‘Army of the Dead’ actor Matthias Schweighöfer is not only returning to the upcoming prequel ‘Army of Thieves,’ but he will also sit in the director’s chair. Having previously director or starred in over eighty European films. He recently spoke about why his character Dieter is such a fan favorite.
“He’s part of the comic-relief team with Omari Hardwick, and he’s a very funny and likable dude,” he said in an interview published by Netflix. “What I love about Dieter is that he’s just a normal guy but very shy, very weird. He has these crazy hobbies, he loves safes, and he believes in all this myth stuff. What I really love about this character is that he’s proof that everyone in the world needs love and wants to be loved by someone. And for me, this character is my way of saying, ‘Hey, I always was insecure here in my country, but I can go out there. I can be big. I’m allowed to dream big. I can be everything and I can do everything if I’m willed to and powerful.’”
On the infamous laugh, he said, “To be honest, I have a crazy, high-pitched laugh, and my best friend has the same pitch. When we laugh together, people leave a restaurant because it’s so loud. I love that part of acting when someone is doing a weird thing you do not expect. I was a huge fan of Chris Tucker in The Fifth Element because he screamed really loud. But in real life, I do not scream like that, but I love to use it for characters because it’s always a very unexpected move.”
‘Army of Thieves’ is scheduled to be streaming on Netflix on October 29, 2021. Ahead of its release, producer Zack Snyder announced that a direct sequel ‘Army of the Dead’ titled ‘Planet of the Dead’ will go into production following the completion of ‘Rebel Moon.’
Matthias Schweighöfer Discusses Why His ‘Army of the Dead’ Character Is A Fan Favorite
G.I. Joe’s Skystriker Is Being Crowdfunded at Hasbro Pulse for $229.99
Hasbro has added a new vehicle to its crowdfunding initiative. G.I. Joes’ combat jet Skystriker needs 10,000 backers at $229.99 a pop to make this toy a reality. If you’re a sucker for G.I. Joe vehicles, like I am, this thing is pretty intriguing.
This thing is more of a playset than just a vehicle. While we probably won’t get a new USS Flagg anytime soon, Skystriker would look fantastic sitting on the original. The reason I say it’s more of a playset is because of the vast number of accessories.
Weapons, jet engine effects, refueling tanker, two Joes, ejector seats with parachutes! My god! This thing is almost as awesome as the W.H.A.L.E. was when I was a kid. There are 42 days left to back this thing, and the campaign is at nearly 50%. Click here if you want to drop some dollars on this bad boy.
- The Skystriker soars into action with over 200 deco ops!
- You’ll immediately notice the quality of engineering, right down to the moveable joystick in the cockpit.
- The cockpit isn’t the only feature to get an update. There are all new functioning landing levers, one for landing gear and one for wings, swappable black tail fins to match the packaging art, a useable tow hook, and multiple options for dog bone pins to customize weapon load out.
- The sculptural integrity is miles ahead of previous Skystriker This combat jet is made to last.
- It’s customizable! The Skystriker comes with different sets of high-quality decals. One set to look like the Skystriker we know and love, and one to look like an F-14 Tomcat! Plus, additional stickers of the pilot’s names to put on the window for that extra personalized touch. AND a second canopy to decorate the heck out of with all those stickers.
- No combat jet can be ever ready without a re-fueler tank and ammo cart. With new deco and pit crew design, the re-fueler tank and ammo cart are prepared to aid the Skystriker on any missions.
- Bring your G.I. Joe battle display to the next level with an arsenal of blast effects pieces and missiles. The showdown display possibilities are nearly endless.
- Pose your favorite figures doing some maintenance work on the Skystriker with the included ladder and fuel tanks.
- Pose the Skystriker at multiple death-defying angles with the jet stand and recreate scenes from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and your childhood.
HUGE! The addons for after the initial goal is reached are cool. The pit crew makes me want to try to find a USS Flagg so that I can deck it out with these more detailed G.I. Joe vehicles.
What do you think about this vehicle? Let us know in the comments.
Steelwill and Bluegrass Join Super7’s Silverhawks Ultimates Wave 2
Back in June, Super7 announced that Silverhawks would join their line of premium action figures. Wave 1 hit hard with Quicksilver and the powered-up Mon*Star. But Wave 2 is delivering some fan favorites.
Space cowboy Bluegrass and fellow Silverhawk, the brawny Steelwill, are next in the line. They’re followed by the “normal” version of Mon*Star and the wretched Windhammer. Each figure is priced at $55. There’s also an accessory in this wave.
For $45, you can get Mon*Stars transformation throne. It has no features other than 8″ tall and a place for Mon*Star to sit down. I mean, he kind of needs it. I bet that wild hair is a task to balance all day.
Pre-orders start today and run through November 29th, 2021. The figures can be purchased as singles or in one large pack for $265, including the throne.
