Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 72

Neil Druckmann Says, ‘Don’t Bet On’ THE LAST OF US Part 3 & Other Updates on a New TLOU Game

With so much excitement about The Last of Us series, fans are understandably curious if there’s a new burst of life in store for the games as well. But creator Neil Druckmann didn’t sound too optimistic about a third The Last of Us game when he last spoke about it in March 2025. “I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of The Last of Us,” Druckmann shared with Variety when asked about a potential The Last of Us—Part 3. “This could be it.”

At times, Druckmann has sounded more or less positive about a third game. In a follow-up interview, he added some clarification about The Last of Us—Part 3 and its future, “For there to be another [game], another thing, another project. So many stars have to align, so I can’t guarantee it. Right now, my focus is on this season; hopefully, if HBO renews us, next season. And then I am working on a new game called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. One project at a time.” And added in a different interview, “I am treating these projects like it’s the last thing I will ever work on. So my assumption is that there will be no more. If the stars align, and everything comes into place, who knows?”

Naughty Dog

However, it sounds like there are definitely ideas in place for The Last of Us—Part 3. The Last of Us‘ showrunner Craig Mazin recently teased that he’s actually heard some plot concept for The Last of Us—Part 3 game. He noted, “I am familiar with some concepts that Neil has kicked around for a potential third game. I don’t know if he’s zeroed in on one of them. I don’t know what will happen there.” But adds, “Sometimes I think, maybe you should just be happy. Don’t be sad it’s over–be happy that it happened at all! I think Naughty Dog is an incredible game studio. They make beautiful art, and their ability to convey what we can do in television through animation is pretty remarkable.”

Fair enough, but it feels like fans will never stop asking about The Last of Us—Part 3. And now that we know there are ideas in place for it, we can’t help but be curious about what Druckmann imagines for a third The Last of Us game.

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Watch Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito Talk About Their Time Playing the Penguin

The Actors on Actors series from Variety has been a true delight, allowing for wonderful, in-depth conversations between iconic stars. In one of the more recent episodes, two actors united by one iconic role, DC Comics’ Penguin, got the chance to share stories and memories, when Colin Farrell sat down with Danny DeVito. The two became friends working together on Tim Burton’s Dumbo. Both actors shared their love for Burton, among other things, in this nearly hour-long conversation. You can watch the full episode down below:

Of course, the main topic of conversation was their time as the Batman villain Penguin. Farrell of course played the role in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, as well as recently in The Penguin series for Max. Danny DeVito famously played the role in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns in 1992. Of course, their versions of the iconic DC Comics villain were very, very different. Farrell was the grounded “Oz Cobb,” while DeVito was the more comic-booky “Oswald Cobblepot.” Yet both actors had to go through a very intense makeup process to become Penguin. We learned both men actually found the makeup process rather relaxing, and had nothing but praise for their makeup teams.

Max/Variety/Peggy Sirota/Warner Bros.

Of course, both actors worked on screen with a Catwoman. Both Farrell and DeVito had nothing but praise for their respective Selina Kyles, Zoe Kravitz and Michelle Pfeiffer. In fact, DeVito became a very dirty old man talking about how “lustful” he became seeing Pfeiffer in the iconic skintight catsuit. Both actors talked about their feline femme fatale co-stars as “goddesses,” and we really can’t disagree there. It was fun to see how much a fan of Devito’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Colin Farrell is, and it’s also nice to see that DeVito clearly watched all of Farrell’s The Penguin on Max, and was a big fan. Given their ease with being in the makeup chair, and their love for Tim Burton, maybe they can both appear as weird Addams cousins on Wednesday season three? Netflix, make that happen!

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Xbox Announces ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds, Its Answer to Steam Deck and Switch

This was already a big week for handheld gaming enthusiasts. Nintendo’s Switch 2 arrived (mostly) in stores after years of anticipation. Now Microsoft has declared it’s ready to compete in that lucrative market. It announced its bringing two new handheld devices for gamers on the go, with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X.Microsoft

Microsoft is teaming with ASUS to “combine the power of Xbox with the freedom you expect from Windows.” That’s a fancy way of saying it will soon have its own answer to Steam Deck and the Switch. The two models of this new handheld device will run on AMD processors. Each will let players connectquicklyto their favorite games via the cloud or with their nearby Xbox console.

