‘The Amazing World of Gumball’ fans got some good news with the announcement that the show will receive a movie to conclude the original show and a new series set in a different world. The projects will be helmed by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe and will air simultaneously on Cartoon Network and streaming on HBO Max.
Warner Bros. exec Amy Friedman explained, “Gumball is one of those rare characters who effortlessly seems to tell us the truth, make us laugh and unify people, and now Bocquelet returns to bring Gumball back where he belongs – on an interdimensional journey right back to the fans.”
“The comedic misadventures of Gumball, Darwin, and the other quirky residents of Elmore will continue on HBO Max and Cartoon Network with The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie! (wt) and The Amazing World of Gumball: The Series (wt),” Warner Media wrote in a press release. “The projects mark the long-awaited return for the beloved series and are the first original productions to be greenlit out of Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, WarnerMedia Kids and Family’s flagship television animation studio within EMEA.”
“Staying true to its self-referential and meta comedic roots that endeared The Amazing World of Gumball to fans around the world, the movie begins when Gumball’s biggest fan finds the show’s missing episode and accidentally opens a portal connecting his world to Gumball’s cartoon world,” they continued. “Upon meeting his heroes, our super fan decides to team up with Gumball, Darwin, Anais, Richard, and Nicole to save them from a nefarious force overtaking Elmore, while inadvertently unleashing a threat of their very own. Utilizing the latest animation techniques and CG technology, the movie promises to be both a comedic, emotional, and epic conclusion for fans of the original series and a new beginning in establishing the world for the accompanying series. The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie! (wt) will be executive produced and directed by Ben Bocquelet (The Amazing World of Gumball) from a script written with Shane Mack (Coffee and Kareem). Sam Register, Vanessa Brookman and Sarah Fell are also on board as executive producers.”
‘The Amazing World of Gumball’ Movie And New Show Greenlit By Warner Media
Look Unintentionally Horrifying With These Halloween Masks From Rubies
During my rounds of gathering news, I clicked on a link at the Big Bad Toy Store that took me to a section filled with masks from Rubies II. Apart from the typical Halloween fare, I started to notice some unintentionally horrifying masks. So, I thought I’d share them with you.
Need an idea of something terrifying to be for this Samhain? Look no further than this selection of masks based on non-horror related properties:
[Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
‘Future Boy Conan’ Is Getting An English Dub
The post-apocalyptic steampunk adventure ‘Future Boy Conan’ made its premiere in April 1978 from Nippon Animation, running for twenty-six episodes. The show holds a special place in the hearts of anime fans, as it was the directorial debut of Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, director of several Japanese animated films including ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ and ‘The Wind Rises.’
Following the announcement that GKids acquired the right to release the series on Blu-Ray and 4K DVDs, the company announced that they were going to produce an English dub.
Anime News Network reported the cast includes Sabrina Pitre as Conan, Erin Mathews as Jimsy, Lili Beadoin as Lana, Aaron Chapman as Dyce, Kazumi Evans as Monsley, Alex Zahara as Lepka, Michael Dobson as Gucchi, Ian Hanlin as Kuzuu, Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Briac Lao, John Innes as Grandpa, and Michael Adamthwaite as Dongoros and Narrator.
The dub is available for DVD pre-orders and will be released on streaming on November 16.
Presenting the first-ever English dub cast for Hayao Miyazaki's FUTURE BOY CONAN! 🏝✨
Watch the new dub for the first time when #FutureBoyConan comes out on Blu-ray & Digital on Nov. 16!
⛵️ Pre-order: https://t.co/NMeiMsmjH6 pic.twitter.com/F2rhWKnZWo— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) September 17, 2021
Gkids released a synopsis for ‘Future Boy Conan’ that explains “Twenty years ago, a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons caused the earth’s axis to tilt, and earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed civilization. Conan is born into this new world, raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island. But his life is forever changed when a mysterious girl named Lana washes ashore, pursued by shadowy operatives who seek to use her in a new scheme to control what’s left of the world.”
