Fight scenes galore! That is what Director Chad Stahelski is promising when he, along with the folks at Starz and Lionsgate, adapt a John Wick television show called, The Continental.
The show will be take place in the same world as the John Wick films and will tell the story of The ContinentalHotel, a place where the world’s deadliest assassins go to lay low when they aren’t out on assignment. It serves as a safe haven, with a set of moral codes.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht stated there will be, “thunderous fight sequences and intensely staged shootouts between professional assassins and their targets”. Great news! This series has offered up some of the best hand-to-hand combat and ridiculous shootout scenes we’ve ever seen.
Wick already has his own comic book via Dynamite, while the third installment in the film series is set to come out in 2019, so adding a TV show to expand his universe is a great idea! It will join a franchise that has already amassed over $300 million at the worldwide box office.
No announcements yet regarding casting or a premiere date, but Stahelski did offer up some information regarding how the show will fit into the film series universe.
“They’ve got a really good structure. It’s very tied to the film in that it’s about The Continentals all over the world, how certain people come into that world, and what happens in relation to those people,” Stahelski said. “It’s something that studio [Starz] seems very, very intent on and very, very behind.”
Keanu Reeves is not expected to reprise his role as Wick on the show. He will instead be on the other side of the camera, serving as an executive producer. Though, it has been hinted he may make a cameo. We will have to wait and see.
The first major comic convention is right around corner and BOOM! Studios is all set for Emerald City Comic Con 2018. The publisher released its program schedule Friday night.
Lumberjanes: The Hardcore Lady Type Panel
Friday, March 2nd
Time: 4:00-5:00pm | Location: TCC L3-R1
BOOM! Studios’ Lumberjanes is one of the biggest success stories in comics—and their biggest adventures yet are coming in 2018! Join co-creator Brooklyn Allen, Mariko Tamaki (Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power), series artist Ayme Souyo, series colorist Maarta Laiho and series editor Dafna Pleban to celebrate entering Year Five of Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types!
BOOM! Studios: Discover Yours
Saturday, March 3rd
Time: 1:30-2:30pm| Location: TCC L3-R1
The world of BOOM! Studios has grown bigger than ever before, meaning there’s a comic book for every kind of fan – and this is the panel to Discover Yours! Join Kyle Higgins (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Josh Trujillo (Dodge City), Cara McGee (Dodge City), Ryan Ferrier (Rocko’s Modern Life), Lisa DuBois (Rugrats), Sean Rubin (Bolivar), Royden Lepp (Rust), and Matt Gagnon (Editor-in-Chief, BOOM! Studios) as they reveal all the big news from the diverse imprints of BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM! and Archaia, along with some special surprises for every fan in attendance. Moderated by Filip Sablik (President of Publishing & Marketing, BOOM! Studios).
Creating the World of Mouse Guard
Sunday, March 4th
Time: 1:30-2:30 | Location: WSCC 604
Discover the secrets behind building the world of Mouse Guard, one of the most successful new comics of the past decade, straight from creator David Petersen! Mouse Guard is in development as a feature film by 20th Century Fox, but before that, David crafted a world for the graphic novel series with a sense of history, materials, arts, values, architecture, culture, and language. Explore the past, present, and future of The New York Times bestselling series that everyone’s talking about, from comic books to coloring books and more! Moderated by Cameron Chittock (Editor, BOOM! Studios).
ECCC takes place at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Wash. from March 1-4. The BOOM! Studios booth will be located at #1002 on the SkyBridge.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino join forces again!
After working on D’Jango Unchained in 2012 Oscar winning actor and director Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino will work together once again.
DiCaprio is set to star in the untitled film based on Charles Manson. Vanity Fair reports, The film is set in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ’70s and is believed to involve the actress and model Sharon Tate, who was murdered by members of Charles Manson’s notorious “family” in 1969.
Tarantino asked Margot Robbie to play Sharon Tate, but nothing’s been finalized. A release date is set for Aug. 19, 2019. The 50th anniversary of Sharon’s death.
Producers of the film include Harry Potter’s David Heyman, Tarantino and Shannon McIntosh. Production begins later this year with an $18 million California production tax credit.
