Marvel’s The Eternals: release date, cast, trailer and what we know

When it comes to making a success out of teams of obscure comic book superheroes, Marvel has past form. Remember, when Guardians of the Galaxy blasted into cinemas in 2014, few could have picked Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot out of Nova Corps line-up. These days the quintet are household names, so don’t bet against the same happening with The Eternals, the MCU Phase 4 movie releasing after this year's Black Widow.

The creation of the legendary Jack Kirby (the artist behind many of Marvel’s most famous heroes and villains), The Eternals are a group of ancient, cosmic superpowered beings living here on Earth. Effectively gods, they have the ability to combine their distinct powers, which comes in handy when they’re battling their mortal enemies, the Deviants.

While the MCU has had numerous space adventures before, this ensemble movie feels like new territory for Marvel as it gets deeper into its post-Iron Man, post-Captain America Phase 4. With ambitious source material, an impressive cast and an exciting young director at the helm in The Rider’s Chloe Zhao, there’s plenty to get excited about. Here’s what you need to know about The Eternals, including its cast, release date and more.

The Eternals release date: in theaters from February 12, 2021

Having originally been slated for November 2020, The Eternals’ theatrical debut was pushed back to February 12, 2021, after coronavirus forced Marvel Studios/Disney to rejig its entire release schedule.

The Eternals cast: who's in the movie?

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed The Eternals will be an ensemble movie in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy, and that means a big cast.

The biggest name is Angelina Jolie, who’ll play warrior Eternal Thena. Alongside her, Bodyguard’s Richard Madden is Superman substitute Ikaris; The Big Sick’s Kumail Nanjiani is Kingo, a master swordsman whose alter-ego is a Bollywood film star; Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry is super-intelligent inventor Phastos; Train to Busan’s Don Lee is super-strong Gilgamesh; and Dunkirk’s Barry Keoghan is loner/spy Druig.

Having played Minn-Evra in Captain Marvel, Gemma Chan gets her second MCU role as matter-manipulating Sersi, while three more of the characters from the Eternals comics have been swapped from male to female, helping make this arguably the most diverse of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe casts. Salma Hayek is wise, powerful leader Ajak; The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff is super-fast Makkari (the first deaf superhero in the MCU); and newcomer Lia McHugh plays Sprite, an ancient Eternal who looks like a child.  

Away from the Eternals themselves, Kit Harington – Madden’s half-brother in Game of Thrones – will play Dane Whitman, Black Knight. Given the character’s medieval warrior stylings, that shouldn’t be much of a stretch.

There’s no word yet on who’s playing the Deviant baddies.

And continuing Marvel’s long-running trend of hiring new-ish filmmakers with indie pedigree (think Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck on Captain Marvel, Jon Watts on Spider-Man: Homecoming), The Eternals is directed by Chloe Zhao, best known for Sundance hit The Rider.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The latest addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Eternals is the story of a group of ancient immortal beings who’ve been living in secret on Earth for millennia.
  • Where can I see it? The Eternals will be released in cinemas around the world.
  • When can I watch it? The Eternals is scheduled for release internationally on February 12, 2021.

The Eternals trailer: when will we see it?

No sign of a trailer as yet but as we get into the second half of 2020, Marvel Studios and Disney will surely want to debut something soon to build some pre-release momentum. Marvel usually showcases new content at San Diego Comic-Con, and while that particular event has been cancelled for the first time in its history thanks to the current health crisis, perhaps the first teaser for The Eternals will debut at the virtual Comic-Con@Home. It might be worth circling the weekend of July 22-26 in your diary. 

Smart money would also be on a second trailer being attached to Black Widow when it hits cinemas on November 6.

Who are The Eternals?

The Eternals emerged from the mind of Jack Kirby, the legendary comic book artist/writer who co-created Marvel royalty like Captain America, Fantastic Four, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man and the X-Men. Having made the New Gods for DC, Kirby was clearly taken with the idea of immortal, god-like superbeings, so mined a similar premise when he returned to Marvel in the mid-’70s.

The Eternals made their comic book debut in July 1976, though the series was not a commercial success and was cancelled before Kirby’s storylines were resolved. The characters have appeared at various times over the subsequent decades – including a notable crossover with Thor – and had arguably their most successful run when Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr gave the Eternals a seven-issue reboot in 2006. 

So who are they? Although they look human, the Eternals are actually near-as-dammit-immortal super-beings from outer space who’ve lived on Earth for thousands (maybe millions) of years. Like the X-Men they all have their own unique abilities but – in a Power Rangers/Voltron-like twist – they can combine to form a powerful entity known as a Uni-Mind. Don’t be surprised if that particular party trick gets wheeled out for the first time in a climactic action sequence.

The Eternals generally use their powers for good, unlike the Deviants, a rival race who have been at war with the Eternals for millennia and are set to be the antagonists of the movie.

Both were created by the Celestials, even more ancient beings who are effectively the gods of the Marvel universe. While it seems likely the Celestials will appear in the film in some form, this wouldn’t be the first time they’ve cropped up in the MCU. The alien skull that forms the foundations of Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy belonged to a deceased Celestial, while Ego, Star-Lord’s dad in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2, is a member of the species. In the first GoTG movie, the Collector also shows a vision of a Celestial called Eson the Searcher brandishing the Power Stone. 

When does The Eternals fit into the chronology of the MCU?

While November 2020’s Black Widow is set a few years before the events of Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, the movie’s official synopsis reveals that The Eternals will pick up after Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ famous skirmish with Thanos. It says:

“Marvel Studios’ The Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants.”

This all raises a couple of big questions: If the Eternals have been on Earth for millennia, why did they not get involved when Iron Man, Captain America and the rest were fighting Thanos and his armies? And what “unexpected tragedy” could be bigger than half the life in the universe being instantly wiped out by a malign finger snap? 

Maybe your priorities are rather different when you’re a god-like super-being. Or perhaps, as in Gaiman and Romita's 2006 run, the Eternals will be suffering from collective amnesia – it could explain a lot. 

The Eternals is a welcome new chapter for Marvel

Marvel can afford to take a few risks in the wake of Endgame, and you can expect The Eternals to have a similar balance of comedy and drama as any other MCU picture. Like the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, you might need to see it in action to truly understand why these characters are appealing, but history shows that Feige and company have form at introducing new sides to the MCU. 

Posted in Uncategorised

Game of Thrones prequel series: House of the Dragon’s likely release date and more

When is the Game of Thrones prequel release date? And, even more importantly, how do you follow a fantasy juggernaut like Game of Thrones? Long before the world-consuming adaptation George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels finished, HBO started planning for its succession.

But after Hollywood trade publications shocked fans with news that the untitled Naomi Watts-starring show hadn't been selected for a series, fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief: HBO ordered 10 episodes of an entirely different show instead. It's coming to WarnerMedia's streaming service, HBO Max, which is out now.

So, with the Great Game ready to recommence, here's what our little birds have told us about the Game of Throne prequel story, the cast and their roles, and when in the Seven Kingdoms its coming out.

House of the Dragon release date: 2022 (probably)

The first 10-episode season of House of the Dragon was announced in October 2019, and HBO isn't rushing to get it on the air. In an interview with Deadline in January 2020, HBO President of Programming Casey Bloys revealed that the House of the Dragon writing team are already hard at work, but pointed out that "it's a big, complicated show", so will take time getting to the screen. 

Regarding a release date, he said, "My guess is some time in 2022," adding the caveat that the launch is too far away to go into any more detail.

As with Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is set to be one of the crown jewels on HBO – and its new HBO Max streaming service. 

That means it'll definitely be available on Sky Atlantic and Now TV in the UK, following a new deal Sky TV signed with HBO in October 2019 that will reportedly keep HBO shows on the platforms "for many years to come". 

Game of Thrones prequel: what's the story about?

The new Game of Thrones prequel series focuses on House Targaryen, so expect ambition, incest and, of course, winged, fire-breathing reptiles. George RR Martin confirmed the latter on his blog, admitting, "I can say there will be dragons. Everyone else has said that, so why not me?"

The new show is based on Martin's 2018 book Fire and Blood, which managed to annoy a section of the fanbase by not being the long-awaited sixth novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga. Instead the book is a history of the dragon-riding Targaryen family – the author himself has described it as the "GRRMarillion", a nod to the dense JRR Tolkien non-novel that recounts the pre-Lord of the Rings history of Middle-earth. 

In terms of chronology, House of the Dragon will be set 300 years before Game of Thrones. Expect to see how Daenerys's ancestor Aegon the Conqueror invaded the Seven Kingdoms, united Westeros and became the first king to sit on the Iron Throne – all with the help of his two sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys. 

There's also likely to be plenty of familial in-fighting – the Targaryens were dysfunctional long before Viserys and Dany came along – alongside origin stories of other major Westerosi houses like the Baratheons, Tyrells and Lannisters. 

In other words, House of the Dragon looks set to have the same mix of epic battles, political intrigue and betrayals as Game of Thrones, with one major difference – this being a prequel, we know exactly where it's heading.

Game of Thrones prequel: who's making House of the Dragon?

A Twitter announcement in October 2019 revealed that George RR Martin created the new Game of Thrones prequel series with Ryan Condal. Condal is best known for showrunning USA Network alien invasion drama Colony, and scripting Dwayne Johnson-starring game adaptation Rampage.

Condal will write the show and share showrunning duties with Miguel Sapochnik. Sapochnik directed some of Game of Thrones most epic episodes – including season 6's "Battle of the Bastards" and season 8's "The Long Night" – and will helm multiple episodes of House of the Dragon, including the pilot.

Is there a House of the Dragon trailer?

With the scripts still being written and the cast yet to be confirmed, don't expect any official Game of Thrones prequel series trailers to appear for a good while yet. The closest we've got so far is the poster image from the announcement tweet. 

What happened to the Game of Thrones prequel series Blood Moon?

The other prequel series looked set to be massive. One of five potential spin-off shows ordered into development by HBO, a show set 8,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones looked the most likely to get a greenlight. HBO even shot a pilot episode over the summer of 2019. 

Scripted by Jane Goldman – who boasts Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Kingsman on her impressive resumé – the untitled series would reportedly have told the story of the First Men, the Children of the Forest, and the creation of the White Walkers. Naomi Watts headed up an impressive cast that also included John Simm (Life on Mars, Doctor Who), Miranda Richardson (Blackadder II, Good Omens), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, King Arthur) and Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The End of the F***ing World). 

All looked promising until October 2019, when it turned out HBO had decided not to pick up the show. So what gave the broadcaster the fear? 

"In development, in pilots, sometimes things come together, sometimes they don't," HBO President of Programming Casey Bloys told Deadline. "One of the things I think Jane [Goldman] took on beautifully, which was a challenge, there was a lot more world creation because she set hers 8,000 years before the [parent] show, so it required a lot more. One of the things about House of Dragons [sic], there is a text, there is a book so that made it a little bit more of a road map for a series order.

"I think Jane did a beautiful job, it was a big challenge but there was nothing that I would point to and say, 'Oh, that one element did not work.' Just overall it did not quite gel."

As for whether House of the Dragon will eventually be joined on HBO by more shows set on Westeros, Bloys simply said: "For me for right now, I think getting House of the Dragon on the air will be the number one priority. There are no other blinking green lights or anything like that. Sometime down the road who knows, but there are no immediate plans."

Posted in Uncategorised

10 great feelgood Netflix movies and TV shows

We could all do with a bit of escapism right now. Sometimes an epic binge of the hottest new event series or hard-hitting drama will fit the bill, but at others you need something that’s more openly feelgood.

Luckily, there’s plenty on Netflix capable of giving you the warm and fuzzies. Whether it’s a comedy series (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Grace and Frankie), a movie rom-com (Set it Up, Always Be My Maybe), or a reality TV show with a positive spin (Queer Eye, Nailed It!), there’s loads of brilliant content out there for anyone who needs a bit of a pick-me-up.

So join us on a journey through the best Netflix feelgood movies and TV shows you can watch right now. We guarantee it’ll be good for the soul…

GLOW

It turns out wrestling isn’t just about bashing the living daylights out of your opponents in the ring. That’s a big part of it, sure, but since GLOW’s 2017 debut, its pioneering female wrestlers have shown that beyond the spandex and very big hair, there can be plenty of heart, wit and intelligent social commentary. 

As an unlikely group of women (headed up by Mad Men/Community star Alison Brie) come together for a smackdown, GLOW celebrates a bunch of people discovering facets of themselves they never knew existed. There are bumps along the way, of course, but ultimately GLOW is one of the most uplifiting shows on Netflix.

Wine Country

Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler makes her directorial debut with this comedy road trip, and takes a gang of fellow Saturday Night Live graduates along for the ride. Focusing on a group of friends on a 50th birthday wine-tasting tour of California’s Napa Valley, the limited nature of the plot doesn’t really matter when you’re watching such a talented cast. 

As a Bechdel test-smashing ensemble comedy, Wine Country has inevitably been compared to Bridesmaids, but that’s doing it a disservice – while it’s not quite as riotously funny,  it’s packed with believable, beautifully drawn characters, and plenty of warmth.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

As you’d expect from a show from the mind of 30 Rock creator Tina Fey, there’s no shortage of cynicism or snark in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. And yet Kimmy herself – recently released from years locked up in an underground bunker cult – is so relentlessly optimistic that the world always feels better when you’re in her company. 

Her friends may be screwed up in various hilarious ways, but Kimmy’s positive outlook is the glue that keeps them together. In fact, ‘what would Kimmy do?’ is a pretty good mantra for life – as we experienced first-hand in Netflix’s recent interactive finale.

San Junipero (Black Mirror)

Black Mirror isn’t best known for its optimistic take on the human condition, but when co-creator/writer Charlie Brooker briefly flicked his anthology show’s settings away from dystopian, the results were spectacularly life-affirming. 

