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Native American Captain America Met with Both Praise and Backlash on Twitter

Thom 'Kneon' Pratt
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Native American Captain America Met with Both Praise and Backlash on Twitter

Marvel Comics has announced yet another version of Captain America, and this time Cap is a Native American.

Joe Gomez of the Kickapoo Tribe joins several other previously announced iterations of the hero planned for an comics event called The United States of Captain America, which celebrates the 80th Anniversary of Captain America.

Created by Lipan Apache writer Darcie Little Badger and Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation artist David Cutler, Joe Gomez’s Captain America will first appear in The United States of Captain America #3.

Here’s how Joe Gomez is described by writer Darcie Little Badger via Marvel.com …

“See, Joe Gomez is a construction worker, a builder in a world plagued by destruction. Every time a spaceship crashes into a bridge or a supervillain transforms a whole city block into rubble, people like Joe make things whole again. Work like that may seem thankless, but Joe genuinely enjoys helping his community survive and thrive.

That’s why he won’t charge elders for home repair services (the Joe Gomez senior discount is 100%). That’s also why he’s willing to risk his life to save others. I know lots of people like Joe–many of them my Indigenous relatives–so it was wonderful to help develop a character with his values, strength, and extreme crane-operating skills.”

Despite being created by Native American comics creators, the reaction on social media has been mixed. Some feel the look is “stereotypical” while others questioned why a Native American would dress themselves in the flag of a country that pushed them out of their land.

Ouch.

The announcement tweet from the official Captain America Twitter account didn’t go as well as Marvel had probably hoped.

Here are some more of Twitter’s reactions…

Website Heroic Hollywood posted a tweet with the new design, and nearly all of the comments were negative.

Others pointed out a similarity to the character of American Eagle from the 1980s, who had his costume redesigned to be less stereotypical.

Still, others are much more enthusiastic about the new iteration of Cap.

About that last part…. yeah. The Kickapoo people didn’t take kindly to their land being taken by Americans. So there’s that.

What are your thoughts on Joe Gomez’s Captain America? Leave a comment below!

 

Director Bao Tran Discusses His Martial Arts Comedy ‘The Paper Tigers’

Jacob Airey
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Director Bao Tran Discusses His Martial Arts Comedy ‘The Paper Tigers’

‘The Paper Tiger’ is described as a “feel-good” Martial Arts comedy by its highly successful Kickstarter campaign. The plot follows three friends living in Seattle who also happen to be out-of-practice Martial Artists. They are called back to action in a fight for justice, though their opponents are in better shape than they are.
“It was a lot of fun, a lot of hot baths and epson salt and ice bags,” joked director Bao Tran in an interview with Komo News.
“The challenges of having a genuine story with cast full of POC (people of color), I think that was a very difficult thing for a Hollywood studio to wrap their head around, because they don’t have movies with POC leads that point to successes,” Tran opined. “There is a bit of systemic issue going around, and that’s why we kept hitting our heads against the wall and trying to get the movie made.”
Tran explained that he was inspired to film in Seattle as a homage to action star Bruce Lee.
“Seattle, spiritually is always where I wanted to make it, because Bruce Lee landed here, opened a school, went to the UW,” he said. “And the community showed up, we shot all over the city and the ID, and bakeries and restaurants would give us snacks everyday. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tran used Kickstarter to get the initial funding of the movie. The success of the campaign also helped to bring in private investors to help make the action-comedy. As a result, ‘The Paper Tigers’ will open for a limited theatrical run as well as appearing on digital platforms on May 7th.
The official synopsis says,
“As teenagers, kung fu aficionados Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan), and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were inseparable, but drifted apart after graduation due to a mysterious fallout at an overseas tournament. Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring—and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. But when their old master is murdered, the trio will reunite after decades of silence, soon learning that avenging their sifu will require conquering old grudges (and a dangerous hitman still armed with ample knee cartilage) if they are to honorably defend his legacy.”
Check out the trailer below:

John David Washington Cast In Gareth Edwards’ Sci-Fi Film ‘True Love’

Jacob Airey
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John David Washington Cast In Gareth Edwards’ Sci-Fi Film ‘True Love’

‘Tenet’ actor John David Washington is the latest celebrity to join the upcoming science fiction film ‘True Love,’ helmed by ‘Godzilla’ director Gareth Edwards, Deadline reports.
Washington has had a busy schedule. Apart from his appearances in the television show ‘Ballers,’ he appeared in the 2020 Christopher Nolan time-bending film ‘Tenet,’ earning several acting nominations including the Golden Globes. He starred in 2021’s ‘Malcolm & Marie,’ as well as appearing in the upcoming ‘Beckett’ and ‘Canterbury Glass.’ He also starred in the Academy Award-winning Spike Lee film ‘Blackkklansman.’
‘True Love’ will be Edwards’ first movie since ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ He is writing the film and producing it along with Kiri Hart, his co-producer with ‘Rogue One.’ The ‘Monsters’ director announced the project in February 2020 and has partnered with New Regency films to make the film.
Little is known in the way of plot, other than it is a “near-future sci-fi story” that comes from an original idea from Edwards, according to Slash Film. The production hopes to get under the way in the summer.
Edwards had several projects in development following the release of his Star Wars prequel but took his time on choosing his next venture before settling on the familiar territory of science fiction, a genre that he has worked on since his directorial debut.
‘Rogue One,’ a direct prequel to ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,’ crossed the one billion dollar mark at the box office. His ‘Godzilla’ reboot earned over 500 million. This prompted many to speculate that he would direct its sequel ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ but he departed the project and was replaced by Michael Dougherty.
Edwards served as executive producer to the 2014 sequel ‘Monsters: Dark Continent’ and would have a cameo as the “Resistance Trench Soldier” in the Rian Johnson directed ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi.’

David Oyelowo Discusses Fantasy Flick ‘The Water Man,’ His Directorial Debut

Jacob Airey
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David Oyelowo Discusses Fantasy Flick ‘The Water Man,’ His Directorial Debut

Film actor David Oyelowo is known for appearing in the British television series ‘Spooks,’ as well as numerous films including the historical drama ‘Selma,’ the crime drama ‘A Most Violent Year,’ and sci-fi horror ‘Don’t Let Go.’
Oyelowo is expanding his cinema expertise by making his directorial debut with ‘The Water Man,’ a fantasy adventure that follows a teen named Gunner, played by Lonnie Chavis, who “sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers.”
He recently sat down with the Star Tribune to discuss ‘The Water Man’ and what it was like to direct.
“I’ve sort of had my own film school through working with several great directors,” said Oyelowo, citing directors Ava DuVernay (‘A Wrinkle In Time’) and Will Gluck (‘Friends with Benefits’) as inspiration. “(Directing) came as a byproduct of my acting career. I wanted to direct because I’ve been around some of the best people in the world.”
Speaking about ‘The Water Man,’ he compared it to coming-of-age fantasies like ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Gremlins,’ saying “Those films have some heavier themes where kids are still involved.” He added, “Those films have some heavier themes where kids are still involved.”
Oyelowo described the plot as being about “the power of sacrificial love.”
He continued, “You have this kid who is prepared to risk everything to save his mother. You have this father who is prepared to save his son. You see a family who is imperfect, but they have a love that I think is pretty much perfect. They define sacrificial love. She’s ill but she doesn’t think about herself. She’s thinking about the relationship between her son and husband.”
‘The Water Man’ is being produced through Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and stars Oyelowo, Chavis, Rosario Dawson, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello.
Check out the trailer below:

Masters of the Universe Snake Mountain Has Become A Funko Pop!

Mike Phalin
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Masters of the Universe Snake Mountain Has Become A Funko Pop!

