Dave Bautista has had a lucrative career. From fighting in the ring as Mix Martial Arts competitor to his appearances as Drax The Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has made a name for himself as a bankable actor. His latest film includes Zack Snyder’s zombie flick ‘Army of the Dead’ and Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming science fiction epic ‘Dune.’
One question on everyone’s mind is, with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor flying off on the Milano with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ would the rest of the Guardians, including Drax, appear in the upcoming MCU sequel ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Bautista shed some cryptic light on Drax’s role in the Asgardian’s mythology.
“Well, assuming that I went to Australia to shoot for Thor 4,” he joked. “I know that Chris Pratt has announced that he’s in Thor 4, but I haven’t heard from anybody at Marvel or Disney where it would be OK for me to say that I was in Thor 4. So I will neither confirm nor deny.”
He continued, “But having said that, I’ve worked with Taika before, and so I know Taika’s process. Taika’s process is whatever’s written on page, there’s going to be a dozen more opportunities for you to shine because he’s an improvisational-type actor and he’s an improvisational-type director. So yes, if you have an opportunity to work with Taika Waititi, don’t even be concerned about how small the role is because if you get there and start killing it, he’s going to make you a bigger part of the film. Did that answer your question in a roundabout way?”
When asked about the secrecy, the ‘Blade Runner 2049’ actor joked about not wanted to anger Marvel Studios or Disney.
“Yeah, it’s one of those things where I kind of dance around it because I don’t want to piss anybody at Marvel off. I don’t want to piss anybody at Disney off,” Bautista said. “And as far as I know, I guess they gave Pratt a go-ahead to announce that he was in the film, but I haven’t heard anything about it. And as far as I’ve heard, they said it’s not OK to confirm that you’re in the film. But obviously, when all the Guardians are on a Disney jet going to Australia and they photograph us walking into the hotel.”
He added, “There are photographs of everybody except for me on set. So because there were no photographs of me as Drax on set, I’ve not come out and said, ‘Yeah, I’m in Thor 4.’”
Besides ‘Thor: Love And Thunder,’ Bautista will also reprise his role as Drax in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ which the actor hinted could be his last portrayal of the character in a previous interview with Digital Spy.
Dave Bautista Opens Up About ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’
Entertainment Earth Exclusive TMNT Glow-In-The-Dark Mutagen Man!
The Ultimates line of TMNT action figures is a cool callback to the Playmates days. Gross-out designs and weird features were the name of the game back then. Between the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Toxic Crusaders figures, Playmates hit on all the things that kids wanted in the early ’90s. Mutagen Man was the culmination of all those things.
The original figure was a clear plastic torso with decaying limbs attached. Inside the torso casing sat the remains of a human. There was a brain, skull, eyeballs, lungs, and heart. These organs were floating there.
Mutagen Man came with various pieces of junk that you could put into the torso and then fill with water. Ah, the good old days of having bits of food and trash floating around inside of your action figures. We had the best toys.
Super7 recreated this toy in all the glorious detail but with added articulation and an increased scale. The only drawback was that this figure, like the original, wasn’t very good at retaining water.
Regardless, Mutagen Man is a great display piece that only gets better with the addition of an age-old gimmick: a glow-in-the-dark feature!
Entertainment Earth will be offering up an exclusive version of the 7″ figure with just that feature.
1x Pair of Fist Hands
1x Pair of Gripping Hands
1x Mutagen Machine Blaster
1x Life-Support System
1x Skull Plug
1x Fish (Glow)
1x Wrench (Glow)
1x Eyeball (Glow)
1x Turtle (Glow)
1x Pizza (Glow)
1x Apple Core (Glow)
1x Bone (Glow)
1x Unpainted (Neon Green) Gooey Garbage Rack that holds the Fish, Wrench, Eyeball, Turtle, Pizza, Apple Core, and Bone!
