articles

Teen Titans Live-Action TV Series Begins Filming this Fall

Originally published: 6.9.17

A couple months ago, in April, DC Entertainment announced that the Teen Titans would be getting a live-action show. However, little was heard after that announcement on the progress of the project; and I know many who, like myself, worried that the show had died in preproduction hell.

Well, we need worry no longer, for Titans is set to begin filming this fall. However, it won’t be on TNT, as was originally announced back in 2015. Instead, the show will be airing on DC’s streaming service, alongside the revived season 3 of Young Justice.

Although production is reportedly set to start on September 25, with episodes appearing in early 2018, none of the team have been officially cast. In fact, exactly which Teen Titans members will make the lineup is still a mystery.

Will it be the classic Teen Titans from the comics, consisting of Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Speedy, and Wonder Girl?

Or, perhaps the team from the Teen Titans cartoon (I’m not going to even mention the reboot, because it’s an abomination to all those who loved the original):

Or, will it be the team we’ve come to know from the animated movie, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, with the original five plus Blue Beetle and Nightwing?

Or will it be a combination of these and more? There is a huge roster of members that the live-action show can pick and choose from, which means that we might even get to see Static, Aquagirl, Red Robin, and more!

We won’t know for sure until it’s announced at a later date (at San Diego Comic-Con, perhaps?). However, we might not be completely in the dark. Geoff Johnstweeted a pic that just might have revealed the team’s lineup.

Geoff Johns is the DC Comics Entertainment president and chief creative officer. He’s written previously for DC shows such as Arrow and The Flash, and he also co-wrote the recent box-office hit Wonder Woman. He’s a DC legend in his own right, and he’s currently in the process of writing the episodes for Titans.

Anyway, back in April, Johns tweeted this:

At the time, it was a tease that implied that he was already working on the pilot script for the series. And keep in mind, that might be all that it was. The image isn’t a new one, and is actually from the 2003 Teen Titans roster from his 4-year stint writing the comics. The series featured Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, who were actually mentors to Superboy, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and Robin (the Tim Drake incarnation).

So the image might not be revealing the live-action show’s lineup, and was probably just used to tease that he’d started writing the pilot, as well as tie fans visually back to his previous work.

However, it just might be the Teen Titans that we’ll be seeing on the small screen. Who knows? There’s so little confirmed information out there right now.

While half the fun’s in the guessing, casting will probably be locked in within the next couple of months. So expect an influx of news as the roles are filled and the team is locked in.

I’m extremely excited, and I hope that this “reboot” will make up for their last terrible attempt. I’ll leave you with this last picture, from what is perhaps the only redeemable clip from the new cartoon series. Keep an eye out for more news, and if there’s trouble you know who to call!

TEEN TITANS!

TEEN TITANS!

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON June 9, 2017.

 

 

Preacher Season 2 Character Banners and Trailer Spotlight the Trio

Originally Published: 5.19.17

With Preacher returning in little over a month – on June 25th, to be exact – AMC has released some new, bad-ass character banners, as well as another trailer that is cool AF in all the best ways.

AMC‘s Preacher was created by Seth Rogan (This is the End), Evan Goldberg (Sausage Party), and Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad); and is based upon the comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis (Constantine) and Steve Dillon (The Punisher).

It stars Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Jesse Custer, Ruth Negga (Agents of Shield) as Tulip O’Hare, and Joseph Gilgun (Misfits) as Cassidy.

Season 1 did a great job of encapsulating the characters from the comics, and the banners showcase that. They feature some truly epic descriptions, that fully epitomize the fantastically violent trio that we came to know and love in season 1.

Even though the first season took a lot of creative liberties (in that almost none of season 1 is comic-canon), it was a riotous hit. Personally, I was a fan of the way they chose to introduce all the characters. In the comics, the first issue ends with the town exploding and Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy hitting the road. Instead, we were given a season to become intimately acquainted with the characters, their personalities, and their relationships with each other.

Then, after the characters and story and world were established, season 1 ended where the comics began, with the bad-ass trio on the run (and unaware of The Saint of Killers hot on their trail).

Based upon the first teaser trailer (released April 3rd), as well as the most recent trailer (released a few days ago, on May 15th), season 2 promises to be full of the action, violence, wacky characters, and snappy banter that so encapsulated the comics (and made me fall in love with the series).

First Teaser:

Second Teaser:

Needless to say, I’m super ridiculously excited. I binged the first season in a week, and was honestly disappointed when it was over. The fact that season 2 will premiere in little over a month on AMC brings me great joy.

In the meantime, catch up / re-watch season 1 on Hulu, if you can’t wait until June 25th to see these assholes in action. I know I can’t.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MAY 19, 2017.

 

 

Marvel’s The Defenders – A Promo, A Trailer, and A Banner

Originally Published: 5.6.17

In the past week, Netflix has spoiled us with the release of a promo, a trailer, and a banner for Marvel’s The Defenders. They were released in quick succession, almost one day after another; hardly giving us time to catch our breath before the next fantastic piece of promotional material hit us in the face like a batch of mysterious chemicals (sorry, too soon?).

Anyway, while the release of all these things in such rapid succession is wonderful (seriously, I am not complaining; please don’t take my following comments as complaints in any way, shape, or form), but because they came out so close together, the impact of the individual bits was lessened.

For instance, the first thing to come out was the promo that teased the return of Elektra.

This video also includes the team promo, as well as the original teaser trailer. However, the first 14 seconds of the video involve mysterious hands, Elektra’s coffin, and the creepy hiss of said coffin opening.

This leaves us with the burning question: is she ALIVE?

If she is, clearly The Hand had a, well, hand in resurrecting her, since they seem to be the root of all The Defenders problems at this point. This promises nothing good, as Elektra wasn’t exactly a paragon of truth and justice before she kicked the metaphorical bucket. I don’t see that changing, especially as it looks like the blood of The Beast was used in her (potential) Lazarus-esque return. Yeah, I don’t imagine that her resurrection will bring anything but conflict, death, and Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) angst.

(Which, honestly, should be illegal. Seriously, Daredevil writers, would it kill ya to let him be happy for a change? He’s a beautiful and snarky human being, and it should be a crime to make those big brown eyes tear up like that. No more I say. NO. MORE!)

Aaaaanyway. Right. I had a point.

