Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 387

Celebrate 20 Years of Jigsaw with New SAW 10 Film Box Set

Hard to believe, but the Saw franchise turns 20 years old this year. Yes, it’s been two decades since Jigsaw came into our lives, asking us to play a little game. To celebrate, Lionsgate is releasing the Saw 10-Film Collection 20th Anniversary Edition, which arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on March 5. After the critical success of Saw X last year, and the franchise officially grossing over $1 billion, this collection’s release arrives with perfect timing. The Saw 10-Film Collection 20th Anniversary Edition will be available for the suggested retail price of $79.99 for Blu-ray, DVD, and digital. You can see the packaging artwork right here, as well as read the official synopsis below:

Lionsgate

Here’s what we know about this Saw collection:

All 10 films from the franchise that created a new horror subgenre – including the latest chapter, Saw X – are collected here in one terrifying set. Rewind to the beginning when Jigsaw first springs his diabolically ingenious traps on the morally wayward, then travel his long road of pain all the way to Mexico in the newest entry’s untold story of John Kramer’s quest for a cancer cure, inspiring his most personal game yet.

Lionsgate

The original Saw the big screen debut of director James Wan. It became a surprise sleeper hit when they released it in 2004. Almost overnight, Jigsaw and Billy the Puppet became horror icons on par with the likes of Freddy and Jason. In addition, Wan became a modern horror maestro, following up Saw with Insidious, The Conjuring, and most recently, Malignant. The peak of the Saw franchise was in the 2000s, when a new installment seemingly came out every Halloween season. Yet the series kept finding new ways to reboot itself in recent years. Now with ten films in, it seems as if this series will continue on forever. Saw XI even comes out this fall, so we’ll have to get ready to update our ten film collection sooner than we think. Jigsaw, long may you reign.

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Musician Turns Iconic Movie Music Into Rocking Metal Covers

Who’s more “metal?” Halloween‘s Michael Myers or The Lord of the Rings’ Frodo Baggins? If you don’t give the Hobbit extra credit because of Led Zeppelin it’s not exactly an easy question. How can you determine the heavy metal-ness of an iconic slasher versus that of Middle-earth’s savior? Trick question. You don’t have to thanks to this artist’s incredible metal covers of iconic movie songs. These heavy metal tracks let film fans and fictional characters alike from all genres rock out with the best of them.

Universal Pictures/New Line Cinema

Get ready to head bang with some Ringwraith thanks to the metal musical stylings of musician Evan Wanous. The music producer has turned some famous movie scores into some heavy metal tracks. That includes multiple covers of songs from Middle-earth.

While we’re not sure Hobbits, humans, or elves at The Prancing Pony would dig these metal covers of The Lord of the Rings‘ greatest hits, we do think the citizens of Haddonfield would genuinely love his version of the legendary Halloween theme. Michael Myers himself might even stop for a moment to enjoy it if he heard this incredible track.

We’re not totally surprised a horror movie song would translate so well into a metal song. What we can’t believe is that music from Home Alone does, too.

It also turns out that converting an epic, sci-fi fantasy classic into heavy metal doesn’t mean you have to lose any of the movie score’s majesty. Wanous’ cover of John Williams’ beloved Jurassic Park theme proves that. It wouldn’t sound out of place when Dr. Grant sees a living dinosaur for the first time.

You can check out more of Wanous’ movie covers, along with more of his music, on Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram. Don’t expect to find a definitive answer to who is more “metal” when it comes to a famous serial killer or a famous Hobbit, though. With these songs, they both are.

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Go Behind the Scenes of Sideshow’s Ewok Statue Collaboration with Mab Graves

Ewoks can be a divisive topic in Star Wars fandom. The space bears from the forest moon of Endor look sweet and cuddly, but their cuddly faces belie their fierce warrior skills. As we saw in Return of the Jedi, they stand ready to defend their home. They tried to roast Han Solo alive! They fought off stormtroopers and their ground vehicles. In short, we all learned not to mess with Ewoks. You can, however, collect them. Sideshow is here to help with that with a new limited edition Ewok Designer Collectible Statue and a Fine Art Print. The company teamed up with artist Mab Graves, known for her pop-surreal art, on this gorgeous statue. Nerdist had the chance to chat with Graves over email to learn more about the Ewok design came to life.

Sideshow

Nerdist: I love a space bear! What was the process like of bringing an Ewok into your art style?

