. What we didn’t know is where their adventures would continue. Lucasfilm has announced the pair is leaving Disney+ for theaters. Production will begin this year on The Mandalorian & Grogu, a feature-length movie from show creator Jon Favreau. During an earnings call, Disney revealed The Mandalorian & Grogu will release in 2026. The studio’s slate currently has May 22, 2026 marked for a Star Wars movie, so that date seems likely.

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm’s next movie is a big (screen) jump for the studio’s small screen stars. The next chapter in Din Djarin and “The Child’s” story will happen in theaters. Series creator and showrunner Jon Favreau will direct them in the directly named The Mandalorian & Grogu. He will also produce along with Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. Production on the movie will begin some time this year.

“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau in the film’s official announcement. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”

Lucasfilm

While Lucasfilm did not share any details, Kennedy did say the film is a “new story” that is a “perfect fit for the big screen.” The accompanying artwork for the movie also shows Din Dada and his powerful boy fleeing an exploding ship. Lucasfilm also said The Mandalorian & Grogu movie “will lead” its ongoing feature-development slate, which includes films helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold and Dave Filoni, who is also currently developing Ahsoka Season 2, among those in the works.” (Yes, that Ahsoka tidbit is news, too.)

We don’t have any real idea what this movie will be about beyond what we can surmise from the state of the galaxy during this time period. But that along with these scant tidbits are just enough morsels of information to guarantee any and all speculation will be quite rampant until we actually know anything. This is the way of Star Wars fans.

Originally published on January 9, 2024.

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Celebrate 70 Years of Godzilla with Santa Cruz Skateboards and Apparel

70 years ago, Godzilla arrived on cinema screens in Gojira. No one could have known back then that this giant atomic lizard would become an institution, spawning 38 films, several animated series, and a whole lot of toys and merchandise. In fact, according to Guinness, it’s the longest-running film franchise in history. In celebration of 70 years of the Tokyo stomping kaiju, Toho International has announced a collaboration with Santa Cruz Skateboards for an epic Godzilla collection. Each features bold, graphic skate deck designs honoring the King of the Monsters. You can check out images of several of these new skateboards and apparel in our gallery down below:

Click To View Gallery Toho/Santa Cruz Santa Cruz/Toho Santa Cruz/Toho Toho/Santa Cruz Toho/Santa Cruz Santa Cruz/Toho Toho/Santa Cruz

The limited-edition line will include eight skateboard deck designs, including a monster-sized deck (11’’ x 32’’). This is the largest skate deck Santa Cruz has made to date. It even comes complete with a unique shape resembling Godzilla’s prehistoric skin texture. Santa Cruz brought several talented artists aboard to reimagine the classic graphics of Corey O’Brien, Tom Knox, Rob Roskopp, and Natas Kaupas. These are all based on the original artwork by Jim Phillips.

They’ll arrive in several styles inspired by iterations of Godzilla through the years. We’re talking about everything from Shin Godzilla to Mechagodzilla, and even more. We even see a little baby Minilla in there. Of course, American audiences know him as the Son of Godzilla, who later inspired Godzilla’s TV nephew, Godzooky. (The Godzilla family tree is extensive.)

Santa Cruz

This amazing Godzilla anniversary skateboard collection is rounded out with a selection of apparel including tees, hats, and hoodies. There is also a sticker pack with the skate deck artwork in sticker form. The full product line will hit retail in November 2024, just in time to celebrate Godzilla’s 70th anniversary and official Godzilla Day on November 3.

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Donald Glover Is Still Planning on Being in the COMMUNITY Movie

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 ongoing 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. Here’s what McHale had to say about it all.

“We had a shooting date coming up, which was going to be in the summer,” said McHale. “And I think they were extremely close to—I mean, Dan is somebody that tweaks things but, obviously, that’s all stopped. But I think it was pretty darn close. It was close, the shoot date was coming up and we were all excited to do it and then the writers strike happened, which obviously put everything on hold, and rightfully so. The writers are asking for very reasonable things. Writers need to be paid properly.”

NBC

Of course, we all want a Community movie, but we completely agree with Joel McHale. Our favorite shows and films cannot exist with out writers. And we want writers to receive the equitable pay and fair working conditions and contracts that they deserve.

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

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 official casting 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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