Funko Pops are hit or miss for me. If it’s a character from something super obscure, I’ll pick it up. Or if it’s a tribute to one a late entertainment icon, it’ll get a spot on my shelf. Gilda Radner’s Roseanne Roseannadanna is one such case.
Though not necessarily obscure, Snake Mountain is one such Funko Pop that piques my interest. The playset was top-of-the-line 1980’s excellence for many reasons. Along with Castle Grayskull, the Ghostbusters’ firehouse.

Funko
And… Barbie’s dream house (don’t judge) was a symbol of a great childhood.
Now the purple playset has gotten the Funko treatment with a surprising amount of detail.
This release also packages in a Skeletor Pop. He appears to be a standard version of the figure, but the ram’s skull on the Havoc Staff is silver. This release is due out in stores in August 2021. You can pre-order it now over at Entertainment Earth.
The original Snake Mountain playset was arguably better than Castle Greyskull. It had an amazing color scheme and a lot of features. There was a trap door at the top with a net underneath. When the playset was fully open, there was a bridge that would connect the two halves.
The mountain itself was sculpted with many terrible faces hidden along the rocky face. The large goblin face on the front had a moving mouth. The best feature, of course, was the microphone and reverberating speaker.

Yup! That thing was a blast! Even after I’d grown out of He-Man toys, I took the mic out of the playset and kept using it. A version came out for the ‘Classics’ line, but it was quite expensive and lacked the microphone. Why bother, eh?
What other classic toys from the ’80s and ’90s should get the Funko Pop treatment? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Entertainment Earth]

Nintendo Is Coming Out With A New Switch Game That Teaches You To Create Your Own Game

Sarah Leone
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Nintendo Is Coming Out With A New Switch Game That Teaches You To Create Your Own Game

Nintendo is switching things up with a twist in the gaming industry. Instead of making another game for the masses to soak up the fun with, Nintendo is giving you the power to create your own game.

The game, called Game Builder Garage, is a brand-new title for the Nintendo Switch that lets you design, play, and share your own games.

Using an intuitive, visual interface, Game Builder Garage makes it easy to connect control inputs with on-screen character actions. The same goes for adding environmental objects, letting you start creating a virtual world right away. The software gives you many options for a variety of genres to choose from.

The short video gives glimpses of shooters (both side-scrolling and overhead), fighters, driving games, puzzle games, and even what looks like a first-person dungeon-crawler. What’s especially impressive is that the system looks like it’ll let you create games in either 2-D or 3-D style (though the 2-D clips might just be thin, flat polygons with a fixed camera perspective).

A free painting mode lets you create custom texture artwork, and other feature categories include background music, effects, and timers.

Even for the most inexperienced programmers, Nintendo will be including a series of interactive lessons, so that you can “Learn to make games from the minds at Nintendo.” Completing these lessons themselves will actually end up with you building seven different sample games, such as a side-view game of tag and a 3-D racer.

Most importantly of all, you’ll be given the ability to share the fun with friends. Nintendo says you’ll be able to “Exchange codes with friends to download their games,” implying that you won’t necessarily have to go through the company’s server every time you want to play it, and Game Builder Garage will even allow you to swap work-in-progress data, so that you and a team of friends can collaborate on designing a game even without being in the same place/using the same Switch.

Nintendo keeps on innovating ways to cater to their audience and this will be yet another twist that is sure to be a big hit once it is released. Game Builder Garage is set to be released on June 11 of this year.

Watch the announcement trailer here:

You can pre-order the gaming software here.