In August, Gkids released a press release that said, “GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced today it has acquired the North American distribution rights for FUTURE BOY CONAN (Mirai Shounen Conan), the 1978 directorial debut by Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away). The 26-episode series, which was produced by Nippon Animation, will be released by GKIDS in late 2021. The acquisition marks the first time that the series will be available in North America. A new 4K restoration will be available in its original Japanese language, as well as a new English dub version. International sales are handled by Nippon Animation.”
‘Night of the Animated Dead’ Director Talks Remaking George Romero’s Zombie Film
The 1968 film ‘Night of the Living Dead’ has become a classic in the horror genre thanks to the filmmaking skills of its director George Romero. The original film would continue with a franchise, a remake, and several spin-offs. For its 53rd anniversary, director Jason Axinn is creating ‘Night of the Animated Dead’ a remake told through animation.
Axinn was interviewed by SyFy about the animated remake and what was the “impetus” for the film.
“The project was started before I came on,” Axinn said. “But I know the original idea was to make a classic more accessible to modern audiences. And yet, generally, when people do remakes, it’s very easy to do something that an audience doesn’t like. We were very, very careful to make this a love letter to the original movie, Night of the Living Dead, but also include additions here and there throughout the film to make it exciting to people who’ve already seen the original who know it. They can watch this film and see the same movie but also be surprised by the new things that we added.”
He continued, “We wanted to make sure that the film is as close to the original as possible. Just because that way, when you watch this version of it, if you watch the original after it, you’ll see it’s very similar. The dialogue is exactly the same. We tried to keep iconic moments or iconic shots, all the nuance of the characters and how they fight. We wanted it to be so that you can watch this film and see Night of the Living Dead. But at the same time, we felt that if George Romero was making this film today, what would he do with the violence now that he’s got an unrestricted budget?”
“I thought that he would go pretty far with the violence because in animation, you can really do whatever you want. The other thing you have to watch out for is like is not making it cartoonishly over the top. I feel George Romero would have really wanted to push the boundaries of violence in an animated film. And so every time there was a place for violence, we made sure that we hit it as hard as we could. Also, we got to include a scene that’s not in the original film,” he added.
Warner Bros. Animation is handling production and will release the movie on September 21 digitally and stars the voice talent of Josh Duhamel, Dulé Hill, Katee Sackhoff, and Nancy Travis.
You can check out the trailer below:
Check Out This Massive ‘War For Cybertron’ Optimus Prime Statue
The heroic Autobot who would be willing to sacrifice himself to save Cybertron and his fellow Transformers is getting a new massive statue from Prime 1 Studio. The official title of this ultimate diorama is called Premium Masterline Transformers: War For Cybertron Optimus Prime.
It’s a mouthful, and the price matches. The Ultimate version of the statue, which features alternate parts and a more detailed base, is $1,849 and can be pre-ordered now. Prime will ship between December 2022 and March 2023.
I like the detail of having Decepticon Shockwave built into the base. The classic Optimus Prime pose brings back all those feels from his final moments in Transformers: The Movie.
Always willing to talk things over, but at the same time always prepared for a fight, Optimus Prime would not be complete without his fully illuminated LED eyes and Ion Blaster! This Ultimate Version comes with two (2) swappable right arms and three (3) swappable left arms, so you can give him the most iconic pose of your choosing! Additionally, he’s jumped in and landed on an unfortunate casualty of Prime’s heroism: the cruel and calculating Shockwave! He’s featured on this impressive story-base, caught unprepared for Optimus’ onslaught on his Cybertronian gun turret. The elaborate story base is emblazoned with the Autobots logo front and center and featured LED illuminated Energy Effects!
Features:
- Made of polystone
- Features LED illuminated eyes, Ion Blaster, and energy effects
- Part of the Museum Masterline series
- From the Transformers: War for Cybertron
- War for Cybertron themed, story base featuring Shockwave
Accessories:
- Optimus Prime statue
- 2 Extra right arms
- Ion Blaster pointed forward
- Ion Blaster pointed upward
- 3 Extra left arms
- Arm out
- Fist
- Shield arm
Thoughts? Is Prime going to break your budget? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Prime 1 Studio]
NECA Adds Three New Xenomorphs to the ‘Aliens VS Predator’ Line
NECA is adding more xenomorphs to the line based on Capcom’s 1994 arcade beat-em-up Aliens VS Predator. This trio of xenomorph monstrosities includes the Arachnoid Alien, Chrysalis Alien, and Razor Claws Alien. The three new Aliens are sold separately and should be priced at around $29.