These 14 seconds of footage were very interesting, and would have been enough to keep The Defenders fanbase aflutter with speculation and fan-theories. Is she alive? If so, is she being resurrected as herself, or as the her that was controlled by The Hand? Or is this all a red herring?

But there was no time for any wild theories to form, because the very next day Netflix released the first official trailer for the show. And, not only did the trailer overshadow the Elektra promo, it actually included a couple images of resurrected-Elektra, thereby removing any ambiguous mystery and making the promo release almost superfluous – Elektra looks way too good to be anything but now-alive.

Seriously, Elodie Yung (Elektra) needs to share her secret, because she looks mighty fine for someone who’s been dead since the season 2 finale of Daredevil (and presumably throughout the first seasons of Luke Cage and Iron Fist). I dunno how long that is in The Defenders universe, but I imagine long enough that she shouldn’t look like she’s just taking a nice nap.

But, again, there are no complaints from me, because the official trailer is BRILLIANT.

It opens with Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) in interrogation, who is reluctantly rescued by my favorite lawyer (wow, words I never thought I’d ever type). Anyway, the trailer only takes off from there.

Iron Fist (Finn Jones) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) clash, with tensions (partially) defused by Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). What then follows is, definitely, the best description of any superhero group ever:

 

“The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen…

The Smart-Ass Detective…

The Righteous Ex-Con…

And the Kid with a Glowing Fist…”

 

And yet, somehow, I have the feeling that they’re gonna have some serious trouble going head to head with Sigourney Weaver (Alien) – but I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t? She’s been confirmed as the main antagonist for the series, and goes by the name Alexandra. Combined with the revived threat of Elektra, there promises to be much conflict and misfortune for our newly formed band of intrepid street-heroes.

The trailer also promises the return of Stick (Scott Glenn), Misty Knight(Simone Missick), and freaking hallway fight scenes! YES!

Also, that last scene gives me hope that the dialogue will be snappy, snarky, and all around better written than that of Iron Fist’s. And that’s all I’m saying about that.

But wait! Did you forget about the banner that Netflix released the very next day? If so, how? I mentioned it in the title of the article, there’s no way you could have missed it. Anyway, like I said, the next day Netflix showed off their banner for the show. In it, The Defenders made sure to, shall I say, put their best foot forward. I know, I’m terrible, but take a look for yourself:

It’s gorgeous, and gives the gang a classic “rock band” look. Seriously, I’m a huge fan of everything that they’re doing to promote the show.

For instance, they’ve even created a website called the New York Bulletin Archive. On it, you can find tons of fake articles and interviews that tie in with the various Defenders shows. It’s fantastic.

And that’s it. That’s all I’ve got (for the moment). This should be enough to tide the fanbase over until August 18th, when the first season of The Defenders premieres.

Of course, should Netflix decide to promo-dump some more trailers and posters and teasers, I certainly won’t complain.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON May 6, 2017.

 

 

Star Wars Celebration – I Have Found My People

Originally Published: 4.17.17

This past weekend, from April 13 – 16, Orlando hosted the Star Wars Celebration, which commemorated 40 years since Star Wars first entered the world.

And it. Was. Glorious.

Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances (read: poor college student), I was only able to attend on Sunday, the final day. Even still, it was the most fun that I’d had probably all year.

I’d worried that I wasn’t going to get the “full Star Wars experience,” only going on the last day, but I could not have been more wrong. Granted, I was too late to see Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), but I stood outside the doors to the auditorium where he was speaking. I swear, I think I picked up some of his awesome just by being in the same building as him.

I did get to see the tail end of Warwick Davis‘ talk on stage (sorry, I was too far away to snag a picture). If you don’t already know, Warwick has played several iconic roles, including our favorite Ewok, Wicket, in the Star Wars films, and Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter movies. And he’s probably the first famous person that I’ve seen in real life, so there’s that as well.

The layout of the convention center was confusing, and I could not find the registration desk (where, apparently, I was supposed to pick up wristbands to get inside the panels). So instead, I spent the entire time inside the Exhibition Hall.

I could have spent days in there, and still not have seen everything. It was absolutely spectacular. There were literal castles of merchandise, of all shapes and sizes. There was one whole booth dedicated to nothing but patches and vintage / classic Star Wars memorabilia. Some booths sold figures made with 3D-printing technology; some had samurai stormtroopers; some had prints, posters, and canvases by some truly incredible artists; while others had more comics than I’d ever seen, even inside a comic shop (I bought way too many of them).

One booth had life-size people and robots made entirely out of Legos. One section of the Exhibition Hall was literally set aside for TATTOOS. Seriously, there were tons of booths with incredible tattoo artists, bent over their living canvases with singular concentration and precision. If it weren’t for aforementioned extenuating circumstances (again: poor college student), I might have gotten one myself.

Here are some pics (the first of many):

  

  

  

Thanks to these willpower-destroying booths, I am now the proud owner of two posters, a Rey leather backpack, three sets of lightsaber chopsticks, four graphic novels, and a silently weeping credit card. Seriously, being there was like drowning in a beautiful, glorious sea of geekdom. I had to grab something to keep myself afloat. Is it really my fault if what I grabbed had similarly geek-themed price tags? I don’t think so. I did what I had to do to survive.

Anyway, interspersed amongst all the merchandise booths, there were also these fantastic replica sets that were perfect for photo ops. Actually, there was literally an entire room set aside with some super cool suits and sets that were just begging for my camera. And, as we’ve already established, I have all the resistance of a wet noodle, so I easily caved to their imaginary voices.

  

  

  

  

But my favorite part, above anything and everything else, is that I Found My People.

The cosplays were the most incredible and amazing part of the whole experience. From the clearly expensive and high-end costumes to the glue gun and hand-made ones, they were all beautiful. I’d never seen so many fellow geeks and nerds in one place; and even being an introvert wading with and against a teeming crowd, I felt absolutely comfortable and at home.

Everyone was so nice and wonderful, and I had some of the best conversations with complete strangers. I saw vintage Star Wars fans – those who might have seen the first Episode premiere at Comic-Con 40 years ago – milling and laughing with children in Boba Fett and Jyn Erso costumes (both with lightsabers, obviously, even though those characters never once held one in their respective films).

