As the halfway mark draws near for Peter Capaldi’s final run on Doctor Who, fans shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out who will be his successor as the adventurous Time Lord. The popular rumor for some time now has been that Kris Marshall (Love Actually) was already chosen as the Thirteenth Doctor. But that no longer seems to be the case. Instead, the Radio Times reports two names who are in the race for the new Doctor: Luke Treadaway and Sacha Dhawan.
Another day, another rumor, another Doctor.
Treadaway is best known for his role as Vincent Rattrey in the sci-fi thriller Fortitude, as well as an Olivier-Award-winning performance in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Meanwhile, Dhawan has some history with Doctor Who. He starred in the 2013 docu-drama, An Adventure in Space and Time as Waris Hussein, one of the first directors to work on Doctor Who in 1963.
It looks as if the Doctor regenerating into a woman has been ruled out. Sources say the idea was seriously considered in the early casting stages. Rumored female candidates for the role included Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Tilda Swinton, and Michaela Coel.
The new Doctor is likely to be announced soon, although it is not yet clear whether Capaldi will regenerate in the current series or the Christmas special.
Of course, take this all with a grain of salt, until the BBC makes an official announcement, hopefully sometime this summer.
Could you see Treadaway or Dhawan as the Thirteenth Doctor? Let us know your pick in the comments.
The second season of The Last Kingdom has finished airing on BBC Two in the UK andis now available to binge watch on the iPlayer in its homeland and Netflix in nations like the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and many European countries.
The second season adapts the third and fourth novels of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories series, The Lords of the North and Sword Song, following Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) as he fights to reclaims his ancestral lands from his usurper uncle Ælfric (Joseph Millson) and clashes with King Alfred of Wessex (David Dawson) as the Saxon kingdom fights off Danish invaders in the 9th Century.
By adapting two novels the second season was essentially two four-episode arcs. The first follows Uthred and his companions go to Northern England to help Guthred (Thure Lindhardt) – a slave prophesized to become king of Northumbria. Whilst Uthred is up North he may as well try and get revenge against the man who killed his adopted father and abducted his sister. The final four episodes take place three years later where Uthred’s loyalties to Wessex are questioned, whilst the Danes seize Lundun (modern day London).
Because the series was split into two separate arcs it meant that there was a divide in quality between the first half and second half – the second being the superior half. The first half was rushed and underdeveloped as it tried to juggle a number of plotlines – from Uthred helping a complete incompetent as king, his desire for revenge against the Danes who attacked his adopted family, the Saxons who betrayed his birth family, falls for Guthred’s sister (Peri Baumeister) and dealing with the rivalries within Guthred’s court. The worst example of this rushed storytelling was in Episode 3 wherein the space of an hour-long episode Uthred is sold into slavery, freed, suffers and recovers from the physical and psychological trauma to getting revenge against the priest who betrayed him. This would have been material could have been worth two or three episodes, but The Last Kingdom skips through it. Fortunately, the follow-up episode was an action-packed affair and one of the best episodes in the series.
The second half of the season was much stronger – showing a marriage alliance being formed between Wessex and Mercia and growing distrust between Alfred and Uthred as the conflict with the Danes starts to flare up. This half of the season told a story in a more condensed timeframe which benefited the show. This half of the season moves the action back to Winchester, the capital of Wessex, and allows for more political intrigue and personal conflict as Uthred butts heads with Alfred and his new son-in-law Lord Æthelred of Mercia.
This half of the series also shows more of the Danish faction, showing the relationship between the brothers Erik (Christain Hillborg) and Sigefrid (Björn Bengtsson) leading the assault. Erik is the rational, intelligent one whilst Sigefrid is a volatile warrior who seeks revenge against Uthred. Despite their differences, there is a clear love between the two and only gets fractured because Erik falls for a Saxon woman.
Although the first and second half of the season tell different stories: the first half does lay the foundations for the story in the second. The biggest storyline was Alfred arranging the marriage between his daughter Princess Æthelflæd (Millie Brady) and Lord Æthelred which plays a part of the final four episodes. The first four episodes also established Erik and Sigefrid, the Danes who hold Eoforwic (modern day York) and overthrown by the Saxons when they when they raid Scotland.