Click here to pre-order yours before they run out. Mutagen Man should be shipping in January 2022. The price of this figure is $54.99. If you’re unsure about dropping that kind of cash on a figure, check out Pixel Dan’s review of the standard version here:
[Source: Entertainment Earth]
NECA’s ‘An American Werewolf In London’ Figure Coming November 2021
An American Werewolf in London is a great dark comedy by John Landis. It was also a fantastic display of practical creature effects, both during the transformation scene and those involving the werewolf in full.
David Kessler’s werewolf form has been released in several forms over the years. We’ve seen maquettes, busts, statues, and masks, but never as an action figure. The beast is quite a gangly creature with stretched limbs and a long torso.
Rather than looking like a regular wolf or a man with some fur stuck to his face, the AWIP version of the mythic creature is altogether different.
As so to why an articulated figure hasn’t been made before, I cannot say. Maybe a licensing issue or the cost of tooling? The demand wasn’t there before? Not sure. Regardless, we’re getting one in November of this year from NECA.
NECA’s newest figure from An American Werewolf in London is an action figure first! The classic 1981 movie is the perfect blend of comedy and true horror, and follows two American backpackers and their increasingly terrifying trip across England. Only David Kessler survives the bizarre wolf attack that kills his friend Jack… but then an undead Jack returns to warn David that he will soon transform into a murderous beast.
Never before made as an action figure, Kessler’s wolf form is more than 11 inches at its full length and has over 30 points of articulation. Includes interchangeable heads and comes in a collector-friendly window box with opening flap that’s great for display.
Suppose you want to preorder the beast, head on over to Entertainment Earth. If you want to watch the film, it’s available for rent on VOD and YouTube.
Though American Werewolf is a classic, attempts to revitalize the IP have been anything but. In the late ’90s, we did get a weird semi-sequel. Does anyone remember An American Werewolf in Paris? No? I only recall seeing the trailer in front of I Know What You Did Last Summer. That’s all I care to remember.
Well, that’s not entirely fair. There were successful uses of the first film. When we covered Halloween Horror Nights in 2013, we were surprised at how well done the haunted house based on the film was. The faithful reactions of scenes and the number of werewolf puppets made our collective jaws drop.
If you want to see it for yourself, check out Inside The Magic’s video of the event:
We were also joined in the celebration by the film’s director himself, John Landis. The night ran extra long because Mr. Landis loves to tell stories. Once he got going, hours would be diverted while he told us tales of working with John Belushi and Michael Jackson.
If Universal really wanted to celebrate the slow return to normal, the company would do a “best of” HHN bringing back some of the event’s most beloved houses. Sadly, licensing negotiations are often a pain or just outright expensive. Let us hope it may happen anyway.
[Source: NECA]
‘Spiral’ Director Discusses Chris Rock’s Horror “Spin”
Stand-up comedian Chris Rock has branched from being a ‘Saturday Night Live’ alumni into a celebrated actor best known for his comedic chops. From ‘Down to Earth’ to ‘Grown Ups’ to ‘Top Five,’ he is praised for his timing and hilarious punchlines.
With his joining the cast ‘Spiral: From the Book of Saw,’ the latest entry in the ‘Saw’ horror franchise, Rock has expressed his intention of entering a whole new genre.
‘Spiral’ director Darren Lynn Bousman, who also helmed ‘Saw II,’ ‘Saw III,’ and ‘Saw IV,’ sat down with Syfy Wire to discuss Chris Rock’s expansion into horror in the first entry in the franchise since 2017’s ‘Jigsaw.’
“So it was basically refining what they already had,” Bousman said describing the script.
“And then once we got to that point, Chris would take the script and add his Chris Rock spin on things.” He added, “(Rock is) probably the greatest living comedian right now.”
He continued, “Chris would know where to put something that allowed the audience to either breathe a sigh of relief or have a laugh. That pulls them in harder when we wanted them to be shocked or be scared. We would do a scene and he would play it completely straight, completely serious. And then he’d say, “You know what, that’s too serious. I got to do that again.” And he’d do the exact same scene again, but add a button, like a joke in it.”
