Danai Gurira as Michonne, Cailey Fleming as Judith Grimes – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 8 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AM8
The back half of the tenth season of AMC’s The Walking Dead has returned last weekend and one episode everyone is looking forward to is the final episode Danai Gurira portrays Michonne. That episode will premiere within the next month.
A representative of AMC confirmed to me that 10×12 and 10×13’s airdates have been switched so Michonne’s final episode that was shot as the twelth episode, will air as the thirteenth episode and vice-versa for the other episode. The synopsis of that episode titled “What We Become” is the following: “Michonne takes Virgil back to his island to find his family; in exchange, Virgil offers weapons.” Little information is known about the episode besides what has been shown in small teasers and trailers. This will also most likely be the episode where Michonne wields Negan’s Lucille too.
The other episode that was shot as 10×13 which will now premiere as 10×12 is titled “Walk With Us” and the synopsis is “With Negan’s help, Alpha and the Whisperers attack Hilltop.” Since The Whisperer War adaptation of the TV series is starting soon, this must be when The Whisperers burned Hilltop to the ground with the flaming arrows as it happened in the comic book series.
The last time this happened for episodes that swapped airdates was back in season 7 as “The Cell” and “The Well” were swapped.
Also, both episodes will premiere on AMC Premiere two days before the live airing on that sunday.
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The Walking Dead has returned for the second half of the tenth season this week and it picks up right from where it last left off as members of Alexandria are stuck in the cave that Alpha lured them to. Who makes it out alive and who does not? Here is my recap of “Squeeze.”
The episode opens as Daryl, Carol, Aaron, Jerry, Connie, Magna, and Kelly are stuck in the cave full of thousands of walkers, They all look around for an exit and Carol notices Alpha at the very top from where they fell into the cave. Carol screams at Alpha and after this, Alpha exited the cave and told a few Whisperers to make sure that they do not go out as she tosses her torch to the ground. Daryl comes up with a plan to jump on to large boulders to get to the other side. They all do exactly that one by one. Connie and Kelly were concerd due to Kelly’s injured ankle. When Kelly jumped, she was almost devoured by the dead. When they all reached the other side, walkers tried to reach their arms out to the group and the group fought them off including when Jerry cut the arm off one of the walkers. Daryl then used that walker arm as a torch and Kelly, Aaron, and Jerry were talking about what they would do for food and that it is clearly Alpha’s horde.
Magna blames Carol for getting them all in that situation and even asked her why did she run towards Alpha in the first place and Aaron and Daryl told her that they did not have time to fight. Outside of the cave, Negan is seen eating with a few Whisperers while Alpha has a conversation with Beta and Gamma. Alpha says that they found the horde and also told Gamma to go to the border to look out for other members of the communities. All of this is going on and Negan is still eating. Back at the cave and Carol is having water being poured into her drinking canister. Connie and Kelly talk about whether if it is dark or light outside, but Connie does not want to worry about it too much. Daryl and Carol also have a conversation and Daryl does not want to be shut out by her anymore as he will always be there for her. Carol also does not only want to kill Alpha, she wants to hurt her for everything that she put her and every community through. Daryl sympathizes with her as he feels the same way and Carol told him that she did not mean for all of this to happen. Also to note, Carol told Daryl that she is claustrophobic. Daryl wants to know if she can promise him that they are on the same team and that they are fighting for their future and not for revenge.
Magna then goes to another area of the cave and lights a match. She observed the area until a Whisperer run towards her. Magna killed that Whisperer, and more were approaching after that. Daryl and everyone else took care of them and killed them. Daryl asked where did they come from and Jerry noticed a sign going left (Also, Jerry said that he knows road signs when he sees them). They followed the sign. While Alpha was using a makeshift bathroom, Negan tells her that there is a spy among The Whisperers. Negan compares himself to Alpha and says that they are exactly the same. Alpha disagrees and told him that they are different. Negan calls Beta Frakenstein and says that Gamma is the spy. Alpha places her knife on his crotch and told him that if he is lying, that she will cut “them” off. She then pushes him down.
Daryl found an opening and told everyone to follow his voice. Connie then checks on Carol due to her phobia and everyone squeezes through. Carol was afraid to go through the tight space and he told her that she would be okay. She made it through. Jerry told everyone else that did not go through to remain silent because he hears noise. Jerry sees that walkers are crawling through the tight space behind him and as everyone else in front of him gets through safely, Jerry becomes stuck for a moment while he is kicking away the walkers. Jerry finally gets through and Daryl and Aaron killed those two crawling walkers. They all check Jerry’s boot and he was safe as the walkers bit his boot and it was thick enough to not contact his foot inside the boot. They all also realize that they are close to getting out and that they are above Alpha’s horde. Daryl tossed the torch into the wide space of the horde. Now everyone is walking through the mine section of the cave and then we go back to Alpha as she asks Beta if he seen Gamma. Beta told Alpha that she never made it to the border. Beta says that he will kill Gamma if she betrayed them and Alpha told him that she will deal with Gamma when she sees her.
