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- Indie Comics Showcase #159: Dragon Lord Saga, Clay-Man & Aslan the Awakening
- Watch: Paramount+ Drops Halo Teaser Trailer and Reveals ‘Master Chief’
- Mel Gibson In Talks to Direct & Star in ‘Lethal Weapon 5’
- Executive Producer & EVP of Marvel: Expect More “Diversity & Inclusion”
- Black-Owned Houston Comic Shop Creatively Reflects Its Community
- Does Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Want to be the Next James Bond?
- China Snubs Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’; Latest Blockbuster to Sink in China
| Indie Comics Showcase #159: Dragon Lord Saga, Clay-Man & Aslan the Awakening Posted: 17 Nov 2021 12:45 PM PST
Welcome back to another installment of Indie Comics Showcase, the weekly blog where we signal boost a few truly independent comics that are currently crowdfunding their projects, crowdsourcing their funding in some way, or just completely self-publishing on their own. Every little bit of support for these creators matters, from a single dollar pledge to the twenty-five dollar bundle, and of course the higher tiers are usually fun too! Even if you can’t back a campaign or buy a book, you can share or tweet about these projects to your friends and followers.
On Indie Comics Showcase, we interview the creators, show off some art, and tell you how you can check out the product for yourself. Below we have some outstanding crowdfunding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by backing one or more of them! Thanks for checking these out and for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase. Let's jump in!
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| Watch: Paramount+ Drops Halo Teaser Trailer and Reveals ‘Master Chief’ Posted: 17 Nov 2021 10:55 AM PST
During the Xbox 20th Anniversary event, a teaser was presented, providing us with our first peek at the forthcoming Halo series, which will be released next year. The 27-second trailer released by Paramount+ gives us our first close-up look at Master Chief while also confirming the release date of sometime in 2022. If you watch all the way to the conclusion of the little teaser trailer, you’ll hear a familiar voice saying “Hello, Master Chief.”
Although not confirmed yet, it seems clear that the voice at the conclusion of the teaser is that of Cortana, thought to be voiced by Jen Taylor. In the video games, that’s the voice actress who played the part of the artificial intelligence character. The planned Halo television series was initially scheduled to premiere on Showtime before being moved to Paramount+.
Halo is a planned American live-action military science fiction television series based on the same-named video game franchise. Here’s the synopsis:
“an epic 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure, and a richly imagined vision of the future.” The Halo series will star Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, Natascha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Halsey (a scientist for the UNSC, and creator of the Spartan-II Project), Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha, Charlie Murphy as Makee, Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky (Director of ONI), Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066, Olive Gray as Miranda Keyes, Kate Kennedy as Kai-125, Natasha Culzac as Riz-028, Bentley Kalu as Vannal-134, Danny Sapani as Captain Jacob Keyes, and Jen Taylor as Cortana (an artificial intelligence AI construct).
Halo will premiere on Paramount+ sometime in 2022. The upcoming television series will consist a total of 9 episodes with roughly 50-60 minute runtimes. Currently, Halo has an estimated budget of $200 million, with episodes being directed by Otto Bathurst, Jonathan Liebesman, M.J. Bassett, Roel Reine, and Jet Wilkinson. The post Watch: Paramount+ Drops Halo Teaser Trailer and Reveals ‘Master Chief’ appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
| Mel Gibson In Talks to Direct & Star in ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ Posted: 17 Nov 2021 08:20 AM PST
After starring in the first four films, Lethal Weapon star Mel Gibson may be setting his sights on the directing chair for the next installment in the franchise. According to Deadline, over the weekend during an interview in London, Gibson let it slip that he was looking at directing Lethal Weapon 5, and sources close to him have now said he is in talks to direct and star, though no deal has closed.
