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Three New Animated Netflix Titles With a Focus on Asian American Storytelling Announced

Sarah Leone
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Three New Animated Netflix Titles With a Focus on Asian American Storytelling Announced

Netflix is aiming to highlight Asian-American creatives that will feature three different parts of Asian cultures.

Jane Lee, Manager, Original Animation at Netflix, says, “These films and series join our incredible slate of animation from world class Asian American creators with different styles, unique voices, and a broad range of stories to tell including Academy Award-nominated film Over the Moon from Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou; City of Ghosts from Elizabeth Ito; and upcoming series and films like Centaurworld from Megan Nicole Dong; Oni  from Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi; Ghee Happy from Sanjay Patel; Witch Boy from Minkyu Lee; and Steps from Alyce Tzue.”

I love the power of animation because it unlocks imagination and potential, empowering us to build new realities and see ourselves as the heroes. With each colorful frame and character we get to create together, we are defining our own world for kids around the world who don’t have to wait to see someone like them in the end credits.
Jane Lee

Here are 3 titles that have been confirmed to be coming to Netflix:

MONKEY KING – Visual development piece by Production Designer, Kyle McQueen. Cr: Netflix © 2021

THE MONKEY KING (2023) is an animated action-comedy film executive produced by legendary filmmaker Stephen Chow (Mermaid), produced by Academy Award-nominated Peilin Chou (Over the Moon) and Kendra Haaland (co-producer of How to Train Your Dragon 2), and directed by Academy Award-nominated Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls).

Inspired by China’s famous legend Journey to the West, the film tells the story of a very special Monkey, and his magical fighting Stick, who team up to fight against gods, demons, dragons, and the greatest enemy of all, Monkey’s own hubris!

The movie will feature all-Asian voice talents of Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.

“The Monkey King has endured for generations with his unique character and spirit.  I’m so excited to be collaborating with Tony, Peilin, and everyone at Netflix to bring this joyful tale to audiences worldwide!” says Stephen Chow.

BOONS AND CURSES (2023) is a comedy-action animated series hailing from creator and executive producer Jaydeep Hasrajani and series co-executive producer Jake Goldman.

In the magical land of Maya, a cosmic war is on the horizon. The Raj and his monstrous army threaten to destroy any who stand against them! The universe itself hangs in the balance and our only hope is… 3 feet tall and made of butter. Claiming to be a cursed warrior from another time, Baan may have been transformed into solid ghee but he won’t let that stop him! Teaming up with Rani, a young thief with delusions of grandeur, Baan must use every arrow in his quiver if he wants to defeat the Raj. Heavily inspired by ancient South Asia, Boons and Curses is an adventure-comedy highlighting the myths and legends that have enraptured generations.

“Growing up, I used to think of the hyphen in “Indian-American” as a separator between two parts of myself,” says Hasrajani. “With Boons and Curses I want to turn that hyphen from a wall into a bridge, not just for me, but for anybody who has ever felt that they were caught between two worlds. Using the beauty of South Asian mythology, folktales, and culture, our talented and passionate crew is so eager to share an exciting and hilarious adventure that can resonate with everyone the world over.”

MECH CADETS (2023) is an animated series based on the Boom! Studios comic series Mech Cadet Yu by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa. The series is executive produced by Boom! Studios, Japanese studio Polygon Pictures Inc. and Aaron Lam who serves as the writer and an executive producer of the series.

Fifty years in the future, after a terrifying alien species attacked our planet, teenager Stanford Yu works as a janitor at the Sky Corps Military Academy. But he’s only dreamed of one thing his entire life — to pilot a Robo Mech, giant robots from outer-space who came to our aid. When he finally gets his shot, Stanford and his classmates must put aside all personal differences and work together as a team in order to defend humanity against a new invasion of aliens.

“It is important for us to create stories that exemplify our teams’ diverse voices and art as a studio based in Tokyo, Japan,” says Jack Liang, Executive Producer, Polygon Pictures, Inc. “As part of our mission ‘to do what no other has done, in unparalleled quality, for all the world to see and enjoy’ we are ecstatic to have alongside with us, our supervising director, Tohru Patrick Awa, writer and executive producer, Aaron Lam and our talented diverse team of writers, to visualize the wonderful story created by Greg Pak, Takeshi Miyazawa and Boom! Studios. We all are honored to work with Netflix, and to tell a story that we hope will inspire future storytellers around the world.”

What do you think about these new releases coming up? Do any of them look interesting?

