The pandemic prevented or delayed the theatrical release of many movies. More than one studio leveraged the closure of theaters to boost their streaming services, including Disney+. Disney made the baffling decision to premiere three Pixar movies directly on Disney+: Soul, Luca, and Turning Red. The latter was especially confusing, as it released in March 2022. Theaters had been open again for months. But now, whatever decisions were made in the past, these three Pixar movies are coming to theaters nationwide. We can finally see Soul, Luca, and Turning Red in the format they (and all the people who worked on them) deserve.

That trailer is a brief reminder of how excellent each of these movies is. Rewatching them on Disney+ hasn’t been the same. Plus, now that Pixar movies will be in theaters, they each get the traditional animated short film airing ahead of them. Even though the shorts aren’t new, it’s comforting to see these films following form.

Here’s the release schedule:

• Soul with “Burrow” – January 12
• Turning Red with “Kitbull” – February 9
• Luca with “For the Birds” – March 22

We can’t wait to go see our friends on the big screen.

Featured Image: Pixar

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Despite some of the bigger franchises in Hollywood having less-than-stellar years, 2023 has been outstanding for films. From arthouse hits to horror triumphs, you don’t need DC, Marvel, or Star Wars to have some fun at the movies. Below is a list of Nerdist‘s top 10 movies of the year, as decided upon by our great staff. This doesn’t represent anyone’s individual list, nor does it represent every good movie that came out this year. But it does have two movies based on Marvel properties. It’s still a geek website after all. Let’s start the countdown!

10. Evil Dead Rise

I have to admit, when I first saw Evil Dead Rise, I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it. It was a completely new take on the material, moving the action from a cabin in the woods to a dilapidated apartment building. Instead of hot teens out for some action, the curse of the Book of the Dead befalls a family just trying to get by. But at its heart, this new installment keeps much of the blood-soaked hallmarks of the original Sam Raimi movies, especially the hallowed Evil Dead 2. I’ve watched it several times since and I think it kinda rips.

9. Asteroid City

Another one that slow-burned its way onto this list. For a filmmaker already obsessed with artifice, Wes Anderson really outdid himself in Asteroid City. A story within a story within a story, layers and layers of separation between reality and fiction, and yet it’s entirely compelling from start to finish. The cast is outstanding, as per, and it might have the best use of Bryan Cranston since Breaking Bad. Anderson hides the real story under layers and layers of artifice and distance to give us a treatise on the American Theatre, UFO culture, and mid-century emotional stunting. It’s also super goofy and plays like a greatest hits of previous Anderson films. It’s a bafflement, but I can’t not applaud it for that.

8. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1

What a world we live in. Any other year, this latest installment in the unbelievably good Mission: Impossible series should have made a billion dollars, easy. But in 2023, it underperformed. That is by no means a reflection of quality. While it didn’t work quite as well for me as either Rogue Nation or Fallout, it’s still a tremendously enjoyable, exciting action adventure. The car chase through Rome with Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell handcuffed together would be enough to make it a good movie. Then we get to the end where they have to climb through a train that is simultaneously falling off a cliff. Just an incredible action sequence. These movies rule.

7. Talk to Me

2023 was actually a pretty amazing year for horror movies. The aforementioned Evil Dead Rise is but one. Possibly the best of the bunch is the indie Talk to Me, written and directed by Australian YouTubers-turned-filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou. A take on teenage drug use as a form of coping, replacing demonic possession for narcotics, the main character’s slow descent feels like you’re watching a movie about addiction more than a horror movie. And that’s what makes it all the scarier. I said it before, but it’s like Euphoria but with seances, in the best way.

6. Poor Things

A dark horse addition to the list, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is a dark fairytale-esque look at women’s sexuality through the guise of a Frankenstein story. Emma Stone plays a newly revived experiment who quickly learns the wonders of life and lust only for “proper Victorian values” (which feel oddly accurate to today) try to keep her down. Mark Ruffalo gives a tremendously funny performance as the dandyish would-be lothario. It’s a very weird movie, as you’d expect from Lanthimos, but thoroughly engaging from start to finish.

5. Barbie

Surely you’ve heard of this one. It was only the biggest thing in the world this summer. It’s delightful, it’s gorgeous, it’s funny and touching. No one expected a movie based on a doll would be the year’s biggest success story, but here we are. The suits will takeaway that the public wants more Mattel movies, or more toy movies. The real lesson is give Greta Gerwig a budget and people will flock to the cinema in record numbers.

4. Oppenheimer

The other half of the one-two punch of the summer, Christopher Nolan’s surprisingly taut exploration of the man behind the atomic bomb is maybe the most engaging and resonant biopic we’ve seen in forever. A cast the size of the universe, and filmmaking prowess for miles, Oppenheimer proved Nolan’s more than gimmickry and tricksy narratives. If Cillian Murphy doesn’t win an Oscar, there’s a problem with the Academy. (Spoiler: there already is one.)

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Look, we’re not going to mince words. Most of the recent Marvel Studios offerings have been lacking a bit of lustre. We were really hoping James Gunn would bring his trilogy of Guardians of the Galaxy movies home in a satisfying way, especially since he’s moving on to run DC. We needn’t have worried. The third installment is maybe not as raucous or expansive as the previous two, but it focuses on the characters and gives everyone a satisfying conclusion. Plus it has a good villain in the High Evolutionary. Plus plus, that corridor fight sequence in faux-one take is truly masterful.

2. John Wick: Chapter 4

While I appreciated the action prowess of the second and third John Wick movies, neither held a candle to the first in terms of compelling narrative. That all changed with Chapter 4, which goes full spaghetti western-meets-samurai-showdown. Donnie Yen’s blind swordsman, Shamier Anderson’s nameless gunfighter, and Skarsgård’s repugnant aristocrat make for some superb additions to the saga’s underworld. But at the heart, it’s John Wick trying to survive an onslaught of millions and that makes it work. No hyperbole, it’s one of the best action movies ever made. The entire third act in Paris—a riff on Walter Hill’s The Warriors—is perfect. If John never appears again, he got a fitting (and bloody) send-off.

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Look. I also didn’t think they’d ever match the glory of Into the Spider-Verse. How do you improve on perfection? You can’t. But you can do something different also perfectly. Expanding the roster of Spider-People by about 90 million and putting Gwen Stacy in the protagonist role changed things up in just the right way. Miles gets to be the catalyst for everything, and prove why uniqueness is good, while Miguel O’Hara shines as the de-facto antagonist. We cannot wait to see how the story concludes, but there’s enough in this entry to make it outstanding and rewatchable on its own forever. Also Spider-Punk is our new deity.

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 Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse did what every great sequel aims to do. It somehow surpassed the original installment of the franchise. It did so while introducing a ton of new characters and without sacrificing Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy’s story arcs. The script was written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham who, in their own words, was “inspired by the work of thousands of writers and artists over sixty or so years.” Now, as part of Deadline’s Read The Screenplay series, you can read the entire 158-page script for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for free.

There are a few fun facts about this particular script. The writers named it “Whac-A-Mole,” no doubt due to the hundreds of spider-people in the movie. Not only did it include Spider-Man 2099 Miguel O’Hara, but also Spider-Woman Jessica Drew and Spider-Punk Hobie Brown. Even ’90s favorite Scarlet Spider Ben Reilly made the cut. And those are just the spider folk who had speaking lines! Animated films rarely get Academy Award nominations for their screenplays. However, we have a strong feeling that this coming year will be different, as Across the Spider-Verse showcased one of the best scripts of any film this year, animated or live-action.

The third Spider-Verse film was originally scheduled for release in March 2024, but it’s now off the schedule. This uncertain delay is probably giving the creative team more time to craft something worthy of the first two films. After that shocking conclusion for Across the Spider-Verse, and the unanimous praise for the film, they know they need to deliver a Return of the Jedi-style conclusion to that Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger ending. Hopefully, we won’t have to take too much longer to see Miles Morales and our favorite arachnid heroes again.

The post The Complete SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Script Is Available Online appeared first on Nerdist.

Many Shrek fans know Chris Farley was originally tapped to voice the big green ogre. Mike Myers only took over the role after Farley passed away. Lots of viewers also know Myers’ first attempt at the character sounded very different. The Austin Powers star recorded his lines with a Canadian accent before redoing the entire part with Shrek’s signature Scottish one. Clearly it was a good choice, since it launched a billion-dollar franchise. But few people realize just how different Shrek once looked, too. And without that change the series might not be the behemoth we know. A new clip from the movie’s 1995 test film shows that instead of a friendly, kid-appropriate Shrek we could have met a much scarier ogre.

The Zoom Art Studio shared a brief YouTube clip from the original Shrek test. The footage (which we first learned about at Gizmodo) stars an off-brand Shrek we’d expect to meet in Times Square. Or, as Zoom Art Studio describes it, the kind of Shrek who’d appear in a “a dark edgy low budget film.”

This original take on Shrek has a longer face, a bigger nose, and even gnarlier teeth. He’s a lot more like the type of creature you’d expect to see in a story where the ogre is the terrible monster rather than the lovable hero.

Aside from his appearance, though, this clip feels very Shrek-like. It’s set to the classic “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown. (The above embed features improved audio.) The footage also has the kind of playful silliness and inverting of fantasy tropes that define the franchise. This is a slightly more unhinged Shrek, but kids might have come to love him anyway. But even then, this version of Shrek, Scottish accent or not, probably would not have become a box office giant. Good thing this version of the fantasy had a happy ending.

The post Shrek Looks Scary in This Original Film Test Footage From 1995 appeared first on Nerdist.

Not everyone loved the news Chris Pratt was going to voice Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. To some he just seemed like an odd choice to play an Italian plumber. But no one was upset when, soon after, Pratt was also given the role of Garfield in a new animated film. No one was upset because no one believed the report. How could he be the only star in Hollywood capable of voicing two very famous characters? And back-to-back, no less? It was—and it remains—weird. A lot of consternation went away, though, when it turned out his Mario was actually pretty good. And now we know what his iconic cat sounds like. The first trailer for The Garfield Movie has finally given us a chance to hear Chris Pratt’s lazy, Odie-kicking feline.

If you love the sound of Chris Pratt’s normal voice, you are in for a real treat with this Garfield movie.

Do you hate Mondays but love Chris Pratt sounding like he does on a normal Monday? If so, The Garfield Movie‘s first trailer has likely left you feeling conflicted this morning. At least we can all feel good about baby Garfield, an adorable, very hungry kitty. How did Garfield end up alone in the streets, though?

Released alongside the trailer, here is The Garfield Movie‘s official synopsis from Sony Pictures:

Garfield, the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Pratt also recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at the movie where he does seem to be embodying Garfield.

Directed by Mark Dindal with a screenplay from Paul A. Kaplan & Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, the Garfield cast also includes Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, and Bowen Yang.

That’s an incredible lineup of stars. Will they all simply be using their totally normal voices, too? We won’t know until The Garfield Movie comes to theaters on not Monday/Friday, May 24, 2024.

Originally published on November 13, 2023.

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Disney’s newest animated musical, Wish, is technically about a girl helped by a magical creature after learning her beloved sorcerer king is not so wonderful. But Wish is really about Disney writing itself a love letter. The film is overtly based on “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” It’s also overstuffed with elements, like singing woodland creatures and a fairy tale framing, meant to pay homage to Golden Age Disney classics. And it’s structured like the studio’s Renaissance era movies while looking like an early 2000s release. It’s Disney-Inception. And none of it works.

All that self-adulation and referential storytelling detracts from a great idea, as does a woefully incomplete, subpar script. The result is a film with a major identity crisis made worse by subpar animation. If not for its clever premise and insightful themes, two leading stars, and some great songs it would be a total nightmare. Instead it’s merely a disappointing dream.

As someone who craves the return of shorter movies, it pains me to say the 92-minute long Wish desperately needs at least 15 more minutes. That way it could incorporate elements most good movies tend to have have, like meaningful characterization and plot development. Instead the film has too many shallow characters defined by a single trait, inexplicable plot points, and payoffs that come out of nowhere.

The script—which is actively unfunny the harder it tries to be humorous—is so incomplete that the more you think about it the worse it gets. The fantastic performances of stars Ariana DeBose (the young hero Asha) and Chris Pine (the villain King Magnifico) cover up many of Wish‘s flaws. As do some incredible songs. Wish has memorable numbers that are are more musically mature and intense than a lot of Disney fare. (Which is a pleasant surprise after a very standard opening number.) But not even DeBose and Pine can cover up some huge, obvious mistakes in the screenplay. The movie’s biggest emotional moments and some very important scenes, like the big ending, aren’t earned. More focus on incorporating basic storytelling elements would have been a huge improvement.

Unfortunately Wish isn’t interesting to look at, either. The animation style is not “retro” so much as it’s regressive. It seems to want to recreate the look of Disney film’s like Tangled and Bolt, but it looks like a cheap knockoff of those movies. What’s especially frustrating is that it occasionally employs other animation styles that look amazing. Wish has backgrounds that are truly gorgeous. A simple, stunning post-credits scene also shows what could have been. I wish we got to see the version of the movie with that animation instead.

The film isn’t a total disaster, though, even beyond its leads and songs. It’s premise is so good it covers up some of the movie’s many failings. Wish takes place in the magical kingdom of Rosas. People from all over the world come to live on the beautiful, peaceful island under King Magnifico’s protection. All he asks of them is when they move there or turn 18 they literally give him their heart’s most important wish via magic. The sorcerer then keeps their wish, which they don’t remember, as floating blue orbs. He not only keeps them safe, he grants one person their wish every month. All of which sounds great until Asha realizes why that’s horrible. That leads her to wish upon a star, which in turn brings the magical being called Star to Rosas.