A time-hopping story about two women falling in love in unconventional circumstances, season 3’s San Junipero is a remarkable achievement – an unlikely mix of romance, ’80s nostalgia, and thought-provoking musings on old age, euthanasia and death. Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ has never felt so poignant.

Set it Up

In the early 21st century, anyone in need of a movie-shaped pick-me-up could find it in their local multiplex. This was the era of peak romantic comedy, a genre where a happy ending was par for the course. 

These days, however, the rom-com is an endangered species at the box office – and Netflix has moved in to pick up the slack. Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell display tons of chemistry as a pair of office workers who play matchmakers for their respective bosses and and – surprise! – find themselves falling in love at the same time. Formulaic, yes, but surely that’s what movies like this are all about.

Queer Eye

Making people feel good is part of the DNA of this makeover show, an update of the early ’00s reality hit. The simple premise of the original series remains – a group of lifestyle experts known as the Fab Five give an unsuspecting member of the public a makeover (or “make better”) – but it’s also evolved in the subsequent decade. 

These days, the team have expanded their remit way beyond giving advice exclusively to straight men – one of the more dated aspects of the original show – to create a diverse, positive and politically aware slice of feelgood reality TV.

Always Be My Maybe

Top US stand-up Ali Wong teams up with Randall Park (Danny Chung in Veep, Agent Jimmy Woo in the MCU) to write, produce and star in this entertaining romantic comedy. They play a pair of childhood friends who grew up, had a one-night stand and didn’t see each other again until their 30s. Will they find the old spark is still there? Well, what do you think? Luckily there’s plenty of laughs, including a hilarious cameo from Keanu Reeves, who took a quick break from shooting John Wick 3 to film scenes as himself. What movie wouldn’t be improved by that?

Grace and Frankie

On paper, Grace and Frankie always sounded great. After all, it’s co-created by Marta Kauffmann one of the brains behind Friends; its stars are 9 to 5 veterans (and real-life friends) Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin; and its premise is the stuff great sitcoms are made of. 

After all, what’s not to like about the idea of a pair of feuding women forced to live together after their divorce lawyer husbands announce they’ve been having an affair with each other for years? That the show (mostly) lives up to its promise should tell you everything you need to know – the performances are great, the characters memorable, and Grace and Frankie’s evolving relationship is suitably heartwarming.

Nailed It!

The problem with watching TV cooking competitions is that you’re usually watching a genius at work. You’re waiting for something to go wrong because it’s the exception rather than the norm – and also because you’re desperate to see what the judges are about to say. 

Nailed It! is different. The contestants are just like the rest of us, amateur cooks for whom failure is often added to the mixture when they step into the kitchen. By setting its contestants cake-shaped challenges way beyond their abilities, the show sets up wonderfully half-baked comedy scenarios. And because everyone’s in on the joke, Nailed It! celebrates the joy of failure.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Netflix enrols for the American institution that is the high school movie. And while it doesn’t quite graduate top of the class, this fun comedy earns plenty of extra credit. It’s a classic high school movie set-up: 16-year-old Lara Jean (X-Men’s Lana Condor) finds herself embroiled in all sorts of social catastrophe when her little sister mails out the secret letters she’s written to her crushes. 

Then, for a bit of extra complication, Lara Jean ends up in a fake relationship with the most popular boy in school, just to throw the real object of her affection of the scent... A worthy successor to the likes of Clueless and Easy A.

  • Empty list
Posted in Uncategorised

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: release date, cast and what we know

Exploring strange new worlds, seeking new life and new civilisations, and boldly going where no one has gone before has been hardwired into Star Trek’s DNA since day one. Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard may have taken a more cynical – and serialized – view of the future, but recently announced spin-off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to get back to basics…

When (spoiler warning!) the crew of the USS Discovery warped into the distant future in the season 2 finale, Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and first officer Number One stayed behind in the 23rd century.

The trio were such a hit with fans, however, that they’re getting their own show, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a new series set on the USS Enterprise a decade before James T Kirk took control.

“When we said we heard the fans’ outpouring of love for Pike, Number One and Spock when they boarded Star Trek: Discovery last season, we meant it,” executive producer and franchise overlord Alex Kurtzman told StarTrek.com. “These iconic characters have a deep history in Star Trek’ canon, yet so much of their stories have yet to be told. The Enterprise, its crew and its fans are in for an extraordinary journey to new frontiers in the Star Trek universe.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds promises to be an exciting departure for Trek TV, so before the Enterprise fires up the dilithium crystals once more, we've set coordinates for the 23rd century to reveal what’s in store for Starfleet’s finest. Hit it!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds release date: what do we know?

The USS Enterprise has faced numerous foes in its distinguished lifetime, but few have been as problematic as the coronavirus. With lockdown restrictions bringing much of Hollywood to a halt, executive producer Akiva Goldsman admitted to Variety that he has “no idea” when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will go into production. And seeing as a shows as VFX-heavy as the Treks tend to require lengthy post-production, we’d be surprised if we see Strange New Worlds before the second half of 2021 – and that’s being optimistic.

Luckily, we have season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery and animated series Lower Decks lined up for this year, season 2 of Star Trek: Picard due to start shooting when Covid-19 restrictions lift, and a couple more shows in development. They include a Michelle Yeoh-starring Section 31 spin-off, plus a CG kids’ show for Nickelodeon. “The intention is to have something Star Trek on the air all the time, but not necessarily on top of each other,” Kurtzman told the Hollywood Reporter back in April 2019. In other words, it’s the best time to be a Trek fan since The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine ruled the galaxy in the 1990s.

Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, alongside Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A Star Trek: Discovery spin-off featuring the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and first officer Number One on the USS Enterprise, a decade before James T Kirk takes command.
  • Where can I see it? Like its Trek stablemates, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will air on CBS All Access in the US. International distribution is TBC – with Discovery streaming on Netflix outside the US and Picard on Amazon Prime Video, where it ultimately lands is anyone’s guess.
  • When can I watch it? Hopefully it won’t be too long, but the optimistic estimate is second half of 2021 at the earliest.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast

Having owned the bridge when seconded to Star Trek: Discovery’s second season, Anson Mount is back in the captain’s chair as Captain Christopher Pike. Meanwhile, after proving himself worthy of donning the pointy ears that once belonged to Leonard Nimoy, Ethan Peck returns as Spock. And Rebecca Romijn, who made a few guest appearances in Discovery, reprises her role as first officer/helmsperson Number One.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds trailer: watch the announcement video

It’s still early days, so there’s no trailer – though stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn have beamed in an announcement video:

The party line is very much that the show exists because of fan demand. “Without you this wouldn’t be happening,” says Peck, while Mount explains a bit about the tone of the series. “[It’s] a classic Star Trek show that deals with optimism and the future.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds story: what we know about this part of Trek history

Pike, Spock and Number One have been part of the Star Trek story even longer than James T Kirk – they were on board the Enterprise in original Star Trek pilot “The Cage”, unaired in the ’60s and set more than a decade before Kirk’s famous five-year mission. Jeffrey Hunter, Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett originated the three roles.

While we know that the trio have been together at least three years by the time Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kicks off and that a tragic fate awaits Pike – more on that later – most of their voyages remain undocumented. That means it’s prime storytelling territory.

“We’re going to try to harken back to some classical Trek values, to be optimistic, and to be more episodic,” executive producer Akiva Goldsman told Variety. “Obviously, we will take advantage of the serialized nature of character and story building. But I think our plots will be more closed-ended than you’ve seen in either Discovery or Picard.”

He also said that, “I think what we would want to do is keep the characters having moved through and recognizing the experiences they’ve had in previous episodes, but to be able to tell contained, episodic stories.”

This suggests that, while Strange New Worlds will feature an overall story arc, the show will get back to the story-of-the-week structure that defined the Original Series and much of the Next Generation era – a radical departure from the heavily serialized Discovery and Picard. Indeed, the ability to visit a huge galaxy of, well, strange new worlds, should allow the show to feel different from week to week – a versatile formula that’s a big reason for the franchise’s longevity.

Going on Mount’s performance in Discovery, Pike is the ideal captain for an optimistic mission of exploration. We can also expect to see a Spock more prone to displays of emotion than his Original Series counterpart – in “The Cage” Number One was the more buttoned-up, logical member of the crew, with her personality traits passing to the Vulcan when Star Trek went to series. And maybe we’ll finally get to find out if Number One has a surname – Discovery confirmed her first name is Una, but that’s all we know.

At this point in the Star Trek timeline, Kirk and other members of the original crew must be out there somewhere in the universe, so the smart money would be on a few headline-grabbing (recast) guest appearances – as the older members of the Original Series line-up, McCoy and Scotty would seem prime candidates. We’d also be very surprised if James Frain doesn’t reprise his Discovery role as Spock’s dad, Sarek.

And then there’s Pike’s tragic story…

When we meet him in Original Series two-parter “The Menagerie”, it’s revealed that he’s been left severely disabled by a radiation leak. In Discovery, he’s forced to endure a vision of that future. It’ll be intriguing to see how that knowledge preys on his mind, and how much it plays into the drama of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Posted in Uncategorised

The 15 best Netflix Original animated series, from She-Ra to BoJack Horseman

“Animation is not a genre. Animation is an artform and it can do any genre.” 

As director of The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, Brad Bird should know what he’s talking about – and looking at how the medium’s evolved over the last 30 years, it’s impossible to disagree.

As recently as the early ’90s, cartoons were still widely regarded as something for the kids. Since then, however, The Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park have paved the way for more adult-oriented animation on TV, while the groundbreaking likes of Pixar, DreamWorks and Laika have pushed the boundaries of what animators can achieve on screen.

These days animation is a broad church taking in everything from comedy for pre-schoolers to sophisticated examinations of the human soul. As with its live-action programming, Netflix’s animated content explores a huge range of styles, genres and themes – and a lot of its shows are absolutely essential viewing.

In this list, TechRadar has brought together 15 of the best Netflix Original animated series you can watch right now – whether you’re into gritty sci-fi, family comedy or sword-wielding warrior princesses, there’s something for you here.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

(Image credit: Netflix)

The original She-Ra was a spin-off from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, an ’80s cartoon that was much better at flogging toys than telling stories. Few seriously believed it needed a comeback, until this hit Netflix show proved otherwise. Series creator Noelle Stevenson put the emphasis on reinvention, crafting a fun, intelligent, sophisticated saga that couldn’t be further from the po-faced source material. 

With He-Man nowhere to be seen, twin sister Adora takes centre stage, wielding the magic sword that turns her into She-Ra and displaying refreshingly 21st century attitudes to representation. The kind of Saturday morning cartoon you encourage your kids to watch.

Love, Death + Robots

(Image credit: Netflix)

With the likes of Black Mirror, a rebooted Twilight Zone and Inside No 9, the anthology series has gone through something of a renaissance in recent years. The genius at the heart of Love, Death + Robots, however, is that by telling its one-off tales via the medium of animation, the show has ensured its only limitations are the imaginations of its writers. 

Luckily it has an ingenious plan for navigating that particular obstacle – adapting short stories from some of the finest genre authors on the planet, Peter F Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds and John Scalzi among them. Among the best sci-fi currently on TV.

Disenchantment

(Image credit: Netflix)

After creating The Simpsons, Matt Groening would have been forgiven for throwing away his pencil and stepping away from animation for good. Thank goodness he didn’t, because then we wouldn’t have been treated to the peerless 31st century adventures of Futurama – or Disenchantment, a deliciously twisted take on epic fantasy. 

With plenty of trademark Groening overbites, lots of pop culture references, and some razor-sharp skewering of the modern world, there’s no doubt the new show comes from the same stable as its predecessors. But it’s also home to more grown-up themes, and boasts a more serialized arc plot – perfect for the era of binge TV.

BoJack Horseman

(Image credit: Netflix)

A cartoon about a talking horse who was once the star of his own hit sitcom? BoJack Horseman looked – on paper, at least – like it was going to be the height of silliness when it cantered onto Netflix back in 2014. Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s undefinable show has been defying expectations ever since, evolving from a hilariously acerbic satire on Hollywood – albeit one where animals and humans live alongside one another – into something much more ambitious. 

By turns funny, bleak and toe-curlingly awkward (and sometimes even heartwarming), few TV shows have ever delved further into the human (and equine) condition. One of the jewels in Netflix’s impressive crown.

Castlevania

(Image credit: Netflix)

The long-running, vampire-infested console actioner that’s been scaring players since the ’80s gets reinvented as a TV series – and puts most other videogame adaptations to shame. The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage voices monster-hunting hero Trevor Belmont, teaming up with Dracula’s half-human son Alucard (Battlestar Galactica’s James Callis) against the infamous Count. 

With plenty of gore, every episode written by comics legend Warren Ellis, and anime-inspired visuals, it’s clearly aimed at old-school fans of the franchise – indeed, chances are you wouldn’t want your kids tuning in.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

(Image credit: Netflix)

A re-dubbed, re-edited reinvention of Japanese anime show Beast King GoLion, Voltron has retained plenty of cult appeal since it debuted in the ’80s. This latest incarnation picks up the story of five teen pilots whose robot lions come together to form a giant mecha fighting machine called Voltron – Earth’s last defence against the evil Galra Empire. 

Luckily, showrunners and Avatar: The Last Airbender veterans Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim dos Santos realize cool iconography isn’t enough to carry the show, and load the series with epic outer space action and fun character beats – along with surprisingly dark themes about PTSD and bereavement.

Dragons: Race to the Edge

(Image credit: Netflix)

TV spin-offs from movies don’t have to be cheap cash-ins. Just as the Star Wars universe was undeniably enhanced by the existence of The Clone Wars and Rebels, this long-running series is a vital addition to the soaring Viking adventures of How to Train Your Dragon. 