Considering the arcade game comprised several levels and around 60 minutes worth of gameplay, it couldn’t all be Warrior and newborn Aliens. So Capcom got creative, similar to what Kenner did with the Aliens toyline.
The three new figures will be hitting store shelves this October. You can probably find them at Target. That is where I’ve had the most luck picking these up. If you’re trying to pick up Dutch and Linn from this line, you’re going to have to hit up eBay or a convention.
The classic 1994 arcade game Aliens vs Predator predates the AVP movie, but what if….? NECA presents the mashup you’ve been dying to see! The unique Alien adversaries seen in the video game get the movie treatment, with new deco imagining their look had they been included in the subsequent movie. The figures use the super-poseable Ultimate body, with over 30 points of articulation and bendable tail. Approximately 9″ tall. Window box packaging.
Ace Duck & Slash Are Part Of Super7’s Next TMNT Ultimates Wave!
Super7 continues to introduce more of the weird figures from the Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line into their collection of premium Ultimates action figures. Wave 6 brings us Sewer Surfer Mike, Ace Duck, Scratch, Slash, and a collection of Mousers.
The figures from Wave 6 can be purchased separately or as a bundle. The individual figures go for $55 apiece, while all five are collected at $255. Pre-orders are being taken now directly from Super7. A release date is not listed yet.
Ace Duck was the very last TMNT I bought as a kid. At that time in the early ’90s, I was starting to ready alternative comics and came across Destroyer Duck. Now, it was evident that he wasn’t going to get his TV series or toyline. So, Ace Duck was the next best thing. A little imagination and some black paint turned Ace into the violent waterfowl from Eclipse Comics.
What are your thoughts on Wave 6 of Super7’s TMNT Ultimates? Should other oddball characters be included in this line? Is it time for Super7 to go all out and do all the weird Turtles from the end of the Playmates line? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Super7]
Arcade1Up Releasing the Classic Galaga / Mrs. Pac-Man Combo Cabinet
On September 21st at noon EST Arcade1Up will start taking pre-orders for the Class of 1981 Ms. Pac-man / Galaga combo cabinet! Based on the same combo machine seen in the early ’80s, Arcade1Up celebrates forty years of Namco and Mid-Way.
The cabinets should start shipping in October. A price was not readily available, but given that many of Arcade1Up’s products have been shooting up in price this year, expect it to be $400+
Let’s start with the marquee games, celebrating 40 years(!) of enduring fun. Power up that nostalgia with the iconic Ms. PAC-MAN™, as you guide her through those infamous mazes while evading BLINKY, PINKY, INKY and SUE. Then, fend off endless descending swarms of alien enemies with GALAGA™.
Oh, and that’s just the start of the phenomenal game list packed inside:
GALAGA™ ‘88, GALAXIAN™, DIG DUG™, DIG DUG™ II, MAPPY™, RALLY-X™, ROLLING THUNDER™, ROMPERS™, TOWER OF DRUAGA™, and KING AND BALLOON™ are ALL also included. Switch up to any game at will, with the easy to navigate on-screen menus.
The Class of 1981 cabinet will measure 22.8 D x 20.9 W x 58.1 H when assembled and come with the following features:
- Light-UP Marquee
- Riser
- Light-Up Deck Protector
- WIFI-LIVE for Leaderboards
- 12 Games in 1
I’ve owned a few Arcade1Up machines over the years. The best by far was the Star Wars cabinet. It was well built, and not a single part of it felt cheap. The original Pac-Man Countercade is also a stunning work of art. But then my heart was broken by a certain Miss Pac-Man.
The Ms. Pac-Man cabinet, on the other hand, was disappointing. The vinyl decals on the sides are already peeling, and the screen cover cuts off about 1/8″ of the LCD. It’s most noticeable when playing the other games that come with that machine, like Pac-Man Plus.