But that’s another part of what I love about the costumes. Yes, there are all the cosplayers who look identical to the character that they’re trying to portray. But my favorites are the costumes that combine the original with something totally, well, original. I saw a fantastic Rey costume, but with a Sith twist. I saw stormtroopers, but instead of the standard black underneath the white armor, they wore pink and blue. I even saw a guy in a Deadpool mask, running around pretending to be a stormtrooper. It was so in-character for the merc with a mouth, that I had to laugh.

Here are some more fantastic pics (and the last of them, sorry):

  

  

  

I wanted so badly to be one of them (maybe, at the next Star Wars Celebration, I can pull off a gender-bent Poe Dameron). However, even though I wasn’t wearing a costume, at no point did I feel like I didn’t belong. Honestly, it was probably the best time I’ve had all year.

The Celebration was filled with great people, great food, and great merch. Basically, it was Nerdvana. It was my very first “convention,” and it was absolutely perfect in every way.

The one and only thing that I’m bummed that I missed, was the Carrie Fisher(Princess Leia) tribute video that they aired on the first day of the Celebration. Thankfully, they uploaded it to YouTube, and I’ve linked it below. Seriously, give it a watch – it’s as beautiful as she was, celebratory of her sharp humor and endless heart, and all-in-all so very touching. The world lost a fantastic individual; and the only thing that would have made the Star Wars Celebration better, was if she had been there.

Sorry to end on such a somber note. But seriously, if you can make it to the next one (I believe they’re held every two years), do so. You won’t regret it, and you’ll have the time of your life.

May the Force be with you.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON APRIL 17, 2017.

 

 

The Addams Family Netflix Trailer is Creepy, Kooky, and Fake

Originally Published: 4.13.17

Last Wednesday (coincidence? I think not), a trailer for “The Addams Family” Netflix Original Series was released on Facebook, where it was quickly spread to Twitter. Predictably, the internet exploded. For a hot, blissful second, the world believed that our favorite twisted family was returning, and on our favorite streaming site to boot.

Then, horror of horrors, it turned out that the trailer was actually fan-made. A fake. An incredible fake, but fake nonetheless. An unofficial Facebook news page – called Netflix Geeks – took clips from Penny Dreadful, Crimson Peak, and the 1991 The Addams Family movie. The trailer also used clips of Oscar Isaac (The Force Awakens) and Eva Green (Casino Royale) as potential leads for the power parents. The trailer combines these clips to create an experience that manages to both capture the creepy and kooky tone of the original series, while also re-imagining what a modern take on our favorite horrific family might look like.

However, while the trailer wasn’t real, the public support and demand for it most certainly is. Ever since the trailer came out, the fans have been clamoring for Netflix to make this fantasy into a reality. There’s even an unofficial petition to cast Christina Ricci (Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family movies) as Morticia. Personally, I think she looks perfect for the role, and it would bring things full circle in a delightfully sinister way.

Be that as it may, all of this is merely speculation. It’s up to Netflix, now, to decide whether or not they want to capitalize on this reborn fanbase. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, and snap twice. But until then, check out the trailer for yourself.

And, while we wait for Netflix to make up their minds, watch the original series over on Hulu. They might be creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, and altogether ooky; but the Addams are our favorite hilariously horrid family for a reason.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON April 13, 2017.

 

 

Show Title and Confirmed Cast (So Far) for FOX’s X-Men TV Show

Originally Published: 3.14.17

So, if you’re not already aware, there are a lot of X-Men projects in the works. First, there are the two X-Men films in production, titled X-Men: Supernova and X-Men: The New Mutants. For a while, two X-Men live action television series were on the docket, with only Legion making it to air (The Hellfire Club died in, well, the hellfire of the development stage – and, yes, I’m proud of that pun).

But from the hellfire (last time, I swear) rose another live action X-Men television show, like a phoenix from the ashes (but not the Dark Phoenix; see X-Men: Supernova for that madness). This show has been untitled for a long time, with over half the main cast announced before the name of the project they were attached to was.

But no longer. X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner shared, via the magic of Twitter, a behind-the-scenes picture of the cast and crew doing a script reading for the show. Within the text of the tweet, she revealed the show’s official title: “Gifted.”

The show follows two normal parents as their life is thrown into upheaval when their two children turn out to be mutants. In a world where Sentinels are the norm, the two parents have to protect their children from the government that is hunting them. They meet up with an underground group of mutants and join up their Star Wars: Rebels-esque cause.

Below is a fantastic Polaroid-lineup of the (known) main cast. Below that, I’ve included a list of who’s who, as well as their respective roles within the X-Men universe.

Alright, so here’s the skinny:

Stephen Moyer (True Blood) – Reed, who is the father of the family of four. He was also an attorney before everything went to crap. I’m interested in seeing how the writers of the show will tie that into his character.

Amy Acker (Person of Interest) – Caitlin, who is Reed’s estranged wife. Not much else is known about her character outside of that tidbit, but it is a juicy clue as to the internal conflict that the family will have to deal with (on top of the more pressing, Sentinel-sized ones).

Natalie Alyn Lind (Gotham) – Lauren. Hardly anything is known about this character outside of her name, and the fact that she’s the daughter of the family. Anyone involved with the show is being very mum about the nature of her powers, or even how they end up manifesting.

Percy Hynes White (Between) – He’ll be playing Andy, who is the son of the family. As with his “sister,” Lauren, nothing else is known about Andy’s character or mutant powers.

Blair Redford (Satisfaction) – Although Blair’s character was called “Sam” for a while, many believed that this was just a cover-name until the reveal of his mutant character. Well, as you can see from the tweet above, he’ll be playing Thunderbird. Now, whether or not he’ll be the “John Proudstar” Thunderbird, an original X-Men; his brother James (who took on the mantle after John died in his third issue); or even a completely new Thunderbird named Sam; has yet to be clarified. Whatever his human name, Thunderbird is the leader of the underground mutant movement. His powers mainly consist of having peak physical abilities, which includes enhanced strength, stamina, durability, speed, and superhuman senses.

Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time) – She’ll be replacing Bingbing Fan (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as my favorite non-Nightcrawler teleporting mutant, Blink aka Clarice Ferguson. I can already foresee her powers being extremely useful to an underground rebel group of mutants on the run. I just hope that they actually give her the beautiful, striking pink skin and hair that is so iconic about her character. Oh, and also the crystal-like teleporting stun javelins. Those are awesome.

