The recently rebooted HeroQuest RPG must be doing something right because it keeps getting expansion packs. Hasbro Pulse has announced the latest expansion from Avalon Hill is called The Frozen Horror. Not only does this $44.99 set give you new quests, but also a new hero and several new characters, including a Yeti! The Frozen Horror is not a standalone game; it requires that you have a copy of Avalon Hill’s version of the HeroQuest game system. That’ll set you back around $100-$125. Expect the expansion set to arrive in September. HasbroHasbroHasbroHasbroHasbroHasbro
Revisit and delve deeper into the rich story of the HeroQuest dungeon crawling adventure game. With the Frozen Horror expansion, players must destroy the evil Frozen Horror, a ferocious creature long banished, but has now returned to its ancient seat of power, and awaits Zargon’s summons. The powerful Barbarian must survive dangerous solo quests and only then will fellow heroes join him. Immerse yourself in the fantasy with the stunning artwork, 21 detailed miniatures, full-color tiles, and 10 exciting quests not seen in the initial HeroQuest Game System..
Avalon Hill’s HeroQuest is an updated version of the Games Workshop board game released in 1989 and lived on through expansion packs until the late 1990s. The original HeroQuest was a great way to introduce the mechanics of roleplaying games to those unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons. The rules allowed for much flexibility, and the game has become a collector’s item.
Remember, the best thing about HeroQuest is owning more HeroQuest!
Did you play the original Milton Bradley game? What about the updated and far more expensive version? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Hasbro Pulse]
We covered Hollywood Collectibles Group’s replica of Predator 2‘s flying disc a few weeks ago. Now, HCG is tapping the original 1987 movie for a new high-quality replica. The mask that belonged to the first Yautja we met on-screen can now be yours for $899.95.
Functionality is minimal, with the only lights being on the targeting system, and they’re LEDs instead of red lasers. The HCG exclusive helmet has a numbered plaque and is limited to only 150 pieces. The helmet sits atop a base that resembles the Yautja’s plasmacaster. The LEDs can be activated via a small micro switch located on the back of the mask where the batteries go.
The mask is made from a mixture of resin and fiberglass parts. The Predator’s faceplate measures approximately 18″ high by 12″ wide. The replica is expected to ship during the third quarter of this year. Hollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible GroupHollywood Collectible Group
The Bio-Helmet or Environment Helmet, can be removed from its display stand and features a functioning light up LED “target acquisition system”, and highly detailed interior. This intricately detailed, Museum Quality piece is constructed from fiberglass, resin, and mixed media and then hand painted to the finest detail, with authentic weathering for added realism! This HCG Exclusive Edition also includes an individually numbered 5” x 3” Predator themed plaque. This amazing life-size Prop Replica is available in a strictly Limited Edition of 150 individually numbered pieces worldwide.
Now that HCG has gotten the helmet out of the way, can we finally get the plasmacaster and computer gauntlet? I’d love to have the gauntlet on display with some type of countdown feature and maybe that final laugh we hear from the fatally wounded Yautja before detonation.
What replica props from the Predator series would you like to see made available? Let us know below.
[Source: Hollywood Collectibles Group]
Custom action figures are nothing new. For years independent companies have used 3-D printing to put the faces of customers and celebrities on toys. Hasbro has decided to get in on this trend with the Selfie Series. The toymaker is collaborating with FormLabs to make official customized figures from several popular movies and shows.
Want your face on a Ghostbuster’s body? No problem. The same goes for Power Rangers, Snake Eyes, Black Panther, Iron Man, Spide-Man, Mandalorians, Stormtroopers, X-Wing pilots, and more. Not bad for something that will come in around the $50 mark. The figures look to be on the same scale as the GB Plasma series and Marvel Legends line.
The process FormLabs will use to create customer-requested action figures involves 3-D printing with liquid resin. I have a resin printer, and the process usually leads to nicely detailed prints that require a minimum amount of cleaning and polishing. The video below gives a bit of insight into this process.
In partnership with Formlabs, Hasbro is giving fans a chance to digitally transform themselves into the action heroes and heroines they see on-screen and imagine themselves as part of the stories they love. From an X-Wing pilot, morphing into a Power Ranger, silently stalking Cobra as Snake Eyes, or swinging through the New York cityscape like Spiderman, fans can indulge in the ultimate consumer experience with the Hasbro Selfie Series figures.
The Selfie Series service won’t launch until this Fall, but you can sign up now to be alerted when things kick off. Customers need to scan their likeness with their phone and the Hasbro Pulse app. It is unclear whether you’ll be able to see the figure’s head before it’s shipped out. Nor do we know just how customizable the likeness will be.
