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Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 4, 2014 in Anime 
No, Ghibli is not dead. However, it appears that When Marnie Was There could be the final film animated in-house at Studio Ghibli — at least for the immediate future — if a planned restructuring happens. Producer Toshio Suzuki spoke on the MBS program Jounetsu Tairiku and said that the production studio is considering shutting down, as no new films are in the pipeline. Goro Miyazaki is directing a CGI TV series made by Polygon Pictures, Hayao Miyazaki has retired, Isao Takahata will probably not be making another film, and Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s Marnie didn’t do well in theaters. All of this means that (if true) Ghibli will essentially be taking a break, and the animators will be let go for now. If the studio comes up with another film to do, they may bring everyone back, or they could simply remain as a company shell solely for licensing merchandise and film rights. Time will tell! Read more…
Tags: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli, Toshio Suzuki
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 4, 2014 in Cinema 
Someone in Hollywood is taking note of the recent success of female-led films: Ghostbusters 3 is getting some significant changes. While I still wonder if the film will happen at all, some recent strides have made it more likely. Sony is reportedly refocusing the movie on a team of female Ghostbusters, and Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) is being eyed to direct. While Bill Murray has refused to commit to the film, Dan Aykroyd has said he’ll return. I think setting up a new team in this film is a smart idea, as you’ll never replicate the original crew, plus having it be all women is a cool twist. I’d be okay with this version of Ghostbusters 3 actually getting made… but it still remains to be seen if that’ll actually happen. Read more…
Tags: Ghostbusters
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 3, 2014 in Cinema 
And no, it will not have aliens in it. The Martin has been scheduled as Ridley Scott’s next film, arriving November 15th, 2015. The tale is based off of Andy Weir’s 2012 novel of the same name, which follows an astronaut stranded on Mars when his crew leaves him behind. Believed dead and with very few resources to survive, the astronaut Mark Watney struggles to live in the harsh Martian environment until help can arrive… if it ever does! (Insert typical dramatic trailer music here.) This seems like a good fit for Scott (Apollo 13 meets Castaway, essentially), but I’m sure some fans will be upset he’s not doing Prometheus 2. Or that supposed Blade Runner sequel. I think this could turn out well, though — it’s definitely more appealing to me than Exodus! Read more…
Tags: Ridley Scott, The Martian
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 3, 2014 in Cinema 
Jon Favreau has been hard at work on a Jungle Book live-action and CGI hybrid film for Disney. To be honest, I wasn’t really keeping an eye on it, but the cast has steadily been increasing in both size and talent, so now I’m starting to pay attention. Bill Murray has been the most recent addition to the cast, playing Baloo. There’s some power casting! Along with Murray will be Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, and as Mowgli, newcomer Neel Sethi. Wow! Talk about a star-studded cast. I really hope that the complete package turns out well, because otherwise it would be a shame to squander so many talented folks! Read more…
Tags: Jungle Book
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 2, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
LEGO Cuusoo has morphed into LEGO Ideas — same project, just a different name. Their latest fan-made creation turned real set? The Exo Suit. The large grey robotic suit helps the two green space minifigures transport materials and excavate moon rocks on their various expeditions. The set is a bit more complicated than your average model but features lots of cool parts and tons of poseability. It’s $35 and comes out today on LEGO’s website and LEGO stores. Good luck getting one though, as this set reportedly has a small production run. The website currently predicts more will be available within 30 days, so let’s hope LEGO kicks it up a notch! Read more…
Tags: Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 2, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Thanos plays only a small part in Guardians of the Galaxy, but the parts are slowly falling into place for the third phase of the Marvel movie universe. At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel showed a video featurette that recapped the last two phases of the universe that will culminate in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s an impressive feat to see everything side by side, as one cohesive world. They’ve also released an official image of Thanos, so you can start to imagine what Avengers 3 might be like. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: Marvel, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 1, 2014 in Fandom 
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy is out today, so take a moment and check out this fan-made trailer (commissioned by Marvel, though), which features many popular bits remade in LEGO form. It uses the official minifigures from the LEGO Guardians sets, so you can probably remake your own version with a little bit of time and dedication… on your kitchen table. Forrest Whaley and Sean Willets made this YouTube video, and the editing and smoothness of the whole affair is pretty impressive! I’ve embedded it below the jump. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 1, 2014 in Cinema 
It’s not long now until Christopher Nolan’s next film arrives. Interstellar will show up in November, but until then you’ll have to make due with this new trailer. It features all the hallmarks of a Nolan production: interesting visuals, overly cheesy dialogue, and a solid cast. I’m really loving the cinematography and stellar imagery here, and I hope the alien worlds are as interesting as the glimpses in the trailer. McConaughey seems to be doing a good job too (but he’s been on a roll recently anyway). Check out the trailer and then begin your waiting! Read more…
Tags: Christopher Nolan, Interstellar