Okay, Cressida Cowell’s stories don’t have quite as much dramatic scope as George Lucas’s saga, but nevertheless, Hiccup and Toothless’s adventures between the first two movies are suitably epic. The CG animation is much better than you’d usually expect on TV, and – with many of the movie cast reprising their roles – Dragons feels like a blockbuster sequel in episodic form.

Trollhunters

(Image credit: Netflix)

From Hellboy to Pan’s Labyrinth, to The Devil’s Backbone to The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro has a long history of infusing tales of the supernatural with memorable characters and plenty of heart. It’s no surprise, then, that the animated series he created should follow a similar blueprint. 

There’s a definite Buffy vibe to the show, as ordinary kid Jim discovers he’s the chosen one destined to protect his town from subterranean beasts, taking on the mantle of the first ever human Trollhunter. It’s part of a wider universe, too: the second series in del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia trilogy, the sci-fi-tinged 3Below, debuted in 2018, while final instalment Wizards is due in August 2020.

The Midnight Gospel

(Image credit: Netflix)

Pendleton Ward, creator of hit animation series Adventure Time, teams up with comedian Duncan Trussell to create another slice of trippy surreality. Where Adventure Time focused on the fantasy world of Ooo, The Midnight Gospel sets its coordinates for outer space, namely a weird dimension known as the Chromatic Ribbon. 

From here a spacecaster called Clancy (effectively a podcaster with interstellar reach) uses his illegal multiverse simulator to interview beings from other planets. Despite only eight episodes being available so far, The Midnight Gospel has already proved itself infinitely inventive, visually stylish and emotionally powerful – and totally unlike anything else on TV. Cross your fingers it gets a greenlight for season two.

Tuca & Bertie

(Image credit: Netflix)

With a pair of anthropomorphized birds as its lead characters, Tuca & Bertie looks a lot like a BoJack Horseman spin-off. Despite the fact it was created by BoJack production designer Lisa Hanawalt, however, this one-season wonder is very much its own beast. At its heart are two avian best friends, loud-mouthed toucan Tuca, and her song thrush roomie Bertie. 

Packed with clever puns and visual gags (anyone fancy posting to Facebeak?), the show delivers a unique perspective on life and love in the 21st century. Yet its trump card is the casting of top comedians Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong in the lead roles – this is one double act we’d love to have seen more of.

Big Mouth

(Image credit: Netflix)

Don’t be put off by the unsophisticated animation style. Like Netflix stablemate Sex Education, Big Mouth is impressively candid when it comes to bodily functions and other issues associated with growing up – despite the fact its characters are regularly visited by surreal products of their imaginations such as a Shame Wizard and a Hormone Monster called Maurice. 

Co-creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg drew on their own teenage experiences to tell the story of best friends Andrew and Nick, but it’s hard to believe their real lives were quite this funny – as with The Inbetweeners, Big Mouth shows that teens can get away with the kind of crude gags nobody else can.

F is for Family

(Image credit: Netflix)

If you thought that The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy were all the animated, suburban family comedies you’d ever need, think again because F is for Family is a worthy addition to the sub-genre. In fact, co-creator/star Bill Burr’s show instantly distances itself from those other shows with its 1970s setting, an era that puts a very different perspective on the world. 

Family patriarch Frank Murphy is an angry guy, increasingly disillusioned with his lot in life and struggling to deal with society evolving faster than he’d like. With plenty of pathos to go with the humour, it’s impressively three-dimensional stuff.

 

Carmen Sandiego

(Image credit: Netflix)

If there are prizes given out for the most stylish animated series on Netflix, the elegant production design of Carmen Sandiego has to make it a contender. Based on a 1980s videogame (which also spawned two game shows and a cartoon series in the ’90s), this Netflix incarnation tells the story of the eponymous super-thief, voiced by Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez. 

Of course, this being a kids’ show, Carmen isn’t really a criminal – despite what the authorities claim. Instead she uses her heisting skills to steal back what’s been taken by the despicable operatives of V.I.L.E – aka the Villains International League of Evil – in a series packed with fun adventures and plenty of backstory. Stranger Things and IT’s Finn Wolfhard co-stars as sidekick Player.

Hilda

(Image credit: Netflix)

This cartoon series may look like something from the 1980s, but it actually debuted in 2018. Based on an award-winning series of independent graphic novels by British creator Luke Pearson, the show mixes a Scandinavian setting that evokes the Moomins with a visual style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. 

It follows the exploits of titular blue-haired pre-teen Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey, the heroic Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones) when she moves from her magical village to the big city – and discovers there’s just as much supernatural stuff going on behind the scenes... The series clearly has younger audiences in its sights, but there’s also a surprising amount of emotional depth lurking beneath the surface.

The Hollow

(Image credit: Netflix)

A trio of teenage strangers wake up to find themselves in an underground bunker. With their memories erased, they have to come together to survive the bizarre, dangerous, puzzle-filled world they find themselves in – all while working out why the hell they were brought together in the first place. 

If the ingenious Maze Runner-like premise of The Hollow isn’t enough to draw you in, rest assured that there’s plenty more to like in this super-smart kids’ show. It’s fast-paced, the core characters are memorable, and there’s plenty of genre-hopping in a gripping serialized story arc.

Posted in Uncategorised

The 10 best Netflix Original movies – and 5 of the worst

When Netflix first launched as a mail-order DVD rental service, making movies was not part of the plan – and why would it have been? In the early 21st century, going direct-to-video was considered the kiss of death for a film, and few self-respecting Hollywood stars would voluntarily make the move away from the big screen.

Times have changed, however, and these days there’s no shame in making films for a streaming platform – in fact, it’s something Hollywood’s biggest players have embraced wholesale. Regularly throwing blockbuster-sized budgets at its movies, Netflix attracts some of the biggest names in cinema to work on its original movies, with the A-list likes of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver all making films under the Netflix banner.

Now that movies like The Irishman, Roma and Marriage Story have become major contenders in awards season conversations, Netflix has taken its seat at Hollywood’s top table. While it’s quite the success story, however, its movies don’t always get it right…

So we've put together a list of 10 of the best Netflix Original movies you can watch right now – and, for balance, we’ve also picked out 5 of the worst you might want to avoid, which you'll find at the bottom of this page. 

The Irishman

(Image credit: Netflix)

Yes, the CG technology used to turn Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci into younger men is a game-changer, but if that’s all you take away from The Irishman you’re missing the point. Martin Scorsese’s return to the gangster genre that made his name undoubtedly lacks the energy of the genre-defining Goodfellas and Casino, and at three-and-a-half hours gets perilously close to overstaying its welcome. Nonetheless, the leisurely pacing feels appropriate in a movie that’s as much about ageing as it is offing your rivals. Proof that some of the most important movies in Hollywood are now being made by Netflix.

Marriage Story

(Image credit: Netflix)

Marriage Story scrapped with The Irishman on this year’s awards circuit – indeed, with Laura Dern picking up an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress, it was arguably more successful. The Squid and the Whale/Frances Ha writer-director Noah Baumbach crafts the perfect falling-out-of-love story, an anti-romance that charts the painful divorce of a couple of New Yorkers. It’s sometimes excruciating to watch, but Baumbach latches onto the humanity of his characters to find the tenderness in their story, with stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver both on mesmerizing form.

Roma

(Image credit: Netflix)

With this decade seeing wins for Alejandro Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant), Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) and Alfonso Cuarón himself (Gravity), Mexican filmmakers had already made their mark on the best director Academy Award by the time Cuarón helmed the brilliant Roma. Even so, this semi-autobiographical story about growing up in 1970s Mexico City still managed to break new ground as one of the first Netflix movies to hit big at the Oscars. Shot in gorgeous black-and-white, it’s a heartfelt, low-key masterpiece that would have been a much more deserving recipient of the big prize than eventual victor Green Book.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

(Image credit: Netflix)

Despite an eclectic career that’s seen them dabbling in film noir, screwball comedy and the Dude, the closest the Coen brothers had previously come to the small screen was the superlative Fargo TV spin-off (which they didn't make). Netflix persuaded them to break their televisual duck, however, tempting Joel and Ethan back to the Western genre that served them so well in True Grit and (kinda) No Country for Old Men. Featuring six typically idiosyncratic Old West tales, this anthology boasts an all-star cast including James Franco and Liam Neeson, while O Brother, Where Art Though? veteran Tim Blake Nelson gets back in the Coen saddle as the eponymous singing cowboy.

Okja

(Image credit: Netflix)

Before he made a searing satire on wealth, class and modern society with the superlative Parasite, director Bong Joon-Ho pointed his viewfinder at animal rights and factory farming. Co-written with The Men Who Stare at Goats author Jon Ronson, Bong’s story starts off as a surprisingly touching tale of a girl and her genetically modified ‘superpig’ BFF – the eponymous Okja, an adorable triumph of CG. Things take a darker turn in the final act, however, as bad guys led by a wonderfully OTT Tilda Swinton try to take the pig back to its corporate roots. A one-of-a-kind collaboration between storytellers from East and West – and all the better for it.

The Two Popes

(Image credit: Netflix)

As soon as Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013, people started asking when Jonathan Pryce – who shares a remarkable likeness with the Pontiff – might play him on screen. Netflix eventually made it come to pass, as City of God/The Constant Gardener director Fernando Meirelles took a peek through the keyholes of the Vatican. We’ll never know how accurate the portrayal of Francis's meetings with Benedict XVI – his more conservative predecessor (played by Anthony Hopkins) – really are, but it’s a brilliant odd couple drama, especially when the duo let their hair down watching their teams face off in the 2014 World Cup Final.

High Flying Bird

(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix has a habit of enticing big-name Hollywood directors to make movies for the platform, but few have crossed over quite like Steven Soderbergh. In fact, while Netflix is usually synonymous with massive budgets, the Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich director has chosen a rather more frugal route, shooting his recent films on smartphones. There’s rather more to this sports drama than your average home video, however, as André Holland (star of new Netflix series The Eddy) plays an agent taking on the basketball establishment. It’s a gripping story with plenty to say about issues surrounding race in sport, and with the supremely talented Soderbergh behind the camera – or should that be phone? – it’s as impeccably told as you’d expect.

Dolemite is my Name

(Image credit: Netflix)

Every so often a new Eddie Murphy movie gets hailed as a return to form. Dolemite is my Name is the latest to follow in the potentially career resurrecting footsteps of Shrek and Dreamgirls, and there’s no doubt the star’s performance justifies the hype. Murphy heads back to the 1970s to play real-life actor, comedian and singer Rudy Ray Moore, most famous for the blaxploitation films he made about his Dolemite character. While Moore’s rise from clubs to the big screen is straight out of the biopic textbook, it’s a wonderfully atmospheric recreation of the era, with an intriguing character at its heart.

I Lost my Body

(Image credit: Netflix)

You didn’t think Netflix was going to let Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks have everything their own way, did you? Weeks after the release of the Christmassy Klaus, the streaming service's first homegrown feature-length cartoon, it was back in animation action with this weirder, more grown-up affair. For all Pixar’s spirit of creative adventure, they’ve never dared front a movie with a disembodied limb, but here a severed hand – making its way across France to find its owner – is the star of the show. Part horror, part love story, I Lost my Body is a beautifully animated tale, and a refreshing antidote to a medium dominated by CG.

Atlantics

(Image credit: Netflix)

Just to prove that Netflix isn’t all about big-name Hollywood directors, they also gave a debut to French actor-turned-director Mati Diop – with Atlantics, she became the first woman of color ever to direct a film in contention for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Set in the Senegalese city of Dakar, Atlantics focuses on a group of construction workers who are lost at sea when they go looking for a better life elsewhere – and, crucially, the people they leave behind. It’s an arresting, unconventional mix of romance, hard-hitting drama (the issues facing migrants are inescapably real) and the supernatural, all tied together with remarkable skill by Diop.

And here are five of the worst

As with its TV productions, not everything Netflix makes is a slam dunk.

IO

(Image credit: Netflix)

For all the success Netflix has had with genre series (everything from Altered Carbon to The Umbrella Academy to The Witcher), its sci-fi movies are still playing catch up. Despite being fronted by talent like Anthony Mackie (Marvel’s Falcon) and Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers), this end-of-the-world drama is as lifeless as the futuristic Earth it portrays.

Death Note

(Image credit: Netflix)

Sometimes Hollywood gets hold of a classic Japanese manga and crafts something as all-round brilliant as Edge of Tomorrow. At other times, they make Death Note... It’s the story of a teenager who discovers a notebook whose pages have the ability to kill – there are supernatural powers at work, but paper cuts would be scarier. A major waste of You’re Next director Adam Wingard’s talents.

The Open House

(Image credit: Netflix)

We’re pretty sure it wasn’t Netflix’s plan when this haunted house story was greenlit, but it’s become a handy resource for students who want to learn how not to make a horror movie. Genuine scares are in perilously short supply when a teen and his mum into beautiful mountain chalet – in fact, the film’s biggest shock is that they thought they could get away with one of the worst twist endings of recent years.

Sandy Wexler

(Image credit: Netflix)

UK-based Netflix subscribers get to enjoy the critically adored Adam Sandler vehicle Uncut Gems (and US subscribers get to watch it from May 25 2020). Unfortunately, Sandy Wexler is a reminder that not all of the Happy Gilmore star’s output is gold. Heading back in time served Sandler well in The Wedding Singer, but unfortunately this overlong, ’90s-set tale of a Hollywood talent manager prone to exaggeration is bogged down by way too many gags that miss the mark.

How it Ends

(Image credit: Netflix)

From Mad Max to Dawn of the Dead to A Quiet Place, there have been loads of classic movies depicting the fall of civilization. Despite its what-it-says-on-the-tin title, however, How it Ends will not be joining that list. A widespread power-out is the catalyst for an apocalypse driven by questionable plotting and far from A-list effects. You’re  supposed to care about Theo James, Kat Graham and Forest Whitaker’s familial squabbles – sadly, you won’t give a damn.