What do you think of Hasbro getting in on the customized action figure market? Let us know below.
As of July 14th, a new trailer has been released on the official Twitter page of Makoto Shinkai’s latest movie “Suzume no Tojimari“, which is literally translated into “Suzume’s Door-Locking“. You can watch the trailer directly on their tweet, which is Japanese language only, or go to the provided Youtube link within the tweet to watch the trailer with English subtitles.
Subtitled trailer:
The summary of the story is described in the following:
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety— 17-year-old Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly mesmerized by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster. The stars The sunset The morning sky Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky— Drawn in by this mysterious door, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
The movie is set to be released in Japan on November 11th, with a novelization of the movie on August 24th, written by Makoto Shinkai. The rest of the world, except for Asia, will be able to see it in early 2023. Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Wild Bunch International will be handling the distribution. Crunchyroll and Sony will distribute to Latin America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe. These three companies will release the film in French- and German-speaking Europe.
Makoto Shinkai directed and wrote the screenplay, with also being the creator of the original story. His previous movie, Your Name, is listed as getting a live action adaption. So far, according to IMDB, Marc Webb is listed as a director, with J.J. Abrams listed as one of the producers. Marc Webb is currently directing Disney’s live action Snow White.
What do you think of the trailer? Does it look interesting to you to want to see it in theaters?
If you’re sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars, Heritage Auctions has a bunch of original movie props that you may be interested in. From Star Wars: A New Hope to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the auction house has listings for some genuinely iconic props. Let’s take a look at a few choice things on offer. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s hero lightsaber from The Phantom Menace was the first prop I saw when browsing the site. The blade is attached to the hilt, and it appears to be in pretty good condition. Hero sabers are rare. I only had parts of one pass through my prop store years ago, and even then, just a few pieces of the hilt could go for $10k and up. This auction is $100,000, and eight days are left to bid.
Heritage Auctions
In addition to at least one machined, “hero” lightsaber prop hilt being created for Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi by the props department on The Phantom Menace for insert filming, it was decided that a “bladed hero” version would also be required to be built as all of the other “bladed stunt” versions of the Kenobi lightsaber props were simple, rough, painted resin castings of the “hero” without the quality of detailing necessary to stand up to the scrutiny of close-up filming and promotional photography.
Next, we’ll look at two props from A New Hope. First, for $35,000, you could bid on an original Stormtrooper E-11 blaster. The weapon commonly associated with the Empire was a modified version of a Bapty & Co. British Sterling submachine gun. It was easy to recreate these blasters with original parts for a long time, but the British Sterling has become so rare that most replicas today are made from custom machined metal, resin casts, or 3-D printed parts. Heritage Auctions
The front section of the blaster is an actual Sterling body tube with the central barrel replaced with a simple wooden dowel painted black. The grip and trigger guard are not standard and were custom-made from aluminum. The rear section of the Sterling was cut away, and a solid aluminum billet cast specifically by Bapty & Co for these props was slotted into the rear of the gun. The billet extends from the rear of the Sterling tube past the ejector port and receiver, rendering the piece a non-gun.
Here we go! An original Episode IV Stormtrooper helmet! Not only is this an original prop, but it is one that had a lot of screen time early on in the film. This helmet belonged to the Imperial trooper in the Cantina and attempted to stop the Millenium Falcon from taking off before getting blasted by Han Solo. Oh, expect to pay a lot for this one. The helmet is going for $300,000 right now. Heritage AuctionsHeritage Auctions
This is the exact helmet worn by the Stormtrooper that talks with the bartender after Obi-Wan Kenobi’s disarming encounter in the Cantina with “Dr. Evazan” and “Ponda Baba.” This helmet also screen-matches 100% with the one worn by the Stormtrooper that questions the mysterious informant “Garindan,” and then rushes his squad to Docking Bay 94 to attempt to stop the Millennium Falcon from fleeing Mos Eisley Spaceport. This Stormtrooper’s last words were “Stop that ship! Blast ’em!“… immediately before being gunned down by Han Solo.
We’ll round out this story with a summary of other unique items Heritage Auctions has listed. There’s an original Iron Man helmet from the first Robert Downey Jr. MCU film. It’s going for $50,000. And yes, the eyes do light up. Heritage AuctionsMjölnir, a weighted version of the hero prop from Thor: The Dark World, is live now. The auction started at $12,000.