Kelly found a stack of dynamite in the mines and and Jerry told Kelly to put it back since he suspects that it could be a trap (also, Carol looked right at the dynamite the second Kelly found it). Magna mentioned that she wanted to fix things with Yumiko as they were clearing the logs. Negan is with a Whisperer and Alpha called for Negan to walk with her. Negan is not used to long silences as he thought it was disturbing since all she is telling him to do is to look forward and keep walking. Alpha then told him to stop and undress until he is naked. Negan tried to talk his way out of it and told her that she was right and that they are very different. Negan is then told to turn around and Alpha is completely naked (her mask is still on). Alpha wants to thank Negan for not lying to her and she does this by wanting to have with with him. Negan asked if this was a “preying mantis” situation and she did not say that she would kill him afterwards. The two kiss as they are about to engage in sex.
At the cave, they breakthrough a hole and Kelly notices that they are at the exit of the cave. Carol is missing again as she went with the dynamite. At the same time, everyone begins to escape, and Daryl saves Carol as she wanted to blow up the boulder to take out half of the horde. The cave then begins to come down due to the explosion and Jerry tries his best to keep the pillar up. Connie wanted to see if Daryl and Carol is okay. As Kelly and Aaron was outside, they fight off a few Whisperers and kill them. Magna and Connie does the same thing while they were in the cave about to exit. Everyone exited the cave except for Magna and Connie as another explosion happened which caused for the exit to crash down while Connie and Magna were still there. Carol blames herself for this happening and she wanted to be taken to The Whisperers and she also wanted Daryl to tell her that she is the blame. Daryl tried to dig through, but Aaron and Kelly told him that it would take too long to try this as Whisperers could be coming from miles away. Daryl says that they know where the horde is as they all leave. The episode ends as Connie and Magna’s fates are unknown since they did not escape.
This episode is a great way for The Walking Dead to return from the fall break as it did not waste any time to continue right where we left off. Seeing everyone trying to squeeze through the tight spaces of the cave really brought in that tension and fear of them all getting stuck. I am still questioning why Carol is being written that way with making poor decisions that affected the group during this whole season so far. I do not want to go on the “Carol blame train”, but there is no way to go just ignore that this has been happening all season and to find excuses to justify it.
The few moments that I thought that Jerry was doomed was great storytelling and it proved that anyone of any size could be stuck in the cave and could have a hard time getting out. I also hope that Magna and Connie are not done for good. Also, I would like to see more of Negan and Alpha interracting as they have a chemistry as much as Negan and Beta did. However, them getting naked together was bizzare, but it made sense for who Alpha is. Now that almost everyone is out of the cave, what is next for everyone?
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All Elite Wrestling has finally made it’s way to the 2020 edition of the New York Toy Fair this past weekend and debuted their toy line to the press and the mainstream audience. Their toyline is produced by Jazwares has a series 1 and series 2 and they will both be released in August of this year.
Of the series 1, it will consist of the AEW Superstars Cody, Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and The Young Bucks. There will also be a “Chase Edition” of series 1 that will feature Chris Jericho in his “Inner Circle” outfit with the AEW World Heavyweight Championship, and one with Cody Rhodes with is outfit from the All Out event.
Series 2 will consist of Jon Moxley, Dustin Rhodes, “Hangman” Adam Page, MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman), Rey Fenix, and Pentagon JR. The “Chase Edition” has two names that will not be revealed yet until the spring. There will also be two versions of the ring itself as one is an action ring, and the other, will be a full scale ring that will come with 35 pieces. Also, the full scale ring will be packaged with a Kenny Omega figure with his black and green outfit.
There will also be a toy version of the AEW World Heavyweight Championship as well and I spoken to a representative of Jazwares to inquire if there will be plans to have more toy versions of the other championships and I was told that there will be and that will be previewed later this year around New York Comic Con time.
Here is the video of what was displayed at the AEW location at the Jazwares booth along with Kenny Omega and Adam Page’s reaction to seeing their figures for the first time.
And here are my interviews with AEW Superstars Ortiz and Santana, MJF, Darby Allin, and “Hangman” Adam Page as we all talked about the figures and about the upcoming AEW Revolution PPV.
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February 19, 2020 — Jazwares, a global leader in play, and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the new professional wrestling league that is taking America by storm, are tag-teaming on AEW’s first line of action figures and role play collectibles. Featuring AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley and more, the new AEW UNRIVALED line will be on display at Jazwares’ booth at Toy Fair New York on Feb. 22-26, and will hit retail later this year.
AEW UNRIVALED collectible action figures will boast 25 points of articulation, real 3d scanned likenesses and a variety of accessories and authentic ring wear. With multiple Waves per season, fans can collect the stars of TNT’s new, popular weekly show AEW DYNAMITE, including MJF, Darby Allin, Dr. Britt Baker, Brandi Rhodes, Hangman Page, Jurassic Express and many more.
