Thor: Ragnarok Could Be Marvel Studios’ Shortest Film At 100 Minutes

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July 28, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok is shaping up to be one of Marvel Studios’ best films.

It’s also looking to be the shortest, according to reports.

In a Collider interview, director Taika Watiti confirms the film is under two hours long. More specifically, it clocks in at one hour and forty minutes. This puts Thor: Ragnarok ahead of The Incredible Hulk‘s 112 minutes running time.

“The cut right now, I reckon it’s about 100 minutes,” he says. “It’s not gonna be a very, very long film.”

Watiti goes on to elaborate as to why the movie will be shorter than most Marvel films. He wants to avoid the risk of audiences feeling fatigue.

“I think that stories are better when you leave them wanting more, and this film moves at a clip,” he explains. “I think people are still gonna feel exhausted by the end, they’ve been on this big journey and stuff, so I don’t think we need the film to be three hours.”

While the movie won’t be overlong, the short running time does give one to feel a bit of concern. Most of Marvel’s films are around two or two a half hours in length. With Thor and Loki’s quest, there is a lot of ground to cover in this movie. On top of that, they will be depicting the fall of Asgard. Furthermore, you have to factor Hulk’s story arc in the film as well. How will all of these plot elements mesh together?

According to Watiti, fans will really enjoy the film’s extras. “There are a lot of deleted scenes. Great scenes,” he explains. They’ll be available on the film’s DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

“Funny, funny moments that—you can’t have it all,” he says. “As I say you gotta kill those puppies, so we had to take some of those things out. Those scenes will exist so people will be able to see them.”

Fans will remember Jon Favreau did trim some scenes from Iron Man, because he felt “Less is more.” While this may be true, juggling Thor and Hulk’s stories in one film is a tricky tightrope to walk.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Karl Urban, Jeff Goldblum, Cate Blanchett and Anthony Hopkins. Benedict Cumberbatch will be reprise his role of Doctor Strange.

Thor: Ragnarok comes to theatres on November 3, 2017.

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First Annual Ringo Award Nominees Have Been Announced

By

Manuel Gomez

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July 28, 2017

On the heels of the Eisner Award Ceremony, the comics industry has announced the nominees for a new award, The Ringos, named after celebrated comic artist Mike Wieringo. You can check out all the nominees below. The winners will be announced September 23 at a ceremony held at this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con.

Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)

Daniel Clowes
Steve Conley
Hernandez Brothers
Aydin Anh Huynh (Snailords)
Kaitlyn Narvaza (instantmiso)
Skottie Young

Best Writer

PJ Haarsma & Alan Tudyk
Jody Houser
Tom King
Robert Kirkman
Jeff Lemire
Alan Moore
Mark Waid
David Walker
Gerard Way

Best Artist or Penciler

Kaare Andrews
Cliff Chiang
Rafael de Latorre
Mitch Gerards
Jason Johnson
Jason Latour
Dustin Nguyen
Fiona Staples

Best Inker

Mark Brooks
Jeremy Freeman
Jonathan Glapion
Jason Latour
Jae Lee
Danny Miki
Sean Murphy
Victor Olazaba

Best Letterer

Clayton Cowles
Taylor Esposito
Todd Klein
Troy Peteri
John Workman

Best Colorist

Jordie Bellaire
Tamra Bonvillain
Elizabeth Breitweiser
Laura Martin
Rico Renzi
Sarah Stone
Matt Wilson

Best Cover Artist

Frank Cho
Mike Del Mundo
JG Jones
Phil Noto
Ryan Sook
Fiona Staples
Sana Takeda

Best Series

Faith, Valiant Entertainment
Paper Girls, Image Comics
Saga, Image Comics
Spectrum, Automatic Pictures
Vision, Marvel Comics

Best Single Issue or Story

Deadly Hands of Criminal, Image Comics
DC Universe Rebirth #1, DC Comics
Emancipation Day, redistrictedcomics.com
Faith #1, Valiant Entertainment
Locke & Key: Small World, IDW Publishing

Best Original Graphic Novel

Ghosts, Scholastic/Graphix
March: Book III, Top Shelf Productions
Patience, Daniel Clowes, Fantagraphics
Tetris: The Games People Play, First Second
Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, DC Comics

Best Anthology

Dark Horse Presents, Dark Horse Comics
Island, Image Comics
Love is Love, DC Comics/IDW Publishing
ReDistrictedComics.com (www.redistrictedcomics.com)
Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special, DC Comics