Star’s arrival results in Magnifico going full villain. Only, his transformation doesn’t carry any heft. But nothing that happens in Wish does, since it’s main focus isn’t the story, but rather celebrating Disney. It’s somehow overly meta despite being total earnest. There’s no “winking” at the camera, at least not until the credits roll, and yet it’s so overtly about Disney it still feels meta. It’s too bad, because the rare times Wish does its own thing it’s a lot of fun. There are also a few moments where it seems like it might get weird and interesting, but then a talking bunny shows up and it feels trite. There’s a fine line between tribute and banal. Wish is not close to the line. It revels in being derivative.

The perils of the film’s Disney-ness is best exemplified in its title. If the movie only cared about telling the best story possible, Wish wouldn’t be Wish. It would be Dream, because that’s what it’s really about. This movie is about how the dreams we hold dearest in our heart shape us, both good and bad. It’s about how dreams can push us to greatness just as much as they can fill us with disappointment and regret. And it’s about the fact that who we entrust with helping make our dreams come true is just as important as what our dreams are.

That’s exactly the type of idea that should make for a great Disney animated movie. But the word “wish” does not have the same connotation as the word “dream.” One has a power the other does not. “A wish is a dream your heart makes” doesn’t sound as good as the original because it’s not. We send our wishes far away to the stars, but we keep our dreams in our hearts.

Too bad for us that long ago Jiminy Cricket didn’t sing “When You Dream Upon a Star.” It might have led to a much better movie now.

⭐ (2.5 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and  Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post WISH Will Have You Wishing a Great Idea Got a Much Better Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

Remember when Marvel Studios explored the multiverse in animated form before Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Season one of What If…? imagined characters and stories from the MCU going slightly differently. T’Challa was Star-Lord and Peggy Carter became the first Super Soldier. The series introduced those promising ideas and more, though season one didn’t deliver in the way fans hoped. Now, Marvel Studios is back with What If…? season two. The trailer shows that the twists in the Multiverse have become more tangled. Plus, some Christmas hijinks ensue!

The poster for season two is leaning into the holidays aspect, which we’re guessing will be a single episode. So is the show’s marketing. What If…? season two will premiere on Disney+ on December 22. Fans can “unwrap” one episode every day for nine consecutive days. That means the season will end before the new year and that you can watch a new episode on Christmas. If nothing else, we can’t wait to see the Christmas episode and find out who has the nerve to invade Avengers Tower on the holiday.

Besides the holiday cheer, the trailer shows the return of Captain Carter and Strange Supreme. Thanos even appears. One of the episodes is set in medieval times, another brings back characters from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It seems like wild and weird times are ahead.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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The original Chicken Run was Aardman Animations’ breakthrough theatrical hit back in 2000, becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion film ever, earning over $200 million at the box office. It allowed Aardman, which had been around since 1972, to grow and make further features. But the original Chicken Run remained a sacred cow (well, sacred fowl) and it never received a proper sequel. Until now, that is. This December, via Netflix, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, finally arrives, some 23 years later.

Earlier this year, Nerdist got to tour Aardman Animations’ studios in Bristol, England, and got a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming follow-up to Chicken Run. Making stop-motion films takes double or triple the time it takes to make other animated films, something we became keenly aware of while visiting the studios. We saw just how long and arduous a process this was to just bring one movie to life by the film’s director, Sam Fell (Flushed Away, Paranorman) as well as supervising animator, Ian Whitlock, puppet maker Jimmy Young, DP Charles Copping, Supervising Art Director Matthew Perry, and animator Thiago Calçado. Here are 10 things we learned about Dawn of the Nugget during our Aardman Animations Studio tour.

The Plot of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

The original Chicken Run, which featured Julia Sawalha as the chicken Ginger, Mel Gibson as the rooster Rocky, and Miranda Richardson as the villainous Mrs. Tweedy, centered on a group of chickens trapped in an egg farm. One structured like a prisoner of war encampment. In the original, things ended rather hopefully. But as we know, these kinds of happy endings often don’t last. According to Sam Fell, “It’s a lovely, beautiful world, but their peace can’t last forever.”

Fell continued “The peace is shattered when a new road appears on the other side of the lake with these trucks taking chickens to this place called Funland Farms, which doesn’t look too good for chickens. Ginger knows that, although she and her flock may be safe, the rest of chicken-kind is in danger. So, she’s got to do something about it.” For the latest chapter, it’s all about breaking into Funland Farms, where the owners are looking to turn their inhabitants into the latest fast food concoction — chicken nuggets.

The Classic Chicken Run Characters Who Returned for Dawn of the Nugget

Sam Fell explained that we should expect to see the very familiar faces (and beaks) on screen. “Our main characters are back, our hero is Ginger, as she was in the first film, this kind of brave, determined, very clever chicken who masterminded their escape from Tweedy’s farm in the first film. And you remember that she was a great escape artist, and she could have got out there on her own. But she said, ‘No, we’re not going until we can get every chicken out here.’ She’s an idealist, she’s a visionary, and those kinds of themes around freedom and duty to others are at the heart of this movie as they were in the first movie.”

The original film’s male lead character, Rocky, is back too. Fell described him as “a fun-loving and laid-back American rooster, a little less footloose than he was in the first film. Not so much like that kind of playboy, but now he’s settled down, he’s in love with Ginger, and he’s the doting father of their daughter, Molly. She’s amazingly adventurous and curious. She’s a real live-wire. She’s a chick off the old block, really of Ginger, so a real handful.”

Same Characters, New Voice Cast (Mostly)

This time, these classic characters are (mostly) voiced by a new cast. According to Fell, Westworld’s Thandie Newton as Ginger “Brings an amazing strength and vulnerability and the humor to the part, for this next chapter in Ginger’s story. Shazam’s Zachary Levi, [now playing Rocky] he’s so warm, he’s so charming. He’s got some fantastic comic timing. I think he’s the perfect Rocky for our age. And Molly, played by Bella Ramsey, brings all the kind of nuance, pathos, and humor that she brought to The Last of Us, but with less swearing. And she just has a teaspoon this time, not a flick knife.” Miranda Richardson returns from the first film, however, as the villainous Mrs. Tweedy. Some perfect castings you just don’t mess with.

‘60s Culture and James Bond Films Were Big Inspirations

We learned that Dawn of the Nugget has a pretty big time-jump from the first film. Fell explained “We roughly set the original Chicken Run sometime during the ‘50s, in post-war England. Now, it’s several years later. And with a sixties setting, comes a very sixties genre for the film. If the first film was a World War II escape movie, then this is a 007 Bond movie, a Mission Impossible-type break in.”

But a Chicken Run film is only as good as its villain. And Mrs. Tweedy from the original is back, now sporting a swingin’ ‘60s makeover. Of Mrs. Tweedy and her adjustment to a new decade, Fell said “I think she’s like our Cruella de Vil. I think she’s such a rich and wonderful villain. You can see this time she’s received a makeover. She’s got rid of Mr. Tweedy, she’s got a new husband, Dr. Fry, who’s this very clever scientist who actually has a large inheritance. So she’s been using his money to kind of get this makeover. She’s got the beehive, the Nehru jacket. If you could see widely, you’d see she has these lovely Mary Quant boots. We were in the sort of drab, post-war era of the 50s in the first film. And then we just shifted it into the early sixties.”

There Were No Physical References From the Original Chicken Run to Work From

A huge monkey wrench thrown at the production actually happened almost two decades ago, one that caused them to have no physical assets at all to refer back to from the first film. According to puppet maker Jimmy Young, “We didn’t have any reference to the first film. There was a fire at our warehouse, [back in 2005] so a lot of the molds were lost.” As for the chickens that we did have, because they were 20 years old, they’d crumbled away, and disintegrated. The team was using behind-the-scenes books from the first film and references from the film to look at all the colors and all that.” What we saw of the film on the tour really made it look like they designed and produced everything with every reference on hand, making it even more impressive.  

Dawn of the Nugget Mixes Classic Stop Motion Techniques With Modern VFX Methods

Even though Aardman is still doing animation the old-fashioned (and painstakingly slow) way, that doesn’t mean they haven’t incorporated modern advances. While touring the studio, Animation Supervisor Ian Whitlock told us “For us at Aardman, we pride ourselves on the fact that there’s a real hand-built feeling about all of it, and we’d like to keep that going. So even when we have set extensions as VFX extensions, all their textures are coming from things that we’ve actually made.” One large chicken village set, for example, took two full years to build.

“We use a lot of technology, but the essence is in painting and things like that. It’s really traditional, still. All these chickens get hand-painted. It’ll take about three days to paint each one, but then you have something like where we’re trying to replicate the very first film, and all the detailing. We’ll scan the puppet and then we’ll start our 3D build within that. We’re using 3D engineering software to build the armatures, the skeletons inside, and then we’re using other software too.”

Aardman Studios Has “Puppet Hospitals”

When you make a production with this many actors made of clay and wire, there are bound to be some “injuries.” According to Dawn of the Nugget puppet maker Jimmy Young, “As the film is progressing, we’re continuously making puppets. And not only are we continuously making puppets and supplying the floor, we have our “puppet hospitals.” Because animators break things, and they’re a bit dirty, and they’ll just come back all trashed. So we have to either repress heads or fix slices or cuts or rigging, and things like that, and then put the puppets back out again. It’s a continuous thing. Even if we’ve got a few weeks left, we’re continuously doing that right until the very end.”

The Director Stopped Eating Meat Because of the Film

When asked if making a movie from the chicken’s POV made it so eating chicken was difficult, Sam Fell didn’t mince words. “I stopped eating chicken, and I stopped eating meat entirely during [the making of Chicken Run]” he said. “So, I did look into industrial farming, I kind of looked into it just for design purposes, and the idea of production, and it kind of got to me a bit, and put me off. Plus, I think the chickens are my heroes. So now I can’t eat chicken. And I’m always at the canteen with the chicken on the menu.”

Dawn of the Nugget Is as Much a Reboot as a Sequel

With so much fidelity to the original film, we had to wonder, was there ever any thought to bring the original voice cast back? We asked Sam Fell, who took over from the original’s Peter Lord and Nick Park, if they ever considered the original cast (besides Richardson). He said he wanted to make the film his own. And that meant new voice actors for familiar characters.

For Fell “Coming in new, I kind of want to make my own film in a way. Like I said, I love the first film. It was brilliant and perfectly cast, and I have no lack of respect for it. So I come in and I want to take a fresh look at it. The casting decisions made for the first one they probably made in 1997, and ’98. All based on where those actors were then, and what those characters were. It’s like a quarter of a century ago. So it’s as much a reboot in a way as a sequel. If they set it five years later, it’d be more like a straight sequel.”

A Third Chicken Run Film Is Possible

With Dawn of the Nugget on the horizon, we asked if a third installment was on the table already. Fell answered “There’s a really good third if anybody ever wanted to do that. But we’ll see. We’ll see if people love this. It’s a bit pretentious to call it a universe, but yeah, it’s a universe of chickens because the stakes are so high. It is like life and death. So yeah, I think there is a good father-son story there actually. There is a good, the world of roosters and the way roosters work story. It was interesting.” If there is a third Chicken Run, here’s hoping it’s not two decades between sequels if it happens.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget drops on Netflix on December 15.

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Netflix’s Drop 01 event gave fans a slate of incredible animation news. From a virtual viewing of Castlevania: Nocturne to the very intriguing teaser for a Devil May Cry anime series, there’s a lot for subscribers to look forward to in the near future. Another Netflix announcement that has us buzzing is Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and its gorgeous teaser trailer. Recently, during Geeked Week, we also got a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this new adventure. It’s been a long time since we have seen this famous adventurer swing into action, and it looks like we are in for quite the quest.

The clip reveals exactly what it should to viewers. In this Tomb Raider trailer, We get a glimpse of Lara Croft as she dives into a mysterious abyss and shoots an arrow at the camera. There’s also some intrigue as she looks at a photo of herself with a group of people, presumably friends. It would have been nice to hear Hayley Atwell as the titular tomb raider. But perhaps Netflix is leaving a little something for us to look forward to when it comes to this Tomb Raider series. Lara Croft’s video game and film history gives her a few different backstories, including everything from being an aristocrat who chooses a life of adventure following an accident to a daughter seeking answers about her mother’s disappearance.

Of course, many fans are familiar with Angelina Jolie’s take on the character. She discovers the truth behind her father’s demise while also being a total badass. It remains to be seen what Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will do with her story, but the Netflix trailer does show how aesthetically pleasing this show will be. 

The Making of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

This Tomb Raider series is produced by Legendary Television and video game development company Crystal Dynamics, with animation by Powerhouse Animation Studios. Powerhouse is the same studio behind the 2017 Castlevania TV series as well as video games like Mortal Kombat X. 

As part of its Geeked Week, Netflix showcased the creation of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and offered us a behind-the-scenes look at how the look of the character and series came together. Joy Hua, a character design supervisor on the series, shared that one of the main aims of the series is to bridge the Lara Croft fans know from the newer Survivor games and have her grow into the Lara Craft we fans know from the classic games. Hua also promises there will be many video game Easter eggs in the outfits and props fans see on screen, but that the series will also go to new and unexplored places.

Sounds like it will be an excellent adventure to us.

