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‘Merry Little Batman’ Set To Premiere On Amazon Prime December 2023

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The first look and air date of DC’s Merry Little Batman has been announced by Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday. The Home Alone-inspired new animated holiday movie will be available to watch on December 8th in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Previously, the movie was going to stream onto Max (HBO), before Amazon Prime acquired the rights to this movie plus 2 other animated projects back in April.

The synopsis of the movie coming out in December is:
When young Damian Wayne finds himself alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he must transform into ‘Little Batman’ in order to defend his home and Gotham City from the crooks and supervillains intent on destroying the holidays.

Here is the first-look poster:

A spin-off series will take place after the movie, called Bat-Family. This series will follow Batman, Alfred, and young Damian Wayne, aka Little Batman, as they navigate the fun and frustrations of life as a super family, along with the series introducing newcomers to Wayne Manor.

The voice cast for Merry Little Batman includes Yonas Kibreab as Damian, Luke Wilson. James Cromwell, and David Hornsby. All voice recording and writing were completed before both the SAG-AFTRA actors strike and the writers’ strike.

Mike Roth (Regular Show) is the director as well as the executive producer with Sam Register (Looney Tunes Cartoons). The screenplay is by Morgan Evans (Teens Titans Go!) and Jase Ricci (Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham).

The third Batman project Amazon acquired the rights to is Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reed’s Batman: Caped Crusader. Amazon has confirmed this to have two seasons ordered for this standalone animated series that is said to have “sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters, and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.” The series was first announced in 2021, originally for HBO Max.

Head of television, Amazon and MGM Studios Vernon Sanders said, “Batman: The Animated Series helped pioneer in the evolution of superhero storytelling and defined the Dark Knight for a generation. Batman: Caped Crusader will no doubt continue that tradition and, alongside Merry Little Batman and Bat-Family, we’re thrilled to collaborate with Warner Bros. Animation to offer a variety of takes of the Batman mythos to our global Prime Video customers.”

What do you think of the Christmas movie? Do you think you will check it out or share it with the young ones? Are you curious about the other two Batman series coming out? Let us know what you think in the comment s below!

Source: ComicBook

Jamie Lee Curtis Really Wants to Play Doctor Kureha, And So Does the Team Behind Netflix’s One Piece

Last week, Matt Owens did an interview with Deadline that revealed some interesting bits of information. Since the Writers Strike has officially ended, writing for season 2 has immediately continued, as they had been working on a script before season 1 aired on Netflix. The shutdowns in recent years had given them time to get started on writing for season 2, in case Netflix were to green-light it.

The final scene in the last episode of the live action series was a last minute addition Owens had an idea for, which was approved for shortly before the strike began in May 2nd when he pitched the idea. Matt Owens was able to meet Eiichiro Oda to discuss the final post production details. After the strike began, Owens left the final production and editing phase to his post-production team and the effects team. He was unable to attend premieres or see the final version until it was up on Netflix. Though Owens was no longer involved during the Writers Strike, Oda was still very much involved.

Although there is an actor portraying Marine Captain Smoker in the live action, there has been no official actor chosen to play his character, neither for the other characters who will be introduced in season 2, especially since the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing for the actors.

As soon as the actors strike ends, Owens and team will do as much as they can to get Jamie Lee Curtis to play Doctor Kureha, who happens to be one of her favorite characters in One Piece. Most everyone agrees she would be absolutely perfect for the role in season 2., as her character plays a very important role in the introduction of a new crew member to be introduced in the next season. Curtis has made several comments before indicating how much of a fan she is of One Piece.

Here is a 30-second clip of Jamie Lee Curtis at the San Diego Comic Book Con about 2 years ago, being asked what character she would want to become from any TV show. It’s pretty funny watching the reactions of those with her on the panel having no clue who or what she is talking about, with Curtis all cool and proud about her answer.