I’m hoping since this upcoming combo cabinet features better craftsmanship.
What are your thoughts on the Arcade1Up cabinets? Have you had any issues with the ones you’ve owned? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Arcade1Up]
James Wan Discusses The Inspiration Behind ‘Malignant’
Movie director James Wan took a break from fast cars and superheroes to return to his horror film roots with ‘Malignant,’ which hit theaters in early September 2021, debuting in third place at the box office on its opening weekend.
The story follows Annabelle Wallis as Madison “Maddie” Lake-Mitchell, “a woman who begins to have visions of people being murdered, only to realize the events are happening in real life.”
Wan recently sat down with Collider to discuss the movie and the inspiration behind it.
“The inception of it was, Ingrid Bisu, my wife, came to me with this really crazy sort of a medical condition, right? This anomaly. I remember just going through it, she did a lot of medical research on it, and I was really taken by it; I was really fascinated by it,” he explained. “And from that, I looked at what, naturally as my horror movie mind, what I immediately was attracted to the possibility of a story or a film that could be pulled from this particular affliction. It just started from there.”
Wan said, “We went through different ideas and what kind of story it could become, and what kind of movie it could become. Then at some point it just started becoming more real. It became a full-blown story, and then at that moment, I had to decide what kind of movie I wanted to make it. It just felt like… I’ve had the aspiration to go back to the early kind of films that I started my career with – like Saw, Dead Silence, Death Sentence days – where I was allowed to make these films that were a lot more gritty and more visceral, and I just felt naturally this particular concept and story really lend itself to that. And we went along with it.”
“In terms of editing, the trickiest part was we shot a lot of stuff that was written in there, but in editing you start to question yourself, like, ‘Am I giving too much of the concept away? Am I kind of laying the breadcrumbs a bit too thick here that would destroy the reveal at the end, if you will?’ And so it was a fine line and, and the editing process was all done during the pandemic,” he continued. “We had to do it remotely. It was really difficult, but then we got into the groove of things. But ultimately it allowed me some distance away from the film and then to come back into and look at it and then reassess the film and kind of tweak some things.”
The movie also stars Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jacqueline McKenzie, and Marina Mazepa. Besides directing, Wan also serves as co-writer and co-producer for ‘Malignant.’
Netflix Faces Lawsuit Over A Single Line Of Dialogue In ‘The Queen’s Gambit’
The highly acclaimed and award-winning Netflix miniseries ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is causing headaches for the streaming service with a defamation lawsuit filed by Russian chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Gaprindashvili was angered by a single line in the show that she identified as “devastating falsehood, undermining and degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions.”
“The line in question comes in the series’ final episode, as the protagonist, Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy), competes for the world chess title in Moscow. An announcer, commentating during one of Beth’s matches, remarks, ‘The only unusual thing about her, really, is her sex. And even that’s not unique in Russia. There’s Nona Gaprindashvili, but she’s the female world champion and has never faced men.’ The problem, however, is that by 1968, when the Queen’s Gambit scene takes place, Gaprindashvili had faced men several times,” EW explained.
Gaprindashvili’s lawsuit explained, “The allegation that Gaprindashvili ‘has never faced men’ is manifestly false, as well as being grossly sexist and belittling,” and that by 1968, “she had competed against at least 59 male chess players… including at least 10 Grandmasters.” Asking for $5 million dollars in damages, the suit alleges, “these facts were well known to Netflix,” and seeks at least $5 million in damages, as well as a court order to remove the offending line from the series.”
A Netflix spokesperson responded, “Netflix has only the utmost respect for Ms. Gaprindashvili and her illustrious career, but we believe this claim has no merit and will vigorously defend the case.”
The lawsuit was filed ahead of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ winning at the Emmy Awards, seizing the “Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series” and “Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.” Previously, the show also received the “Best Drama TV Series of the Year” at the IGN Awards. The miniseries also nabbed Golden Globes for “Best Limited Series or Television Film” and the “Best Actress – Limited Series or Television Film” for series lead Anya Taylor-Joy.
