Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts today announced plans to bring the world of Nintendo to life at Universal theme parks – creating spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds.
The agreement brings two icons of entertainment together and represents a significant partnership for Nintendo as it expands the reach and popularity of its characters and intellectual property.
Universal theme parks offer incredibly popular, innovative themed family entertainment experiences based on compelling stories and characters – using powerful storytelling and innovative technology. Nintendo has created remarkable and imaginative worlds filled with captivating stories and beloved characters. Now, for the first time, those stories and characters will be brought to life in entirely new ways – only at Universal theme parks.
The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal’s theme parks and will feature Nintendo’s most famous characters and games. More details will be announced in the future, as the Nintendo and Universal creative teams work to create specific concepts.
Source: Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts Media
According to Entertainment Weekly, Fox will not pick up The Mindy Project for a fourth season.
The show has a solid cult following but that didn’t translate into ratings. EW also mentions the show might live on as the show’s producer, Universal Television, is currently in serious talks with Hulu for multiple additional seasons. Hulu currently owns the streaming rights to all of the show’s episodes.
Secret Crisis of Infinite Wars #1 Review
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Esad Ribic, Ive Svorcina
Rating: What the f*$% did I just read?
This is how Earth-616 (the original Marvel Universe, for those not keeping score) and its “Ultimate Universe” end: Not with thunderous applause, but…
Mass confusion.
What did I just read? I mean, I haven’t exactly kept up with Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers or New Avengers runs. I read the first 14 or so issues of his Avengers, but got bored and disinterested once all of the weird Starbrand and Captain Universe stuff started happening, picking it back up again only during the “Infinity” and “Original Sin” tie-ins to become even more confused. Though I did gather the whole notion that Marvel’s various multiverses were collapsing in on one another, because people played with time machines too many times — or something.
And maybe I would have understood what was going on more in this first issue of Secret Crisis of Infinite Wars (more on that in a minute) if I had seen whatever sort of prologue Marvel had out on Free Comic Book Day this past weekend. That’s a whole other can of worms, because my local shop was all out of the Marvel freebie by the time I showed up. I’ll be damned if DC didn’t have hundreds of copies of their own FCBD giveaway available everywhere, though.
I could digress here and rant about how much I hate Free Comic Book Day because of situations like this, but the key thing to note here is this: FCBD issues should, at the very least, be available under the “free” section on digital platforms the same day.
Anyways, back to the issue at hand. I came into Secret Wars expecting to have some level of confusion. The problem I’ve always had with Jonathan Hickman’s writing is that his stories are so dense and drawn out, you can’t just jump into any of them at any point. Despite having read maybe 20 issues total of his Avengers run, along with Infinity and its New Avengers tie-ins, I’m still thrust into this story with no background provided for what’s going on. Good luck, new readers who saw that big “#1” and decided this was a good place to start.
We begin with Dr. Doom, the Molecule Man, and what looks like Dr. Strange standing on some platform talking to God or the Beyonder or whatever that white electrical cloud in space is. Then, we’re given Ultimate Nick Fury deciding to blow up the original Marvel Universe because his universe is colliding with it and evil future Reed Richards said doing so would be a good idea. And oh, hey, Evil Future Reed’s hanging out with Thanos and a couple of characters I thought were dead (Corvus Glave and Namor) hanging out in “The City,” because evil future masterminds have run out of things to call their homes.
From there, it’s just a bunch of stuff blowing up and (SPOILER ALERT) everyone in both universes dies.
Or not, because there are seven more issues. And I’ve already been promised some scenario where numerous versions of these characters are inhabiting a place called “Battleworld,” a premise that doesn’t seem too far from DC’s concurrent, halfway-finished Convergence. (Hence the Secret Crisis of Infinite Wars jab above, because the whole destroying and rebuilding your characters’ universe is totally DC’s thing with all of its Crises on Infinite Earths.)
