Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 419

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE Trailer Makes LaKeith Stanfield a Biblical-Era Messiah

When it comes to popular people, there is perhaps no one quite like Jesus Christ. For many people, he is the Messiah who walked the Earth, died on the cross for their sins, and experienced a resurrection three days later. For others, he’s a well-known prophet or an overall historical figure they are familiar with. There have been many books, shows, films, and more about the life and death of Jesus; however, none of them are quite like this one. The Book of Clarence examines this Biblical epic from the viewpoint of its titular protagonist in an intriguing new trailer. 

There’s so much to discuss about this clip. First, the physical depiction of Jesus and those around him lines up with what the Bible itself and historians have affirmed for many years.

What we wish this trailer kept was the brilliant use of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U,” which we heard in the first teaser trailer. That song fits this film’s theme perfectly. Prince will forever be a music god, after all. This story isn’t about the Messiah himself, but rather the allure of his influence on one man’s life.

Here’s a quick plot synopsis to bring things into clearer focus: 

From visionary filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, The Book of Clarence is a bold new take on the timeless Biblical-era epic. Streetwise but down-on-his-luck, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is struggling to find a better life for his family, while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out. The film features new music by Jeymes Samuel, JAY-Z, and more. 

Sony Pictures

In addition to the trailer for The Book of Clarence, check out these gorgeous exclusive images from Vanity Fair of this upcoming film.

Led by LaKeith Stanfield in a demanding performance as Clarence, ‘The Book of Clarence’ features a supporting cast that includes Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy and more.

🔗: https://t.co/Nr9A54rL71 pic.twitter.com/0ibiwpKCWk

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 28, 2023

Jeymes Samuel takes a big swing with ‘The Book of Clarence,’ but that’s all he knows how to do.

“He has this fearlessness to him,” says Jay-Z of his longtime collaborator. “He’s very confident, but it’s not off-putting.”

🔗: https://t.co/Nr9A54rL71 pic.twitter.com/f0xLo9V2PV

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 28, 2023

Exploring the life and times of Jesus through the eyes of everyday man is a great concept. And LaKeith Stanfield is having quite the run recently with The Changeling preparing to hit Apple TV+ soon. In addition to Stanfield, this film stars Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Book of Clarence hits theaters sometime in 2024.

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

Originally published on August 29, 2023.

The post THE BOOK OF CLARENCE Trailer Makes LaKeith Stanfield a Biblical-Era Messiah appeared first on Nerdist.

Timothy Olyphant Joins ALIEN TV Series

We’ve known since Disney’s Investor Day presentation in December 2020 that the House of Mouse has big plans for the Alien franchise as a streaming series for FX. The studio even tapped Fargo’s Noah Hawley to develop it. Though it took a while to learn more about the show, the latest developments have been big ones. According to Deadline, the Alien series has cast Timothy Olyphant in a major role. The site reports he players Kirsh, a synth. Additionally, Hawley recently shared a bit of insight about what we can expect from the series, including when we might see it finally release.

When Will Noah Hawley’s Alien TV Series Release?20th Century Studios/FX

There’s no firm date yet for Noah Hawley’s Alien TV series to arrive on FX and our screens. However, speaking to The Wrap, Hawley offered a little bit more of a timeline for the release of this anticipated show.

He offered, “We’re all just waiting for the strike, and it will end… The plan right now is to go back in January and be shooting in February, and looks like shoot until July or so, which puts the air date somewhere in the in the first half of ’25.” Hawley further noted to Deadline, “We’re getting back into production as quickly as possible.”

There you have it, the Alien series will most likely release somewhere in early 2025. That’s not too long to wait.

The Cast of FX’s Alien TV SeriesWarner Bros.

As mentioned, Sydney Chandler will play one of the leads in Noah Hawley’s Alien TV series. Chandler is joined by The End of the F*cking World‘s Alex Lawther who will play the male lead, a soldier named CJ, and Samuel Blenkin, who is named as another main character, a mysterious CEO called Boy Kavalier. Essie Davis and Adarsh Gourav also join the series as Dame Silvia and Slightly.