The company describes the ROG Xbox Ally (16 GB RAM, 512 GB) as an “essential handheld at a great value for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.” It calls the ROG Xbox Ally X (24 GB RAM, 1 TB) “the ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.” No matter which version you get your (literal) hands on, each will come with both traditional Xbox features and “several new and first-of-their kind features.” Most exciting, though, might an old school gaming feature. Microsoft highlighted how quickly you can power up a game and start playing.

The ROG will also allow you to play more than just your own library of Xbox games. Because both will run Windows, you’ll also have access to PC only titles. And those are just some of the many bonuses and crossovers gamers will get. You can read the full list at Microsoft’s official announcement. Microsoft also released a behind-the-scenes video showing off the device’s features.

As for when you will be able to purchase either the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, it won’t actually be that long. At least in some “select” markets. They’ll arrive in some places in time for the holiday season. A full rollout will then follow. As for how much both will cost we also have to wait for those details.

For now Xbox just wants you to get excited about its new entry into the handheld gaming market. It doesn’t want you to also complain about what that will mean for your wallet.

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Ryan Reynolds Goes Full DOOGIE HOWSER After Neil Patrick Harris Cast in MARVEL’s DEADPOOL VR

Ryan Reynolds had no problem with lots of other people playing a Variant of his character in Deadpool & Wolverine. Now we know why: that was okay because he was playing Deadpool Prime. Turns out he’s a bit “childish” when it comes to someone else being the #1 Merc With a Mouth. And since Neil Patrick Harris is filling that role in the newly announced Marvel’s Deadpool VR, Reynolds responded exactly how you’d imagine: by taking over as Doogie Howser.

The latest video from Maximum Effort is a ’90s throwback promo for a very modern game. It features a forlorn Ryan Reynolds cosplaying as the (in this case the not-so-young) star of Doogie Howser, M.D. In this very funny video (no one under 30 will get) the “kid” doctor bemoans the actual Doogie Howser getting to voice Deadpool for Meta Quest 3 and 3S’s upcoming game from Twisted Pixel and Oculus Studios. It was

The official description for the game, announced at this year’s Summer Game Fest 2025, promises “an all-new original story.” (It also got a Red Band Trailer.) From Meta:

After being pulled through a portal to Mojoworld, Deadpool sees a chance to get richlike really rich. He signs a sketchy contract without reading any of the fine print and then it’s off to visit a bunch of locations from across the Marvel universe, battling against iconic (and not-so-iconic) villains. It’s real metaverse stuffin the Marvel Universe sense, not the VR one.

Maximum Effort

The actual footage for the game shows why NPH is an inspired choice for the role. He makes for a great Deadpool! This video also shows why no one is better at crossover promos than Reynolds. This is an especially inspired concept. His own sister-in-law, Robyn Lively, starred on Doogie Howser, M.D.

As long as she doesn’t try to take over as Deadpool Prime, he’ll probably allow her to keep appearing in his videos.

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STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 3 Trailer Gives Us More Kirk

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is finally returning for a new season, two years after that big cliffhanger ending. We now have a proper trailer for the third season, teasing us with all kinds of new characters and revelations for Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and the Enterprise crew. And once again, it looks like James T. Kirk will be on board the ship he will one day command for an iconic Five-Year-Mission. You can watch the trailer for season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds right here.

And here’s the official description from Paramount+ for Star Trek: Strange New World’s third season:

In season three, when we reconnect with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, still under the command of Captain Pike, they face the conclusion of season two’s harrowing encounter with the Gorn. But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters’ grit and resolve. An exciting twist on classic Star Trek, season three takes characters both new and beloved to new heights, and dives into thrilling adventures of faith, duty, romance, comedy and mystery, with varying genres never before seen on any other Star Trek.

Paramount+/Sarah Coulter

In the trailer, we see the return of Paul Wesley as young James T. Kirk, and it looks like he takes command of the Enterprise at some point in season three. This is far earlier than expected in the timeline, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. We’ve also got Patton Oswalt as a Vulcan high-fiving Spock (Ethan Peck), and Spock doing the tango with La’an (Christina Chong). We also see a romance develop between Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and the younger brother of Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia). This certainly looks to be another very packed season.