The Last Kingdom makes for an interesting companion piece with The History Channel’s popular series Vikings: both shows are set in the same period and tell it from two different perspectives. Vikings’ perspective is pretty obvious whilst The Last Kingdom shows events from the Saxons’ point of view. The Last Kingdom pays attention to historical details like costumes and set design – religious and superstitious beliefs. This gives the show a sense of authenticity and that is the biggest advantage over some other historical shows – being a more earthy show. The Last Kingdom cannot match the scale of shows like Game of Thrones and Vikings – action is more sparse. The show decides to concentrate battles scenes to a few episodes. The fourth episode saw Uthred launch a stealthy raid against Erik and Sigefrid and lay siege on Donholm (modern day Durham); the second half of episode 8 showed Uthred and his soldiers raid into Danish territory before it turns into a major battle between the Danes and the Saxons. The best action sequences in the season were at the end of the sixth episode: it was a three-minute continuous sequence when the Danes launch a raid against a Saxon camp. It serves a great example on how to use shaky cam.
As a novelist Bernard Cornwell has found the sweet spot of being true to historical fact as possible, political and personal drama and bloody action scenes. And The Last Kingdom series does honor Cornwell’s writing – it has the political maneuvering like shows such as Game of Thrones and showing that there are heroes and villains on both sides of the conflict. The series also manages a few lighthearted moments, giving the series a sense of levity.
The Last Kingdom is a show that will easily please fans of Cornwell’s novels and it is a great historical drama – accepting that history is not black-and-white. It is definitely a show for Vikings fans should check out and The Last Kingdom find a great balance between fact and fiction.
Jerry Lee Lewis is rock and rollin’ over in his grave right now…
To be a fly on the wall at Titan Towers… Like, seriously. I am really struggling to figure out just how World Wrestling Entertainment decided to name their July pay-per-view “Great Balls of Fire.”
For real though, who came up with this abomination? How did it pass through the board of directors of a publicly traded company? How did this go down?! Did someone lose a bet?My only guess is between bites of a tuna lettuce wrap Vince was listening to an old mix tape on his boom box and had an epiphany.
“Goodness gracious great balls of fire! God damn, that’s a great name pal!”
Here’s a shocker, the name has been unanimously panned by wrestling fans across the board. News of backlash is nothing new for WWE as their fans are some of the most critical in the universe (no pun intended I swear) However, the impossible took place last week when Braun Stroman injured himself. (No doubt being awesome, cause’ that’s how “The Stro” rolls.)
This development has thrown the impending main event of “Great Balls” into limbo. (I just couldn’t help myself) This injury news is especially disturbing because the planned main event of Brock Lesnar and Stroman would have been like watching a live-action version of Rampage. You know, before Dwayne actually makes that happen next year.
We all know when a door closes Vinny Mac opens a window of opportunity. Who should climb through it you ask? Well, allow me to pitch you my idea…
MIKEY’S BIG IDEA
Monday night on Raw commissioner Kurt Angle comes to the ring and announces that the red brand needs a number one contender to face Lesnar at “Balls of Fire.” This would bring Roman Reigns to the ring to a cascade of boos.
Of course, because after all, this is now his yard, The Big Dog would lay claim to being number one contender, until the lights went out and Finn Bálor would stroll to the ring. Bálor would reiterate the fact that he was never defeated for the Universal Championship and boast he already holds a victory over Reigns.
Seth Rollins would limp his way out from the back because he is still selling that knee injury from WrestleMania season. While I applaud Rollins for continuing the charade longer than necessary, isn’t it time to let the frickin’ guy walk correctly? After all, the injury is really starting to affect Rollins’ in-ring work.
Cross Fit Jesus would do his thing on the mic before the lights go out again and Bray Wyatt appears in the ring. Wyatt rambles because that’s what Bray does better than anyone in the world at this point besides this dude.
Dean Ambrose would interrupt Wyatt, or better yet just stumble out and confess that he just felt pretty board in the back all alone by himself, but he’d also like another shot at Lesnar.
Finally, The Miz would make his way to the ring with his beautiful wife Maryse in tow. The A-Lister would remind Angle that all of these gentlemen have received title shots in the past year, but he has not. SmackDown, as terrible as it is, was at least the land of opportunity.
Kurt would cut Miz off and state that everyone in the ring has a legitimate claim to the match at Balls. Which is why live on Monday, June 5th from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Angles home state of Pennsylvania, THE KING OF THE RING will be returning!
THE KING OF THE RING YOU SAY!?
Yes, King of the Ring, the one-night tournament where 8 WWE superstars compete for the rights of being crowned sports-entertainment royalty. With no clear front-runner for the title shot, a tournament would be a perfect scenario.