Netflix

According to Deadline, Shadow and Bone‘s Kit Young has also come aboard the FX Alien series and will play a character named Tootles.

The Setting, Plot, and Timeline of Noah Hawley’s Alien TV Series

While speaking to Esquire about his novel Anthem, Hawley spilled a little more tea about the series. And he gave fans of the Xenomorph some things to ponder. Here’s what Hawley had to say about his Alien TV series:

“It’s set on Earth of the future. At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla. Someone’s going to monopolize electricity. We just don’t know which one it is. In the movies, we have this Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which is clearly also developing artificial intelligence. But what if there are other companies trying to look at immortality in a different way? With cyborg enhancements or transhuman downloads? Which of those technologies is going to win? It’s ultimately a classic science fiction question: does humanity deserve to survive?”

Additionally, according to Slash Film, Hawley offered that the show was inspired by a specific moment from Alien. He noted, “There’s that moment you realize Ian Holm [who plays Ash] is an android where you go, ‘Oh, this is really interesting now, because this is humanity trapped between the primordial past and the AI future, and they’re both trying to kill us.'”

20th Century-Fox

So as we guessed before, the Weyland-Yutani Corp., otherwise known simply as “the Company,” are likely the new Alien series’ “Big Bads.” But we’re still unclear about a lot of things. For starters, how will all this tie into the ongoing Xenomorph saga? After all, they call this show Alien, not “Android.” So we’re going to have to see the acid-blooded bad boys at some point. Otherwise, it will disappoint a great deal of very disappointed fans out there.

The Series’ Plot

Speaking to this, Hawley recently commented on the presence of the aliens in the new series. He offered that the movies “always [mimic] the life cycle of the creature, right? Which is egg, slow, Facehugger, starts to get faster — you know what I mean? And, of course, that’s great for a horror movie to build that way. So I found a way to kind of innovate around that structure and play with it.” He didn’t add more detail about how the structure of the Facehuggers’ life would come into play or be updated, but it’s good to know the Xenomorphs are on Hawley’s mind.

Additionally, Hawley noted more about the difference between the new Alien FX series and the movies that originated it, offering, “Look, a two-hour movie, you can set it up, and then it’s just about, ‘Are they going to survive?’ But if you’re making a series, ‘Are they going to survive?’, you can’t sustain it. Even if you have 60% of the best action-horror on television, you still have 40% of ‘What are we talking about?'”

That makes sense to us, and we can’t wait to see how the Alien series manages all these different expectations.

The Series’ Timeline20th Century Studios

Another big question is when does the Alien TV series happen with respect to the movies? Prometheus takes place in 2089, while Alien: Covenant takes place in 2104. The original Alien takes place exactly 100 years from now, in 2122. The events of Aliens occur some 57 years later in 2179, with Alien Resurrection finishing things a whopping two hundred years later. And Weyland-Yutani exists in all these eras.

But happily, we now know a little bit more about where the show will land in the timeline. FX Chief John Landgraf shared an update on the Alien series at a TCA winter panel for the network.

He said, “Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth. So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century, we’re in — so 70-odd years from now. Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.” That’s right folks, no Sigourney Weaver. We’re sad, on the one hand, but excited for more specificity on the other.

Really though, all we want is one good chestburster scene. Is that too much to ask? The Alien series does not yet have a release date.

Originally published on January 5, 2022. 

The post Timothy Olyphant Joins ALIEN TV Series appeared first on Nerdist.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS’ Episode Titles Come Right From the Book

Rick Riordan released the first book in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians fantasy series in 2005. The five-book fantasy novel series focuses on Percy Jackson, a young demigod. He learns about his special history and then gets thrown into stopping the Titans from destroying everything. We did get movie adaptations of the first two books in 2010, but they were not well received. (Rick Riordan himself wasn’t a big fan). But now, Percy Jackson gets another chance at an on-screen adaptation, this time on Disney+.

