Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 49

TRON: ARES Trailer Brings the Digital World to Real Life for Mind-Blowing Action

In 1982, a real man, made of blood and flesh, got pulled into the digital realm. He survived his encounter in that dangerous world. Now the digital world is coming to ours. Tron: Ares will bring more than just lightcycles to the real world, though. The new trailer for Tron: Ares shows it’s bringing an entire army. The question is which side will its artificial warrior actually fight for.

Tron has come a very long way from 1982, both in story and special effects. I don’t mean that as a pejorative, though. I will always love the original movie. But it’s hard not to notice the glaring differences between this third installment in the franchise and the movie that started it all. Tron: Ares looks sleek and modern. It’s story is also much, much bigger.

The series hasn’t lost it’s sci-fi elements, though. The A.I. in this movie is clearly a work of fiction since it actually works.

What else works is Jeff Bridges still being a big part of this story. He’s not just returning, either. This trailer indicates he’ll play an important part in the story of Jared Leto’s Ares.

Disney

The score for Tron: Ares comes from Nine Inch Nails. In addition to this new Tron: Ares trailer, the band also released a new song it wrote for the film, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” Not only is it the first single from the movie’s album, it marks the group’s first official music in five years.

Directed by Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) the sequel also stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson.

What will bringing computer generated beings into reality mean for humanity? We’ll find out when Tron: Ares cycles into theaters on October 10, 2025.

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First MORTAL KOMBAT II Trailer Brings Johnny Cage to the Fight

It’s officially time for Round II. And this time Mortal Kombat is adding some glitz and glamour to its deadly competition. Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is entering the fight, and the first trailer for Mortal Kombat II shows he’s ready, if a little reluctant, to prove he’s a real warrior. Earthrealm better hope his bravado is anything but false, too, because, just as he always does, Shao Kahn is here for the sequel.

Begin. And try not to get your head and spine detached from your body. Earthrealm needs you to keep your head on straight since Shao Kahn is getting involved with this deadly tournament. Of course he has! He’s been doing that since 1993!

What will happen when he does? Exactly what Mortal Kombat fans love and expect. Here’s the film’s official synopsis from New Line Cinema:

This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Before Warner Bros. shared this trailer, IGN released a fake trailer for the latest in-universe Johnny Cage movie. As far as promos for fictional movies go it is a flawless victory. It also hinted at just how big a part of the film the iconic Hollywood martial arts star will be to the movie.

I know it wasn’t a critical darling, but I loved Rebel Without a Cage. Definitely worth a revisit.

As for the actual movie we’ll actually be seeing, director Simon McQuoid is back for round two. Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) wrote the script. The film also stars Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and the great Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.

Warner Bros.

Glitz. Glamour. Gore. And Johnny Freaking Cage. What else could we want from Mortal Kombat II? Actually seeing it. Round 2 will fight when it arrives in theaters on October 24, 2025.

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MORTAL KOMBAT 2 Shares Character Posters and First Look Images

It is time to FIGHT! We officially have our first images from Mortal Kombat 2 and they give us some first looks at new characters we’re excited to see like Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, Kitana, and Shao Kahn. In the mix is also a new Mortal Kombat 2 image of beloved actor Hiroyuki Sanada’s Scorpion, returning for the second movie in the franchise. The movie has also now shared a slew of cool character posters celebrating the different folks we’ll be seeing in the movie.Warner Bros.

Ed Boon, Mortal Kombat co-creator and head of gaming developer NetherRealm Studios, shared with EW a little bit more about our first look at Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage and what we can expect from the character. Boon revealed, “You finally get to see Johnny Cage. His integration into the Mortal Kombat story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores. He’s a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our games in some ways. He’s adding his own flare to it, but I think it’ll feel fresh. There’s like a novelty factor in there.”

Additionally, Boon notes that Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is an audience surrogate, letting the audience understand more about the new tale we see in Mortal Kombat 2. Evidently, the character is also downright hilarious, but not without nuance. Director Simon McQuoid reveals,”We wanted a character that wasn’t just completely silly, comic book…It’s a character that could instantly go there and become too light and throwaway if we were to lean too much into the kind of cheese. The casting of Karl Urban for that role allowed that character to have more depth.” We do love to see Karl Urban in everything he does.

You can check out Johnny Cage’s character poster below, alongside the rest.