Emma Dumont (Aquarius) – Polaris aka Lorna Dane, aka the lesser-known daughter of Magneto. While she takes after daddy dearest with her incredibly powerful powers of magnetism, later on in her arc she also gains invulnerability, super-strength, and the ability to increase her body in size. So there’s certainly a lot for the writers to play around with, depending on how OP they decide to make her. I really don’t care, so long as they make sure to give her that fantastic green hair (in case you haven’t noticed, I’m huge into characters being properly portrayed).

Sean Teale (Incorporated) – He’ll be playing the newly-created mutant, Eclipse. This character doesn’t exist in the known X-Men canon and was created just for the purpose of the show. Eclipse’s “human name” is Marcos Diaz, and his powers include the ability to absorb and manipulate photons. What this will look like on screen is a complete mystery, but I can’t wait to see it for myself and find out!

Coby Bell (Burn Notice) – While the ultimate role of Jace Turner in the show is still unknown, we do know that he’s a “weathered man who quietly wrestles with the moral ambiguities of a job that regularly requires cold-blooded, calculating efficiency on a day-to-day basis.” I’m thinking that this means that Jace might work for the government in hunting down mutants, but is conflicted. Granted, it’s just a theory, but at the moment that’s all I have: theories.

And that’s all the cast that we know so far. The pilot was written by Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice; and the incredibly talented and X-Men canon-savvy Bryan Singer will be directing it. With so much fantastic talent already all lined up, I really don’t see this show going the way of The Hellfire Club. The pilot is set to start filming this month, and I’ll be counting down the days until I can binge it via Netflix or Hulu!

That being said, I’ll leave you with this last picture of the Gifted cast (this is how I’ll be posing in all my photographs from now on, just FYI):

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MARCH 14, 2017.

 

 

Dead Men Tell No Tales – Except In Newest Poster and Trailer Release

Originally Published: 3.4.17

Yo ho, haul together,
hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars;
never shall we die. 

And, apparently, neither shall the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, even though the films have steadily decreased in story quality with each sequel to the original, I have high hopes for the newest installment: Dead Men Tell No Tales. A few days ago, on March 1st, a new poster for the film was released; and it looks all kinds of awesome:

Look! Undead-ghost-sharks! I didn’t know how much I needed these in my life until this very moment.

Also, as you can see from the poster, Geoffrey Rush (Genius) will be reprising his role as Barbossa, Johnny Depp (Mortdecai) as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Jack the Monkey as, well… Jack the Monkey. Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings) will also return as Will Turner, Captain of the Flying Dutchman.

However, there are plenty of new faces and characters for us to enjoy. The story seems to follow Henry, played by Brenton Thwaites (The Giver), who is obviously Will Turner’s son (even if IMDb won’t confirm it). From the previous trailer(s) we know that the mysterious, undead Captain Salazar, played by Javier Bardem (Skyfall) has it out for Jack Sparrow (at this point, who doesn’t?). In super-creepy, yet undeniably fantastic fashion, Salazar gave Henry a message: “Tell [Jack Sparrow], death will come straight for him… Will you say that to him, please?”

And, as the newest trailer shows, Henry manages to find Jack and pass on the message. It’s uncanny, how easily Turners are able to find Jack Sparrow. It’s almost as uncanny as how often the place that they find Jack turns out to be a cell of some sort.

Anyway, before I continue, check out the new trailer (released March 2nd) below:

It’s clear that the writers of Dead Men Tell No Tales are returning to their roots, to what made Curse of the Black Pearl so great. There’s a lot in the new trailer that recalls the first film: undead captains with really cool flow-y hair, witty banter and snarky one-liners, Captain Jack Sparrow shenanigans, and fast-paced action.

However, there is a lot that’s different; twists that create so many wonderful questions. For instance, the “Elizabeth Swann” of the film is named Carina Smyth, played by Kaya Scodelario (Maze Runner). She’s apparently an astronomer, and one of our first introductions to her involves Henry saving her from being publicly hanged (which is a really interesting switch from Jack Sparrow being on the gallows in Curse of the Black Pearl). Why is Carina being hanged? Why does Henry want to be “allies” with her? And what does Jack Sparrow need her for?

Other moments from the trailer – the flashbacks to young Jack Sparrow, and whatever he did to Captain Salazar; the Black Pearl in the bottle, a callback to On Stranger Tides); and the freaky-weird but super awesome undead-ghost-sharks – all add up to, what I hope will be, a truly awesome Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

If the writers have nailed that perfect blend of intricate story, hilariously memorable characters, and clever, snappy dialogue, Dead Men Tell No Taleswill be a surefire hit. Just the hints of those things in the trailer is the reason why I’ll be seeing it opening night (May 26th, 2017).

Oh, and did I mention the super cool undead-ghost-sharks? Yeah, those too.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON March 4, 2017.

 

 

James McAvoy Hints at His Return for New X-Men Film… But Which One?

Originally published: 2.27.17

With it confirmed that Logan will be Patrick Stewart‘s (Star Trek) last appearance as the iconic character Professor X, it seems like James McAvoy(Split) is stepping up to the plate in a big way.

A few days ago, James McAvoy posted this pic to instagram:

 

Predictably, the internet exploded with speculation. While it was clear that McAvoy was referring to reprising his role as young-Professor X, the real question was this:

Which X-Men project was James McAvoy referring to?

The man not Professor Charles Xavier (in both pictures) is Simon David Kinberg, who is a known producer of the reboot X-Men films, two of which he also co-wrote. It’s therefore logical to assume that the film to which McAvoy is referring to is the upcoming X-Men: Supernova; especially considering that Kinberg has been rumored to not only write the X-Men: Apocalypse sequel, but also to make his directorial debut on it.

While this has not yet been confirmed, it has been confirmed that Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) will be returning as Jean Grey, which only fuels the rumors that the plot of X-Men: Supernova will attempt to take on the Dark Phoenix storyline. And, hopefully, do a far better job than the now-retconned X-Men: The Last Stand film did.

Now I know what you’re thinking. With all this evidence, why is there any debate on which project McAvoy is referring to?

Well, it’s because James McAvoy has also been (basically) confirmed to return as Professor X in the upcoming X-Men: The New Mutants film. While McAvoy‘s involvement is still technically only rumored, Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) has been confirmed as the director for the project.