Mab Graves: I have been a fan of Star Wars my entire life, so the source material was already deeply etched into my mind. With the Ewoks, I didn’t have to do a ton of character reference research like I normally would, I mainly had to decide what tone, direction, and feel I wanted to evoke in the final sculptural piece. I wanted it to have the same weight and muted softness of my paintings, so I really focused of the subtleties; the gentle placement of a hand, or the tilt of a finger, the way the cowl frames her face, or the soft feathering of the fur around the eyes. Ewoks aesthetically fit my style quite organically, so it felt completely natural to work with them.

Ewoks contain multitudes: they’re fierce, they’re nurturing, they live with nature. What sort of qualities did you want to bring to your Ewok sculpture?

Graves: I love how complex Ewoks are. When you first see them, you think they’re just pure cuteness, but as you keep watching, you start to notice the teeth and the bones, and your view begins to change. They have organized societies and rituals. You realize they are much more than cute balls of fur. I wanted to pay homage to that complexity in this piece. One of the joys of working with 3D sculptural pieces is you can really work with depth and texture to make the best use of shadows for storytelling. Depending on how you light this sculpture, the shadows shift or soften so feeling of the pose changes from fierce protectiveness to gentle presentation.

Click To View Gallery Sideshow Sideshow Sideshow Sideshow Sideshow Sideshow

Can you share a little of your process in bringing this sculpture to life?

Graves: For this piece, I wanted to create a sculpture that had a refined elegance to the composition. I looked at classical Venetian sculptures of the Madonna and Child, and paintings by Raphael and Cassatt for inspiration. I wanted the serenity of motherhood and the immortality of that bond to really be highlighted. It was a bit of a challenge to work with the Ewoks shortened limbs, but I love how the final piece turned out!

I feel like delivering on the cuteness of a baby Ewok could be a challenge, but you did it! (The little hands!) What was the best part of designing the baby?

Graves: Creating baby monsters is one of my specialties, so the baby Ewok was really fun. Babies are one of those subjects that you have to toe a very fine line with. Too far in one direction and they’re just cutesy and vapid… too far in the other and they can be grotesque or knowingly creepy. Capturing that sentience, and that ever-so-delicate expression of apprehensive curiosity is always the hardest (and most rewarding) part of the challenge! The little hand resting on the mama’s fur was definitely my favorite part.

Mab Graves/Sideshow

As for your new Ewok friend, the Ewok Designer Collectible Statue stands seven inches tall. The fine art print, “It Takes an Ewok Village,” is a giclee print and available either framed or unframed. It’s limited to 250 pieces worldwide.

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Celebrating the Toys, Cartoons, and Comics of 1984

1984 is perhaps the most pivotal pop culture year in memory. So many of the movies, music, and television series debuting that year had an incredible impact, and their legacy continues to this day. Rarely has a confluence of circumstances resulted in so much memorable pop art happening all at once. And that was perhaps most true in the world of cartoons, toys, and comics—three mediums that often intermingled. Here, we celebrate the iconic properties that debuted in ’84, from Transformers to Ninja Turtles, and explain how they all still live on decades later.

Marvel Comics/Hasbro/Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird Transformers Hasbro

Under Ronald Reagan’s presidency starting in 1981, his FCC chairman pick Mark S. Fowler changed the rules that didn’t allow children’s programming to advertise directly to kids. By 1983, the airwaves were flooded with cartoons that were literally 30-minute toy ads. Shows were featuring everything from Pac-Man, to Smurfs, to 1983’s “Big Two,” He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe. The “Big Two” cartoons continued to dominate as 1984 began, but another iconic brand that arguably dwarfed them—the Transformers—joined soon after.

Marvel Comics

Toy company Hasbro licensed transforming robot toys from the Japanese company Takara, which had already existed in that country since 1980. But in America, Hasbro wanted a whole mythology to go with the toys, something they didn’t have overseas as Diacolone or Micro Change. Hasbro hired Marvel Comics—specifically former Batman writer Dennis O’Neil—to develop the American names and personalities of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the rest.

In the spring of 1984, the rebranded toys hit the shelves. In May, Marvel’s Transformers #1 also arrived, billed as “a 4-Part Limited Series.” The Transformers‘ catchphrase “More than meets the eye” became something every kid knew, overnight.