This time, it seems like the adherence to the source material will be at an all-time high. For one thing, the titles of the Percy Jackson Disney+ series come right from the book version of the story. Episode one’s title, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-algebra Teacher,” for instance, is also the first chapter of Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ The Lightening Thief. And “The Prophecy Comes True” is the book’s final chapter as well as the title of the last episode of the Disney+ series. Other chapters are not one-to-one in numbering, but all of them come from the novel. We love this touch.

Here’s everything we know about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series.

TitleDisney Hyperion Books

This adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book is called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This matches the title of Riordan’s overall book series centered on Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson and the Olympian‘s Plot

Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ teaser trailer gives us our first real taste of the series. The gods are gathering and everything in Percy’s life is about to change.

In a release, Disney+ shared that Percy Jackson and the Olympians…

…tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.

So, first season is focusing on the first book, The Lightning Thief. In the book, Percy discovers the truth about himself and his background: he’s a demigod. He goes to Camp Half-Blood for the first time and meets others like him. Then, he goes on a quest with his closest friends Annabeth and Grover. Percy must find a thief who stole Zeus’ master bolt, all while reckoning with the identity of his father (I’m not sharing who, because spoilers) and his new life.

Behind the Scenes

Rick Riordan and Jon Steinberg wrote the pilot for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. James Bobin is directing the pilot. Steinberg will oversee the series with his producing partner Dan Shotz. Steinberg and Shotz serve as executive producers alongside Bobin, Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe and Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg.

Season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will have eight episodes.

Percy Jackson and the Olympian‘s CastDisney+

The cast for the Percy Jackson series is age appropriate for the series, which is a good start. Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) plays Percy Jackson. Aryan Simhadri plays Grover Underwood and Leah Sava Jeffries plays Annabeth Chase.

We also have:

Virginia Kull as SallyGlynn Turman as Mr. Brunner, a.k.a. ChironJason Mantzoukas as Mr D.Megan Mullally as Mrs. DoddsTimm Sharp as GabeAdam Copeland as AresSuzanne Cryer as EchidnaJessica Parker Kennedy as MedusaLin-Manuel Miranda as HermesJay Duplass as HadesTimothy Omundson as HephaestusLance Reddick as ZeusToby Stephens as Poseidon

Riordan noted that these are all the main characters who will appear in season one.

Disney/David BukachPercy Jackson and the Olympian‘s Release Date

The Percy Jackson series will officially release on December 20, 2023. It will debut with a two-episode premiere and new episodes will follow weekly.

Originally published on August 3, 2022.

The post PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS’ Episode Titles Come Right From the Book appeared first on Nerdist.

LOKI Creator Michael Waldron to Write AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY

Recently, it was announced Destin Daniel Cretton would no longer direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. But now, we have more interesting news about the MCU film. According to Deadline, Loki creator Michael Waldron has come aboard to write the screenplay for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Waldron was already tapped to write the movie set to follow Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars. And now he will reportedly take hold of the story behind both films. Waldron also wrote Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Marvel Studios

Ultimately, if the two Avengers movies end up closely connected, it makes sense for Waldron to pen them both. After all, it seems to have worked for the MCU in previous. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame to great acclaim. We still don’t know very much about either of the upcoming Avengers movies, though. Not even, specifically, which heroes will feature as the new Avengers team that will protect the universe. But, of course, it seems to follow that The Kang Dynasty would greatly feature Kang. Loki season two seemed like it might set up the next MCU villain in a big way, but in the end, the series focused largely on its protagonist. There’s no word yet on whether the changes and evolutions made to the team behind The Kang Dynasty will impact its story in any way.