Speaking of Josh Boone and things that have / haven’t been confirmed, Maisie Williams (also Game of Thrones) has long been rumored to star in the film as Rahne Sinclair aka Wolfsbane. And, on February 11th, Josh tweeted this:

As you can see, Maisie has been tagged in the tweet. Now whether or not this is Josh saying that she’s 100% confirmed for the role is still, well… unconfirmed. Man, these X-Men types like to drop vague hints more than Wolverine drops “bubs.”

Anyway, both projects have been rumored to start filming this summer (I know, again with the rumors). Two projects, one with two confirmed actors and one unconfirmed director, the other with a confirmed directed but two unconfirmed actors. Are both being filmed, or just one while they iron out the deets on the other? A lot is still up in the air, but one question still remains:

Which Stark girl will McAvoy be working with this summer? Sansa or Arya? Or will he pull double-duty and work with both?

Only time will tell. Well, time, or the next vague unconfirmed hint or clue that someone related to the X-Men films drops, which will just whip the rumor-mills into overdrive again.

Until then, here’s a New Mutants cinematic that I found on YouTube. Although it’s doubtful that it has anything to do with the actual film (and it has no audio), it’s action-packed enough to warrant a watch. And, if it is an animated scene from the script, then I have a lot of questions. What’s Illyana Rasputin aka Magik doing with Kitty Pryde‘s dragon, Lockheed? Why is Wolfsbane pushing a gurney with an unconscious Dani Moonstar aka Mirage upon it (and why is she unconscious)? And why are Sam Guthrie aka Cannonball‘s hands and arms bandaged?

So many questions, each more intriguing than the last. But don’t just take my word for it; watch the video:

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED With Pop Culture Pipe Bomb, ON February 27, 2016.

 

 

The Film Future Of “Uncharted” Is A Little, Well… Uncharted

Originally Published: 9.3.16

As someone who finally got a PlayStation and then proceeded to binge all four Uncharted games in a week (who needs sleep?), I have a deep and abiding love for the fantastic characters of the games. From the disaster-prone and clever Nathan Drake, to the brilliant and bad-a Elena Fisher, to the snarky and loyal Victor Sullivan, I grew invested in their crazy adventures and intricate stories.

So when I heard that Sony was planning to make a live-action Uncharted film, I lost my mind. In late July, Joe Carnahan (The Grey, writer and director) was confirmed as the writer for film, although his current production schedule prohibited him from directing it. Other people attached to making the film happen are producers Charles Roven (Man of Steel) and Avi Arad (The Amazing Spider-Man).

However, don’t get your hopes up. Recently, Sony took the Uncharted film off of their production schedule. The film was originally slated to be released June 30th, 2017, and has been in the works since 2009. But rather than just get a “TBA” or be moved to a different release date – because, even if they got all their ducks in a row today, it’s extremely unlikely that they could have a completed film in less than a year – like other delayed major motion pictures, Uncharted was removed from the production schedule altogether.

Some speculate that this could mean that the film was cancelled entirely.

But wait! I have some (admittedly weak) evidence to the contrary. The same day that the removal was announced, writer Joe Carnahan tweeted that he had just finished the opening scene in the script – and that it was “REALLY GOOD.”

It would be really odd to announce something like that the same day as a cancellation, right? So, maybe, the film is just being postponed for a long time, and so they just decided to take it off the production schedule until they figured everything out? Maybe? Hopefully?

So I guess you can sorta kinda get your hopes up. I don’t know. It’s kind of an emotional roller coaster at this point.

So don’t be disappointed. But don’t get your hopes up too high, either. Maybe keep them at a reasonable level (or a wee bit lower), so that, if a later release date for the film is announced, you’re pleasantly surprised (and if it remains cancelled indefinitely, the pain won’t hurt so much).

Personally, I’m going to be crossing my fingers and knocking on wood everyday until I hear that the film is back on track. If they keep to the video game formula of incredible visuals, engaging story, and brilliant and dynamic characters, they’ll have a truly fantastic movie. If Sony accurately captures the relationship between Nate, Elena, and Sully, they’ll easily capture themselves a box-office hit.

So here’s hoping that they’re just pushing the release date back until 2018.

But until I find out for certain, in the words of Victor Sullivan, I’ll be “sweatin’ like a hooker in church” (but for different reasons, obviously).

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON September 3, 2016.

 

 

Hayley Joins The Call For A Netflix Revival Of Agent Carter – Do Your Part And Sign the Petition!

Originally Published: 6.7.16

Peggy Carter is a strong, incredible, kick-ass character. She’s a competent woman in a time when women were still an underestimated and repressed majority.

She’s brilliant, oh so clever, and her confident statement – “I Know My Value” – has inspired hundreds of thousands of fans, as well as their tattoos, cosplays, and fan art.

Agent Carter is, in my opinion, one of the best Marvel shows aired outside of Netflix. And I’m not the only one who holds this belief, as the outcry from those selfsame fans upon the cancellation of Agent Carter was explosive, and as fierce as their gun-toting role model.

Within hours of the news of ABC’s massive blunder, one particular fan, Arnau S., started a petition to bring the show to Netflix.

With a day we had thousands of votes. Within a week, 75,000. As it stands, three weeks after the petition was first launched, we now have over 119,000 votes.

If you wish to add your voice to the rallying cry, click on the link below:

Save Agent Carter, Bring Her to NETFLIX – Petition

But ABC had already signed Hayley Atwell (the fantastic actress who embodies Peggy Carter) for their newest show Conviction. As long as the network that abandoned Agent Carter kept Hayley busy, could our petitions and votes every amount to anything?

Don’t lose hope yet, Lipstick Commandoes! Hayley Atwell herself has stepped up to the plate, stating that she is completely committed to reviving Peggy Carter and bringing her to Netflix.

In Hayley’s own words, she’d be willing to “shoot on the weekends”, if she had to – anything to give Agent Carter the run it deserves.

We’d get a wrap-up for that insane cliffhanger that season 2 left us with. And, according to Hayley, we might get some more of Peggy’s backstory – more specifically, her mysterious past and the events that created the fantastic heroine that we all adore.

“The showrunners were talking about a kind of twist, I suppose… something to do with the family,” she said. “They suggested there’d be more to do with my brother.”

The hints and clues and teasers are fantastic, making me ask questions that I’d never considered before.