Best Humor Comic

Adventures of God, Line Webtoons
Blue Chair, Line Webtoons
Giant Days, BOOM! Studios
I Hate Fairyland, Image Comics
Jughead, Archie Comics
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Marvel Comics

Best Comic Strip or Panel

Bloom County, Berkeley Breathed, Universal Uclick
Dick Tracy, Joe Staton & Mike Curtis, Tribune Media Services
Foxtrot, Bill Amend, Universal Press Syndicate
Mutts, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis, Universal Uclick

Best Webcomic

Girl Genius, Phil Foglio
Siren’s Lament, Kaitlyn Narvaza (instantmiso)
The Middle Age, Steve Conley
The Red Hook, Dean Haspiel
unOrdinary, uru-chan

Best Non-fiction Comic Work

Cooking Comically
Dark Night, A True Batman Story, DC Comics
March: Book Three, Top Shelf Productions
ReDistrictedComics.com
Rolling Blackouts, Drawn and Quarterly
Tetris: The Games People Play, First Second

Best Presentation in Design

Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comic Series, Dark Horse Comics
Al Williamson’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Artist Edition, IDW Publishing
Britannia, Valiant Entertainment
Legacy of Luther Strode, Image Comics
Mike Mignola’s Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects: Artist’s Edition Hardcover, IDW Publishing
Moebius Library: The World of Edena, Dark Horse Books
The ODY-C: Cycle One Hardcover, Image Comics
Spectrum, Automatic Pictures

What do you guys think of the nominees? Comment and discuss below!

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Warner Bros. Plans Oscar Campaign For ‘Wonder Woman’

By

Matthew Sardo

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July 28, 2017

‘Wonder Woman’ was a good film, but does it deserve an Oscar? Apparently, Warner Bros. believes so as the studio has internally discussed launching a formidable awards-season campaign for the movie, in the hopes of making it the first comic-book film nominated for best picture, according to a report by Variety.

No comic book film has ever been nominated for Best Picture, not even Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight.’

The report continues to say that Warner Bros. will push hard for Patty Jenkins as well for Best Director. In 89 years, only one woman has won Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow for ‘The Hurt Locker’ in 2010. Gal Gadot is a member of the Academy, so ‘Wonder Woman’ and Jenkins have at least one vote.

For fans of the film, look for the Amazon princess to get a limited re-release in theaters this fall to generate award buzz. ‘Deadpool’ gained traction last year with two Golden Globe nominations, it will be interesting to see how the Hollywood Foreign Press Association treats ‘Wonder Woman.’

‘Wonder Woman’ has a worldwide box office take of $782 million and counting, and a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Do you think ‘Wonder Woman’ deserves a Best Picture nomination? Comment below.

About ‘Wonder Woman’

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

Gal Gadot returns as Wonder Woman in an epic action adventure from director Patty Jenkins. Joining Gadot in the international cast are Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, Ewen Bremner, Lucy Davis, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Eugene Brave Rock, and Saïd Taghmaoui.

Bonus: ‘Wonder Woman 2’ will hit theaters on December 13, 2019.

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Nicholas Hoult in talks for Tolkien!

By

Roman Colombo

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July 27, 2017

After three Hobbit movies and three Lord of the Rings movies, Middle-Earth fans might not get the chance to return to the beloved realm anytime soon, with Tolkien estate refusing to sign over film rights for the Silmarillion. But in the meantime, Ringsters may have another movie to flock to: a JRR Tolkien biopic!

Potentially starring as the mythmaker is the Young Beast from the X-Men prequels Nicholas Hoult. According to Deadline, Hoult will play a young JRR Tolkien, exploring the years before he wrote his beloved children’s book The Hobbit and his epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. However, if fans are expecting a magical journey, they might want to brace themselves. While the film will explore his younger years as an orphan developing friendships with “a fellow group of outcasts at school,” it will also explore his time in World War I. To give an idea of what Tolkien experienced in the war, you only need to read Lord of the Rings—the battles in it were based on ones he fought in. And as a communication officer waving flags on the battlefield, it’s a miracle Tolkien even survived to write his Middle-Earth realm.

There’s no release date yet for Fox Searchlight’s Tolkien, written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford and being directed by Dome Karukoski. Hoult’s Beast, however, will be returning in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, hitting theaters November 2, 2018.