Marvel Studios

As of now, no new director is in place for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, the movie presently retains its release date of May 1, 2026. Ostensibly, they will still be a part of the MCU’s Phase 6 and help conclude the Multiverse Saga. Hopefully, with Waldron penning Kang Dynasty‘s script, the much-anticipated next Avengers movie will deliver a strong story. We’ve certainly seen him deliver great MCU work before. For our part, we just hope both Loki and Doctor Strange get to play a sizable role. It would only be fair.

The post LOKI Creator Michael Waldron to Write AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY appeared first on Nerdist.

Horror Maestro Michele Soavi Shares the Nightmarish Catacomb Under His Kitchen

If you know anything of the Italian horror films of the 1980s, chances are the names you recognize are Argento, Fulci, and Bava (both Mario and Lamberto). But the name you should know without a doubt is Michele Soavi. Working as an assistant under Dario Argento for a number of years, as well as appearing in several films for the others as an actor, he eventually directed a quartet of the best and most underrated horror films of the era. He’s finally getting his due here in North America from Severin Films who are releasing brand new restorations of three of his masterworks.

Severin Films

The movies in question are Soavi’s second, third, and fourth horror films. Those are The Church (1989), The Sect (1991), and his most famous, and best, Cemetery Man (1994). All three are Gothic-infused, hallucinatory nightmares into the occult and macabre. Soavi’s movies have an artyness and mood that sets them apart from the contemporaries. And some of that might come from a particularly upsetting memory from his childhood which he shared in this exclusive clip from the extras on Severin’s The Sect set.

I feel like you’d probably have horror in your veins too if your parents threatened to take you into a massive, cavernous pit below your kitchen if you didn’t eat your veggies. That legitimately looks like something out of one of Soavi’s horror movies. Pits buried deep under the seemingly normal and pristine homes, hiding some perhaps ancient evil. Good stuff. Glad he has a good sense of humor about it.

Severin is releasing the three Soavi films in brand new 4K restorations. Each set has multiple discs with features and the movie in both UHD and HD. All of them also include a CD soundtrack for the movies. Everyone knows Italian horror movies have the best music. Pop it in whatever device you have that plays CDs and enjoy. Check out Severin Films for more info.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post Horror Maestro Michele Soavi Shares the Nightmarish Catacomb Under His Kitchen appeared first on Nerdist.

Watch First-Look Footage From AGATHA: DARKHOLD DIARIES

In WandaVision, it was Agatha all along. And now it really will be all about Agatha Harkness. Kathryn Hahn’s MCU witch will soon star in her own Disney+ Marvel series, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. While we don’t have too many details yet about what this series will entail, we can already tell it will serve up some delightfully magical fun.

Although it’ll likely still be a while before we see too much from the show, we officially have our first looks and footage from the Agatha-centric series. Set to be released on the WandaVision Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions, a special “Agatha Bonus Clip” takes us behind-the-scenes of Darkhold Diaries.

In the featurette, we can see Agatha and her coven of witches come together for the first time. Among other teases, the footage reveals Agatha Harkness donning several new outfits and our first glimpses of Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, Ali Ahn, Sasheer Zamata, and Debra Jo Rupp in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Agatha, the first-look clips promise, is still as dangerous and delightful as ever.

joe locke behind the scenes of "agatha" 🔮 pic.twitter.com/qUY8uOj4ja

— daily joe locke (@dailyjlocke) November 27, 2023

Here’s everything we know about Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

TitleMarvel Studios

Although the first title we heard for Agatha’s MCU series was Agatha: House of Harkness, and the second was Agatha: Coven of Chaos, the series will actually be called Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ PlotMarvel Studios

Marvel Studios has kept plot details for Agatha: Darkhold Diaries under wraps. But the last time we got to see Agatha, the witch lost in a fight to Wanda Maximoff. And then Agatha ended up trapped in her Agnes persona.

We imagine the show will reveal to us how Agatha breaks out of the spell she’s under and then follow her along on some exciting shenanigans. And it seems like we’ll get to meet a number of witches from the pages of Marvel Comics. And we do love a witch.