As for whether or not we’ll see Peggy turn the S.S.R. into S.H.I.E.L.D., Hayley has this to say: “I think I’m going to save that for my own movie.”

The crowd exploded into riotous applause – and rightfully so.

Peggy needs – no, she deserves – to have her story told right, told well, and told in its entirety.

[SPOILERS]

Just because Peggy died in Captain America: Civil War, it doesn’t mean that her story is over.

[END SPOILERS]

And hopefully the epic combination and team-up of Hayley Atwell and us, her ardent fans, will convince Netflix of this fact.

So far, with Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Netflix has been my hero in terms of Marvel TV shows. With they pull through again, and save another hero?

We know Peggy’s value.

Does Netflix?

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON JUNE 7, 2016.

 

 

Devil and Spider and Kingpin, Oh My! – Whispers of a Most EPIC Crossover

Originally Published: 6.4.16

The Kingpin of Crime.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

All three of these fantastic, iconic characters might converge into one, amazing storyline. Nothing has been confirmed by ‘the superpowers that be’, but both Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox (the incredibly actors who play Kingpin and Daredevil, respectively, in Netflix’s original show) have expressed vocal and enthusiastic interest in pairing with (or against) our favorite web-slinger.

For those not in the know (and if you’re not, shame on you), Kingpin is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic and frequent villains. And, in his own way, one of the most dangerous. Kingpin is a criminal genius, and always has contingency plans upon backup plans upon master plans, all of them revolving around either furthering his underground empire, or squashing Spider-Man like a bug (pun intended). Pair that with Kingpin’s unnatural strength and utterly ruthless character, and you have one incredibly formidable villain – one that has frequently beaten Spider-Man, in fact.

On a different note, Daredevil and Spider-Man actually team up quite a lot in the comics. They frequently have each other’s backs. Charlie Cox himself pointed out that, in one particularly memorable occasion, Matt Murdock had to defend Daredevil. So Spider-Man put on Daredevil’s costume so that Matt could defend him without revealing his identity.

I’m extremely partial to the idea of Daredevil and Spider-Man pairing up, because they’re basically two sides of the same coin.

Although he is a devout Catholic, Matt Murdock is dark and jaded, because he’s had to fight for every inch against a world that continues to either try and break him, or underestimate him. He constantly hears the suffering of his city – the gritty and the bloody and the horrifying – and it has forced him to, in his own way, become like that. Yes, Hell’s Kitchen needs Daredevil. But it also made him.

On the flip side, Peter Parker (while a Christian) is a devout scientist. He’s a boy genius, who life went far too quickly from dodging bullies and hopeless crushes to dodging bullets and crushing villains. Although his origin story started with death (his Uncle Ben), Peter took a terrible situation and turned it around in the only way he knew how – by using his situation to better the lives of those around him. We all know his famous quote, but we very rarely understand how much he sacrifices for it. He may mask it all with quick comebacks and witty humor, but Spider-Man has lost much – his uncle, his girlfriend, his best friend, his aunt – all in the name of “with great power comes great responsibility”.

Spider-Man and Daredevil both care about the little guy, the every-man (and woman). While the Avengers and Doctor Strange and the Fantastic Four all deal with world-ending and extraterrestrial dangers (sometimes of their own making), they pay very little attention to what happens below skyscraper-level. While they might believe that the suffering of the few outweighs the loss of the many, to Daredevil and Spider-Man, that is never an acceptable solution or compromise.

That’s why, although they might have occasional team-ups with the Avengers, Daredevil and Spider-Man will always work better as vigilantes, as solo acts who occasionally ‘help a brother out’.

Anyway, to bring it all in – I’m 100% behind these two worlds converging. With the end of season 2 of Daredevil featuring the Kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire from prison, there’s a very real chance that he could escape in time to torment Spider-Man. And where Kingpin goes, you better believe Daredevil will follow.

So let’s cross our fingers, knock on wood, and pray to the gods of geekdom that these two worlds and mediums collide. It promises to be nothing short of fantastic – and would open a huge range of possibilities, crossover-wise, between the television and film worlds.

The 2017 film is to be called Spider-Man: Homecoming (and don’t worry, it won’t be another origin story).

So come on, Marvel – bring it home.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON JUNE 4, 2016.

 

 

The Villain For Sherlock Series 4 Has Been Cast – And He’s Perfect!

Originally Published: 5.25.16

Ever since the Victorian special episode, waiting for news about the next series of Sherlock has been like waiting for flying cars to exist – we can hope really hard, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to get anything.

Except now we have something! Just a small thing, hardly anything really, but it’ll be enough to keep me excited and hopeful (I swear, they plan it like this).

But I won’t keep you waiting any longer.

We have a villain for Series 4!

That’s right, you read that correctly. Toby Jones (Captain America, Harry Potter, Hunger Games), who’s perhaps one of my all-time favorite creepy villain actors, will be filling the role of Sherlock’s newest nemesis.

Exactly which villain he’ll be playing, however, is still a mystery.

The only information that writer, EP, and co-creator Steven Moffat has for us is this: “Delighted to have Toby Jones on board, bringing to life one of [Sir Arthur Conan] Doyle’s finest villains.”

But which villain?!

The anticipation for the next series of Sherlock is killing me – just throw me off Reichenbach now and I’ll return, perfectly on time yet terribly inconveniently, for Series 4. The fact that we’ve still got a year until it airs… the anticipation is just awful (and yet, so very delicious, don’t you agree?).

All we know about Series 4 is that Sherlock is back in London (or at least on British soil), and that John and Mary Watson are preparing for having a child.

I can’t wait to see what terrible things Toby Jones has in store for our beloved characters.

But more than that, I can’t wait to see Sherlock’s reaction to a tiny human – messy, illiterate, illogical things that they are.

Sadly, there’s no teaser or promo trailer for Series 4 yet, so here’s the trailer for the Victorian special episode that I mentioned at the beginning. Hope you enjoy!

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MAY 25, 2016.

 

 

Frequency Gets a TV Show Remake… And It Looks Amazing!

Originally Published: 5.25.16

Tune in to this blast from the past remake about a literal blast from the past (but not the 1999 Brendan Fraser film of the same name).

Frequency, a film from the year 2000, is getting a television show reboot.

Now that you know that, reread the first sentence a few times. I promise it makes sense.