The balance between the crime-fighting SilverHawks and Mon*Star & his mobsters has the Limbo Galaxy on a razor’s edge, and Super7’s newest wave of SilverHawks ULTIMATES! may just tip the scales of power! Wave 2 includes Steelwill, Bluegrass, Windhammer, a fearsome new Mon*Star are ready to power-up your collection! Pre-order now!
The non-transformed Mon*Star, in my opinion, is the more astonishing figure. Wave 1 gave us the goliath of a figure, but this new one has a better shelve presence. Look at those alternate heads and that armor! He almost looks like a villain you’d find in the Guyver mangas.
I was surprised the Silverhawks Ultimates got a second wave. The show is a kind of pseudo classic. It’s not like Thundercats, and the show had a brief run in the ’80s. Maybe it was that fantastic intro that kept us coming back. Unfortunately, I cannot remember a single episode of the show.
What do you think of Silverhawks and these premium figures? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Super7]
IMDb TV Drops Trailer For ‘Alex Rider’ Season 2
Season two of ‘Alex Rider,’ the television series based on the young adult spy novels by Anthony Horowitz, is set to stream on Amazon Prime and IMDb TV in early December 2021. IMDb TV decided to give fans and audiences a glimpse at what is to come with the release of a full trailer for the show.
They announced the synopsis, saying that in, “Season Two, Alex is still reeling from the traumatic events at Point Blanc, and desperately wants to return to a normal life. But when his new friend Sabina’s father, journalist Ed Pleasance, is attacked by Yassen Gregorovich, the man who may have killed his uncle, Alex reluctantly finds himself drawn back into the world of international espionage. Cut loose from his one-time allies within shadowy MI6 division The Department, Alex discovers a link between Ed, a dangerous hacker known as Smoking Mirror, and tech billionaire Damian Cray. With the help of his guardian Jack and trusted friend Tom, Alex must unravel a sinister political plot with global repercussions, the answer to which may be locked within Cray’s latest product, the global phenomenon video game Feathered Serpent. This season is based on the fourth book in the franchise, Eagle Strike.”
You can watch the trailer here:
Amazon said in a press release, “Produced by Eleventh Hour Films, Alex Rider is a spy-thriller series based on the popular book franchise written by Anthony Horowitz, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. The series follows Alex, a London-based teenager who has unknowingly been trained since childhood for the dangerous world of espionage.”
They continued, “The second season of Alex Rider stars Otto Farrant as Alex Rider, Stephen Dillane as Alan Blunt, Vicky McClure as Mrs. Jones, Brenock O’Connor as Tom Harris, Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ as Jack Starbright, Marli Siu as Kyra, Toby Stephens as Damian Cray, Rakie Ayola as Jo Byrne, and Charithra Chandran as Sabina Pleasance. Horowitz serves as an executive producer alongside Eleventh Hour’s Jill Green and Eve Gutierrez, and series writer Guy Burt. The series is distributed by Sony Pictures Television.”
Moon Knight Is Getting A New Comic Book From Marvel
Marvel Comics is rebooting the title series for Moon Knight, the superhero who is Marc Spector under the mask. This new series promises new villains, vampires, and an appearance from Vermin, a classic Spider-Man villain.
“In this chilling series debut by creators Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Steve McNiven, and Rachelle Rosenberg, the mysterious Mr. Knight has opened his Midnight Mission, protecting his parishioners from the weird and the horrible,” Marvel Unlimited explained. “The Moon Knight stalks the rooftops and alleys marked with his crescent moon tag, bringing violence to any who would harm his people. And Marc Spector, the host of these alternate identities, lives as a renegade priest of an unworthy god. But while the Egyptian moon god Khonshu languishes in a prison that Spector put him in, Moon Knight must still observe his duty: protecting those who travel at night. Let it be known—Moon Knight will keep Khonshu’s faith.”
Moon Knight is also getting a new base of operations from which he will execute his Midnight Mission and distribute justice. The “relationship” between Marc and Khonshu will be further explored, with a lot of sorting going on.
“For those who travel the streets at night, there are many foes that lurk in the dark. In the series debut, Moon Knight dissembles a pack of vampires that are forcibly-turning their victims to bolster their ranks. Spector’s assistant Reese was one such victim, but now she has new employment with an overnight shift,” they said. “After all, this is New York. Spider-Man fans will recognize Vermin, a “mad-science-guinea-pig” who has long menaced Peter Parker. At the request of a new client, Moon Knight investigates a building-wide disturbance of scratches and strange whispers. Too bad Moon Knight isn’t Spider-Man…”
The series will also introduce a new character named Dr. Badr, the “other fist of Khonshu” who also shares a loyalty to Khonshu.