Posted in Uncategorised

10 cancelled Netflix TV shows that are worth binge watching

The worst thing about falling in love with a TV show is that it might be cancelled before its story is finished. Not even Netflix, with its massive production budgets and ad-free streaming model, is immune to the need to wield the axe on a beloved series before its time.

While some series’ demises are made inevitable by poor viewing figures or a critical panning – no content provider can expect to hit the mark all the time – Netflix has been known to cancel shows seemingly in their prime. In fact, these days having the plug pulled by the streaming giant isn’t necessarily an indicator of failure – especially when a show gets past the three-season mark, and the production costs start to spiral upwards.

Here’s a list of 10 of the best shows cancelled by Netflix – and with Jessica Jones, BoJack Horseman and Santa Clarita Diet among them, they're in excellent company.

House of Cards (2013-2018)

(Image credit: Netflix)

Going into House of Cards, Netflix pretty much knew their first original drama was set to be a hit – their vast bank of subscriber data had already told them that viewers liked movies directed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey. And in its early days this US remake of a brilliant BBC mini-series was tense, gripping stuff, as morally flexible politician Frank Underwood shamelessly maneuvered himself to the top of the Washington tree. The show had started to lose its way long before Spacey’s much-publicized fall from grace prompted Netflix to decree that the sixth season would be the last. By then, however, House of Cards had already confirmed Netflix’s arrival as a major force in Hollywood.

Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

While it’s not quite Supernatural or Grey’s Anatomy territory, seven seasons is such a good innings that the end of Orange is the New Black didn’t really feel like a cancellation – even creator Jenji Kohan had admitted she was “leaning towards” wrapping things up around then. Netflix pulling the plug on its hit prison drama was still symbolic, however. Over its impressive run, the show had become so much part of the televisual furniture that we’d almost come to take it for granted, forgetting how groundbreaking this female-led drama was back in 2013. Arguably paving the way for the likes of Killing Eve and GLOW, while showcasing the talents of future stars such as Laverne Cox, Ruby Rose and Samira Wiley, OITNB remains one of the most important shows in Netflix’s history.

BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)

(Image credit: Netflix)

By the time BoJack Horseman galloped onto Netflix in 2014, we already knew there was a big market for satirical, adult-oriented animation – Family Guy, Futurama and South Park had made sure of that. But even they couldn’t prepare us for Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s thoroughbred of a series, one of TV’s most heartfelt and painful explorations of the human condition – despite the fact the lead character is a horse. You’re never given any reason to question why humans and anthropomorphized animals live together in this alternative Hollywood, as washed-up, self-destructive former sitcom star BoJack struggles to find his place in the world. Netflix ultimately decided the show’s sixth season would be its last – but not before giving Bob-Waksberg the chance to end the story on his own terms.

Sense8 (2015-2018)

(Image credit: Netflix)

You could never accuse Sense8 of a lack of ambition. A collaboration between the Wachowskis, the brains behind The Matrix, and Babylon 5 creator J Michael Straczynski, the series gradually pulls together eight seemingly random people from around the world, who all turn out to share a powerful psychic bond. With an impressive cast, globe-spanning storyline, and levels of LGBTQ representation that rightly won plenty of praise, Sense8 picked up an incredibly passionate audience over its short run. Indeed, the fans even helped save the show when it was cancelled shortly after its second season aired – their campaign helped persuade Netflix to grant closure in the form of a feature-length finale.

Jessica Jones (2015-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

Maybe it’s best to think of Netflix’s street-level, New York-based take on the MCU as a single 13-season story arc. After all, the events of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and Avengers-style team-up The Defenders are so intertwined that you can’t really appreciate one without the others. Jessica Jones just edges Daredevil as the standout – Iron Fist is the only turkey – with Krysten Ritter’s turn as the cynical, super-strong PI making her the most human of the bunch. All the heroes ultimately met their match when Netflix wielded the axe on this particular branch of the Marvel universe across late-2018 and early-2019 – but Jessica Jones remains one of the best superhero TV shows ever made.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

Everything about this macabre horror comedy is unconventional. Despite having the trappings of a suburban family drama, its central character (a real estate agent played by Drew Barrymore) becomes undead, and develops a taste for human flesh. Yet it’s not a traditional zombie drama either, because she remains self-aware, and still has to negotiate the challenges of 21st century family life. It’s a mash-up that showrunner/creator Victor Fresco exploits for maximum comedy value, making the most of the chemistry between Barrymore and screen husband Timothy Olyphant as they try to work out what the hell is going on. Sadly, a brilliant third season wasn’t enough to save it from the chop.  

The OA (2016-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

Back in 2017, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made the surprising statement that, “Our hit ratio is too high right now. I’m almost pushing the content team, ‘We have to take more risk, you have to try more crazy things,’ because we should have a higher cancel rate overall.” His commissioners were obviously taking note, because few other TV platforms would have taken a chance on a show as ambitious, weird and opinion-splitting as The OA. Telling the story of a mysterious young woman (played by co-creator Brit Marling) who dubs herself the “Original Angel”, the show’s two seasons were possibly too inaccessible to ever pick up a mass audience. Sadly, that meant Netflix pulled the plug after two seasons, leaving the show’s proposed five-year story arc frustratingly unresolved.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2017-2018)

(Image credit: Netflix)

That the ’80s/’90s cult classic made a comeback at all is so remarkable that nobody should be too upset that it only lasted two seasons in its Netflix incarnation. The reboot was itself the result of a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, so while fans were clearly out there, there weren’t quite enough of them to guarantee the show’s long-term future on Netflix. The original premise – on the Earth-orbiting Satellite of Love, mad scientists force a human and his lo-fi robot companions to watch B-movies – remains intact, with a new cast including Jonah Ray, Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt. This cancellation doesn’t necessarily mean the end of MST3K, either – another comeback elsewhere is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Mindhunter (2017-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

While Mindhunter hasn’t technically been axed – executive producer David Fincher still has the option of making a third season, and it's apparently on "indefinite hold" – but the fact that the cast have been released from their contracts suggests it's possible we've seen last of this excellent crime drama. That would be a shame, because the ’70s/’80s-set story of a pair of FBI agents studying incarcerated serial killers to help solve current cases is a brilliantly made period piece. So far so Silence of the Lambs, but the drama is given extra edge by the fact cases are inspired by real-life, with the series based on a book co-written by former Fed John E Douglas. Yes, Mindhunter tends to favour talky scenes over firefights and action, but who’s going to complain when the stories are this good?

She’s Gotta Have It (2017-2019)

(Image credit: Netflix)

One of the best things about living in this so-called golden age of television is the fact that the best movie directors around have made the move to the small screen. Spike Lee joined the likes of David Fincher and the Wachowskis with this TV update of his 1986 breakout She’s Gotta Have It, helming every single episode of its brief two-season run. Nola Darling (played by DeWanda Wise) is a genuinely groundbreaking lead for a TV show, a polyamorous Brooklyn-based artist juggling several relationships and jobs. As you’d expect from Lee, the show has plenty to say about the world – not least because the characters have a habit of making asides to the camera – but it’s also funny, touching and powerful when it needs to be.

Posted in Uncategorised

What do all the delays mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Not even Thanos could stop the Avengers for long. But Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have met their match in the coronavirus, as lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world have put the Marvel Cinematic Universe temporarily on hold.

With cinemas currently closed, Black Widow had already been postponed from its original May 2020 release date. Now Disney has rescheduled many of its major movies, including pushing back all of its hotly anticipated MCU releases to later dates. While we’re disappointed we’ll have to wait until November to see Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff back in action, it’s good to know she’s still coming to cinemas – especially as spy movie Artemis Fowl now seems set for Disney Plus, and The New Mutants’ fate is still undecided.

In the wake of Disney’s release date announcement, we look at how coronavirus will impact the wider MCU. What does it mean for theatrical releases? How does Spider-Man fit in? And with all the storytelling in the MCU coexisting as one giant interconnected ecosystem, how will Covid-19 affect the new Marvel TV shows coming to Disney Plus?

Read on, true believers, as we explain what’s going on…

How the release schedule changed

Disney/Marvel were simply confirming the inevitable when they announced in March 2020 that the ongoing coronavirus situation meant Black Widow’s May 1 release date was being postponed indefinitely. Less than three weeks later, however, they confirmed that Black Widow will now arrive in cinemas on November 6, 2020.

This means that, for the first time since The Avengers landed in 2012, there’ll only one MCU movie in cinemas this year. The bigger consequence, however, is that it bumps every one of Disney’s Marvel Phase 4 releases until later – no surprise, considering they’re all part of one massive decades-spanning story arc.

This is what the coronavirus-adjusted Marvel Cinematic Universe movie release schedule looks like since Disney made its changes:

  • Black Widow (was May 1, 2020, now November 6, 2020)
  • The Eternals (was November 6, 2020, now February 12, 2021)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (was February 12, 2021, now May 7 2021)
  • Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel (was July 16, 2021, now TBC)
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (was May 7, 2021, now November 5, 2021)
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (was November 5, 2021, now February 18, 2022)
  • Black Panther (was May 6 2022, now May 6, 2022)
  • Captain Marvel 2 (was TBC, now July 8, 2022)
  • Untitled Marvel movie – October 7, 2022

So with Black Widow taking the November 2020 berth previously occupied by The Eternals, The Eternals moves into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ February 2021 slot. Shang-Chi then goes back to the May 2021 date that was held by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (now reportedly directed by Sam Raimi), with the Sorcerer Supreme now occupying the November 2021 slot that had previously been allocated to Thor: Love and Thunder. The fourth instalment of the Thor saga subsequently debuts in February 2022, a date previously reserved for an unknown Disney/Marvel release.

Disney’s April 2020 announcement has also confirmed two further release dates. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige had already told Disney’s D23 convention in August 2019 that Black Panther 2 was due in May 2022. That’s now confirmed, along with a date for Captain Marvel 2 – Carol Danvers blasts back into movie theatres in July 2022.

There’s one big major 2021 MCU release we still don’t know about, however – the follow-up to Spider-Man: Far From Home. With Spidey movie rights holders Sony handling the distribution, the Wallcrawler wasn’t part of Disney’s announcement. But seeing as he’s one of Sony’s biggest cash cows, the studio probably won't want to move the threequel from its prime July 2021 release date.

The added complication is that Sony is also building its own (non-MCU) Spider-Man universe, featuring spin-off franchises Venom and Morbius – which could both conceivably feature story arcs leading into the Far From Home sequel. Morbius (originally slated for July 2020) won’t create any problems, because its new March 2021 release date is still ahead of Spidey. But it’ll be interesting to see what happens to the Venom sequel, which was widely rumored to hit cinemas in October 2020. Will Sony postpone the movie to ensure it remains sandwiched between Morbius and Spider-Man?

Beyond Captain Marvel in July 2022, there’s one more slot confirmed for an “Untitled Marvel” movie – October 7, 2022. The identity of this film is currently TBC, though with Ant-Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 and the rebooted Blade all in development, any one of those would seem a good bet. By that time we’d hope we’re back to business as usual in the MCU, but with nobody quite sure when coronavirus lockdown measures will end, there’s still a chance that the updated MCU releases announced in April 2020 may have to be postponed further. 

What about the Disney Plus slate?

That’s the big question, because while Disney’s movie distribution arm has confirmed its theatrical release dates, we don’t know exactly what it does to the launches of the hotly anticipated new MCU shows coming to Disney Plus. It’s pretty safe to assume, however, that we’ll have to wait a little bit longer for the series to land on the platform than we originally thought.

Firstly, there are the practical considerations. Lockdowns and travel restrictions have paused production on Captain America spin-off The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the longer the wait to get back in front of the cameras, the less likely the show is to be ready for its mooted August 2020 launch. And even though WandaVision has wrapped principal photography, coronavirus could also disrupt what will inevitably be a high volume of post-production and effects work, making its previously announced December 2020 debut less likely. The Walking Dead is a case in point: the zombie show’s current season wrapped months ago, yet COVID-19-related post-production delays mean we won’t see the finale until an unconfirmed date later this year.

The other big consideration is Marvel’s grand plan. Everything in the MCU is so interconnected, every post-credits scene and character reveal so meticulously planned, that the relative release dates of the movies and TV shows are unlikely to be an accident.

So while Black Widow is set years before the events of Avengers: Endgame, we wouldn’t be surprised if events there impacted The Falcon and the Winter Soldier somehow – those characters have always had a connection in the Captain America movies, so it would make sense. That would push The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s launch later than November 2020, were it to be the case, though again, it's possible those stories do not intersect.

Nobody knows yet how newcomer The Eternals (due in February 2021) will impact other areas of the MCU, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that there could be some kind of mystical lead-in to WandaVision – not least because Scarlet Witch has long had a connection to the magical side of the MCU. That would shift WandaVision to March or later, though – seeing as Scarlet Witch is confirmed to co-star in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – the show definitely has to drop some time before November 2021.

Again, we’re not sure how Loki’s time-hopping exploits in his new show will influence the wider MCU (though Loki will tie in to Doctor Strange 2 in some way). But if the other shows are moving it seems possible that will also be delayed from its proposed Spring 2021 date.

By the time we get to What If…? in summer 2021, however, we’d hope things will be getting closer to normal. This new animated series exploring various alternative scenarios in the MCU – for example, what would have happened if Peggy Carter became a super-soldier instead of Steve Rogers? – should exist independently of the main timeline, so hopefully its launch won’t be affected by events elsewhere.

Disney Plus and Marvel also have She-Hulk, Ms Marvel and Moon Knight TV shows in development but with no release date yet mentioned, we’re unlikely to see any of them before 2021.

Our predicted release schedule

Once everything settles down – and assuming no additional coronavirus-related delays – we think the overall sequence of events in the MCU could look something like this. Note that this is just our prediction, though, and that officially nothing has changed with the Disney Plus shows' release dates at the time of publication. 

