The Acolyte has pulled no punches when it comes to delivering character deaths and killing fascinating figures. We were stunned when Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca was killed in episode four of the Star Wars series before we even got to see him on-screen in the present day. And this was after the episode one death of Jedi Master Indara. But it turns out Star Wars: The Acolyte was only picking up its killing steam. Episode five of the series delivered the most intense killing yet. In The Acolyte‘s fifth chapter, fans encountered a Star Wars death that really hurt.

The Death of Yord on The Acolyte Is the Most Shocking One Yet

Oh, Yord, say it isn’t so. Yord’s death on The Acolyte truly shocked us. The straight-laced Jedi Knight, played by Charlie Barnett, was hands-down a fan-favorite character. After only a handful of episodes, Yord Fandar amassed a fan-following called the “Yord Horde” (see: #YordHorde on Twitter), which is a genius name. And we know that not just any character could achieve such devotion. Lucasfilm even sent out Yord Horde stickers to loyal Yordists, sorry Yord Horde-ists, and got Barnett in on the act in the episode before his death! (Which seems cruel and unusual.)

Although he seemed to lack a sense of humor on principle, Yord was hilarious in his fussy and persnickety ways. And he won hearts and minds from the moment fans saw him steaming his robes to perfection. A Jedi does need pressed robes, of course, or how will the world ever respect them? Despite his love of rules and adherence to the letter of the law, Yord’s heart was truly in the right place. Though Yord probably would approve of his The Acolyte death as an honorable end befitting a Jedi Knight, few would likely share his sentiments.

Yord’s death truly shocked us to the core.

How Did Yord Die on The Acolyte?

It felt like Yord’s death was mercilessly teased throughout The Acolyte‘s fifth episode before coming to pass. On Khofar, the dark Sith Lord Master, who we now know to be Qimir, attacked the assembled group of Jedi. Using his Force powers, lightsaber skills, and cortosis armor, Qimir handily hacked and slashed his way through the group. Qimir got a jab into Yord, but it was only a slash to his leg. For a moment, Yord fans let out a sigh of relief as Qimir disappeared to chase after Osha, thinking he might be safe from death after this fakeout. Especially when Sol arrived on the scene to aid them both and fight Qimir.

Osha and Yord headed to safety at Sol’s command, but although Sol had ordered Yord away with Osha and he was determined to stick to his Jedi Master’s command, his heart finally won out over his mind. Osha and Yord headed back to find Sol and Qimir, and thus sealed Yord’s (however noble) fate on The Acolyte.

Yord valiantly entered the fray again, saving Mae from her fate and distracting Qimir. But alas, the evil Sith Master was too much for him. Qimir snapped Yord’s neck, and thus, the beloved Yord was dead on The Acolyte.

Actor Charlie Barnett Shares a Message with the Yord Horde Addressing His The Acolyte Death

As Yord sails off into the sunset, his actor Charlie Barnett shares a message with all the mourning Yord Horde out there. Barnett thanks his fans for their love, kindness, appreciation, and joy. He notes the Yords of the world are people who are just “trying to do what’s best” and welcomes the Yord Horde’s patience and understanding for that kind of a character and person. Also, he’s sorry that he/Yord are dead on The Acolyte. 🙁

Is There a Chance Yord Could Come to Life, and His Star Wars Death Could Be Reversed?

Of course, Yord’s death makes fans ask the obvious next question. Is there a way Yord’s death can be reversed and Yord could return to life on Star Wars? Well, we never say never. Star Wars does have a history of mysterious resurrections and glorious reappearances. But, it seems like most likely, no. Yord is a human character, and his neck was snapped. That feels pretty final.

Barnett even notes of Yord’s death, “Leslye [Headland] was very up front from the very get-go. No one ever wants to be cut out of a show, but when you know that going into it, performance-wise, it gave me a bookend and it gave me a route to plan out and play a little more of the rollercoaster role, showing the ups and downs and showing how he ends up getting into this position. When you’re playing a character that you know is going to die, it’s a little more fun. If it’s a surprise to you and your job is gone next week, it sucks, but when you know what you’re walking into, you get to have a little more control over it. And I tried to find the lemonade through the lemons.”

Additionally, he shares of Yord’s final minutes, “When Osha convinces me that Jecki is in danger, I know my duty is to bring this civilian up to the ship and get out of here as quickly as possible, but my heart breaks, and it’s the first time my compassion supersedes. And all the responsibility of what you must live up to goes out the window. And yes, sadly, he doesn’t survive and win off of that kind of energy. I think it’s kind of the fault of not living in that place for more of his life. He was too confined, and you see his demise from it. These are all the reasonings why he loses so much of what he knows he’s good at, which is fighting, because his attachments and his emotional connection speak louder in that moment.”

In episode six of The Acolyte, we more or see confirmation that Yord is really dead. And although Yord’s death does indeed seem like it will hold, stranger things have happened on Star Wars. In the meanwhile, we know death won’t stop the Yord Horde’s true love from shining through. Long live, Yord!

Originally published on June 27, 2024.

The post Yord’s Death on THE ACOLYTE Really Hurt STAR WARS Fans appeared first on Nerdist.

June has ended, but that doesn’t mean Pride Month has to come to a halt. Pride Month can be any month is the real truth. To help you continue the celebrations, we’re sharing two gorgeous graphic novels from Legendary Comics that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community inside and out. These graphic novels, which are gorgeous to look at and enchanting to read, are both from LGBTQ+ authors and feature marvelously queer characters. We could not feel more excited about that. (These LGBTQ+ graphic novels also put witches and the supernatural in the spotlight, which are two things that queer people love and feel represented by, as we’ve written about on Nerdist before.) We’re proud to recommend The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One and The Science of Ghosts—both of which are available now!

The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One, Written by Simon Curtis and Illustrated by Stephanie Son

 “It’s always tough being the new kid in the coven.” That’s the tagline for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One. And already we’re hooked because ain’t that the truth? The Witches of Silverlake follows the journey of Elliot at Saint John the Baptist Academy as he and his new coven of queer witches accidentally unleash a bloodthirsty demon that terrorizes their school. Oops! This might not sound relatable to you, but if you’re queer, you know it happens all the time. The Witches of Silverlake sounds like an excellent adventure to embark upon.

Written by Simon Curtis and illustrated by Stephanie Son, the graphic novel delves into the dark side and danger of magic. The Witches of Silverlake is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

You can read the full synopsis for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One below:

Elliot has had a rough year. His dad died, he had to move across the country, and now he’s about to start high school at LA’s prestigious Saint John the Baptist Academy, where his mom has accepted the position of Vice Principal. He’s quickly taken in by the school’s outcasts: the scholarship kids; the queer kids; and the ones who just don’t really fit in with the glossy trust fund babies of SJTBA. They immediately let him in on their little secret…they are witches. Elliot joins them in their world among the crystal stores and occult shops of Silverlake, but just as he feels he has finally found a sense of family with his new coven, a full moon initiation ceremony goes awry and unleashes a demon with a thirst for SJTBA student and faculty blood, whose gruesome killing spree reveals that forces much bigger and darker than their worst nightmares have had their sights set on Elliot all along…With the fun and games of playing with crystals and candles over, the coven now realize that magic is powerful, real, and that it might be more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.

The Science of Ghosts by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with Contributions by Alitha Martinez

In The Science of Ghosts, written by Lilah Sturges, “trans forensic parapsychologist Jo Ravenna investigates a series of murders intertwined with ghostly echoes, uncovering unsettling truths with serious consequences for her and her friends’ lives.” Illustrated by El Garing, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez, this horror story wonderfully explores a life post-transition. This novel’s tagline is, “She’ll take ghosts over solving her own problems any day.” Again, if you’re a queer person, this is highly relatable content. We can’t wait to be haunted by this LGBTQ+ graphic novel in the best way.

If that’s not enough to intrigue you, below are the first five pages of The Science of Ghosts for your reading pleasure. Fair warning: You won’t be able to get them out of your head. The Science of Ghosts can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

The full synopsis for The Science of Ghosts is below:

In “The Science of Ghosts,” Joy Ravenna, a transgender parapsychologist, navigates the mysteries of the afterlife while confronting the challenges of her past and present. Joy’s first post-transition relationship, a hostile ex-wife, and long-forgotten murder clues test her resilience at every turn. For Joy, dealing with the living is far more daunting than working with ghosts. This gripping 160-page graphic novel is written by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez and is published by Legendary Comics.

Keep Your Pride Going by Supporting LGBTQ+ Creators and Their Work

As mentioned, both these graphic novels are wonderfully queer, super beautiful, and just downright excellent reads. Make sure to add them to your reading list today and keep the love for queer creators and their queer work going all year long.

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

The post Check Out These Gorgeous LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels and Keep Pride Month Going Past June appeared first on Nerdist.

We officially have some updates about a couple highly-anticipated animated series from Marvel Studios, as well as an exciting new announcement to enjoy. At a preview screening for What If…? season two, Marvel also shared news about its other upcoming animated properties. Firstly, an already-announced Disney+ series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is now officially set to release in 2024. Additionally, Marvel revealed a new Black Panther animated series for its line-up titled Eyes of Wakanda.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a show that was once known as Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Although Tom Holland won’t voice this Marvel Studios Spider-Man, Charlie Cox will return to give life to Matthew Murdock/Daredevil. This series will follow Peter Parker on his adventures before his time in the MCU and delve into his life as, well, a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. We look forward to seeing it sooner rather than later.

Additionally, Marvel Studios revealed a brand new animated Black Panther series. According to IGN, Eyes of Wakanda will focus “on warriors from Wakanda’s past traveling the world to recover dangerous vibranium artifacts.” The publication notes that the official description shares, “Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story.”

Most recently, Marvel Studio’s Head of Television Brad Winderbaum gave an update on the series to Marvel’s Official Podcast, noting, “Eyes of Wakanda, more than any other show we’re doing in animation, ties directly into the MCU. This is a story about Wakandan history. It’s produced by Ryan Coogler and directed by Todd Harris who is one of our longtime storyboard artists who I first met when he designed the Hulk vs. Thor fight in Ragnarok.” Additionally, Winderbaum added, “It’s an awesome show. The action is insane and the storytelling is fantastic. It’s both about the history of Wakanda, but also expands into the greater MCU at different time periods. If you’re a fan of the movies, I think this show is going to be a real treat.”

Please note the above image is from season one of What If…? and not from the new Black Panther show. Marvel Studios has not yet shared any further cast, images, or plot details about Eyes of Wakanda. But we are super excited already. It sounds like it will be one epic adventure series.

Originally published on December 12, 2023.

The post Marvel Studios Reveals Updates on New BLACK PANTHER Animated Series, Confirms 2024 Release for SPIDER-MAN Series appeared first on Nerdist.

There’s nothing fans love more than a well-placed cameo. Of course, on a series like House of the Dragon, cameos come in all shapes and sizes. A cameo can mean a character connected to House of the Dragon from Game of Thrones appeared on the scene, or it can mean a particularly cool actor turned up on the hit show. The House of the Dragon season two, episode three cameo was not precisely either one of those things, but it sure did delight fans. Here’s who we saw return to our screens on House of the Dragon season two’s third episode.

Milly Alcock Returns as Young Rhaenyra Targaryen in a House of the Dragon Season 2 Cameo

Surprise! Milly Alcock made an unexpected cameo as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season two, episode three. We suppose it makes sense that the younger versions of the characters could appear for a flashback or dream sequence at any time, but we weren’t really planning on seeing much of Milly Alcock on House of the Dragon in season two.

At the beginning of season one of House of the Dragon, it was impossible to imagine anyone but Milly Alcock playing the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen. But House of the Dragon achieved the nearly impossible and cast so well that trading younger versions of the characters for older ones happened seamlessly. Though we absolutely love Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra, it sure was nice to see Milly Alcock return in the role for one more scene. It brought us back to everything we loved so much about the characters before the time skip.

What Was Milly Alcock’s Young Rhaenyra Doing in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3?

But what was Milly Alcock’s young Rhaenyra up to in her House of the Dragon season two cameo? Well, she returned to haunt Daemon’s mind in what was half a nightmare and half a prophetic vision. As Daemon paced his haunted, rain-soaked room in Harrenhal, he was overtaken by a dream. Following mysterious noises and movements, he made his way through the darkened hallways and turned a corner to find who else but young Rhaenyra. Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra sits by a fire, eerily humming and cradling the dead Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen as she sews his severed head back onto his neck.

“Always coming and going, aren’t you,” young Rhaenyra levels at Daemon in the House of the Dragon season two episode. “And I have to clean up afterward.” Daemon looks truly jolted by this encounter, but before he can say anything, the dream ends. But in his vision state, Daemon has made his way out to Harrenhal’s weirwood tree where he’s greeted with a prophecy of his own death.

What Did Daemon’s Vision of Young Rhaenyra Mean on House of the Dragon Season 2?

Harrenhal is a cursed place where felled weirwood trees make up the rafters, and everything is a little strange. It’s no surprise that supernatural-feeling visions emerge when one spends time there. While Daemon’s vision of young Rhaenyra wasn’t necessarily prophetic, it did feel like greater forces coming to tell Daemon that he’s been really making a mess of things. It’s also interesting that in Daemon’s mind, it’s Milly Alcock’s young Rhaenyra who scolds him on House of the Dragon season two, not the full-grown version of the woman to whom he is married. This Milly Alcock cameo offers a fascinating insight into how Daemon sees their relationship. In a way, it feels like Daemon preferred Rhaenyra before she had power and responsibility and also, perhaps, respected and listened to her more when that was the case.

Beyond that, for Daemon, this vision also serves as the first manifestation of true remorse for his actions that we’ve seen. House of the Dragon director Geeta Vasant Patel offered more insight into the cameo scene, Daemon’s feelings in it, and what Milly Alcock’s presence brought to the table, sharing:

At least in my eyes, that’s what it was. “That’s the Rhaenyra I know.” And in that dream, she looks at him — and the way we talked about it is she doesn’t need to say anything. We just worked on the look; the meaning that comes from all the episodes before she looks at him, and she cuts him. She says, “Hey, you killed a boy. You don’t do that.”

People have said that to him all the way through. But when young Rhaenyra says it to him, it’s the first time he feels it. It’s the first time he processes his actions, though he’s been killing people left and right since the beginning. This is the first time we see him regret. We see him feel. We actually kept talking, in between takes, about how this is something we’ve never seen before in Daemon.

There was a take where Matt went in, and he just kept saying, “No, I need another take. I need another take.” He was really such a hardworking actor on this, and all of a sudden I saw his face break after Milly looked at him. I just saw his hands loosen, and I saw the tear in his eye. Then I had a tear in my eye because we both felt it. Even the crew got emotional at that moment. And it wasn’t about House of the Dragon, it was about making a mistake that you deeply regret that hurt somebody else. It’s just that simple. That’s what I love about working on this show. I like to think that it is a documentary with dragons. We always try to make it feel real; like something we can relate to.

But will young Rhaenyra’s cameo appearance actually serve to change anything in Daemon beyond a moment of grief, or will Milly Alcock have to return to House of the Dragon again to achieve that? We’ll have to see what awaits Daemon outside the world of dreams and back in reality.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Features a Huge Cameo in Episode 3 appeared first on Nerdist.

House of the Dragon season two has already seen more than its fair share of intense character deaths. But sometimes, the threat of death is worse than an actual ending. In a series like House of the Dragon, there are moments when characters can literally see their fates before them but can’t escape their ends. We’ve already experienced a few terrible visions that have come true. In House of the Dragon season two, episode three, fans received a chilling prophecy of death for one of the series’ main characters. But who receives this whisper of doom, and what exactly does it mean? Here’s a spoiler-lite version of what we can expect.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Foreshadows Daemon Targaryen’s Death

After Daemon’s rash and miscalculated efforts to kill Aemond Targaryen end with the death of Prince Jaehaerys instead, he and Rhaenyra exchange heated words. One the heels of their fight, Daemon flies off to Harrenhal in a huff, on a mission to recruit the Riverlands to the Blacks’ cause. Although he comes in the name of Rhaenyra, of course, Dameon’s ambitions and bids for his own power absolutely remain in play.

While there, Daemon falls into an eerie dream that sees the return of young Rhaenyra and features the dead prince Jaehaerys. Daemon Targaryen’s House of the Dragon dream could be seen as a manifestation of his guilt over the needless death his behavior caused, but it also feels deeply like a prophetic sort of vision. When he awakes, he finds himself standing beside Harrenhal’s weirwood tree. It’s a scene out of a gothic horror. Whenever a weirwood tree and its carved faces are around, Game of Thrones fans know supernatural experiences are close at hand. The trees, after all, are sacred to those who follow the old gods, and always bring a sense of the uncanny.