Click To View Gallery Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

In addition to all of this Mortal Kombat 2 goodness, we also get a good look at Adeline Rudolph as fan-favorite Kitana, and Outworld overlord Shao Kahn. Hiroyuki Sanada’s return as Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 2 is also celebrated in a sneak peek from the film. Check out the images below.

Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros.

Mortal Kombat 2 will release on October 24, 2025. This sequel movie will center on the Mortal Kombat tournament, which features champion fighters from different realms. If Earthrealm loses this tournament, its 10th consecutive loss against Outworld, then Shao Kahn will take over the Earth. Yikes! The movie will even be “keeping score.” Boon reveals, “There’s a visual representation of who is winning…. It’s not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.” McQuoid promises the movie will visit many different realms and lean even harder into the lore and history of Mortal Kombat. We can’t wait to see what happens.

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We Reveal TWO New Cards From MAGIC: THE GATHERING EDGE OF ETERNITIES (Exclusive)

It’s almost time for Magic: The Gathering‘s Edge of Eternities set to arrive. This brand-new space-fantasy collection invites players to find magic among the stars, explore distant planets, wield dazzling magic, and wage war against ferocious alien factions. For our money, the only thing cooler than fantasy is space-fantasy. So we are extra excited for this new set to finally release. We especially love that even though there are many major sci-fi properties out there, it really feels like Magic: The Gathering‘s Edge of Eternities is creating a fresh space-fantasy world, which is no easy feat. And so, it’s our pleasure to exclusively reveal two new cards from Magic: The Gathering‘s Edge of Eternities set: Blade of the Swarms and Endless Sands. Let’s blast off into these not-yet-explored aspects of the Sothera system together.

Magic: The Gathering‘s Edge of Eternities Exclusive Card Reveal: Blade of the Swarms Wizards of the Coast

This black Blade of the Swarms card gives us a new look at Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Eumidian species. The Eumidians are a species that is both humanoid and insectoid, and they’ve been busily terraforming the Sothera planet of Evendo. Blade of Swarms gives us a little bit of lore about how the Eumidians came to possess some of their defining traits. The card shares, “The Eumidians sought the secrets of weftwalking in Drix DNA. Though they failed, their attempts yielded other gains.”

RELATED ARTICLE

MAGIC: THE GATHERING Live-Action Movie & TV Universe Officially In the Works From Legendary and Hasbro

Gulp! DNA mining, species fusing, and a terrifying breed of aliens, the Eumidians are shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with… At least if our exclusive Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities card preview is to be believed.

In game, Blade of the Swarms will let you either “Put +1/+1 counters on this creature.” or “Put target exiled card with warp on the bottom of its owner’s library.” Both options could be good in a pinch. And like the Eumidians’ experiments, this card could lead to unexpected gains if you keep your wits about you. Wield this insect assassin wisely.

Magic: The Gathering‘s Edge of Eternities Set: Endless SandsWizards of the Coast

Endless Sands brings to life a new land that we can’t help but stop to admire. The artwork on this exclusive Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities preview card is out-of-this-world gorgeous. The swirling sands of this alien desert seem to literally be in scintillating motion as we gaze at the card. And you know that we love a space-opera with a desert planet at Nerdist HQ.

The Endless Sands card also gives the player many possible routes to take, and that’s what we like to have in a game, although not without costs associated. What will you do when the sands ripple around you? We guess that depends on what else Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities holds in its depths.

We’ll all find out more together when Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities releases on August 1. But for now, if you need us, we’ll be pondering the mysteries of the Eumidians and dreaming of faraway galaxies.

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Nintendo’s Live-Action LEGEND OF ZELDA Movie Sets Main Cast

Shock of shocks! Hot on the heels of The Super Mario Bros. Movie making—conservatively speaking—a s**t-zillion dollars earlier this year, it seemed only reasonable for Nintendo to keep that ball a-rolling. However, while an animated Mario movie was a sure bet, the next project might prove a bit trickier. Recently, Nintendo announced it will develop a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, arguably the game manufacturer’s second most important property. The franchise began in 1986 and has continued to this very year with Tears of the Kingdom. And while we still don’t know too many details about the live-acton The Legend of Zelda movie, its director has revealed a few teases.