Paramount+/Sarah Coulter

For those of you who still haven’t seen the show, season one of Strange New Worlds will be available to watch for free from Monday, June 30 through Thursday, July 31 on Pluto TV, Paramount+ channels on Amazon, Apple, and Roku, Paramount+’s Free Content Hub, and Paramount+’s YouTube. You have no excuse not to sign up for duty on the Enterprise now. The new season will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, July 17, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 7 Teaser Looks Like a BLADE RUNNER Hell

Few video game franchises have as much staying power as Call of Duty. The first-person shooter series first dropped a game in 2003 and, 2004 notwithstanding, has released a new entry every year hence. The franchise has several offshoots, like Modern Warfare and Black Ops, that have bent the original conceit to new and often disturbing places. For the latest, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the series is going full weird sci-fi, with robots, holograms, and folding cities. Blade Runner meets Inception meets kinda Stranger Things? It’s wild, plus it stars Milo Ventimiglia as David Mason, making this a follow-up to Black Ops II from 2012! Take a look.

Ventimiglia, as you can see, also provides the performance capture for Mason in the game. Also in the cast as voice and face are Kiernan Shipka as Emma Kagan (her what’s the hologram) and Michael Rooker, reprising his Black Ops II role of Mike Harper.

Currently, SAG-AFTRA is on strike against several video game publishers, including Call of Duty‘s Activision. However, according to an article in Variety, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is not a struck title and work on the game has not been impacted by the actors union’s work-stoppage.” No scabs here, so that’s good.

Activision

As for the game itself, it takes place in 2035, ten years after the events of Black Ops II which took place in 2025. Hey, that’s this year! The official synopsis is below:

“In ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,’ Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending ‘Black Ops’ ever. Developed as the next evolution of ‘Black Ops,’ this is the first-ever consecutive release within the series, set more than 40 years after the events of ‘Black Ops 6.’ The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of ‘Black Ops 2’ and ‘Black Ops 6.’ Wielding cutting-edge technology, David Mason and his team must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will drop on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and on PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net and Steam. So, everywhere. No release date yet but it’ll be some time this year.

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 Letterboxd.

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IRONHEART’s New Trailer Teases the Combined Power of Technology and Magic

The official synopsis for Ironheart says the Disney+ series will pit “technology against magic.” But the show’s newest trailer suggests a different path for Dominique Thorne’s young hero. It teases that the only way for Riri Williams to win this fight is to combine those two forces.

One of the MCU’s newest heroes is getting her own time in the franchise’s spotlight. Riri Williams is set to return with her own long-awaited Disney+ show. In addition to Thorne, the series also stars Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White.

What will the next iron-suited MCU hero be doing on her own? The rest of the series’ official synopsis provides more insight. From Marvel Studios:

Set after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Marvel Television’s “Ironheart” pits technology against magic when Riri Williams, determined to make her mark on the world, returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” (Ramos).

Marvel Studios

In a statement Thorne talked about how the show gave her a chance to fully explore her brilliant young scientist. “What was interesting for me was how different Riri’s story and entrance into the MCU was in comparison to other characters,” said Thorne. “After bringing Riri to life in the world of Wakanda, we had an amazing opportunity to follow that up with a deep dive into the character that allows for the exploration of her origin story. We’re not necessarily going back in time; it’s more of catching up and seeing the effects of how those first pivotal moments of her life have shaped her, and seeing the person that she’s trying to become.”

We’ll catch up with herand learn what happens when you combine cutting edge tech with magicsoon enough. The show launches at Disney+ with its first three episode on June 24, 2025.

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Andy Serkis’ ANIMAL FARM Turns Seth Rogen Into George Orwell’s Pig in Teaser Trailer

Hollywood’s history is littered with films featuring talking cartoon animals. Some are sweet, some are crass, some are funny, and some are violent. Now we’re getting where those adorable creatures are exploring communism and power struggles. Director Andy Serkis and his all-star cast are adapting George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and the film’s first teaser trailer jumps right into the muck.

Watch as a star-studded cast turns into pigs and more in Animal Farm‘s trailer below.