DC Comics Releases “First Look” For Upcoming ‘DC Vs. Vampires’ Miniseries
DC Comics is once again delving into the supernatural and the undead. Just shy of the graphic novel release of the zombie story ‘DCeased,’ the company announced they are returning with the twelve-part ‘DC Vs. Vampires.’ This will pit the Justice League against an army of vampires who have an appetite for superheroes.
“The Hall of Justice gets an unexpected—and undead—visitor in this exclusive first look at the debut issue of DC vs. Vampires,” DC Comics said in a press release. “Some super-villains want to rule the world. Others want to enslave its people. Some may want to destroy Earth, while others really do want to save it…they’re just terribly misguided on how to do it. But vampires? Vampires just want to eat us all. For generations, they’ve lived among us, hidden in plain sight and kept in line by a system of laws they alone shape. Now those systems are gone and the world’s most ravenous threat is about to be unleashed…and even the Justice League might not be able to stop it.”
This is not the first time that members of the Justice League have battled vampires. In 2009, DC Comics released ‘Batman and Superman Vs. Vampires and Werewolves’ written by Kevin Van Hook with art from Nathan Eyring.
Now they will revisit the supernatural plain arena with the creative team James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, and Otto Schmidt for this limited series.
DC Comics also released a preview of the cover:
Get ready for a bloody good romp 🧛♂️ Sink your teeth into this first look at DC VS. VAMPIRES #1: https://t.co/Fkk3hOGfBK pic.twitter.com/GULI7GrE1Z
— DC (@DCComics) October 22, 2021
“DC vs. Vampires #1 is the debut chapter in a twelve-issue limited series by James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt that promises to transform the DC Universe in ways never before seen,” DC wrote. “Inspired by comics like DCeased, DC vs. Vampires is an all-new superhero nightmare by a team that knows how to terrify (you have read Tynion’s Joker series, right?) and it kicks off next Tuesday, just in time for Halloween. We’d hate to spoil the fun, so we’re not going to say too much about what to expect. However, October is the season for treats along with its tricks, so we’re giving you a small sneak peek at the debut issue.”
The first issue of the series will be available for Halloween, with print and digital comics being released on Tuesday, October 26.
Arknights Mobile Game Is Getting An Anime Adaption
‘Arknights’ is a free-to-play mobile strategy game that involves tower defense and takes place in a dystopian future. The game’s popularity led to it being nominated for “Users’ Choice Game” and winning the “Best Innovative Games of 2020″ at the Google Play Awards.
Yostar Pictures recently announced that they are adapting the RPG into an anime subtitled “Prelude to the Dawn” which explores the world of the game. No word yet on the plot or if the protagonist of the show will be the same as the game.
The Funimation website explained, “Arknights fans, you’ve just made the ultimate pull—a TV anime adaptation of the game, subtitled “Prelude to the Dawn,” has been announced!” They continue, “Yostar Pictures, who’ve animated several promos for the game (example below) and the AzurLane: Slow Ahead! spin-off anime, is in charge of production. No other details were revealed.”
Check out the teaser below:
Wikipedia explains the game’s premise, “The game is set in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic future setting of the planet Terra, where people exhibit kemonomimi features – characteristics of animals or mythological races. Natural disasters leave behind a valuable mineral, Originium, which enables the use of “Arts” (magic), and often infects people with a progressive disease, Oripathy. Due to the disease’s 100% mortality rate, and its high infectivity at the time of death, hostility towards the Infected became widespread, leading to their mass quarantine and expulsion by governments worldwide, and sparking tensions between the Infected and non-Infected.”
They add, “The player takes the role of the masked and amnesiac “Doctor”, who commands a team of “operators” of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical, medical, and self-defense organization. As Oripathy spreads, the team must search for a cure while defending themselves against threats such as the Reunion Movement, an Infected anarchist military force bent on overthrowing the governments of Terra in revenge for persecuting Oripathy victims.”
New G.I. Joe Figures Include Color-Changing Zartan and Retro Snake Eyes
Zartan, the master of disguise and the owner of a weird skin condition, is getting an updated G.I. Joe Classified figure! The iconic evildoer comes with several interchangeable faces, and his skin finally turns dark blue when exposed to the elements!
This Zartan will only be available via Hasbro Pulse, but it looks like he is sold out. If he does become available again, get ready to spend $36.99. Additionally, Hasbro is releasing retro versions of Snake Eyes and his rival Storm Shadow. The duo will ship together, and the pack is priced at $39.99.
- The Master of Disguise Zartan action figure is sensitive to heat and cold and will change colors in cold weather, under warm water, and more.
- This figure features a classic design updated to bring the Dreadnoks leader into the modern era, plus accessories inspired by the character’s rich history.
- Joining some of the best artists from the world of comics, graphic design in our artist partnership program, Tom Whalen and Derek Ring add a unique style to the Zartan package.