The Continuing Legacy of TransformersParamount

Transformers was such an instant runaway success with kids, that the comics expanded from limited series to ongoing and ran until 1990. Then, the animated series arrived that fall, sending the brand into the stratosphere. The three-tiered approach– toys, comics, and cartoons—worked like gangbusters. The “More than Meets the Eye” robots from Cybertron became household names, and totally kicked the butts of their counterparts, the Go-Bots. Although the brand quietly went dormant in 1990, in the later part of the decade it returned as Beast Wars. From that point on, the brand became perennial, and a live-action movie franchise that has grossed billions of dollars followed. The biggest toy debut of 1984 is still as ubiquitous as ever decades later.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Marvel Comics/Mattel Toys

Speaking of toys and Marvel Comics, their other big success that year was both a Marvel Comics series and an action-figure line. Interestingly, one was far more influential than the other. In the early ‘80s, Mattel Toys got the Marvel Comics license. They wanted their upcoming action-figure line to have a big comic book event to push it, so Mattel, after doing focus groups on kids, discovered their target demographic of little boys loved the words “secret” and “wars.” Thus, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars was born. And then-Marvel EIC Jim Shooter took it upon himself to write the series.

Secret Wars was the first crossover event series between all of Marvel’s biggest titles, except for the grittier Daredevil and Doctor Strange. The story was simple enough. A cosmic being called the Beyonder gathered the best heroes and the worst villains to fight it out on an artificial planet called Battleworld, deciding what is more powerful, good or evil? Older readers scoffed at the story, but younger kids ate it up. Secret Wars sold better than any Marvel Comic in 25 years, and the “company-wide crossover” event was born. The next year, DC would do the same with their own Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The Continuing Legacy of Marvel Super Heroes Secret WarsMarvel Comics/Marvel Studios

Secret Wars as a toy line petered out after two waves, likely because of lack of big-name characters. The comics also launched the much-disliked Secret Wars II a mere two years later. But the original series introduced very important elements to the Marvel Universe, like Spider-Man’s black alien costume, which later became Venom, a character who is now one of Marvel’s most popular heroes. The ’90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series adapted the first Secret Wars, and it got a reboot/sequel of sorts in 2015, by writer Jonathan Hickman. That series will serve as the basis for the upcoming Avengers sequel, also titled Secret Wars. The pop culture legacy of this one comic book event series has truly lasted far past 1984.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Cartoonists and buddies Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird started Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a small print black and white comic on a lark. Interestingly, this happened after Eastman randomly doodled a turtle with a mask and a sword. From this one image, a full comic arrived soon after, which was meant to be a one-shot. That comic soon became a phenomenon. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 was a parody of popular Marvel heroes, poking fun at Marvel’s mutant X-Men, and the ninja world of Daredevil. The first issue debuted at a Comic-Con in May 1984, and had a limited print run of only 3,275 copies. It blew up and an ongoing series was next. They couldn’t keep this black and white series of anthropomorphic turtles transformed by toxic waste into formidable warriors off the shelves.

Much like Superman in the ‘30s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a pop culture staple almost overnight. Within four years of their 1984 debut, Ninja Turtles became an animated series, a live-action movie, and a massively successful line of action figures from Playmates. In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, you simply couldn’t escape Turtlemania. It was everywhere. Of course, all of this kid-oriented entertainment was far more family-friendly than the original comics by a significant amount. But the core of Eastman and Laird’s idea was still there in this more mainstream version. And it all started with that 1984 comic book that was the sleeper hit of the century.

The Ongoing Legacy of Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesParamount Pictures

The Turtles remain a perennial brand to this very day, never leaving the zeitgeist for very long. They had three live-action films in the ’90s, one TV reboot after another, and even more movies. The “joke” comic became as popular, if not more so, than the comics it once mocked. And with the animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hitting theaters recently, it’s an IP that shows no signs of slowing down. Soon, that film will have its own animated TV spin-off. Their peak of the ‘90s may be long over, but they are still a beloved part of popular culture.

Voltron Matchbox Toys/World Events

Much like Transformers before it, the animated series and toy line Voltron: Defender of the Universe doesn’t exist without Japanese origins. In 1981, Beast King Go-Lion aired in Japan, with a companion series airing later, Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. Both series featured several giant robots which combined to form one even more gigantic robot, who fought all manner of kaiju-like creatures on the planet Arus. Beast King Go-Lion were lion robots, naturally, and Armored Fleet were vehicles. Aside from that, the two series were not really connected.

American company World Events Productions—which bought both series—re-dubbed them, edited them for content, and combined them together as Voltron. This was done to meet the episode order needs for daily syndication. (Robotech would pull this trick a year later.) The series first aired on North American weekday afternoons in September of 1984, and it was an instant smash. Voltron instantly launched a franchise of toys, games, merchandise, and comic books. In 1986, World Events commissioned the Japanese studio Toei to combine both Voltron teams into one for a movie, despite neither series having anything to do with each other in their native Japan. For much of the ’80s, Voltron ruled the weekday afternoon airwaves.