Source from SoraNews24

Photos from Nintendo

Mark Wahlberg Sci-Fi Film ‘Infinite’ Theatrical Debut Cancelled, Moved To Paramount Plus

Jacob Airey
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Mark Wahlberg Sci-Fi Film ‘Infinite’ Theatrical Debut Cancelled, Moved To Paramount Plus

Mark Wahlberg’s latest science fiction film ‘Infinite’ was part of the slate of Paramount movies hit by delays in theatrical premiers due to the coronavirus. It is now being reported by Deadline that ViacomCBS will cancel its September debut in theaters and move the sci-fi thriller to its streaming service Paramount Plus.
The decision was made official after ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish gave the announcement during the company’s first-quarter earnings call. The movie will now stream on Paramount Plus in June. The move is reminiscent of the company’s decision to place ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ on the streaming service last year. The premier will be part of Paramount Plus’ “Mountain of Movies” slate alongside a ‘Paranormal Activity’ sequel and ‘The In Between.’
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, ‘Infinite’ is based on the D. Eric Maikranz 2009 novel ‘The Reincarnationist Papers’ and a screenplay by Ian Shorr.
The story follows Evan McCauley (Wahlberg) who is haunted by memories that are not his and skills he did not learn on his own. Approaching a total mental breakdown, he is informed by a secret group that he is one of the Infinites, humans who have died and been reincarnated multiple times. Evan works with the Infinites to stop Ted, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, a former member of the group who seeks to destroy the world.
‘Infinite’ also stars Sophie Cookson, Dylan O’Brien, Rupert Friend, Jason Mantzoukas, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Tom Hughes, Wallis Day, Toby Jones, and Liz Carr. The movie is produced by Walhberg, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Mark Huffam, John Zaozirny, and Stephen Levinson.
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ actor Chris Evans was originally slated to star in ‘Infinite’ before departing the project. Wahlberg was soon tapped as a replacement considering his long history of appearing in Paramount features including the ‘Transformers’ franchise.
 
 

Clubhouse Announces ‘Pilot Season’ Launch Of Original Audio Series

Jacob Airey
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Clubhouse Announces ‘Pilot Season’ Launch Of Original Audio Series

The audio-based social media platform Clubhouse is launched a new initiative called the ‘Creators First Program,’ in March. This allowed their users to pitch ideas for original content and original audio series.
Clubhouse said on the company blog that they were “excited to introduce the shows that will participate in Pilot Season. Pilot Season is a throwback idea from the entertainment industry with a modern Clubhouse spin. A process where we go from thousands of submissions to dozens of pilots, or proof of concept episodes, to a handful of ongoing series.”
According to Deadline, this will give “creators $5,000 a month for three months and a panel of judges will listen to each pilot with some chosen to go forward as Clubhouse-backed shows on an ongoing basis.” Clubhouse members will able to listen to all of the pilots.
“Narrowing down the list was the hardest part,” Clubhouse said. “Over the coming weeks, these selected finalists will be sharing their pilot episodes with everyone on Clubhouse.”
They added, “Whatever your interests – from sports and space, to psychics and psychedelics, to history and healthcare – there’s something for everyone.”
With social media and streaming services bringing original content to users, it is no surprise that Clubhouse would want to expand into this arena. This is especially true considering Hollywood celebrities such as Jared Leto, Chris Rock, and Kevin Hart all have a presence on the platform. Original content could attract more big names to Clubhouse.
The Creators First Finalists include:

  • “The Lobby” hosted by Adrian Grant: A pop-up internet scavenger hunt game hosted by AI “The Lobby” and its human cohost @AdrianGrant. Players compete to win prizes from sponsors by submitting the correct answer using their Clubhouse avatar.
  • “The Global Lowdown” by Alissa Miky and Michael Rosenzweig: Two hosts take on global news, direct-to-consumer, AI, sustainability, politics, and more in both English and Japanese to provide an opportunity for listeners learning Japanese and English to practice their skills.
  • “The Salty Vagabonds Club” by Amanda Dishman, Lauren Ettinger, and Alex Parrish: A series of rooms exploring the concept, realities, and intricacies of Alternative Living such as water/sea, outlanding, bike packing, and road living — #VanLife, bus and RV.
  • “Shift Happens” by Anthony Trucks: A bi-weekly interview show centered on how people have handled major shifts and hardships in their life — such as layoffs, divorce, moving away from home, financial loss, or even death of a loved one — and pivoted to achieve their greatest success and goals.
  • “Beats, Rhymes & Strings” by Butterscotch: Music lovers and professionals assemble in this LGBTIA-inclusive, weekly performance series that ends in a unique combination of Q&A and group performance.
  • “Loss and Gain” Arden Cartrette: Normalizing speaking about miscarriage, this bi-weekly room invites those who have experienced a miscarriage to listen or share their stories.Experts will join in to bond the room through loss, grief, reproductive health struggles, and educational information.
  • “Plant R&R” by Brandon Batstone: A network of psychedelic experts and enthusiasts assemble to create a safe space for sober individuals to explore and integrate alternative recovery methods through plant medicine.
  • “The Frontier Psychiatrists Daily” by Carlene MacMillan, MD: The go-to daily destination for what’s next in mental health, exploring oft-underrepresented topics such as the intersection of creativity, mental illness, and psychedelics.
  • “Be Well, Sis” by Cassandre Dunbar: A weekly interactive show where women with diverse expertise and experiences come together to have an incredibly open and honest conversation that aims to make wellness more inclusive and give the audience real-time actionable insights to improve their wellbeing. Discussions range from the Black Maternal Health Crisis to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Incorporating Mindfulness in Daily Living and everything in between.
  • “Comedy Court” by CoreyBe Sherrill, Tina Graham, and Shaina Farrow: Have you been hurt by the justice system? Slighted by law? Or even just lost an argument with yourself in a mirror? There’s only one show where you can be unfairly judged by a panel of comedians. Speakers present their wrongly dismissed cases, grievances, and disputes to a jury of comedians and improvisers for a second opinion.
  • “Sex Sells” by Cyndi Pham: Dissecting the many ways that the concept of “sexy” is marketed, consumed, and monetized is explored and dissected.
  • “Inside K-Pop” by Danny Chung: Three K-Pop experts take on the ins and outs of the industry, what it takes to make it, and K-pop’s impact on culture at large.
  • “Beauty Headlines” by Darian Symoné Harvin: A club for industry professionals, beauty junkies, and all those curious. We go beyond skin deep into the power of the beauty industry, why it holds so much influence, and how it shapes the way we see ourselves.
  • “On the Bench” by Darius Butler: Current, former, and future pros are asked to discuss their personal experiences and current events in sports.
  • “Veterans Network” by David “DP” Pineda: To create a community for Veterans through compassion, we’ll focus on entrepreneurship, mental and physical health, and the unique and vital space Veterans occupy.
  • “Offsiders” by Eliana Nieto, Pablo Giralt, Alex Candal, Claudio “Turco” Husain, Samuel Vargas and Andrea Vergara: For the most passionate soccer lovers, this Spanish-speaking show hosts the most up-to-date conversations and debates about the sport globally.
  • “The Food Porn Trading Desk” by Elie Ayrouth: A rotating panel of the Internet’s top food creators meet to share their creations and allow space for green foodies to get feedback and inspiration from the pros.
  • “Sacred Realms” by Eric James Montgomery and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri: An anthropological look into religion, myth, magic, and science. A new way to share, distribute and grow knowledge about all things sacred, the social sciences, and humanities.
  • “Facial Recognition Comedy” by Fizaa Dosani: An interactive stand-up comedy show highlighting a lineup of comedians from underrepresented demographics. Comedians bring the audience members on stage, creating an immersive and uniquely hilarious experience.
  • “Mom!” by Gabby Cole: Mothers create a safe space to normalize the concept of self-care in motherhood through discussion, storytelling, and Q&As.
  • “Deep Flow” by Hamza, Isiah C., and Alex C.: Hip-hop enthusiasts share and defend their opinions on some of the most critical questions in the genre, such as the best decade for hip hop and what criteria make for true GOATs.
  • “NNPR: Not National Public Radio” by Henry Kaiser: A powerful public radio parody, featuring a dynamic roster of characters, hosts, and guests providing comedic programming on arts & culture in an organically fun and interactive way.
  • “Serial Killer Speed Dating” by Jacob Patterson and Abel Horowitz: Eligible daters try to find a potential match, all while trying to figure out and avoid the one who is a serial killer. “Shoot your shot” has never been so real.
  • “Behind the Beauty” by Jaleesa Jaikaran: This show takes you on a journey with the industry’s most inspiring voices. From creators, founders, and the artists you love — join us weekly for a candid conversation on life, business, and beauty.