What Is Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’s Release Date? 

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will hit Netflix sometime in 2024. We will likely get a firmer date/release window when a full trailer for the Tomb Raider series drops.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Originally published on September 27, 2023.

The post Here’s a Stunning Look at the Making of TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT appeared first on Nerdist.

What is a villain without a loyal steed? Skeletor wouldn’t be the same without Panthor. The massive purple panther takes his master into battle and also lounges menacingly by Skeletor’s throne. Mondo, who kicked off their Masters of the Universe collection in 2018, is finally adding Panthor to the line-up. Nerdist can exclusively reveal the first look at Mondo’s 1/6 scale Panthor figure. We love this very good kitty.

Panthor is 18 inches long and has over 60 points of articulation. It will be available to purchase as a timed edition. The same team who worked on Mondo’s Battle Cat figure brought their A-game to Skeletor’s buddy. The crew included concept designer Emiliano Santalucia, sculptors Tommy Hodges and Matthew Black, painter Mark Bristow, official MOTU packaging artist Florian Bertmer, and photographer Raúl Barrero. They all worked to make this Panthor collectible look lethal and gorgeous.

The 1/6 scale Panthor comes with:

• Helmetless Swappable Head
• Horned Helmet Swappable Head
• Battle Fanged Helmet Swappable Head
• Classic Panthor Swappable Head
• Fully Removable Body and Leg Armor

Click To View Gallery

If you want an even closer look at Mondo’s Panthor figure, you’re in luck. Mondo’s Senior Creative Directors will be hosting a live stream delving into the collectible on Monday, November 13, at 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET. Tune in to get, if possible, more excited about this amazing Masters of the Universe figure.

The Panthor timed edition will be available between 12:00pm CT on Tuesday, November 14 and 11:59pm CT on Friday, November 24. Mondo will be shipping them in two waves in November on a first come, first shipped basis. And yes, Mondo will be releasing a Skeletor Regular figure alongside the beast. Get your Panthor directly from Mondo for $499. Panthor is limited to three figures per household.

The post Mondo Continues Its MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Line with Panthor appeared first on Nerdist.

Gee, thanks, Disney Pixar! Way to remind us that growing up is hard to do. But it turns out that it is, even for animated children becoming animated teenagers. The first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated sequel to Inside Out, aptly named Inside Out 2, spotlights one very specific new emotion, Anxiety. Everyone, please make Anxiety feel very welcome…

It happens to us all. Demolition day, and BAM. Anxiety has moved in. We have to say that Inside Out 2‘s teaser trailer has captured the spirit of anxiety very well… Too well… We honestly can’t look this teaser trailer directly in the eye. Perfectly voiced by Maya Hawke (a.k.a. Robin Buckley from Stranger Things), Anxiety is already apologizing for not getting it right. Nooooo! And even worse, she’s not the only one to arrive. Inside Out 2 will feature even more new friends, and we’re not sure we want to find out exactly what they are. Rumor has it the new emotions include Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy. This movie does not look like it intends to slow its roll.

Inside Out 2 Synopsis Dives Into Anxiety and Other New Emotions

Along with the teaser trailer, Disney and Pixar revealed a lengthy new synopsis for Inside Out 2. It shares:

The little voices inside Riley’s head know her inside and out—but next summer, everything changes when Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 introduces a new Emotion: Anxiety. According to director Kelsey Mann, the new character promises to stir things up within headquarters. “Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, might be new to the crew, but she’s not really the type to take a back seat,” said Mann. “That makes a lot of sense if you think about it in terms of what goes on inside all our minds.” A trailer, poster and film stills are now available for what promises to be the feel-good (or feel-everything) film of Summer 2024.

Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Maya Hawke lends her voice to Anxiety, alongside Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale as Fear, and Liza Lapira as Disgust.

Well, there you have it. Inside Out 2 arrives in June 2024. We’re not quite sure it will make us feel “good” but we bet it will definitely hit hard.

The post INSIDE OUT 2 Trailer Introduces Everyone’s BFF Anxiety, Teases Other New Emotions appeared first on Nerdist.

We all love an excellent mashup video. Now YouTuber RwanLink has taken The Legend of Zelda, and created an animated teaser showing what it would be like if Link came to life in the style of Studio Ghibli. This short teaser was created with Unreal Engine 5, the latest engine created by Epic Games. RwanLink recreated Ocarina of Time, which many believe to be the franchise’s most popular installment. In fact, Ocarina of Time turns 25 this year, so what better way to honor the game? You can watch the full 4K teaser for Zelda Ocarina of Time X Ghibli: Castle Town below:

Of course, this video is just a teaser. RwanLink has revealed they will release another, longer trailer on November 21. Then, their full Zelda Ocarina of Time X Ghibli: Castle Town video will drop on December 25th. That will be a true Christmas present for Zelda and Studio Ghibli fans. The full video will showcase over 30 characters in total. This is not the first fan video RwanLink has created based on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5. So far, the artist has recreated Goron City, Kokiri Forest, and Zora’s Domain.

All those other videos from RwanLink look incredible, and will blow you away with their detail. However, mashing up The Legend of Zelda with the Studio Ghibli aesthetic really took it all to the next level. This is not the only remake of Ocarina of Time going around these days, especially with the 25th anniversary this year. But it certainly seems like the best one, as it truly captures the look and feel of a Hayao Miyazaki production. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of a real Nintendo and Studio Ghibli collaboration at some point. Yes, it’s unlikely, but this trailer proves it sure would be cool.

The post Amazing Fan Video Gives THE LEGEND OF ZELDA a Studio Ghibli Makeover appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s probably not a hard sell getting big names to sign on for a Hayao Miyazaki movie. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the legendary filmmaker’s Studio Ghibli legacy? No one is too famous for that. But even though we know that to be true, we’re still floored by the newly announced cast for the English-language dub of the iconic director’s upcoming The Boy and the Heron. It features some of Hollywood’s most popular and beloved stars, a list too impressive to pick only one or two to highlight. And in its first trailer for the english-language dub of The Boy and the Heron, this Miyzakai movie shows off its steller cast.

GKIDS, which handles North American distribution for Studio Ghibli recently announced the cast for the English dub of The Boy and the Heron (A film we here at Nerdist described as a “truly mesmerizing feat of animation.”) And now we can hear them in action. The list of voice performers—fittingly—speaks for itself. It includes: Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. The full list of who plays who is below, but we especially cannot get over Robert Pattinson playing the gray heron.

The film will also feature Luca Padovan, as well as Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens as the Parakeets. Yeah, Dan Stevens is the last person they mentioned.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Famous Cast and Their Character Roles

Here is the breakdown of The Boy and the Heron‘s cast and the characters they play. See if you can hear their voices in the trailer for this Studio Ghibli movie’s English dub.

SHOICHI MAKI is played by Christian Bale

THE PARAKEET KING is played by Dave Bautista

NATSUKO is played by Gemma Chan

NOBLE PELICAN is played by Willem Dafoe

LADY HIMI is played by Karen Fukuhara

GRANDUNCLE is played by Mark Hamill

GRAY HERON is played by Robert Pattinson

KIRIKO is played by Florence Pugh

MAHITO MAKI is played by Luca Padovan

THE PARAKEETS are played by Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens

More About The Boy and the Heron

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, which debuted at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, here’s its official synopsis:

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

Both the original Japanese and new English language versions will come to North American theaters on December 8. (Some special preview screenings will begin earlier on November 22.) Which version should you watch: the Japanese version or the English dub? Why choose when you have the perfect excuse to see a new Hayao Miyazaki movie twice? We doubt the biggest names in the industry would pass on that opportunity, either.

Originally published on October 17, 2023.

The post THE BOY AND THE HERON Shares English-Language Trailer Featuring Star-Studded Cast appeared first on Nerdist.

The Simpsons aren’t the only animated characters to make themselves an indelible part of the spooky season. This year marks the 20th(ish) “Ween” installment from Homestar Runner. Normally the site’s October holiday videos conclude with Homestar incorrectly guessing what everyone else dressed as. But this year The Brothers Chaps turned their traditional ending segment into an entire ‘toon. Their clueless star made his costume ignorance into a game show. And while it doesn’t end the way you expect, this Halloween cartoon is as funny as you’d hope.

Homestar Runner‘s new “The Show: Ween Edition” cartoon isn’t your normal TV game show. Rather than simply have Homestar guess everyone’s Halloween costumes—which always leads to zero correct answers and much hilarity—players must predict the exact way Homestar will get their ensemble wrong.

From obscure pop culture characters to Halloween costumes worn by fictional characters in a very famous movie, there’s a full range of identities for Homestar to mess up here. That’s always true of the site’s “Ween” cartoons, though. What makes this year’s installment especially fun is the chance to play along. If you know Homestar Runner well enough, like his friends clearly do, you have a decent shot at guessing his guesses.

I even got one right! I was all over Homestar’s “Devo Construction Worker” answer for Coach Z. However, as is always the case, I also had no idea who some characters are dressed as. I’ve spent a lot of time obsessing over the Halloween costumes of Homestar Runner characters over the years, and every year there are those I don’t recognize at all.

Does that make me as dumb as Homestar? No. No, I am much dumber. There’s no way I’d be smart enough to turn my own costume ignorance into a game show that I both host and guarantee I win.

The post HOMESTAR RUNNER Turns His Costume Confusion into a Game Show in New Halloween ‘Toon appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boy and the Heron, the newest Studio Ghibli movie and possibly Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, has treated us to a very slow reveal. For a long time, all we saw from the movie was a poster with a mysterious heron on it. Next, we saw some beautiful stills that carried all the hallmarks of a Studio Ghibli movie created by Hayao Miyazaki. Now, the movie has released has released several trailers to help whet our appetite. The Boy and the Heron‘s US teaser trailer sets its American theater release date. But most importantly, we finally get to see some of The Boy and the Heron in action across the movie’s US and international trailers. The might of nature, the existential threat of death, and a stunning soundtrack? Yep. Sign us up for this latest Studio Ghibli movie.

The Boy and the Heron’s Official US Trailer

The Boy and the Heron isn’t ready to surrender all of its secrets in this teaser trailer, though. Haunting music guides us through flashes of different scenes. We see a heron, of course, and follow our protagonist as he delves deep into yet another surreal and magical Miyazaki world. There’s even a brand new adorable Studio Ghibli creature for us to coo over.

The Boy and the Heron‘s teaser trailer notes, “Where death comes to an end. Life finds new beginning.” It could be ominous… or hopeful. Isn’t that what a Miyazaki movie is all about?

More Footage of the Studio Ghibli Movie Revealed in International Trailers

In addition to the footage from the US trailer for The Boy and the Heron, new scenes from the movie have been revealed in the French and Korean trailers for the film. Take a look below.

Korean trailer of "The Boy and the Heron" (Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli).
It also reveals new footage from the film.pic.twitter.com/rjJSG5YAyl https://t.co/C6PzLVTwz0

— Catsuka (@catsuka) October 2, 2023

French trailer of "The Boy and the Heron" (Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli).
It reveals new footage from the film.pic.twitter.com/t4CaxoKBn9

— Catsuka (@catsuka) October 2, 2023

To further celebrate The Boy and the Heron‘s release in South Korea, a music video from artist Kenshi Yonezu, titled “Spinning Globe,” was also released. This music video features a ton of new footage from Miyazaki’s latest Studio Ghibli movie.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Synopsis

In addition to new footage, the trailer for The Boy and the Heron reveals precious insight into the Studio Ghibli movie’s plot. It notes:

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

We do love a good tribute to friendship—and the themes of life, death, and creation are guaranteed to make us cry. It’s a good thing we don’t have to wait too long for this movie to arrive in theaters. This movie was also introduced initially as Hayao Miyazaki’s final Studio Ghibli movie. Of course, there have been many “final” Studio Ghibli movies before, but if this is in fact the last, we’re sure we’ll see that reflected in the content as well.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Release Date

The Boy and the Heron will be released in movie theaters on December 8. The new Studio Ghibli movie will play in regular and IMAX theaters.

Originally published on September 6, 2023.

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We love horror here at Nerdist, but we were kids once too. Not every kid watches A Nightmare on Elm Street at eight years old. Some of us watched regular old cartoons. But, those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s can tell you some of those were scary as hell too. Everyone just wanted to terrify children back then. D’ose were da days. To that end, members of the Nerdist team have delved into their own kinder-fears to give you examples of episodes of cartoons that traumatized us.

We should point out, we’re pretty much leaving out anything that was inherently terrifying. Like Courage the Cowardly Dog, for example. That sh*t was designed to be scary every week. Picking an episode of this would be too easy. Anyway, without further ado.

Rocko’s Modern Life – “To Heck and Back”

To immediately contradict the above, it’s entirely possible Rocko’s Modern Life, Nickelodeon’s fourth Nicktoon which premiered in 1993, was in fact meant to terrify kids. The show, about a Wallaby’s foibles of daily existence, has some of the creepiest and most grotesque imagery this side of Ren & Stimpy. However, I don’t think anything was as nightmare fueling from that series as “To Heck and Back,” the second cartoon of the eleventh episode of the series. In it, Rocko’s best friend Heffer Wolfe (a cow) chokes to death on a chicken bone and as Rocko tries in vain to save him, has a truly disturbing trip to Heck where he meets the avatar of death itself, named Peaches.

It’s not merely that Heffer dies (he has Xs for eyes!) but it’s that Peaches at the end takes off his black hood to reveal his head is made of cow udders and sprays milk everywhere. It’s one of the most vivid memories I have of this entire show, because it scared the poop out of me. – Kyle Anderson

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends – “The Bride of Dracula!”