The bottom line is this: Just like DC’s “New 52” gave me a reason to read more of their comics beyond the handful of Batman graphic novels I owned, Marvel’s Secret Wars may very well be my jumping-off point on that end. It’s been a fun ride for the last 20 years, but I’ve found myself enjoying omnibuses of Spider-Man and X-Men issues from 30-50 years ago more than most of the company’s modern books. The death of that universe seems like the most fitting place to step off the train.
Another horror classic is seeing a modern reboot. This time, we’re seeing the return of Pennywise the Clown from It, and Will Poulter is in negotiations for the title role.
Poulter doesn’t scream “horrifying, prehistoric shape-shifting entity” to me right now, but director Cary Fukunaga was reportedly very impressed with his audition. He has big shoes to fill following Tim Curry’s infamous Pennywise performance in the two-part TV movie from 1990, but there’s nothing that tells me that he can’t handle a villainous role, especially due to positive whisperings about early footage of his performance in The Revenant (scheduled for a limited release Christmas 2015). With a bit of movie magic, I’m sure that Poulter will come crawling out of sewers and into our nightmares soon enough.
The film will purportedly be split into two parts: one following the Losers Club from Derry, Maine as children and one focusing on their return to vanquish the creature once and for all as adults. Fukunaga has also been adamant that the movie will have “a new look” but faithfully follow the novel.
What do you suppose that means, fans? Are we going to get a glimpse into the Deadlights? Will The Turtle show up? Will everything still float down here?
Tom Hardy is ready to jump on the Marvel MCU train as The Punisher.
2015 is quickly becoming the year of Tom Hardy. First is the upcoming, highly anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road, mere days away. In September he stars as the Kray twins in Legend. If that weren’t enough, right in the middle of Awards Movie Season, Hardy will appear alongside Leo DiCaprio in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman follow up, The Revenant.
With everything on its way, Hardy is still anxious to get involved with more products, and if you ask me, the more the better. In a recent interview with Collider, the conversation went away from Mad Max for a moment and Hardy mentioned that he wanted to be The Punisher for Netflix’s own budding MCU.
“I want The Punisher,” Hardy said. “I want The Punisher, or Splinter Cell, I want something…I don’t know what I want.” Hardy is already in the middle of a Splinter Cell film, so the real news here is that he wants to take on Frank Castle’s Punisher, who would certainly join in with Netflix’s Daredevil on The Defenders team, a series that is already being built as well.
The Punisher is a tricky character, mostly because he is lacking any real power other than the power of revenge to drive his bloodlust. The vengeful character has been done over and over in all different facets of storytelling. On top of that, none of the Punisher films have been good really at all, and the previous performances from Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, or Ray Stevenson. Tom Hardy would be a definite upgrade in the acting department, but does he fit the physical build of the imposing Punisher frame? Does that even matter?
Of course there is no confirmation from Netflix regarding Tom Hardy as The Punisher, but if they were smart, Netflix would extend an offer fairly quickly.
Anna Kendrick talked to Glamour about her new film Pitch Perfect 2, the conversation lead towards gender bias in Hollywood, the Oscars and male insecurity on Twitter.
Kendrick doesn’t believe Hollywood is making strides in gender equality.
“All the films nominated [for a Best Picture Oscar] this year had male leads. Like, every single one. So I’m glad that [equality’s] feeling like a bigger issue now,” said Kendrick.
Kendrick believes it’s a f–k up situation on how women are treated in Hollywood.
“There’s [a film I’m considering] now where I have to wait for all the male roles to be cast before I can even become a part of the conversation. Part of me gets that. [But] part of me is like, “What the f–k? You have to cast for females based on who’s cast as males?” To me, the only explanation is that there are so many f–king talented girls, and from a business standpoint it’s easier to find women to match the men. I totally stand by the belief that there are 10 unbelievably talented women for every role,” said Kendrick.
Kendrick on male insecurity on Twitter.
“My favorite thing on Twitter is guys being like, “Listen: I’m not a pussy, but Pitch Perfect is awesome.” I’m like, “I didn’t think you were a pussy, sir,” said Kendrick.