About 2 weeks ago, Jamie Lee Curtis put up an Instagram post about her going to lobby to play Doctor Kureha as soon as the actors strike ends, with a fanart drawing of her as the character.

Matt Owens commented a response on her Instagram post with, “Mommy dearest, that’s why we sent you that figure! No need to lobby. Once we get what we deserve and get back to work let’s talk!”

He is referring to a figure of Doctor Kureha that the writers room sent her after she had won her Oscar earlier this year, including a note that said, “Congratulations on your statue, here’s another one to put next to it. Hope to speak to you soon.”

What do you think about Jamie Lee Curtis playing Doctor Kureha? Is it a good choice? Is there someone else who you think would be a better fit? Who you think would be a good choice for Captain Smoker? Let us know in the comments below!

One Piece Remains In the Top Ten TV Most Watched Worldwide On Netflix + Thanksgiving Day Appearance

Since airing on Netflix on August 31st, One Piece has remained in the Top 10 Most Watched TV series worldwide. It has gradually moved down from it’s number one spot after just over three weeks at #1. Now entering into week six, it’s currently sitting at Most Watched Globally number 4. For the United States, it remained in the top 10 for just over 3 weeks.

Netflix‘s Top Ten Global Watch of One Piece Season 1

Having announced a season 2 only two weeks after airing on Netflix, there’s already discussions about things to consider in season 2 and beyond. Hirsch Whitaker, one of the cinematographers on the live action series, expressed concerns he has as the series receives more seasons and years out of adapting the One Piece story. In the manga and anime, characters don’t really age up until a certain point later in the series. Whitaker’s concern is getting to the time-skip point as the actors age, considering how young the main cast currently are. In the manga, Luffy starts out as a 17 year old and after the time skip he’s 19. The time-skip doesn’t happen until around chapters 597-598, episodes 516-517, or season 14-15. The actor who plays Luffy in Netflix’s live action series, Iñaki Godoy, is already 20 years old.

“[For] Season 2, there’s just, there’s so much material to be made based on the show. It’s gonna be like ‘Harry Potter’ though, they’re gonna have to do it fast before everybody gets too old,” Whitaker explains, as he compares a similar problem that was faced with the Harry Potter movies with the actors aging with each movie.

Five weeks after the series aired on Netflix, an announcement was made in celebration of the success of One Piece. Monkey D. Luffy will be making a special appearance at this years Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In previous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, characters from animes such as Pokemon and Dragonball have made appearances. On October 4th, Toei Animation tweeted out the announcement of Luffy setting sail over the streets of New York City at the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

President and CEO of Toei Animation Masayuki Endo also released a statement, saying, “We’re thrilled to have the celebrated anime franchise One Piece join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with our Monkey D. Luffy giant character balloon. Over the past 24 years, One Piece has built a huge global audience and today, the franchise is now more popular than ever before — both in the U.S. and around the world. We’re excited to introduce One Piece to the tens of millions of people that watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year – especially the friends and families of current One Piece fans!”

What do you think about Netflix One Piece still being in the top 10 most watched TV series? What about Whitakers’ concerns about the actor aging? Or Luffy making an appearance at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Will you be tuning in the see him on TV? Or perhaps be there in person? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Pleasant Screams. Tweeterhead’s Elvira Statue is a Tempting Collectible

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Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, is an icon for many in the horror community. In the 1980s, Cassandra Peterson’s alter ego introduced many of us to some truly terrible movies with her valley girl attitude that contradicted the macabre and sexy outfit she wore.

Decades on, Elvira is just as active as ever. Not long ago, her Claypool comic series was reissued thanks to an Indiegogo campaign. So, it’s no surprise that collectibles based on the gothic babe are still going strong.

This is the case with the latest collectible being produced by Tweeterhead. The company has created a 1:4 scale maquette of Elvira that captures all of the best features of hostess with the mostess.