Of course, it doesn’t help that a mysterious new House of the Dragon character appears from the rain, stares Daemon Targaryen right in the eye, and foretells his death.

Who Told Daemon, “You Will Die in this Place?”—Meet Alys Rivers

But who exactly is it that gives Daemon this prophecy of death on House of the Dragon? Why, it’s Alys Rivers who ominously told Daemon, “You will die in this place.” That sentiment naturally begs the follow-up of, who is Alys Rivers? Episode three of House of the Dragon season two gives her an ominous introduction and not much else. But Alys Rivers is a complicated character with an important role to play. We barely meet Alys in this episode, so we don’t want to spoil too much about her, but here’s what we can share.

Alys Rivers’ last name tells us she’s a bastard born in the Riverlands. And in broad stokes, Alys Rivers could be considered a witch. She’s a healer with, as we see, prophetic abilities. Rivers’ actress Gayle Rankin shared a bit more about Alys noting. “On House of the Dragon, we have dragons, obviously, but she’s the first entry point to that world of magic… I’m always fascinated by and drawn to female characters who are tossed around by society and culture. I really tried personally to make her my own and ground her in reality, because you can stereotype someone who’s a healer or a sorcerer or a witch or any of the above.”

Rankin adds, “This person can tell the future, basically… She’s someone who has all of this power, who’s been alive for potentially 400 years. How do we make her a person with a beating heart and wants and desires? Rankin hints that in addition to telling Daemon Targaryen of his death, Alys Rivers will force him to look at his past and all its demons. “She’s going to hold a lot of power for the men inside of this story, especially Daemon, which I think is a really interesting slow burn…What’s interesting is, what does Alys want from Daemon and vice versa?… What are they learning from each other? There’s clearly a match happening here.” We hope Daemon learns something more than just that he’s slated for death. But we’ll have to wait and see to find out.

Will Daemon Targaryen Definitely Die on House of the Dragon?

So now, the big question. Just because Aly Rivers told Daemon he will die, is that death set in stone on House of the Dragon? House of the Dragon is, of course, based on George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones book, Fire & Blood. And so, those interested in an immediate possible answer can read-up on Daemon’s fate in the story right now. That said, Fire & Blood is a history, a recounting from sources that were not present at the time. Other characters’ fates, such as Laenor Velaryon’s, have changed from their previously canonical state.

That said, Alys Rivers and Daemon Targaryen were standing next to a weirwood tree when Alys intoned that Daemon intoned her prophecies of his death. It is both believed that some can look through the eyes of a weirwood to see the past and the future and that one cannot lie in the presence of the tree. Of course, prophecies are funny things. Even death can take on many meanings in a prophetic tongue.

While we now have to worry about Daemon Targaryen’s death on House of the Dragon, the truth is, no character is ever really safe. A prophecy of doom certainly doesn’t help, but it doesn’t mean he’s keeling over immediately, either. And, you never know, Daemon could meet a normal death in “this place”… sure he could.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Ominously Foreshadows a Main Character’s Death  appeared first on Nerdist.

Hannibal season four. It’s on everyone’s minds. We’ve received some tantalizing hints over the years about what a Hannibal season four might hold if it ever returns to our screens. (A quest Fannibals, fans of Hannibal have been on for nearly a decade.) During Fan Expo Boston’s Hannibal panel, Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen thought a little bit about what season four of Hannibal might look like. Although, ultimately, the pair didn’t want to speculate too much on its contents, since that part is up to Bryan Fuller, the show’s creator, they seemed to imagine that though some time would pass between Hannibal season three and season four in the show’s reality, that time skip may not be fully aligned to the real time that has passed in our world.

One common refrain about Hannibal season four is that Bryan Fuller’s idea for it means the show could return at any time. Whatever idea Fuller has for Hannibal season four, it is built to encapsulate any amount of years that pass in our reality. But according to Hannibal‘s stars, that doesn’t literally mean that season four will take place a decade (or however long) after Hannibal‘s season three finale.

Mads Mikkelsen shared at Fan Expo Boston’s Hannibal panel, “I think it would be boring to see them a decade later. I’m fine with a couple of years. Obviously, they have to heal after the fall. But… a decade, we’d be missing out on something crucial.” Unless, of course, Hugh Dancy chimes in, “They haven’t been together, right? Unless Will’s been in a hospital.” But Mikkelsen seemed a little dubious about that. “So they landed on different ships?”

Mikkelsen is obviously envisioning Hannibal season four and its possible time skip through the lens of the story. While Dancy is a bit more pragmatic. “It’s nice of Mads to imagine it, but I’m not sure that only two years having passed is very realistic at this point.” But he concedes, “Maybe it was just a rough two years.”

We bet that’s a distinct possiblity. Ultimately, we’ll need Bryan Fuller to chime in on this one. But however long of a time skip happens between Hannibal season three and Hannibal season four, fans of the series will happily accept it. We just need a studio to join us at the table for dinner.

The post Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy Tease HANNIBAL Season 4 Time Skip and How Long It Would Be appeared first on Nerdist.

For the Hannibal fandom, love is always on the menu. Showrunner Bryan Fuller has previously shared with Nerdist that should season four of Hannibal come to life, the only path for Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter’s intimacy is forward. Fuller even noted that Will and Hannibal would hopefully answer all of Google’s most asked questions about them (Do they kiss? Kill together? Date?) with an affirmative. At Fan Expo Boston’s Hannibal panel, which Nerdist was excited to moderate, Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy also considered the question. While they might not be as effusively romantic as Fuller in their notions, there’s no doubt there’s love to explore between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter.

Interestingly enough, in Dancy’s opinion, and this has been a long-standing belief for him, Will Graham knows that Hannibal Lecter is in love with him, but Will Graham doesn’t, at least consciously, imagine himself to be in love with Hannibal at the point of the season three finale. (The last of the series for now.) Still, when asked what it might take for Will Graham to finally fall in love with Hannibal Lecter at Fan Expo Boston, Dancy joked, “Seven seasons?” But hey, he didn’t say never. We choose to interpret that answer as “time.”

Dancy also added at Fan Expo Boston that Will Graham is still firstly wrestling with his own perspectives on the world in Hannibal. He shared, “I think Will’s coming to terms with something within himself primarily.” But, of course, as Fuller has shared, Will Graham might be in a more malleable state should Hannibal season four take place. So perhaps, now that he’s done coming to terms with himself, there might be room to come to terms with his love for Hannibal.

Mikkelsen, meanwhile, jokingly groused on Hannibal’s behalf, “What is wrong with you?” and then proceeded to share some of his perspectives, noting that for Will and Hannibal, “there’s a mutual fascination, and they see each other for who they are. We can equate that love, but primarily, they are cat and mouse, and they keep changing who is the cat and who is the mouse… and, okay, a little in love.” He’ll give us that.

During a different question at the Fan Expo Boston panel, Mikkelsen and Dancy also considered whether their characters would ever engage in time travel to change any of their fates and circumstances in Hannibal. Ultimately, both landed on Will and Hannibal forgoing any kind of shift in their journeys. (Although Will might be tempted on reflex.) Considering everything they’ve been through, that feels as good as saying they’re fated to come together. You can catch some of these Hannigram love questions and answers and more in the highlights video below from the Fan Expo Hannibal panel.

Ultimately, Hannibal season four lives in Bryan Fuller’s brain. And the rest, for now, exists in the hands of fans. Will Hannibal‘s love story continue? It does every single day. And, hopefully, we’ll get to see it on screen soon as well sometime soon.

The post Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen Talk Hannigram Being in Love at HANNIBAL Fan Expo Boston Panel appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most important impacts a fictional property can have in this world is to create community. The power of loving the same story, walking in the same fantastical universe, and adventuring with the same characters can truly bring people together in their real lives, forging lasting bonds and deep friendships. As a devoted member of many fandoms, I can safely say that few shows have ever built a community quite as wonderful as the one Hannibal has created. In that vein, it was extra touching for Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy to celebrate the series at Fan Expo Boston, a convention specially designed to honor all things fandom. And, personally, as a long-time supporter of the series, it was my pleasure to represent Nerdist as moderator of the Hannibal panel.

Fan Expo Boston’s Hannibal panel was truly a magical convergence where off-stage, on-stage, and in the talent seats, a community of fans came together, celebrating the ethos of the convention and of Hannibal. As the saying goes, “It’s beautiful.”

Although Hannibal was canceled nearly nine years ago now, you certainly wouldn’t know it sitting in the panel room, its stars, and a room full of cheering Fannibals hungry to celebrate their favorite show. And happily, much like our love for the show, the fun of this panel doesn’t ever have to end. To ensure all Fannibals, Hannibal fans, and Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy enthusiasts alike can join in the beauty of what fans have termed the “Hannibal Reunion,” Fan Expo Boston has released a highlight reel of the panel. You can check out the best of the best moments above and make sure to subscribe to Fan Expo’s channel to catch all future panel highlights that might feed your fandom.

From discussing Will and Hannibal’s love story and journey throughout Hannibal to pondering the intricacies of their characters, including what their last meals might be (each other) and what paintings they might eat (a question inspired by the Red Dragon Francis Dolarhyde himself), to sharing some of their on-set memories and experiences, Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy left Fannibals with a lot to chew on after their Fan Expo Hannibal panel. Some particularly hilarious answers will no doubt live forever in the inside jokes and fond memories of Hannibal fans—and isn’t that what being in fandom is all about?

Of course, fans hope that this stop on the Hannibal reunion tour won’t be its last. But regardless of what the future holds, we know Fannibals will be savoring every bite of this Fan Expo Boston Hannibal panel.

The post Watch as Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy Bring HANNIBAL New Life at Their Fan Expo Boston Panel appeared first on Nerdist.

If there’s one thing we tune into House of the Dragon for, it is dragons. So far in season two, we’ve seen glimpses of our favorite creatures, but we haven’t seen much dragon action yet. However, that feels like it’s all about to change as the tension between the greens and the blacks slowly bleeds into an all-out war. In episodes two and three of House of the Dragon season two, though, we see one particular dragon flying across our screens, Seasmoke. But which dragon is Seasmoke again, and why is its presence significant? We have some spoiler-lite answers for you.

Seasmoke Appears on the Scene in House of the Dragon

In House of the Dragon season two, episode two, “Rhaenyra the Cruel,” we pause the political machinations and children’s funerals for a moment to enjoy a peaceful scene on the beach. A new character we only just met in this House of the Dragon episode, Addam of Hull, is fishing for food in the ocean when a dragon flies overhead. The casual viewer might not recall which dragon this is exactly. So, for the curious, we’re happy to confirm that the beach-side dragon in House of the Dragon season two, episode two, is Seasmoke, Laenor Velaryon’s dragon.

In episode three of House of the Dragon season two, we again see Seasmoke flying around as Rhaenyra and Mysaria meet on Dragonstone. Mysaria cryptically comments that the dragon might be lonely.

Here’s why this dragon’s presence is significant.

What Happened to Seasmoke and Laenor Velaryon in House of the Dragon Season One?

For those who need a quick House of the Dragon season one refresher, Rhaenyra Targaryen had a husband before she married Daemon. Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenyra were forced into a political marriage while her father, Viserys, was still alive. Neither of them wished to be in the marriage, with Rhaenyra’s heart elsewhere and Laenor being a gay man. Ultimately, Rhaenyra, Laenor, and Daemon conspired to fake Laenor’s death so he could flee to live in freedom and Rhaenyra could marry Daemon.

That seemed like a sound solution for all involved. Of course, at the time, the Targaryens were not engaged in a civil war. So it did not seem so crucially important that Laenor, now on the run, could no longer ride his dragon Seasmoke on House of the Dragon. Laenor, of course, could not take his very conspicuous dragon with him as he headed into hiding. Seasmoke, meanwhile, has been living in the House Velaryon stronghold Driftmark without a rider since Laenor vanished in House of the Dragon season one. In season two, we see the dragon remains there at the current time.

Civil War Makes Dragons Imperative, and That Includes Seasmoke

Of course, now that the greens and the blacks are poised for full-on war, every dragon counts. Previews of House of the Dragon season two tease that dragons fighting dragons will be at the heart of this chapter. With Laenor and Seasmoke, Rhaenyra would have had an additional dragon at her side as she faced Alicent, Aegon, and the rest. And one dragon can make an immense difference. While Seasmoke is present, his rider is not. And, with Laenor missing but not dead, Seasmoke cannot be ridden; at least, that’s what Game of Thrones‘ dragonrider lore seems to imply.

Will House of the Dragon Honor the Dragon Rider Lore of the Books?

In the Game of Thrones universe, a dragon can only have one dragonrider at a time while both still live, and that rider must have Valyrian blood. If House of the Dragon season two abides by these dragon rules, that means that as long as Laenor remains absent, no one else can ride Seasmoke and fully command the dragon in battle.

Of course, HBO’s live-action Game of Thrones has hinted that it might be flexible with the letter of dragonrider lore before. And neither Game of Thrones nor House of the Dragon have fully established how stringently the one-rider-only rule is followed in the live-action universe. After all, Jon Snow rode Daenerys’ dragon. However, it seems likely that House of the Dragon season two will, at least, need to acknowledge its change in canon if the series gives Seasmoke a new rider who isn’t Laenor.

We are going to go ahead and assume that Laenor is not dead. Death would seem a poor fate for someone who the show purposefully kept alive, breaking with the previously known canon. But it doesn’t feel like House of the Dragon is hinting at Laenor’s return to ride Seasmoke, either. Instead, the show teases something else altogether.

Are Addam Hull and Seasmoke Connected on House of the Dragon?

It wasn’t just anyone who saw Seasmoke flying through the clouds; it was Addam of Hull. Those who want a fuller version of spoilers can read the historical accounting found in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. For now, all we’ll say is it doesn’t feel like a very coincidental scene. And we will share that Hull is the recent surname given to bastards born in the town of Hull, which, like Seasmoke, sits on Driftmark. In episode two of House of the Dragon, Addam additionally feels that Lord Corlys “owes” Addam and his brother Alyn something. Now, why would that be? And could it be a dragon?

All we know for now is that House of the Dragon has established that Seasmoke is lonely without his dragonrider… and he’s restlessly circling… for some reason.

We’ll have to wait for Seasmoke to fly back to us in a future episode of House of the Dragon to say for sure what or who he is looking for.

Originally published on June 24, 2024.

The post Seasmoke Returns in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2, Episode 2, But Why? appeared first on Nerdist.

At Nerdist, we love a battle-tested friendship. What could be better than deep connections forged in the midst of harrowing danger? There’s nothing like an epic adventure to bring people together. And that’s why we’re thrilled to exclusively reveal the cover of DAW Books’ The Serpent Called Mercy, a Malaysian Chinese-inspired fantasy by debut author Roanne Lau. The underlying, steadfast friendship between the protagonists of The Serpent Called Mercy creates the beating heart of this story. But, in addition to resonant interpersonal dynamics, the fantasy-adventure book also promises no shortage of heart-pounding battles and mysterious (and ferocious) sun-cursed beasts. And we feel like we can see all of this well-represented in The Serpent Called Mercy‘s cover.

You can take a look at it below.

Exclusive Cover Reveal for The Serpent Called Mercy

Okay, isn’t this cover art stunning? We are stunned. The Serpent Called Mercy‘s gorgeous cover is by Rowynn Ellis (they/them) and art directed by Katie Anderson. We absolutely hope we’ll be seeing all these monsters in the story. But both literally and symbolically, we’re obsessed with them already. The elemental energy, the dynamic action, the little hint of adorable friendship in the corner—we feel it all in this cover. The ferociousness, fury, and little brushes of gentleness all come together perfectly to help us understand what awaits readers in The Serpent Called Mercy.

(But seriously, get that little guy his own streaming show, stat. We would follow him until the ends of the earth.)

Likely, this cover will only become more beautiful as fans grow to learn more about its true meaning as they read the book. But we’re honestly thinking of buying a second copy of The Serpent Called Mercy just so we can display this piece in our house.

More About The Serpent Called Mercy

Just in case The Serpent Called Mercy‘s swoon-worthy cover reveal isn’t yet enough to sway you, here’s a little bit more about the book. A release shares that “Fans of the tense, dynamic action and battle-tested friendships like The Witcher and Squid Game will love The Serpent Called Mercy, where a debt-ridden slumdog joins an illegal monster-fighting arena for some fast coin but quickly learns the most dangerous beasts are outside the ring.” Basically, this book strives to answer the question, “What if an epic fantasy with already high stakes met even higher stakes and added heart-wrenching friendship on top?” It sounds guaranteed to have us both sobbing and at the edge of our seats. And we could ask for little more from a book than that. We also just have to say that the home of this novel adaptation should definitely be Netflix. An even fuller synopsis of the book can be found at the end of this article.