Sources: Netflix

A Pint-Sized Predator Is On Its Way From Mezco

Mike Phalin
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A Pint-Sized Predator Is On Its Way From Mezco

Ya know what my favorite thing was about Predator 2? Teri Weigel. You know what I’m talking about. Yeah. That scene. It had all the fine elements that summed up the late 1980s.
My second favorite thing? Bill Paxton and Gary Busey. Director Stephen Hopkins created an almost idyllic version of LA compared to today. With those characters running around, I’d move there without a second thought. If you’ve ever lived in modern LA, you’re aware of the struggle.
My third favorite thing was the concrete jungle Predator. He got to swear! He also got some cool new weapons to add to the Predator mythos.
Now a pint-sized version of him is coming to our homes.

Mezco
Mezco
Mezco

Predator, the City Hunter, joins the Mezco Designer Series!
Predator is in town with a few days to kill! Outfitted in his look from Predator 2, the Yautja sports a removable Bio-Helmet and is loaded with accessories from the film.
Predator features a removable Plasmacaster that attaches to his shoulder, a hunting trophy, an interchangeable wristblade hand, a Combistick, and a Smart Disc. All accessories can be held in his interchangeable hands for an abundance of display options.
Silent, invisible, and invincible, Predator returns to Earth during a sweltering summer heat wave to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
MDS Predator 2: Deluxe City Hunter stands 6″ tall and features 10 points of articulation. He comes packaged in a window box, perfect for display.

This pocket-sized Predator will debut sometime between October and December 2021. To make sure this guy doesn’t cloak and getaway, head over to Mezco and pre-order now!
What other characters from the Predator franchise should make it into Mezco’s Designer Series? Post battle Lieutenant Mike Harrigan? Subway shootout Jerry Lambert? How about an entire series dedicated to Bill Paxton’s various characters? Let us know in the comments.

Funko ‘Goonies Never Say Die’ Game Coming This Summer

Kambrea 'Geeky Sparkles' Pratt
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0
Funko ‘Goonies Never Say Die’ Game Coming This Summer

There’s a new tabletop strategy game coming this summer from Funko and it’s taking on one of the most popular cult classic films of the 1980’s–‘The Goonies.’

This new game will be a Target exclusive and will be releasing on June 20th.

The game if for ages 12+, has eight mini figures and allows 2-5 players at a time.

Here’s the write-up:

“The Goonies Never Say Die Game. “It’s Our Time, Down Here” Embark on a perilous adventure full of dangerous booby traps and treacherous treasure-filled caverns! One player is the Goondocks Master, controlling fearsome foes, from the outlaw family, the Fratellis, to the legendary pirate, On-Eyed Willie. The other players take on the role of the Goonies- Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Data, and Sloth – overcoming cryptic puzzles and deadly challenges with teamwork, strategy, and Data’s clever contraptions! Will the Goonies discover the legendary riches that will save their homes, or will they follow the fate of Chester Copperpot.. and never see the light of day?”

The game looks pretty cool.

I admit I’m biased though because I grew up with ‘The Goonies’ film.

The price on this set is $34.99.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Netflix Picks Up Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Spy Show

Jacob Airey
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0
Netflix Picks Up Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Spy Show

Arnold Schwarzenegger has given us some iconic characters during his lucrative career as a Hollywood action star. From playing the Terminator to Conan the Barbarian and even more recently Gunner from ‘The Expendables’ franchise, he has epitomized his legendary catchphrase, “I’ll be back.”
The seventy-three year old former California governor is making a comeback with his first major foray into scripted television with Skydance Television and Netflix for an eight-episode untitled spy series from Nick Santora, former executive producer of ‘Scorpion.’ The ‘Predator’ actor will executive produce and star in the series along with Monica Barbaro (‘Top Gun: Maverick’).
According to a press release obtained by Deadline, the plot picks up “when a father (Schwarzenegger) and daughter (Barbaro) learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, our series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, fantastic action and humor.”
“Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they’re finally going to get it because of our great partners at Skydance and Netflix,” Schwarzenegger said. “I am beyond pumped to start work on the show with Nick and Monica and the whole team.”
Santora developed the idea as part of a deal he inked with Skydance, his latest since becoming the showrunner for ‘Reacher,’ a television series based on the Jack Reacher novels.
“It’s been an honor to step into the world Lee Child created with Jack Reacher and I’m thrilled to expand my partnership with Skydance,” Santora told Deadline at the time. “(Skydance execs) share my desire to tell larger than life stories with remarkable characters and I look forward to working together with the entire Skydance creative team to create compelling television series.”