Whatever helps happens, we hope that Agatha gets yet another catchy jingle to her name. “Agatha All Along” needs a successor.

Behind the Scenes

WandaVison‘s Jac Schaeffer returns as executive producer and head writer on Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Additionally, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Schaeffer, alongside Wednesday‘s Gandja Monteiro and Resident Evil‘s Rachel Goldberg, will direct different episodes of the show.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ CastMarvel Studios

We’ve learned about quite a number of potential coven members cast so far. Of course, Kathryn Hahn returns to play the titular MCU witch Agatha Harkness. Joining her is Emma Caulfield Ford, who will reprise her role as Dottie for the Disney+ show. Dottie was one of the women Wanda trapped in her Westview fantasies. Could Dottie be another secret witch? Only time will tell. Variety also reports Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. However, many fans speculate Locke will play the role of  Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan, the son of Scarlet Witch and Vision. Mashable further notes that Miles Gutierrez-Riley will play “Billy’s boyfriend, Hulkling.”

Aubrey Plaza will also star in the series, potentially as a more villainous character on the Agatha show. Ali Ahn and Maria Dizzia have reportedly joined the cast as well, as has Patti LuPone. LuPone revealed she will play the role of Marvel Comics’ Lilia Calderu. Debra Jo Rupp is reportedly in the cast, too, presumably reprising her role of Mrs. Hart from WandaVision. Sasheer Zamata, meanwhile, is confirmed to play the role of sorceress Jennifer Kale.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ Release Date

For now, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will be a part of the MCU’s Phase Five. According to Mashable, it will be nine episodes long, a bit longer than the typical Disney+ Marvel show. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will release on Disney+ in 2024.

Originally published on November 4, 2022.

The post Watch First-Look Footage From AGATHA: DARKHOLD DIARIES appeared first on Nerdist.

ONE PIECE Egghead Anime Arc Shares Trailer and Release Date

2023 was a big year for One Piece. Not only did the series finally get a live-action adaptation courtesy of Netflix, it got a good live-action adaptation and even a season two renewal. If that wasn’t enough, One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy transformed into a giant straw hat-wearing balloon for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. It doesn’t get any bigger than that, literally. (Even if he did deflate a little.) And, of course, 2023 marks the conclusion of One Piece‘s long-running anime arc, Wano Country. But there’s no rest of the future King of the Pirates. In a flashy new trailer, Toei Animation revealed our first good glimpse of the One Piece anime’s upcoming Egghead Arc and also shared its official release date. Take a look below.

One Piece‘s Wano Country arc took the series into its thousandth episode and lasted for over four years. But now, change is in the air as our favorite pirates head into a more sci-fi adventure. If the trailer for One Piece‘s upcoming Egghead arc is anything to judge by, we’ll be seeing a more futuristic side of One Piece emerge, complete with wild architecture, giant robots, punk records, and some truly magical anime science. Dr. Vegapunk, who the Straw Hats meet when they land on Egghead island, has us intrigued already. Of course, one of the best parts of any new anime arc is new costumes. We love seeing Luffy and co. in their best cyberpunk looks. (And someone needs to get us a pair of those space boots, stat.)

Toei Animation

But One Piece‘s Egghead arc island arc is important beyond just the new adventure it brings. It’s actually the first part of One Piece‘s final act. Yes, after over 25 years , this piratey story is beginning its wind down. But, given that a One Piece arc can go on for many episodes, not to mention, many years, we won’t feel too sad yet. And in the meanwhile, we have all the goodness of an arc titled “Egghead” to look forward to.

When Will One Piece‘s Egghead Island Arc Release?