The $550 polyresin statue can be purchased with an optional $85 autograph card signed by Elvira. Only 350 of these 19″ tall statues are being created. They’ll ship late next year.

Standing at an impressive 19 inches tall, this maquette is a true work of art. Crafted meticulously from high-quality polyresin, it boasts a level of detail and precision that’s nothing short of exceptional. Every curve, every contour, every nuance of Cassandra Peterson’s likeness has been painstakingly sculpted, resulting in a stunningly accurate representation that captures the essence of the Mistress of the Dark herself.

The attention to detail doesn’t stop there. Elvira’s legendary black dress, a symbol of her bewitching charm, has been faithfully recreated with meticulous, fully sculpted,  precision. Her belt dagger and earrings, the subtle yet essential elements of her ensemble, have not been overlooked. These elements, combined with her signature beehive hairdo, dramatic makeup, and real crystal stones applied to her dagger and ring, all come together to create a maquette that truly stands out.

Are you a fan of Elvira? Let us know when you were first introduced to the Mistress of the Dark in the comments section below.

[Source: Tweeterhead]

Sentai Filmworks Announces November 2023 Blu-ray Release Slate

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Sentai Filmworks has announced their home video release slate for November 2023. The six DVD box sets will include Blu-ray editions, special features, and three of them will also have the English dubbed version. Isekai, sports, fantasy, and ecchi comedies will all be available.

They revealed the complete list of the subbed releases on their website:

FAMILIAR OF ZERO

Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière’s name is longer than her list of positive accomplishments at the Tristain Academy of Magic. Cursed by her fellow students with the horrible nickname “Louise the Zero”, she hopes that summoning a surprisingly strong Familiar will turn her luck around… but instead of some cool mythical creature, Louise summons a normal human from Japan! Now Sato Hiraga is magically bound to an incompetent sorceress, but there may be more to her seemingly mediocre magical powers than meets the eye in the spellbindingly complete collection of FAMILIAR OF ZERO!

RAIL WARS

Naoto Takayama has always been loco for locomotives and dreams of sitting in the big cab up front. When he’s accepted to the Rail Training Academy, he hooks up with Haruka and Aoi, two well-engineered young women he already knew, and a beefy guy named Sho, and they turn out to work so well together that their trainee tickets are upgraded to on-the-job training on a very different career track: security! But at least Naoto still gets to blow a whistle, and there’s always something interesting going on… even if that may mean something life-threatening like train robbers, thieves, and bomb threats, as they all keep working on the railroad, all the live long day, in RAIL WARS!

TSURUNE ~ THE LINKING SHOT

Minato’s return to archery may have helped Kazemai High’s Kyudo Club win a prefectural tournament, but it’s a poor bowman who expects an arrow to fly the same flight every time. With the entry of a radical new team, one of whose members is Minato’s former upperclassman, the old rivalry between Kazemai and Kirisaki becomes a triangle with the upstart team from Tsujimine as serious contenders. And even as the men’s team struggles to adjust to the new paradigm, competition doubles again as the Kazemai women’s team of Rika, Yuna, and Noa prepares to enter their first tourney as well! Prepare to be aquiver as each new arrow makes its mark in TSURUNE – THE LINKING SHOT!

The dubbed releases will include:

MANAGEMENT OF A NOVICE ALCHEMIST

Orphaned Sarasa Feed just graduated from the Royal Alchemist Academy and is now a full-fledged alchemist! She longs for a life of luxury, but there’s only one place Sarasa can afford to set up shop – and her dilapidated new digs are way out in the sticks! Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a business to run and supplies to gather from a very dangerous natural world, Sarasa has her work cut out for her as she transmutes this bad location into a golden opportunity in MANAGEMENT OF A NOVICE ALCHEMIST!