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Todd McFarlane Wants DiCaprio in Spawn

By

Roman Colombo

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July 27, 2017

With a Spawn movie currently in development with Todd McFarlane writing the script, one role that fans will be excited to see cast is Twitch—but McFarlane already knows who he wants to play the character:

“When I was writing, I had Leonardo DiCaprio in my head,” McFarlane said in an interview with Vulture. “I don’t know if people have seen The Wolf of Wall Street, but there is a manicness in him. He was going up and down and up and down. It was almost dizzying emotionally to go with him. There are parts in this movie where I’m going to need an actor to make those moves both in terms of normality, and in terms of manic, and in terms of anger and in terms of joy and be able to go to some extremes in it.”

Not only would DiCaprio be great for the role, but it would give the movie a healthy dose of star power. Not every studio is willing to take the same gamble that Marvel did with Guardians of the Galaxy. So far, not much is known about the project, other than that it will be more violent than Logan and Deadpool and that McFarlane is going for a Hard R.

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Foster The People’s Sacred Hearts Club Is A Rocking Good Album

By

Jonathan Bruce

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Foster The People are one of North America’s most eclectic bands. Ever since the 2011 hit “Pumped Up Kicks”, many felt the group would just be a one-hit wonder. Yet their third album- Sacred Hearts Club– looks to change all that.

Sacred Hearts Club is a great combination of rock, soul, hip hop and psychedelia in just under 42 minutes. There’s even R&B and new wave influences on several songs. Frontman Mark Foster’s lyrics and Mark Pontius’ stellar drumbeats are among the album’s highlights.

This record also marks the official debut of Sean Cimino on lead guitar and Ison Innis on keyboards. They are longtime associates of Foster, and they were live musicians on the band’s earlier tours. Both get ample opportunity to step up and showcase their skills, especially Cimino who takes over from ex-guitarist Cubbie Fink.

Foster The People are artists who try not to repeat themselves musically or stylistically. Their debut record, Torches, is heavy on alternative rock, but the followup Supermodel goes in the direction of a psychedelic concept album. Luckily, Sacred Hearts Club is neither Torches 2 or another concept album.

The album begins with “Pay the Man”, and what a unique song it is. Far from a poppy sound, the track gives off a funky mix of hip hop and indie rock. Foster’s vocals are soft yet nuanced, giving off the vibe of a soul singer. While it is not a rocker, this is a stellar song in its own right. “Pay the Man” ought to be the band’s next single.

“Doing It For The Money” deftly fuses hip hop grooves with rock. The listener can almost feel the meshing of two genres within the track, but it does not come off as artificial or strange.

One of the most challenging songs is the club-inspired “Loyal Like Sid and Nancy.” Here, Foster’s rap-like vocals does not mesh with the EDM sound. While this song could work in a club, it is far from being house music. That being said, Pontius does a solid job with the drum beat. Although it’s neat the band are experimenting, the end result feels disjointed from the rest of the album.

Another good song to take in is “Six Next To Me”, because it combines R&B and new wave together. The band’s vocal harmonies give off a Beach Boys vibe. Indeed, Brian Wilson is one of Foster’s major inspirations as a singer and songwriter.

Sacred Hearts Club is one of Foster The People’s best efforts. Foster, Pontius, Innis and Cimino seem to have found their niche in the alternative and indie categories. some still call them the “Pumped Up Kids” in reference to their first hit, but they’re doing just fine. This is an album that is worth listening to.

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David Ayer Still Directing Gotham City Sirens

By

Roman Colombo

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July 27, 2017

Despite Mashable’s news that David Ayer may no longer be directing the Gotham City Sirens film, Ayer seems to be debunking that announcement in a great way:

pic.twitter.com/F0kcUSjeRy

— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) July 27, 2017

Sirens may not have been part of the Warner Bros.’ Hall H panel at SDCC, but with Margo Robbie producing, it is still part of the DCEU schedule. In fact, it might come out before Suicide Squad 2. Though the first Suicide Squad was generally hated by both fans and critics, Robbie’s take on Harley Quinn was a hit. Robbie is so enthusiastic for the character that the entire project came together because she offered to produce a Harley Quinn film, which transformed into Sirens.

Hopefully, Gotham City Sirens will have less studio interference than Suicide Squad suffered from. Warner Bros. seems to be investing a lot in Harley, with not only Sirens in development, but also Suicide Squad 2 and Harley Quinn V Joker.