Key visual for the upcoming EGGHEAD ARC from #ONEPIECE pic.twitter.com/hsgwJGSQJw

— Toei Animation (@ToeiAnimation) November 26, 2023

One Piece‘s Egghead arc will release on January 7, 2024, according to its new trailer. So, if you’re behind, or if you haven’t started yet, there’s still some time to catch up—just snag our guide to watching One Piece efficiently and dive right in.

This new chapter of the One Piece anime will begin with episode 1086.

The post ONE PIECE Egghead Anime Arc Shares Trailer and Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

Shrek Looks Scary in This Original Film Test Footage From 1995

Many Shrek fans know Chris Farley was originally tapped to voice the big green ogre. Mike Myers only took over the role after Farley passed away. Lots of viewers also know Myers’ first attempt at the character sounded very different. The Austin Powers star recorded his lines with a Canadian accent before redoing the entire part with Shrek’s signature Scottish one. Clearly it was a good choice, since it launched a billion-dollar franchise. But few people realize just how different Shrek once looked, too. And without that change the series might not be the behemoth we know. A new clip from the movie’s 1995 test film shows that instead of a friendly, kid-appropriate Shrek we could have met a much scarier ogre.

The Zoom Art Studio shared a brief YouTube clip from the original Shrek test. The footage (which we first learned about at Gizmodo) stars an off-brand Shrek we’d expect to meet in Times Square. Or, as Zoom Art Studio describes it, the kind of Shrek who’d appear in a “a dark edgy low budget film.”

This original take on Shrek has a longer face, a bigger nose, and even gnarlier teeth. He’s a lot more like the type of creature you’d expect to see in a story where the ogre is the terrible monster rather than the lovable hero.

The Zoom Art Studio

Aside from his appearance, though, this clip feels very Shrek-like. It’s set to the classic “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown. (The above embed features improved audio.) The footage also has the kind of playful silliness and inverting of fantasy tropes that define the franchise. This is a slightly more unhinged Shrek, but kids might have come to love him anyway. But even then, this version of Shrek, Scottish accent or not, probably would not have become a box office giant. Good thing this version of the fantasy had a happy ending.

The post Shrek Looks Scary in This Original Film Test Footage From 1995 appeared first on Nerdist.

THE WITCHER’s New Book Will Be Standalone Tale Focused on Geralt, 2025 Release Window Set

Author Andrzej Sapkowski published the last book in The Witcher world 2013 with Season of Storms. That book was a standalone prequel of sorts set between The Witcher short stories and The Last Wish and told the story of one of Geralt’s monster-hunting contracts that went wrong. To be fair, most of his contracts seem to go wrong in one way or another. Anyway, it turns out Season of Storms is not the end of Sapkowski’s writings in the Continent. Sapkowski said in a livestream with Fantastic Talks that he’s been working on a new Witcher book “quite diligently.” He said that finishing the book should take him around a year, but no longer. And now, Sapkowski has shared the release date window for when we might expect this new entry into The Witcher‘s world as well as a tease of its contents.

Netflix

We first saw the news of a new Witcher book on Polygon (with translation from Redanian Intelligence). Sapkowski has said more than once the main Witcher series ended with The Lady of the Lake (published in 1999). He won’t write additional books about those events after the series’ conclusion. Then Season of Storms came in 2013. We heard in 2020 that the author had plans for a new Witcher, but this has been the most concrete update since.

Given what Sapkowski has said about the main Witcher series being done, we don’t expect a continuation of that story. The Lady of the Lake wraps Ciri’s story, with the character jumping to the world of Camelot. Yes, that Camelot. Given that, Sapkowski likely will leave the series as is. It sounds like what we’re getting with this upcoming The Witcher book is actually a new Geralt standalone story. Sapkowski shared, “No, that’s not my plan now,” in response to this new title being linked to The Witcher‘s other works. He noted, “This new book is going to be a standalone, but maybe, who can say. The book is directly about Geralt, but I won’t say more. It is outside the pentalogy.”