Creator of Berserk Passes Away at 54

Sarah Leone
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0
Creator of Berserk Passes Away at 54

Kentaro Miura passed away on May 6th at 2:28pm, from acute aortic dissection, a condition that affects blood supply to the internal organs.

Miura is best known for creating the manga series Berserk, which is a fantasy story about a former mercenary named Guts, now known as the “Black Swordsman,” who is out for revenge after being betrayed by someone he most respected and trusted. The manga started serialization in 1989 followed by several anime adaptions.

On May 20th Japan time, Hakusensha, the Tokyo-based publisher that’s currently serializing Berserk in its Young Animal anthology magazine, first reported the news on its official website.

Translation of tweet:
Mr. Kentaro Miura passed away.
Mr. Kentaro Miura, the creator of “Berserk”, passed away on May 6, 2021 due to acute aortic dissection. We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Mr. Miura for his art work, and we sincerely pray for his soul rest in peace.
May 20, 2021 Young Animal Editorial Department, Hakusensha Co.

They also added that “the farewell ceremony was held privately by the family.”

Kentaro Miura’s workspace at Studio Gaga, separate from the assistants.

The editorial staff of Young Animal offered their condolences, along with their memories of Miura:

“This is a difficult reality to accept, and we are not sure how to process it. Honestly, it’s hard to put our feelings into words. When we remember our time with Miura, whenever we would meet with him, he was cheerful and happy to talk about manga, anime, and movies that he’d enjoyed, and he always had a smile on his face. We never once saw him look angry or upset. He always looked like a happy person who was a kid at heart.”

Kentaro Miura’s childlike happiness is a stark contrast to his dark fantasy story full of betrayal, battles, revenge and incredible artwork. His dedication to a story he cherished for over 30 years since he started in 1989, will always be remembered by those who knew him personally, and the fans who followed his journey.

The opening from the classic Berserk anime from 1997:

Source: SoraNews24, Oricon

Care Bears Finally Try Being Loving and Inclusive with New ‘Togetherness Bear’

Kambrea 'Geeky Sparkles' Pratt
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0
Care Bears Finally Try Being Loving and Inclusive with New ‘Togetherness Bear’

If you grew up in the 1980’s you probably remember The Care Bears. They were brightly colored bears, with tummy symbols that fought against bullying and evil and taught kids to care-a-lot about others.  Apparently, that message wasn’t what we all thought it was because there’s a new Care Bear in town to finally represent inclusivity and acceptance and has the “Love All” catch phrase.

At least that seems to be the message behind the newest Care Bear.

It gets better.

Togetherness Bear was a new Care Bear that they found. She had no color (She’s white) and no name or symbol. The Care Bears tell her about each of their colors and what they mean so that she can choose to be one of their colors. In the end she chooses the best of each Care Bear to be all the colors.

So the white Care Bear appropriates other Care Bears color identities. Why didn’t they just tell the Care Bear that was different that it’s okay to be different and to accept themselves because they accept her? Wouldn’t that be actual acceptance?

Ashley Mady Brand Development for Basic Fun talks about how everyone’s different.

“It really represents everything and everyone, and this idea that it takes colors from all of the rainbow and really represents all of the bears as a collective. Just like no two people are the same, no two bears are the same, and that’s what really makes Togetherness different than any bear we’ve launched before.”

She was different before they make her like them, but her difference wasn’t okay then. Now it’s diversity?

Also “collective”?  What is this the Borg? A cult?

She was different so they converted her to their collective and gave her color and a brand, I mean tummy symbol so she could belong.  She couldn’t belong as herself? She had to change to be one of them.

She continues:

“There couldn’t have been a more perfect time for when the world needed to come together. And the idea that Togetherness Bear is coming to bring people even closer together — to unite them — after COVID and to celebrate inclusion, there’s so many different messages and meanings for what this bear could stand for. There’s an opportunity for each person to really project what they care about — and what they want to stand together on — onto this bear.”

So they’re leveraging a pandemic and diversity.

“An opportunity for each person to really project what they care about.” You mean like choosing which Care Bear was your favorite by the color or symbol you related to?

Why am I so annoyed? It’s just a toy?

I’m annoyed because I’m tired of these companies “reinventing” things that don’t need reinvented. The Care Bears were always inclusive and loving. They’ve had a couple different rainbow colored Care Bears before. This just feels like pandering.

I’m annoyed because I’m so tired of companies trying to leverage diversity and inclusion for money.  If it were truly about message, then the Care Bear should have been accepted for who she was as she was. Not changed to be the best of them.