Saturday morning cartoons in the ‘80s loved using classic monsters, but always watered them down to a ridiculous degree. One of those times was when Dracula popped up on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and hypnotized Angelica Jones into becoming his bride. He didn’t even know she was the superhero Firestar, he just had a thing for redheads. He might not have picked her if he knew was a living sun. Oops.

In the episode, Vlad takes her to Transylvania, where his Frankenstein and werewolf henchman fight Spidey and Iceman who come to save her. The idea that Drac might just randomly pop into a school dance and choose you as his victim is actually pretty scary when one is nine years old. And his werewolf henchman Bruno was actually scarier to any kid than Dracula, and stuck in my mind longer. Sadly, Dracula doesn’t bite anyone, but at least he’s not as lame as Super Friends Dracula, who turned people into vampires with eye beams. -Eric Diaz

Rugrats – “Under Chuckie’s Bed”

As a late ‘80s baby and ‘90s kid, Rugrats was a huge part of my cartoon lineup. I loved watching those silly babies with large heads go on ridiculous adventures. But one journey I didn’t love was when Chucky made his transition from a crib to a big boy bed in “Under Chuckie’s Bed.” I was long out of the crib stage at this point. However, I still had some serious anxiety about monsters lurking in every shadow of my room, including under my bed. And watching A Nightmare on Elm Street while living on Elm Street didn’t bolster my confidence about sleeping in a bed alone.

Hearing a voice call out to Chuckie, attempting to bribe him into the darkness under his bed with candy gave me chills. Of course, Angelica makes it worse with her story about Barnaby Jones, in which we see Barnaby getting pulled into the abyss in a very It-like fashion. Sure, Chuckie’s monster was only a sweater in the end but the possibility of ending up like Barnaby loomed in my mind. – Tai Gooden

Yu-Gi-Oh! – “Evil Spirit of the Ring”

At its heart, Yu-Gi-Oh! has some truly excellent horror bones. After all, the main conceit of the show is that its characters are basically getting possessed by ancient spirits all of the time. Even the friendlier ones don’t exactly always ask permission. But no character brings the creeps and chills quite like Yami Bakura. And that’s why his introductory episode is the one that makes this list. While other Bakura episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! are arguably scarier, like his eyeball-filled Battle City duel with Yami Yugi or his graveyard-set, zombie-ridden encounter with the aptly named Bones, this episode is the most quintessentially creepy and also has a great feeling of Halloween.

For starters, “Evil Spirit of the Ring” takes place in the Shadow Realm and involves characters getting their souls sent to a graveyard where they’re chased by the Grim Reaper and see their names on gravestones. And on top of that, Yu-Gi-Oh’s main gang get to play dress up during this episode in true Halloween style. They’re transformed into monsters on the playing field and literally become their favorite cards. It’s horrifying from the perspective of their experience, but also a lot of fun. Taken together, this eerie episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! summons not only evil the spirit of the Millennium Ring but also the spirit of tricks and treats. – Rotem Rusak

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island

I’m gonna cheat a little here and pick the movie Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. While not technically an episode of the television show, this direct-to-video horror classic made regular appearances on Cartoon Network throughout my childhood and left a lasting impact on my love of all things spooky. With a more serious and genuinely scary tone than the previous adventures of Scoobert-Doo and company, Zombie Island was an essential piece of gateway horror that felt exciting and dangerous and is undoubtedly responsible for spawning many lifelong fans of the genre. – Alison Mattingly

Beetlejuice – “Laugh of the Party”

As a kid I thought the Beetlejuice animated series was the greatest thing on TV, I just couldn’t articulate why. My child analysis was mostly limited to saying, “It’s really funny!” Now, as an adult with an expanded vocabulary and greater media literacy, I realize young me nailed it. If you want to see why go back and watch the show’s delightful first Halloween episode, “Laugh of the Party.” It features Beetlejuice attempting to throw a real-world Halloween bash using Neitherworld aides. Predictably that leads to a hilarious disaster.

The episode, like the entire show, totally holds up thanks to the cartoon’s timeless comedic sensibilities. The series blended silly and smart humor via absurdist gags, memorable characters, and clever wordplay. That was all anchored by the genuine friendship between Lydia and the Ghost with the Most. Their partnership made every party, even ones with Halloween monsters running amok, worth attending. -Michael Walsh

BONUS: Turbo Teen

I can’t pick a single episode of this bizarre 1984 series (which I saw later in the ’80s) because the entire thing is messed up. I’m all for things changing into other things in cartoons. Hell, Transformers was my absolute jam. Even people turning into animals, or animals turning into human-like things. I loved all of it. So why, then, was Turbo Teen so upsetting? Well, have you seen it?! It’s about a teenager who has the power to turn into a car. He’s not mechanical, mind you. He can just turn his body into a sports car. The transformation sequence, which they showed ad nauseum in every episode, is almost more harrowing than the similar scene in An American Werewolf in London.

I mean, just look at this monstrosity!

His face turns into the car’s grill! His friends sit inside him! That’s as gross as it gets. – Kyle Anderson

The post Cartoon Episodes From the ’80s and ’90s That Scared Us as Kids appeared first on Nerdist.

You’re all I ever wannttteeedddd. You’re all I ever needeeddd. So tell me what to do now when I want you back. If you’re under the age of 30, you probably don’t get that reference. But if you do, you are totally an NSYNC (also styled *NSYNC) fan. The infamous ‘90s boy band sang those very words on their smash debut single “I Want You Back,” quickly making millennial girls swoon over them. They released their last album, Celebrity, in 2001 and since then we have been wanting them back. Over two decades later, NSYNC is reuniting for a new song in a seemingly unorthodox way: for a Trolls movie. We got a sneak peak at NSYNC’s new reunion song “Better Place,” in the trailer for Trolls Band Together. And now the new NSYNC song has been released in full alongside the Trolls Band Together soundtrack.

Yes, this seems a bit strange for those who aren’t familiar with this universe. The Trolls films follow Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick), the pink-hued and upbeat troll who eventually becomes the queen of the Trolls. The Trolls are carefree and love to sing and dance ALL the time. She eventually falls in love with Branch, who hates all things joy until he forms a friendship and later romance with Poppy. NSYNC member Justin Timberlake not only voices Branch in the Trolls franchise, but he also wrote the Academy Award-winning theme song for the original 2016 movie, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

So it makes sense that Trolls Band Together would be an avenue for an NSYNC reunion song. In fact, it seems that Branch’s life will somewhat mirror Justin Timberlake’s based on what we see in the Trolls Band Together trailer. Branch is a former member of a huge boyband made of his brothers. He will apparently save one of them from a kidnapping before they have a surely happy reunion.

We only hear a snippet of NSYNC’s new reunion song in the Trolls trailer, but we can now jam out to the finished track. It sounds upbeat and fun. Have a listen to the full version of NSYNC’s new song “Better Place” below.

Additionally, Justin Timberlake shared a short behind-the-scenes look at getting the band back together to record NSYNC’s new song.

NSYNC are officially back on the music scene. “Better Place” released on September 29. What a joyous time for all NSYNC fans. Get ready to fan out like it’s 1997.

Originally published on September 14, 2023.

The post NSYNC Reunites for New Song ‘Better Place’ in TROLLS BAND TOGETHER Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Disney fans of all ages know what can happen when you wish upon a star. But soon they’ll get to see what happens when you wish with Star, the cosmic being of energy at the heart of the Mouse House’s upcoming animated movie Wish. He’s far from the only notable member of the film. The trailer also serves as an introduction to Ariana DeBose’s Asha and Alan Tudyk’s talking goat Valentino. They’ll be joined by Hollywood royalty, Chris Pine‘s King Magnifico.

That might sound like a dream come true, but this is one Chris Pine character we’ll be wishing comes up short.

Seventeen is a tough enough age without having to save your entire community. But that’s exactly what Asha and her surprisingly deep-voiced goat pal will have to do for Rosas, “the kingdom of wishes.” That magical land off the Iberian Peninsula is the setting for Disney’s Wish.

Fortunately the two will have help from a very special being. Here’s the movie’s official synopsis from Disney:

In Wish, Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen. 

Wish comes from directors Chris Buck (Frozen, Frozen 2) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Raya and the Last Dragon). It also features new songs from Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice and a score by composer Dave Metzger. The musical-comedy comes to theaters this fall, on November 22, 2023.

Originally published on April 27, 2023.

The post Disney’s WISH Trailer Introduces Chris Pine as an Evil Disney King appeared first on Nerdist.

We’ve seen some awesome, nerdy Airbnbs in our day. We’ve seen a few that look like Hobbit holes and some that emulate the Haunted Mansion or Scooby’s Mystery Machine. But this Airbnb based on the Shrek franchise just might beat them all. Located in Scotland’s Highlands, this is a perfect replica of the home of everyone’s favorite green ogre. Shrek’s Swamp is available for one weekend only, October 27-29 of this year for $0. (We’re guessing Shrek is on vacay that weekend). Bookings open on October 13 at 6 PM BST. So whoever wants to stay there, we wish that the keyboard gods look kindly upon you.

Click To View Gallery

Shrek himself won’t be home, but it appears by the listing that Donkey will greet visitors. This house features everything you’d want from Shrek’s Swamp house that you saw in the movies. It’s got a dirt floor, a wood bed, and a dinner table with a candle designed to mimic the earwax candle. The adherence to Shrek details extends beyond the immediate interiors and exteriors of the house, with “Beware Ogre” and “Stay Out” signs outside. Luckily, the house has an actual working toilet with a sink, so you won’t be forced to use the outhouse like Shrek did in the movies. No one needs that level of sticking to Shrek canon.

So who actually owns this property? All we know is that the Ardverikie Estate owns it. We don’t know why they built it, as it doesn’t seem to be permanently meant for Airbnb. Maybe they’re just the world’s biggest fans of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away, and wanted a little slice of it for themselves? The listing for the Shrek house notes that they paid Universal Studios for the rights to any characters and similarities to the animated franchise. Airbnb is making a one-time donation to Scotland’s HopScotch Children’s Charity as part of this promotion.

The post Shrek’s Swamp Is Now a Screen Accurate Airbnb appeared first on Nerdist.

If you read the title The Boy and the Heron, you would assume it’s a charming romp through the Japanese countryside with a boy and his beloved pet bird. But the truth is, The Boy and the Heron is one of legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s least whimsical productions. Now 82 years old, the filmmaker is grappling with a subject no less weighty than the idea of legacy and the future survival of the world. Its overall narrative structure is a little less tightly written than some of his other films. And young Mahito proves to be at times an emotionally impenetrable hero. However, The Boy and the Heron is nonetheless a compelling, imaginative entry into the Miyazaki canon.

Our story begins in Tokyo in the midst of World War II, after a hospital fire that claims the life of Mahito’s (Soma Santoki) mother. He is sent to a quieter estate in the countryside where he learns that his important factory owner father has remarried. His new wife is his late wife’s younger sister Natsuko and they are expecting a child together.

Mahito does his best to make this his home, but he still struggles with anger and grief over the passing of his mother. The vision of a mysterious grey heron plagues him with continual harassment. The more he learns about the strange history of the estate, the louder the heron’s cries become, eventually speaking to him. It promises Mahito that it can take him to see his mother and assures him that she’s not actually dead. But it’s only after Natsuko’s kidnapping that Mahito gives in to its requests and follows the heron into another world.

As one might expect, creative and imaginative animation defines The Boy and the Heron. The opening sequence with the fire at Mahito’s mother’s hospital is especially vivid. It creates a frenzied, blurred image that looks almost impressionistic in style. The character design lives up to Miyazaki’s reputation, ranging from the gruesome to the adorable, like the Warawara. They are sweet-looking innocent white puffs that go on to become human babies when sent up to the real world. Also, there is no reason a heron needs a full set of human teeth to gnash menacingly except to make it extra-terrifying, right?

Much of the film takes place in a different realm with a large population of the dead. However, there’s a playful sense of humor throughout. For example, the parakeets, with their unexpected homicidal tendencies and sprawling internal hierarchy, provide much of the comic relief.

The film takes quite a while to get to the action. Alice spends mere minutes in the real world before leaving on her adventures in Wonderland, after all. Meanwhile Mahito remains on the country estate for the entire first third. That’s not to say that the first act is a waste. It brims with a quiet sense of foreboding as the boy and the heron size each other up. But it really begins firing on all cylinders once they arrive in the mysterious other realm.

It’s here that Miyazaki reckons with two major sources of anxiety. There’s what he and his generation are leaving behind for the next and what kind of world the new rulers will create once they inherit it. He seemingly views the world as being on the precipice of disaster. To him, it requires careful balance from open-hearted individuals free of malice to save it from complete destruction.

This is Miyazaki at perhaps his most introspective and emotionally vulnerable, as he casts his eye inward. The original Japanese title of The Boy and the Heron is How Do You Live?. And it is indeed a question at the heart of the film. What will you do with the world once it is given to you, when you can become creator, savior, or destroyer? It shares a title with a seminal work on ethics for children by Genzaburo Yoshino. So it seems these thoughts were not far from Miyazaki’s mind when he created the film.