When asked why they decided to make ‘Spiral’ in the police procedural format, Bousman said that the Eddie Murphy comedy flick ’48 Hrs.’ had a big influence on that decision.
“I think that Chris was really fascinated with ’48 Hrs.’ as well — that buddy cop ’48 Hrs.’ feel,” he explained. “And I always thought ’48 Hrs.’ was a comedy until I rewatched it. And it’s not a comedy, it’s a balls-to-the-wall, violent police action film that happens to have Eddie Murphy in it. And Eddie Murphy’s funny. So I think that he was a huge fan of ’48 Hrs.,’ and that was one of his big inspirations. So we just leaned into the police on that side, since we knew that Saw movies have used police as an undertone, we just leaned into it.”
‘Spiral: From the Book of Saw’ is the ninth entry in the horror franchise and was developed under the working title of ‘The Organ Donor.’
Funimation Announces Slew Of August DVD Releases, Including ‘Fire Force’
Funimation has announced that several of their licensed anime will be released in August on home video, including several on Blu-Ray.
According to their blog, “Welcome to this month’s home video solicitations. And though the word ‘solicitations’ might sound boring, it’s actually very exciting, because it means there’s a whole mess of new anime announced that you’ll probably want to add to your shelf. Because we definitely will be adding to ours.”
The titles include:
‘Fire Force’ Season 2 Part 1
Fire Force Season 2 Part 1 Blu-Ray/DVD coming soon!
Funimation article states August 3rd release, Amazon UK has it at August 30th. pic.twitter.com/536dEC8pZp
— Devil's Footprints | 悪魔の足跡 (@FireForce_8) May 15, 2021
Picking up after season one, Company 8 and Shinra look into clues surrounding the Infernals and whether they can be turned back into humans.
‘DECA-DENCE’ Complete Season
DECA-DENCE: Complete Season Blu-ray. August 17. https://t.co/MNag1KQ7AA https://t.co/wWPT6AXl6H pic.twitter.com/wYCjKju28y
— WTK (@WTK) May 14, 2021
In the fortress city of Deca-dence, the lowly Tanker girl, Natsume, dreams of becoming a Gear warrior following her father’s death during a Gadoll attack. She is assigned to a maintenance team led by Kaburagi whom she discovers is more than he appears. Kaburagi has a secret role in eliminating “bugs”, humans who threaten Solid Quake’s operations. When Kaburagi discovers that Natsume is listed as dead in the company database, he decides to keep her under observation and offers to train her to fight.
‘Kakushigoto’ The Complete Season
Kakushigoto: Complete Season Blu-ray. August 31. https://t.co/bAlBbU6NVi https://t.co/MiL5Jjz2GG pic.twitter.com/refQTImdWV
— WTK (@WTK) May 14, 2021
Kakushi Goto draws ecchi manga for a living; worried that fact would alienate his daughter Hime from him, he swears never to let it out.
‘Lapis Re:LiGHTs’ The Complete Season (Subtitled Only)
Lapis Re:LiGHTs: Complete Season Blu-ray. August 10. Sub only. https://t.co/i8LbMEVd9F https://t.co/xGXAqVd17B pic.twitter.com/07ldtrsdzT
— WTK (@WTK) May 14, 2021
Tiara, a princess from the kingdom of Waleland, travels to the city of Mamkestell to attend a prestigious academy for those who practice magic like herself. After passing a test to prove her eligibility, Tiara reunites with her childhood friend Rosetta, who is also a student there.
‘One Piece’ Collection 27
One Piece Collection 27 BD/DVD (Eps. 642-667) releases August 10th. pic.twitter.com/ZXvLfGe2Ja
— One Piece Dub Clips (@OnePieceDubClip) May 14, 2021
The ongoing adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates.