Plus it’s wrong to keep using “diversity” and “inclusion” as buzz words to make money.

I want kids to know they are who they are and that’s okay. You don’t have to change yourself to fit in. This bear literally changes everything about herself to be “better.”

Kids need to understand that it’s okay that people are different from them and to accept who they are. Not to encourage them to change for you to accept them. It’s like the polar opposite of the message we should be teaching kids.

“Love All” has been the Care Bear message the entire time, until now, because now you have to change to be loved.

They did NOT think this through. They seemed to only see a rainbow cash grab.

Anyways. You can buy the new bear at Walmart. It’s $12.88 and exclusive to the store.

 

Source: The Toy Insider

‘My Adventures With Superman’ Animated Show Announced for Cartoon Network and HBO Max

Kambrea 'Geeky Sparkles' Pratt
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0
‘My Adventures With Superman’ Animated Show Announced for Cartoon Network and HBO Max

Warner Bros. has announced a Superman cartoon (with a two -season order) called My Adventures With Superman during their Upfronts presentation today.

I’m sure it’s coming on the heels of the CW Superman & Lois show doing so well.

This new show won’t just be about Superman (Clark Kent) and Lois Lane. No. Jimmy Olsen is going to be inserted into the famous duo as well.

Here’s the synopsis:

“The animated series features twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist actress Alice Lee), and their best friend Jimmy Olsen as they begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet.

My Adventures with Superman follows Clark as he builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis – and perhaps the world. Lois, now growing into a star investigative journalist, takes aspiring photographer Jimmy Olsen under her wing. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love, sharing adventures, taking down bad guys, stumbling over secrets, and discovering what it means to be Superman and Lois Lane.”

With this announcement came the slew of obligatory quotes:

Amy Friedman, Head of Kids and Family Programing at Warner Bros. said:

“Superman has remained one of the most iconic and beloved Super Heroes in the world. This fresh take from the Warner Bros. Animation team delivers a modern, relatable Clark Kent alongside a fearless, whip-smart Lois Lane who are navigating the small tasks of both becoming adults and trying to save the world.”

Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, and executive producer on this new show said:

“It’s been a great partnership working with Cartoon Network and HBO Max to bring more DC Super Heroes to the platform in new and creatively interesting ways. This is the first animated Superman series in many years and we want to tell our Superman story through the trio of Clark, Lois and Jimmy – whose relationship dynamic will allow for rich, serialized and engaging stories as we explore their lives as individuals and their journey together as friends.”

I think as long as they stick to what has worked for decades and don’t try to “reinvent” the wheel too much, it could be good.  This comes after the announcement that they will be doing a new Batman Animated Series as well.

Previous shows like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and now Superman and Lois have performed very well. If they stay to formula it should be okay. Let’s just hope we don’t get some weird love triangle with Jimmy Olson.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Sources: Deadline, Comicbook.com, The Hollywood Reporter

Alec Baldwin Set To Star In ‘Supercell,’ Herbert James Winterstern’s Directorial Debut

Jacob Airey
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Alec Baldwin Set To Star In ‘Supercell,’ Herbert James Winterstern’s Directorial Debut

‘Red October’ actor Alec Baldwin is cast in Herbert James Winterstern’s feature film directorial debut ‘Supercell,’ a disaster movie that follows a group of storm chasers. The director previously worked on several episodes of the television show ‘Siberia.’
Short Porch Pictures is currently filming the movie in Georgia and Montana with Highland Film Group picking up international distribution rights to the movie. Winterstern co-wrote the script along with Anna Elizabeth James, best known for writing Netflix’s ‘Deadly Illusions.’
According to a press release, Daniel Diemer (‘The Half of It’), Jordan Kristine Seamón (‘We Are Who We Are’), Skeet Ulrich (‘Armored’), and Anne Heche (‘Superman: Doomsday’) have joined the movie’s cast. Winterstern is producing along with Nathan Klingher and Ryan Donnell Smith.
The synopsis explains, “Supercell tells the thrilling tale of William (Diemer), a good-hearted teenager, who lives in hope of following in his father’s footsteps, the legendary storm chaser Bill Brody who was killed in action. His father’s legacy has been turned into a storm chasing tour business managed by the greedy and reckless owner Zane Rogers (Baldwin). After William runs away from home, he teams up with his dad’s old partner Roy (Ulrich) and enters into the world of storm chasing. But the tornadoes have only gotten bigger. As his mother (Heche) anxiously searches for her son, she’s joined by his classmate (Seamón) in hopes of protecting William as Zane leads the group deep into the eye of the most dangerous supercell ever seen.”
Ulrich said, “I am excited to join this talented group of filmmakers and cast to tell this story. I’ve always been a fan of Alec Baldwin’s work and am honored to have the opportunity to work with him.”
Winterstern echoed those sentiments, saying, “With Skeet, Anne, Daniel, and Jordan joining Alec, I’m so grateful to have such a versatile and talented cast behind this story.”
Baldwin is coming off a Saturday Night Live as well as the sequel ‘The Boss Baby: Family Business.’