With the success of Wonder Woman and fan love for Harley Quinn, the DCEU might be led by female characters—which would be awesome.

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Comic Show: X-Men Get A Soule, Lemire Hammers, Doom Patrol – Good or Garbage?

By

Matthew Sardo

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July 27, 2017

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Comic Show by Monkeys Fighting Robots! Anthony and Matt have a lot to discuss with you today: Is Doom Patrol good or hot garbage, does Charles Soule give one to Astonishing X-Men #1, there was a little convention last week that made some news, and Black Hammer #11 is our must-read of the week.

Buckle up, True Believers! Episode 6 of the COMIC SHOW by Monkeys Fighting Robots is here.

Episode Breakdown:

05:22 – Astonishing X-Men #1
Anthony – 3.9 Monkeys
Matt – 4 Robots

24:14 – Doom Patrol #7
Anthony – 4 Monkeys
Matt – 3 Robots

39:17 – Black Hammer #11
Anthony – 4.5 Monkeys
Matt – 4.5 Robots

49:53 – Stan’s Soapbox: San Diego Comic-Con recap of comic book news.

Thank you for listening!

Do you want to be our FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.

Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.

About the Comic Show Podcast:
A comic journalist in the twilight of his career still grasping for his first Eisner runs into a young buck that mildly reminds him of his youth. Their warped enthusiasm for the comic book industry unites them to spread the good word to the inter-web. Realistically, we are two nerds that love comic books and want to entertain you with quality recommendations, creator interviews, and reports from your favorite publisher. For diehard fans and comic newbs; all are welcome to the Comics Show on Monkeys Fighting Robots! Hosts, Matthew Sardo and Anthony Composto.

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

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Will ‘Big Little Lies’ Get A Second Season?

By

Parish Hodges

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July 27, 2017

While there has been no confirmation, it’s pretty likely that HBO will renew Big Little Lies for a second season. The Emmy nominated limited series is based off a novel by the same name by Liane Moriarty

Wednesday at the 2017 Summer TCA Press Tour, the president of HBO’s programming Casey Bloys told reporters the network is in talks with the shows author about potential story lines.

“Liane taking her crack at it and I think that it’s interesting,” he said, according to ET Online. “I don’t think [there’s been] a time when we’ve gone to the writer of the novel, the source material, to come up with like, ‘Do you see ongoing stories?’ I’ll be very curious to see what she comes up with that. Normally you go to a TV writer, and say, ‘What do you see?'”

In April, Moriarty stated if the show is renewed she wouldn’t write a new book.

“The obvious thing is, first of all, I think we could bring in more of Bonnie’s story from the book,” the author said about a potential second season. “And also what happens next [for Celeste]. That’s the question that’s also a really interesting thing, when you’ve been through a relationship like that, how do you feel now? How would she feel? She’s grieving. She’s still grieving for the end of a terrible relationship and I think that would be a really interesting thing to explore. So there’s a whole lot of different storylines.”

Are you wanting a second season of Big Little Lies? Sound off in the comments!

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The Official Trailer For ‘IT’ is the Definition of Pure Horror!

By

EJ Moreno

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July 27, 2017

Will Audiences Be Ready For The Terror of ‘IT’?

How terrifying is this trailer? Stephen King’s son Joe Hill says IT is “one of the scariest movies ever,” and this preview proves just that. Being a remake of an iconic horror novel and TV movie is hard, but Andrés Muschietti is more than ready. His vision for Pennywise is unique and memorable. We are looking at the birth of a new horror icon.

“When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.”

IT stars Bill Skarsgård (Allegiant, Atomic Blonde) as Pennywise, The Dancing Clown. The cast includes a group of young actors that include Jaeden Lieberher (Midnight Special), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip), Sophia Lillis (37), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy), Chosen Jacobs (Cops and Robbers), Jack Dylan Grazer (Tales of Halloween) and Nicholas Hamilton (Captain Fantastic).

New Line Cinema’s horror thriller IT is directed by Andrés Muschietti. Muschietti brings to life a screenplay crafted by Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman

The film will hit theaters on September 8th, 2017. A second part is expected to begin shooting shortly, with a release date still not penned.

What did you think of this trailer? Did you enjoy it, and do you believe that this will be the year’s most terrifying movie?

Let me know in the comments below!

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