‘Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!’ The Complete Series
SHOW BY ROCK!! Mashumairesh!!: Complete Series Blu-ray/DVD. August 24. https://t.co/BPXvpIvIGE https://t.co/obrm2FZmdv pic.twitter.com/dH0kUzazuP
— WTK (@WTK) May 14, 2021
Taking place somewhere after the 2nd season, the story focuses on Howan, a Fox Myummon who lives in the countryside on Sound Planet.
‘A Certain Magical Index II’ Season 2 (Essentials)
A Certain Magical Index II: Complete Series Blu-ray/DVD. July 19. https://t.co/L3Ub8RXwgc pic.twitter.com/QLu3OUetZs
— WTK (@WTK) April 15, 2016
The story adventures of Toma Kamijo, a high school student with a unique power in his right hand, who resides in a scientifically advanced city, and his interactions with other psychic and magic users after he meets Index, a young nun whose mind has been implanted with the 103,000 magical texts of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
‘The Tatami Galaxy,’ The Complete Series (Subtitled Only)
Up for pre-order…The Tatami Galaxy Complete Series Blu-ray/DVD (sub only). September 3. Including three special episodes. https://t.co/PuiuoDco1V pic.twitter.com/vkULesTzMZ
— WTK (@WTK) June 14, 2019
The story follows an unnamed third year student at Kyoto University, using parallel universes as a plot device to explore how his life would have differed had he joined a particular campus club (also called a “circle”).
‘Ultimate Otaku Teacher,’ the Complete Series
Shop the Ultimate Otaku Teacher Complete Series on blu-ray during our #TeacherAppreciationOneDaySale ✏️ https://t.co/8zaMwvLW5S pic.twitter.com/c1HJN1gi5n
— Right Stuf Anime (@rightstufanime) May 5, 2020
Junichiro Kagami is interested in nothing but anime, manga and games, but his sister Suzune forces him to go on a job as a physics teacher substitute at the same high school from which he graduated.
Netflix He-Man Toys Spotted. This ISN’T Your Father’s Masters of the Universe.
Netflix has announced not one, but two new series based on the classic Mattel IP Masters of the Universe.
Entertainment Weekly recently dropped some new screenshots of Kevin Smith’s continuation of the original 1980s franchise, called Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
But there’s been very little talk about the second series aimed at a younger audience, a CGI animated series simply called He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
But now we have our first look at the toys for the line, and they’re definitely NOT your father’s He-Man figures. Courtesy of Twitter user @MagnaKing1…
The figures are very chunky, and look more like Fisher-Price’s Rescue Heroes line for preschoolers than He-Man.
Then again, the demographic for the CGI He-Man series seems to be much younger than what’s been done with the character before.
While details are still sparse, here’s the official write-up for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe…
“On the planet of Eternia, a young lost prince discovers the powers of Grayskull and transforms into He-Man, Master of the Universe! The classic battle between He-Man and evil Skeletor rages to new heights as both hero and villain forge new and mighty teams. A new generation of heroes fighting for the fate of us all. In the end, who will become Master of the Universe?”
Despite my having some initial reservations about the character designs, the second Netflix He-Man series does have quite a pedigree behind it. It’s executive produced by Adam Bonnett (Descendants), Christopher Keenan (Justice League), Rob David (Masters of the Universe: Revelation), Jeff Matsuda (The Batman), Susan Corbin (Voltron), and Arrow’s Bryan Q Miller.
Time will tell if either of Netflix’s new He-Man series actually “have the power.”
[Hat Tip: Comic Book Movie]Japanese Fans Asked Which Next Anime They Want a Hollywood Live-Action Adaptation Of
Live action movie adaptions based on anime are most always hits or misses. Some are actually quite good, while others are horrendously bad. Does Dragonball Evolution 2009 bring back any nightmares? That one was so bad, the director came out with an apology letter, 7 years after the release date.
With several live action adaptions slated to come out (such as Cowboy Bebop and One Piece), Japanese media company Viviane recently conducted a survey asking 1,000 Japanese people between the ages of 10 and 69 what other anime/manga series they want to get a Hollywood live-action version next. Let’s take a look at the top 10 responses.