  • “Nightmare Fuel” by Jed Shepherd and Barbara Crampton: The leading voices in horror let the fans in on interviews, reviews, previews, and Q&As for all things horror-related.
  • “Hash It Out” by JESSICADRUE: Bring your fights and feuds to the stage so we can work it out together! Debates ranging from the most intimate and interpersonal to office offenses are brought to light with periodic breaks for current events.
  • “Look What You Did” by Jordan Rubin: In the vein of DVD commentary tracks, filmmakers and entertainers watch and discuss one of their own films with movie-fan hosts.
  • “Heart to Heart” by Julian Broadus: Julian Broadus seeks conversation with other intellectuals.
  • “Pretty Bad, Pretty Cool” by Kacie Willis: Giving A-list air time to B-list movies, television shows, and music to discover the value in every creation, even the very good/bad.
  • “Bippity Boppity…Who?” by Karen Summerton: Disney lovers test their knowledge of the magical world to compete for the chance to say they know the House of Mouse best.
  • “The Pop Spot” by Katrina Mitzeliotis Lanza: An entertainment news operation covering all the gossip and headlines in the world of celebrity and the film and TV industries. A rotating panel of celebrities, comedians, and guests co-host give insight into all things pop culture.
  • “Career Crush” by Kelsey Alpaio: Professionals with “dream jobs” — Twitch streamers, software engineers, photographers, and more — for the millennial- and Gen-Z-minded share what it takes to get a job like theirs with an editor at Harvard Business Review.
  • “Jury Duty” by Lavender: The day’s hottest topics are put on the docket to be debated by a panel of 12 jurors with input from the audience. Everyone gets the chance to speak and make predictions when discussing and recapping high-profile cases.
  • “The Psychic Pool Party” by LeoRising Scott, Heather Carlucci, Garciela Asher: A social room for guests in the fields of personal power and psychic aptitude. We seek the intersection between clairvoyant viewpoints, pop culture, politics, and metaphysical ethics.
  • “Positively Sexy” by Lila Donnolo: This show explores the notion of intimacy in a series of deep, dynamic, and pleasurable discussions that unravel complex, sex-positive topics with care and respect.
  • “Support Services” by Lynn Mendelsohn: An out-reach network from and for mothers on children with special needs, providing resources and discussing the ins and outs of motherhood.
  • “The History Of Hair” by Nibi Lawson: Through a variety of styles for each session — interviews, dialogue, poetry, and prose — this series creates a space to explore the history and culture of hair in all its wonderful, texturally diverse glory.
  • “The Sound of Clubhouse” by Paul Kim: An original a cappella comedy musical specifically written for Clubhouse.
  • “Thought Experiment” by Rahaf Harfoush and Kat Cole: A weekly exploration of thought provoking ideas to help us better lead at work and at home. Leading thinkers. Intimate discussion. Actionable Insights.
  • “Command Your Brand” by Rich Cardona: Experts and content creators audit an audience member’s existing personal brand or help them build one of their own.
  • “A Thousand Words” by Rick Smolan: A conversation with the world’s leading photojournalists, examining their portfolio and technique.
  • “Clubhouse Squares” by Robert Keniston, Miz Diagnosis (AKA Dobbs DeCorsey), and Jack Lamont: Two contestants play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe by “agreeing” or “disagreeing” with the answers provided by a panel of celebrities/influencers to simple trivia questions.
  • “UFO-logy” by Roderick Martin: Uncover the possibility of new truths and lies you never knew you were told, in a recurring UFO and extraterrestrial focused show hosted by one of the world’s only Black certified UFO investigators. This show asks for believers to not look up to the stars, but what’s happening here on earth with those who have been impacted.
  • “Letters To My Younger Self” by Ruby Holland: A collaborative live healing session. Audience members come on stage to share a letter of love, advice, or reflection for their former selves.
  • “Culture Collector” by Samia Grand-Pierre: Weekly thought-provoking conversations centered around sneaker culture, fashion, music, art collecting, and media headlines.
  • “Are You Trippin’?” by Shawn Kathleen: A weekly room highlighting the circumstances that can only happen on public transportation to build a community around respectful and enjoyable travel.
  • “Poetry in Motion” by Tar’kesa Colvin: A three-part poetry showcase for up-and-coming spoken word poets to publish a set of books.
  • “When Things Go South” by Taryn Southern: Each week, cancer survivor Taryn Southern sits down with entrepreneurs, storytellers, authors, scientists, and other thought leaders to explore the mental, physical and spiritual strategies they use to optimize potential and transcend life’s most challenging moments.
  • “Dingers” by Tyler Childs, Robert Rose, and Jonathan Mason: A fantasy baseball show focused on sound decision-making and strategies, going beyond data and analytics.
  • “Radio Play” by Tyron Hoisten: An updated version of the radio drama. This immersive original scripted series is performed live on a rotating basis and then discussed by the audience.
  • “Red, White, and Bougie” by Victoria Blackwell and Elizabeth Joseph: An hour-long global topic chat show with a unique transatlantic prescriptive.
  • “A Little Soapy” by Willonius Hatcher: A semi-improvised daily comedic soap opera.
  • “Hairology” by Yomi Onashile: A centralized, safe space for the hair community to congregate, commune, and discuss the intersectionalities of the black hair experience.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa Discusses Expansion Into Film