The Continuing Legacy of VoltronNicktoons/Netflix/Dreamworks

Voltron was very much a child of 1984, but it continues to resonate in popular culture. There was a ‘90s, reboot, another reboot in 2012, and Voltron: Legendary Defender, which aired 78 episodes over 8 seasons on Netflix. Work also continues on an eventual live-action Voltron for the big screen. Heck, the word “Voltron” has even become a verb in the Urban Dictionary. It means “to combine or assemble individual things (which may function individually) made separately into a common meta-product where they all work together synergistically for a common goal.” How about that for longevity? All of this ensures that the legacy of Voltron will extend way past its original expiration date.

Super Powers Kenner Toys/DC Comics/Hanna-Barbera

Super Friends, the cartoon version of DC Comics’ Justice League, had existed on Saturday morning TV for over a decade by 1984. But the ‘80s was all about tying your cartoon with a larger toy and merchandise brand. When Mattel got the Marvel license and produced Secret Wars, Kenner Toys got the DC Comics license. They created a new line of 5” action figures, vehicles, and playsets based on the DC heroes, called Super Powers. Unlike Secret Wars, however, the first wave came out with all the DC heavy hitters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. It was an instant hit with kids, who loved how each figure had a special “action feature.”

Because of the new toyline, Super Friends on ABC Saturday Mornings was rebranded as Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and took on storylines and characters that reflected the action figure line. In the toy’s storyline, Darkseid and his minions from Apokolips were the main villains, and the show now reflected that. Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby even illustrated two Super Powers tie-in comics series. The only time he ever drew DC’s Justice League heroes. The toy and merchandise line ran for three years—an eternity for any toy line at the time. All the merch surrounding the toys was from famed comic book illustrator José Luis García-López, whose renditions represented the DC heroes at their most iconic.

The Continuing Legacy of Super PowersMcFarlane Toys/DC Comics

The legacy of Super Powers is pretty significant, even decades later. The idea of Darkseid as the League’s main villain stems mainly from Super Powers and Super Friends, as he’d barely fought the Justice League in the comics at that point. This is something that has stuck in the main DC continuity for years since. If you ever bought a “retro” DC t-shirt, chances are it used art from the Super Powers era.

In the last few years, McFarlane Toys has brought back the Super Powers line, with updated versions of the classic toys. In many ways, even forty years later, the Super Powers version of the DC heroes remains their most iconic.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract DC Comics

In the 1980s, New Teen Titans was DC Comics’ biggest-selling series by a country mile. Yet, the Marv Wolfman/George Perez comic book was constantly compared to Marvel’s hit Uncanny X-Men. Both series had a lot in common, as they were reboots of 1960s teams that weren’t terribly popular in their day. But Titans writer Marv Wolfman decided to use the comparisons to their advantage with a story that would run for two years and culminate in the team’s greatest epic—The Judas Contract. The storyline ran through summer 1984’s Tales of the Teen Titans # #42–44 and Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3.

Marvel’s X-Men introduced readers to Kitty Pryde in 1979, a spunky sarcastic teen who would become a fan favorite. In response, Titans introduced Terra, a.k.a. Tara Markov, a 15-year-old wisecracking brat with earth-controlling powers. She’d get comparisons to Kitty Pryde almost right away. Then, Marv and George pulled the rug out from readers a year into her being a Titan. Tara was actually a sociopathic spy sent by the team’s mortal enemy, Deathstroke. He sent her to gain their trust and learn their secrets, after which Tara and Deathstroke would attack the team. Everything came to a head in the 4-part finale of the story, The Judas Contract. Terra would die trying to kill her former teammates. This included Beast Boy, who was in love with her. Perhaps most importantly, Dick Grayson would graduate from Robin the Boy Wonder into the adult hero Nightwing in this saga.

The Continuing Legacy of Teen Titans: The Judas ContractWarner Bros.

Forty years later, Nightwing is one of DC Comics’ most popular heroes. The Judas Contract storyline continues to be adapted in various media. The 2003 Teen Titans animated series gave us a (very toned-down) version of the story. The 2016 animated movie Teen Titans: The Judas Contract adapted the story in a more mature fashion, as did the live-action Titans series (only with Ravager substituting for Terra). And while no one behind the scenes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has ever mentioned it, The Judas Contract storyline was clearly an influence on that show’s third season, particularly the character of Faith. Whatever media form the Titans take in James Gunn’s DCU, be certain they will adapt The Judas Contract.