DiCaprio is repped by LBI Entertainment and Hanson Jacobson.
Earlier today, news broke that Leonardo DiCaprio, long rumored to be circling Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Charles Manson/1969 film, was in fact joining the director to star. Now, QT has his sights set on another Oscar winner: Al Pacino.
In the same Variety report announcing the reunion of DiCaprio and Tarantino (the two previously worked together in Django Unchained), Justin Kroll writes “Sources now tell Variety that Tarantino is interested in casting Al Pacino in the film as well. Sony is handling distribution.”
Nothing in stone yet, but it sure seems like if Quentin Tarantino is interested in you, you probably at least take a meeting or two. It would be an absolute blast to see what Tarantino could do with Al Pacino and his manic range. Odds are, however, it would be something decidedly un-Pacino.
There’s also the rumor still floating about that Tom Cruise might be interested in the movie, which takes place in 1969 and is set against a backdrop of the Manson Family murders. It is not exclusively about Manson, as was reported in the early days, but whatever his involvement, Tom Cruise would make sense as the diminutive maniac; just trust me on this.
Stay tuned as we get more information about casting, shooting, release, etc. And remember, this is the first post-Weinstein picture for Tarantino, who has taken his talents to Sony. It should be fascinating to see unfold.
The companies will coordinate with a TWE estate, ‘The Last Wine Company’, to develop both ‘Blood Red Blend’ and a ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, each with a label that will respond to the Living Wine Labels app, which is an augmented reality visualizer that brings bottles to life. Pointing your phone, while using the app, at the labels, prompts characters to either fight off ‘walkers‘ in the aisle or see ‘walkers’ come up right out of the label.
“We know how enthusiastic fans of The Walking Dead can be and we expect they will embrace the Living Wine Labels app and wines with real excitement,” Seth Hynes, who is leading the introduction of the wines, said. “Finding new and meaningful ways to connect with consumers is something we care very much about.”
The Living Wine Labels app is not a new venture. In fact, it has been working with another TWE brand in 19 Crimes for a while now and, come February, 2018, will also augment various labels with Chateau St. Jean, Beringer Bros. and Gentleman’s Collection wines.
Though this isn’t the first ‘TWD’-inspired wine. Just a few months ago, AMC and Lot 18 came together to launch a three-wine set, named ‘Daryl Dixon’, ‘Negan’ and ‘Rick Grimes’.
Each bottle via The Last Wine Co. will be available at some point in January of 2018 and each will retail for $18.99, while the Lot 18 wines are available now for $22 each. Whatever route you go, any of these bottles would go great with this ’walker’ wine holder.
With millions of fans heavily involved on social media of ‘TWD’ comics and AMC’s The Walking Dead are highly involved in everything as their loyalty knows no bounds. You will want to scoop these up if you’re lucky enough to find them, for sure. TWD on AMC returns on February 25.
Download the Living Wine Labels app now (iOS / Android) to ‘Watch the Dead Rise’.
While you’re here, check out this article from Vine Pair, where wine professionals talk about the must-grab-and-run-with bottle of wine they’d want during the ‘walker’ apocalypse.
Shazam!, the story revolving around Billy Batson coming out of Warner Bros., will release on April 5, 2019, per The Wrap.
Zachary Levi leads the cast as the main character, with supporting roles given by Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Asher Angel, Grace Fulton, Cooper Andrews, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, and David J. MacNeil.
Shazam! is directed by David F. Sandberg, with a screenplay written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.
DC Films is in a period of change at this point. Justice League underperformed, which led them to re-think their entire slate of movies. Currently, the only confirmed films in the universe include Wonder Woman 2, Suicide Squad 2, Aquaman, Black Adam, and Shazam!.
Are you looking forward to Billy Batson’s on-screen debut? Comment below, let us know.
DC Comics announced today it will deeply explore some of the previously overlooked DCU history in a new prestige mini-series, The Other History of The DC Universe, from Oscar-winning filmmaker John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Let It Fall). Ridley also currently writes comics for DC (Vertigo’s The American Way: Those Above and Below).