10. Hunter x Hunter (chosen by 1.4 percent of respondents)
7 (tie). My Hero Academia (1.5 percent)
7 (tie). JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (1.5 percent)
7 (tie). Slam Dunk (1.5 percent)
A common reasoning is the diverse characters that could easily be set in America, especially with series involving basketball or superheroes
6. Detective Conan/Case Closed (1.8 percent)
5. Naruto (2.4 percent)
4. Jujutsu Kaisen (3.4 percent)
Detective stories are very popular to the American audience, so it is thought to work well with adapting to live action in Hollywood. This group also said that, because Naruto is such a popular series overseas in the US, it would be a great way to show awareness to the unique Japanese Culture. And because it has so much fighting and action, it would be easy to understand. Some people in this group compared Jujutsu Kaisen to a Marvel type of movie.
3. Attack on Titan (4.8 percent)
The live action adaption previously made in Japan was met with a bit of disappointment, so maybe Hollywood can do it better?
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (6 percent)
This one is a no brainer. Fans are soaking up any new content they can get related to the Demon Slayer series. If it means getting a live action Demon Slayer, it’s going to be very interesting to the Japanese fans to see the transition from manga to anime to live action.
So, you’ll notice that these nine entries only account for a total of 24.3, so you might be expecting a massive landslide for the number-one pick. And you’re right, as the top response earned more than seven times as many votes as any other response. When asked “What anime/manga do you hope gets a live-action Hollywood adaptation next?”, the top response was:
1. None of them (45.6 percent)
When asked why, the reasons generally boiled down to live-action not being able to convincingly and entertainingly do what anime does in terms of visuals, setting, and tone. “Anime is fine as anime,” said one respondent in the 10-19 age bracket. A more mature participant in their 50s verbalized their worries as “If they make a series into a Hollywood live-action version, I think it will destroy fans’ dreams,” and considering some of Hollywood’s past attempts, that’s an understandable fear.
Source: SoraNews24
Source Photos: Funimation Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion & Viz Media Naruto
Movie Tickets on Sale Now for Four Anime Movies Coming to Theaters this summer
Coming off the end of a very successful theater run of the Demon Slayer movie, it’s just been announced that tickets are officially on sale and ready to purchase.
GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and long-time partner Fathom Events, have continued their collaboration, bringing back a series of recent critically acclaimed and fan-favorite titles.
“We’ve listened to fans, and are excited to be partnering once again with GKIDS to bring these iconic titles back to theaters.”
Ray Nutt, CEO at Fathom
Here are the anime movies to look forward to seeing in theaters:
CHILDREN OF THE SEA
Sunday, June 13, 3:00 (English Dub)
Tuesday, June 15, 7:00 (Japanese with subtitles)
WEATHERING WITH YOU
Sunday, July 25, 3:00 English Dub and 4DX)
Tuesday, July 27, 7:00 (Japanese with subtitles)
LUPIN III: THE FIRST
Sunday, August 29, 3:00 (English Dub and 4DX)
Tuesday, August 31, 7:00 (Japanese with subtitles)
PROMARE
Thursday, September 16, 7:00 (English Dub and 4DX)
Sunday, September 19, 3:00 (Japanese with subtitles)
“We are so excited for this opportunity for fans both new and returning to see these modern animated masterpieces on the big screen.”
GKIDS’ President, David Jesteadt.
Each event will be shown in both original Japanese and English dubbed versions, and will include exclusive bonus content. Promare, Weathering With You, and Lupin III: The First events will additionally be available in 4DX, the immersive multi-sensory cinematic experience, at select locations across the country. Fathom has said 4DX will not be expected to be on sale until next week, so keep an eye out for it then.
You can buy tickets by clicking on any of the movies on the Gkids Event webpage, which will then take you to the ticket ordering page. Click here to view the Events for ticket ordering.
It’s a very exciting time to be seeing more anime movies coming to theaters. Which one are you most excited to see? All of them?