First off, the announcement would automatically offer an opportunity to promote this gigantic event weeks in advance. Also, the structure of a tournament would allow WWE to set up and execute feuds leading into the “Balls” pay-per-view.
My pick to win: THE MIZ
Think about it! Miz ends up sneaking by someone like Apollo Crews in the first round. In the second round, against his old foe Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt would interfere and cost “the lunatic fringe” his shot at royalty. This would lead to a date with Roman Reigns in the finals and loads of groans from the WWE Universe. The set up would be so obvious, as Reigns would overcome the odds and earn a chance at redemption against Brock.
Only, a funny thing will happen on the way to the great ball show. Instead of Reigns overcoming interference from Maryse (and maybe a vengeful Cesaro?) Braun Stroman manages to screw Roman one last time.
The Miz versus Brock on paper seems like an odd match-up, sure, but think about the build they can do. This match would guarantee at least three solid face-offs between The A-Lister and Paul Heyman on Raw, and that potential verbal joust has me very giddy. However, the most important piece of this great fiery ball pie is the inevitable outcome.
Brock Lesnar is going to squash whoever WWE decides to throw in his way. Accept this fact, because there is no wiggling out of Brock dominating all the way to Mania in New Orleans. Miz offers Brock a way to get some cheers from the fans before potential clashes with Stroman or Wyatt, and gives Miz a main event rub he seriously deserves. A tasty win/win for WWE with no wasted talent side dish.
Not to mention, we get to watch Miz walk around with a crown for the next six months…
ALL HAIL KING MIZ!
What do you think of my harebrained scheme? Should WWE bring back King of The Ring? Who should win the tournament? How awesome of a nickname is “The Stro”? Leave all questions and comments below, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @themikeycuralli!
Wonder Woman is so close to release that it’s hard not to be giddy about the heroine’s first solo film. The first female superhero deserves a great movie, and hopefully this will be a smash hit. I’ve been excited for her movie since she appeared in Batman V. Superman and can’t wait to see her own movie. Patty Jenkins (director of Wonder Woman) has stated that this movie will be Diana Prince’s origin. So what better way to get pumped for the series than by reading the best interpretations of her beginnings? These are the five best versions of Wonder Woman’s famous origin story.
Writer and artist Jill Thompson takes the traditional Wonder Woman origin and completely flips it on its head. Rather than hitting the same beats that fans usually know (Diana grows up on Themyscira, she’s told not to trust Mankind, Steve Trevor lands on the island, Diana feels that she needs to help mankind, so she goes with him, super heroics ensue), Thompson instead decides to make Wonder Woman’s origin more akin to a Greek fable. Diana is not portrayed as immediately kind and compassionate, but rather spoiled and a little bratty. Still a very likable character, but handled very differently. It’s a very internal story that has real character development and growth. It also has some of the best art in recent years. The comic is watercolored, and that gives a mystical aesthetic to the story. It’s a wonderful comic to read that handles the origin story in a vastly different way. The absolute must buy for all comic fans.
Writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads are teaming up once again to bring The Fourth World back this August. DC made the announcement today with a press release detailing all of the information on the upcoming project. Check out all the info below.
SCOTT FREE AND BIG BARDA STAND, MISTER MIRACLE RISES Tom King and Mitch Gerads Reunite in Jack Kirby’s Fourth World
From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-nominated writer of Vision comes a unique take on Mister Miracle, one of Jack Kirby’s most beloved New Gods. Beginning this August and running for 12 issues, new series MISTER MIRACLE from writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads will take readers on an episodic roller coaster of death, resurrection, mystery and intrigue.
Created by Kirby for DC and first appearing in 1971’s MISTER MIRACLE #1, Scott Free, using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, is the greatest escape artist who ever lived. So great is his skill that he has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt and pulled off every trick—except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible?
“MISTER MIRACLE is the most ambitious project I’ve ever worked on,” says King. “Mitch and I asked ourselves if we could do something as good as SANDMAN, PREACHER or NEW FRONTIER, which are transcendent, contained stories that comment upon the times in which they were made. We knew we’d be stupid to think we could, but we’d be more stupid not to try.”
“Because of the nature of how Tom and I are creating the book, I’m able to really stretch how I approach the art,” adds Gerads. “I’ve followed Tom into Baghdad, Gotham City, and now I couldn’t be more excited to join him on the battle plains of Apokolips! So here we go, into the breach once more, and I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side. FOR NEW GENESIS!”
“MISTER MIRACLE is the story of a trapped man who can get out of any trap,” continues King. “It’s about the weird that surrounds us now, that seems to push into every aspect of our being, that leaves us questioning the very foundations of our existence: how did I get into this and how the hell do I get out?”