PETER GRILL AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S TIME

The heat is on again for Peter Grill as the world’s most powerful warrior finds himself in the crosshairs of the lusty ladies who seek a penetrating infusion of his potent DNA to create the perfect offspring. Why can’t they accept that he just wants to marry his fiancé and concentrate on being a hero and fighting goblins and stuff? Oh wait, they probably do it because, despite his sister’s desperate efforts to keep him from wandering astray, this is one Peter who keeps ending up in the wrong… er… place at the wrong time. So, you really can’t blame the girls for trying when they’ve got a proven working strategy in PETER GRILL AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S TIME – SUPER EXTRA!

IS IT WRONG TO TRY TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? Season Four

How low can someone go in the mammoth Dungeon of Orario and still return? With Bell recovering from his last fight, the Hestia Familia receives a mission that they can’t refuse: traveling deeper into the Dungeon than they ever have before! Fortunately, missions are what friends are for, and Hestia manages to borrow a few of the Miach and Takemikazuchi Familias’ heaviest hitters. Unfortunately, no one listens to Cassandra’s warnings once again and things immediately start to go wrong. Now the team is split, Ryu’s accused of a horrible crime, and Bell charges ahead to try clearing her name as everyone races to the lower floors in the first half-series collection of IS IT WRONG TO TRY TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? SEASON 4! Danmachi – Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Season 4 Part 1!

‘Peter Grill And The Philosopher’s Time’ is being released with a special steel book edition.

‘Heat’ Director Michael Mann Confirms Follow-Up Movie

The 1995 crime thriller ‘Heat’ is one of the most celebrated movies to come out of the nineties. Director Michael Man as well as the cast, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Diane Venora, Val Kilmer, and more were praised for their performances in the cat-and-mouse game of LAPD detectives trying to catch a violent gang of thieves.

After the release of his novel ‘Heat 2’ with co-author Meg Gardiner in August 2022, speculation circulated if Mann would direct a film sequel which Mann confirmed in an interview with Deadline.

“Yes. Meg Gardiner and myself wrote the novel Heat 2, which came out right when we were shooting Ferrari. It did very well. I plan to shoot that next,” he explained at the Contenders London event.

When asked if Adam Driver would be tapped to play a younger version of De Niro’s character in the movie, Mann downplayed that.

“Perhaps,” he said. “We don’t talk about that yet. Let me put it this way: Adam and I got along like a house on fire [on Ferrari]. We have the same work ethic – which is pretty intense. We like each other, and we had a great time working together artistically.”

Man wrote, directed, and co-produced ‘Heat’ on a budget of $60 million. It would make over $180 million at the box office.

When the novel ‘Heat 2′ was released to bookshelves, it became number one on the New York Times’ bestseller list.

Mann first developed the script for ‘Heat’ as a television show titled ‘L.A. Takedown.’ He filmed a pilot for it and it was not picked up as a series, though the pilot would be released as a television movie on NBC in 1989. It starred Scott Plank (The In Crowd, Holes) as Vincent Hanna, who was portrayed by Pacino in ‘Heat.’

Dr. Stone Season 3 Cour 2 Gets A Release Date And English Dub On Crunchyroll

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‘Dr. Stone: New World’ cour 2 is returning to fans in both the United States and Japan on October 12, 2023. The continuing adventures of Senkuu Ishigami and his quest to build the Kingdom of Science will be available to stream on Crunchyroll for fans in North America and other regions.

Along with this announcement, Crunchyroll added that they were also debuting an English dubbed version of the second part of the third season on the same day.