  • Black Widow (November 6, 2020)
  • The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (possibly Late 2020, TBC)
  • The Eternals (February 12, 2021)
  • WandaVision (possibly Spring 2021, TBC))
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (May 7 2021)
  • Loki (possibly Summer 2021, TBC)
  • Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel (officially July 16, 2021)
  • What If…? (possibly Summer 2021, TBC))
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (November 5, 2021)
  • Hawkeye (possibly Late 2021, TBC)
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (February 18, 2022)
  • Black Panther (May 6, 2022)
  • Captain Marvel 2 (July 8, 2022)
Posted in Uncategorised

6 Netflix sports documentaries that are worth watching

These are strange times to be a sports fan. While there’s usually some kind of live action to watch somewhere in the world, the coronavirus crisis has led to the postponement of almost every major league in the planet. For the first time in decades, the constant background noise of matches and analysis has been silenced.

But fear not. While there’s no new live sport to tune into, there are plenty of ways Netflix can help you scratch that itch. Whether you’re looking for documentaries about football or Formula 1, or the finest sports dramas, TechRadar has assembled a league table of the best action you can watch on Netflix. 

We can’t get the games and races restarted, but we can bring the thrill of sport back to your living room.

Sunderland ’Til I Die

(Image credit: Netflix)

It’s all very well making documentaries about champion superclubs like Manchester City (Amazon’s All or Nothing) and Juventus (Netflix’s First Team). But for most football fans, the beautiful game is defined as much by the losses as the victories. That’s a big reason why this trip behind the scenes at perennial underachievers Sunderland feels so relevant – whether you’re a Black Cats fan or not. 

The timing couldn’t have been better, as the two seasons give you front row seats for relegation from the Championship, and the subsequent play-off agony after a season in League One. Fair play to Sunderland for letting the cameras in, because this warts-and-all doc doesn’t always make the club look good. 

Check out more of our thoughts on Sunderland 'Til I Die season 2 here

Last Chance U

You can hire the best writers, directors and actors around, but sometimes the best stories are found in real life. Four seasons in, Netflix’s documentary series about American football teams at US community colleges remains home to some of the most compelling drama on TV. 

The focus is on the players who nobody else wanted, full of potential on the field, but often prevented from realising it on the field by their difficult backgrounds. Yes, that sometimes plays out in the uplifting sports movie cliché of a team defying the odds. But just as often the players’ issues get the better of them and everything goes wrong. Hollywood should watch and learn.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive

(Image credit: Netflix)

Here’s your chance to relive the 2018 and 2019 Formula 1 seasons at much closer quarters than ever before. With Netflix cameras granted unprecedented levels of access to the pit lane, this documentary series is as much about what happens off the track as on it. 

Mixing race action, interviews and tantalizing glimpses behind the scenes, Drive to Survive follows drivers, teams and management as they negotiate the globe-trotting circus that is F1. As impressive as Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen’s driving feats are, it’s soon clear that what’s going on beneath the bonnet is the real star of the show.

Icarus

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Lance Armstrong doping scandal rocked world cycling. It also inspired documentary filmmaker and amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel to embark on an audacious experiment to see if he could beat the testers. 

After meeting leading Russian anti-doping expert Gigory Rodchenkov, however, Fogel found himself taking on a key role in exposing the scale of state-sponsored doping in Russian sport. While the original focus of his Oscar-winning movie was totally transformed, Fogel still manages to skilfully weave together several disparate narratives into a compelling real-life drama – even as he becomes an integral part of his own story, testifying in front of the enforcers at Wada.

Maradona in Mexico

Footballing legend Diego Maradona (and past subject of Asif Kapadia's excellent documentary, Diego Maradona) attempts to save the Dorados, a bottom-place Mexican team based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, which has the stigma of being a cartel hot spot. If you know anything about Maradona's career, you'll understand how he's the perfect documentary subject. Put this on your watch list. 

A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story

A recent Netflix addition, this documentary focuses on the Argentine F1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio, and his amazing career at a time where safety wasn't exactly paramount in Formula One racing. A Life of Speed tries to explore why so many drivers decided to risk their lives doing it anyway. Well worth checking out if the virtual Grand Prix isn't enough for you. 

Posted in Uncategorised

Fast and Furious 9: release date delay, trailer, and what we know

Fast and Furious 9 is squealing its tires towards a cinema near, you, eventually. In the world of cinematic franchises, the Fast and Furious movies (officially known as the Fast Saga) are unique. For a start, unlike most other members of the multi-billion-dollar box office club they’re not really sci-fi or fantasy – though 2019 spin-off Hobbs & Shaw did cross the line with its cybernetically-enhanced bad guy.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew of multi-talented drivers/tech experts return for Fast and Furious 9, the ninth of the series – or tenth if you include Hobbs & Shaw. Justin Lin, who directed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth instalments in the long-running saga – and is described as an “architect” of the franchise by Diesel – is back behind the camera, having made a detour to the 23rd century for Star Trek Beyond. 

You've now got a long wait ahead of you with the movie's new 2021 release date, but what can we expect when Fast and Furious 9 revs up? We’ve looked under the bonnet of the most souped-up film series on the planet to explain so you know what to expect.

Fast and Furious 9 release date delayed by coronavirus

Fast and Furious 9 (or F9 as it’s known in the United States) has been delayed for over a year until April 2, 2021 in the US over coronavirus concerns. The official statement above highlights the importance of safety and the fact that plenty of fans may not have been able to even access the cinema to watch it.

Since the new date clashes with that of the tenth movie, it's highly likely the franchise finale will also be pushed back. It's not known so far whether F10 will be delayed by the same amount of time into 2022, however.

When news of the delay emerged, F9 became the fourth Hollywood production to be delayed by the virus. The latest Bond movie, No Time To Die, plus A Quiet Place II and Peter Rabbit 2, also got pushed back.

The original release date for F9 was in 2019, but it was postponed a year to May 22, 2020, apparently at the request of Fast Saga star and producer Vin Diesel. “Like any vehicle that has run around the globe 8 times, the franchise is in need of maintenance,” Diesel told his Instagram feed in October 2017. “My good friend and the godfather of [distributor] Universal, Ron Meyer has granted me the time to do just that.”

Fast and Furious 9 trailer: first look at the movie

An epic Fast and Furious 9 trailer, running at nearly four minutes long, debuted on January 31, 2020. That's all we've seen of the movie so far.

It starts slow, with Diesel’s Dom Toretto retired to a quiet rural life with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Brian, the young son whose existence was revealed in Fast and Furious 8. “I used to live my life a quarter mile at a time,” Toretto says in voiceover. “But things change…”

This is the Fast Saga, however, so things don’t change that much, and it’s not long before we’re plunged back into some familiar high-octane action. There are bus-top battles in Edinburgh, a Pontiac Fiero strapped to a rocket engine (yes, really), and cars flying off beautiful cliffs in Thailand – but don’t worry, there’s a “magnet plane” standing by to make sure at least one of them doesn’t go tumbling into the sea.

It looks like there'll be just as many fireworks between the humans, too. Most importantly, we meet Dom’s previously unmentioned younger brother Jakob (played by WWE wrestler and Bumblebee star John Cena), and it turns out there’s no love lost between the two siblings. So much so, in fact, that Jakob’s in league with cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), the returning Big Bad who was revealed as the all-controlling Blofeld of the Fast Saga in Fast and Furious 8. She’s still very much at large...

“Your whole life you pushed yourself to be faster than Dom,” she tells Jakob. “Smarter than Dom. Stronger than Dom. But could you kill him? Because I’m ready if you are.”

But the trailer saves its biggest revelation for the end, as Han (Sung Kang) – presumed dead after his car was totalled by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift/Fast and Furious 6 – rejoins Toretto and his crew. Hands up who saw that one coming…

Fast & Furious 9 story: what’s revving up?

Aside from the fact it’ll feature familiar faces, very fast cars and the usual quasi-espionage shenanigans, the inner workings of Fast and Furious 9’s plot remain carefully under wraps. The taglines in the trailer offer up a couple of big clues, however.

“Justice is coming” could refer to several simmering revenge angles. Cipher clearly wants to get back at Dom for ‘betraying’ her in Fast and Furious 8, while Dom has plenty of beef with her – everything from masterminding the criminal schemes of the three previous movies to the cold-blooded murder of Elena Neves, the mother of his son. There’s also the not-so-small matter of Han’s ‘murder’ – though it it’ll be interesting to see who Han thinks is responsible, now that Deckard Shaw (driver of the offending car) has effectively been absorbed into Deckard’s crew.

But it’s the “Not all blood is family” line that’s set to have the biggest impact on the plot – not least because the adopted “family” Dom Toretto has built around himself is one of the main themes of the Fast Saga. His crew may not be blood relatives, but they’re every bit as tight-knit – much closer, it seems, than Dom is to the people he shares DNA with.

The Fast Saga suddenly introducing important relatives we’d heard nothing about is nothing new: Fast and Furious 6 antagonist Owen Shaw turned out to have an angry big bro called Deckard, while Dom Toretto learned he had a son in Fast and Furious 8. So it’s not that surprising that Dom should have a younger brother who’s gone unmentioned until now. Their father’s death in a stock car racing accident – and Dom’s subsequent revenge attack on the driver he blamed for the incident – is bound to be a major bone of contention. And then there’s the return of their younger sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), to think about. Could she be a potential mediating factor between the Toretto boys?

After Hobbs & Shaw’s cyborg villain took the franchise into genuine sci-fi territory for the first time, we’re also wondering whether Fast & Furious 9 will follow suit. Beyond the now-traditional bending of the laws of physics, there’s nothing in the trailer to suggest that’s the case – though long-time Fast Saga writer Chris Morgan (replaced by Daniel Casey on Fast & Furious 9) has hinted that a trip to space may be on the cards one day. “Nothing’s out of the question,” Morgan told Polygon in 2019. Maybe that rocket-powered Pontiac in the trailer does more than just drive…

Fast and Furious 9 cast: who’s behind the wheel?

The tragic death of franchise mainstay Paul Walker (who played cop-turned-racer Brian O’Conner) left a major hole in Dominic Toretto’s crew for Fast & Furious 8. Heading into part 9, however, the Fast Saga’s core “family” is pretty much unchanged. That means Vin Diesel’s back as Dom, backed up by Michelle Rodriguez (Letty), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (Tej) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey).

Among the returnees to the gang, Sung Kang is the biggest news, back as the unexpectedly not-dead Han, but Jordan Brewster also makes a comeback as Dom’s younger sister, Mia – she sat out Fast and Furious 8, as Mia settled down with Brian to raise their family.

There’s also franchise returns returns for Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift vets Lucas Black (Sean), Bow Wow (Twinkie) and Jason Tobin (Earl), and for Helen Mirren as Magdalene, the Shaw matriarch busted out of prison in Hobbs & Shaw.

There’s been no confirmation, however, on whether we’ll be seeing more from Kurt Russell (Mr Nobody), Scott Eastwood (Little Nobody), Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs) or Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw) – we wouldn’t be surprised if any of them popped up for a cameo,

Charlize Theron, a brilliant addition to the Fast and Furious 8 cast, is back with a new short haircut to front the villains as uber-hacker Cipher. She’ll be joined by John Cena as antagonistic Toretto sibling Jakob.

There are also roles for Guardians of the Galaxy’s Michael Rooker (Buddy) and singer Cardi B.

Will there be more Fast Saga movies after Fast and Furious 9?

You can bet on it. In fact, at least one more is a certainty, because – as Diesel revealed in a Facebook post after the release of Fast & Furious 8 in 2015 – parts eight, nine and ten have been planned as “one last trilogy to end the saga”. Various reports have suggested that Lin will be back to direct part 10.

A 2020 interview with Total Film magazine (via GamesRadar) went further, with Diesel hinting that the tenth movie could be split into a two-part finale, à la Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

“I started planning for Fast 10 before we started filming Fast 9,” he said. “The universe is so robust and so rich with talent and rich with story that, on one level, it’s totally feasible to have spin-offs, and I think that’s something that is inevitable. Universal deserves it because of how much they’ve invested in this little saga, and it’d be good to give back to Universal. And for the fans, should Fast 10 parts one and two be the conclusion, it would be nice for this world to continue for generations to come.”

Diesel’s comments are slightly ambiguous, but it doesn’t look like there are any plans to park the franchise any time soon. There’s already a Fast & Furious: Spy Racers animation on Netflix, while the success of Hobbs & Shaw means there’s every chance Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will rekindle their love-hate relationship in a follow-up. There have also been rumors of a female-fronted spin-off.

The Fast Saga will be 20 years old in 2021, but there’s no reason it can’t manage another couple of decades – though the fact the crew will probably be driving electric cars by then means the franchise could sound very, very different.

Fast and Furious 9 is exactly what we need right now

The Fast saga has come a long way. It's been a long stretch of road from where the franchise began with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, a fun but unremarkable movie about street racers with a sideline in audacious auto-heists. Now the films have their own bizarre alchemy, an unlikely blend of very fast cars, elaborate heists and relationship drama that occasionally veers into soap opera territory.

It's exactly the kind of escapism we could use more of in these worrying times, so the corona-induced delay is unfortunate for everyone, not just petrolheads. Here's hoping that that year delay comes around fast, and that we won't have to wait another year for Fast 10 after that.

Posted in Uncategorised

The Umbrella Academy season 2: release date, trailer, cast and what we know

The Umbrella Academy season 2 release date is almost here, and we're learning more about the unique superhero show all the time. The show returning to Netflix in July, based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, follows the dysfunctional Hargreeves children as they reunite to solve the suspicious circumstances of their father's death.

One of lingering questions ahead of The Umbrella Academy season 2 was 'when' precisely the super-powered siblings were left, given that they were teleported off the now-destroyed Moon to an unknown destination and time. Now Netflix has revealed all: with these released new images for the show, we're headed to 1960s Dallas. Scroll down for more on the story of the second season, and how the show will resolve season one's massive cliffhanger.