The Boy and the Heron attempts to blend an old man’s worries about the future with the childlike joy of discovering the world for the first time. It packs every inch of the screen with beauty tinged with a taste of the playfully macabre. Mahito is perhaps not an ideal protagonist, though. He is impassive and emotionally numb for most of the film, making it difficult to connect with him. But although the human characters are on the sparsely written side, the rich world that Miyazaki creates compensates for this. This makes The Boy and the Heron an imperfect but truly mesmerizing feat of animation.

The Boy and the Heron will release in the US on December 8.

The Boy and the Heron ⭐ (4 of 5)

The post Hayao Miyazaki’s THE BOY AND THE HERON Is Imaginative, Beautiful, and Thoughtful appeared first on Nerdist.

Ogres are not known for their fashion, generally speaking. Shrek certainly didn’t make any statements with his grubby tunic and too-small vest. Crocs might change the perception of ogres with an upcoming design, though. These Shrek Crocs, which we first spotted at Hypebeast, bring the grumpy ogre to footwear in a far too lifelike manner. They’re kind of… great. In the style of the Classic Clog and in a hideously perfect slimy green hue, these Shrek Crocs make a statement.

Click To View Gallery

The vibrant color of the Crocs isn’t the only nod to Shrek. The back heel straps are fuzzy and brown, nodding to the character’s brown vest. Shrek’s “S” logo features on the straps. But the real stars of the Shrek Crocs design are the Jibbitz. If you are not a Crocs aficionado, Jibbitz are charms you can attach to Crocs’ signature holes as accessories. Often they are cute. In this case, the Jibbitz add Shrek’s nose and ears, taking the shoes from funky to mildly disturbing. The ears and nose addition truly make the look in our opinion, but if you want less lifelike Shrek Crocs, you can leave the Jibbitz off.

Shrek premiered in 2001. Yes, it really has been that long. Sequels and spinoffs have followed. A fifth Shrek movie is potentially in the works, too. On top of that, Universal announced a DreamWorks-themed land for its Orlando, Florida park. Shrek will surely feature in that. This means you have all the occasions to bust out these Shrek Crocs.

The only bad thing about the Shrek Crocs is that we don’t have a release date yet. We’ll be keeping our eyes on Crocs’ website.

The post We’re Accidentally in Love with These SHREK Crocs appeared first on Nerdist.

More than two decades after they banded together to find freedom our favorite band of plucky birds are back. Only this time they’re not breaking out. They’re breaking in. The first trailer for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Netflix’s long-awaited sequel to the beloved stop-motion classic, features the return of Ginger and her feathered-friends. This time around they’re trying to make their way into a seemingly impenetrable fortress rather than escape from a farm. But while technological advances might be scary, there’s something even more frightening waiting for them behind those imposing walls stands. Inside is something far worse than gun-toting mechanical moles and laser-guided exploding ducks. They’re greatest enemy is back, and time has done nothing to make Mrs. Tweedy any less awful.

We’ve waited a long, long time to see the heroes of 2000’s Chicken Run again. The advent of chicken nuggets will finally force them back into action to save their skin. (Along with their wings, breasts, and thighs.) Only, they’re not just worried about their own group. Here’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget‘s official logline from Netflix to compliment the trailer:

For Ginger and the flock, all is at stake when the dangers of the human world come home to roost; they’ll stop at nothing even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk to save chicken-kind. This time, they’re breaking in!

Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard wrote the film, which Sam Fell directs. In a statement, Fell explained how Mrs. Tweedy will be both the same villain we love while also adding a new dynamic to her terrifying persona. He also offered some insight into a new baddie who will work alongside her:

They say a movie is only as good as its villain and Ginger’s nemesis, Mrs. Tweedy is one of the all-time greats. Now she’s out to take industrial-scale revenge on all chicken-kind with the Dawn of the Nugget. We’ve had so much fun working with Miranda Richardson to transform Melisha Tweedy into the ultimate 1960’s super-villain. Miranda has a unique understanding of drama and comedy, making you laugh while scaring the pants off you in the exact same moment. Also rounding out our fantastic cast is Peter Serafinowicz playing Reginald Smith, a slightly bemused businessman visiting Mrs Tweedy’s giant nugget factory. It takes a particular kind of comic genius to play the foil to Miranda Richardson’s hilariously frightening archvillain. Peter pulls it off with effortless finesse.

The film also stars Thandiwe Newton (Ginger), Zachary Levi (Rocky), Bella Ramsey (Molly), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), Lynn Ferguson (Mac), David Bradley (Fowler), Jane Horrocks (Babs), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher), Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry).

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget breaks onto the streaming site in time for Christmas, December 15.

The post CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET Trailer Sets a Mission to Save Chicken-Kind appeared first on Nerdist.

Over its three decades on television, The Simpsons has produced some very memorable memes. There’s probably a whole generation out there that primarily knows these characters only from memes, which is mildly mortifying. Yes kids, “Old Man Yells at Cloud” is from an actual episode of TV. But the most famous one of these has got to be the one of Homer Simpson backing up into a hedge. Well, now they are preserving that iconic moment…as tennis shoes. We’ve learned, via the folks at DesignTaxi, that Adidas has incorporated this moment into one of their Stan Smith sneakers. You can check out images of this new Homer-inspired footwear down below:

Click To View Gallery

While the entire style of this shoe keeps its classic barebones look, they animate the heel tab with embroidered artwork of the Simpson family’s perpetually befuddled patriarch retreating into a lush backdrop of green fleece. Although this moment usually signifies shame or embarrassment on social media, no one would feel shame wearing this amazing vegan leather shoe. The shoe’s tongue also features a reference to this Simpsons moment, with Homer’s face partially hidden underneath the laces. The sides now feature his name in place of the Stan Smith logo.

Along with some custom sock liners, these shoes arrive in a specially designed box memorializing the Homer meme. And that truly completes the package. Also, there are the iconic Adidas triple stripes envisioned as a part of the foliage that Homer retreats into. This Homer Simpson tennis shoe is actually the second Stan Smith shoe drawing inspiration from the legendary series. Homer’s wife Marge got her own special shoe last year. These specially designed The Simpsons Stan Smith shoes come at a price of $120.00, this amusing edition to the timeless footwear is now available for purchase via various Adidas retailers and online.

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A new spell is about to be cast. In news first reported by The New York Times, we learned that Hayao Miyazaki would create a brand new Studio Ghibli movie, The Boy and the Heron. This is the last new Studio Ghibli movie, according to the publication. And one we are all excited to see take shape.

The Boy and the Heron First Look Images

The new Miyazaki movie, tentatively titled, How Do You Live released in Japan on July 14, 2023. In the US, the movie is titled “The Boy and the Heron” and it will arrive “later this year,” per its North American distributor GKids.

Although, purposefully, no trailer was released for the movie, we recently got our first good look at the animation that lies in store. All the hallmarks of a great Miyazaki movie, strange creatures, wild nature, and a tender relationship, appear to be in order.

Additionally, The Boy and the Heron released a poster in December 2022, but little more information is available yet about the film. What we do know, however, is below.

More About Miyazaki’s How Do You Live

The original article offered us a glimpse at the film, saying:

Neither Miyazaki nor Suzuki will share much about the forthcoming film, beyond the fact that it is based on a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. The story concerns a 15-year-old boy in Tokyo, small for his age and fond of mischief, whose father has recently died. In the English translation by Bruno Navasky, published in October, the boy gazes out at the city and is overwhelmed: “The watching self, the self being watched, and furthermore the self becoming conscious of all this, the self observing itself by itself, from afar, all those various selves overlapped in his heart, and suddenly he began to feel dizzy.”

The actual content of the film could be anything — Suzuki has described it as “fantasy on a grand scale” — since Miyazaki doesn’t so much borrow stories as liberate them from their origins. (In the pseudobiographical “The Wind Rises,” he gives the real-life Jiro Horikoshi a fictional wife dying of tuberculosis.) All Suzuki will share is that he recognizes himself in one of the characters, who is not human.

Miyazaki’s works deal with many themes, popular among them coming-of-age narratives and discussions of nature vs. man. Fantasy always serves to heighten the aspects of reality that we can all understand. And, of course, incredibly intricate animation that soothes and moves us ties it all together. If this film will offer us something even grander than before, then it will truly astound.

Though the 1937 novel goes unnamed in the article, it appears Miyazaki will adapt How Do You Live? While this news appears to have released in some capacity at previous times, this feels like a formalization of intent. The book has long influenced Miyazaki, who cites it as his favorite childhood read.

But will this truly be Miyazaki’s last film? Of course, Miyazaki has famously announced retirement before, only to return. Well, only time will tell. Miyazaki’s producer and partner Suzuki has only this insight, which the article shares. “In the West, we always need to know how things end. At Ghibli, the last scene is often a mystery.”

We look forward to this next great adventure.

Originally published on November 23, 2021.

The post Here’s a First Look at Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Last’ New Studio Ghibli Movie, THE BOY AND THE HERON appeared first on Nerdist.

Fionna and Cake (the alternate versions of Finn and Jake, obviously) are coming to the rescue in their own Adventure Time spinoff series on HBO Max! The adorable duo will go on a ten-episode journey in the land of Ooo as they face off against a new foe. The former Ice King Simon Petriov will come in for the assist and, like the original series, it is going to be a heartfelt adventure, indeed. The trailer for Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is full of action and an appearance from Finn and Jake, too. 

Fans of the beloved Adventure Time series will absolutely geek out over this clip. There are glimpses of the Farmworld and Farmworld Finn, among other fun things. We get some relatable moments with Fionna. She doesn’t want to go to work and is over the people in her city. Fionna begins to get closer to her dreams when she ends up in a new place. Then, we get the expected absurdity from this wonderfully weird world with all sorts of creatures.

Fionna and Cake’s spirits and camaraderie shine brightly in this clip as they get into their great adventure. And, the Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake trailer captures this universe’s unique brand of humor and action. It’s been a couple of years since we got the limited series Adventure Time: Distant Lands, as well as the announcement for this show. Yes, the 2020s continues to feel like one very long year.

It has been a slightly long wait, but the show’s debut is very, very close. Considering the state of the world, an Adventure Time saga is just what we need right now. This is a place where the fun never ends.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is coming to Max on August 31.

The post ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA AND CAKE Trailer Is Packed with Heroes and Heart appeared first on Nerdist.

With The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart now streaming, Nerdist’s Adam Murray is sitting back down at the Venture Compound to take a look at your biggest theories, questions, and corrections from his timeline as he fills in the gaps on today’s video!

The COMPLETE Venture Bros. Timeline: https://youtu.be/p8YteNFDeT8

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made an impact when it arrived in theaters in June. It shook up the box office while continuing the striking storytelling and animation from Into the Spider-Verse (at a cost, however, because animators alleged harsh working conditions). The film explores the next chapter of Miles Morales’ story, which stretches across the multiverse. While it’s still about Miles, Across the Spider-Verse focuses on Gwen Stacy as well. You can watch the first 10 minutes of Across the Spider-Verse below—10 minutes that follow Spider-Gwen.

This preview comes with the home release of Across the Spider-Verse and sets the stage for the emotion ahead. Like Miles, or any of the Spider-Mans we meet in comics, Gwen wrestles with her dual identity. She goes through life as Gwen Stacy but also as Spider-Gwen. Her father is a cop who disregards masked vigilantes. Gwen’s life unfolds on separate paths. And like any version of Spider-Man, Gwen loses someone close to her: her best friend Peter Parker. Then her dad blames the “Spider-Woman” for Peter’s death. These opening scenes of Across the Spider-Verse depict the loss in Gwen’s recent past and how she’s struggled since.

Did we mention Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a very emotional movie? We can’t wait to see what happens next in the third installment, Beyond the Spider-Verse. Though originally slated for March 2024, Sony removed the film from its release calendar. We’ll likely see a new release date when AMPTP steps up to pay striking actors and writers fairly.

In the meantime, you don’t have to stop watching after these gorgeous 10 minutes. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available to buy on digital.

The post Watch the First 10 Minutes of SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE appeared first on Nerdist.

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated film Mutant Mayhem isn’t even out yet. However, Paramount is apparently feeling confident that they have a winner on their hands. So much so that according to Variety, Paramount+ is planning a two-season series that will bridge the gap between Mutant Mayhem and its greenlit sequel. This new sequel movie doesn’t have a name yet, but the streaming show has the title Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Jeff Rowe, who also directed and co-wrote Mutant Mayhem will direct the movie sequel. Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series) will serve as executive producers and showrunners. Lukas Williams will oversee both the series and sequel for Point Grey Pictures. This is the company of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who’ve also brought us The Boys and soon, Gen V. The last few live-action projects with the Turtles didn’t land as expected. It seems Paramount is really looking at animation as the Turtles’ future.

Returning from Mutant Mayhem for the Paramount+ series are Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon as the turtles. According to the official description for the series, the heroes in a half shell will be challenged like never before. Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey each choose to forge a path alone for the first time. New dangers will await them, but they’ll also reunite with old friends to take on new threats. The Turtles will discover who they really are when they don’t have their brothers at their sides.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hits theaters on August 2. We expect the new streaming series to premiere sometime in 2024, just in time for the Turtles’ 40th anniversary.

The post TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM Sequel and Spinoff Series Are in the Works appeared first on Nerdist.

Imagine a similar world where there are beings who look very much like aliens but have to deal with the same crap we do. It sounds really interesting and weird, right? That’s exactly what happens in Strange Planet. Nathan W. Pyle’s bestselling graphic novel follows a few otherworldly beings who are trying to get through the day. This absurd universe is coming to life in an Apple TV+ animated series, also titled Strange Planet, and we get a taste of it in a wacky trailer. 