And now, The Legend of Zelda has finally revealed its main cast to us—we know who will play Link and Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda Reveals Princess Zelda and Link Movie CastingNintendo

Of course, the question on everyone’s minds after the initial annoucement of a The Legend of Zelda live-action movie was, who will play Link and Zelda? It turns out, the movie is going with two relative unknowns. The Haunting of Bly Manor‘s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Link. Meanwhile, Bo Bragason will play Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda Live-Action Movie’s Release Date

Nintendo officially revealed that the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie would release on March 26, 2027. However, the movie has now been delayed. The new release date for The Legend of Zelda movie is May 7, 2027. In a statement, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto explains, “For production reasons, we are changing the release date of the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to May 7, 2027. It will be some weeks later than the release timing we originally announced, and we will take the extra time to make the film as good as it can be. Thank you for your patience.”

Most likely, this move is to avoid competition surrounding the release date and take advantage of the May 7, 2027 slot recently vacated by Avengers: Secret Wars.

NintendoThe Legend of Zelda Live-Action Movie’s Director Sheds Light on the Film

Wes Ball, director of The Maze Runner movies and the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will direct. Speaking to Total Film, Bell recently shared a bit more about his vision for The Legend of Zelda movie. He revealed, “I have this awesome idea. I’ve been thinking about it for a long freakin’ time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be… I want to fulfil people’s greatest desires. I know it’s important, this [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape.” Total Film further shares that escapism as a huge impetus for the movie. Additionally, Bell notes, “That’s the thing I want to try to create—it’s got to feel like something real. Something serious and cool, but fun and whimsical.”

Ball won’t, however, say what his favorite Zelda game is. But it’s not because he’s not a fan! “Relax guys, I’m one of you,” Ball noted on Twitter alongside photographic evidence.

Relax guys. I’m one of you. I’ve just learned from a wise man; when it comes to Zelda, best to say nothing as things just get misinterpreted.

(But judging on these comments, that’s probably gonna happen no matter what… sheesh) pic.twitter.com/MLUY1560zO

— Wes Ball (@wesball) May 10, 2024

More About The Legend of Zelda Movie

There’s no word yet, though, on a writer, additional cast information, or any of the other fun stuff for the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie. Nintendo’s Representative Director, Shigeru Miyamoto, will produce the movie alongside Avi Arad’s Arad Productions. Arad’s name should be familiar to our readers, having executive produced all of the Spider-Man films, many of the X-Men films, and a number of other Marvel properties. Nintendo will co-finance the movie with Sony Pictures Entertainment, with Sony handling worldwide theatrical distribution. The press release also points out Nintendo will put up “more than 50%” of the money for the movie, assuring they retain the most creative input.

Nintendo

Over the years, many Zelda films and TV series, both live-action and animation, have been in development. None have managed to make their way much beyond that point. This, however, feels a bit different. Nintendo is in its own driver’s seat and coming off a monster global hit movie. The big question is which of the many Zelda games will be the basis of the film, or if it’ll end up as a totally separate story that doesn’t remake or contradict any previous game. The Legend of Zelda game timeline is one of the most complex in gaming, so probably they’d be smart not to mess with that.

And as long as we don’t get a Link saying “Well excuuuuuuuse me, Princess,” we should be in good shape.

Originally published on November 7, 2023.

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.

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Why THE TERRIFICS Would Be the Perfect Spinoff for SUPERMAN’S Mister Terrific

Of all the Justice Gang heroes introduced in Superman, the breakout star was easily Mister Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi. He had the best action beat of the movie (sorry Kal), and some of the best lines too. Recently, reports came out that James Gunn is thinking of a Mister Terrific spinoff. Although, what form that will take is unknown. It could be a movie, but we think the best chance for Terrific to shine would be an HBO Max series. And instead of simply a Mister Terrific show, we think an adaptation of the DC Comics 2018-2020 series The Terrifics, where said hero leads his own team, is even better. And one of those team members, Metamorpho, is already part of the DCU. It feels like James Gunn is already setting this up on a platter for the DCU.DC Studios

The DC Comics Backstory of Mister Terrific

In the comics, Mister Terrific is the world’s third smartest man, behind Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne. Although if you ask us, DCU Mister Terrific is almost certainly smarter than DCU Lex. In the comics, Mister Terrific is really Michael Holt, a genius billionaire who lost his wife in a tragedy. With nothing to believe in anymore, he nearly took his own life. But the ghostly Spectre intervened, inspiring him to use his brains and money to become a superhero. We’re not sure if the DCU version of Mister Terrific has the exact same backstory. However, we think the basics of his origins are likely the same.