Ft. Collins, Colo., May 6, 2015 – New Belgium Brewing and Girls Pint Out to host a night of mixing and mingling to help celebrate New Belgium’s new Pear Ginger beer. On May 14 twelve cities across the country will host beer cocktail mixers featuring crafty mixology, beer samples and great food. New Belgium and Girls Pint Out have partnered before on a small batch release beer, Sin and Tonic. This go-round has twelve chapters of the national Girls Pint Out working with local mixologists to offer an interactive evening of beer cocktails and socializing.
“Girls Pint Out is an organization that promotes collaboration between women who love craft beer. By pairing with New Belgium, we have the opportunity to collaborate with a great women-operated brewery and for chapters to collaborate on a national level,” said Girls Pint Out President Amanda Wishin.
Pear Ginger, the inspiration for the evening, is a zesty, invigorating summer sipper crafted for beer glasses and mixologists’ cocktail shakers. Warming, spicy ginger punctuates the lemon, pear and bready white wheat. It starts sweet, but finishes with just the right amount of heat. You can drink it straight, no chaser, or put a new spin on a classic gimlet – either way, it’s how New Belgium is trying to shake it up this summer.
“With Pear Ginger Beer, we decided to create a beer that is wonderful on its own, then doubles as a world-class mixer. We partnered with some of the best bartenders in the business that just happen to be dear friends of ours,” said New Belgium Brewing Specialty Brand Manager, Lauren Salazar. “This beer cocktail event with Girls Pint Out featuring local mixologists is the perfect event to celebrate women who love craft beer and cocktails as well.”
The event includes one cocktail made with New Belgium’s Pear Ginger beer, two samples of beer cocktails, samples of other New Belgium beers and appetizers.
2015 Beer Cocktail Mixer Locations – May 14, 2015
Omaha, Neb.
Date: May 14, 2015
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Wilson & Washburn – 1407 Harney St
Kansas City, Mo.
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: The Belfry – 1532 Grand Blvd
Denver, Colo.
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: The BSide Denver – 1336 E 17th Ave
Tickets: $10
http://bit.ly/GPODenver
Washington, D.C.
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Roofer’s Union (2nd floor) – 2446 18th St NW
Indianapolis, Ind.
Date: May 14, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Binkley’s Kitchen and Bar – 5902 N College Ave
Tickets: $10
http://indygpomixernbb.bpt.me/
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Cask & Ale- 29 3rd St N
Southgate, Mich.
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Rosie O’Grady’s – 14980 Dix Toledo Rd
Tickets: $15 Advance or $20 at the door
In more firsts:
Faith No More will release its first new album in 18 years with Sol Invictus on May 19.
It has been 20 years since the band performed on late night, that all ends on May 13 as the band is set to appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
The full-length Magic Mike XXL trailer is loaded to the brim with innuendo, humor, some crafty dance moves, and a surprising appearance from Andie McDowell.
Check out the Magic Mike XXL trailer here:
I was a fan of the original Magic Mike because it offered much more than those scenes that had all straight women (and gay men) in the universe salivating. Steven Soderbergh’s film was darker, more thoughtful, and much more serious than I think most of those female “watching parties” expected.
Soderbergh is not behind the camera for Magic Mike XXL, but his longtime assistant director Gregory Jacobs is. Jacobs is clearly keeping the color palette and overall look of the original film in place, but the humor looks to be ramped up. While Channing Tatum remains the main draw, one piece that will be sorely missed is Matthew McConaughey’s character, Dallas. It makes sense that Dallas wouldn’t be around for this sequel given the falling out at the end of the original film, but it would still be fun to see him chew scenery.
Magic Mike XXL will attempt to counterbalance Terminator: Genisys when it hits theaters July 1. If you ask me, this one seems much more entertaining than Genisys.
It appears that NBC’s Hannibal will take a different course in season three. NBC released a promo titled, “Bride of Hannibal.” Gillian Anderson plays Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier apparently Hannibal’s wife…
BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO WILL GRAHAM?
We will have to wait June 4th with Hugh Dancy reprises his role as Will Graham. Episode 1 of season 3 is called “Antipasto.”