A New ‘War For Cybertron’ Optimus Prime Is On The Way!
I took a break from the toy collecting and dealing game for a few years. When I started to get back into it, I was astounded that Hasbro has managed to keep the Transformers line flooded with so many versions of Optimus Prime.
Bruh. If there’s a way to add a new paint application to an older Prime figure, they’ll do it. I’m not complaining. I love collecting Prime figures. Maybe, though, put a few more of the other figures out there. Jazz. We need more Jazz. Not Michael Bay Jazz. No. No. No. Classic Scatman Crothers Jazz!
The War for Cybertron Voyager Class Optimus Prime we’re looking at today may appear familiar. This is a modification of a previously released Prime, but with damage detailing, including cracked glass on the chest panels.
The only unappealing aspect of this figure is the large backpack. Otherwise, he’s pretty cool and comes with a huge ax. The head sculpt looks about the same, but the color tones used in the plastic are improved over the previous release.
The War for Cybertron is back – with the best detail and most amazing paint yet! Big robots join the Siege with Transformers Premium Finish War for Cybertron WFC-01 Voyager Optimus Prime! This Autobot leader takes the hero you’ve loved for decades and gives him a futuristic truck alternate mode, a gloriously gritty paint job, and a grizzled look inspired by the hit Netflix streaming series. Ages 8 and up. The figure includes ion blaster, strike shield, and is compatible with blast effect accessories (sold with Battle Masters figures, sold separately.)
Voyager Class Optimus Prime will be arriving in December with a $53.99 price tag. If you’ve been watching toy shelves this year, you’ve probably seen a lot of empty pegs and bare racks (hehe). Either due to the pandemic or shifting distribution models, a lot of toys are being diverted.
Various Masters of the Universe figures have been hard to find. The multiple Transformers lines appear and disappear with only one line ever being restocked. Trying to complete a collection has become a true pain.
So, if you want to make sure you add this Prime to your’s, head on over to Entertainment Earth and pre-order today!
Has anyone else been able to get more than just one of the Transformers: The Movie figures? I only ever found Hot Rod and Prime. Where have all the Grimlocks gone? Where’s the streetwise Jazz? I need my heroes!
Let us know in the comments if you’ve been able to collect’em all.
Rambo and McClane Skins In CoD: Black Ops Cold War Look … Weird.
If you’re going to incorporate iconic action heroes, or celebrities in a video game at all, do it right. Over the decades, there have been a lot of good and bad designs when it comes to known actors appearing in games. The Buffy video game from way back in 2002 managed to capture likenesses well on limited hardware.
In 2021 there’s no excuse for not getting a character to be close to photo-accurate. Either through talented modelers or scanning the living subject, weirdness should not ensure today.
Yet it does. My god …
GameRant found an image floating around Reddit allegedly showing off the upcoming skins for your character in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The images appeared on the Call of Duty Warzone subreddit. I just can’t. My god. What did Treyarch and Raven Software do to these ’80s icons?!
Can we get the Infinity Ward skin designers back? Rambo looks like a sad clown. from CODWarzone
Dude. Bruce Willis looks OK in the face, but what’s up with these bodies? Sure, John McClane wasn’t super buff, but John Rambo was! Even in the 2008 Rambo, he had an intimidating physique.
Funnily, Rambo appears not to be too happy with this. It almost looks like he’s going to bawl. Meanwhile, McClane’s facial expression looks like he is gazing into a mirror and wondering what went wrong with his botox.
Stallone looks more like Rocky at the end of his first match with Apollo Creed. Where’s the iconic badass we all love from Rambo: First Blood Part II?
Compare that model to what we recently got in Mortal Kombat 11. The model’s skin may have been a bit smoother, but it still looked like John F’ing Rambo!
The positives are that these are optional skins and not integral to any part of an overarching story. You can completely avoid this.
What are some of the worst representations of actors’ likenesses that you’ve seen in video games? Would you use the Rambo and McClane skins? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: GameRant]