Heritage AuctionsNow, this is what I want to see more of, complete costumes. This is Jack Nicholson’s Joker suit from Tim Burton’s Batman. This suit is from the mob boss scene where the Joker announced he was taking over Carl Grissom’s crime empire. The current bid on the costume is up to $65k. Heritage Auctions
Those looking for original stop-motion puppets from Corpse Bride are in luck because this listing comes with both main characters: Victor Van Dort and Emily. Both puppets are in excellent condition, a rarity regarding foam latex. The Bride is so detailed that she alone is worth the $50,000 asking price. Heritage Auctions
Which of these items would you consider bidding on? Let us know below.
[Source: Heritage Auctions]
Well, for those of us hoping that the best parts of the ’60s show would show up in Rob Zombie’s upcoming PG-rated Munsters movie, I may have some bad news for you.
The official trailer finally dropped, and it’s something. I hate the word “cheap”; however, that’s how everything in the trailer looked. I’m sure part of that is to match the original show’s limited budget and aesthetic, but there’s absolutely no cinematic feel to this thing. In my opinion, the long-forgotten TV movie Here Come The Munsters looks better than this.
For as much as Taika Waititi messed up Thor, I’d have been more than happy to see him tackle The Munsters the same way he did with vampires in What We Do In The Shadows. Zombie has a genuine love for the mid-20th Century’s monster obsession, but the trailer makes it feel like something was holding him back. Was it the budget? The PG rating? Casting? Studio interference? What?
I noticed that the audio mixing was off in certain scenes. Did anyone else catch that? I know this isn’t the final product, but it does come out in about two months. Perhaps the trailer was just badly edited, and the film as a whole is far superior? We’ll find out in September.
I grew up on Munsters reruns as a kid. The classic black and white CBS show would come on just before school. I always like Fred Gwynne and his loveable portrayal of Herman Munster. I’d always hoped there existed an episode of Car 54, Where Are You? out there where Gwynne played Officer Muldoon dressed as Herman.
There have been so many reboots, spinoffs, and sequels to the original series. Some were totally forgettable, while some managed to recapture some of the magic of the decades-old series. So will Rob Zombie’s version rise from the grave or rot in obscurity? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
[Source: The Munsters YouTube Channel]
When I heard that a Neo figure was coming out, I thought, “It totally has to be Neo from one of the first three movies; that’ll make for a cool display piece.” Then I saw the photos, and the title The Matrix: Resurrections was stamped on them. Oh. It’s that Neo for that movie.
I will not knock Keanu Reeves or the artists at Hot Toys. They do fantastic work. But I cannot think of anything from Resurrections that I’d want to recreate on my shelf full of collectibles. You could make a few changes, which would make for a great John Wick figure.
Neo can be pre-ordered from Sideshow Collectibles for $250. The Chosen One is really light on accessories. He comes with a bullet effect wall with bullets. He has interchangeable hands and a bottle of pills. Not the most exciting stuff compared to everything that happened in the original Matrix trilogy. Hot ToysHot ToysHot ToysHot ToysHot ToysHot Toys
Faithfully crafted based on the appearance of Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix Resurrections, the figure features a newly developed head sculpt and hair sculpture highlighting impressive likeness; the iconic long coat and form-fitting outfit with fine tailoring; an array of highly-detailed accessories including a pair of sunglasses, a bottle of pills, bullets with interchangeable waves effect, two-sided backdrop with mirror and frame, a Matrix video game themed backdrop with lenticular effect, interchangeable hands with blue pills and red pills, and a figure stand.
Neo comes with the following features and accessories:
Authentic and detailed likeness of Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix Resurrections
One (1) newly developed head sculpt
Movie-accurate facial expression with sculpted hair, beard, and detailed skin texture
Approximately 32 cm tall
Specialized body with over 30 points of articulations
Nine (9) pieces of interchangeable hands, including:
One (1) pair of open hands
One (1) pair of relaxed hands
One (1) gestured right hand
One (1) left hand with blue pill
One (1) left hand with red pill
One (1) pair of fists
Each head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
One (1) black color long coat
One (1) black color long-sleeve T-shirt
One (1) pair of black pants
One (1) pair of black shoes
Accessories:
One (1) pair of black sunglasses
One (1) bottle of pills
One (1) set of bullets
One (1) set of bullets with two (2) styles of interchangeable trail of waves effect
One (1) specially designed mirror double-sided backdrop
One (1) movie-inspired Matrix-themed green backdrop
Specially designed figure base with movie logo and character nameplate
Was The Matrix: Resurrections worthy of Hot Toys’ artistry? I cannot remember anything about the movie aside from it trying way too hard to be meta. It was the culmination of all Hollywood’s cynicism turned up to 11 and plopped out onto a streaming service. Let us know your thoughts on the unnecessary sequel and the Neo figure below.