Long live these iconic properties that spawned toys, comics, and cartoons that still resonate with us today.

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X-MEN Screenwriter Confirms Magneto’s Psychic Blocking Helmet Was a Movie Invention

Ask any Marvel Comics fan this question, “how does Magneto protect himself from his frenemy Charles Xavier’s telepathic interference?” Their answer is likely “Magneto’s fancy helmet protects his mind from psychic invasion.” After all, when the X-Men battle Magneto, Xavier could just mentally order him to just, you know, stop. But that fact, which X-Men fans take for granted these days, was totally a cinematic invention, introduced in 2000’s X-Men for the Ian McKellen version of Magneto. Something that X-Men screenwriter David Hayter just confirmed on social media.

This happened because the director said one day, “Why couldn’t Xavier just make Magneto go to sleep or something?”

No one had an answer.

So we decided it was the helmet.#XMen https://t.co/6Ggq3EURPR

— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) January 17, 2024

Since then, the comics have run with this as the reason why Xavier can’t reach into Magneto’s mind. After all, when it comes to comic book adaptations, the tail often wags the dog. What becomes popular in movies and TV usually transfers over to the comics at some point. What this also means is that for the better part of forty years, X-Men comics had no real in-canon explanation as to why Magneto could evade Xavier’s telepathy. We just assumed that someone as cunning as the Master of Magnetism would have trained his mind into some kind of method of blocking psychic interference.

Twentieth Century Studios/Marvel Comics

It’s wild to think that the comics never had an explanation for this. It’s even more wild to think that most fans just never thought to even ask why. But it sure is a great retcon, a believable enough reason to explain why Mags had that helmet at all. By the way, while Magneto’s civilian name Erik Lensherr was not a movie invention, the films popularized it. For years, Magneto’s birth name was said to be Magnus. Later they revealed he was born Max Eisenhart. In the late ’90s, they revealed that one of his assumed aliases was Erik Lehnsherr. So the movies went with that name. Since then, the comics have used that name most often. Like we said, when it comes to superhero movies and the comics that inspired them, the comics are then inspired by the movies.

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INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE Gameplay Trailer Is a Grand Adventure

Harrison Ford went on a grand adventure for the last time with last year’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. But even though Ford hung up his famous fedora, it doesn’t mean that’s the end of the character. Indy will continue in other media, like the brand-new Xbox game that was recently announced by Bethesda Softworks and Lucasfilm Games, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which has an epic new gameplay trailer.

Here’s the game’s official description:

Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

Xbox/Bethesda Softworks/Lucasfilm Games

The game will take players “From the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond.” This looks like everything anyone could want from an Indiana Jones game.

From what the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game trailer depicts, we see good old Dr. Henry Jones Jr. in his prime. He’s evading death traps, scouring for hidden treasure, and of course, punching some Nazis. Also, his mentor Marcus Brody is in the game as well. Our fingers remain crossed that Sallah shows up at some point too. But we imagine Bethesda has a few surprises still in store. The Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game arrives in 2024. You can WishList the game now by heading over to the official Indiana Jones Bethesda site.

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A Chuck E. Cheese Game Show Is Coming, Rachel Zegler Wants to Join STAR WARS, and Other News Odds & Ends

From Ghostbusters letting Janine suit up to a tub of Oreo filling you can buy to Lizzie McGuire’s bucket list achievements, here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends from recent history.

Studio Ghibli, Betty Crocker/Chuck E. CheeseRecent Odds & Ends in the NewsRachel Zegler Wants to Play Poe Dameron’s Mother in the Star Wars UniverseThe CW’s Logo Is Now “Hot Sauce” and “Icing” ColoredLizzie McGuire Would Have Hooked Up with Ethan TWICE in Cancelled RebootWinnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Creators Reveal First Teaser Image of Pinocchio: Unstrung Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Will Be Inspired By ’80s Cartoon Series, Will Let Janine Suit UpHayao Miyazaki Reveals the Identity of Spirited Away’s No FaceA Chuck E. Cheese Game Show Is Coming Our Way, and It’s A Little Like Squid Game, But Includes Massive Prize WallOREO and Betty Crocker Are Teaming Up to Bring You Oreo Filling in a Tub and MoreThe Last of Us’ Young Mazino Teases Horse Riding and Gun Shooting in Season TwoUbisoft+ Adds Cheaper Subscription Tier to Offerings Rachel Zegler Wants to Play Poe Dameron’s Mother in the Star Wars UniverseMarvel Comics/Lionsgate/Lucasfilm