Of additional interest to some, Roanne Lau’s novel will feature asexual and neurodivergent representation, which we definitely support and applaud. Both asexuality and neurodivergence deserve more representation in media, and books that feature representative characters should be championed.

Pre-Order The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau Today

The Serpent Called Mercy releases on December 3rd, 2024. You can pre-order it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Bookshops.org. You can also follow Lau on Twitter, @roannelau, and Instagram, @roannelau, for more updates on the story.

The Serpent Called Mercy‘s Full Synopsis

Here is the full synopsis of The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau:

Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as conquessors: arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.

Match-master Dothilos is initially enamored of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.

But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game—a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.

A whirlwind of blood-pounding battles as characters grapple with their choices in the face of wealth and financial security, The Serpent Called Mercy’s heart is the underlying, steadfast friendship between its protagonists.

The post Check Out the Cover for THE SERPENT CALLED MERCY, a Fantasy Book Full of Deadly Adventure and Battle-Tested Friendships appeared first on Nerdist.

Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, takes us back to the fantastical realm of Middle-earth. As we dive into the show, we’ll head deeper into this world and explore some corners of it that have never been brought on-screen before. And that means meeting a whole lot of new and exciting creatures from Middle-earth. Alongside the many races that populate the universe live a slew of Tolkien’s coolest creations, some enchanting and some terrifying. Here is every one of Middle-earth’s creatures we’ve met so far in Rings of Power.

The Rings of Power Season 2 Teases Brand New Creatures

The trailer and first-looks for The Rings of Power season two have already started us off the right foot with some brand new creatures to ponder over.

Hill-Trolls

Nothing says evil quite like a troll. In Tolkien’s world, trolls are often monstrous creatures of low intelligence that inhabit Middle-earth. Of course, trolls are often fighting for evil. In The Lord of the Rings‘ world, we have mountain-trolls, cave-trolls, snow-trolls, and, of course, the hill-trolls, creatures that we’ll be seeing in The Rings of Power season two. Last season, Galadriel encountered a snow-troll (which you can read about below) at Forodwaith, so we’ll be interested to see how the two kinds of trolls differ.

An early tease of the season reveals that we’ll specifically meet Damrod the Hill-troll. Showrunner Patrick McKay calls this creature, the “eater of dragon bones.” Incredibly though, he’ll be voiced by Benjamin Walker, who also plays High King Gil-galad. Two very different roles.

Apparently, this hill-troll will join Adar in the growing ranks of darkness that come together as Sauron risees to power. But Damrod’s inspiration may not be what you expect. McKay notes, “[He] was inspired in part by Mike Ehrmantraut in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. If you look at the way he moves and his casual sense of strength.” What an incredible crossover moment.

The Undead Barrow-wights

Tolkien’s Barrow-wights are heading to season two of The Rings of Power. These Lord of the Rings creatures were not actually in The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson but will come to live-action thanks to The Rings of Power. The ghoulish Barrow-wights are ancient heroes who have been reanimated and are now forced to act for evil. The Rings Of Power VFX supervisor Jason Smith share, “It was super-exciting to take on something I hadn’t seen before. We’ve seen undead before, but not like this. We’re doing a little horror movie in Middle-earth.” The Barrow-wights were once people of nobility, “Kings, queens, high-ranking officials,” according to Smith, and shreds of this past appears in their now undead form. Creepy!

Shelob

A behind-the-scenes featurette from The Rings of Power season two introduces us to some spider-like imagery. If we look behind Maxim Baldry in this screenshot, we can see storyboards that clearly reveal a spider. Additionally a second shot seems to show an orc trapped in a web. Could we be seeing the spider-creature Shelob in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two? It seems likely

Oozing Shadow Creature

The trailer makes a point of showing us a shadowy, oozing creature that looks like it’s about to transform. Who this goo creature is in The Lord of the Rings‘ world, we’ll have to wait and see.

Sea Monster

The Rings of Power season two trailer also introduces us to a brand new sea monster. Is it a creature from Tolkien lore or just another Lovecraftian horror? More context is necessary.

The Creatures We’ve Seen in Rings of Power

Jump to: Snow Troll // Valinor’s Spirit Birds // The Worm // Wolves (Possibly Werewolves) // Wargs // The Balrog

Snow Troll

In episode one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Galadriel pushes her company of elves to the far reaches of northern Middle-earth. The viewers are along for the ride as the elves enter the chilly arms of Forodwaith, the Northernmost Waste, in search of a stronghold of orcs and Sauron. While the orcs have long vanished, as has their dark lord, the evil in the stronghold remains. The only thing that flourishes there is a Snow Troll.

We don’t get to learn too much about this foul The Rings of Power creature. But we know the troll contains tough stuff because no light reaches this area of Middle-earth… And certainly very little living. The snow troll viciously attacks the elves, although, to be fair, it probably wasn’t expecting visitors. But Galadriel dispatches it before it can do much harm.

Snow-trolls are mentioned once in Tolkien’s work, a reference in The Lord of the Rings‘ Appendix A. But the denizen of Middle-earth has been brought to life in video games a couple of times, and now in The Rings of Power. With ill-omens growing and Sauron’s sigils appearing around every corner, we may not have seen the last of the snow troll.

Valinor’s Spirit Birds

Of course, Middle-earth and the rest of Tolkien’s world is also a place of magic and great beauty. Thus, some of its creatures have to fill us with joy. And we get a taste of this wonder as The Rings of Power reveals to us Valinor, the elven homeland. Earlier in the episode, Elrond describes the journey into Valinor. He notes, “When you cross over, you hear a song, one whose memory we all carry, and you are immersed in a light more intoxicating than any sensation in all of Middle-earth.” And this is exactly what we see before us. But what Elrond doesn’t mention are some of the most beautiful creatures we see in The Rings of Power.

As Galadriel and the rest of the elves prepare to cross over, a flock of glorious sea birds fills the air. These birds appear to come from Manwë, who represents a kind of chief god in Middle-earth’s mythology. In The Silmarillion, we learn that “all birds are dear” to Manwë. So it makes sense he welcomes the elves back home with a flock.

The Worm (Sea Serpent)

Another new location that The Rings of Power introduces us to is the Sundering Seas. These waters lay west of Middle-earth, and elves must cross them in order to reach Valinor (they depart from the Grey Havens). Of course, like any other ocean, Middle-earth’s seas contain creatures lurking in the deep that you’d probably rather not meet.

Although Galadriel is at peace with her decision not to journey to Valinor, she finds herself stranded in monster-filled waters. A sea serpent, known in The Rings of Power as “The Worm,” slithers through the Sundering Seas, wreaking havoc. Galadriel meets a group of people whose ship this Rings of Power creature destroyed, and she nearly ends up in the belly of the beast herself.

Although the Worm seems to attack indiscriminately, we suspect the Middle-earth monster may be under the sway of Sauron.

Wolves (Possibly Werewolves)

Wolves are on the prowl in this Lord of the Rings series. But Middle-earth’s wolves may not be ordinary creatures in The Rings of Power. Nori Brandyfoot and a group of other Harfoots almost meet one of these wild beings in a berry field, but luckily they spy a warning track. The track is massive, though, and when we see the wolf… It feels like something greater is at work.

We get the same feeling when the wolves attack the Harfoots as they migrate through an eerie forest. There are a few different wolf-like creatures in The Lord of the Rings‘ world, including werewolves and wargs. In Middle-earth’s lore, werewolves are wolves Sauron bred for evil. In each wolf, Sauron imprisoned an evil spirit creating a new kind of creature. Now that we’ve met a warg, though, we know this wolf is something else. So we’re back to betting on this The Rings of Power being a werewolf.

Wargs

In episode three of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we meet the loathsome creatures known as the wargs. These wargs are also wolflike in nature and are being used as attack dogs by the Orcs. The wargs have a powerful snarl and even deadlier teeth. As compared to the sleek menace of the (potential) werewolves, they appear to be a much more savage Lord of the Rings creature. The warg we meet in Rings of Power attacks on a pure evil instinct and a hunger for blood.

In Tolkien’s lore, wargs are a specific breed of wolf that lives in the Misty Mountains. In The Lord of the Rings books, wargs were associated with orcs and sometimes goblins. And in The Rings of Power, they definitely follow that tradition… And that is bad news for our favorite Harfoots, elves, or any other creature.

Balrogs

In episode seven of The Rings of Power, a dark creature emerges from the depths. It looks like all that dwarven mining for mithril has awakened a grave danger in the depths of their mines, the Balrog. In The Lord of the Rings‘ lore, the Balrog is a a powerful spirit that becomes demonic at the hands of Morgoth. Famously, a Balrog nearly destroys the wizard Gandalf in an epic battle during The Fellowship of the Ring. The Balrog of Khazad-dûm has awakened a little earlier than we expected it to, but we have not doubt it will soon bring a lot of trouble to the dwarves and many others.

Middle-earth’s Creatures

As The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to air, we’re sure we’ll see many more of Middle-earth’s creatures. Hopefully, a few less that would eat us and a few more we can admire. Either way, we’re excited to continue this new journey through Tolkien’s world.

Jump to: Snow Troll // Valinor’s Spirit Birds // The Worm // Wolves (Possibly Werewolves) // Wargs // The Balrog

Originally published on September 1, 2022.

The post Which Creatures of Middle-earth Does RINGS OF POWER Introduce? appeared first on Nerdist.

“Only weeks ago, my Lord husband was alive, and the realm was at peace.” Alicent notes at the beginning of the House of the Dragon season two, episode 4 trailer. And she’s pointing to what we’re all feeling. Things sure have devolved quickly on House of the Dragon, and now all-out war is rolling down the hill as events fall into place that cannot be retracted. If the Greens and the Blacks could have come to some more civil discussion before the child-killing and what-not on House of the Dragon, we may not have ended up here. But we guess here is precisely the point of this Game of Thrones‘ spinoff series.

You can check out the full trailer for House of the Dragon season two, episode four, below.

“Tread carefully.” The description for episode four shares. And yes, it refers to Aegon warning his mother Alicent to respect him in the trailer for the House of the Dragon season two episode. But it also refers to basically everyone in the realm. Not only is there an enemy to watch out for, but the trailer for the upcoming episode of House of the Dragon reveals that recruiting for sides in this Targaryen civil war will take a bloody turn in episode four. Not to mention, Rhaenyra has decided that it’s time to send the dragons to war. And we know that won’t end very well for anyone.

House of the Dragon season two, episode four, will air on July 7 at 9 PM on HBO and Max. You can learn more out more about House of the Dragon season two’s full release schedule here. In the meantime, we suggest that you start reinforcing your roof against dragon fire, stat. Things are about to get much hotter in House of the Dragon season two, episode four, if this trailer is anything to go by.

We’re not afraid, we’re just rational.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2, Episode 4 Trailer Brings Dragons to War appeared first on Nerdist.

The time has finally come to set sail for more adventure and dream-chasing. One Piece season two has officially begun production and is one step closer to coming back onto our screens. Netflix revealed, that, of course, our Straw Hat pirates would all be returning for One Piece season two—but not alone. In addition to a host of new characters joining the cast, a few other familiar faces from season one will be back in One Piece‘s second season. Namely, Alvida, Buggy, and Gold Roger will once again be in the mix of One Piece‘s live-action story.

Let’s take a look at everything Netflix shared to celebrate One Piece season two’s production start.

One Piece Teases Season 2, Episode 1

We don’t know the exact plot of live-action One Piece‘s season two. But we do know the title of its first episode. One Piece season two, episode one will be called, “The Beginning and the End.” It will be written by Matt Owens and Ian Stokes. We’re ready to hear all the fan theories about what that title implies.

One Piece‘s Main Cast Reunite as Production Begins

As Taz Skylar notes, these are happy tears! And what a glorious reunion it is. The Straw Hat Pirates have all traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, to film the next chapter of their One Piece adventure. Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Mackenyu (Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji) are all back together again once more as production begins for One Piece season two. We absolutely feel the love and crew bond between them all.

One Piece Season 2 Cast, Revealed

In a release celebrating season two’s production started, Netflix also shared that additional returning One Piece cast include “Ilia Isorelys Paulino as Alvida, Jeff Ward as Buggy, and Michael Dorman as Gold Roger.” Jeff Ward’s Buggy was a true fan-favorite, so it’s no surprise he’ll be back. No word yet on other season one standouts like Steven John Ward, who played Dracule Mihawk, or Peter Gadiot, who played Luffy’s red-headed mentor, Shanks. But hey, they still could be back. Netflix reveals that additional One Piece cast will be announced at a later date.

Of course, in addition to old One Piece favorites, “new cast members joining season two include Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Clive Russell as Crocus, Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton, and Werner Coetser as Dorry.” You can learn more about these new One Piece season two characters with our piece, here.

When Live Action Will One Piece Season 2 Release?

There’s no word yet on any release date for One Piece season two. But now that production on the show has started again, we’re sure we’ll get many more tantalizing treasures from Netflix sooner rather than later.

Originally published on July 1

The post ONE PIECE Season 2 Begins Production, Confirms Return of Buggy, Alvida, and Gold Roger appeared first on Nerdist.

Strap in! There’s a lot of information coming your way if you’re a Cobra Kai fan. Of course, fans will already know that season six of Cobra Kai will be its final outing. But now, Netflix has shared more details about the release of the season and it’s turning into a major event. Cobra Kai season six will release its final episodes in what Netflix is calling “a three-part event.” The final season of Cobra Kai is actually super-sized, and its release will take place in two different years. Netflix has also shared the first for Cobra Kai season six, part one. Let’s take a look at everything that’s been shared.

Cobra Kai‘s Final Season Shares a Season 6, Part 1 Trailer

Cobra Kai season six, part one will arrive on July 18. You can learn more about the series’ release date schedule below. But first, check out Netflix’s trailer for season six, part one.

A synopsis from Netflix notes about the first part of season six, “Picking up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate.” It’s one thing to be the best in town, it’s a whole other thing to be the best in the world.

World championships, here we come… But not before a lot of drama, bickering, and could it be, one last lesson from Mr. Miyagi? We guess we’ll have to tune in to find out.

What Are the Release Dates for Cobra Kai‘s Three-Part Final Season?

We’re going back to the dojo… and we’ll be going more than once. Netflix has revealed the following release dates for Cobra Kai‘s final season:

• Part 1 premieres July 18, 2024.
• Part 2 premieres November 28, 2024.
• The Finale Event comes in 2025.

Netflix notes that “All three batches will consist of five episodes each.” Happily, part one will arrive this summer, so that’s not too long to wait for more of the

How Many Episodes Will Cobra Kai Season 6 Have?

Cobra Kai‘s season six will have 15 episodes. To date, every other Cobra Kai season has had only 10. So the final season of Cobra Kai will contain another extra half of a season. That’s a pretty good deal for fans.

Cobra Kai Season 6 First-Look Images

You can check out a few more first-look images from the final season of Cobra Kai below.

Click To View Gallery

“Cobra Kai is back,” and how!

Originally published on May 2, 2024.

The post COBRA KAI’s Season 6, Part 1 Shares Full Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Is wanting freedom so wrong? The Acolyte‘s Qimir tempts us to think very deeply about that question as he swings into the Star Wars universe with style and charisma. The series has been teasing the identity of its villainous Sith Lord master since its first episode. And finally, in episode five of The Acolyte, the villain’s mask flew off, and below it was the initially unassuming smuggler Qimir. Although many fans were already leaning toward Qimir as the Sith Lord “Master” on The Acolyte, few could have predicted Manny Jacinto’s complete shift in temperament, voice, attitude… and, dare we say it, magnetism.

Of course, Jacinto’s Qimir looks good. (We all see and agree with those posts about his very muscular arms.) But the character’s powers of seduction hit on an even more existential level than that. “I’ve accepted my darkness,” Qimir tells Sol. And never has following in his dark side footsteps seemed like such a compelling offering.

Qimir says that the Jedi might call him a Sith on The Acolyte. But whether he is a Sith in the Star Wars universe isn’t exactly confirmed yet. Qimir notes, “He has no name.” Regardless, while the Sith are all about passion, they still have a codified set of rules that orders them to follow it. Of course, the Jedi love to put restrictions on the use of the Force and want emotions and desires to be as tamped down as possible.

The Acolyte‘s Qimir seems very uninterested in all of that. Instead, his use of the Force and his fighting skills verge on many of the seven deadly sins—gluttonous, wrathful, and full of lust. He cuts a row of trees down because he can. Qimir murders Jedi after Jedi on The Acolyte because they’re in his way. He headbutts lightsabers, draped in the rare, powerful metal cortosis, to fizzle them out. All the while, he turns the Jedi’s absurd trainings right back on them. Yord says of him, “He doesn’t follow the rules of combat; there’s no method to his movements. It doesn’t make sense.” And it’s an apt description.