The Formation of The Terrifics TeamDC Comics

Mister Terrific formed the team when he learned about billionaire Simon Stagg’s plan to open a portal into the Dark Multiverse by using his son-in-law Metamorpho to transmute into Nth Metal. Only using this rare metal could one access the Dark Multiverse. Mr. Terrific, along with his ally Plastic-Man, tried to force Stagg into closing the portal. Instead, all three got sucked into it. There, they met Phantom Girl, an ancestor of the Legion of Super-Heroes’ member of the same name from the 31st century. Upon meeting her, the team learned that she had existed in an intangible state since she was a child. 

DC Comics

After the four metahumans returned from their exile in the Dark Multiverse, they found themselves bound together. If any of them went too far away from the others, they were automatically drawn back together. Their time in the Dark Multiverse cosmically bonded the quartet as a unit. Now stuck together, they used Simon Stagg’s facility to explore the Dark Multiverse as a team. The Terrifics series was originally written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Ivan Reis, lasting only 30 issues. While it didn’t last long, its fans loved it. And it still has a loyal cult following. And it’s the perfect template for a potential live-action series.

The Terrifics Is DC Comics’ Homage to the Fantastic Four DC Comics/Marvel Comics

Obviously, The Terrifics series is DC Comics’ tribute to Marvel’s Fantastic Four. It’s a quarter of heroes, led by one of the world’s smartest men, bonded together as a family thanks to a cosmic accident. Like the Fantastic Four, they are more explorers than traditional superheroes. And although their powers are not exactly like the Fantastic Four’s, the similarities are there. Plastic Man stretches like Mr. Fantastic, but is a big goofball like Human Torch. Phantom Girl is similar to Invisible Woman, and Metamorpho is the tragic “freak” of the team, like the Thing. He’s also the team’s muscle. And of course, Mister Terrific is a next-level scientific genius like Mister Fantastic. And the team’s name is the same as the team leader’s. Much like The Incredibles, it’s a loving homage to Marvel’s First Family.

How the Terrifics Could Exist in the DCUDC Comics

So how would the Terrifics work in the DCU? We know Stagg Industries exists in this DCU, because we see Clark go into a Stagg building after Luthor gets the public to turn on him in Superman. We think “the Dark Multiverse” isn’t the way that James Gunn would take the concept. After all, the Multiverse is getting pretty tired between the MCU and DC’s Flash movie. But, instead of the Dark Multiverse, Stagg’s experiments could take the Terrifics into different realms, not just alternate versions of Earth.

As for the new team members, actor Ben Schwartz has been very public about wanting to play Plastic Man. A Terrifics series (or film) would be the perfect avenue for him to finally play the role. As for Phantom Girl, this would also be a great role for one of Gunn’s former Guardians of the Galaxy stars, Pom Klementieff. The table is quite literally set for an awesome adaptation of The Terrifics from DC Studios. Here’s hoping James Gunn finds a way to bring the team to the screen.

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SUPERMAN’s Krypto Has Led to a Super Surge in Searches About Adopting Rescue Dogs

The Man of Steel needed his furry little friend to help him save the world in Superman, but Krypto’s greatest act of heroism might be coming offscreen. Following the film’s bonanza opening weekend, Superman‘s unruly, super powered canine has inspired a super surge in online searches about how to adopt a rescue dog.Warner Bros./DC

In a story we first heard about at The Wrap, the dog training app Woofz says Google searches for the phrase “adopt a dog near me” increased 513% after the opening weekend of James Gunn’s blockbuster superhero movie. Inquiries for “rescue dog adoption near me” also jumped up by 163%. 

This is more wonderful than you might realize. The untrained Krypto is based on Gunn’s own dog Ozu, whom the director adopted while writing the movie. Ozu inspiring others to try and find homes for good pups who need them is, fittingly, super.

While this is obviously very sweet and will likely lead to some wonderful additions to families everywhere, it’s also not surprising Woofz is also making sure people know what they’re getting into when they adopt a rescue dog. This isn’t the first time a film has inspired moviegoers to do exactly that. In 1996, Disney’s live-action 101 Dalmatians remake led to a flood of people getting their own spotted canine. Previous re-releases of the original animated film also resulted in a big jump of Dalmatian adoptions. Only, a lot of people weren’t prepared to take care of them. That lead to many sad returns. This phenomenon was so widespread it even has its own term, The Dalmatian Syndrome.