Rumors abound there could be a Star Wars version of What If…? in the works for Disney+. While these rumors are presently only that, they did lead to an excellent discovery. Rachel Zegler would love to join the Star Wars universe and has a character in mind to play. She revealed, “As a fan of the comics, I would like to throw my hat in the ring to voice Shara Bey, mother of Poe Dameron because her ship was an RZ-1 (my initials!) for Green Squadron.” Honestly, that seems like a lot of fun. We’d love to see more Shara Bey, more Poe Dameron, and Rachel Zegler in the Star Wars world.

as a fan of the comics i would like to throw my hat in the ring to voice shara bey, mother of poe dameron, because her ship was an RZ-1 (my initials!) for green squadron

— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) January 13, 2024

In the meantime, you can check out our first look at Rachel Zegler as Snow White, below.

Disney Shares Live-Action SNOW WHITE First-Look Photo Featuring Rachel Zegler

The CW’s Logo Is Now “Hot Sauce” and “Icing” ColoredCW

The CW is looking to create a new image for itself. Not only is it dropping the “The” in its new logo, but it’s trying a veritable buffet of flavors on for size. The CW chief marketing officer Chris Spadaccini revealed to Variety that the network has selected a new color for its logo that it is branding “Hot Sauce.” Additionally, Hot Sauce will be surrounded by pink “Icing.” A light green is also in play that the CW calls “Mint.” We must say, hot sauce, icing, and minto are not three flavors we would immediately pair. But maybe The CW can make this weird combination work.

Alas, the end of the DC show era has arrived at The CW.

SUPERMAN & LOIS to End With Season 4

Lizzie McGuire Would Have Hooked Up with Ethan TWICE in Cancelled Reboot

@jonathanhurwitz

Replying to @kujorg Consider the ☕️ spilled 🤭 #lizziemcguire #lizziemcguirereboot #hilaryduff #arianagrande #bangs #greenscreen

♬ original sound – jonathanhurwitz

The Lizzie McGuire reboot was sadly canceled before we could see what was in store for our favorite heroine. But recently, we learned a little more about the show. Writer Jonathan Hurwitz revealed that while Lizzie and Gordo were not endgame, Lizzie does get to fulfill her childhood dreams of hooking up with Ethan Craft… twice. You go girl! That is what dreams are made of.

Disney

We love seeing Lizzie wherever we can.

Lizzie McGuire Is the Latest Surprise HOW I MET YOUR FATHER Cameo

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Creators Reveal First Teaser Image of Pinocchio: Unstrung

First look at the ‘PINOCCHIO: UNSTRUNG’ horror movie, from the filmmakers behind ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey’.

(Source: https://t.co/MTJtwxXVDN) pic.twitter.com/TGbEJfcU79

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 17, 2024

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey horrified and delighted us when it first revealed its monstrous Pooh Bear and friends. And now its creators hopes to recreate the magic. We officially have our first teaser art from Pinocchio: Unstrung. Mind you, every version of Pinocchio is kind of creepy, so our expectations are pretty high.

Let’s take a look back at Blood and Honey in the meantime.

WINNIE THE POOH Is a Terrifying Slasher Villain in BLOOD AND HONEY

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Will Be Inspired By ’80s Cartoon Series, Will Let Janine Suit Up

EXCLUSIVE 👻#Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is inspired by The Real Ghostbusters animated series and its "wild, original, and weird-as-f*ck villains," director Gil Kenan tells Empire.

READ MORE: https://t.co/q367amhBLV pic.twitter.com/Ia2eZ2weNP

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) January 16, 2024

Speaking to Empire, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan discussed the inspirations for the new movie. He revealed that the ‘80s animated series The Real Ghostbusters and its “wild, original and weird-as-fuck villains” informed Frozen Empire‘s creatures. Kenan notes, “We wanted to bring that show’s looseness and fearlessness to this movie… I think it’s going to surprise people just how big this film is.” Empire touches on the various strange creations from the series that may come into play, including “a werechicken, a boogeyman, and an alternate reality with ‘Peoplebusters’.” Other inspirations noted for the film are John Hughes and Wes Anderson.

New look at ‘GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE’.