For those not in the know, Frequency is a fantastic thriller starring Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest, The Passion of the Christ) and Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Pandorum).

The story revolves around a long-dead father and his now-grown son, connected over time via an old radio and a freak electrical storm.

Caviezel (the son), who’s now a cop, attempts to change the past by saving his father (Quaid) from the fire that killed him when Caviezel was just a kid.

But in doing so, they spark a chain reaction that spirals into chaos. I’ll try not to spoil anything else, but if you’re interested, here’s the trailer:

But that’s enough about the film. CW is now remaking the film into a television series – but it seems the only thing they’ve taken from the original is the concept, as the stories are drastically different.

For one, it’s about a daughter and her father. Peyton List (The Tomorrow People, Flashforward) will play Raimy Sullivan, with the role of her father, Frank Sullivan, played by Riley Smith (Radio, New York Minute).

Two, not only is she a cop – she’s a cop following in her father’s footsteps (in the original film, the father was a fireman).

Three, her father was killed while on the trail of a serial killer – a serial killer that’s been silent until the old ham radio connects Raimy and Frank through time.

After she warns Frank of his impending death, she somehow – improbably, impossibly – manages to save her father’s life. But things devolve rapidly from there, as the daughter’s life begins to fall apart.

Instead of her father dying, her mother dies at the hands of the serial killer. Instead of having a loving almost-fiancé, he has no idea who she is and has never met her.

Is there a way for her to fix her life, catch the serial killer, and save her mother and her father?

I don’t know… but I’m extremely excited to find out.

Here’s the trailer – I know that I’ll be hulu-ing (yes, it’s now a word, deal with it) the heck out of this show when it comes out this fall!

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MAY 25, 2016.

 

 

Harley Quinn Set To Star In An All-Female Superhero Film – Go DC!

Originally Published: 5.20.16

Hey all you ‘pumpkins’ and ‘puddins’ out there, check it: Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad’s very own Harley Quinn, is producing and starring in an all-female superhero movie!

It’s about freaking time, amiright?

This won’t even be the first female-led superhero film. DC’s Wonder Woman is set to release next year, with Israeli actress Gal Gadot reprising her role from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Despite the fact that Marvel had a ridiculous head start on this whole superhero movie trend, DC continues to pull ahead in terms of diversity and mold-shattering.

Meanwhile, Marvel is frustratingly dragging their heels on their one female superhero film: Captain Marvel. Production has been delayed twice, with the estimated release date now tentatively set for 2019. Marvel doesn’t even have an actress lined up to play the powerful and popular Carol Danvers – or, if they do, they’ve stayed mum on the subject. Shoot, they don’t even have a director.

Setting that aside, the thing that really gets my goat is the lack of a Black Widow film. I mean, seriously? Yes, Marvel’s been making some ‘noises’ about finally creating one, about how a film starring Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff is at the ‘top of their wishlist’.

Frankly, the fact that Marvel has the next eight male-led films lined out, but we’re only getting vague whispers of a film for one of the most hard-hitting, dynamic, powerful, brilliant, clever, intriguing, backstory-rich characters of the MCU – shoot, the entire Marvel-verse, period – is incredibly frustrating.

C’mon Marvel, you’re doing great almost everywhere else! Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Agents of SHIELD… why do you continue to fall short on the big screen? (I’m not going to give you Agent Carter… dropping her is an unconscionable mistake and tragedy. Shame on you, Marvel. Shame.)

… … …

Whew. Sorry for that rant. Now lets talk about what DC is doing right.

Even though Dawn of Justice got mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, Warner Brothers and DC continued to produce and film Wonder Woman.

When Margot Robbie pitched the idea for an all-female super- and anti-hero film, Warner Bros picked it up right away, despite the fact that Suicide Squad hasn’t even been released in theaters.

Basically, DC and Warner Brothers have realized something that Marvel has yet to comprehend – that female superhero films shouldn’t rely on whether or not their male-counterpart films are successful. They should be allowed to stand on their own, because they’re heroes and bad-asses in their own right.

And what a line-up of bad-asses, too. Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Katana, and Bumblebee.

For those who aren’t complete tenth-level geeks, lemme give you a brief description of each super-heroine.

Harley Quinn: an incredibly complex, unique anti-hero. Her story is fantastically layered. Yes, she is a young woman who fell in with the wrong guy. And yes, that guy frequently beats, puts down, and nearly kills her. And yes, like the battered-wife cliché, she always returns to him. But she’s so much stronger than just that. She does have a set of morals (even if they’re easily screwed by her ‘Mistah Jay’). She does often want to do the right thing. She has a close (if complicated) relationship with Batgirl and Poison Ivy. She does eventually stand up for herself and metamorphasize into an amazingly strong, dynamic anti-hero. I will always love her, and I have high hopes for Margot Robbie’s portrayal of her. She clearly not the version from the original Batman show that I came to know and love, but Margot has the potential to make her own, unique version of the ever-famous harlequin.

Poison Ivy: although she’s often drawn very scantily clad, Ivy is an environmentalist at heart. Well, more of an eco-terrorist, but you get the idea. She loves the earth and wants to protect it from all those who are destroying it. She’s a brilliant scientist, who uses a combination of toxins and pheromones from her plants to commit her ‘evil deeds’ – although most of those selfsame deeds are to protect endangered species and the environment. She has an extremely close relationship with Harley Quinn, a sort of very-close-forever-friends-with-benefits-sometimes. Ivy also sometimes has a relationship with Batman, but we won’t get into that right now.

Batgirl: does she really need an explanation? I will say that I hope she’s the Barbara Gordon incarnation of Batgirl. Daughter of Commissioner Gordon, she has an incredibly unshakable sense of justice and right and wrong. She pushed herself to become a crime fighter all on her own, without the Bat-training that Robin had. And, of course, who doesn’t love a redhead that can kick ass like a boss?

Birds of Prey: this is a comic book team that has a long and complicated history, with a wide range of different female members. The team was originally founded by Black Canary (Dinah Lance) and Barbara Gordon (called Oracle at the time), although two other potential main characters we might see are Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) and Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake). There are a ton of possibilities, here.