[Source: Hot Toys]
[Source: Sideshow Collectibles]
‘Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger’ is a science fiction mech anime and ran for forty-three episodes. The series was created by Yuu Yamamoto and takes its inspiration from the Jules Verne novel ‘Around The World In Eighty Days.’ It serves as a sequel ‘Galactic Gale Baxingar.’
Discotek Media announced on their Facebook page that they are releasing the series on Blu-Ray for the first time on July 28th, 2022. It will feature the entire series in Japanese with English subtitles.
“Taking its cue from the Jules Verne classic ‘Around the World in 80 Days,’ this final entry in the J9 trilogy is (a) heroic sci-fi adventure, interlaced with catchy songs and set firmly in the J9 universe,” they said.
The show was directed by Takao Yotsuji for the Japanese animation studio Kokusai Eiga-sha. Characters designs were done by Kazuo Komatsubara and mech designs were done by Hiroshi Ohnishi.
Discotek dropped a teaser on their official Twitter account:
Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger is out!
Much time has passed since the battles of the 2nd J9 team. JJ9 is formed by I.C. Blues after he makes a bet with Bloody God, the biggest crime boss there is.https://t.co/0f4zaBt31Fpic.twitter.com/LvzQ3DyaTf
RightStuf Anime describes the synopsis as follows,
“Young gambling sharpie I.C. Blues makes the bet of the century against Bloody God, the biggest syndicate boss in the galaxy: Blues has to visit all 50 planets in the Solar System in the space of a year. But since a vast fortune is on the line, Bloody God will stop at nothing to prevent Blues from accomplishing his goal. He has armies on virtually every planet and the most talented hit man in the universe on his payroll.
Fortunately, Blues has resources of his own. In the spirit of the J9 franchise, he assembles a team of young, skilled, charming members: The marksman, Rock, the ace pilot, Beat, and the beautiful, whimsical all-rounder, Birdy. Blues also purchases (on credit) a space train that can transform into a giant robot, Sasuraiger.”
The show is also known as Galactic Gale Sasuraiger, Sasuryger, Sasreiger, Galaxy Whirlwind Sasuraiger, and Wonder Six.
The upcoming mech anime ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch From Mercury’ has had fans of the long-running franchise waiting with anticipation considering this is the first Gundam show in over seven years. To fans’ excitement, the showrunners dropped a brand new teaser, showing off various characters, including the title Gundam in battle.
The show’s official website has also been updated with new information, including the main cast. Voice actress Kana Ichinose will portray pilot Suletta Mercury while Japanese pop singer Lynn will take on the role of Miorine Rembrandt. Several crew members have also been announced.
The Gundam Wiki described the synopsis as follows,
“An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. A lone girl from the remote planet of Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry.
Her name is Suletta Mercury. With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart, this girl walks step by step through a new world.”
Hiroshi Kobayashi is directing the show.
The dark fantasy fiction manga ‘Ragna Crimson’ is written and illustrated by Daiki Kobayashi and released by Square Enix for their ‘Monthly Gangan Joker’ starting in 2017. After the announcement that an anime adaption would be released sometime in 2023, Sentai revealed at Anime Expo 2023 that they would be releasing the show in North America.
“Sentai announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to ‘Ragna Crimson,’ the action-packed fantasy anime adaptation of the manga by Daiki Kobayashi. Tentatively planned as a 2023 simulcast, the series will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE and its anime-focused streaming services,” they said on their website.
“The manga series upon which the anime is based is published in Square Enix’s monthly Gangan Joker magazine, which has previously published hit titles such as ‘Akame ga Kill!,’ ‘Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria’ and ‘The Case Study of Vanitas,'” Sentain continued. “Ragna Crimson will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE in 2023 (tentative) with a home video release to follow.”
As of the writing of this article, there have been ten volumes released in Japan while six have been released in the United States also by Square Enix.
You can watch the manga trailer below:
The ‘Ragna Crimson’ wiki described the synopsis as follows,
“Ragna is a dragon hunter along with his partner, the strongest dragon hunter Leo. He didn’t have much talent at hunting dragons but he had decided to entrust his whole life for her. However he was shown the feel of true despair by his future self on what would happen if he stays weak as he is now. With that, it seems that the reaper of the dragons had now appeared earlier than the original history, but will it be enough to change future?”
The details of the anime such as cast, crew, and composers have yet to be revealed.