They revealed the cast list on their website:

  • Senku voiced by Aaron Dismuke (Chigiri in BLUELOCK)
  • Kohaku voiced by Felecia Angelle (Suzune in Classroom of the Elite)
  • Gen voiced by Brandon McInnis (Milo in SABIKUI BISCO)
  • Ryusui voiced by Clifford Chapin (Bakugo in My Hero Academia)
  • Suika voiced by Sarah Widenheft (Charmy in Black Clover)
  • Soyuz voiced by Aaron Roberts (Tetsuo in My Home Hero)
  • Taiju voiced by Ricco Fajardo (Kotaro in ZOMBIE LAND SAGA)
  • Ginro voiced by Justin Briner (Izuku in My Hero Academia)
  • Amaryllis voiced by Leah Clark (Kobayashi in Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon)
  • Oarashi voiced by Jarrod Greene (Moguzo in Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash)
  • Ibara voiced by Larry Brantley (Spinner in My Hero Academia)
  • Kaseki voiced by Kenny Green (Jango in One Piece)
  • Otsubone voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard (Hibana in Fire Force)

You can check out the trailer below:

‘Dr . Stone: New World’ is produced by the Japanese animation studio TMS Entertainment and directed by Shūhei Matsushita.

MyAnimeList described the synopsis of the third season as follows,

“With the ambitious Ryuusui Nanami on board, Senkuu Ishigami and his team are almost ready to sail the seas and reach the other side of the world—where the bizarre green light that petrified humanity originated. Thanks to the revival of a skillful chef, enough food is being prepared for the entire crew, and the incredible reinvention of the GPS promises to ensure safety on the open sea.

Preparations for the upcoming journey progress swimmingly until Senkuu receives an eerie message from a mysterious source. More driven than ever, the scientist sets out to explore the new world and discover what it can offer for his scientific cause. Though the uncharted territories may hide unkind surprises, Senkuu, with a little help from science, is ready to take on any challenge.”

The anime is based on a manga written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Boichi, and published in Shonen Jump.

Netflix’s Live Action Yu Yu Hakusho To Air In December 2023

Netflix’s next anime and manga adaption Yu Yu Hakusho was just announced to air on Netflix on December 14th. There will be a special pre-screening event held on December 13th in Tokyo with to-be-announced guests in attendance. The live action adaption was first announced back in December 15th, 2020.

Here is a sneak peak. There is another sneak peak currently only available to watch, as of this typing, directly on the Yu Yu Hakusho Netflix Page by clicking here.

The original manga was created by Yoshihiro Togashi, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1990 to 1994. An anime series spanned 112 episodes from 1992 to 1995 and several OVAs and specials. Yoshihiro Togashi is married to follow manga creator Naoko Takeuchi, creator of one of the most well-known series Sailor Moon. They’ve been married since 1999 and have two children.

The live action adaption is directed by Shô Tsukikawa (live action adaptions of both I Want to Eat Your Pancreas and My Little Monster). Ryo Sakaguchi serves as the VFX supervisor. Sakaguchi is the first Japanese citizen to win the Academy Award for Science and Technology, as well having previously worked on numerous Hollywood films such as Tron: Legacy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey), Speed Racer (2008), and Game of Thrones. In addition to Scanline VFX, which has worked on numerous Hollywood films, a global team of CG and VFX technologies from Canada, Australia, Korea, and other countries worldwide is participating.

Aside from Japan and the United States working together, an international team was also assembled to bring the epic tale to the screen, tapping into the most advanced CG and VFX technologies from around the world. Known as “the most innovative VFX studio in the world” and lauded for their work on major Hollywood productions, Scanline VFX was instrumental in giving life to all the characters, both human and yokai (spirits), while delivering realistic battle action sequences.

According to Netflix, this project took five years to complete, with the team “painstakingly ensuring that the subtleties of every character’s emotions were accurately depicted in the adaptation. The fusion of state-of-the-art technology and a passion for staying true to the source material promises to make this adaptation a standout in the world of live-action anime.”

The actors playing the four main characters are Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi, Jun Shison as Kurama, Kanata Hongo as Hiei, Shuhei Uesugi as Kazuma Kuwabara.

Yusuke and Kuwabara
Kurama and Hiei

IMDB has the episode count listed as 3 episodes, without specific titles or the length of each.

The summary of the story is:
From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid’s nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice he is given a second chance at life, but it’s to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality.