Here’s a brief synopsis to further bring this Strange Planet trailer into focus: 

Strange Planet is a hilarious and perceptive look at a distant world not unlike our own. Set in a whimsical world of cotton candy pinks and purples, relatable blue beings explore the absurdity of everyday human traditions.

Strange Planet will drop the first three of its ten episodes on August 9. After that, there will be weekly drops for the remainder of its season, with a finale on September 27. Honestly, I feel bad for the little alienlike beings in this world. Imagine being very blue and cool-looking and still having to do regular things on a daily basis. I’d rather be exploring the universe, maybe conquering a planet or five, and experimenting in a sick science lab.

Perhaps I could float in space and eat preposterous foods on a chill day. Instead, Strange Planet‘s creatures have to exercise and drink beverages to stay alert. Hate that for them. It is a fun way to look at our world through unique eyes, so I will allow it. Just like we find bits of joy and humor in our lives, these blue characters also find ways to enjoy their planet.

Naturally, Pyle is an executive producer for this project. Strange Planet‘s cast includes Tunde Adebimpe, Demi Adejuyigbe, Lori Tan Chinn, Danny Pudi, and Hannah Einbinder.

The post STRANGE PLANET Trailer Brings the Popular Cartoon to the Screen appeared first on Nerdist.

Go Team Venture! With the cult classic Adult Swim series set to take a final bow with the upcoming movie, Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, Nerdist’s resident Venture Bros. expert (and Doctails enthusiast) Adam Murray is diving in to break down the series timeline. From the Gilded Age and Colonel Lloyd Venture to Doc and the Monarch’s complicated family history, this is the complete Venture Bros. timeline!

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Home Depot changed Halloween forever in 2020. Forever, you ask? Surely whatever they did cannot be so pivotal. But reader, the retailer’s introduction of a 12-foot skeleton brought on a whole wave of inventive and massive Halloween decorations. The giant skeleton sold out in 2020, and Home Depot has shown up with increasing quantities for sale ever since. Plus, the retailer has evolved the concept in the last couple of years. This time Home Depot has turned its attention to a different kind of skeleton in the form of a very tall Jack Skellington. The 13-foot Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas is ready to rule over your yard as the Pumpkin King.

Jack Skellington can greet people with two different animations and glowing LEDs that light up his beautiful skeleton head. He comes with two interchangeable face plates to reflect Jack’s different moods. The above photo shows his intimidating Pumpkin King scowl. The other face plate features a warmer expression. Both options feature a moving lower jaw, which pairs with Jack singing “Jack’s Lament.” The 13-foot Jack Skellington sings and dances to three different parts of the iconic Nightmare Before Christmas song. A built-in motion sensor triggers both the mouth and the head so you can rest assured the statue will thoroughly creep out passersby. On the other hand, it will delight trick-or-treaters.

If you already own one of Home Depot’s 12-foot giant skeletons, which fans have nicknamed Skelly, Jack Skellington will no doubt look excellent next to it. Skelly probably won’t be jealous of Jack’s extra height either. As Home Depot continues to develop its giant Halloween decor line, you can grow your display with additional colossal animated statues as your space permits. One can only dream.

The 13-foot Jack Skellington is available from Home Depot for $399.

The post Home Depot Is Selling a 13-Foot Jack Skellington appeared first on Nerdist.

Futurama has been missing from our lives for 10 years. We’ve missed that show breaking our brains. Luckily Hulu announced a 20-episode Futurama revival in February 2022. Though the initial news came with the question of whether John DiMaggio would return as Bender (he thankfully did), the dust settled, and the wait for the July release of the revival began. We got a very quick teaser back in May, but the Futurama revival finally has a full trailer for us to enjoy. Take a look below.

They’re back, baby, and excited to be in their new home. The ridiculousness we’ve come to expect from Futurama is certainly there in this revival, and we’re excited to see Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the gang. There sure is a lot happening. There are even massive sandworms. Some of it is, shall we say, too real. But that’s Futurama for you. As the Futurama revival trailer shares, “New Episodes… Same Crew.” Enough said.

The Futurama revival synopsis reveals more about what we can expect. Here’s what it shares about season 11 of the show:

After a brief 10-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The 10 all-new episodes of season 11 have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries—including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Meanwhile there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.

The new season of Futurama will debut on Hulu on July 24. Season 11 has 10 episodes, and they’ll drop weekly.

Originally published on May 18, 2023.

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If you’re going to wash ashore on a remote island and contend for survival, Skull Island isn’t the place you want to do it. Danger lurks around every tree—danger in the form of Kong. The island hides a number a mysteries, and the new animated series Skull Island from Legendary Television and Powerhouse Animation puts a group of characters right into the thick of it. Skull Island debuts on Netflix today, and Nerdist has unique way for you to watch, or rewatch, the first episode. We have live-reaction commentary with series star Nicolas Cantu, who plays Charlie. Watch it here, live at 12:00 p.m. PT.

The watchalong with Cantu is worth taking another trip to the intimidating island. Maybe it’s even worth being shipwrecked.

The synopsis is as follows:

All new Skull Island series, from Legendary Television, takes viewers on a thrilling adventure as a group of kind-hearted explorers rescues Annie (Mae Whitman) from the ocean, unaware that their act of heroism will lead them to the treacherous Skull Island. This enigmatic place is home to bizarre creatures and terrifying monsters, including the mighty titan himself, Kong.

Besides Cantu and Whitman, voice cast includes Darren Barnet, Benjamin Bratt, and Betty Gilpin. Brian Duffield created, wrote, and executive produced the series.

When you’re ready to see what happens next, you can watch all eight episodes of Skull Island on Netflix.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Writer and artist ND Stevenson’s Nimona started as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012. The story about a shapeshifter who usually takes the form of a human girl was once destined to become an animated feature film from 20th Century Fox Animation. However, it was delayed repeatedly and then canceled, even though the movie was 75% complete. But Netflix circled back and picked up Nimona in April 2022, and now, finally, we have a full trailer for this epic tale. There’s a lot of fun action, color, and adventure to be found in this frankly adorable clip.

Here’s the full synopsis for Nimona:

When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc.

What if, indeed? We can see in the trailer that Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) has a mischievous nature. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is certainly getting himself into a chaotic adventure when he asks for Nimona’s help.

Nimona‘s tone and style in this trailer is awesome and we can’t wait to see it in its entirety. We’re always eager for animation that just might do something different, and it looks like Nimona will deliver.

Nimona arrives on Netflix on June 30.

Originally published on May 18, 2023.

Featured Image: Netflix

The post NIMONA Trailer Introduces a Delightfully Chaotic Duo appeared first on Nerdist.

Look, nobody wants to be shipwrecked anywhere. If it’s a Cast Away situation, you end up talking to a volleyball. In a Swiss Family Robinson scenario, you have build treehouses and stuff. Who wants to do that! But if you end up on Skull Island, as the characters do in Skull Island, you have to contend with giant, bloodthirsty beasts. And you better hope Kong is in a benevolent mood that day. The new Netflix series from Powerhouse Animation will debut on June 22, but the streamer has just released a full-length trailer. Take a look!

The series takes viewers on a thrilling adventure as a group of kind-hearted explorers rescues Annie (Mae Whitman) from the ocean, unaware that their act of heroism will lead them to the treacherous Skull Island. This enigmatic place is home to bizarre creatures and terrifying monsters, including the mighty titan himself, Kong. As the trailer shows, the idea was always to go to Skull Island, but certainly not to strand themselves there. And it seems as though Annie isn’t as helpless as they initially feared.

Skull Island, from Legendary Television, is created, written, and produced by Brian Duffield. The series boasts an impressive ensemble cast, with Nicolas Cantu (Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky, The Fabelmans) lending his voice to the protagonist, Charlie. Joining him are talented voice actors Mae Whitman (Family Guy, DC Super Hero Girls) as Annie; Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles) as Mike; Benjamin Bratt (Poker Face, Coco) as Cap; and Betty Gilpin (Mrs. Davis, Glow) as Irene.

Skull Island‘s eight-episode first season will drop June 22 on Netflix.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when a new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie was announced. Yes, we’re getting a cinematic outing that will continue the story of all our favorite characters from the original series. The Gaang, a.k.a Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and company, will grace our screens again in a brand new movie coming in 2025. Here’s everything we know about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

Title

The upcoming movie doesn’t have a title yet. So, for now, we’re simply referring to it as the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Plot

Not much has been revealed about the plot of the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. However, a glimpse at artwork from the film revealed at CinemaCon 2023 showed us all our favorite characters looking a little older than we left them. Possibly the group is somewhere in their late 20s. That will certainly be an interesting age to explore the dynamics between them all.

We assume the movie will reveal to us Aang, Zuko, and pals’ continued quest to bring peace to the four nations after the intense upheaval Fire Lord Ozai wreaked upon the world. A lot still needs fixed, after all. We hope this movie can continue the series’ legacy of delivering exactly the right story to its fans.

Additionally, we know that this movie is one of three animated Avatar movies that Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios will create. Avatar Studios is “a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” We don’t know, however, if the movies will serve as sequels to one another or each will be a stand-alone.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Cast

We don’t have any word yet on who will voice our heroes in the movie, but we hope to see some of our original favorites reprise their roles. Dante Basco is Zuko, after all.

Recently, Toph’s original voice actress Michaela Jae Murphy, also knowns as Jessie Flower, noted she didn’t believe the original cast would return. However, there’s not yet an official confirmation of this statement. Hopefully, our original actors will have a role to play yet.

Behind the Scenes 

Lauren Montgomery will direct the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Additionally, series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino will produce the film alongside Eric Coleman.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Release Date

One thing we do know is when we can expect the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. The movie will release on October 10, 2025.

Originally published on May 2, 2023.

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2017 gave fans their first trip to Skull Island in the aptly titled Kong: Skull Island. The strange land introduced us to monsters of all varieties in a lush and mysterious jungle setting. Dangers? Oh of course there were dangers! But there was also the mighty titan Kong, there to protect his home and, eventually, the humans who arrived. Now viewers get to go back to the land that time forgot in the new Netflix animated series Skull Island from Powerhouse Animation, the folks behind Castlevania. Check out the first teaser.

The series, which will debut June 22, will take audiences to a whole new world of thrills and dangers. The story follows a group of kind-hearted explorers who rescue Annie (Mae Whitman) from the ocean, unaware that their act of heroism will lead them to the treacherous Skull Island. The rest of the star-studded cast includes: Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles) as Mike; Benjamin Bratt (Poker Face, Coco) as Cap; and Betty Gilpin (Mrs. Davis, Glow) as Irene. Together, they bring these vibrant characters to life and embark on a captivating journey.

The show’s poster art showcases not just Kong but many other giant monsters the crew will have to deal with. Everybody’s old pal the skull crawler is there, naturally; we also get giant lizards, birds, crabs, and what looks like a cute dog of some kind. Unclear. Either way, we can’t wait to check out Skull Island to see what adventures Kong and Co. get up to next.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Clone High‘s last original episode debuted on March 2, 2003. For those of you born after that date, no, that’s not a typo. It’s been more than 20 years since the sex-crazed teenage clones of Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Mahatma Gandhi, JFK, and Cleopatra found themselves frozen in ice. Now the show’s creators (and members of the main cast) Phil Lord and Chris Miller are finally thawing them out at Max.

What are the challenges of reviving a comedy after two decades? How did they decide what historical figures would get in on the fun this time? And just how much of what we’ll see in this long-awaited second season was planned 20 years ago? We asked them about all that and more when we got a chance to speak to Lord and Miller about Clone High season two.

Nerdist: Obviously the world has changed a lot since you created Clone High. So while it holds up, I’m sure there are elements of the first season you loved then that you wouldn’t include now.

Phil Lord: Sure.

How does this revival maintain the original spirit and tone of the show fans have always loved while also appealing to an audience with different comedic sensibilities?

Lord: I feel like the show has always been strangely tenderhearted, even when it is comedically “going for it.” It’s got affection through all the characters, and I think that holds true now. There are things that I would want back (from the original). I would say, Chris, for me, number one, Mena Suvari’s forehead didn’t deserve a clap back. And there’s a long list, but-

Chris Miller: Yeah, there’s a long list of things. I don’t need to itemize them all. There are things I would take back today if given the opportunity, but we move forward often. But I also think there’s a lot of new stuff going on in the world. Just being able to have a show that can be silly and heartfelt at the same time, and try to skewer tropes and do twists on things, it’s still relevant as long as you’re just talking about the things that we’re thinking about today.

And I’m sure we’re crossing other lines that 20 years from now when we do the third one we’ll be like, “Oh, man, I wish we didn’t do that.”

Lord: Yeah, exactly.

We’re getting new historical figures like Harriet Tubman, Christopher Columbus, Frida Kahlo, and Confucius as main characters this time around. How did you determine which famous people to add to the mix?

Lord: We mostly focused on people that teenagers have heard of. But then, also, what would be good dilemmas for the characters to have?

[Showrunner] Erica [Rivinoja] focused on what would it be like to be Confucius and have to live up to this incredibly intelligent, insightful, clone father. How would that person try to parse himself into today? What if the pithy things he said were actually lame, but with a big heart? Likewise with Frida Kahlo. What if she was just unbelievably chill and knew how cool she was? I think we found really, really fun characters.

Miller: And it starts with a thought that’s funny, like, “Oh, it’s probably a bad time to be the clone of Christopher Columbus right now.” Then it evolves into a more three-dimensional character from that. “Oh, that would be tough. How would that person try and deal with it at this time?” And then trying to figure out how that person exists beyond that, it was part of the fun.