Seth Rogen (Napoleon), Kieran Culkin (Squealer), and Gaten Matarazzo (Lucky) voice talking pigs in the first look trailer of Andy Serkis’ Animal Farm. Variety shared the first public footage from the film ahead of its debut today at the Annecy Animation Festival. The movie also stars Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Iman Vellani, and Serkis.

In addition to the Animal Farm teaser trailer, we know a little bit more about the movie. In a statement on the film’s official site, Serkis talked about bringing this iconic novel to the screen. “The challenging journey to bring this extraordinary story to the screen has been finally rewarded by the opportunity to partner with the brilliant team at Aniventure and Cinesite,” said Serkis. “Together, we hope to make our version of Orwell’s ever-relevant masterpiece, emotionally powerful, humorous, and relatable for all ages. A tale not only for our times, but for generations to come.”

Aniventure

Imagine if you didn’t know the movie’s title or source material and you saw this Animal Farm teaser trailer footage? You would assume it was just a comedy, one that might have an R-rating considering Rogen’s involvement. But obviously, no allegory about communism and power would be complete without Seth Rogen playing a talking pig. If you’re unfamiliar with Orwell’s classic book Animal Farm, Aniventure provided a synopsis for its adaptation:

When a group of farm animals rebel and kick their neglectful farmer off the land, life is good and the dream of a free, equitable future is within sight. But power struggles among some of literature’s most infamous characters ensue and the realities of living in a world designed for mankind complicates and corrupts the satirical and allegorical, Animal Farm.

Hollywood always has and always will make movies with talking cartoon animals. Some will be sweet, some crass, some funny, and some violent. But we’re confident one thing most of them won’t be about: what led to the 1917 Russian Revolution. We can’t wait to see more from Serkis’ Animal Farm after this teaser trailer.

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Keanu Reeves Will NOT Appear in CAINE, the JOHN WICK Spinoff Sequel

The John Wick universe is one that’s very ripe for spinoff exploration. And that’s exactly what we are getting with the spinoff prequel film Ballerina as well as a sequel film about Caine. It’s pretty easy to see why Caine is getting his own film. We met this blind High Table assassin in John Wick 4 who takes on his former friend to keep his daughter safe. At the end of the film, Caine and his daughter are free from the High Table, however, a post-credits scene shows Akira coming for him. 

Recently, Chad Stahelski revealed that one character we won’t see in Caine is Keanu Reeves’ John Wick. He shared, “The Donny Yen spinoff doesn’t have the John Wick character. It’s got Donny Yen and it’s an ode to kung fu movies. If John Wick 1 was about Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, this is about Chow Yun-fat, John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. So I think that one is a little easier to get it across to audiences because it’s in a sub-genre of what we love.”

What else will go down in Caine’s John Wick spinoff? Here’s everything we know about the film so far. 

Title

Right now, the film is using the working title Caine. That could change as it gets closer to completion and release. 

RELATED ARTICLE

Donnie Yen Will Star in JOHN WICK Caine Spinoff MovieCaine’s Plot Lionsgate

We know that Caine will have to face Akira, the daughter of Koji whom Caine killed during a major fight at the Osaka Continental. He did spare Akira’s life but she’s hellbent on revenge and could possibly try to harm his daughter. We may also discover more about his life while moving his story forward. Variety reports that the Caine spinoff film will be a “Hong Kong-style action thriller.” 

Behind the Scenes 

Donnie Yen will both star in, executive produce, and direct the John Wick spinoff Caine film. It will be produced by Basil Iwanyk, Chad Stahelski, and Erica Lee, all of whom worked on the franchise’s previous installments. The writer is The Batman Part II’s Mattson Tomlin. The film is set to start production soon, perhaps over the summer of 2025. 

Caine’s Cast 

Of course, Donnie Yen will portray Caine. We can assume that Aime Kwan will also return as Caine’s daughter Mia. Rina Sawayama will reprise her role as the sword-wielding Akira as an antagonist. 

“John Wick: Chapter 4 introduced us to so many compelling, original characters, including Akira. We’re beyond thrilled to have Rina coming back to the franchiseCaine and Akira have unfinished business, and this next chapter in their stories will be explosive,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

We will have to see what new characters we meet and if any others from the franchise will return. 