(Source: https://t.co/Lk1c6wNS2h) pic.twitter.com/4vmqULFngn

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 15, 2024

Additionally, Ghostbusters fans may feel excited to know that Janine Melnitz, played by Annie Potts, finally gets to be a Ghostbuster in Frozen Empire. In the original movies, Janine played the role of receptionist and delivered some iconic lines. But now, she’ll suit up and head out to the action. And it’s about time. She’ll even get “a fresh bit of ghostbusting kit.” But we don’t yet know exactly what it will entail.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will also see much of the original team reunite.

The Original GHOSTBUSTERS Are Back in Action in New FROZEN EMPIRE Image

Hayao Miyazaki Reveals the Identity of Spirited Away’s No FaceStudio Ghibli

Ever wondered just who No Face is? Well, Hayao Miyazaki has finally revealed the identity of this Spirited Away favorite. He shares, via Comicbook.com, “There are many people like No Face in our midst… it’s the type of person who wants to latch on to others but doesn’t have a sense of themselves. They are everywhere.” It all makes sense now.

Here’s our review of the latest Studio Ghibli movie, The Boy and the Heron.

Hayao Miyazaki’s THE BOY AND THE HERON Is Imaginative, Beautiful, and Thoughtful

A Chuck E. Cheese Game Show Is Coming Our Way, and It’s A Little Like Squid Game, But Includes Massive Prize WallChuck E. Cheese

A new game show that takes place in Chuck E. Cheese will soon have adults playing super-sized versions of childhood games, reports The Hollywood Reporter. This may sound like Squid Game, but there’s no murder involved this time… As long as no Five Nights at Freddy’s style animatronics come to life. No, there will only be lots of tickets and a giant prize wall. We only hope all the teams get enough tickets to get that bubble wand or giant bouncing ball.

It looks like a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel is in the works.

Josh Hutcherson Says FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S Sequel Is Already in the Works

OREO and Betty Crocker Are Teaming Up to Bring You Oreo Filling in a Tub and MoreBetty Crocker

Ever wish you could just eat a tub of Oreo creme filling? Well, now you can, and it’s enhanced by icing. Oreo and Betty Crocker have come together for this dream team-up. In addition to Betty Crocker OREO Creme Flavored Whipped Frosting, you can also get your hands on Betty Crocker OREO Chocolate Cake Mix, White Cake Mix, Lava Cake Mix, and Brownie Mix. Yum!

Just don’t apply Ranch dressing lip balm before you dive into these treats.

Hidden Valley Ranch and Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Set Tastes Like a Buffalo Wings Basket

The Last of Us’ Young Mazino Teases Horse Riding and Gun Shooting in Season TwoNetflix/Naughty Dog

We still don’t know too much about what to expect from The Last of Us season two. But Young Mazino, who was newly cast as the game character Jesse, recently painted us a little bit of a picture. He told Variety that his preparation for filming the series includes “learning ‘how to ride a horse’ and brushing up on his firearm training.” Sounds like we can expect some major action in the upcoming episodes.

HBO

The Last of Us season two has cast its Abby.

THE LAST OF US Season 2 Casts Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

Ubisoft+ Adds Cheaper Subscription Tier to Offerings Ubisoft

Ubisoft is changing up its subscription offerings. A release shares, “Ubisoft+ Multi-Access and PC Access will now become Ubisoft+ Premium, offering day-one new releases and early access where applicable, alongside premium editions, monthly rewards, and more. Ubisoft is also introducing a new offer: Ubisoft+ Classics on PC, a curated selection of popular back-catalog and live games.” Ubisoft+ Premium will cost $17.99 a month, while Ubisoft+ Classics costs $7.99 per month.

We really enjoyed previewing Ubisoft’s latest release Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

The 7 Best Things We Learned About PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE LOST CROWN From Its Preview Event

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Max’s CLONE HIGH Reboot Returns with New Clones in Season 2 Trailer

The teenage clones of famous historical figures are back. Again. This time we didn’t have to wait 20 years for them to return, either. Max’s Clone High reboot will be back next month with all new episodes., And the show’s season two trailers promises it will be a very special season. As always there will be plenty of lovesick teens full of way too many hormones. Plus we’ll get a chance to meet some all new celebrity copies, including clones of some very evil people.

And also Baby Patrick Swayze.

Summer is over and love is in the air. There’s also plenty of resentment, too, as a three-month break didn’t make anyone forget Joan of Arc tried to kill all of them last time. But hopefully that will be water under the bleachers eventually. Until it is, though, that extra tension should make for an extra fun season two.