The last time audiences spent time with Riggs and Murtaugh was way, way back in 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4, with the movie grossing more than $285 million at the box office. Clearly, HBO Max are confident that they can continue the success of the franchise without a big screen release, using the iconic property to further increase their streaming output. This move towards a streaming release for Lethal Weapon 5 does not come as too much of a surprise, with the ongoing global situation pushing many tentpole releases out of theaters and into our homes thanks to the emergence of a wide variety of platforms, each of them striving to be the best. The first Lethal Weapon introduced audiences to the loveable pair of mismatched LAPD detectives, Martin Riggs, a former Green Beret who has become suicidal following the death of his wife, and Roger Murtaugh, a 50-year-old veteran of the force who is getting too old for this. Played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover respectively, the duo became instant icons of the genre, with the franchise spawning several sequels and bringing in the likes of Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Jet Li, and Chris Rock along the way.
Gibson steps in for Richard Donner, who died this past July and had been developing a possible sequel with Gibson over the years. After Donner's passing, Gibson saw it right to continue the development of the film as a proper tribute to his friend and the late director of the franchise.
“The man who directed all the Lethal films, Richard Donner, he was a big guy,” Gibson said during the Q&A at ‘An Experience with Mel Gibson’ in London. “He was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it. And he said to me one day, ‘Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.’ And I said: ‘Shut up.’ But he did indeed pass away.” The film would be developed for HBO Max as the service continues to build up its slate of feature films that would premiere on the streamer. Not much else is known about the film at this time. The post Mel Gibson In Talks to Direct & Star in ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
| Executive Producer & EVP of Marvel: Expect More “Diversity & Inclusion” Posted: 17 Nov 2021 06:20 AM PST
"Diversity and inclusion is not a political game for us" proclaimed Victoria Alonso, dismissing abysmal reviews and poor box office performance for Eternals. She told other attendees at the Outfest Legacy Awards over the weekend that they can expect much more diversity and inclusion and “woke” ideology far more often in future Marvel and Disney productions.
Speaking at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with her wife Imelda Corcoran at her side, she shared her views about LGBTQ equality, saying of her work at Marvel:
“…sometimes the critics are not with us. That's okay. We thank you for being a critic. We thank you for writing about us. And the fans will decide. Diversity and inclusion is not a political game for us. It is 100% a responsibility because you don't get to have the global success that we have given the Walt Disney Company without the support of people around the world of every kind of human there is.”
She further went on to announce that she intends to lobby for even more transgender characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
"I can assure you for as long as I am at Marvel Studios, I will do right by you (singling out Philippine actor Rain Valdez, who is transgender). One of the greatest gifts that we can give each other is in the belonging, is knowing that you do belong. Don't walk in thinking you don't belong." "I want to make sure that I get out there and I create as much change as time will allow."
Marvel describes Alonso as “a champion for women, people of color, and LGBTQ.”
Will Marvel find a profitable audience with this diversity and inclusion drive? That remains to be seem. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Eternals, the first MCU movie to feature a gay superhero, turned out to be a bust and a weak start to their Phase 4. The post Executive Producer & EVP of Marvel: Expect More “Diversity & Inclusion” appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
| Black-Owned Houston Comic Shop Creatively Reflects Its Community Posted: 17 Nov 2021 06:15 AM PST
KHOU-11 reported a few weeks ago about a new specialty shop opened in Houston, whose African-American managers try to reflect what the community is like in what they sell:
If they believe in creating new characters and series, yes, that’s the ideal way to go, and not to race/gender swap existing white characters, or forcibly change their sexual preferences. However, they also cite somebody who’s worked with the mainstream, and on some politically motivated projects:
On that, it may do well to consider the MSM really doesn’t care about these SJW-themed products coming out of the mainstream, nor do they give a damn about the people involved, their backgrounds, or their level of talent. So what’s the point of these artists and writers working on books like Indigenous Voices, which was basically a politically motivated concept, especially if they happen to think that’s a great path to follow? And if merit’s not prioritized, is it any wonder these 15-minute-of-fame stories make no impact? That’s why all involved would do better to avoid working on anything politically motivated if they see it coming miles away. And now that I think of it, complaints of appropriation are actually a more recent problem, stemming from the increasingly politicized direction entertainment’s been taking. So, why do they make it sound like it’s not so new?