In these ways, Qimir brings something primal to the depiction of Star Wars‘ dark side that feels new. He moves and acts like a force of nature, hungry and consuming. Qimir’s powers seem barely controlled by even himself, dancing along his whims as they fluidly shift and change. And yes, the fact that Qimir’s arms are carelessly bare in the middle of battle has something to do with it, as does the sensuality of Jacinto’s portrayal of the character.

There’s a primordial sense to the power The Acolyte‘s Qimir has. And this godliness infects everything from how he fights to the very construction of his eloquent speeches about the nature of humanity and Jedi throughout the season. Of course, his desire for an Acolyte, a worshipper, and not an Apprentice or Padawan, only bolster the idea of of Qimir as a god… or a devil. Qimir makes the dark side feel more intimate and yet expansive than ever before.

Star Wars Sith have sought to rule the galaxy in previous franchise outings, often speaking of creating a “new order” in the universe. But Qimir’s desires aren’t about control; they’re about the complete surrendering of it. “Freedom.” He notes, when Sol asks him what he wants. “The freedom to wield my power the way I like.” Qimir’s version of darkness is heady. It doesn’t involve Imperial Marches or the building of an Empire. Qimir simply wants to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to do it. He wants to manipulate and pretend, to raise his eyebrows snarkily with one breath and bring death in the next. He doesn’t make any sense, as Yord points out, and he doesn’t have to. Qimir moves beyond a rational understanding and transforms into a greater force.

And so, as we watch Qimir dance through battle after battle on The Acolyte, taking in the way he defeats everyone in his path, outsmarts them, and seemingly has a great time doing it, we really do find ourselves asking: Is wanting freedom so wrong? The dark side has truly never looked so good.

Rotem Rusak is Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist and a pop culture enthusiast. She’s always here to find the beauty in a villain.

The post Qimir Makes the Dark Side Look Good on THE ACOLYTE appeared first on Nerdist.

Every week, we eagerly anticipate a new episode of House of the Dragon. But to make that wait a little easier, Max is releasing teaser images from new episodes of the Game of Thrones series a little early. These images don’t tell us too much about what’s in store in the new chapters of House of the Dragon season two, but they are fun to speculate over. Let’s take a look at the sneak peeks the streamer has released for House of the Dragon season two, episode three. Of course, these are technically spoilers, so look away if you don’t want to know anything more.

New Images From House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3

Daemon is sneaking around, likely up to no good. We finally get a clear picture of Rhaenyra from this season. King Aegon II and Larys Strong conspiring can’t be any good for anyone. But we’re happy to see the Velaryon clan front and center in these House of the Dragon season two, episode three images.

Click To View Gallery

We can’t wait to see how these sneak peeks come together as House of the Dragon season two releases its third episode this Sunday, June 30, at 9 pm on HBO and Max.

Below, you can check out the teaser images from previous new episodes of House of the Dragon.

New Images From House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 2

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We see Alicent and Helaena in mourning, Jacaerys/Jace and Baela together on a cliffside, Daemon looking a bit shifty, and Ser Criston Cole, no doubt, up to no good. We’re happy to see Alyn and Addam of Hull in these House of the Dragon season two, episode two images, and Hugh Hammer is back as well.

Originally published on June 21, 2024.

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The LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Disney+ special brought Darth Jar Jar to life. Fans could not have expected to see this most cherished theory about Jar Jar being a secret dark side agent evolve in such a way. But now Darth Jar Jar is taking on a whole new part of the galaxy, LEGO. Yes, Darth Jar Jar will arrive in LEGO Minifigure form, alongside some of his very favorite friends, Beach Luke, Jedi Vader, and more, in the latest Star Wars LEGO set, The Dark Falcon.

Here’s what we know about the LEGO Star Wars‘ Dark Falcon set.

LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon Set Brings an Evil Millennium Falcon to Life

Fans love to ask, what if? And courtesy of LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, we get to see what if the Millenium Falcon went dark side. A release from LEGO shares more about the Star Wars set, revealing:

Turn the LEGO® Star Wars™ universe upside down with The Dark Falcon buildable toy vehicle set for kids (75389), which features a dark version of the Millennium Falcon, as seen in the LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Disney+ special. A thrilling birthday gift for boys, girls and any fans aged 10 and up, this LEGO Star Wars brick-built starship toy has flip-up panels for easy access to the detailed interior, including Darth Jar Jar’s throne, the command center, hyperdrive, entertainment area and jail cell. Spring-loaded shooters, rotating cannons and a removable gunner post add to the action-play possibilities.

Darth Jar Jar’s LEGO throne, you say? Sold. Not to mention—spring-loaded shooters for maximum action. Good thing we’re aged 10 and up. This Star Wars LEGO The Dark Falcon set seems like one of those sets that is the perfect blend of complex, but cool, and not too difficult to put together. Sold!

How Many Pieces Does the LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon? And What Are Its Measurements

Just how big is LEGO’s The Dark Falcon set? Well, this Star Wars set contains 1,579 pieces. It measures over 5 in. (12 cm) high, 17 in. (43 cm) long and 12.5 in. (32 cm) wide. That means you won’t have too move too many things around to find a good place for it.

LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon Features 6 Minifigures

The Star Wars Minifigures for this LEGO set are pretty exciting ones. They feature fun reimaginings of your favorite characters. The Dark Falcon LEGO set comes with six Minifigures. These are Darth Jar Jar, Bounty Hunter C-3PO, Darth Dev, Darth Rey, Beach Luke, and Jedi Vader. These Minifigures will let you have fun, but confusing, space adventures not only with The Dark Falcon LEGO set, but with many other Star Wars LEGO sets as well.

When Does LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon Set Release and How Much Does it Cost?

The LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon set is now available for pre-order. It will ship on August 1, 2024. The LEGO Star Wars The Dark Falcon set costs $179.99.

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Deadpool & Wolverine‘s latest trailer brought back another familiar X-Men face: Sabretooth. Yes, the most recent trailer from the Deadpool movie offers us our first-look at Sabretooth’s return. And it’s a pretty hefty one. This trailer is all about Wolverine and his past. Things haven’t gone right for this version of Wolverine, whatever universe he’s from. But Sabretooth is still a big facet of his past. “Ready to die?” Sabretooth demands. But we can’t watch this fight yet because as Deadpool notes, folks have waited decades for this Wolverine and Sabretooth fight. To see Wolverine take on Sabretooth in an epic X-Men clash between hero and villain, you’ll need to head to theaters for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Here is Sabretooth in all his glory. We glimpsed Sabretooth in an earlier Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, but it wasn’t a very clear image. In fact, we couldn’t tell who would play Sabretooth in Deadpool & Wolverine at that point. But now we can confirm that, yes, the MCU’s Sabretooth will be played by Tyler Mane. Tyler Mane first played Sabretooth in the original 20th Century Fox movie from 2000, X-Men. Fans will remember Sabretooth menacingly growling at Storm, “You owe me a scream.” Tyler Mane’s version of Sabretooth did not appear again in any X-Men movies until now. Sabretooth appeared in X-Men: Origins but he was played by Liev Schreiber.

Although Wolverine is unlikely to follow Deadpool’s detailed advice on how to take on Sabretooth, we bet their fight will be one for the books.

Deadpool & Wolverine is bringing back a bunch of deep-cut X-Men characters and their actors for the MCU. And if we’re seeing Sabretooth in the trailer for the film, we bet there are a ton more surprise cameos in store.

We’ll be able to see them all when Deadpool & Wolverine premieres on July 26. Tickets are available now.

The post Here’s Our First Look at Sabretooth’s Return, Courtesy of DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE’s Latest Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Godzilla x Kong comes to streaming. A Furiosa transformation. Eric Kripke talks about The Boys‘ comic twist the series will skip. Netflix launches its open popcorn line (and malls?). Marvel will kill Deadpool (in the comics). Here are all these news odds & ends, and more.

Godzilla x Kong

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will release on July 4. The monster movie will stream on Max.

We’re also very excited to share that a version of the movie with American Sign Language (ASL) will also stream exclusively on Max the same day. Max shares, “This ASL version of the film was produced exclusively for Max, with ASL performer Otis Jones (Deaf West Theatre) providing interpretation. Jones was coached by Leila Hanaumi, who delivered a highly praised performance in Barbie with ASL last December, Max’s first ASL film interpretation. GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE in ASL will be displayed as a unique title on the Max app, identifiable by its key art featuring the sign language symbol.” We absolutely applaud Max for these efforts to be as inclusive as possible with their programming!

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

If you’re a fan of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, you can check out Anya Taylor-Joy’s epic transformation into Furiosa below.

The Boys

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke promises that unlike in the comics, Black Noir will not end up being a Homelander clone.

He tells Variety:

No, and I don’t mind saying it. In the comics he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. And again, it’s a hell of a twist. But it’s like, well wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. And mileage varies, and I’m sure fans are mad I’m not going that way, but that felt not as satisfying to me. I’m like, if I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. So I was never really into the clone idea.

Plus, cloning feels like too — I’m going to sound silly — but cloning feels too magical for the show. We try to say that superheroes are the only slippery banana, and that everything else we try to make as grounded as possible.

Netflix

Netflix is creating its own line of popcorn… and its own malls.

Netflix shares:

Today, we’re excited to announce that Netflix and Popcorn Indiana are teaming up to bring Now Popping, an all-new ready-to-eat popcorn line! With flavors like Cult Classic Cheddar Kettle Corn and Swoonworthy Cinnamon Kettle Corn, this partnership promises a snack experience tailored to every viewer’s taste. Discover your favorite flavor, nationwide at Walmart, today. 

The popcorn retails for $4.49, but no word on how much it is if you want to share a pack.

Additionally, the streamer has revealed it will be opening two entertainment, dining, and shopping complexes, a.k.a. malls. Per Variety, “They’re not exactly theme parks, but the new Netflix Houses — to open next year in King of Prussia, Pa., and Dallas — will feature a wide array of shopping outlets, eateries and experiential activities tied to the streamer’s major franchises like Bridgerton, Stranger Things and Squid Game.“

Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, shares “At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences, indulge in retail therapy, and get a taste — literally — of your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings. We’ve launched more than 50 experiences in 25 cities, and Netflix House represents the next generation of our distinctive offerings. The venues will bring our beloved stories to life in new, ever-changing and unexpected ways.”

Netflix invites you to imagine, “waltzing with your partner to an orchestral cover of a Taylor Swift song on a replica of the ‘Bridgerton’ set –– and then walking around the corner to compete in the Glass Bridge challenge from ‘Squid Game.’” After that, you can enjoy “food inspired by Netflix shows from around the world” or buy “that Hellfire Club T-shirt you’ve always wanted from Stranger Things.”

Deadpool

Marvel is all set to kill Deadpool in Deadpool #6 by Cody Ziglar and Rogê Antônio. Marvel shared of the issue:

Wade Wilson triumphed against Death Grip! This is the first issue of a new arc and killing Deadpool NOW would be an INSANE thing to do. Which is exactly why we’re doing it.

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

Originally published on June 20, 2024.

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Season two of Netflix’s One Piece will soon set sail. And that means we’ll be seeing more familiar faces come to life on our screen. Recently, Netflix has shared a string of new casting announcements for season two of live-action One Piece. But who are the new cast we’ll see on the high seas? From Smoker to Baroque Works Agents to everyone else in between, here the actors joining the cast of One Piece season two and the new live-action characters they’ll play.

One Piece Season 2 Casts Smoker, Tashigi, Wapol & Dalton

A very anticipated casting for One Piece season two is that of Smoker. This villainous figure was teased at the end of One Piece season one. In One Piece‘s world, Smoker is a marine on a mission… A mission to capture Luffy. And now we know that Monarch‘s Callum Kerr will play Smoker in One Piece season two as the character arrives in full.

Additionally, Netflix has cast Tashigi, Wapol, and Dalton to join the pirate-fun. Tashigi is also a marine who serves under Smoker. Tashigi is a skilled swordsman and we’ll no doubt see her clashing blades with Zoro in One Piece season two. Julia Rehwald has been cast as this new One Pieces season two live-action character.

Wapol, meanwhile, is a selfish character who used to be the king of his kingdom (called Drum). However, when pirates attacked, he fled his people in a cowardly way and became a pirate himself. He’s eaten of the Baku Baku no Mi Devil Fruit which allows him to eat nearly everything and then take on the characteristics of whatever he’s consumed. No doubt, Luffy will be a bit jealous of this eating ability. Rob Colletti will join the cast as Wapol.

Finally, One Piece season two has cast the live-action character of Dalton. Dalton is the new King of Wapol’s former kingdom and a friend to the Straw Hat Pirates. Ty Keogh has been cast as Dalton.

Crocus, Brogy, and Dorry’s Actors Join Live-Action One Piece Season 2

Additionally, One Piece revealed that actors Clive Russell, Brendan Murray, and Werner Coetser will join the season two cast as Crocus, Brogy, and Dorry.

Crocus, Clive Russell’s new character on One Piece season two, is an ally of the Straw Hat Pirates. He’s a lighthouse keeper, but also an exceptional doctor who was a part of Gol D. Roger’s crew.

Meanwhile, Brendan Murray, who has been cast as Brogy in One Piece season two, will play a giant on the series. He’s one of the two captains of the Giant Warrior pirates alongside Dorry. Dorry, also a giant, will be played, as mentioned, by Werner Coetser.

David Dastmalchian Will Play Mr. 3 in One Piece Season 2

We’re particularly excited to see David Dastmalchian cast in One Piece season two. Dastmalchian will play the devious Mr. 3, a member of the Baroque Work Agent crime syndicate. Mr. 3 has consumed the Wax Wax devil fruit and has total control over candle wax. This is definitely a unique and terrifying ability, especially in Dastmalchian’s hands.

One Piece Casts Three Other Baroque Work Agent Characters

But David Dastmalchian’s Mr. 3 isn’t the only Baroque Works Agent to join the cast of One Piece season two. Jazzara Jaslyn will play Miss Valentine, who has the Devil Fruit power of manipulating her body weight. Camrus Johnson joins the cast of Netfix’s live-action One Piece as Mr. 5. Mr. 5 has the deadly ability to create explosions from his body without harming himself. And finally, Daniel Lasker has come aboard as Mr. 9. The newly cast Mr. 9 will bring his metal bats to One Piece season two.

We’re sure these number/holiday-named agents will be up to no good in the season.

More New Characters and Cast Are On the Way for One Piece Season 2

One Piece teases that they’re just getting started with new season two cast announcements. We can’t wait to see who will appear on the horizon next.

The post Live-Action ONE PIECE Season 2 Casts New Characters: Smoker, Tashigi, and More appeared first on Nerdist.

House of the Dragon season two has already served more than one heartbreaking death. But the cruelest season two death so far came when the now-King Aegon II smashed his father’s meticulous model of Old Valyria into pieces in grief over his son’s murder. The painstakingly detailed model of the Targaryen homeland was King Viserys’ pride and joy, and all that hard work was shattered in seconds. Anyone who has ever built a LEGO set before knows (or fears) that truest of pains. We’re sure King Viserys was mourning from beyond the grave. RIP King Viserys’ model of Valyria; we barely knew you, and we still wish you to become an actual LEGO set.

King Aegon II Destroys Viserys’ 8 Meter Valaryian Model

Thunk, thunk, crunch. Anyone who has spent hours, no, days, putting together a particularly complex LEGO set felt a touch of pain in their heart at the smashing. In minutes, Aegon II unraveled an unmeasurable amount of work with a vengeful, grieving hand. After hearing of the death of his son, Jaehaerys Targaryen, the impetuous Aegon took his emotions out on an innocent bystander, King Viserys’ model of Valyria of old.

In the world of House of the Dragon, building his model of the old city, the one-time jewel of the Targaryen House, was Viserys’ escape in a world of dragons and snarling family members. Season one of House of the Dragon reveals that he poured over old texts and maps to accurately understand the makeup of Valyria and then directed the stone masons, who built the structure. So, of course, Viserys wasn’t as fully invested as a LEGO lover might be, but we have to imagine his heart was as deeply in it. Throughout season one, the model of Valyria grew and sprawled out, taking over the massive room. It seems that by the end of it, the small-scale city measured eight meters.

In reality, Viserys’ Valyria model comprises hundreds of 3D-printed pieces that Prop Modeler, Craig Narramore, Set Decorator, Claire Nia Richards, and more deftly put together and decorated, piece by piece, detail by detail. You can check out the full building experience in the video above. We can only hope the Valyria model that Aegon rammed his sword into was not the real thing.