What other historical figures, at any point over the last 20 years, have you seriously considered for season two and why didn’t they make the cut?

Miller: (laughs) I mean, I remember we made some lists of people at one point, but this character set came from Erica. She developed these takes on these new characters and the writer’s room all worked together to figure out how they interacted with each other, what their relationships would be, what they really were beyond the quick pitch.

And, as needed, we would add to characters to stories. We’d be like, “Well, which historical figure could this be?” And then we’re like, “Oh, this could be Lady Godiva.” So you try to think about what the character needs are and then figure out, “Who would most interestingly or best represent that?”

How confident are you the revered historical figures—so not Columbus—who are now part of the cast won’t cause the same types of problems that Clone Gandhi did for you previously?

Miller: (they both laugh) Not confident at all.

Lord: You got to swing the bat.

Miller: Right.

Well, do you want to reveal anything? Is there any chance we ever see Clone Gandhi again?

Lord: Well, we’ve made a few nods to him during the season. And we did leave him frozen just in case there’s a season four. But yeah, for now we’re leaving him on ice.

How hard was that? Because he’s such a great character, obviously. And he’s such an important part of first season.

Miller: He did leave a-larger-than-his-size hole. Thankfully a bunch of the new characters could each pick up a different part of his personality. And it’s shaking up the dynamic as part of what these teen shows do. We’re going to throw some new things in there, and we’re always changing who’s dating who and who’s mad at who and trying to stir the pot a little bit. But obviously he was a lot of fun, but so are a lot of the characters.

The show is going to pick up where season one ended as everyone gets unfrozen. How much of what we’re going to see in season two is based on what you originally had planned for it 20 years ago?

Lord: Well, we did originally think they would wake up and not remember what had happened to them and slowly put it together. So in that sense the idea was that it would start the way the first season started. I think we held true to that.

Miller: That’s right. But mostly, we didn’t have a lot of specific plans for season two. We had a lot of kooky ideas, but it’s not like we had it all mapped out. “Here are the 10 episodes.” Or the 13 episodes. I don’t even know what would we do or how many episodes people make these days.

My last question, I think, is my most important. And not that you haven’t been honest, but I would like you both to be very honest. How much of this revival is simply an excuse for you guys to do the voices of Principal Scudworth, Mr. Butlertron, and JFK again?

Lord: (both laugh) The SAG Awards demand that we reprise these roles. I’ll say that it’s really fun to scream into a microphone.

Miller: It’s been really fun to revive those parts, to shake off the rust and just goof around. That’s really been one of the most fun parts of the whole thing.

I’m surprised you said shake off the rust. I had assumed you guys just do those voices all the time on your own anyway.

Lord: Only when we get in a fight.

Clone High returns with its second season May 23 at Max.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The teenage clone of Joan of Arc spent Clone High‘s first season pining after the teenage clone of Abraham Lincoln. It was a tale as told as time. Kinda. But it’s one stars Nicole Sullivan and Will Forte have had to wait 20 years to resume. The cult classic animated MTV series is finding new life at Max.

Did the two ever expect to return to school? What was it like having their characters thawed out after such a long time? And what’s it like playing Joan and Abe now? Those are just some of the questions we asked Sullivan and Forte when we got a chance to speak to them ahead of Clone High‘s long-awaited second season.

Nerdist: Did you give up faith this revival was going to happen someday? Or did you always have hope it would?

Will Forte: I didn’t give up faith just because after it was canceled the first time I assumed it would never happen again. Then somewhere along the line, maybe a decade after it was canceled, I think I heard some kind of rumor they were going to try to bring it back. Or maybe even Chris [Miller] and Phil [Lord] said, “Oh, we should try to bring Clone High back.” So there was something in the air at some point that that was on their wish list.

I do remember having a very positive feeling. This was my first acting job. So it was a very special experience that I had back in the day. I was way more nervous than I probably should have been just because it was such a low-key job with friends. So it was very, very nice. When I heard it finally was actually going to happen, it was just exhilarating. I never knew it was even possible. That’s not something I thought. And this time around I was just so much more relaxed because I had 20 years of experience under my belt and it was just like this fun homecoming. A little reunion party with our buddies.

Nicole, you get the phone call this is really going to happen. What’s your reaction?

Nicole Sullivan: My reaction, honestly, was I always thought it would. When I was recording it, I didn’t quite get, I just didn’t get it exactly. I was like, “This is a young person show.”

And then I watched it when it came out and I was like, “Oh, this is genius.” Then I thought, “There’s no way. There’s no way they can’t revisit this.” And on my social media and stuff, people are always talking about Clone High. Always, always, always. I mean, you can’t assume anything, but then when [co-creator] Bill (Lawrence) gave me the call and was like, “I think we’re trying to do this. Don’t tell anyone.” I was like, “I’m there buddy.”

What people now think is funny is really different from when Clone High debuted. Did either of you have any concerns you could still make the show that fans love?

Forte: Well Chris and Phil, I mean, that whole team is so smart and so funny and they’re just good people, too. They have such a way of creating these shows that they can appeal to a mainstream audience, but still be delightfully weird. Most stuff that’s trying to appeal to a mainstream audience is pretty vanilla. They have a way of bringing people in with these weird concepts and they’re just so smart.

Sullivan: Right. I know them well, but I don’t pretend to know their inner workings. But exactly what Will said, they’ve got this ability to run on two different bandwidths, which is, “I’m a professional, let’s set up the shots.” And then the second bandwidth is, “What can we do to make this interesting?” They just live there. So when you’re working with them there’s no doubt that a) they’re going to get the thing they want done, and b) they’re going to make it crazier and more interesting than you ever thought.

Twenty years between seasons is a really long time to stay in character. What did you have to do to rediscover Abe and Joan?

Sullivan: Well, we mostly just would meet each other for lunch and not make out. That was what we did for 20 years.

Forte: [Laughs] Yeah, I mean, my Abraham Lincoln voice was just this. [Laughs] It’s basically been just saying whatever words are on the page with my natural speaking voice pretty much.

Sullivan: That’s my favorite thing is when people go like, “Oh my God, I love your show. My cousin, can we call him and you do the voice for my cousin on the phone?” I’m like, “Umm…I can do the voice, but it sounds a little something like thiiiiis.”

It’s sounds exactly like me, so it’s not like you’re calling The Simpsons characters. And that’s a different thing. We’re just using our voices.

But human voices do change, especially over 20 years. So did you have to do anything to try to recapture exactly how you sounded then or did you just go with the flow?

Sullivan: [Laughs] Should I have?

Forte: I feel like maybe in 15 more years it might have been an issue or start to get [changes voice to sound like an old man] that Grandpa Walton sound. But really, if anything, it was way easier this time around. At least for me. I was so in my head the first time I did this because I just felt like my voice was so boring. I wasn’t used to doing this kind of work.

Then you come back and you have a little more confidence, a little more experience, and I was able to have so much more fun this time around. Not to say that it wasn’t a blast back in the day. But I was just so filled with neuroses just because I had never really done it before. So getting to do this again at this stage of my life has just been a very pleasant experience.

Nicole, you’ve played some normal characters over the course of your career, but Will is the teenage clone of Abraham Lincoln the most normal character you’ve ever played in yours?

Forte: The most normal character? Certainly up there, yes. probably the guy I got to be in Nebraska. Yeah, him and Abe Lincoln in Clone High.

Sullivan: Character from Nebraska. I totally agree. [Note: This was also the only answer the Nerdist staff could come up with ahead of this interview.]

Forte: Or Alan Bishopman, E-Z Swords salesman in Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie. That’s my other very normal character.

Last question. I have a theory I would like to run by the both of you. My theory is that this revival has nothing to do with finishing the story or bringing back a cult classic. I think Phil Lord and Chris Miller simply wanted an excuse to do the voices of Scudworth, JFK, and Mr. Butlertron again. Am I 100% right or only 99% right?

Sullivan: Can I tell you, when I watch them and they’re both on camera and they’re doing the voices, they both make each other laugh so hard, still. They have to go off, they find it hilarious. And I think that’s the most endearing thing about them is that 20 years later they love what they’re doing.

Clone High season two finally debuts on May 23 at Max.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The world’s greatest spy is finally going to say buh bye to the danger zone. But not because he’s sticking his cocktail between his legs out of fear. (We know: phrasing.) FX has announced Adam Reed’s long-running animated hit Archer will come to an end with its 14th season. The network also shared when Sterling and the rest of The Agency will officially start their final missions together. FXX will launch the beginning of the end of Archer in late summer.

Sterling himself might be very much the same, but the world has changed a lot since Archer debuted all the way back on FX in 2009. The show, starring H. Jon Benjamin as the inebriated world-class spy, even moved networks during its run. It picked up an extra “X” in 2017. That’s where the show will air its final season, when season 14 debuts with two episodes at FXX on August 30.

The network shared an early synopsis of what we can expect from Archer during its final run:

Archer and The Agency are finding their own way with Lana at the helm. Her goal is to make money while also making the world a better place, but she quickly finds out running a spy agency isn’t so cut and dry.

“Dry” has never described anyone or anything on Archer, so not sure why Lana expectedly differently.

While fans who still love the show (:raises hand:) will be disappointed by this news, the series has already run much longer than Reed previously said it would. At one point, the plan was to finish with season ten. But the end of Archer has never felt more inevitable since Jessica Walters passed away in 2021. Getting a 14th season is better than most of us could have ever expected for a long time.

Plus, this is good news. The show wasn’t canceled unexpectedly. Hopefully, the cast and crew knew it would be their last. And that will let Archer go out on its own terms. Hopefully, that means it comes out on top.

Yup, we know: phrasing. We’re still doing that and will long after Archer ends.

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Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s résumé includes some wildly popular films. That includes The LEGO Movie, 21 Jump Street, and, of course, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But some think their greatest accomplishment was their first: the short-lived animated series Clone High, which they co-created with Scrubs‘ Bill Lawrence. The cult classic featured clones of historical figures as teenagers in high school. The series, which satirized fame, its characters, and high school coming-of-age series, was a sign of things to come for the pair. But the show never got its proper due. It only lasted for one brilliant, 13-episode season. Now that’s about to change. MTV and HBO Max are bringing back the team to “re-imagine” the series for a new generation.

Don’t worry, though. Teenage JFK, Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and Gandhi are coming back with them. Here’s our first full look at the HBO Max reboot, the Clone High trailer.

Honestly, we are feeling the nostalgia. In 2020, it was announced that Lord, Miller, and Lawrence would return for an “updated version” of Clone High with all new episodes. Erica Rivinoja (South Park), a writer on the original series, serves as showrunner and will pen the pilot with Lord and Miller. And while the show will be a “re-imagining,” it will still follow the original show’s famous clones.

As the trailer reveals, the Clone High reboot series will pick up from where everyone left off: all literally frozen solid bricks of ice at a high school dance. And then there will be plenty of laughs and heartfelt moments to follow. The synopsis for the series shares more, noting:

A modern refresh of the hit series of the same name, Clone High follows a high school for clones of the greatest minds in history. Twenty years after the original experiment was put on ice, Joan, JFK, Abe, and Cleo have been thawed out to resume school with their new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships.

MTV

Clone High is the latest MTV animated series finding new life. They recently announced Jodie, a modern spin-off to Daria. And the network’s iconic idiot duo of Beavis and Butthead headed back to television with a new series at Comedy Central. New episodes will be amazing, so don’t tell them we’d be happy if they were just clones of the original.

Clone High releases on May 23.

Originally published June 2, 2020.

Featured Image: Max

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May the 4th approaches and the day that celebrates Star Wars always brings a flurry of surprises from the galaxy far, far away. One of the collaborations for May the 4th this year unites the The Simpsons and Star Wars again for a new short. Following “The Force Awakens From Its Nap,” “Maggie Simpson in ‘Rogue Not Quite One'” puts the toddler back in the spotlight.

This time Maggie borrows a ride from a certain cute green baby. We feel like Maggie and Grogu could exchange a lot of notes. They both communicate with minimal or no speaking. They’re both cute. And though Grogu seems to enjoy live snacks more than a pacifier, they could bond over that too. The release states:

In the upcoming short, Homer loses track of Maggie who hops in Grogu’s hovering pram for a hyperspace-hopping adventure across the galaxy. Facing a squadron of Imperial TIE fighters, Maggie brings the battle to Springfield in this epic short celebrating all things Star Wars.

“Maggie Simpson in ‘Rogue Not Quite One’” will premiere on Disney+ on May 4.

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Hold on to your cabbages Avatar fans, the first look at the new animated movie from Avatar Studios is here! Dan Casey climbs aboard his sky bison to break down all the latest from last week’s Cinemacon reveal and what it means for the return of Aang and the rest of the Last Airbender crew on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

What Happens AFTER Avatar: The Last Airbender? : https://youtu.be/06ClsYYJCWg

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Avatar: The Last Airbender ended its three-season run in 2008. Now over a decade later the franchise is thriving. The animated series, as well as The Legend of Korra (set in the same world), came to Netflix in 2020. Netflix is making a live-action Avatar series. We’re getting an Avatar roleplaying game. And we’re also getting three Avatar: The Last Airbender animated film. Can you imagine seeing the four nations on the big screen?