Katana: another character from the upcoming Suicide Squad film, Tatsu has an intricate and incredibly sad ‘origin story’. Two brothers loved her, but she loved only one, Maseo. When she married Maseo and had two children with him, his brother, Takeo, become consumed with jealousy, and killed Maseo with a magical katana. In the fight, a fire was started, and while Tatsu was distracted defeating Takeo and taking his swords, her children were caught in the blaze. Encouraged to flee by the soul of her husband within the sword, Tatsu barely escaped with her life, and began training under a samurai master. Shortly after her ‘graduation’, she moved to the United States to become a superhero.

Bumblebee: she is DC’s first African American superhero. I knew and fell in love with her during the show Teen Titans (the original, amazing version, not this new baby-fied monstrosity). She is absolutely brilliant, and although she has no superpowers of her own, she created her own super-powered battle suit. It enhances her in every way, and gives her the ability to fly and shoot electrical blasts that mimic bee stings. She’s all kinds of sassy, and I can’t wait to see who’ll play her.

And that’s it. Sorry for the long nerd-splosion, but I wanted to be sure that you’d appreciate how fantastically awesome this upcoming film is.

An all-female super- and anti-hero film, pitched and produced by Margot Robbie, picked up by Warner Bros, and directed by an as-of-yet-unnamed female director… this has all the makings of something new and revolutionary and perfect.

It’s about time we got a carnage film where chicks get to blow a bunch of stuff up.

Bring. It. On.

For those who are interested, here’s the trailer for Suicide Squad, starring the fantastic Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, who’s now my absolute hero. Here’s hoping that the tone of her film is just as fun and violent as this one.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MAY 20, 2016.

 

 

Russell T. Davies’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” BBC One Trailer Review

Originally Published: 5.19.16

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All ye Kings and Queens, Knights and Nobles! I implore thee to lend thine ears to this most glorious news, straight from the halls of BBC One itself!

Whovians, perk your ears.

Russell T. Davies, the brilliant writer who returned the joy of Doctor Who to millions of fans, both old and new (and borrowed and blue), has now decided to reboot another classic – albeit a little bit older than the idea of a mad man in a blue box.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

That’s right, you read that correctly. Rather than giving us nightmares of the dark, gas masks, and angel statues, Davies will now be dabbling in faeries, donkey-men, and walls named Snout.

Speaking of Snout, guess who’s playing him? Lemme give you Whovians a few hints: he played a companion in the 1966 Doctor Who film, he (sadly) knocked three times, and he’s the brilliant granddad of the illustrious Doctor Donna. That’s right, Bernard Cribbins will be reuniting with Davies, as he plays the hilarious ‘wall within a play’, within the play (I know it doesn’t seem it, but that sentence makes total sense).

It’s a straight up Whovian reunion, as the crew that worked with Davies to reboot Doctor Who is the same crew that’ll be working with him on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Basically, it’s guaranteed to be amazing.

Or, rather, worked with him, as the 90-minute reinvention of the hilarious, iconic Shakespearean play is already in post-production. It’ll be released on BBC One at the end of May (THIS MONTH!). As a matter of fact, pre-screening of this film was on May 6th in Cardiff (tickets disappeared ridiculously fast, I’m told). I can’t believe Davies snuck this up on us like this.

Wait… yeah, actually, I can.

Interesting note, there’s also a couple more things that Davies is sneaking in his reimagined version of this love-struck comedy – like a lesbian kiss between Titania, Queen of the Faeries, and the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta.

When questioned regarding this ‘controversial’ decision, Davies had this to say:

“My feeling about the end of the play is that Titania is submissive to Oberon and he gets away with his tricks. It’s very male-female, male-female, so I wanted to have a man with a man, a man who was dressed as a woman with a man, and a woman with a woman because it’s 2016, so that’s the world now … The plays reinvent themselves constantly, every generation does them differently, so if there’s a problem kiss me instead!”

I think I’ll pass. But setting aside the ‘modernization’ fuss that old Shakespearian fogies are trumpeting, the play is set in Greece. As a matter of fact, it revolves around the marriage of the Duke of Athens and the Queen of the Amazons. And Greece is a notoriously sexual and open culture. I mean, you’d be hard pressed to find a society more sexually open and accepting than ancient Greece.

Anyway, setting that aside, I’m super excited for this newest adaptation of what is definitely my second favorite Shakespeare play (I don’t care how cliché I sound, Hamlet is and always will be my favorite).

There is an all-star cast of characters. Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice, Silk, Theory of Everything) is starring as Titania, with her on-stage, tempestuous husband to be played by Nonso Anozie (Zoo, Cinderella, Game of Thrones). Their human-world counterparts, Theseus and Hippolyta, will be played by John Hannah (Spartacus, The Mummy, Atlantis) and Eleanor Matsuura (Alan Partridge, MI-5, Cuffs), respectively. Hiran Abeysekera (Lion in the Tent) will star as the ever-mischievous Puck, and Matt Lucas will be the hapless and hilarious Bottom (Alice in Wonderland, Little Britain, Pompidou).

But it’s not just a bunch of hard-hitting, ‘the most British Brits that ever Britished’ that will star in this fantastic film-adaptation. There’s a whole bunch of new talent that will be taking to the stage – erm, screen.

Outside of Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe) as Helena, the other three love-befuddled youths are all completely new faces. Paapa Essiedu is the ever-determined Demetrius, Prisca Bakare is the fourth-wheel Hermia, and Matthew Tennyson will play the besotted Lysander.

About his unique, hodge-podge cast, Davies had this to say: “This is such an exciting range of actors from stage and screen, from wild comedy to high drama, and some making their first ever appearance on camera. The Dream is coming to life like never before.”

And for Russell T. Davies, this truly is a dream. When the drama was first announced, Davies admitted that remaking A Midsummer Night’s Dream with BBC has been a dream of his for his entire adult life.

In his words: “…only the BBC can put on a play like this, for all the family, smack-bang in the heart of primetime. With a riot of prosthetics, CGI, magic and action, it needs the brilliant Doctor Who team in Cardiff to bring it to life.”

With such a perfect combination of passion, talent, and skill, how can this be anything other than fantastic? I’ve got high hopes, and can’t wait for it to air.

Knowing my luck, it won’t release in the US for another six months. Oh well, there’s always iTunes…

UPDATE: Here’s the teaser trailer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Russell T. Davies:

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WITH SKATRONIXXX, BEFORE THEY BECAME POP CULTURE PIPE BOMB, ON MAY 19, 2016.

 

Banner Image Credit by: Nick Keppol