The (Second) Death of Valyria Holds Greater Meaning in House of the Dragon

Poor Valyria. It seems it will always be destined for destruction. In Game of Thrones‘ world, the true cause of Valyria’s destruction is unknown, but history speculates that massive volcanic explosions caused the destruction of the city. In that instance, House Targaryen was saved thanks to a vision from Daenys Targaryen, who foresaw doom and convinced the Targaryens to flee the city for Dragonstone.

But will House Targaryen be saved this time? In House of the Dragon season one, Viserys’ model of Valyria was meant to represent a yearning in him, something he was looking to understand but could never quite grasp. A yearning, it seems, for a house united. Perhaps Viserys hoped that by bringing Valyria into his present existence, he could tap into something that made the Targaryens strong. But this second destruction of Valyria reveals that this dream, at least for now, is dead like the model Viserys so carefully put together.

The hope of unity is gone as both sides of the Targaryen house draw blood. And with it, any memories of their halcyon days. The destruction Viserys’ model of Valyria is an elegantly symbolic loss.

Paddy Considine Reacts to Aegon Smashing His LEGO Set on House of the Dragon

Of course, House of the Dragon exists in both its fictional world and our own. Viserys’ actor Paddy Considine had a choice meme to share after witnessing Aegon destroy his LEGO set on House of the Dragon episode two. As we suspected, Viserys as horrified at this destruction from beyond the grave.

But Aegon isn’t very ashamed of himself for his part in the destruction of Valyria. Aegon’s actor Tom Glynn-Carney responded shamelessly with a “shoddy workmanship.” Shots fired! We guess we’ll have to wait for the blooper reel to see Viserys’ ghost chiding his son for ruining all his hard work.

When Will We Get a Valyria House of the Dragon LEGO Set?

But now, we must ask the important question. When will we get a House of the Dragon Valyria LEGO set of our own to build? Sadly, it doesn’t look like there’s been any conversation about it since House of the Dragon season one came out. Not even a set on LEGO Ideas.

Ultimately, it’s your move LEGO. Only you can write this wrong. Hopefully, if we ever do get a LEGO Valyria set, no furious King comes along to smash it.

The post RIP to King Viserys’ LEGO Set/Model of Valyria, a True HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Death appeared first on Nerdist.

Every good Star Wars movie or TV series has a new droid for us to love. It’s basically a fact. And Star Wars: The Acolyte is no different. The Acolyte will introduce us to an adorable new droid called, Pip. According to Star Wars‘ official description of Pip, Pip is “a handheld repair droid with a wide array of tool attachments, has a chipper, can-do personality. The pocket-sized droid is always eager to help, often suggesting just the right tool for the task at hand.”

Who Is Pip the Droid?

We love him already! And what a fun change that this Star Wars droid is handheld. It’s sure to set Pip apart. We can’t wait to see which of The Acolyte‘s characters befriends this new droid as he continues his adventures.

Pip the Droid in The Acolyte

In The Acolyte‘s first episodes, we learned that Pip belongs to Osha, a former Jedi Padawan who walked away from her training to become a mechanic instead. Pip performs all kinds of tasks for Osha such as welding and syncing into other tech systems to learn more about their vitals and glean other useful information. It looks like the Pip droid can do it all when it comes to fixing and tinkering.

Pip’s Heroic Sacrifice in The Acolyte

In The Acolyte‘s fifth episode, Pip the droid was a true hero. Osha had to sacrifice him to save Jedi Master Sol and herself from the evil Sith Lord Master, who was revealed to be Qimir. Luring Umbramoths with Pip’s flashlight, Osha successfully managed to engineer a plan to defeat the Sith Lord, at least for now. Osha attached flashlight Pip to Qimir and the Umbramoths, attracted to the light, swooped in and carried him far away. But at what cost?

Happily it seems like Bazil the tracker rescued Pip from the forests of Khofar. Hopefully, this means Pip and Osha will have a happy reunion soon. We love how The Acolyte used Pip the droid to remind us that in the Star Wars‘ world, even the most unassuming creatures can have big impacts.

More About Pip

You can also check out Pip the droid in the cool featurette highlighting Star Wars‘ designers and makers. You can see Pip appear around the 30 second mark.

 Creature & droid FX creative supervisor Neal Scanlan and his team additionally share that Pip was inspired by “retro gaming consoles, the Sony Walkman®, and the pencil cases of their youth.”

Scanlan notes, “I am rather pleased with Pip as a design because it’s the first handheld pocket droid that we’ve been involved with… We tried to choose a kind of late ‘70s to mid ‘80s design ethos. We also looked at things like Tamagotchis and those sorts of toys that people loved. You gotta keep Pip alive, you know! He’s not just this thing.”

Additionally, Star Wars homages in the form of stickers can be seen on Pip the droid’s form, including a homage to Loth-cats and other elements of Star Wars. The designers reveal that they tried to keep Pip’s parts to a minimum but still wanted him to be able to show emotions and personality. Scanlan offers, “You want to connect to him. You want to be able to see some emotion, you know, human emotion. His little aerial antenna can retract and go backwards or forwards depending on if he was sad or excited. He actually ended up with as much electronics in him as any other droid we’ve ever made. He’s compatible on a technological level. You had to be able to take his head off and use his head as an independent tool. And you could have many bodies. You could have the drill and the Swiss Army knife version. You could have the version that did your hair for you in the morning. You had the welding version. Probably even more than BB-8, I think that designing Pip with Leslye [Headland] was the most thorough investigation into a droid that we’ve ever done.”

Originally published on May 8, 2024.

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Rejoice, fellow coven members; there will be more Interview with the Vampire ahead of us. Yes, Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for season three at AMC. The hit Anne Rice series has had a smashing season two, full of twists and turns, so it’s no surprise AMC chose to renew the show. And yet, no renewal is ever certain. And so we celebrate that Interview with the Vampire, Louis, Lestat, and company will return for season three.

The show’s creator, Rolin Jones, recently shared that season three of Interview with the Vampire will tell the tale of The Vampire Lestat. The Vampire Lestat is definitely a beloved novel amongst Anne Rice fans, so we’ll be glad to see the story come to life on-screen now that Interview with the Vampire‘s renewal is official. Rock star Lestat? Sam Reid is going to crush rock star Lestat. We are ready.

A release shares of Interview with the Vampire‘s renewal, “In season three, resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy bestseller “Interview With The Vampire,” the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can—by starting a band and going on tour.  Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified.”

Once again. Ready. The release also drops the names of some major characters we can expect to see in Interview with the Vampire season 3 like, Gabrielle, Magnus, and Those Who Must Be Kept. We’ve already met Nicholas in season two, of course. We can’t wait for the casting announcements to start flowing in. Of course, all our favorite actors including Jacob Anderson, who plays Louis, Sam Reid who plays Lestat, Eric Bogosian who plays Daniel Molloy, Assad Zaman who plays Armand, and more are likely to return. Although Claudia has met a devastating fate in Interview with the Vampire season two, hopefully, Delainey Hayles could emerge in season three as a Claudia ghost so we don’t have to do without her entirely.

Showrunner Rolin Jones completes the Interview with the Vampire season three renewal announcement in a magnificent fashion, noting, “Thank you to the brilliant casts and crews of the first two seasons that got us to this day. Thank you to the rabid, beautifully unwell fandom that scaled the castle walls to get us to this day. Thank you to Dan McDermott, Ben Davis for the funds and tools to continue the great work of dramatizing Anne Rice’s extraordinary novels. And sincere apologies to the family and friends of actor Sam Reid, for the possession that continues to this day. Monsieur L extends his promise to return his body upon cancellation (may that evening never come.)”

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There was much speculation about whether the MCU’s The Fantastic Four movie would be a period piece after its first piece of artwork was revealed. The poster certainly did evoke a certain ’60s sensibility. However, Marvel Studios did not comment further about whether the movie would be set in a previous era at the time. Now, though, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed on The Official Marvel Podcast that The Fantastic Four will indeed be a period piece set in the 1960s. You can take a look at the poster that kicked off all the speculation below and then see what Feige has to say exactly about The Fantastic Four and its setting.

When asked directly if The Fantastic Four would be set in the ’60s, as hinted, Feige said, “Yes, yes, very much so. It is a period.” However, we don’t yet know which version of the 1960s exactly we’ll see on screen. Feige teased that while The Fantastic Four might be a period piece, it won’t necessarily be set in the 1960s as it takes place on Earth in the main MCU timeline.

Feige notes, “There was another piece of art we released with Johnny Storm flying in the air, making a four symbol. There was a cityscape in the corner of that image and there was a lot of smart people who noticed that cityscape didn’t look exactly like the New York that we know and the New York that existed in the ’60s in our world. And those are smart observations, I’ll say.”

It sounds like Feige is hinting that though we can expect a period piece, the MCU will certainly turn the setting of The Fantastic Four on its head. That could mean more than a few different things, including alternate dimensions, time travel shenanigans, or other generalized multiversal mayhem. We’ll have to stay tuned to find out.

Feige also noted that The Fantastic Four will begin production on July 29, 2024, just after San Diego Comic-Con. The Marvel boss reveals his excitement for the film, sharing: “I’m extremely excited by it because I think those characters are mainstays, are legendary pillars of the Marvel universe that we’ve never got to play with or explore in any significant way, apart from Multiverse of Madness and a few fun teases before. In the way that we’re doing it in that film.”

The Fantastic Four will release on July 25, 2025. It will star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch. We can’t wait to see what kind of period piece The Fantastic Four brings to life.

The post Kevin Feige Confirms THE FANTASTIC FOUR Is a Period Piece Set in the 1960s (But Hints at Alternate Timeline) appeared first on Nerdist.

If there was one character that stood out in all of The Acolyte‘s promotional materials, it was the mysterious Sith Lord who hides his face behind a mask. Truly, this enemy of the Jedi is one of the most fearsome creations to ever emerge from a Star Wars property. But although his identity remains shrouded in mystery, Star Wars dark side fans didn’t have to wait long to meet his evil Sith. What did we learn about the menacing evil referred to as “The Master” in The Acolyte‘s first episodes and what has been revealed about him since? Let’s take a look.

The Sith Lord Known as “The Master” Wants Mae to Kill Jedi Without a Weapon in The Acolyte

We only saw The Acolyte‘s villainous Sith Lord once in the series’ first two episodes. Mae meets with him on a deserted beach located on an unknown planet. But in her later scenes with Qimir, we learn a bit more about this so-called “Master” and his agenda for Mae.

Mae reveals she has been tasked to kill four Jedi, seemingly by The Master. But from what she shares, the Sith Lord specifically wants her to kill a Jedi without using a weapon. So far, Mae has not been successful in these pursuits. She kills Jedi Master Indara with a knife and Jedi Master Torbin with poison from Qimir. But she notes that she has two Jedi left to kill in order to fulfill The Master’s command.

Qimir also seems to be in some way involved with the masked Sith Lord. When Osha poses as Mae, he believes for a moment Mae has succeeded in her task and notes, “Wait, you killed Torbin without the poison. He will be so pleased.” It remains to be seen how Qimir, who on the face appears more innocent than the rest, is mixed up with the Sith.

The Master and His Speech

When Mae meets with The Acolyte‘s villain at the end of the first episode, the Sith Lord offers the following speech. He intones, “The Jedi live in a dream, a dream they believe everyone shares, if you attack a Jedi with a weapon you will fail, steel or laser are no threat to them, but an Acolyte, an Acolyte kills without a weapon. An Acolyte kills the dream.”

Perhaps this has to do with why The Master is so set that Mae kills a Jedi without a weapon. The Sith Lord’s speech seems to imply that Jedi can only be taken down via emotional attacks/attacks to their spirit. And maybe that’s what The Master hopes Mae will learn to do. But for now, the practical aims of this villain’s mission remain unclear.

The Master Kills Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca

Although the Master wants Mae to kill the Jedi who oversaw the tragedy on her planet, as she begins to shy away from her mission, he intervenes. But for all his talk, he doesn’t seem to kill without a weapon, either. In episode four of The Acolyte, we find the Wookiee Jedi dead in his home with two lightsaber slashes decorating his chest. Outside the hut, our Jedi heroes gather to take Mae in, but they’re interrupted as the Master emerges from the woods of Khofar. The Sith Lord uses the force to fling Osha away and draws his red lightsaber, ready for a fight.

Who Is Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Mysterious Sith Lord?

But just who is Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s mysterious Sith Lord villain? Well, it turns out that the smuggler Qimir is actually the villainous, masked Master on The Acolyte. His identity is revealed in episode five. Qimir says the Jedi might refer to him as a Sith, but we speculate “the Master” might actually be connected to the Knights of Ren instead.

Is this Villainous Sith Lord the Titular Acolyte on The Acolyte, Is Mae, Or Someone Else?

Another natural question around Star Wars: The Acolyte is related to the identity of the titular Acolyte. Of course, the series seems to imply Mae is the Acolyte in question. Qimir reveals that he is looking for an Acolyte, but Mae has disappointed him. It seems he may turn to Osha instead. We’ll have to wait and see who becomes the true Acolyte.

Here Are Other Looks at Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s Sith Lord Villain

Click To View Gallery

The motivations of Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s villainous Sith Lord Qimir will surely unroll over time. And though he’s unmasked now, we still enjoyed the menace of his disguise. Here are some others images of “The Master” that we’ve seen so far.

The Acolyte is now airing on Disney+.

Originally published on June 4, 2024.

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Okay, so Max isn’t dead, exactly. But HBO has returned from its Max-imposed exile. After unceremoniously removing the iconic three letters from its streamer’s name and turning HBO Max into just Max, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing the HBO brand back into play. We assume that the company has rightfully assessed that the brand identity associated with HBO will help sell its products. Of course, many could have shared that insight before HBO was cut from the operation. But we’re glad it’s back now.

A new report from Variety reveals that according to HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys, there will now be a delineation between “Max Shows” and “HBO Shows,” and unsurprisingly, most of Max’s upcoming IP projects will be termed “HBO shows.” The publication notes this includes the It prequel, Welcome to Derry, the Green Lantern DC series, Lanterns, and the upcoming Harry Potter project will all fall under the banner of “HBO Show.” This is an interesting shift considering the company’s considerable efforts to get everyone to accept the Max brand.

Bloys shares, “We felt like we had to delineate between an HBO show and a Max show. The idea of using Warner Bros. IP as a delineation for Max felt right. At least that gives you a clear lane. But as we started producing those shows, we were using the same methods, the same kind of thinking, as how we would approach HBO shows. In a lot of cases, the same talent that has worked on HBO shows.” And further comments, “What we ended up with is shows at this scope and scale that look great, and great narratives and talent we’ve worked with. The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”

“Why are you doing this?” is definitely a question many people asked during the initial shift from HBO to Max. But we guess, better late than never. The “HBO Shows” label will officially come into play during 2025. While we can clearly define an “HBO Show,” there’s no exact word yet of what a “Max Show” is if it’s not basically all the projects we were expecting from Max. It seems there is some sort of financial delineation at play, but little else is mentioned with clarity. However, for now, The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy remain under the Max branding as they will release in 2024.

Bloys does seem regretful of this truth, sharing, “We will start in 2025, although ‘The Penguin’ would be an obvious fit as an HBO Original. Unfortunately, the process of licensing it internationally has already started.”

Additionally of note, any series branded as “HBO shows” will now run on linear network TV in addition to streaming on Max. That will likely mean a larger volume of programming in 2025. It sounds like Thursdays and Sundays will be original series nights for the HBO channel.

Bloys sums it up by saying, “For a show that feels big and cinematic, they already are going to make the assumption that it feels like an HBO show… This is just leaning into that.” That’s true, but it begs the question, why did anyone lean out of it in the first place? It will also be interesting to see what this reversion back to HBO will mean for Max as a streamer. Might we even dare to suggest it could one day be called… HBO Max.

The post Long Live HBO! The HBO Brand Returns From Its Max-Imposed Exile appeared first on Nerdist.

Six Flags intends to bring the scares and screams in an extreme way this year with the biggest Fright Fest in history. Starting in September, you can experience “Fright Fest Extreme” and join the world’s largest regional theme park company as it celebrates Halloween in style. The biggest horror franchises ever are converging upon Six Flags, and they’re taking the shape of new haunts inspired by everything from Stranger Things to Saw. Let’s dive into everything you can experience at Six Flags Fright Fest Extreme.

What Extremely Eerie Attractions Can You Expect at Six Flags’ Fright Fest Extreme?

But what exactly can you look forward to at Six Flags’ Fright Fest Extreme? The theme park has revealed some more details about its diabolical fun. From an experience putting you in the middle of a Jigsaw trap from Saw to an undead battle celebrating Army of the Dead to a twisted “candy trail nightmare” in honor of the legendary Trick ‘r Treat, and more, here are the horror-inspired mazes that Six Flags has in store for Fright Fest:

• The SAW Franchise – Celebrate the 20^th anniversary of SAW with an all-new experience honoring the franchise’s legacy of terror by plunging guests into the depths of Jigsaw’s twisted mind. Guests will endure torturous trials and come face to face with some of John Kramer’s most diabolical contraptions before time runs out.