Jacob Airey
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Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa Discusses Expansion Into Film

With the success of the SEGA video game film adaption of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ and Midway Games’ action flick ‘Mortal Kombat,’ it should come as no surprise that other game developers would want to get in on the action. This includes Nintendo, known for their worldwide success with the Super Mario Bros. franchise.
Everyone’s favorite Italian Plummer and his allies have been adapted for the screen in both live-action and animated format, but now it seems they are moving forward with more projects.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa sat down with Fast Company to discuss the video game production company’s expansion into film and how it will affect their brand in the coming years.
“Our objective has always remained the same,” he explains. “To connect and entertain more consumers with Nintendo IP, in the hopes that they may become interested in the world of our dedicated video game experiences. By doing this, our goal is to create a connection that transcends a particular game, platform, or console generation.”
Furukawa discussed how Nintendo Senior Managing Director and Creative Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario and Donkey Kong, is working with Illumination animated film company chief Chris Meledandri to make an animated Mario movie.
“It’s not that we’ve asked Illumination to handle everything,” explained Furukawa. “Mr. Miyamoto is very, very hands-on with the production of this movie.”
When asked if they would continue Nintendo’s expansion into animated films, he replied, “Animation, in general, is something that we are looking into, and not just this franchise.”
Furukawa also assured fans that the emphasis on “side projects” such as animated films will not divert away from video game development.
He explained that distraction is “something we really made sure to avoid was that when being engaged in this IP expansion outside of game development, that we don’t cut into the game development resources on our side.”
Furukawa added, “And to realize that, we made sure that although people who deeply understand the characters and deeply understand the game are involved, that we keep the number of people involved to a minimum.”
Announced in February 2018, the ‘Super Mario’ film has yet to get a release date, cast list, or an announcement trailer.

Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten Series Surpasses Viewership Expectations on Opening Weekend

Sarah Leone
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Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten Series Surpasses Viewership Expectations on Opening Weekend

In a surprising turn of events to everyone, especially to those who work at Genius Brand, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten was a smash hit with record viewerships for the Kartoon Channel, with over 9 million views to date, on the weekend it aired on April 23rd.