Recently, we learned that the first of these movies would focus on none other than everyone’s favorite Avatar, Aang, and also star the rest of Team Avatar. And additionally, we received some more exciting news at CinemaCon 2023. The first animated Avatar: The Last Airbender movie will release on October 10, 2025. That’s a long way off, but we’re patient. Additionally, Lauren Montgomery will direct the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino will produce alongside Eric Coleman.

This will come as exciting news to fans who love the original group, also known affectionately as The Gaang. It sounds like the new animated Avatar movie will feature Aang, and, we assume, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Zuko as young adults. There’s certainly a lot to mine there. Perhaps the movie will even pick up right after the series ended.

The original Avatar: The Last Airbender series is one of the most beloved ever, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that this movie only enhances that love.

And that isn’t all.

Nickelodeon

This animated films are part of a bigger program; Nickelodeon launched Avatar Studios. From their press release, Avatar Studios is “a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.”

The series’ creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will helm this new studio as co-chief creative officers, which is fantastic news.

It seemingly took Nickelodeon a while to recognize the franchise’s popularity. I imagine seeing the response to Avatar and Korra on streaming in 2020 only helped pave the path to Avatar Studios. DiMartino and Konietzko will dive even deeper into Avatar’s mythology and provide content for Nickelodeon and Paramount+. We’re unsure of where this leaves Netflix’s live-action series. As of August 2020, DiMartino and Konietzko stepped away from that project. We assume it is still moving forward, but it feels a little weird considering this new division at Nickelodeon is focusing on all things Avatar all the time.

Aang’s world is about to expand beyond our imagining, and we can’t wait to see further exploration of it.

Originally Published on February 24, 2021.

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One of the casualties of David Zaslav’s draconian gutting of HBO Max has been upcoming DC animated series. Luckily, it seems, some of them have gotten reprieves from other networks. Bruce Timm’s highly anticipated return to Batman will head to Prime, for example. Another of these is My Adventures with Superman, a lighthearted take on Clark Kent’s first years in Metropolis getting to know Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. That show will now air on Adult Swim, and we have a first look teaser for it below.

The Boys star Jack Quaid provides the voice of Clark/Superman in this series. Funny that in real life he’d absolutely play Jimmy Olsen, but I digress. The animation style is evocative of the old Fleischer cartoons from the ’40s while still having a distinctive modern edge. Fans of the animation style of things like Voltron: Legendary Defender and The Legend of Korra will likely enjoy this.

My Adventures with Superman from creator Jake Wyatt will debut on Adult Swim “soon,” which can’t come soon enough as far as we’re concerned. The world needs a new Superman cartoon.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Chris Meledandri is currently getting ready to put The Super Mario Bros. Movie into the world. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t already eyeing the next thing. The Illumination founder and CEO plans on hopping back into a beloved franchise for yet another installment. Which one? Shrek. Yes, you read that correctly. In an interview with Variety, Chris Meledandri hints that Shrek 5 will be coming our way with its original voice actors, including Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Cameron Diaz. Shrek must keep his Scottish accent at all costs.

Right now, Shrek 5 has no deals in place nor any actors signed on quite yet. It would be a stretch to say that the film is even in the early stages at this point. But, Meledandri is quite optimistic that the film will happen in the future. “We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return,” he said. Meledandri noted that in addition to Shrek 5, he thought the character of Donkey could definitely support a movie spinoff .

Interesting indeed. In the era of consistent reboots, revivals, and requels, they might as well bring Donkey, Shrek, and Fiona back for another round.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender has no shortage of lovable characters. That said, none of the characters are cuter than Appa, Aang’s sky bison. (Our apologies to Momo). Appa is a loyal friend to Aang, Sokka, and Katara, often putting himself in danger to help them. Let’s not even discuss how much “Appa’s Lost Days” made us cry. But luckily we have happy Appa news to share today. John Marks made a life-size Appa. Life. Size. Appa. Look!

Marks told Nerdist he asked convention owners what attendees had been wanting more of, and Avatar: The Last Airbender came up several times. With the show’s dedicated, massive fanbase, it’s not surprising. When Marks saw the excitement, he knew he had to make Appa. Plus, he rightly pointed out, “He was so cute, how could I not?”

Appa is not a small creature. The life-size version looms above the ground and has a saddle where anyone can sit for photos. Marks shared that it took him around five months to complete the entire project. There’s Appa, a background, Momo, and more. The most challenging part of the build was making the frame to support the saddle since it had to be strong enough to support the weight of any riders, while also being hollow.

If you’re wondering: where, exactly, does one keep a life-size Appa? Well, Appa is going to be traveling from convention to convention this year. He’ll spend most of his time in a 24′ trailer. We love the idea of Appa taking an epic road trip, and who knows, maybe he’ll appear at a convention near you! If you want to see him, you can always let the convention know. In the meantime, you can follow Marks on TikTok to keep up with Appa.

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The smartest person in the Marvel Universe is finally roller skating her way onto television. Lunella Lafayette, better known as Moon Girl, made her comic debut in 2015. And her story is action-packed and inspiring for fans of all ages. In the comics, she’s a 9-year-old inventor with a secret laboratory. She accidentally ends up with Devil Dinosaur, a T-rex from another dimension. They share a special mental link and become found family. The unlikely duo combine their brains and brawn to fight against some seriously evil foes. Of course, they run into Marvel faves like Bruce Banner, Ironheart, and more along the way. Now, that same energy is exploding onto our TV screens in a colorful, heartfelt, and downright delightful animated series. Prepare your hearts for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. 

In the series, Lunella is aged up to 13-years-old; however, she’s still a Lower East Side girl who loves skates and science. She uses the latter, along with nifty gadgets, to thwart enemies all while caring for her new dino friend. This hero dons her heart on her sleeve and expresses moments of vulnerability and fear. We cannot relate to being a genius hero, but we all understand those feelings. And, thankfully, her bright and futuristic costume is still largely the same. One thing that has changed (for the better) is her support system. While we meet Lunella’s parents in the comics, we don’t know much about her extended family. And, Lunella is an outcast at school who doesn’t have any friends… that is, until she meets Devil Dinosaur.

However, in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Lunella lives with extended family, a common practice in Black (and other non-white) communities. It’s an aspect of the series that made actor Gary Anthony Williams, who portrays Lunella’s grandfather Pops, want to join this project. He grew up living close to extended family and appreciated Lunella’s home dynamics, particularly how she has multiple people to lean on during difficult years of her life.  “I was always around my grandmother,” he tells Nerdist. “It wasn’t just once every, ‘Oh, it’s Thanksgiving, let’s go see grandma.’ No, every week we saw grandma. We watched TV with her, we hung around her, I went fishing with her… so that’s what drew me [into this show], the joy of being a part of a family, being a part of a community, and the type of family where everyone’s together.” 

Libe Barer, who portrays Lunella’s bestie and human sidekick Casey, echoes this sentiment of family. In many ways, friends are found family, and that’s what happens with Lunella and Casey in the series. Barer fell in love with her character’s dialogue and personality, both of which are vastly different from Lunella. But, she really knew she’d made the right choice to join this world because of her real-life camaraderie Diamond White, the actress behind our adorable titular hero. COVID kept the duo apart but not even distance (and a pandemic) could stop their natural chemistry.

“We recorded in separate booths and [the producers] encouraged us to improv,” she revealed to us. “They were like, ‘Let it be messy and weird.’ …And that, a lot of that made it into the cut. We recorded a lot of the first season in the depths of the lockdown. So I was in my closet in New York while Diamond was in hers in LA but we were Zooming together and reading together, which was such a gift.” 

That certainly shines through Lunella and Casey’s connection onscreen. Their bond is an affirmation that 1) girls, especially those from marginalized communities, need each other and 2) every superhero needs a safe space to be normal.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’s themes of friendship, family, discovery, and science all come together in its upbeat and decidedly bright packaging. The show’s creator Laurence Fishburne (you may have heard of him) and his fellow executive producer Steve Loter worked together to combine their childhood loves and art inspirations to craft something wholly unique. “When we met, we really had a similar kind of idea and vision and vibe about what it should be,” said Fishburne. “[Steve] started describing what the animation style could possibly be like, drawing from several different influences. And we talked about the comic books that we loved and growing up in New York.”

Loter further details their templates for Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, adding, “Instead of pulling one influence like, ‘Oh, yeah, we love Andy Warhol’s silk screening from New York City. We love Basquiat, we love graffiti art, we love [Jack] Kirby in Marvel Comics and the Kirby Krackle that he would put in his comic panels,’ we said, ‘Let’s put them all together. Let’s see what they look like all combined into one.’ …And it worked because New York has that kind of energy. It’s not one single thing, it’s a hundred things at once.”

The city is indeed a character in the series, providing a setting full of dualities. We witness the camaraderie of Lunella’s community and her fierce desire to protect it. But who (or what) is she fighting against? Well, we will meet a variety of foes in this series. But there’s one in particular who will give the young genius major woes: The Beyonder. Fishburne voices the character and hints at what’s to come with this villain. “He is interdimensional,” says Fishburne. “He is a traditional trickster, thematically. And he pops in and out from somewhere beyond the galaxy to learn about humans from Lunella and to test her. He’s kind of a weird kind of thorn in her side. His powers match her intellect.”

Thankfully, Lunella is not facing this trickster alone. With her friend Casey, her family, a massive red dino, and her keen intelligence, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur can take on anything. It’s time for Moon Girl Magic to shine.

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Get ready for Moon Girl Magic to hit your screens. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur are running (and skating) onto your TV screens on February 10 with a hero story unlike any other. Imagine the smartest 13-year-old girl you know and make her a zillion times smarter with the ability to concoct futuristic gadgets. Then give that girl genius a secret lab underneath her NYC abode where she opens a portal and lets a dinosaur in from another dimension. They become pals and decide to fight for an area of NYC that the Avengers seem to ignore.

That’s what you get with Lunella Lafayette, the protagonist of this special Marvel story. Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is all about found family, unique friendships, and, yes, a large red dinosaur with a heart of gold. Nerdist chatted with Diamond White and Fred Tatasciore—who portray Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, respectively—about their characters’ best traits and the show’s endearing charm. 

Nerdist: There are so many superheroes and superheroines out right now that it’s almost overwhelming. What do you think Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur brings to this landscape that’s truly unique? 

Diamond White: It’s Marvel’s first African-American teenage girl superhero in her own series. So just that alone… she’s making history with this show. I never saw a show like this growing up. So the representation matters a lot to me. And it brings this sense of friendship, community, and love. It’s just a really good show. 

Fred Tatasciore: I agree! I think that’s great for kids to see that a girl like [Lunella] can make a difference and that science is cool. You can be powerful and smart is good. I’m really excited to see a woman of color at the center of this. I play a force of nature that comes in and doesn’t have a community. I come from a very scary dimension. And I am somehow welcomed into this new portal of New York.

And a very brilliant being decides to take me in and learn my language and become my family, become my friend… That’s where [Devil Dinosaur] comes in… The takeaway that I hope people see is a very powerful force of nature, a dinosaur, be able to have a heart and make good decisions and side with the good, not just be something frightening. That’s the choice he makes and that’s a big thing for him.

I love that. And I definitely think the show expands both characters in a completely different way from the comic series. What are some of your characters’ trailers that really shine in this story? 

White: I think it’s Moon Girl’s confidence because Lunella doesn’t always have confidence all the time. Lunella is insecure about a couple things… [but] her mom tells her that one girl can make a difference. I think that’s going to stand out. And even in the beginning, when she’s not so sure how to go about the superhero thing, she keeps going and she keeps trying.

Tatasciore: Devil Dinosaur is into art and music… He’s driven by his appetite for hot dogs, but he’s driven by his love for Lunella and Casey even more… I think there’s some humor in his journey of learning not to be so possessive and jealous of Lunella or Moon Girl. 

Aww, that’s so sweet. If you could use three words to sum up Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which ones would you choose. 

White: Moon. Girl. Magic.

Tatasciore: Electric, love, and family.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur will hit the Disney Channel on February 10 and Disney+ on February 15.

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You thought going back to the basement of That ’70s Show with That ’90s Show was a nostalgic trip down memory lane? Well, hold onto your beer cans because you’re about to be standing in front of a fence with some pals. A King of the Hill revival is officially heading to Hulu, and it’s bringing the whole gang back together.

Co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels are returning for this King of the Hill reunion. Mike Judge recently had a successful time reviving yet another adult-animated dark-comedy favorite, Beavis and Butt-Head. In Hulu’s King of the Hill Revival, Judge will reprise his role as that bumbling patriarch Hank Hill. Kathy Najimy returns as Peggy. It really is giving us Red and Kitty goosebumps all over again. In addition, Deadline reports, we’ll see the return of “Stephen Root as Bill, Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill, Johnny Hardwick as Dale, and Lauren Tom as Minh.” It wouldn’t be King of the Hill without them.

This revival has been long-anticipated and in the works since 2017. The original show ran from 1997 to 2010 and had nearly 300 episodes. It zeroed in on one family in Texas as they navigated the perils of ordinary life, growing up, and evolving. We’ll feel interested to see how the series designs itself for modernity. The original episodes of King of the Hill, can, of course, be streamed on Hulu.

Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu, and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, notes, “We are all so excited to welcome back Hank, Peggy and Bobby, and to see what they have to say about the world we live in and continue the conversations we began years ago. This show has all of the perfect ingredients to meet this moment in animation at Hulu, and we’re so thankful to be having those conversations alongside this talented group.”

Welcome back propane and propane accessories to your life. We can’t wait to see what this King of the Hill revival has in store.

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