• The Conjuring Universe – Strap in for a tour of the Warrens’ most hair-raising and gruesome cases including those that inspired The Conjuring, Annabelle and The Nun. In each realm, encounters with cursed artifacts make you the target of the conjuring.

• Stranger Things – The students of the Hawkins School District decide to team up to create a little innocent Halloween fun for their community – but things quickly flip upside down and morph into something far darker.

• Army of the Dead – The City of Las Vegas is under lockdown following a recent viral outbreakand survivors must look for an escape while battling the undead.

• Trick ‘r Treat – Enter a dark and twisted candy trail nightmare on a jack-o-lantern-lit path of supernatural encounters which tap into your deepest fears. With Sam, the infamous Spirit of Halloween, as your guide, learn the rules of the spooky holiday before entering a world where tricks dominate treats.

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)– Guests are “cast” as visitors to Harlow on the heels of the influencers set on revitalizing the town – but their arrival leads to a stunning and deadly secret being revealed.

• DCeased – Based on the #1 best-selling comic series, fans enter through the Hall of Justice to find that the DC Universe has succumbed to Darkseid’s Anti-Life Equation! See the Justice League like never before, as they fight to save the Earth or end it themselves. Will you be one of the few to survive these new scares of the DC Universe?

In Which Six Flags Parks Will Fright Fest Take Place?

But where will you be able to enjoy the Fright Fest fun? A release from Six Flags shares:

This year, Fright Fest returns with a vengeance and goes EXTREME. Visitors to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles will step into a world where nightmarish creatures inspired by legendary horror brands come to life with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ SAW franchise, Netflix’s Stranger Things and Army of the Dead, Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Conjuring, Annabelle and The Nun, and Legendary Entertainment’s Trick ‘r Treat. Guests at Six Flags Great Adventure will also be treated to a new experience from Netflix and Legendary Entertainment’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) while visitors to Six Flags Mexico will have access to a special exclusive maze based on the bestselling comic series from DC Comics.

In addition to the New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Mexico locations, “A mix of the above mazes will also be available at additional Six Flags parks, building upon the legacy of the event’s renowned reputation as the ultimate Halloween destination across the United States and Mexico.” So stay tuned for more information about where Six Flags Fright Fest is heading.

When Is Fright Fest Extreme, and How Can You Experience the Scary Fun?

At Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, Fright Fest Extreme will run from September 7 to November 3, the longest Fright Fest ever with 32 nights of fright. A release notes that Fright Fest Extreme will operate on selected Thursdays through Sundays.

In New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure, Fright Fest Extreme will also run for 32 terrifying nights from September 7 to November 3, but this time it will run on select Wednesdays through Sundays.

Anyone visiting other parks should check Fright Fest Extreme schedule and offerings on sixflags.com.

Additionally, tickets for Fright Fest Extreme are now on sale. According to a release they will be available for the lowest price of the season in June.

Those planning to visit Six Flags Magic Mountain or Great Adventure should note that the Fright Fest Extreme admission options in Los Angeles and New Jersey include:

• Single Day Admission – A separate admission event ticket will be required for Fright Fest Extreme admission with access to all haunted attractions, rides and entertainment. Guests can purchase an express upgrade for priority entry to all haunted houses.

• Pass Holder Admission – Fright Fest Extreme park admission will be included for all 2024 Gold, Platinum and Diamond Season Pass Holders, Six Plus Members and Legacy Members with a valid Pass. An additional fee for entry to haunted houses will still be required.

We wish you all a happily haunted time.

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

The post Six Flags’ Fright Fest to Feature STRANGER THINGS, DCeased, TRICK ‘R TREAT and More appeared first on Nerdist.

One Piece season two is starting to show signs of life, which means new cast announcements are on the horizon line. First up for the season, we have the casting of some One Piece season two villains. Yes, the Baroque Works Agents are arriving on the scene. These numbers/holidays-for-names villains are agents of a criminal syndicate in One Piece‘s world. Netflix revealed the new One Piece cast members in a Twitter post.

In some very exciting news, we learn that David Dastmalchian will play live-action One Piece‘s Mr. 3. Mr. 3 is a character who has taken a bite of the Wax Wax devil fruit and thus can control candle wax. Considering Mr. 3 was part of an earlier One Piece season two tease from Netflix, we feel his role may be significant in the next chapter of the live-action show, especially with this casting. We can’t wait to see what horror icon Dastmalchian will do with the role. There’s undoubtedly something terrifying about being able to control wax… after all, wax has long been an object of fascination in horror movies. Dastmalchian’s casting as Mr. 3 in One Piece season two is sure to bring a bit of campy terror to the table.

In addition to the announcement of Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn will play Miss Valentine. Camrus Johnson joins the cast of Netfix’s live-action One Piece as Mr. 5. And finally, Daniel Lasker has come aboard as Mr. 9.

Those who find the names a little funny will be interested to know that the Baroque Works Agents pair off in teams of men with numbers for names and women with holidays for names. That’s anime for you! We previously met a member of the Baroque Works team in season one. Zoro killed Mr. 7 early in the season. And no doubt, we’ll see much more from the criminal organization very soon.

We can’t wait to see who Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two casts next.

The post ONE PIECE Season 2 Casts David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3 and Other Baroque Works Agents appeared first on Nerdist.

Another day, another streaming price increase. This time, it’s Paramount+ that will raise the prices on most of its tiers. Starting in August, Paramount+ subscribers can expect to pay a little more (again) to keep their access to the platform alive. Here’s how the price increases breakdown for Paramount+ this summer.

First, the company’s merged offering, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, will see its price increase by $1. That means it will now cost $12.99 per month for existing and new customers. Meanwhile, the Paramount+ Essential plan will increase by $2 per month and will cost $7.99 per month overall. However, the price increase of this plan will only affect new subscribers. Existing customers who are subscribed to the Paramount+ Essential plan will retain their current price of $5.99. Paramount+’s Limited Commercial Plan, which is now a legacy plan on the platform, will also increase by $1 and will cost $7.99 per month.

Annual subscription plans to Paramount+ will not currently see an increase in price.

These Paramount+ price hikes will become effective on August 20 for all new Paramount+ customers. Meanwhile, existing customers will see changes take place on their next billing date on or after September 20.

Despite these increases in costs, it is worth noting that Paramount+ with SHOWTIME remains cheaper than most other streamers’ ad-free plans. And its ad-supported plans are comparably priced. However, as most streamers keep raising prices, that does not exactly say very much for Paramount+. Regardless of the cost of one streamer specifically, the endless stream of price increases and other streaming restrictions is probably unsustainable for Paramount+ and all other streamers. It seems that at one point, streamers were focused on providing a good user experience. However, since subscription numbers have become all but tapped out, the focus has turned to ads and price increases across the board, from Paramount+ to Max and beyond.

Ultimately, that begs the question, will users pay the price or simply opt out? Only time will tell.

The post Paramount+ Sets Price Increases for Most Tiers Starting in August appeared first on Nerdist.

Freaky Friday 2 is officially happening, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan back for more body-swapping fun. The highly anticipated sequel movie certainly seemed like it was gaining traction, but there’s nothing we love more than an official announcement. In addition to Curtis and Lohan, Freaky Friday 2 has gained some excellent new cast members, and it has a slated release window of 2025. That’s some freakishly exciting stuff.

Freaky Friday 2‘s Plot

In a release, Disney describes the plot of Freaky Friday 2 as follows:

A sequel to the beloved 2003 film with a multigenerational twist, the film picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.

More body swapping, ahoy!

Freaky Friday 2‘s Cast and Creators

Of course, Curtis and Lohan reprise their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. But other Freaky Friday actors will be back for more fun. These returning original cast members include Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao. But Freaky Friday 2 will also see some new faces, including Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. We are very excited to hear Manny Jacinto is Freaky Friday 2 official, especially after his excellent recent turn on The Acolyte.

Finally, Freaky Friday 2 will be directed by Nisha Ganatra.

Freaky Friday 2‘s Release Date

Production on the Freaky Friday sequel began in June 2024. We should expect Freaky Friday 2 to release in theaters nationwide in 2025.

While we wait for Freaky Friday 2 to release, you can catch the original movie streaming on Disney+.

The post FREAKY FRIDAY 2 Begins Filming, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan Are Back appeared first on Nerdist.

“If dragons begin fighting dragons, we invite our own destruction.” That’s the thesis statement of House of the Dragon season two, episode three’s new trailer. But, as we know, dragons will indeed begin fighting dragons on House of the Dragon. Unease has been brewing, but that tension is about to escalate into an all-out war. Episodes one and two of House of the Dragon season two were bloody, but it looks like fire is about to enter the equation as well.

You can check out the full trailer for House of the Dragon season two, episode three, below.

Dragons, dragons, and more dragons will arrive in episode three. That is why we’re here, after all. Additionally, the description of House of the Dragon season two’s third episode aptly notes, “Reason will be forgotten.” And it certainly does seem like things are heading that way, especially on the side of the greens. With Ser Criston Cole as Hand of the King, no doubt much is about to go wrong. Episode three of season two appears to be called “Second of His Name.”

House of the Dragon season two, episode three, will air on June 29 at 9 PM on HBO and Max. You can check out more about House of the Dragon season two’s full release schedule here. In the meanwhile, we’ll be rewatching this trailer.

We certainly can’t wait for even more dragons to fly into the fray as House of the Dragon continues.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2, Episode 3 Trailer Teases Dragons Fighting Dragons appeared first on Nerdist.

Lucasfilm and Oreo came together to deliver us the perfect food item: Star Wars Oreos. I know what you’re thinking: these are basically just Oreos but with Star Wars packaging. But, it’s not so. Star Wars Oreos are honestly the best kind of Oreos I’ve ever had. And yes, there is a ton of fun to be had with colors, designs, and joining the dark or light side. But the Star Wars Oreos aren’t just more fun than other kinds of Oreos, they are actually more delicious. Strap in for our review of the Star Wars Oreos.

Star Wars Oreos Let You Join the Dark or Light Side

First, the Star Wars Oreos conceit is just a lot of fun. Depending on what your pack of cookies reveals about you, you can join the dark side or the light side. But you can’t know which side you’ll join until you unwrap your box.

If your Star Wars Oreos dictate that you’ll join the light side, then you’ll see bright blue creme, the traditional honorable Jedi color of choice. You’ll also get to chow down on 10 different Oreo designs featuring your favorite Star Wars heroes. You can bite into Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Rey, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Mace Windu. When I opened up my Star Wars Oreos, I ended up being on the light side. (Which I’m fine with, I swear…)

Iconic “Side” reveal!!!!

Read all about it: https://t.co/uhniuL4Zyn @starwars @Oreo #Gifted #StarWars pic.twitter.com/G132eYmKhd

— Rotem Rusak (@Moondancer1626) May 30, 2024

If you happen to end up on the dark side of Star Wars Oreos, then your Oreos will have a Sith Lord red color to them. Inside, you’ll find 10 designs celebrating Star Wars‘ best villains in Oreo form. These Oreos feature Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, Boba Fett, Stormtrooper, Jabba the Hut, General Grievous, Count Dooku, and Scout Trooper. Potentially, dark side Star Wars Oreos have more fun.

The Packaging for These Star Wars Oreos Is Gorgeous

Who isn’t a sucker for fun packaging? Regardless of what side you’re on, your Star Wars Oreos will come decorated with art by Greg Hildebrandt, who has been a Star Wars poster artist since 1977! The art features all the dark and light Star Wars characters found on the Oreo designs facing off in an epic battle.

It’s also worth noting that the characters on the Oreos themselves are well-drawn. Good job, Oreo designers.

Do Star Wars Oreos Taste Good?

Regardless of the Star Wars fun, though, you should buy these Oreos for one very simple reason. The Star Wars Oreos honestly taste better than regular Oreos, and that’s because of their secret Force powers. Yes, the creme in Star Wars Oreos is not like other cremes; it’s actually studded with  “Kyber” inspired sugar crystals. And that rocks.

Star Wars Oreos Have Sugar Crystals in the Creme

We love the Star Wars Easter egg inherent in “Kyber” sugar crystals. But what we love even more is the critical texture component these sugar crystals add to the Oreos’ creme. And, just to confirm, these crystals aren’t pop rocks; they’re just small hints of sugar. I would describe the texture as something like a slightly crunchier take on funfetti icing. The sugar is a little bit crunchy but also fairly soft, so it’s really pleasing against the creaminess of the creme. The sugar also adds a hint of a slightly different sweetness against that of the creme, and it all works nicely together.

I like an Oreo, but I absolutely devoured these Star Wars Oreos.

How Can You Buy Star Wars Oreos

Happily, Star Wars Oreos are now available at grocery stores near you. Additionally, you can purchase them online. These galactic cookies will cost you $5.29 a pack. And they are worth it!

The post STAR WARS Oreos’ Sugar Crystal Creme Is Galactically Good—A Cookie Review appeared first on Nerdist.

Star Wars: The Acolyte proved right away that it was a series unafraid to kill its major characters. And ever since it dispatched Jedi Master Indara in its first episode, the Star Wars series has pulled no killing punches. But in episode four of The Acolyte, we were truly stunned by one character’s sudden death. Beware, spoilers await you in this article.

In episode four of Star Wars: The Acolyte, we could not have expected to find Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca dead in his forest hideaway. We knew, of course, that Mae was on the hunt for the Wookiee Jedi. He was one of the four Jedi stationed at Brendok during her childhood tragedy. Two of those Jedi are already dead. As mentioned, Mae killed Master Indara, and she also killed Jedi Master Torbin in previous episodes. But we at least got to see both of those Jedi battle for their lives before they met their ends. (Even if Master Torbin did it while in the deep trance of the Barash Vow.)

However, Kelnacca, the very first Wookiee Jedi to ever appear in live-action Star Wars, did not get that chance. Instead, when Mae finds him on the planet Khofar, ready to turn herself into the Jedi, death has already visited the Wookiee Jedi. The mysterious, villainous Sith Lord, known to us only as the Master, got to Kelnacca first. We see two lightsaber slashes decorating the Wookiee Jedi’s chest, and, yep, he seems quite dead.

We do get to see Kelnacca in flashbacks during episode three of Star Wars: The Acolyte. And it’s possible we will see him again in other looks at the past. But this The Acolyte death still feels incredibly premature. After all the excitement at finally bringing a Wookiee Jedi to live-action, we really only see him alive for a scene or two. And we don’t even get to see him in action. It would at least have been cool to see the Wookiee Jedi take on the Master in an epic lightsaber battle before meeting his death. But, instead, all we get is a slumped-over version of the Wookiee character, dead where he sits before we can ever encounter him in real-time.

Kelnecca’s actor, Joonas Suotamo, shared that the death of the Wookiee Jedi was a shock to him. He reveals that Kelnecca dying was a surprise for him, sharing, “No, that wasn’t discussed. I learned it as we went, and it was very surprising. So I wasn’t aware initially, but ever since studying film at university, I’ve been on the story side as well, so I thought it was a necessary thing to happen in terms of it follows the story and is very sad and very dramatic. And what a shock too to see all these powerful Jedi to meet their fate in such a way!”

Perhaps there’s still a chance Kelnacca is not fully dead but only partially dead. We’ll have to wait for more episodes to see. But The Acolyte really did kill Jedi Master Indara in its first episode. So it feels like we have to believe Kelnacca’s death is also a permanent one. And that seems like a huge shame given the no doubt fascinating existence and history of the character. Wookie Jedi don’t come around every day, after all… Not to live-action Star Wars outings, at any rate. Maybe one day we can visit Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca in a show all of his own.

Originally published on June 18, 2024.

The post We Can’t Believe the Death of Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca on THE ACOLYTE appeared first on Nerdist.

We know. It’s sad news for everyone. But the breakout star of House of the Dragon season two, episode one, Lord Cregan Stark, played by Tom Taylor, won’t be back again this season. House of the Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal and Taylor himself confirmed this message, citing that the introduction of Cregan Stark was just a tease… for now. There’s a lot of story to tell on House of the Dragon season two, after all. Here’s what we know about when we’ll see Cregan Stark again in House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 Introduces Lord Cregan Stark (But Only for a Scene)

It’s always good to see a Stark on a Game of Thrones series. Although Starks are prone to hold onto honor to the point of stupidity, they definitely provide a moral center in a lawless universe. After House of the Dragon season two’s first episode, fans reacted strongly to seeing Winterfell, hearing the Stark theme play, and, of course, meeting Lord Cregan Stark.