Here's everything we know about The Umbrella Academy season 2, including its release date, trailer, and cast.

The Umbrella Academy season 2 release date: July 2020

The Umbrella season 2 release date is July 31, 2020. Here's the extremely unusual filmed-at-home trailer confirming it, referencing a popular dance sequence from season 1:

Check out this character art for The Umbrella Academy season 2, too:

The Umbrella Academy season 2 was confirmed by Netflix in April 2019 and shooting wrapped in November 2019. The post-production of the show has since been worked on remotely.

Are these The Umbrella Academy season 2 episode titles?

Following a leak on the WGA website, we may now have an idea of the episode titles for The Umbrella Academy season 2. Naturally you should look the other way if you want to avoid spoilers, but know that we can only take these with a pinch of salt for now. Regardless, these are the leaked episode titles in no particular order, and the writers who may have worked on them: 

  • 743: Bronwyn Garrity, Roberto Askins
  • A Light Supper: Aeryn Michelle Williams
  • OGA for OGA: Nikki Schiefelbein
  • Right Back Where We Started: Steve Blackman
  • The End of Something: Steve Blackman
  • The Frankel Footage: Mark Goffman
  • The Majestic Twelve: Bronwyn Garrity
  • The Seven Stages: Mark Goffman, Jesse McKeown
  • The Swedish Job: Jesse McKeown
  • Valhalla: Robert Askins

The Umbrella Academy season 2 story: welcome to 1960s Dallas

The series will pick up directly after the end of season 1, where Number Seven/Vanya (who, unbeknownst to her family, had superpowers all along) blasted a chunk off the Moon – inadvertently causing the destruction of Earth. The teleporting Number Five saved the Hargreeves siblings by transporting them to another time – in the process reverting them to their teenage selves. 

Where did they land? Early '60s Dallas, Texas, it's been confirmed. The plot of The Umbrella Academy season 2 will see Number Five trying to reunite the siblings, who arrived separately in the '60s, to take on another world-ending threat.

In June 2020, Netflix released the above new images of where the characters are season at the start of season 2. New characters will be introduced, according to EW, including a housewife called Sissy, a 'chameleon' character called Lila and a leader figure called Raymond. Three Swedish assassins will also pop up in The Umbrella Academy season 2, the report says. 

While the TV show made a dramatic change from the comic book storyline because the Hargreeves siblings didn’t save the world apocalypse, the show’s writer’s room is still using Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s graphic novels as a blueprint for the series. That means, there may be some clues in there – for example, we may see Number One/Luther deal with depression, in the wake of revelations about his father’s decision to send him to the Moon for four years. 

“The goal is not to diverge [from the graphic novels],” executive producer Steve Blackman told Indiewire. “Not everything translates from the graphic novel page to the screen, but there’s a legion of fans and I want to bring in a whole new legion of fans who’ve never read the graphic novel, so the goal is not to just go off in our own direction.”

And Gerard Way (arguably more famous for his other job as My Chemical Romance’s frontman) is keen that the planned eight-part graphic novel arc he’s writing with Bá should keep setting the agenda – nobody involved wants the show to overtake the source material as Game of Thrones did George RR Martin’s novels. 

“The goal for us is to stay ahead of the show,” Way said in the same interview, “and since we’re on series three [of the comics], we are now ahead of the show.”

And in case of emergency, Way and Bá have assembled an 18-page roadmap for Blackman and the rest of the writing team so they know where everything’s going.

Umbrella Academy season 2 cast: who's in the show?

Although they’ll presumably be starting out in their teenage incarnations, the grown-up versions of the Hargreeves siblings are all back in action in season 2. 

That means returns for Tom Hopper (Number One/Luther – ability: super strength), David Castañeda (Number Two/Diego – ability: controlling the trajectory of projectiles), Emmy Raver-Lampman (Number Three/Allison – ability: can make people do anything she tells them to), Robert Sheehan (Number Four/Klaus – ability: talks to the dead), Aidan Gallagher (Number Five – ability: teleporting/time travel), Justin H Min (Number Six/Ben – ability: weird tentacle things) and Ellen Page (Number Seven/Vanya – ability: initially nothing, then everything). 

This Instagram post shows five of them having an on-set family reunion:

Three newcomers to the cast have also been announced – and seeing as they’re all the right sort of age to play 30-somethings, we reckon they could be members of that exclusive club of 43 superpowered sprogs born on October 1, 1989. The official Umbrella Academy Twitter account has this to say about them:

Lila (played by Ritu Arya)

  • A chameleon who can be as brilliant or as clinically insane as the situation requires.
  • Unpredictable, mischievous, sarcastic.
  • Twisted sense of humour.

Raymond (played by Yusuf Gatewood)

  • Born leader and devoted husband.
  • Has the smarts, gravitas, and confidence to never have to prove it to anyone. 
  • Has the innate ability to disarm you with a look.

Sissy (played by Marin Ireland)

  • Fearless, no-nonsense Texas mom.
  • Married young for all the wrong reasons.
  • Eager to rediscover what life and love has to offer.

And this is yet to be confirmed officially, but the timeline-hopping storyline means the apocalypse surely won’t have meant the end for time-travelling assassins Cha-Cha (Mary J Blige) and Hazel (Cameron Britton), or their boss The Handler (Kate Walsh). 

And somewhere between time travel, flashbacks and Klaus’s ability to talk to the dead, there should be numerous routes back for the deceased Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), the siblings’ android Mom, Grace (Jordan Claire Robbins), and chimpanzee assistant Pogo (Adam Godley).

Bring on season 2

The end of the Marvel shows on Netflix might be a blessing in disguise. Marvel Studios now controls all live-action versions of its characters, and it's seemingly pushed Netflix to adapt some more unusual superhero fiction. As well as The Umbrella Academy, the streaming service also has adaptations of comics by Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar on the way (which will be a very different proposition).

Being based on a non-Marvel comic clearly didn't hurt The Umbrella Academy's popularity at all. Let's hope we see many more seasons of it. 

Posted in Uncategorised

Black Widow: trailers, release date delay, cast and everything we know

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has been a key part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the movies began. Still, while the movies' male heroes piled up solo movies, Natasha Romanoff was left to co-star in other characters' movies – until now. 

The new Black Widow movie was coming May 1, 2020 in the UK and US, but the release date has been suspended due to coronavirus. The new Black Widow release date is unknown.

When the movie gets here, it will put the spotlight firmly on Natasha Romanoff, and her mysterious past life as an assassin trained by the Russian government. A solo outing has been much deserved for such a popular character. Plus, we've only been treated to the one female-fronted MCU movie by this point: Captain Marvel.

As the dust settles on the universe-changing events of Avengers: Endgame, this is the first film to emerge from the MCU’s Phase 4. Returning us to the aftermath of Civil War, the Black Widow movie is seeing in the dawn of a new era along with Doctor Strange and Black Panther sequels, and new properties like The Eternals and Shang Chi.

Details are coming to light even more the closer we get to launch, so here's what you need to know about the Black Widow movie release date, trailer, cast, and how it fits into the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. Spoilers for older MCU films follow.

Black Widow release date: delayed to TBA 2020

The Black Widow movie was set for release in the UK and US on May 1, 2020, but then the worldwide spread of coronavirus led to the shuttering of theaters, leading Disney and Marvel to push the date back. We now don't know when it'll get here.

Black Widow trailer: here's the final trailer

Above, you can watch the final Black Widow trailer, which shows us more of the Taskmaster's plan: he's using the Red Room where Natasha was trained to control agents. 

The first Black Widow movie teaser debuted in early December 2019. It opens with a montage of Romanoff staring into a mirror and scenes from previous MCU movies. “I used to have nothing. But then I got this job. This family. But nothing lasts forever,” she says in a voiceover. Those lines encapsulate the main themes of the trailer, which focuses on the character’s origins, and the notion of family. 

We see Romanoff meeting a returning William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross – could this be where the Russian agent is persuaded to defect to the United States? – and also Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, an operative with similar skills to Black Widow, who Romanoff describes as “sis”. Biological sisters, or spiritual? We’ll have to wait and see…

“We have unfinished business,” Black Widow continues. “We have to go back to where it all started.” Cue assaults on military bases (apparently from her past), scenes of bonding with former colleagues Red Guardian (Stranger Things’ David Harbour) and Melina (Rachel Weisz), and Romanoff in a new-look white suit. We also get a first glimpse at Taskmaster, widely believed to be a major villain in the movie.

We get to see a little more in the Black Widow 'Special Look' trailer above. Building on what we saw from the original trailer, we can see that Black Widows must face up to her past by tackling a new breed of assassin, a "new world of Widows". In the original trailer Widow hints at the "mistakes" she made before joining S.H.I.E.L.D and this army of assassins appears to be those made manifest.

This is seemingly part of the "arc" Widow undertakes, as Scarlett Johansson mentions in the making-of featurette below. In it you can get a sneak peek at some behind-the-scenes action and see short interviews with director, Cate Shortland and producer, Kevin Fiege.

In this Super Bowl 2020 Big Game Spot we see more of Romanoff's pre-Avengers family, all suited, booted, and ready for action.

Black Widow cast explained

Marvel always secures A-list acting talent, and the Black Widow movie is no exception. Alongside the returning ScarJo, Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz plays Melina, a Russian spy who goes under the alias Iron Maiden, and is a villain in the comics. Florence Pugh is Yelena, who assumed the Black Widow mantle after Natasha Romanoff in print; and Stranger Things/Hellboy star David Harbour plays Alexie Shostakov, otherwise known as Red Guardian. He’s Russia’s supersoldier answer to Captain America, though in the movie, he appears to be out of shape. 

The principal cast is rounded out by the aforementioned William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, and Ray Winstone in an as-yet-unrevealed roles. OT Fagbenle plays a character called Mason, but there’s speculation that Fagbenle is playing the aforementioned Taskmaster, a masked, bow-wielding vigilante. Marvel is playing that particular card close to its chest. 

There are also reports that Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark/Iron Man will make an appearance – he may have been killed in Avengers: Endgame, but as with Romanoff, the Black Widow movie’s position in the timeline makes a comeback feasible.

Black Widow poster: check out the latest design

Marvel has released the newest Black Widow poster, showing the movie's ensemble cast in the background. Excited yet?

How does Black Widow fit into the MCU? 

Eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed the inconvenient fact that (spoiler alert for the two or three people who haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame) Black Widow was one of the high-profile casualties of the final Avengers movie. The new film isn’t messing around with continuity, however, because it’s set some time in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, when Natasha Romanoff is living as a fugitive after helping Captain America and Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier) escape the authorities. 

"There are ways to do prequels that are less informative or answer questions you didn’t necessarily have, and then there are ways to do prequels where you learn all sorts of things you never knew before,” MCU overlord Kevin Feige teased io9 back in June. “I look at Better Call Saul as a wonderful example of a prequel that almost completely stands on its own apart from Breaking Bad because it informs you about so many things you didn’t know about before."

It also seems likely that the movie will feature plenty of flashbacks – the scene with Ross in the trailer features a significantly de-aged William Hurt, suggesting the meeting takes place much earlier in Romanoff’s history. We also see hints of the brutal “Red Room” facility seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Black Widow was trained. In other words, expect this to be the MCU movie from the other side of the Iron Curtain.

What other Black Widow story details do we know about?

Beyond what’s in the trailer? Not a lot. This is Marvel, after all, a studio well known for not giving away unnecessary plot details. With Black Widow being such a popular character, however – along with the fact MCU movies tend to get sequels – we can’t help wondering if this will be an excuse to bring the deceased Natasha Romanoff back into the wider Marvel continuity, much as Avengers: Endgame provided a way back for Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

Black Widow director: Cate Shortland is making this Marvel movie

The Black Widow movie’s director is Cate Shortland, the Australian helmer of Somersault, Lore and TV series The Secret Life of Us. It’s another admirably leftfield choice for Marvel who, after Taika Waititi on Thor: Ragnarok, and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck on Captain Marvel – are making a habit of taking a chance on interesting filmmakers.

The screenplay, meanwhile, is from Jac Schaeffer (who’s showrunning upcoming Scarlet Witch/The Vision Disney+ show WandaVision), and Ned Benson (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby).

Can Black Widow continue the MCU's form?

A Black Widow movie is the right move for Marvel after Avengers: Endgame. The stakes of the MCU need to dial back a bit before they can escalate to that level again, and a movie that at last explores Natasha's origins feels like a dead cert. The quality of the ensemble cast, too, speaks to how well Marvel Studios is regarded right now – everyone wants to be part of it. 

It's just a shame we have to wait for it, but that's just the way things are right now in cinema.

Posted in Uncategorised

The Mandalorian season 2: release date, cast, trailer and what we know

The Mandalorian season 2 release date is October 2020 on Disney Plus, and we know a lot about what to expect from next season. If you've finished season 1 of the live-action Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian season 2 promises more Baby Yoda, more Darksaber and deep cut guest appearances from the Star Wars universe.

Fans have plenty to be excited about with the next set of episodes, then. The Mandalorian season 2 has finished filming, and Disney has confirmed the release date won't be delayed by the global pandemic, simply because post-production work on the series is being completed remotely. 

Here's everything we know about The Mandalorian season 2 so far, from the rumored appearances of characters like The Clone Wars icon Ahsoka Tano

The Mandalorian season 2 release date: October 2020

The Mandalorian season 2 release date is October 2020, it was officially announced in February of this year. And don't worry, the current global situation hasn't changed anything: it's still happening then, which Disney's CEO Bob Chapek has confirmed. 