That shouldn’t discourage anyone from finding their own Krypto. Just know it’s a big committment. You’re signing up to take care of an innocent creature who might need extra love and patience. As Superman showed, that was hard for Clark Kent even with his robots around to help. It takes a super person to take care of a rescue dog.

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HBO Boss Discusses the Possibility of THE PENGUIN Season 2

The Penguin was never anyone’s favorite Batman villain. But somehow, the HBO series starring Colin Farrell as the notorious Gotham criminal became one of the best series of 2024. It was so good that it earned 24 Emmy nominations, including for Farrell himself and series MVP, Cristin Milioti. Although The Penguin secured a nomination for Best Limited Series, the possibility remains that we may see more eventually. In an interview with Variety about HBO’s Emmy success this year, they asked HBO’s Casey Bloys about the future of The Penguin. Here’s what he had to say:

The number one thing right now that Matt [Reeves] is dealing with is getting the movie [The Batman-Part II] going. I believe they’re making progress there. I know that he and [showrunner] Lauren [LeFranc] have talked about various ideas. So, could another chapter be in the future? Definitely possible. Right now, I think the priority for Matt is the movie. But I know that Lauren is thinking of various ideas that might work alongside the movie. I think it’s possible. I just don’t know at this point.

Warner Bros.

It sounds like if there is another season of The Penguin, it will be years away. Especially if The Batman – Part II has to come out first. From all indications, Colin Farrell is definitely going to be in the upcoming sequel. But the makeup process is brutal for the actor, and he’s been very vocal about it. But, he’s still committed to play Oz Cobb. As Casey Bloys said, “He’s the one that has to play that dark character and sit and sit in the makeup chair for several hours a day. So his buy-in is essential.” If Farrell wins the Emmy, we think talks of a second season will certainly heat up. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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ANDOR’s Tony Gilroy Addresses the Show’s Acting Emmy Snubs

Oscars and the Emmys snubs don’t get me as worked up nearly as much as they used to. I’m not okay with voters overlooking my favorite performance. It’s just that there are a limited number of spots in every category. There’s simply not enough room to honor the many people worthy of recognition, so why worry about them, you know? Buuuuut c’mon! It’s absurd the Television Academy mostly ignored the cast of Andor second season this year. Forest Whitaker (Guest Actor in a Drama Series) and Alan Tudyk (Character Voice-Over Performance) nabbed the incredible Disney+ series‘ only two acting nods among the Star Wars show’s otherwise impressive 14 nominations. Andor creator Tony Gilroy agrees, but he also knows there are more important things than Emmy Awards and shows like them. He knows his stars’ performance will endure far longer than any snub or nomination.Lucasfilm

The always tactful Gilroy told Deadline “there are a lot of performances” from his show he would have liked to see earn a 2025 Emmy nomination. While he specifically cited the obvious omissions of Diego Luna and Genevieve O’Reilly, he said “there are a dozen performances” from the series that were worthy.

That might sound like a big number, but anyone who watched Andor knows it’s anything but. Even if it was never going to get 12 nominations, it’s stunning/ridiculous stars Luna, O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Denise Gough, Elizabeth Dulau, Kyle Soller, Ben Mendelsohn, Adria Arjona, and Anton Lesser combined for zero. Especially when the Academy had no problem nominating :checks notes: everyone from The White Lotus.

Lucasfilm

Gilroy’s disappointment about those Andor Emmy snubs didn’t keep him from maintaining a fantastic, absolutely correct perspective, though. He said an Emmy can’t compare to the “ultimate victory” his actors have already achieved. He said, “These performances will be celebrated and discussed for years to come. I feel confident about that.”

We’re not confident they will. We’re positive. Just like we’re positive it’s still absurd they didn’t also get Emmy nominations.

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We Need to Talk About SUPERMAN…

James Gunn’s Superman finally soared into theaters to kick off the DCU in earnest! And we need to talk about it… Specifically about how it’s really, really good. Is this the best Superman ever? Does it avoid the DCEU and MCU’s mistakes? Dan Casey returns from the pocket dimension to find out in today’s video.

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