The show features original series stars Will Forte as young Abe Lincoln and Nicole Sullivan as teenage Joan of Arc. Executive producers Phil Lord (Scudworth) and Chris Miller (JFK and Mr. B) are also still in school. As is Christa Miller, who plays the reboot’s antagonist Candide Sampson. Her old role of Cleopatra is now voiced by Mitra Jouhari. And Donald Faison, who also played multiple roles on the original Clone High, is still around as George Washington Carver.

Max

The Max series also stars Ayo Edebiri (Harriet), Vicci Martinez (Frida), Kelvin Yu (Confucius), and Neil Casey (Topher Bus). Season two will also feature some famous guest stars. Jermaine Fowler, Paul F. Tompkins, Stephen Root, Jackée Harry, Hannah Simone, D’Arcy Carden, Randall Park, Jameela Jamil, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Richard Kind will also be heading back to school when Clone High returns to Max for its all-new season on February 1.

Hopefully these clones won’t be put on ice for two decades when season two ends. We couldn’t handle the thought of not having Baby Patrick Swayze in our lives for that long.

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Jodie Foster Reveals She Almost Played Princess Leia in STAR WARS

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher as Luke, Han, and Leia in Star Wars. However, offers did go out to some other actors, including one who is very famous today. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we learned that George Lucas did indeed offer Oscar-winner Jodie Foster the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Jodie Foster revealed this Princess Leia news while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote her role in True Detective: Night Country. Here’s what she told Fallon when he brought up her near-casting in the role:

They were going for a younger Princess Leia, but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie, and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie, because I was already under contract. They did an amazing job, I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.

Jodie Foster was almost Princess Leia in @starwars! #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/Ac1JVeHJYE

— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) January 18, 2024

So, unfortunately, Jodie Foster had to turn it down the Star Wars role due to previous commitments. Back in 1976, when Lucas shot A New Hope, Jodie Foster was filming Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, and Freaky Friday. The last one on that list is a Disney film, so it was likely that Freak Friday obligations caused Foster to miss out on being Princess Leia. All of those films were hits that made Foster an even bigger star than before, though. So it wasn’t like she missed out by not getting the part. And maybe Foster wouldn’t have wanted her face attached to all kinds of Princess Leia toys for the rest of her life.

Disney/Lucasfilm

Had they cast Foster as Leia, the trajectory of the Star Wars saga would have likely changed drastically. After all, in 1976, the actress was all of 13/14 years old. And that means she looked significantly younger than Mark Hamill. So, that famous Return of the Jedi twist of Leia being Luke’s long-lost sibling? Probably would not have worked with Foster in the role. Nor would a romantic pairing with Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. The role of Leia would have likely become what Ahsoka was in The Clone Wars to Anakin and Obi-Wan, the spunky kid sister. We would love to visit the alt-reality where Jodie Foster was Leia, though. If only to see her iconic cinnamon bun hairdo become a pineapple hairdo.

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Disney Channel Orders WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE Sequel Pilot, Selena Gomez to Guest Star

All young witches and sorcerers have to grow up eventually. Not all of them get to continue being on television when they do, though. Fortunately for Disney Channel fans some beloved magic users will soon get that chance. The Mouse House has ordered a pilot for a sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place. It will focus on original star David Henrie, but don’t worry, Selena Gomez will also be back for a magical reunion.

Disney Channel

Deadline was the first to report Disney Branded Television is returning to an old fan favorite. Gomez and Henrie are executive producing this sequel to their teen comedy series Wizards of Waverly Place. The show will see Henrie reprising his role as Justin Russo. The series will follow an adult Justin who gave up his magical powers so he could lead a regular life with his wife and two sons. But everything changes for him when “he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.”

Gomez will also make a guest appearance in the The Wizards of Waverly Place sequel pilot as Justin’s sister Alex. The show will also feature a number of newcomers to the franchise. Janice LeAnn Brown (Disney’s Just Roll with It) will play the powerful young wizard Billie who seeks out Justin’s help. Alkaio Thiele (Call Me Kat) will star as Roman Russo, Justin’s oldest child. And Mimi Gianopulos (American Princess) will play Justin’s wife Giada.

Disney Channel veterans Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (Raven’s Home) will serve as both writers and producers. Andy Fickman (Race to Witch Mountain) will direct and also executive produce the Wizards of Waverly Place sequel.

The original Wizards of Waverly Place series, which also starred Jake T. Austin as the third Russo sibling Max, ran for four seasons and 106 episodes from 2007 until 2012. That’s a long layover between shows. Plenty of time for teen wizards to grow up. But that doesn’t mean Waverly Place won’t still be a magical place to visit in a sequel.

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