The Mandalorian season 2 finished filming before the health crisis, and now post-production work is underway remotely. "We were lucky enough to have finished photography before the lock down," executive producer Jon Favreau said during a virtual ATX Television Festival (via THR). "Thanks to how technology-forward Lucasfilm and ILM are, we have been able to do all of our visual effects and editing and postproduction remotely through systems that had been set up by those companies for us."

The Mandalorian season 2 cast: Boba Fett, Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano reportedly join the series

  • Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian/Din Djarin
  • Gina Carano as Cara Dune
  • Carl Weathers as Greef Karga
  • Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon
  • Michael Biehn (rumored)
  • Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett (rumored)
  • Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano (rumored)
  • Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze (rumored)
  • Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth (rumored)

Potential spoilers for The Mandalorian season 2 follow.

Since the show debuted, rumors about characters popping up in The Mandalorian season 2 have gone haywire. Below, we've only included the ones from sources with a good track record of Star Wars reports, and the above cast list for The Mandalorian season 2 focuses on what we know over rumors. 

According to THR, Boba Fett will appear in The Mandalorian season 2, this time played by Temuera Morrison, who previously played Jango Fett in Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. It will be a guest-starring role, apparently, but this presumably means Boba Fett has escaped his fate in the Sarlacc Pit. He's not the only Star Wars character from the past making an appearance this year.

Timothy Olyphant, famous for his roles in Deadwood and Justified, will also appear in season 2 based on a THR report. According to a report by Slashfilm, Olyphant will wear Boba Fett's armor in the second season, but he'll actually be playing a Star Wars character called Cobb Vanth. Created for Chuck Wendig's Aftermath Star Wars novels, the character is apparently a sheriff-type of a small Tattooine location called Freetown. The books suggested he was wearing Fett's armor, and surely this sets him up for an encounter with the bounty hunter himself. 

Rosario Dawson will reportedly play The Clone Wars favorite Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian season 2. This would mark the character's first appearance in live-action. Variety, too, confirmed the report, saying it's a guest-starring role. Speaking to Variety, Dawson explains how excited she would be for such a role. "That's not confirmed yet," she said, "but when that happens I will be very happy."

Aliens and Terminator's Michael Biehn is reportedly part of The Mandalorian season 2 cast, too, possibly playing a bounty hunter (via The Hollywood Reporter). 

In May 2020, Slashfilm reported Katee Sackhoff will be reprising her role as the Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan Kryze from Star Wars: Rebels, only this time in live-action.

The Mandalorian season 2 trailer: is there one yet?

Sadly not. Star Wars: Celebration was intended to take place on August 27, which is when we expected to see The Mandalorian season 2 trailer. Our expectation is that Lucasfilm will still release one around a similar timeframe, but nothing has been discussed on this front yet. 

The Mandalorian season 2 story: the search for Baby Yoda's homeworld?

Everything about the finale of season 1 suggests that The Mandalorian season 2 will focus on the search for “the Child” – aka Baby Yoda’s – home. This would certainly contradict George Lucas' famous rule about not revealing the origin of Yoda's species...

During the season 1 finale, the Mandalorian Armorer on Nevarro tells the Mandalorian that because Baby Yoda is a foundling (and therefore probably not, as previously speculated, a clone), “By creed it it is in your care.” She then adds that, “You have no choice, you must reunite it with its own kind.”

Unfortunately for Mando, however, the Armorer didn’t have any information on where he might find them: “This you must determine,” she teases.

But as ever in Star Wars, there’s a degree of ambiguity here – and the identity of who the Mandalorian is actually looking for may come down to your own point of view. Perhaps Mando is, as it seems at first glance, looking for the homeworld of Yoda’s species. Or maybe he’s simply looking for Jedi who survived the Emperor’s Order 66 purge in Revenge of the Sith, some three decades earlier. 

Why the confusion? In the Outer Rim worlds that provide the setting for The Mandalorian, the Force exploits of the Jedi are just myth – indeed, the Mandalorian simply says of Baby Yoda’s Force abilities that “it can move objects with its mind”. 

“I know of such things,” the Armorer reveals. “The songs of aeons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers.” Crucially, when Mando asks if Baby Yoda is an enemy, the Armorer states: “Its kind were enemies but this individual is not.”

So seeing as Mandalore’s battles were with the Jedi, rather than specifically with Yoda’s species, this implies that Mando’s new bounty may actually be the Jedi. Either way, actor Pedro Pascal suggested he knows what Baby Yoda is in conversation with us. 

Expect more of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in season 2 of The Mandalorian, probably looking for revenge after the battle at the end of season 1. "Major, major, epic, epic lightsaber action happening on this show," the actor said at Fan Expo Canada (via Comic Book). Could this mean a lightsaber duel makes it into The Mandalorian season 2?

The Mandalorian season 2: spin-offs may be in the works, and season 3 is reportedly confirmed

In an earnings call, Disney's Bob Iger hinted at more characters being introduced in The Mandalorian season 2, with possible spin-offs being set up. He teased it as, "more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter, including the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series". 

The exact phrasing suggests spin-offs will focus on newer characters, rather than existing ones. We're sure a lot of fans would argue Gina Carano's Cara Dune would be a good fit...

The Mandalorian season 3, too, appears to be in the works already. Variety confirmed that Jon Favreau is deep into writing season 3, with Lucasfilm's art department beginning work on the next set of episodes already. 

The Mandalorian season 2: the Darksaber explained

When Moff Gideon cuts himself out of his stricken TIE Fighter at the end of The Mandalorian season 1 finale, he uses a blade that sounds much like a lightsaber, but looks rather different to the weapons we’re used to seeing in the hands of Jedi and Sith. More sword-like in shape, with a black blade surrounded by a bright glow, it should, however, be familiar to viewers of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Because unless we’re very much mistaken, this looks like the legendary Darksaber.

This unique weapon is a key part of Star Wars – and particularly Mandalorian – lore. Originally created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian warrior to join the Jedi order, it became a symbol of power on the planet of Mandalore. At the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels (set two years before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope) it ended up in the hands of Bo-Katan Kryze, who was deemed the rightful heir to the Mandalorian leadership. 

But how did such an important weapon end up in Moff Gideon’s hands? We do know that at some point between the end of Rebels and Return of the Jedi, the Empire carried out the so-called “Great Purge”, all but wiping out the Mandalorians. We also know that Gideon was an officer in the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) during the Purge, so could have obtained the Darksaber from Bo-Katan at that time. With Sackhoff reportedly playing Bo-Katan in The Mandalorian, it makes sense that she's survived, and could be looking for revenge. 

Alternatively, the Darksaber could have been in the possession of the Mandalorian “Tribe” living underground on Nevarro throughout The Mandalorian season 1 –Gideon may simply have obtained it when his Imperial remnant wiped out most of the Mandalorians in hiding. This seems less likely, however – surely the surviving Armorer would have protected such an important weapon with her life.

The Mandalorian season 2 directors: Jon Favreau, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez confirmed

Despite being the creator and main writer of The Mandalorian season one, Iron Man director Jon Favreau didn't direct a single episode – it didn't hurt the show at all, but The Mandalorian season 2 will benefit from his input. "I didn’t get a chance the last time around because I was doing Lion King," Favreau mentioned to EW. "So I'll step in for one of them."

Other directors confirmed for season 2 are Peyton Reed (Ant-Man) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City). Dave Filoni and Rick Famuyiwa also return to direct from season 1, along with actor Carl Weathers. 

George Lucas has been on the show's set, too, resulting in this amazing photo:

The Mandalorian season 2: Original Trilogy characters rumored to appear

According to Deadline, “Insiders have hinted that several established characters from the Skywalker saga’s feature films mythology will make appearances during the show’s sophomore season.” Jon Favreau’s release date tweet above showed a picture of a Gamorrean, one of the so-called Pig Guards from Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi, but we suspect that – if this insider's rumors are accurate – they’re referring to someone who’s a significantly bigger deal in the saga than that.

Boba Fett is likely who that Deadline report is referring to, but the wording suggests multiple characters are possible. 

Luke Skywalker is unlikely to crop up away from the saga that bears his name, but there are plenty of big names in the Star Wars universe who’ll be operating around the time of The Mandalorian. It's set five years after the destruction of the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi, after all. Original trilogy survivors Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO, R2-D2, and even Rebel legends Wedge Antilles, Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb could feasibly cross paths with the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda. 

But we’d be much more interested to see General Hux’s dad, Brendol – a former Imperial officer who was instrumental in the formation of the First Order – or even (SPOILER ALERT) Rey’s parents. Now that we know they lived in hiding – pretending to be “nobody” before giving Rey away – any new glimpses at their backstory could enhance what we learned in The Rise of Skywalker.

Perhaps most likely, however, is the reappearance of various bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader to capture the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back. IG-88, Zuckuss, Dengar, Bossk and 4-LOM are still theoretically looking for work in the time of The Mandalorian season 2, and definitely operate in the same hives of scum and villainy as our friendly neighborhood Mando. 

How could Boba Fett return? The bounty hunter did manage to escape 1000 years of digestion in the old Expanded Universe “Legends” stories, a plot that could be ported over into official canon. And there’s also been plenty of speculation online that the mysterious figure on Tatooine who finds the body of the deceased Fennec Shand in Chapter 5, “The Gunslinger”, may be Fett himself – the jangling spurs might just be a clue...

And even if the owner of the spurs wasn't Fett, one particularly interesting theory suggested on Inverse suggests it could be a member of the family – Ailyn Vel, his daughter in the Legends stories. Could this be the identity of this mysterious Funko Pop! Vinyl figure? Will we see more than one member of Fett's family in season 2?

The Mandalorian is the best Star Wars has been in years

The Mandalorian season 2 can't come soon enough. If the next set of episodes weaves together the simple storytelling style of the show with big guest stars from Star Wars' past, this is going to be a real TV event. Not long to wait now...

Posted in Uncategorised

Oscar predictions 2020: which movies will win, from 1917 to Joker

The 92nd Academy Awards are nearly here, taking place on February 9, 2020, and it's still the biggest event in Hollywood's calendar. The 2020 Oscars will celebrate the very best in the movie industry, and there have already been plenty of arguments about who deserved to get nominated this year. Who, though, is likely to win in 2020? The 2020 Oscar nominations were revealed a few weeks ago, so we know which movies and starts are in contention. 

Below, we've taken our best guess at who'll win big on Oscar night. We've based our predictions on the shortlists and winners for other big Hollywood awards (the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA winners) and tapped into pre-Academy Award buzz to work out who we think will have the best chance on Oscar night.

Will The Irishman make a killing for Netflix? Will Once Upon a Time in Hollywood give Quentin Tarantino his first Best Picture win? Or will Joker become the first comic book movie to take the big prize? Right now, all signs point towards 1917 winning Best Picture, and Joaquin Phoenix taking the Best Actor prize. 

With the awards now just days away, these are our final 2020 Oscar predictions...

When are the 2020 Oscars?

The awards themselves take place on Sunday, February 9. 

Best Picture 2020 Oscar predictions

  • Ford V Ferrari
  • The Irishman
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • Marriage Story
  • 1917
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Parasite

If you were hoping Avengers: Endgame might squeeze out a nomination this year, it's hard luck. This is pretty much what we predicted the shortlist would be, although Ford V Ferrari surprised us by making it in, and it's a shame Bombshell didn't get a nod in the best picture category. Otherwise, it's wall-to-wall prestige movies with the exception of Joker, which feels more likely to win in an acting category rather than Best Picture. 

Who do we think will win? Given the talent involved and the technical achievement of successfully de-ageing Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, The Irishman did seem like a good bet. But 1917, winning the Golden Globe for the equivalent category and winning Best Film and Outstanding British Film at the 2020 BAFTAs, now feels like a dead cert.

Who do we want to win? It would be exciting to see Parasite take this award instead of the more predictable contenders. 

Best Director Oscar predictions

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

  • Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
  • Todd Phillips (Joker)
  • Sam Mendes (1917)
  • Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
  • Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)

The Academy snubbed Greta Gerwig this year, which is a real shame, leaving an all-male category of contenders. The competition will be stiff, nonetheless: Martin Scorsese and Sam Mendes (whose all-in-one-shot war movie 1917 brings plenty of wow factor) are both vying for their second Best Director prize, while Quentin Tarantino will be hungry for his first after his best-received movie in years. And don’t bet against Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s work on Parasite. 

Who do we think will win? Mendes and Tarantino both won at the Golden Globes, but with 1917 winning the BAFTA in this category, it feels likely to be Mendes' night. 

Who do we want to win? With Gerwig out of the running, it'd again be nice to see Bong Joon-ho win outside of the International Feature Film category. 

Best Actor Oscar predictions

Joker

  • Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
  • Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
  • Joaquin Phoneix (Joker)
  • Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)

Where else would you find the Pope in competition with The Joker? Jonathan Pryce has attracted plenty of buzz for his convincing outing as Pope Francis (a role he was arguably destined to play), while Pedro Almodóvar traditionally coaxes a great performance out of Antonio Banderas. After Joker pushed the boundaries of what a comic-book movie can do, however, it would be a brave person who bets against Joaquin Phoenix following up his 2005 victory for Walk the Line.

Who do we think will win? Now that Joaquin Phoenix’s chillingly unhinged performance in Joker has won a Golden Globe, SAG Award and BAFTA, it feels like the Best Actor award is his. 

Who do we want to win? Adam Driver's sensitive performance in Marriage Story shows what a superstar he really is. No wonder directors are trying to cast him in everything. 

Best Actress Oscar predictions

Marriage Story

  • Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
  • Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
  • Saorise Ronan (Little Women)
  • Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
  • Renée Zellweger (Judy)

The shortlist here could've been five entries longer this year than it is. The nominations are a mix of up-and-comers (Cynthia Erivo), genuine A-listers (Scarlett Johansson) and regular Oscar contenders (Saoirse Ronan, Renée Zellweger, Charlize Theron). Let battle commence!