MISTER MIRACLE #1, written by Tom King, illustrated by Mitch Gerads, lettered by Clayton Cowles and edited by Jamie S. Rich, will hit shelves August 9. Cover artwork is by Nick Derington with variant cover by Gerads.
Praise for MISTER MIRACLE
“There are master magicians performing here. Their names are Tom King and Mitch Gerads. And like the best magic trick, with MISTER MIRACLE, you’ll never see it coming.”
—Brad Meltzer (IDENTITY CRISIS, The Tenth Justice)
“MISTER MIRACLE by King and Gerards will stun you so hard it will knock you to the floor. Then tell you to stand.”
—Declan Shalvey (ALL STAR BATMAN, Injection)
“King and Gerads draw upon the magical lunacy of the Fourth World, while delivering an modern opener that feels like fireworks in the brain.”
—Gail Simone (CLEAN ROOM, BIRDS OF PREY)
“I always light up when I see stellar talent play in the Fourth World playground, so it’s a major thrill to see Tom King and Mitch Gerads tackle and strap a strait jacket to one of the key icons, MISTER MIRACLE.”
—Michael Allred (iZOMBIE, BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER)
The IDW/DC Comics collaboration comes to a close this week with its sixth issue. Batman/TMNT Adventures is the crossover between Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s and Nickelodeon’s current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. The series wraps up with an extra epilogue issue.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
There’s a bit of a time jump from last issue to the epilogue. This becomes apparent with the animation style being more in line with the The New Batman Adventures. Also the fact that Tim Drake is now Robin. There’s a hilarious introduction scene when the turtles realize they’re dealing with a different Robin.
This series, written by Michael K. Manning, was a perfect crossover between the two very different cartoon worlds. Combining 90s nostalgia with the lighthearted modern TMNT fit together in a much different way than the Batman/TMNT crossover from last year.
Manning delivers a Saturday morning cartoon celebration of both properties. Every interaction between the two factions, and their villains, allows readers to escape the darkness and just have fun.
Bruce and Tim attending a Gray Ghost film was a nice touch. Catching Tim up on the last adventure, as well as Dick returning as Nightwing, were highlights as well.
The art team (Jon Sommariva, Sean Parsons, and Matt Herms) solidifies a smooth transition from old to new for the Bat-Family characters. There’s also plenty of colorful and explosive action as our heroes fend off an invasion by the Kraang. Actions and expressions translate well from cartoon to comic book. Both styles are represented and melded together flawlessly.
The mission of this book was carried out successfully. Batman/TMNT Adventures is a joyous nostalgia overdose that’ll remind longtime fans why they’ve loved both cartoons for so long. Older readers may even check out the current TMNT show on Nickelodeon after seeing how much fun they were along side the Batman they grew up with.
After being transported back to the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons for six issues, it’s a shame this won’t be an ongoing title. After two solid and very different crossovers between the two universes, hopefully this won’t be the last of it’s kind. This book is well worth your time.
Did you read this series? Did you enjoy this better than the last Batman/TMNT crossover? Let us know in the comments below!
Airing as part of NBC’s Red Nose Day on May 25, Red Nose Day Actually features several cast members from the original 2003 film Love Actually reprise their roles. Among whom include Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, a bearded Andrew Lincoln, and Laura Linney, among others.
Check out the utterly delightful trailer here:
Sadly missing is Alan Rickman, who passed away early last year. Emma Thompson has confirmed that she will not be returning, as she was a close friend of Rickman’s and also played her husband in the original film.
The Love Actually short sequel is only a about 10 minutes long, showing how the characters have changed since the original movie, which was released 14 years ago.
But most things seem to have remained the same. Hugh Grant still enjoys dancing in his home. Andrew Lincoln still loves speaking via poster cards. Bill Nighy is still shacking up with pop culture icons.
Red Nose Day, which originated in the UK, and eventually made its way over to the States (naturally), is a fundraising event organized by Comic Relief every other year.
It culminates with a telethon (hosted by Chris Hardwick), featuring music, comedy, and moving documentary films. Red Nose Day unites the entire world in trying to make a difference to the lives of thousands of people across the globe who are facing terrible injustice or living in desperate poverty.
The Love Actually follow-up will air on Thursday, May 25 on NBC to coincide with the United States’ Red Nose Day.
Who is watching the Watchers? Or rather, who owns the film rights?