Epic vs. Apple: Is Roblox a “Game”? It May Decide The Lawsuit.

Mike Phalin
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Epic vs. Apple: Is Roblox a “Game”? It May Decide The Lawsuit.

I’m going to show my age here, but I have no idea what Roblox is. I’ve heard my kid talk about the “game” mainly made up of user-created content in my peripheral. I use the quotations because that word is now referred to as “experiences” on Roblox’s website.
When logged into the website, a tab once called “Games” has been updated to read “Discover.” In addition, the term “players” was switched to “people.” This may not signal anything more than perhaps a branding change to a passerby or the average player. However, in the scope of the ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games, it may be a huge deal.
In short, Apple wants to prove that games like Fortnite, Roblox, etc., are games. Therefore they must abide by Apple’s rules and fees. Epic is attempting to make their products on the App Store exempt from Apple’s 30% revenue cut it takes per purchase. The same is done over at the Google Play Store. Epic believes these fees and limited avenues for customers amount to antitrust violations.
That’s as basic as I can make it.
The Verge reported on the confusing game of words that is being played out. Just a clever term can change your product from a game to an app in the eyes of Apple. This circumventing of the terms was also confirmed by a 2017 e-mail from Trystan Kosmynka from Apple’s marketing division.
What is a game? Kosmynka defined it in the following way, “If you think of a game or app, games are incredibly dynamic, games have a beginning, an end, there’s challenges in place. I look at the experiences that are in Roblox similar to the experiences that are in Minecraft. These are maps. These are worlds. And they have boundaries in terms of what they’re capable of.”
So, is Fortnite really a game since there’s no end and you create things in the game? Doubtful. It’s a competitive game where you build structures to defend yourself against the enemy. Fortnite does have a beginning and end of each match. It’s not just an open-ended sandbox with no point.
While I disagree that Apple or Google should be the only gateway for us to get games on the devices, playing these word games may blow up in Epic’s face. If they lose this court battle, it could set the consumer back even further.
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit? Is Roblox a game? Is Fortnite? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: The Verge]

GameStop Offering 20-50% Off Anime Merchandise and Games!

Mike Phalin
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0
GameStop Offering 20-50% Off Anime Merchandise and Games!

There’s a huge anime sale going on right now over at GameStop. Over 200 items from manga and anime are listed. The games are up to 50% off, while the non-video game merchandise is discounted up to 20%.
If you’ve been eyeing up a certain action figure or game, now is the time to buy. The sale also applies to items that are GameStop exclusives like Funko Pops. Some things are already selling out. If you’re like me and interested in Gundam stuff, click here to go right to those listings.
We took a screenshot of the most expensive items currently included in this sale. Check it out.

GameStop
Here are the properties we’ve seen included in this sale:

  • One Piece
  • Dragon Ball
  • Persona
  • Evangelion
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • Sword Art Online
  • Demon Slayer
  • My Hero Academia
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
  • Sailor Moon
  • Mobile Suit Gundam
  • Love Live
  • Saint Seiya
  • Attack on Titan
  • Naruto
  • Fire Force
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • RE: Zero
  • The Idolmaster
  • Fate/Grand Order
  • Junji Ito

Games, statues, action figures, and Funko Pops are just some of the items listed. We also saw backpacks, shirts, and other wearables. How long this sale will be going on is not shown. Don’t delay!
A lot of these toys and stuff aren’t available at physical GameStop stores. We checked locations in a few large metro areas, and the number of items available for pickup averaged around 90 things out of the original 223. Now is the time to use up any trade-in credit or certificates since you’ll have to swallow a shipping cost.
I’ve noticed that GameStop stores have been flushing out the non-game merchandise as of late. Once, the ten stores within my town used to have half of the store taken up with Pops, action figures, and replicas. Now all those toys are consolidated to a few shelves and a clearance bin. It may not be long before we see these stores revert to being 95% games and 5% “other.”
[Source: GameStop]

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