Cregan Stark’s honorable ways match those of his descendants, whom we meet on Game of Thrones. He promises Jacaerys Velaryon, aka Jace, that he will keep his oaths and send soldiers to support Rhaenyra Targaryen in her claim to the throne. However, he also implies that he’s aware of the much greater threat to the Game of Thrones universe: death that brews in the north. This subtle intimation nods to a much deeper connection between the Starks and the Targaryens.

Sadly, the present connection is cut short, as Jace and Cregan’s time abruptly ends after harrowing news is delivered from the south. After word of his brother’s death, Jace and the audience depart from Winterfell, leaving everyone to wonder when we might see Lord Cregan Stark return to House of the Dragon. After episode one, it feels like Cregan Stark’s House of the Dragon return should be imminent, but unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little longer than that.

Winterfell Was Always in the Plans for Episode One of House of the Dragon Season 2, But the Narrative Only Allowed for So Much

In Fire and Blood, the George R.R. Martin novel that House of the Dragon is based on, there are differing accounts of what might have happened between Jace and Lord Cregan Stark in Winterfell. Of course, Fire and Blood is designed as a history and not a first-hand account, leaving room for the series to change things as makes sense for the TV narrative. In this case, we see neither blood oaths nor bastards appear on the scene. Instead, the encounter is quite streamlined. The show’s creators share that while they wanted to offer a taste of Cregan Stark, Winterfell, and Jace’s political beginnings, there was a lot of other story to get into in House of the Dragon. And thus, there’s no more room for Cregan Stark in season two of House of the Dragon.

Condal reveals, “We definitely always wanted that scene. For a long time, I think going back to filming season 1, I had it in my head that that was going to be the opening sequence of season 2. But as fun as that sequence is, beyond Cregan agreeing to send soldiers South, there isn’t any real inherent drama in that scene. He’s already sworn for Rhaenyra. We know that Starks are never going to go back on an oath, no matter which Stark swore it. So it’s more of a sequence to bring us back into the world, be in a place where we’re ahead of Jace — we know his brother is dead, he does not yet know it — and the fun fan service of going to the North and seeing that.”

Condal adds, “[The scene in the show] was the version that gets all the information that you need: it’s a political victory for Jace, we introduce Cregan, we understand his quandary with winter coming and having to release troops, and all that. We have so many other POVs to cover and satisfy on both Black and Green side. That was always the appropriate amount of story.”

Sara Hess, Condal’s lead writing partner, further surmises, “We end season 1 with Luke’s death, and that’s where we want to be. Jace very quickly gets that news. It didn’t feel right to end season 1 with Luke dying and then just be at Winterfell for a really long time when you’re dying to know what’s going on with Rhaenyra. When you see that look, Rhaenyra gives at the end of season 1, how much time do you want to spend away from that? We definitely had to pick our narratives there.”

Will We See Lord Cregan Stark Again in House of the Dragon Season 2?

Alas, this departure from Winterfell will last longer than one episode. It sounds like Lord Cregan Stark will not return again in House of the Dragon season two. Although given his place in the narrative and the audience’s strong reaction to him, we will likely see Cregan Stark back in future seasons of the Game of Thrones show, potentially even in season three.

Condal reveals about Cregan Stark’s House of the Dragon season three future, “We’ll see how that plays. Anybody who reads the books knows that he does play a role in the larger Dance of the Dragons. I would love to have Tom back. We really enjoyed working with him, but I think we need to play the story out a bit and see where it takes us.”

That’s not a yes, but it’s also not a no. Taylor himself shares, “I was just itching to do more, as well. I was in the costume. I was like, ‘I just want to keep acting.’ But, yeah, it’s just a little tease for now.”

A little tease that had major impact. Even if we don’t get to see Lord Cregan Stark again on House of the Dragon season two, we will definitely still be wondering what manner of things are transpiring in the north.

The post Cregan Stark Won’t Be Back in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

A second teaser trailer for Max’s The Penguin has released, and it promises a brand new chapter in the world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Carmine Falcone’s dead. And Oz Cobb (a.k.a. The Penguin) is ready to call the shots. But we’re sure it won’t be quite that easy. You can check out all the devious dealings to come in the trailer for The Penguin below.

Family is at the center of this explosive tale. Who can you trust? Who should you trust? Is there any trust to be found at all? We couldn’t say for sure, but there are definitely guns and explosives enough to go around. Gotham City is a hard enough place to navigate without a huge power vacuum drawing all the worst sorts of criminals out to vie for control. This latest trailer for The Penguin certainly has our attention, though. Colin Farrell is playing the charismatic Penguin to perfection. We can’t help but we drawn into his schemes ourselves.

Of course, we can’t count out  Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone. She seems like a woman who is ready to take a little power for herself. How will Sofia Falcone and The Penguin’s relationship end up going? Well, we can’t wait to find out.

There’s no official synopsis for The Penguin to go with its trailer. Instead, Max notes, “Starring Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb (aka “The Penguin”), the eight-episode DC Studios limited series continues filmmaker Matt Reeves’ The Batman epic crime saga that began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster “The Batman.” Developed by showrunner Lauren LeFranc, the series centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.”

When Will The Penguin Release on Max?

The Penguin currently has a September release date window, though we are still waiting on the specific date of its release. But no doubt, we’ll get more sneak peeks soon to keep our interest high. If what we see above is technically only a “teaser trailer” for The Penguin, we bet the official trailer will surely come out with a bang.

This is a developing story.

The post THE PENGUIN Trailer: Colin Farrell Begins Next Chapter of THE BATMAN Saga appeared first on Nerdist.

The Exorcist: Believer fell well short of expectations in 2023. Then The Exorcist: Believer‘s planned sequel movie lost its release date and its director in early 2024. It seemed like the reboot of the famous franchise was in some trouble. But now, Mike Flanagan will direct the next Exorcist movie for Blumhouse and Universal pictures (at one point titled, The Exorcist: Deceiver). The new Exorcist movie will not, however, be a sequel to Believer. A release notes, “The film will tell an all-new story set in The Exorcist universe and is not a sequel to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.” Instead, Flanagan’s movie will be a “radical new take on The Exorcist.” Excitingly, the movie officially has a 2026 release date.

Flanagan has an excellent reputation for his deft, atmospheric horror—so he could be just the ticket to set the franchise back on course.

While three new Exorcist movies were imagined in this reboot attempt, it’s unknown if Flanagan will direct one or two more movies. Since the movies will no longer function as a trilogy, the fate of the third movie is yet to be determined. But if anyone can turn a franchise around, it’s The Fall of the House of Usher creator.

One thing Flanagan’s new Exorcist movie won’t include is his trademark monologues. Per Slash Film, Flanagan “recalled saying, “I don’t think this is a monologue project.” Granted, as he pointed out, the exorcism ritual itself (a lengthy recital of scripture) is kind of a monologue. However, when it comes to philosophical speeches about religion, horror, and death, Flanagan said, ‘I already got it out of my system.'”

Instead, Flanagan’s Exorcist movie will “just be really scary” but with characters that are “real and emotional and relevant.” Additionally, it seems there might not be that many Easter eggs or references to the original The Exorcist film. Slash Film notes, “the storyteller explained that his movie probably won’t include all that many illusions to the 1973 horror classic that started it all. After all, Blumhouse and Universal are giving the film a theatrical release, and with younger audiences driving the box office, they’re unlikely to be impressed by allusions to a 50-year-old movie.”

When Will Mike Flanagan’s Excorcist Movie Release?

Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist movie will release on March 13, 2026. We’ll have to wait and see if it remains titled The Exorcist: Deceiver.

Originally published on May 29, 2024.

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Everything must have a sequel or reboot these days. And next in line is Spaceballs. The hilarious space opera that parodies other beloved space-based franchises such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Alien will now get a sequel. We have a strong feeling the wonder of Spaceballs will not be easily recreated by Spaceballs 2, but we guess Hollywood has to try. Variety reports that Spaceballs 2 will star Josh Gad, who will also produce the sequel movie alongside Mel Brooks. Josh Greenbaum will direct while Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez, and Gad serve as writers on the film. Spaceballs 2 is reportedly in development at Amazon MGM studios.

Will the galactic jokes land? We sure hope so… but in the meantime, we’ll just be watching the original Spaceballs movie, which you can stream now on Max.

The post SPACEBALLS 2 In the Works Starring Josh Gad, Mel Brooks to Produce appeared first on Nerdist.

Magic: The Gathering‘s Universes Beyond collections take Magic cards to all kinds of exciting new worlds. We’ve loved the adventures that Magic has cooked up for us via this format, which have included traveling through time and space in the Tardis with Magic‘s Doctor Who collection and meeting dinos with its brilliant Jurassic Park collection. Of course, we eagerly anticipate entering Magic: The Gathering‘s version of the Marvel multiverse sometime soon. But, more immediately, we’re taking a Leap of Faith into a brand-new destination. Yes, the Animus is ready to transport us into a universe we know and love. Magic: The Gathering‘s latest Universes Beyond collection is bringing us Assassin’s Creed decks. Below, we reveal four brand new Assassin’s Creed Magic cards for you to get excited about.

Nerdist Exclusively Reveals 4 New Cards From Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Collection

We’re excited to exclusively share four new Magic cards that you’ll be able to find in the Assassin’s Creed Universes Beyond collection. These four cards are The Capitoline Triad, Hookblade, Restart Sequence, and Bleeding Effect. You can check out their Main Set forms below.

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Assassin’s Creed true hearts will recognize these four features of the game, now in Magic card form. It’s always fun to see one version of a game translated into another. For example, Assassin’s Creed‘s “scientific” Bleeding Effect phenomenon becomes an enchantment. We also enjoy seeing quotes and other Assassin’s Creed Easter eggs pop up on these Magic cards.

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Of course, these cool cards also come in Foil-Etched versions, which the sly assassin will be able to snatch up from the pile.

Finally, you can check out The Capitoline Triad in its unique Borderless form. We wouldn’t want these scientists-turned-gods, seen through a Magic: The Gathering lens as “God Artificers” staring down… or up from a table… at us.

More About Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Decks

Of course, there are many more than just four cards coming to Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed collection.

A release shares:

The Animus has a new destination: Magic: The Gathering. Take a Leap of Faith into a new format of the game you love and find the weapons, characters, and real-world locations waiting on the battlefield. The only way to uncover the secrets of the past is to follow in the footsteps of the assassins who came before, and if you’ve learned anything, it’s that you must be swift, precise, and never show your hand.

Here are some of the product highlights you can look forward to as you build your new order.

COLLECTOR BOOSTERS: Get decked out like a master Assassin with Collector Boosters full of Rares, shining foils, and exclusive special treatments. Every pack contains 2 Foil-Etched cards!

BEYOND BOOSTERS: These 7-card boosters provide a curated opening experience for fans, including a Borderless card and shining foil in every pack. The past is yours to explore!

BUNDLE: Leap into history with a box full of Assassin’s Creed-themed cards and accessories, including 9 Beyond Boosters, a special alt-art promo card, 40 Lands, and more.

STARTER KIT: Your Assassin training starts here. Gear up for your first games of Magic with two Assassin’s Creed-themed decks and learn the ropes with the included guide.

When Will Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Decks and Cards Release?

So, when will you be able to don your hood, grab your dagger, and enter the world of Assassin’s Creed via the vision of Magic: The Gathering? The Magic: The Gathering Assassin’s Creed collection will be released on July 5.

The post Check Out 4 New Cards From MAGIC: THE GATHERING’s ASSASSIN’S CREED Collection appeared first on Nerdist.

The day has finally come, and the kingdom can rejoice. After years of folks confusing Link and Zelda, players will finally be able to say, I’m playing as Princess Zelda in a The Legend of Zelda game. Yes, Nintendo has revealed that in the upcoming new Zelda game, Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, will be your playable hero, while Link has mysteriously vanished into a strange rift. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will also introduce a brand-new weapon for Zelda, the Tri Rod, and offer a unique form of gameplay that will challenge the cleverness of its players. You can take a look at playable Zelda in the announcement trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Playable Zelda Is Here in New The Legend of Zelda Game Trailer

The synopsis for this new Legend of Zelda game shares:

It’s up to Zelda and her wisdom to save the kingdom of Hyrule in a brand-new story in The Legend of Zelda series. The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts that have appeared, with a certain swordsman among the missing. Team up with the mysterious fairy, Tri, and use the power of the Tri Rod to create echoes – imitations of things found in the environment. Then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes of water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes – or find your own creative combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even create echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat.

We’re thrilled to see Zelda shine here, although we hope one day she gets to do so in one of The Legend of Zelda‘s more elaborate outings. Still, we will celebrate this victory for her and us!

When Does The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Release?

Zelda’s day in the sun is almost here. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases on September 26. Echoes of Wisdom is a Nintendo Switch game. A Nintendo Switch Lite inspired by The Legend of Zelda series will also be available at launch. We’re sure all of this will be available for pre-order soon on Nintendo’s website.

Playable Zelda, here we come!

The post You Can Finally Play as Princess Zelda in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: ECHOES OF WISDOM Game appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s totally cool news! A live-action Totally Spies TV series is in the works at Amazon, and Will Farrell will serve as an executive producer on the show. The series will be brought to life in collaboration with Banijay Kids & Family.

Anyone who grew up in the early oughts will, of course, remember the brightly colored spy team. Who doesn’t love fashion-forward secret agents who also have to deal with getting to class on time? Battling evil while keeping grades up sounds like the perfect recipe for a delightful YA show. Honestly, this feels to us in conversation with the Legally Blonde prequel series also coming soon to Amazon.

Variety reports, “Described as a YA adaptation of the long-running Banijay Kids animated show of the same name, the new Totally Spies! will follow iconic best friends Clover, Alex and Sam as they navigate saving the world as international spies, while trying to survive the ups and downs of first-year college life.” We totally like the college update. Maybe Elle Woods can join as the fourth pink member of this squad.

As of now, no writer or talent is attached to this live-action Totally Spies! project. But we’re sure long-time fans are fan-casting the team already… Maybe Will Farrell could make some kind of guest appearance on the Totally Spies! live-action series as well as executive producing it.

The post Live-Action TOTALLY SPIES! TV Series From Will Farrell Heading to Amazon appeared first on Nerdist.

House of the Dragon season two, episode one is here. Soon, dragons will take to the skies as the Greens and the Blacks face off in a bloody civil war. We’ve many great pieces to read before the Game of Thrones show returns, including ones that will catch you up on everything from House of the Dragon‘s main characters (and its many dragons) to what you should remember from season one of the series. But the most important thing you need to know is what is House of the Dragon season two, episode one’s release date? When should you tune in to watch it? And which platform will stream this return to the world of Game of Thrones? Let’s break down all the practicalities of watching House of the Dragon season two’s first episode.

House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 Release Date

House of the Dragon season two, episode one, is now available to watch. It released on June 16. If you don’t want to be spoiled about the deaths, disgusting moments, dramatic betrayals, and more, we suggest you make a plan to tune in right away.

What Time Did House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 Air?

House of the Dragon season two, episode one, released promptly at 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern. It will also simultaneously released/was simulcast in the UK. If you’re in the UK, you can catch House of the Dragon season two, episode one, and all its other episodes, at 2:00 AM BST on June 17. The episode will air again at 9:00 p.m. BST on Sky Atlantic.

Where Can You Stream House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1?

In the United States, House of the Dragon season two released on HBO and Max, the streaming network, at the same time. In the UK, House of the Dragon season two, episode one airs on Sky and its streaming service, NOW TV.

Stream House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 for Free

If you don’t have Max, you can stream House of the Dragon season two, episode one, for free, for a limited time. Max currently has a free trial on offer, but not for long. If you’re a new Max customer, you can sign up for a one-week free trial until June 26.

What About Watching the Rest of House of the Dragon Season 2?

There are eight episodes of the season to watch, after all. Here’s our guide to House of the Dragon season two’s full release schedule.

Originally published on June 14, 2024.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Episode 1 Release Date and Other Watch Information appeared first on Nerdist.

Season two of House of the Dragon is finally here. Episode one of the Game of Thrones series’ second season brought us some high points… and some lows. But there are still plenty of weeks ahead of season two for us to enjoy, even though this chapter of House of the Dragon is a bit shorter than the last. To give us a taste of the blood and fire to come, HBO has released a “Weeks Ahead” trailer for season two of House of the Dragon. The sneak peek gives us a look at the dragons, battles, interpersonal conflicts, and juicy, juicy drama still ahead on the fantastical show. You can check it out below.

Civil war has arrived in House of the Dragon season two. And although the war will not be won by dragons alone, there will certainly be more than a few of them flying around. Of course, as Aemond Targaryen shrewdly assesses in this “Weeks Ahead” House of the Dragon season two trailer, political machinations are equally as important.