Netflix

Most recently, IGN reported on when we might expect the novel to arrive. According to the publication, Sapkowski shared at Comic-Con Vienna that the new Witcher book would debut in Poland in late 2024 and would then release worldwide in early 2025. That’s not too long to wait. It’s kind of fitting to have this new Witcher novel on the horizon as Netflix is on the precipice of a major change in its adaptation. Season three of the series recently ended, and season four will see Liam Hemsworth take the place of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.

Originally published on August 7, 2023.

The post THE WITCHER’s New Book Will Be Standalone Tale Focused on Geralt, 2025 Release Window Set appeared first on Nerdist.

The SAG-AFTRA Strike Is Over! Full Details of Tentative Agreement Now Released

It is a historic time in Hollywood! After Writers Guild of America (WGA) members fought to receive an incredible deal for their union, many hoped it would not be long until Hollywood’s actors were also offered a fair deal from the studios. This SAG-AFTRA strike is a historic one; it is the longest strike that actors have ever participated in, and it lasted 118 days. But finally, the AMPTP offered SAG-AFTRA a deal that it could accept. As of 12:01 am on November 9, 2023, actors are free to return to work. Of course, we are excited to see some of our favorite productions begin to live again, but the most important part is that those creating them will be working under fair and respectful terms.

Here’s what the SAG-AFTRA contract looks like.

SAG-AFTRA Strike Ending Deal Is “of Extraordinary Scope”

Dear #SagAftraMembers:

This morning our negotiators formally responded to the AMPTP’s “Last, Best & Final” offer.

Please know every member of our TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee is determined to secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/1PwqaoNXAJ

— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) November 6, 2023

A release from SAG-AFTRA further shared:

In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes “above-pattern” minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus. Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.

Most importantly, SAG notes, “We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.” Truly, this marks a historic achievement for the actors and one we feel very glad to see come to pass.

As the strike draws to a close, the details of SAG-AFTRA’s agreement with the studios are now available, including a draft of the full TV/Theatricals Contracts Memorandum of Agreement for those wanting to peruse all the details. Of course, no deal is ever perfect, and areas of concern over aspects such as the threat of AI to the industry remain.

If a “digital double” is made of you during a film, they must get your consent and inform you of their intentions for its use, EXCEPT "when the photography or sound track remains substantially as scripted, performed and/or recorded.”2/

— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) November 12, 2023

However, SAG-AFTRA’s leadership stresses the gains won in areas such as wage increases, pension and health caps, protections for the casting process, and more.

The new SAG-AFTRA contract includes:

– 7% raise in most minimums
– new $40 million participation bonus for performers who work on streaming shows that reach a certain benchmark of success
– more than $1 billion in new wages and benefit plan funding
– guardrails against the use… pic.twitter.com/yJo38DY98Q

— Variety (@Variety) November 10, 2023

It also views the AI agreements as “the most progressive AI protections ever written.” You can take a look at the specific AI regulations in the current contract below.

SAG-AFTRASAG-AFTRA

The entertainment industry offers joy and relief to so many with its offerings. It is only fair that those working to make our favorite series and movies also be allowed to have sustainable and safe existence. We are glad to see the SAG-AFTRA strike culminate in exactly these results.

The Actors’ Strike Is Over, What’s Next?SAG-AFTRA

While the SAG-AFTRA strike is over and a tentative agreement has been reached with the AMPTP, there are still steps that must be taken to finalize the deal. The agreement went to SAG-AFTRA’s national board for approval and passed with 86% of the vote. Now, SAG-AFTRA has released details of the contract, and all union members will get to vote on the agreement. And then, if members ratify the deal, then SAG-AFTRA will have a new contract for the next three years. The ratification vote will be open until December 5.

We look forward to learning more about the deal itself and seeing the final resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. But for now, wish only to offer SAG-AFTRA members and supporters a hearty congratulations on this achievement!

The post The SAG-AFTRA Strike Is Over! Full Details of Tentative Agreement Now Released appeared first on Nerdist.