Originally published here. The post Black-Owned Houston Comic Shop Creatively Reflects Its Community appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
| Does Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Want to be the Next James Bond? Posted: 16 Nov 2021 04:10 PM PST
Following the release of No Time to Die, the search for the right actor to replace Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond is undoubtedly underway, and now, an unexpected candidate has arisen in the form of pro wrestler turned action star Dwayne Johnson. The Rock, whose father played a villain alongside Sean Connery in 1967’s You Only Live Twice, was recently asked if he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, to which he replied that yes, he would love to join the renowned franchise, but only if he could suit up as 007.
In a recent interview with Esquire, The Rock admitted:
“Yes, my grandfather was a Bond villain in You Only Live Twice with Sean Connery. Very, very cool. I would like to follow in his footsteps and be the next Bond. I don’t want to be a villain. Gotta be Bond.”
Rocky Johnson, Johnson’s father, gets acknowledged in You Only Live Twice for playing a wicked vehicle driver, but The Rock apparently wants more, much more, if he is ever convinced to join the James Bond franchise.
While The Rock is probably joking about drinking martinis as the eponymous spy, his control of Hollywood, particularly the action genre, is indisputable, and with his influence so vast and his presence so scary, if he wants the job, who can stop him? That, ironically, makes him sound like a villain, yet by all accounts, he’s a sweet guy.
With The Rock out promoting Netflix’s record-breaking Red Notice, the actor has more than enough on his plate without signing up for a license to kill. Red Notice, starring Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, follows Johnson as an FBI agent who reluctantly works up with a known art thief (Ryan Reynolds) to apprehend an even more legendary criminal (Gal Gadot). Red Notice is currently available on Netflix, where it boasts the best opening of any Netflix original film in the company’s history.
So what do you think of his suggestion that he should play James Bond? The post Does Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Want to be the Next James Bond? appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
| China Snubs Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’; Latest Blockbuster to Sink in China Posted: 16 Nov 2021 01:15 PM PST
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney’s Jungle Cruise earned a mere $3.3 million on its first weekend in China. The release comes more than three months after the family-friendly film debuted in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service in the United States.
On a projected budget of over $200 million, the film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, has so far made close to $214 million worldwide. Disney has not disclosed how many people have watched the film on Disney+, but the studio has apparently committed to a sequel.
Related China is Finally Beginning to Turn Its Fangs on Hollywood
THR reports: The film is estimated to have cost Disney some $200 million to make, and a sequel recently was greenlit by the studio. It opened July 30 to more than $35 million at the U.S. box office and more than $30 million in Disney+ Premier Access in its first three days, according to the studio. At present, the film has earned about $215 million worldwide. Jungle Cruise received quite respectable social scores from the Chinese filmgoers who did see it, suggesting that rampant piracy, a limited marketing effort from Disney and a growing audience tendency towards local Chinese fare may have conspired to keep seats empty. Ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the country, which have shuttered a sizable minority slice of cinemas in as many as 50 cities, are also taking a toll on ticket sales.
Related Could China & Hollywood's Love Affair be Coming to an End?
According to David Ng at Breitbart: China has increasingly become a graveyard for Hollywood blockbusters as local audiences continue to gravitate toward domestic releases. Other recent disappointments include Paramount's Snake Eyes, Disney-Pixar's animated Luca, Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman 1984, and Disney's animated Raya and the Last Dragon. Perhaps more disconcerting to Hollywood executives is the number of blockbusters that China has denied a release. Disney-Marvel's Black Widow and The Eternals still have no Chinese release dates. Warner Bros.' Space Jam sequel, starring China-panderer LeBron James, has also been denied a Chinese release. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also has not received a release date in China, despite having been produced with an eye to the Chinese market with a predominantly Chinese and Chinese-American cast.
Does this further indicate that the love affair is over between Hollywood and Red China? Does this mean the pandering is going to end anytime soon? The post China Snubs Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’; Latest Blockbuster to Sink in China appeared first on Bleeding Fool. |
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