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 28, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Things are still looking rosy over in Mavel-land! At their panel at Comic-Con, they teased the next few film they have lined up, namely Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. They showed footage for both as well, but Ant-Man’s footage was concept footage as opposed to Ultron’s mostly-finished clips. Also released was some cool concept art for both films, one a piecemeal poster featuring the Avengers fighting a crowd of Ultron bots, the other featuring… ants! Check them out below. Lastly, James Gunn came out and announced that he’ll be directing Guardians of the Galaxy 2, scheduled for July 28th, 2017. The whole cast will be returning, too. Nice! Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 28, 2014 in Cinema 
Legendary Pictures confirmed at Comic-con that yes: Godzilla is back with Gareth Edwards directing. And for the sequel, he’ll be bringing some friends as well. The studio explicitly mentioned King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan on their Twitter account, although they didn’t specify if they’d all feature in the next film or be spread out over later sequels. They also teased several other monster from Toho may arrive in other “franchise installments” as well. Legendary also revealed (in partnership with Universal) a new King Kong film, Skull Island, which is set for November 4th 2016, and will focus on the titular island. Hey guys, now that you have that link, can we get a Godzilla vs. King Kong movie? Oh, and Pacific Rim is under your umbrella too, so toss some more kaiju and a Jaeger in there too. Thank me later. Read more…
Tags: Gareth Edwards, Godzilla, King Kong, San Diego Comic-Con 2014, Toho
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 27, 2014 in Television 
It’s time for casting again as Game of Thrones circles around for its fifth season. The cast list is ever-growing: Alexander Siddig will play Doran Martell, DeOBia Oparei will play Areo Hotah, the High Sparrow will be played by Jonathan Pryce, and for the Sand Snakes Nymeria, Tyene, and Obara: Jessica Henwick, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, and Keisha Castle-Hughes (respectively). I’ve included the rest below, but you might notice something: there are plenty more characters introduced in this segment of the story! Are they being cut entirely (more and more likely), or have they not finished the casting yet? Also included below: a blooper video from season 4! Read more…
Tags: Game of Thrones
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 27, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
After all this time, it looks like Marvel may have finally found their Doctor Strange. But I don’t think anyone was expecting an actor like Joaquin Phoenix to be the name that would eventually rise to the top. In fact, he wasn’t mentioned at all during the entire rumor phase. Someone of Phoenix’s caliber would be a welcome addition to the Marvel stable, and I imagine they’re hoping his skill and star-power would help open up the magical universe of Marvel. While he hasn’t accepted the offer, he is in talks, and there have been several sightings of Phoenix picking up Doctor Strange comic books. I think it could be a surprising but great fit! Read more…
Tags: Doctor Strange, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 26, 2014 in Star Wars, Television 
Star Wars Rebels is making a big splash at SDCC! The entire first hour of the series premiered there, and excited fans got to watch it all. For those of us at home, however, Disney has released two new clips that give us a better look at the characters and world of the series. It definitely feels more homey now that it’s set closer to the original trilogy, but maybe I’m just happy to see Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters again. The Inquisitor’s lightsaber is as little silly with the spinning action, but I’ll let it slide for now. Check out the two clips below (and a new trailer)! Read more…
Tags: Star Wars: Rebels
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 26, 2014 in Videogames 
Despite Microsoft’s original content being shuttered, a few things escaped the flames, mainly Halo: Nightfall. It’s produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions and 343 Industries. It stars Mike Colter, and will be the lead-in to Halo 5: Guardians. Taking place on a fragment of the original Halo ring that has collided with a colony planet, Colter will play Locke (an ONI agent) as he encounters an ancient artifact. Evil, horror, strange biological attacks, you get the gist. It’ll be more Halo, but in a live-action format. The trailer looks cool enough! Check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Halo, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 25, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Are you ready for a grungy, stubbly Batman? With SDCC in full swing, it’s time to promote everything! A new photograph was tweeted out by set photographer Clay Enos of Ben Affleck in the new Batman outfit, looking as gruff and grim as ever — complete with pronounced, dimpled chin! The costume’s cowl and cape is also on display at SDCC, so check below the break for some images of that too! Overall it seems like people seem to like that costume, but the jury is still out on the person wearing it. We’ll see, eh? Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is coming May 6th, 2016… that’s a long ways away! Read more…
Tags: Batman v. Superman, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 25, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Legendary Pictures’ booth at SDCC is all about Guillermo del Toro. On one side is a section devoted to his upcoming haunted house film, Crimson Peak, and on the other, they’ve got a big Pacific Rim section. Featuring what, you might ask? An Oculus Rift experience! You can put on the headset and see through the eyes of a Jaeger pilot right alongside Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh. It’s non-interactive, so you’re just along for the ride, but you can look in every direction and watch the action happen as if you were really there. This uses the new DK2 Rifts, which are being sent out to developers as we speak, so we should see more Rift content in the near future! Read more…
Tags: oculus rift, Pacific Rim, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 21, 2014 in Star Wars 