The answer may surprise you. Marvel Studios and Fox share film rights to the Watchers, according to Kevin Feige.
In an iFilm interview, Feige explains how this arrangement works. While there’s no deal with Fox, they do have an understanding of how things work.
“There’s joint custody with a number of things,” he says. “There are certain characters that they have, but races that we share. If that makes sense?”
Since the Watchers’ first appearance is in Fantastic Four, it would seem they belong to Fox as part of the film package. Yet it appears Marvel is open to using them if they choose to do so.
This bears similarities to the Skrull situation. Both Marvel and Fox share the Skrull race, but the latter owns the rights to Super-Skrull. Indeed, Marvel did toy with using the Skrulls in The Avengers, but they chose to go with the Chitauri.
Where Uatu stands in all this is not known. Since he’s close to the F4, he might belong to Fox. It is possible he could appear on the big screen in the future.
In a Collider interview, the question of whether or not Lee is Uatu comes up. “Well, I wouldn’t say you saw Uatu,” says Feige. “I would say that you saw some Watchers.”
Now that Riverdale has wrapped its first season, are you left with Archie withdrawal? If your answer is yes, then you just have to hold on until May 17th for the next big Archie Andrews story, Over The Edge! We first wrote about this anticipated new chapter in the Riverdale gang’s life here. Now, check out a neat trailer and preview pages below!
ARCHIE #20
It’s the BIGGEST comic event in ARCHIE HISTORY! Archie and Reggie’s ongoing feud reaches a fever pitch that pits the two against each other in a thrill ride on the deadly Serpent’s Tail!
Script: Mark Waid
Art: Pete Woods, Jack Morelli
Cover: Pete Woods
Variant Covers: Elliot Fernandez with Joey Vazquez, Greg Smallwood
On Sale Date: 5/17
32-page, full-color comic
$3.99 U.S.
Page from Archie #20Page from Archie #20Page from Archie #20
Despite moments of visual splendor, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a generic origin story whose narrative is structurally a mess.
Summary
The picture starts off with a great fight scene that is a cross between Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. We get to see Eric Bana leaping from place to place, slicing up guys and escaping peril at a ridiculous rate. Ritchie includes this extended prologue to provide context for how Arthur’s (Charlie Hunnam) parents were slaughtered and the throne was stolen by Lord Vortigern (Jude Law). Arthur escapes down the river in a baby pram (he is only a few years old in the prologue) and found by some day workers at a local brothel. What transpired after this is a very generic origin story that begins with showing Arthur as a common man and ends with him leading the attack against his parent’s murderer.
What Worked
The battle sequences at times were visually stunning, and that helped keep my attention when the storyline clearly wasn’t.
Jude Law was a fine choice to play Lord Vortigern. He exhibited just enough virtue, in the beginning, to show he was a once a decent man. What was certainly a departure for Law was seeing him turn into a power hungry fiend who would sacrifice anything for the crown (even if it means murdering his daughter). Perhaps we will see Law take on more roles where he’s the villain down the road.
The sequence that leads to Arthur pulling the sword from the stone was engaging. The build up of other prisoners attempting to pull the mystical sword unsuccessfully only to see this commoner easily remove it from the stone was the film’s most intriguing part.
Aidan Gillen was an excellent choice to play Bill (one of Arthur’s closest friends). Now mind you, Gillen was just playing a slightly different version of Little Finger in the film, but that doesn’t detract from how entertaining he was.
What Did Not Work
I’m not sure why Guy Ritchie felt it was necessary to include extreme closeups of Arthur and others during various chase scenes. It was extremely odd, and it takes you completely out of the narrative.
The 2nd half of the film was a complete mess. We went from a pseudo Game of Thrones narrative to a story involving Arthur becoming the “chosen one.” The “chosen one” storyline doesn’t match with the beginning of the film. Maybe there was a reshoot or perhaps rewrite that cause 1st half of the movie to be so disjointed from the 2nd half.
Charlie Hunnam certainly was in great shape when he stepped into the role of Arthur. However, being in great shape and performing well are two very different things. The former Sons of Anarchy star’sperformance is incredibly forgetful in the lead role even bordering on tiresome.
Why did we need to have David Beckham make a cameo?
Overall
Paying to see King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a complete waste of time and resources. There is a reason why this film was delayed this long, and it was to postpone the inevitable. Warner Brothers even went so far as to buy out large amounts of theaters to generate buzz for a film they knew was dead on arrival. With so many great options at the box-office, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword should be the furthest from your mind.
ARCHIE #20