- This G.I. Joe Classified Series Master of Disguise Zartan figure features premium detailing and articulation for dramatic action poseability (some poses may require additional support)
I picked up the retail version of Zartan a couple of months ago. He was cool and sported many of the hallmarks of the original figure, but his skin didn’t change color. I wasn’t expecting it since this was a collector’s line and that play feature was more for kids. It is nice that Hasbro is releasing a figure with that feature plus a bunch of extras.
I remember my original Zartan figure from the ’80s losing his ability to change color after a while. It was probably the Florida sun. I always thought it was weird that he came with one pretty generic disguise face. Then again, this was before multiple interchangeable heads were standard in action figures. Still, his uniform was unique, and there’s no way the Joes wouldn’t catch on to a guy dressed up like that.
The Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow retro figures come on classic blister packs. Heck, the packs even feature to old-school Hasbro logo. But, man, that takes me back.
- Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero 1982 animated series with this 2-pack of figures on their Retro card backs
- G.I. Joe Retro 3.75-inch-scale figures are presented in their own individual packaging that features original retro Hasbro branding
- Fans and collectors can enjoy the nostalgia of the classically constructed Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow figures with original o-ring design for high poseability
- These G.I. Joe Retro Collection Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow figures feature classic detailing and multiple points of articulation for dramatic action poseability (some poses may require additional support)
- Look for other G.I. Joe figures to build teams of Joe heroes and Cobra villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability)
- Both members of the Arashikage clan, these elite ninja assassins, and former allies became nemeses when Storm Shadow took a darker path than Snake Eyes and joined the ranks of Cobra.
What are your thoughts on these new Zartan and retro figures? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Source: Hasbro Pulse]
Marvel Legends To Make ’90s Animated Jubilee, Venom, & Wolverine
The animated versions of Wolverine, Jubilee, and Venom will be making their first appearance in the Marvel Legends line of action figures in 2022. Yes, Wolverine will even come with the accessories that will allow you to reenact the jealousy meme.
We spotted the three new figures over at Hasbro Pulse. So far, it looks like Venom has already sold out.
Jubilee and Wolverine will come in VHS-inspired packaging featuring artwork similar to the 1993 X-MEN animated series. Meanwhile, Venom will come in the same packaging as other Spider-Man Animated Series figures have been attached to. In addition, his cardback will be similar to the one the character came shipped in when Spidey’s cartoon hit TV in 1994.
Wolverine and Jubilee will be $26.99, while Venom is a tad more, $31.99.
With over 80 years of entertainment history, Marvel has become a cornerstone of fan collections around the world. With the Marvel Legends Series, fan favorite Marvel Comic Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe characters are designed with premium detail and articulation for posing and display in collections. From figures to vehicles to premium roleplay items, the Marvel Legends Series offers elite character-inspired product for Marvel fans and collectors.
It’s about time. Sure, it was cool that Mondo had a 12″ Wolverine from the show, but he was over $100. I want something more affordable. Also, I like that Hasbro is also painting the figures to reflect the cel-shading of the show. It’s a bit touch but sets them apart from all the other Legends figures.
Odd that Hasbro went with Jubilee. Sure, she was the focus of the first episode, but even in the ’90s, I’m not sure she was the most popular mutant. Gambit, Wolverine, and Storm indeed were. Oh, well. Now, give us a new Rogue figure with that extra round butt from the Apocolypse episode!
[Source: Hasbro Pulse]
Marvel Legends Kicks Off Its 20th Anniversary With Cap and Iron Man
Twenty years. Wow. It has been twenty years since Toy Biz started the line of 6″ MARVEL action figures sporting more detail and articulation than their previous releases. Since then, Hasbro has taken over, but the toys have continued to hit store shelves regardless. Whether it was a new movie, show, or comic, the Legends series would dedicate at least one action figure to it.
Now to celebrate 1/5th of a century of MARVEL Legends, Hasbro is releasing some classic versions of the Avengers with retro packaging. We spotted the new Iron Man and Captain America on Hasbro Pulse and Entertainment Earth. Both are priced at $31.99 and should be released in May 2022.
These are just the first two in this new wave. Hulk and the mutant Toad will be joining them next year. I hope this is the classic version of Toad with the jester-like outfit.
For 20 years the Marvel Legends Series has brought the iconic characters and storylines of the Marvel Universe to fans worldwide. To celebrate the 2002 Toy Biz debut release, Marvel Legends proudly presents the 20th Anniversary Series 1, featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Toad!
In the early days of Legends, I was scooping up the Spider-Man figures. Then, finally, a super-articulated Spidey! Man, it’s amazing how small things like that could get a collector excited. Miss those days for sure.
I think the Blade figures were the prototypes for the Legends series. Each figure had a lot of articulation and way more detail than other Toy Biz action figures at the time. I wish I knew where my Blade figure was now.
What are your fond memories of the Legends series? Let us know in the comments section.