Tread lightly, spoiler-avoiders! You may want to avoid this story. Badass Digest and Devin Farci recently posted a set of rumors about the plot setup for Star Wars Episode VII… and it sounds pretty solid. Farci doesn’t stick his neck out for anything other than the most reliable tidbits, so I’m inclined to believe this over other leaks. The basic gist? John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, the two main characters, discover a severed hand clutching a lightsaber. They realize it’s a “Jedi relic” and decide to return it. They then encounter Han Solo, Chewbacca, and others on their journey to return the saber, during which they discover a shocking fact: this is Luke’s lightsaber. So begins the hunt for Skywalker! Farci goes into extra detail there, so check it out if you want more. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 21, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
Hot Toys is at it again with more amazingly detailed figures, and Guardians of the Galaxy are the ones getting the special treatment. Rocket Raccoon and Groot are the two figures now up for pre-order, and they look pretty cool. Groot runs $200, and Rocket is $160. That seems a little odd, given how small Rocket is. If you’re going to get both, though, there is a $360 duo pack, which includes bonus items such as an angry hed for Groot and alternate hands. Pre-order Groot here, Rocket here, and the duo here. They’re planned to ship in March next year. More images below! Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Hot Toys
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 20, 2014 in Animation, Anime 
Studio Ghibli’s latest film, When Marnie Was There, has arrived in Japanese cinemas. Sadly, folks in the west will have to wait a little longer for the film, but until then, we can watch the latest trailer that features much more footage from Hiromasa Yonebayashi (who previously directed The Secret World of Arrietty). This is his second film, so I’m eagerly awaiting impressions from Japan to hear if the film is good. With Miyazaki now out of the picture (kind of), where Ghibli goes from here will be fascinating to watch. Can they cultivate the same creativity and passion Miyazaki previously delivered? It remains to be seen… but When Marnie Was There does look fascinating. Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Studio Ghibli
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 20, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
After all this time, Space Invaders is finally getting adapted. Yup, Warner Bros. and producers Akiva Goldsman, Joby Harold, and Tory Tunnell will produce a Space Invaders film, presumably having only the barest resemblance to the original game. It’s not like there’s a rich lore to dig into anyway! Then again, good movies have been made out of stranger things… take Pirates of the Caribbean for example! That was pretty good (the first movie, at least). I don’t know: I think I’ve become too cynical to be interested or excited for this. I think I’ll just ignore it and if it ends up good, then I can bother with it. That’s way more sensible, right? Read more…
Tags: Space Invaders
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 19, 2014 in Star Wars 
Star Wars Rebels just got way more exciting: Jason Isaacs will be playing the villain in the show: The Inquisitor. This had been rumored for a long time, but now we’ve got official confirmation. He’ll be playing a cold, analytical character who “doesn’t get angry,” says Pablo Hidalgo. “We all took care to make sure our villains have real presence and our heroes just can’t walk all over him. This isn’t like cartoons I grew up with in the 80s where you’d have the villain lose every week and yet every week we’d have to believe he’s some sort of threat.” Sounds pretty cool, I hope they can deliver on that promise! Check out the announcement video below. Read more…
Tags: Star Wars: Rebels
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 19, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
LEGO is going all-out at this year’s Comic-con, debuting plenty of exclusives for the event. The large sets will be Rocket Racoon’s Warbird, a mini Ghost ship from Star Wars Rebels, and a classic-style Batmobile. They’ll also be debuting figures of The Collector from Guardians of the Galaxy, a unique Unikitty from The LEGO Movie, Bard from The Hobbit, and a DC figure (not yet shown as of this writing). In addition, some new sets will be shown off at the show, such as a new LEGO Movie set. There are also rumors about a new UCS set showing up here (either a Batmobile or the Slave I) but nothing confirmed yet. LEGO will also have several professional builds to show off of Smaug, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and Groot! Check out images of everything below! Read more…
Tags: Lego, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 18, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
Episode VII’s cast continues to grow, even as they are filming! Christina Chong, whom you may have caught in 24: Live Another Day most recently, will be joining the cast of the next Star Wars film. Latino Review broke the news. Hopefully we’ll get official confirmation soon. Score another for a diverse cast! Since the initial casting announcement, almost every new character announced for Star Wars has been female. It’s great to see an increase in women in space, and I hope we’ll also see this continue with other films in the future. I wonder what kind of part she’ll be playing? Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 18, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Stare upon blurry set photos no longer! The first official image of Ultron is out, thanks to Entertainment Weekly. The villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron looks pretty close to his comic book incarnations, so I’m sure die-hard fans will be pleased. Most importantly he has the distinctive mouth shape that really makes him stand out. Oh, and Cap and Iron Man are on the cover too, but who cares about them anyway? There are some other photos at EW too, mostly showing off costumes we’ve already seen, but we also get confirmation that Don Cheadle is in the film. I’m satisfied with how Ultron looks, now it’s time to hope that the movie itself is good. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
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