According to DC Comics, “the story will analyze iconic DC moments and chart sociopolitical gains through the perspectives of DC Super Heroes who come from traditionally disenfranchised groups, including John Stewart, Extraño, Vixen, Supergirl, Katana and Rene Montoya among others. At its core, the series focuses on the lives of those behind the costumes, and their endeavors to overcome real-world issues.”
Writer John Ridley stated:
I could not be more excited by the opportunity to excavate the canon of the DC Universe through a vast array of characters who’ve earned their seat at the table, I’m very impressed with DC’s commitment to making their history as reverent and urgent as it is engaging and entertaining for all its many fans.
Ridley is scheduled to discuss the book this weekend during D.C.’s The Many Shades of Heroism: DC Heroes Through the African-American Lens panel. You can live stream the panel on Saturday, January 13, at 11 a.m. ET on the DC YouTube channel and follow on social media with #dcindc2018.
The Other History of The DC Universe is scheduled to hit comic shops in the winter of 2018.
What do you all think? Are you excited for these important characters to get their stories told? Comment and discuss below. And as always stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for more information on this as it develops.
You Were Never Really Here hits Sundance next week, but Lynne Ramsay’s dark thriller has been making the festival rounds for months now and it’s picked up a boulder of great buzz.
This full-lentgth trailer shows us some more violence, more tone, but still manages to keep the meat of the story under wraps. And pay attention to the score at work here from Jonny Greenwood, because it’s wonderfully unnerving:
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
There will definitely be some brutal moments, given that Phoenix’s killer character’s favorite method of pain appears to be a hammer. This is also Lynne Ramsay’s long-awaited (too long gee hmm wonder why funding was so tough to secure gee) follow-up to 2011’s wonderful tense We Need to Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly in one of the more interesting movie married couples in recent memory. She appears to be striking the same chords, albeit in a more direct way and in a more violent story.
You Were Never Really Here also stars Ekaterina Samsonov and the great Alessandro Nivola. It will hit theaters in the U.S. on April 6. In related news, I know where I now know where I will be April 6.
Marvel Comics announced Friday afternoon, CONAN will return for an all-new series in January of 2019.
C.B. Cebulski is making bold moves in his early tenure as the editor-in-chief of Marvel.
“From Barry Windsor-Smith to John Buscema to Neal Adams, a legendary line-up of amazing artists brought Conan to life in the pages of Marvel comics. It’s a legacy we’re now going to live up to with the talent we have lined up for the Cimmerian barbarian’s homecoming in early 2019. We’re excited!” said Cebulski.
From the images below, it looks as if Conan could be part of the Marvel Universe continuity.
From 1970 to 2000 with Conan The Barbarian, Conan the Adventurer, Conan the Savage and Savage Sword of Conan there a 650 issue catalog.
Creative team and title announcement will come at a later date, according to Marvel.
What do you think of the news, are you excited for the return of Conan to Marvel? Comment below.
Since its release, the Nintendo Switch has been dominating sales all over the globe. With Thursday morning’s announcements of new titles, ports, and DLC made via Nintendo Direct, it looks like Nintendo may hit its March goal of 14 million Switch units sold. Here is a list of what characters and games will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
First released on the Nintendo DS in July of 2007, The World Ends With You is receiving a port to Nintendo’s new console. The Switch version of the fantasy action role-playing game will allow players to play two different ways. They can either control characters via the touchscreen or use traditional controls, and the game will also give players a new scenario to play as well. Outside of a release date of 2018, information about the game and its new scenario other than it being “sizeable” was not released.
POKKEN TOURNAMENT DX DLC
Two new waves of character DLC for Pokken Tournament DX will be hitting the Nintendo Switch starting on January 31st! The first part of the new battle pack will introduce Aegislash as a new battle character, and will also contain a support set of Mimikyu and Mega Rayquaza. Then on March 23rd the second wave of the battle pack arrives, carrying with it a slew of characters. Which includes a battle character version of Blastoise, with Mew and Celebi arriving in the game as a support set.
Players will also have immediate access to new avatar items if they purchase the battle pack right now.
KIRBY STAR ALLIES
At E3, Nintendo announced Kirby Star Allies and today as part of Nintendo Direct they released a new gameplay trailer. While the trailer showcased new Artist and Spider move-sets, what it really hammered home were two staples Nintendo is known for. Colors and multiplayer. Amidst its unique and bright levels, the game’s multiplayer system was shown off.