Who do we think will win? Renée Zellweger’s performance as Judy Garland feels like the Hollywood choice. She's won the BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award. This must be her night. 

Who do we want to win? This would be a fourth Oscar nomination for Saoirse Ronan by the age of 25 – she probably won’t win this year, but surely her time must come soon, as it did for Kate Winslet.  

Best Supporting Actor Oscar predictions

The Irishman

  • Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
  • Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
  • Al Pacino (The Irishman)
  • Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
  • Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

This category is traditionally a Lifetime Achievement Award by stealth, and never has that been more true than this year, when the shortlist is entirely composed of bona fide Hollywood legends. In fact, the only one of our quintet yet to get their hands on a golden statue is Brad Pitt – and that may just work in his favor…

Who do we think will win? With The Irishman vote likely to be split between Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and The Two Popes both likely to be Oscar night outsiders, the stars are aligning for Brad Pitt (who arguably gave his best performance in the last year in Ad Astra, rather than Once Upon a Time). He's won a Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award. This is surely his night...

Who do we want to win? Brad Pitt’s laconic stuntman was one of the best things about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and few could begrudge him an Academy Award as reward for an impressive career. 

Best Supporting Actress Oscar predictions

  • Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell)
  • Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
  • Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
  • Florence Pugh (Little Women)
  • Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

Unlike its male counterpart, our nominations only feature one previous Oscar winner (Kathy Bates). With a Best Actress nomination already secure, Scarlett Johansson’s unlikely to win here against her Marriage Story co-star Laura Dern – though up-and-comer Florence Pugh could be an outside bet. 

Who do we think will win? Laura Dern got the Golden Globe, SAG award and the BAFTA in this category, deservedly so for her role as a ruthless lawyer in Marriage Story, so it feels like she's got this. 

Who do we want to win? It’s hard to believe that it’s only seven years since Margot Robbie burst onto the scene in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. After a string of memorable performances since, her turn as a Fox News producer in Bombshell could launch her into the elite.  

Best Original Screenplay Oscar predictions

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

  • Knives Out
  • Marriage Story
  • 1917
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Parasite

This category may be the best chance of a win for Best Picture contenders Marriage Story and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but they won’t get it all their own way.  Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is a wonderfully sharp whodunnit, and you can't rule out a clean sweep for 1917.

Who do we think will win? Seeing as Hollywood traditionally loves movies about itself, expect Quentin Tarantino to pick up his third writing Oscar for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – especially if he doesn't win for Best Picture. Still, Parasite won the BAFTA in this category, so you never know...

Who do we want to win? The compelling and frequently hilarious mystery of Knives Out deserves this, to make up for being snubbed in the other major categories. 

Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar predictions

  • The Irishman
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • The Two Popes

Another category that has a strong Netflix contingent, with The Two Popes (adapted by Anthony McCarten from his own play) up against The Irishman, Steven Zaillian’s take on I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. Little Women gives it strong competition, although we'd be very surprised if Joker is the winner here compared to other categories. 

Who do we think will win? If The Irishman doesn't win in other categories, expect it to pick up an award here. Jojo Rabbit won the BAFTA for this category. 

Who do we want to win? Given that Greta Gerwig didn't get the Best Director nod for Little Women, this would be a well deserved consolation. 

Best Animated Feature 

  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  • I Lost My Body
  • Klaus
  • Missing Link
  • Toy Story 4

Disney is likely to take this prize home, though it's a surprise that Frozen 2 didn't get a nomination. Netflix enters the fray with with Christmas-themed Klaus and the leftfield I Lost My Body, while Laika (the company behind Paranorman and the sublime Kubo and the Two Strings) won the Golden Globe with Missing Link. Finally, the latest How to Train Your Dragon completes the nominations.  

Who do we think will win? In a clash of the Disney titans, Toy Story 4 seems to have the edge over Frozen II, and maintain Pixar’s record of winning the prize, on average, every other year. That said, Laika won with Missing Link at the Golden Globes, so it has a shot, and Klaus won the BAFTA. 

Who do we want to win? While it would be nice to show some love to an unconventional newbie like I Lost My Body, Toy Story 4 was such a perfect end to a wonderful saga that the heart belongs to Woody and Buzz. 

Best Score Oscar predictions

  • Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)
  • Randy Newman (Marriage Story)
  • Thomas Newman (1917)
  • John Williams (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

Traditionally one of the hardest categories to call – yes, every category in the Oscars is subjective, but the success of a score is so down to personal taste that it’s incredibly difficult to second guess what Oscar voters will go for. There's an absurd level of composer royalty going on in this category.

Who do we think will win? He’s just completed the score for the ninth movie in a saga he began in 1977 with the original Star Wars – don’t be surprised if this turns into a lifetime achievement award (and fifth Oscar win) for the 87-year-old John Williams for The Rise of Skywalker. Then again, Joker has won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA...

Who do we want to win? Hildur Guðnadóttir is the only newcomer on the list, but her foreboding, string-heavy Joker score added to the uneasy, grimy atmosphere of an unsettling movie. With awards already in the bag, this could be a deserved winner. 

Best International Feature Film Oscar predictions

  • Corpus Christi
  • Honeyland
  • Les Misérables
  • Pain and Glory
  • Parasite

The fact that there’s no requirement for Academy voters to have watched every foreign language movie in contention arguably has a larger effect on this category than any other – most of the releases won’t have received a wide release in the United States, so won’t be in the general consciousness. That means that – even with a pre-released 10-movie shortlist to work from – the more famous, most-talked about movies are at a big advantage. That’s surely going to work in favour of Parasite, which is also nominated for Best Picture among other categories. 

Who do we think will win? It’s already won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, has received brilliant reviews and is on the shortlist for Best Picture – it’s impossible to look past Parasite

Who do we want to win? Parasite would be a worthy winner, but seeing as the consistently brilliant Pedro Almodóvar won his only Oscar 20 years ago (for All About My Mother), it feels like a second – for Pain & Glory – is long overdue. 

Posted in Uncategorised

What is Baby Yoda?

Star Wars fans were thrilled about The Mandalorian the second it was announced as the flagship show of Disney Plus, but few could've predicted that Baby Yoda would steal the show. The first live-action TV series to come out of the Star Wars universe features a guy who dresses a lot like Boba Fett with his own interesting background story, but The Child, as he's known, is arguably the real star. 

Since making his debut in The Mandalorian in November 2019, Baby Yoda has been a sensation. A cuter, younger version of the ancient Jedi master, he’s one of the most endearing creatures ever seen in the Star Wars universe, and has since become the talk of the internet – a walking merchandising opportunity, and the source of wholesome memes.

But what is Baby Yoda? How does he fit into the Star Wars universe? And what will we learn about him in The Mandalorian season 2? We unleash the Bothan spies to find out.

What do we know about Baby Yoda?

The creature who’s become known as Baby Yoda is the surprise break-out star of The Mandalorian. Wisely kept hidden from all the pre-release marketing for the most anticipated show on the newly launched Disney Plus, he made his debut at the end of the show’s first episode. This was where we discovered that the lucrative target the eponymous Mandalorian bounty hunter was pursuing was actually a green alien infant with large ears – who looked a lot like a certain diminutive Jedi Master… 

He’s clearly of massive importance to the mythology of The Mandalorian – and Star Wars as a whole. The mysterious Client (played by legendary movie director/actor Werner Herzog) hired numerous bounty hunters (including assassin droid IG-11) to bring back “The Child” – as he’s officially designated in the show – with the successful hunter being handsomely rewarded. 

The Client – who, going on his choice of Stormtrooper bodyguards and Imperial insignia around his neck – is working for the remnants of the Empire (eventually, it turns out, on behalf of Moff Gideon, introduced in The Mandalorian episode 7), and clearly wanted something from The Child. “I order you to extract the necessary material and be done with it,” he tells underling scientist Dr Pershing, but we have no idea what that material might be. 

We’d be very surprised, however, if it didn’t have something to do with the Force – and rebuilding the Empire into what will become the First Order in Episodes 7, 8 and 9. Maybe they’re planning on removing the Midi-chlorians (Force-carrying particles) from his blood – that would explain why they were so keen on capturing Baby Yoda alive. 

What are Baby Yoda's Force powers?

We've seen that Baby Yoda can use Force choke like Darth Vader, he can heal beings with the Force, he can lift objects, and he uses his power to control the course of fire in Chapter 8 of The Mandalorian. No doubt we'll see more Force powers in action as the show goes on.

 Is Baby Yoda a clone? 

The Baby Yoda clone theory suggests that Dr Pershing is actually a cloning scientist, based on the symbols on his uniform. That hints that the little alien was created on Kamino at the same facility where the Clone troopers were made, and that there's a strong connection between Baby Yoda's origins and that part of the Star Wars universe. 

Cloning is a big part of the Star Wars universe – indeed, clones fought an entire war – so the theory went that Baby Yoda could be a young copy of the original model. However, in Chapter 7 of the show, Kuiil (Nick Nolte) comments that the character doesn't look like he's been engineered, based on his experience on gene farms. So many mysteries still remain around Baby Yoda. Kuiil even dares to call him too ugly! Outrageous. 

This being Star Wars, however, there are plenty of other theories flying around the internet. One suggests he’s the child of Yoda and Yaddle, and in terms of timelines, that’s not preposterous. If Baby Yoda is 50 years old, he’d have been born about 10 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, and presumably both Yoda and Yaddle would have been on the Jedi Council at that point. It’s also unlikely, however, because Jedi have strict rules preventing romantic relationships – and Yoda’s never given us any indication he’d be the kind of guy to break them. 

Some say he could be a reincarnation of the Jedi master. That would be new territory for Star Wars, but the post-Disney buyout Star Wars universe has frequently played around with the rules of the Force, so it’s not impossible. That said, the fact that Yoda died only five years earlier makes it too late for him to have been reborn as a kid who’s now 50, so this is probably one to file in the “pinch of salt” column.

Intriguingly, the date of Baby Yoda’s birth is very close to Anakin Skywalker’s – within a year, in fact. The Phantom Menace hints very strongly that the future Darth Vader had no father and was conceived by the Midi-chlorians. Perhaps the similarly Force-sensitive Baby Yoda came into existence at the same time in the same way, as part of the Midi-chlorians’ efforts to bring balance to the force.

Finally comes the option that he’s simply some random member of Yoda’s species, with no connection to him beyond that. But hey, this is Star Wars where everyone’s destiny is interlinked, so does anyone really believe that?

What will we learn about Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian season 2?

The end of The Mandalorian season 2 suggests that its titular protagonist will be searching for Baby Yoda's homeworld. This is an enduring mystery in the Star Wars universe, and it's an exciting prospect for expanding the character's story in the second season. 

There is also a "name yet to be revealed" for Baby Yoda, Taika Waititi has said. 

Is Baby Yoda in The Rise of Skywalker?

Sorry, but Baby Yoda does not appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He remains The Mandalorian's special little guy. It's probably for the best. 

What is the name of Yoda's species?

Nobody knows – which is odd in itself. 

The Star Wars franchise has a long history of creating names for almost every character, species or planet that’s ever appeared in a movie, TV show or book – even if they’ve had mere seconds of screentime. For example, the Death Star trash compactor monster in Star Wars: A New Hope was subsequently designated a dianoga, while the space slug that tries to eat the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back is an exogorth. 

Yoda is a special case, however. Before George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, the Star Wars creator had a strict rule that specific information about Yoda and his past was out of bounds for writers. That means we have no idea where he originated or what species he belongs to. The closest Lucas came to giving anything away was describing Yoda as “the illegitimate child of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy”, though we suspect that’s not official Star Wars canon… 

It’ll be interesting to see if, now Disney is in charge, they continue to follow Lucas’s directive to keep all things Yoda classified, or use Baby Yoda as an excuse tell us more about Yoda Sr’s mysterious past.

We do know, however, that Yoda’s species is naturally strong with the Force – and not just because Yoda himself had an incredibly successful career as a Jedi master. Even as an infant, Baby Yoda has the power to levitate a giant (and angry) Mudhorn, while the only other member of the species to feature on screen, as mentioned earlier, was Yaddle, a female member of the Jedi Council. She briefly appears in The Phantom Menace. 

Why is Baby Yoda such a big deal? 

Begun, the merchandising has. 

Basically, the internet loves him – forget Porgs, this kid is arguably the cutest thing ever to come out of that galaxy far, far away. As soon as he made his debut in The Mandalorian’s first chapter, Baby Yoda became a meme generator of awe-inspiring power, and the most talked about thing in the show. Everything he does is guaranteed to make you go “Aww”, whether he’s sleeping, drinking soup, or even eating a frog creature alive – Baby Yoda can get away with pretty much anything.

Baby Yoda toys are here

It’s unlikely the merchandising bosses at Disney were complaining when the production team introduced Baby Yoda to the The Mandalorian’s story. Indeed, characters as cute as him are a dream come true for anyone who wants to sell lots of toys and clothing – unsurprisingly, there’s already some merch available (including the inevitable Funko Pop! Vinyl figure). 

More has arrived in 2020, too, including the life-size figurine that crashed the Sideshow Collectibles site when it launched. Folks really love them some little green infants.

Here's a short list of the highlights, if you need any of them in your life:

Still, while you might find Baby Yoda a bit cynical, the fact that showrunner Jon Favreau and Chapter One director Dave Filoni were able to hold the character reveal until the show aired – keeping Baby Yoda’s existence a secret until The Mandalorian made its debut – suggests that in this case, keeping the storytelling sacred was the priority. After all, keeping Baby Yoda a secret arguably denied The Mandalorian and Disney Plus the biggest pre-launch marketing opportunity their hot new show was ever going to get.

Baby Yoda memes: there are so many

Cementing his iconic status, Baby Yoda memes are all over the internet right now. Instead of listing them all here, we've embedded one of the highlights above, and clicking on this link will unleash more than one person can ever reasonably happen. Good luck. 

Posted in Uncategorised