The Riverlands, the North, and more will all soon come into play in this Game of Thrones spinoff. And everyone will be choosing a side. That is, of course, if each half of the conflict can keep itself from imploding before the enemy can even attack.

In Game of Thrones‘ world, it’s hard to know who to root for at any given time. By nature, everyone is incredibly complicated and makes bad decisions way more often than good ones. Still, it wouldn’t be fun any other way. This House of the Dragon season two trailer teases some compelling weeks ahead. And we can’t wait to experience everything the show has in store for us. House of the Dragon season two will release its eight episodes weekly on Sundays at 9 pm. They’ll air on Max and stream on HBO.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 ‘Weeks Ahead’ Trailer Reveals Dragons, Drama, and Dragons appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s been a long wait for House of the Dragon season two. After all, season one of the Game of Thrones prequel series ended all the way back in 2022. That means we’ve been waiting nearly two years for season two to return and the continuation of Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, and the rest’s stories. That’s kind of poetic. But, as the wait dwindles down for House of the Dragon season two’s premiere, the most important information you can have about the series is, well, where can you watch it? When is House of the Dragon season two even coming back? What time will the new House of the Dragon episodes be released when it does, and what dates will season two air on? All that good, practical stuff to ensure that when House of the Dragon does start airing again, you’re ready to watch.

Here’s our guide on how to watch House of the Dragon season two, literally.

Jump to: When Does House of the Dragon Return? // What Time Do New Episodes of House of the Dragon Season Release? // Season 2’s Episode Count // House of the Dragon Season 2’s Release Schedule // Where to Watch the Series?

When Does House of the Dragon Season 2 Come Out? HOTD Season 2’s Release Date

Of course, top of mind is the question of when does season two of House of the Dragon even come out? Well, happily House of the Dragon season two has already released. House of the Dragon premiered its first episode on June 16 on HBO and Max.

The show released on House of the Dragon/Game of Thrones‘ usual day, Sunday. Future episodes will follow suit, releasing on Sundays on HBO and Max.

What Time Does House of the Dragon Season 2 Release?

In addition to knowing the release day for House of the Dragon season two, knowing the release time is also important. As with season one, new episodes of House of the Dragon will be available to watch on 9 p.m. ET. They will stream on HBO and Max at that time.

New episodes of season two will also release simultaneously (aka be simulcast) in the UK at 2 a.m. BST. The new episode will air again at 9:00 p.m. BST on Sky Atlantic

How Many Episodes Will House of the Dragon Season 2 Have?

How long of a run will House of the Dragon season two have? House of the Dragon season two will be slightly shorter than season one, which had ten episodes. Season two will be two episodes fewer than season one, in fact. The second season of the Game of Thrones show will have eight episodes.

HBO notes that House of the Dragon received a shortened season two for story reasons. The lower episode count tightened the narrative and also allowed House of the Dragon‘s creators to begin thinking about season three.

What Is House of the Dragon Season 2’s Release Schedule?

House of the Dragon season two will be released weekly, beginning on June 16. Unlike other series, House of the Dragon will only release one episode during its premiere. After its release, episodes will follow every Sunday. House of the Dragon season two’s finale will air on August 4.

Episode titles and runtimes are not yet known. However, we assume each new episode of House of the Dragon will run for about an hour.

You can check out every House of the Dragon season two episode’s airdate below and get yourself ready to watch.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Airdates:

• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 1: June 16 (June 17 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2: June 23 (June 24 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 3: June 30 (July 1 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4: July 7 (July 8 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5: July 14 (July 15 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6: July 21 (July 22 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 7: July 28 (July 29 in the UK)
• House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8: August 4 (August 5 in the UK)

Where to Watch House of the Dragon Season 2

Finally, where can you watch House of the Dragon season two? As mentioned above, you can watch House of the Dragon on HBO and its streaming platform, Max. The episode will air on both HBO and Max at the same time, 9 p.m. ET. Additionally, episodes will air simultaneously in the UK on Sky and NOW TV at 2 a.m. BST. Episodes will air again at 9:00 p.m. BST on Sky Atlantic

Now, all you have to do is tune in.

Originally published on June 6, 2024.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Premiere? And When Is the Finale? appeared first on Nerdist.

Basically every Avatar: The Last Airbender fan feels excited for the moment when Toph Beifong comes to live-action in season two of the Netflix series. Ever since Netflix announced the live-action series, conversation about who should play Toph has circulated. While everyone might have their own individual fan-casts, Netflix is widening the search. In an exciting move, Netflix has put out an open casting call for individuals who might be good matches to play live-action Toph on Avatar: The Last Airbender season two.

The Toph casting call notes that the character is “mid-late teens, blind, female, and Asian.” It adds that Toph “is sassy, confident, and unfiltered. For most of her life, her strength and formidable earthbending skills have been suppressed, but now, on the run as the Avatar’s earthbending master, she is uninhibited to become the fierce warrior she believes she is inside. Dance and/or martial arts experience a plus.”

In bold, the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender Toph casting call emphasizes, “Actors who are blind or low vision are encouraged to submit.” Indeed, it would be amazing if Netflix cast a blind or low-vision actor in the role. We applaud the streamer’s efforts to cast live-action Toph inclusively and authentically.

If you would like to submit yourself to the Toph casting call, “Please email DTCOpenCall@gmail.com with a recent picture, resume or a one-paragraph bio, along with your name and phone number. Please feel free to share any lived experience with blindness/low vision if you are comfortable doing so.”

We can’t wait to learn who will play Toph when Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender returns for season two.

The post AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Shares Open Casting Call for Live-Action Toph appeared first on Nerdist.

In an exciting update from James Gunn, we’ve learned that the DCU’s Creature Commandos series will be released in December on Max. Previously, the most we knew was that the series was eyeing a fall 2024 release. But now, we know for sure that Creature Commandos, the first official piece of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, will arrive on Max in December 2024. So, it’s definitely time to get excited.

Gunn additionally shared that Creature Commandos would pick up directly from where the Peacemaker season one finale left off. The series will see Amanda Waller recruiting “a ragtag band of misfits” (and monsters) for her “clandestine morally questionable mission.” It seems characters from Creature Commandos will also appear in other DCU projects like Superman. And once these characters appear, they’ll carry the same history, actor, look, and more throughout their time in the DCU.

We can’t wait to see more from the series. For now, we just feel glad to know when we can expect Creature Commandos to release.

The post CREATURE COMMANDOS Sets December 2024 Release Window on Max appeared first on Nerdist.

Say it ain’t so. There are rarely characters more beloved than the loyal pups who live in our fictional properties. And The Walking Dead‘s Dog is no exception. But sadly, Seven, who played Daryl Dixon’s puppy companion, has now died. We’ll all miss this Dog and his best dog ways very much.

Seven has a lot to be proud of, though. Before his passing, this dog played Daryl’s Dog for many episodes of The Walking Dead, 25 to be exact. Dog even made it to the series finale—which can’t be said of all the characters. That’s one tenacious creature.

Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead and its spinoffs, memorialized Seven and Dog in an Instagram post about the canine’s passing. “Will miss u buddy,” The Walking Dead star shared simply in a comment about Seven the dog’s death.

And he’s not alone. Although Seven has passed on, he will not be forgotten. The Walking Dead‘s Dog will always be in our hearts, it takes more than death to keep a good dog down. We will be sure to watch Dog’s best hits in celebration of Seven’s many incredible performances.

The post Seven, THE WALKING DEAD’s Loyal Dog, Has Died appeared first on Nerdist.

Prime Video’s Fallout series has now been released, which means we can dive deep into the show and its mysteries. But even before fans knew anything at all about this Fallout adaptation, one character attracted a lot of attention. And that character is Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul. Losing his nose and ears and gaining a whole lot of weathering, Walton Goggins becomes unrecognizable as he steps into Fallout‘s world. Incredibly, the Fallout series used practical effects and makeup to alter Goggins’ appearance completely. To help us fully appreciate what went into this change, the actor shared a timelapse of the process, and it’s really stunning. You can watch Walton Goggins transform into The Ghoul in the video below.

Walton Goggins Shares a Timelapse Video of His Transformation Into The Ghoul

In Fallout, ghouls are human creatures who are transformed by radiation. The radiation their bodies absorb allows them to survive for a long time in the wasteland of Fallout‘s universe. However, it also completely transforms their appearance. In the Fallout series, we can really see the impact of ghoulifcation clearly thanks to Walton Goggins’ portrayal of both The Ghoul and his former self, Cooper Howard. When playing Cooper Howard in flashbacks, Goggins looks like his normal charming self. But when we visit with The Ghoul in the Wasteland, we see a different figure altogether.

Goggins shared that the practical transformation into The Ghoul was both an aesthetic and emotional experience. He noted, “The thing I was most surprised about, other than actually seeing it come to life whenever we got to these sets, I didn’t anticipate how lonely it would be for me as the Ghoul… It was a process. When I first walked out of the trailer, people either couldn’t take their eyes off you or didn’t want to look at you at all. I felt very closed in that experience. I was just alone inside of this guy’s head.”

While that sounds like a tough spot to be in, the literal act of transforming into The Ghoul seems to have helped Goggins to embody the character. This also reminds us just how much each part of a production contributes to the story of its finished product. Additionally, it speaks to the incredible level of skill the FX makeup team on Fallout possesses. Goggins shared that makeup artist Jake Garber managed to reduce the process of becoming The Ghoul from five hours to under two. Watching the timelapse video, two hours seems like a wildly short time to bring The Ghoul to life.

Another Look at Walton Goggins Becoming The Ghoul via Makeup and FX

Prime Video also shared a featurette which offers us another look at the incredible transformation that takes place as makeup and skill help Walton Goggins become The Ghoul.

Makeup artist Jake Garber shares, “I love doing character makeup, and I do kind of look at this as something along those lines.” Meanwhile, Jonathan Nolan adds some insight into why The Ghoul’s look is so successful. He notes, “The makeup was still thin enough that you can see all the expressiveness of [Walton Goggins’ performance but also textured real enough to capture the look and feel of The Ghoul.”

Hilariously, Goggins noted that he scared himself after transforming into The Ghoul. He shared, “There was one time when we were in Namibia, I was so exhausted, and I had this stuff on… and I woke up from a very strange nap, and I happened to be sleeping in front of this mirror, and I woke up, and I was like “OH MY GOD. Goddamn. Like it really freaked me out. I scared the sh*t out of myself, is what I’m saying.”

Walton Goggins’ Wasn’t Sure If The Ghoul’s Fallout Makeup Would Work

Walton Goggins additionally shared with Deadline that initially, his Fallout transformation into The Ghoul intimidated him. He noted, “The very first time we did the application (of his mask), I asked to be left alone for an hour and a half outside and Jonah (Nolan) came by… I just sat outside by myself and just photographed it like in the sun and in the shade. I was extremely intimidated but excited to see how this Ferrari would work. And then the very first day of filming, I was extremely insecure. It was extremely uncomfortable. And I didn’t know what the audience was seeing and what they weren’t seeing.”

But Nolan set Goggins at ease. Goggins reveals, “I said, ‘Man, do you see this? Are you understanding what’s happening inside?’ And he said, ‘We got it. We see it all. It’s all in your eyes, man. Just do whatever you want. You have the freedom to do what you want.’ And then once I settled into that, I had him, because it was so well-defined by what they wrote.” 

The Eyes Were Key to Fallout‘s Ghoul

Goggins and the rest of the Fallout team did feel it was very important for the Ghoul to retain some human aspects. Goggins reveals, “We kept working with the pieces, and Vincent made them thin enough where you know that it’s me and you can see my face and you know what he’s thinking just by looking in his eyes.” And adds, “At one point, we talked about using contact lenses. I went to the doctor and we had them made and put them in, I think, the very first time we did the first application, and immediately, we all looked at it and said, ‘This isn’t right. All of a sudden, you become non-human. We have to see your eyes.’ And so that was a big part of it right out of the gate.”

Maybe someday, the Fallout series will present The Ghoul with a ghoulification cure that will allow him to transform back into a human. For now, we’ll just play Walton Goggins’ timelapse transformation video backward and imagine what it’ll be like for The Ghoul to have a nose again.

Originally published on April 22, 2024.

The post Watch Walton Goggins Transform Into FALLOUT’s The Ghoul appeared first on Nerdist.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts set up a crossover movie between G.I. Joe and Transformers. And now, there’s some movement on that film. Chris Hemsworth is reportedly in talks to star in the G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover movie. We guess we could certainly have no trouble imagining Hemsworth as a G.I. Joe. And hey, there would be no capes involved this time around.

G.I. Joe and Transformers have met before in the world of comics, so there is precedent for their connection. But this would be their first encounter in live-action. At the end of Transformers: Rise of Beasts, G.I. Joe is revealed to be a kind of investigative organization in the Transformers world. This crossover movie, would, of course, help to grow the Hasbro cinematic universe. And hey, everyone needs a cinematic universe these days.

Additional news indicates that Jurassic World and Detective Pikachu writer Derek Connolly has come onboard for the movie.

It’s early days for the film. But if you want to read more about how G.I. Joe and Transformers go together, you can check out our piece here.

Originally published on May 30, 2024.

The post Chris Hemsworth in Talks to Lead G.I. JOE x TRANSFORMERS Crossover Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

What a shocking twist! Game of Thrones‘ lavish spinoff, House of the Dragon, has been renewed for season three at HBO. Ahead of House of the Dragon‘s season two premiere on June 16, HBO renewed the series for its next season. House of the Dragon season three, here we come!

Here’s what Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, had to say about this House of the Dragon renewal:

George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three.

We can’t really say we feel surprised that House of the Dragon will see season three. We’d honestly be way more surprised if HBO canceled it at this point. The series promises to bring to life some riveting parts of the Game of Thrones novel Fire & Blood, like the infamous “Blood and Cheese” moment. And we can’t wait to see what’s in store. But hey, it always feels good to go into a season of TV knowing another one will follow. That’s not always a guarantee at this point. And we definitely can’t wait to see more dragons.

So, even though we do not feel surprised, shocked, or even a little taken aback by this news, we are happy to hear that House of the Dragon has been renewed for season three. Fire, blood, cheese, dragons, wigs, and whatever else awaits us. We are ready.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Renewed for Season 3 at HBO appeared first on Nerdist.

Imaginary friends are in. Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski’s recent movie, IF, was all about them. And now, they’re back in a whole new way, gorgeously animated and full of heart. Netflix recently released a trailer for The Imaginary, a gorgeously animated movie from Studio Ponoc. Hailed as a Studio Ghibli equivalent, Studio Ponoc really has outdone itself with The Imaginary. The hand-drawn animation could not be more beautiful, nor could it more powerfully convey the animated movie’s themes of love, loss, fear, and freedom. Even from just this short trailer, we feel completely riveted by The Imaginary. Take a look below to experience the Studio Ponoc adventure for yourself.

Watch The Imaginary Trailer

No imaginary friend wants to believe their human will forget them. But could it be true that the only thing more powerful than imagination is reality? The villain of The Imaginary sure does want you to believe that as he brings shadows to the beautiful dreamworld in this trailer. And It sure does seem that way sometimes, in real life. But we bet The Imaginary will have us believing in our dreams more powerfully than ever.

Synopsis, Cast, and More

Alongside the trailer, you can check out Netflix’s official synopsis of The Imaginary below:

Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger, a boy no one can see imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger, suddenly alone, arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where forgotten Imaginaries live and find work, he faces a mysterious threat. Directed by renowned animator Yoshiyuki Momose (Spirited Away), The Imaginary is an unforgettable adventure of love, loss, and the healing power of imagination.

That hits us right in the feelings. The Spirited Away connection hits loud and clear. Personally, that’s one of my all-time favorite animated movies. So, I love to see the legacy of it continued in The Imaginary‘s trailer. It also doesn’t hurt that Studio Ponoc’s lovely animation combines itself with an incredible voice cast that includes Hayley Atwell as Lizzie, Kal Penn as Zinzan, and LeVar Burton as The Old Dog.  Louie Rudge-Buchanan (Rudger), Evie Kiszel (Amanda), Sky Katz (Emily), Jeremy Swift (Mr Bunting), Jane Singer (Granny Downbeat), Ruby Barnhill (Aurora), Roger Craig Smith (Snowflake), Courtenay Taylor (Cruncher-of-Bones), and Miles Nibbe (John) also star.

A release reveals that “The groundbreaking hand-drawn animation of The Imaginary is heightened by first-of-their-kind techniques of light and shadow.” We can’t wait to turn a closer eye on this groundbreaking movie.

When Will Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary Release?

The Imaginary will release on July 5, 2024. It will stream on Netflix.

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