The new co-op system allows four players to share their abilities as they travel though the game’s levels. Kirby and his friends make their Nintendo Switch debut on March 16th.
DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS
Among the many things announced in this year’s Nintendo Direct video was news that the demo for Dragon Quest Builders is now available on the Nintendo Switch. It can be found in the Nintendo eShop.
HYRULE WARRIORS: DEFINITIVE EDITION
This new edition of Hyrule Warriors will contain every map, character, and mission from both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions, including the premium DLC. Giving players 29 playable characters to choose from. If you’re a fan of the outfits Link and Zelda wore in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, then good news you can equip them in this game as well. Also included in the game is a two-player split-screen mode that utilizes a split pair of Joy-Con controllers.
The game launches this Spring.
MARIO TENNIS ACES
Nintendo’s famous mascot made his 2018 Nintendo Direct debut wearing full tennis gear. The next installment in the Mario Tennis series includes new gameplay mechanics. Including “new wrinkles” to help determine which shot and stroke will help you defeat your opponent given their position on the court. But the biggest addition to the game is a new story mode that contains new missions, boss battles, and more.
As with Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, Mario Tennis Aces will also be released this Spring.
YS VIII: LACRIMOSA OF DANA
The RPG that was released on PC, Playstation 4, and Vita will arrive on the Nintendo Switch this Summer.
SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY UPDATE/DLC
A new and free update is coming to Super Mario Odyssey. The update includes a new unlockable online game mode called Luigi’s Balloon World which is available after the update is downloaded and the main story is beaten. The game mode consists of a unique version of hide and seek. Giving players 30-seconds to either hide or discover a balloon anywhere on a map.
Also included in the update are new snapshot filters and three new outfits for Mario to wear. Knight armor, a musicians outfit modeled after the ones in New Donk City, and a “Sunshine” outfit that puts Mario in shades and a Super Mario Sunshine styled shirt. The new update will be available in February.
SNK HEROINES TAG TEAM FRENZY
Fans of the SNK fighting games can now play as their favorite female fighters in a new tag game. Controls are made easy as players can activate a variety of moves with just one button. Fighters are also customizable. The game will be released this Summer.
Also announced was the release of Aca NeoGeo 2 Art of Fighting 2 in the eShop.
MARIO + RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE DLC
Building off of 2017’s DLC which included features like end-game content and co-op, Nintendo is making Donkey Kong a playable character in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. His inclusion in the game this Spring also comes with a new story.
PAYDAY 2
Not only is Payday 2 from Starbreeze Studios coming over to the Nintendo Switch, it will also come with a new timed exclusive character. A Japanese computer whiz named Joy who wears a mask lined with LED’s and comes with her own weapons and hacker perks. Payday 2 will be released on February 27th for the Nintendo Switch.
Fe and Celeste
Two new indie games are also coming to the Nintendo Switch. The first one that was shown was Fe (pronounced Fay). A platformer from Zoink Games that debuted at E3 last year as part of EA’s originals series. By utilizing the Joy-Con’s motion controls players can unlock new character abilities as they venture deeper and deeper into Fe‘s Nordic world.
Prior to the February 16th release of Fe,Matt Makes Games’ 2D action platformer, Celeste will be available for the Switch on January 25th. The game comes with an assist mode which allows players to adjust difficulty, speed, and invincibility.
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE
The game that was first released on the Wii U back in February of 2014 is getting ported to the Nintendo Switch. This time Funky Kong is getting in on the action as he’ll be a playable character in a new game mode. His abilities include hovering with his surfboard and using it to land on spikes. Funky can also perform infinite rolls and underwater maneuvers.
The game will be released on May 4th, and it also comes with a two-player co-op.
DARK SOULS REMASTERED
Closing out this year’s Nintendo Direct was the announcement of Dark Souls coming to the Switch. Nintendo released a trailer for the upcoming remaster, and while no gameplay info was given, a release date was. May 25th.
What did you think of this year’s Nintendo Direct presentation? What game(s) are you excited for? Comment below!