So what do you think of this? Will you be checking out this live action adaption when it airs on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Netflix

YouTuber Ashens Is Making a Horror Movie!

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Stuart Ashen, better known as ‘Ashens’ on YouTube, is ready to make another movie. Following his previous gaming-centric films Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild and Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild, the entertainer wants to take a stab at the horror genre.

As a long-time horror fan and genre journalist, I’m thrilled. In fact, Ashen and I spoke briefly about this during our interview earlier this year!

So far, the Kickstarter campaign for the horror movie Turn Back has amassed over $125,000 with 1k+ backers. It has exceeded its $122k goal, but we all know that filmmaking is not an easy or cheap process. The more help, the better.

So, what’s the story? Here it is in Ashen’s own words:

I really don’t want to give too much away and spoil things, but obviously you’re not going to back something if I don’t tell you anything about it!

I’m based here in Norwich in the East of England, and part of our local folklore is the infamous “Black Shuck’. It’s an archetypal demon story with a deep mythology, and with a personal connection to me – perfect to base our horror plot around. The legend goes that Black Shuck is a huge ghostly demonic hound that roams the east anglian countryside, and laying eyes on it can be an omen of impending death. If you hear its howl, whatever you do, close your eyes.

The myth dates all the way back to the 12th century and I want to bring it up to date, and bring Black Shuck into the modern world.

And as I said, we’re going to do it all in reverse! The first scene in the film will be the last scene in the narrative and so on, in a similar way to films like Memento or 500 Days of Summer. But trust me, you won’t ever have seen it quite like this. This will not be a gimmick, it is fundamental to the story. Our hope is that once you get to the end, it’s the kind of film you’ll be thinking about for days afterwards and want to watch again. I’m seriously so excited about it.

There are still 29 days left to back Turn Back. The various pledge goals include things like copies of the film via digital or Blu-ray. However, the top donation of £200 will capture you a genuine, certified GameChild!

Be sure to check out the Ashens YouTube channel for many sofa-based tat reviews and more. You can also follow the creator on Facebook.

[Source: Kickstarter]

Crunchyroll Launches 24-Hour Anime Channel

Anime has become incredibly popular among young adults over the last decade. While anime series and films have been around for much longer, those growing up with iconic anime series will tell you how widespread it’s become. Crunchyroll is one of the biggest streaming services with a wide assortment of anime to watch on demand. For many, it’s their go-to service for most shows, with dubs and subs, that offers a lot more than the competition. Luckily for anime fans, something extra is launching in October 2023.

Crunchyroll has launched a 24-hour, ad-supported anime channel in the United States, starting today (October 11th, 2023). The channel will be available for everyone with access to LG Channels, the Roku Channel, and Vizio WatchFree+ on their devices. At the same time, the service will come to Amazon Freeverse on October 17th, 2023, a short time after the initial launch. The Crunchyroll channel will have popular anime shows and a lineup of older series with English dubbing for viewers to watch and enjoy.

Some of the series that will play with the service at launch include the following anime…

  • Horimiya
  • Ranking of Kings
  • Moriarty the Patriot
  • PSYCHO–PASS
  • Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
  • Sugar Apple Fairytale
  • To Your Eternity
  • Code Geass

Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini talked about the channel in a statement sent to multiple outlets. “The Crunchyroll channel is a gateway to the world of anime where we will guide viewers to discover new worlds, new stories, and new characters… Thanks to our distribution partners at launch, millions of fans have easy access to the medium that is taking the world by storm.”

The Crunchyroll channel is a collaboration between Crunchyroll and GSN. EVP of Distribution for GSN, Tim Carry, also commented on the launch of the channel. “GSN is thrilled by the massive response from our platform partners for this channel, which is a testament to Crunchyroll’s brand and library.”

What do you think of a 24-hour anime channel from Crunchyroll? What anime series would you want to see on there? And what is your favorite anime to watch overall? Share some of your thoughts about everything in the comments below!

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