Caine’s Release Date 

There is currently no release date for Caine.

The post Keanu Reeves Will NOT Appear in CAINE, the JOHN WICK Spinoff Sequel appeared first on Nerdist.

Keanu Reeves’ John Wick Cameo Was Designed to Give BALLERINA ‘A Fighting Chance’

The world of John Wick is a sprawling one. Although the main franchise of movies focuses on a narrow slice of one assassin’s life, there’s a lot in the universe to explore. And now, John Wick will get its first cinematic spinoff with the Ballerina movie. We still have a lot of questions about how the movie will connect into the main John Wick universe and what exact story it will tell. But we do know, we can’t wait to immerse ourselves back into this deadly web of underground criminals and assassins. This time Ana de Armas will serve as our guide.

Recently, John Wick director Chad Stahelski chimed in on Keanu Reeves’ appearance as John Wick in Ballerina. He shared that the John Wick appearance by Reeves wasn’t in the original vision or script of Ballerina, and Stahelski was against it.

Stahelski reveals of the John Wick cameo in Ballerina, “That wasn’t in the original script. To be honest, I was kind of against it. But I do see the benefit and we wanted to help out [director Len Wiseman]. We had just opened John Wick 4, and it was huge. He couldn’t go back to the model of the first John Wick and do a little $18 million indie thing and try to build it up. In order to stay in the same game, you got to give him a fighting chance. And the easiest way to transfer that over at least, from the studio point of view was have Wick in Ballerina in a special timeline.”

And there you have it, the story of Keanu Reeves appearance in Ballerina.

Here’s everything we know about the John Wick spinoff movie, Ballerina.

TitleUniversal Pictures

The title of this John Wick movie is Ballerina, alluding to the main character’s training as both dancer and assassin in the Ruska Roma.

LionsgateBallerina‘s Plot

Plot details for Ballerina are still sparse. A logline for the movie simply shares:

The world of John Wick expands with BALLERINA, as Ana de Armas stars as an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma.

Lionsgate

That description tells us more about the character than the movie, but we do know a few more bits and pieces. According to Deadline, “Ballerina focuses on a young female assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family.” But whether one of those people is John Wick himself, we still don’t know. Potentially, the family Armas’ character wants to avenge is actually her family from the Ruska Roma, who were left hurting in John Wick: Parabellum.

Click To View Gallery Lionsgate Lionsgate Lionsgate Lionsgate

Keanu Reeves, who will appear in the film as John Wick, gave us a better idea of when Ballerina takes place on the John Wick timeline. He noted that the movie fits in between John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. So, although the movie will release after Chapter 4, it will take us back in time. And we’re grateful for it because we can’t wait to see Reeves in action as our favorite assassin.

Ballerina‘s CastLionsgate

Ana de Armas will star in Ballerina. Joining her are quite a number of members of the John Wick family as well as some new faces. First, as mentioned, John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, will return in Ballerina. We don’t know yet how big of a role he’ll have in the movie. In addition, Ian McShane is set to reprise his John Wick role as Winston, the manager of The Continental Hotel, in Ballerina. Anjelica Huston will also return as The Director in the John Wick movie as well. Her presence, of course, makes a lot of sense considering the heavy presence of the Ruska Roma in the little information we’ve received so far. The late Lance Reddick will also return as Charon, one of the concierges at the Continental Hotel, in the movie. Sadly, the actor recently passed away, but it seems he had already filmed his appearance.

Jace Downs/AMC

Joining the John Wick franchise, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Gabriel Byrne will star opposite of de Armas. In addition, The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus has joined the cast of Ballerina. Finally, Deadline reports that two actors joined the movie during reshoots, Umbrella Academy‘s David Castaeda and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.

Behind the Scenes 

Behind the camera, Len Wiseman will direct Ballerina. Shay Hatten, meanwhile, penned the script. Reports indicate that Emerald Fennell also assisted in its writing. John Wick director Chad Stahelski will serve as a producer on the movie alongside Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee.

Ballerina‘s Release Date

Ballerina was set to release on June 7, 2024, but reportedly its release date has moved to June 6, 2025.

Originally published on April 20, 2023.

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