“Superhero Kindergarten analytics from Kartoon Channel! from the first weekend, exceeded all expectations, with traffic up across every metric we track,” said Kartoon Channel! General Manager, Jon Ollwerther.

“Network hours watched went up 941% week-over-week to 349,735 hours. Unique users went up 1,841% week-over-week to 1,858,434 uniques. New application installs went up 465.9%, as we saw growth across all viewing outlets including televisions, tablets, mobile phones, computers, and game consoles, as well as growth across all the viewing platforms of Kartoon Channel!, including Apple, Android, Roku, Amazon, You Tube, Samsung, LG, and others, with full episode viewing exceeding industry norms as well. We can already see the 2nd weekend dramatically building on the 1st.”

Celebrating the Superhero Kindergarten milestone, Schwarzenegger stated: “Over 9 million views is an incredible start in this wonderful adventure, and I know that Stan would be extremely proud. I’m personally quite pleased, because it is positive content, for both kids and their parents. As Kelly Clarkson said this week on her show after airing a clip, ‘I love when a program comes out that my kids want to watch, and I want to watch as well.” (Click to view Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!)

We (Stan Lee and Arnold) would get together every so often and talk about ideas and projects. And he asked me, “What is your ultimate dream project?” And I said beside doing more “Conan” and “Terminator” movies, the movie that I always wanted to do a sequel of was “Kindergarten Cop.” And he said that he loved that movie. I told him I would love to do more shows for the kids.

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

In an interview with Business Insider from 2019, Arnold said, “One day he called me back and he said, “I have an idea that’s exactly what you’re talking about, but how about putting my spin on it?” And I said, “What’s that?” And he went, “Arnold, c’mon, you know, superheroes!” And he told me how I would play someone that no one knows was a superhero and I’m a teacher, just like in “Kindergarten Cop,” but my kindergarteners have superpowers and they are going to grow up and be the protectors of the planet. My character has to teach them all the important lessons. I told him it was fantastic, and he said, “Well, you’re talking to Stan Lee.”

Stan Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger. POW! Entertainment

“The world is migrating to streaming, and being free and family friendly, are distinguishing factors to drive Kartoon Channel! success,” said Genius Brands CEO, Andy Heyward. “Warren Buffett calls this type of differentiation a ‘moat,’ where an economic castle enjoys a material competitive advantage. There is no monthly subscription fee on Kartoon Channel!, as is required by many streaming services, because we are ad-supported. No less important is that we are producing very cool original content of the highest quality, which today’s kids and families want to see.”

“The importance of the Superhero Kindergarten performance is that successful viewership drives advertising revenue to the Kartoon Channel!, making the channel the valuable asset for Genius Brands we have been aiming towards from its launch. Second, retailers, toy companies, and consumer product licensees track series performance closely, as they determine what brands they go after and devote shelf space to. Though we can’t compare apples to oranges, the most successful animated series on television for many years has been the Simpsons. It is broadcast on linear television, and averages about 3.1 million views per episode. While, Superhero Kindergarten is streaming, not linear television, we couldn’t help but notice that by the end of the second weekend, the series has amassed more than 9 million views with only 3 episodes released so far.”

Genius Brands will continue rolling out new episodes each week with episode four debuting this Friday! The series is available by downloading the free Kartoon Channel! streaming app on Apple and Android devices; on Amazon Prime, on connected TVs and devices by Samsung, LG, Roku, Tubi, Amazon Fire Stick; on YouTube; and more; or by visiting www.kartoonchannel.com.

This is not the first time Arnold and Stan Lee have collaborated on a project for kids animation. In 2011, it was announced a planned superhero franchise for children co-created by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee. And of course, starring Schwarzenegger as himself… as a superhero. The series was called The Governator. The story would have been that after leaving the governor’s office, Arnold decides to become a crime fighter and builds a secret high-tech crime-fighting control center under his house. Unfortunately, it never aired because, later that year, news of the actor’s infidelity came to life and took over the news.

You can watch the trailer here (begins at 20 seconds in):

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