Each Wave will include limited edition and rare variants to add chase and elation to every release. Other authentic items for Fall 2020 will include the AEW UNRIVALED: Action Ring to play-and-display UNRIVALED figures and the AEW World Championship Title Belt, with even more formats and innovations in development for future seasons.
“AEW has very quickly become one of the most provocative, engaging and relevant wrestling brands of all time. It is a league embraced by generations of fans and collectors in a genre with a huge appetite for authentic product,” said Jeremy Padawer, EVP / Partner Jazwares. “We plan to build out the kind of program that can appeal both to the display collector and also to younger fans who want a tangible way to play and interact with their heroes,” said Michael Rinzler, EVP / Partner Jazwares.
AEW is a new professional wrestling promotion headlined by members of The Elite (Cody & Brandi Rhodes, Matt & Nick Jackson, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page) and Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a growing roster of world-class male and female wrestlers who are poised to bring new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry. The inaugural event under the AEW banner was DOUBLE OR NOTHING in Las Vegas in May 2019. AEW is broadcasting two-hour weekly shows on TNT on Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. The action- packed matches take place in different cities across the nation each Wednesday. For more info, check out @AEWrestling (Twitter), @AllEliteWrestling (Instagram), / AllEliteWrestling (FB), AllEliteWrestling (YouTube).
Today is Valentine’s Day and everyone around the world are celebrating love all day long. When love is in the air, it is a great feeling to see couples embracing that they are together and even yourself if you have a significant other. In the world of The Walking Dead, nobody knows when Valentine’s Day arrives since many people in the post-apocalyptic world does not keep track on what month it is depending on where they are located. In The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon and Connie are not officially in a relationship. But due to their chemistry together, fans have wanted them to be together (including Angela Kang) so much, that they were unofficially called “Donnie.” But what would a normal date between these two would look like in the world of The Walking Dead?
Crossbow Training
Daryl wields a crossbow and it has been his signature weapon since the start of the show. In fact, he has had three different crossbows during the series. We have yet to see Connie use Daryl’s crossbows during their time together, so these two can go in a quiet area, tie down a walker to a tree, and use that walker as a target for all of the crossbow bolts to pierce. Maybe Connie could turn this into a game to see who gets the most points. Side note, why have I not seen the PSE Fang model that Daryl temporary had from seasons 7-8? It is my favorite crossbow model!
Carnival
If Rick and Michonne could have a date at the carnival while trying to save a CGI deer, then so can Daryl and Connie as they can both go to that abandoned carnival that Rick and Michonne were once in. Connie could also most likely get Eugene to turn on the power so that way, they could enjoy the rides and games that are over there!
Fishing at The Oceanside
Daryl and Connie could not only enjoy the beach area at The Oceanside, they could also enjoy fishing over there too. Maybe Connie would also come up with a good idea to borrow one of their boats so that way, her and Daryl could be alone and away from every walker on land and away from the daily drama that stresses both of them out. Plus, not only would this date be good, but they would also bring home more fish for everyone.
Costume Party
I know that this would involve almost everyone at every community, but the thought of Daryl and Connie playing dress up for a party would be interesting. Who knows, maybe Connie might joke with Daryl and tell him to put on the Savior prisoner jumpsuit and Daryl could respond by telling her to put on a Whisperer mask or Negan’s jacket before they go to a costume party at Alexandria. Fun for a thought would you think?
A day in the park with Judith
Daryl, Connie, and Judith at the park would be a great day as this would be bonding time with all three of them. In fact, maybe add RJ to the mix too along with all of the children in each community. Daryl and Connie could watch them all play kids games that they used to do when they were their age and before the world went bad. Of course, Judith would not play tag with any walkers at all. Speaking of which, We need more scenes with Connie and Judith on the show!
These are some of the ideas I had in my head and I am sure that there are more that I can think of after this article is published. I also asked everyone on twitter who is their favorite The Walking Dead couple and the responses have been more Donnie in favor of the others. To be fair, Before Donnie existed, the fans were either Caryl (Carol and Daryl), or Beth and Daryl. I do like these responses however!
There are thousands of Yu-Gi-Oh cards that are currently in print. Of those thousands, there are a few hundred cards that have unique effects that happens at a particular situation. These 10 cards that I placed on this list are examples of that.
10. Exchange (Normal Spell Card)
Exchange is the oldest card on this list and it is one of the first that targeted both players at the same time. Being able to use one card in your opponent’s hand as your own at the time was a blessing and it could also disrupt your opponent’s strategies. However, the same could be also said to yourself as well.
9. Parasite Paracide (Flip-Effect Monster)
This card’s unique effect triggers the moment that you flip this card from the face-down position. When that happens, you have to place this card in your opponent’s deck and when he draws the card, your opponent will take 1000 points of damage and it will be placed on their side of the field. Then, all of their monsters will be insect type of monsters. There are much more ways now to bring this card to the top of your opponent’s deck much more quicker now and infecting your opponent’s side of the field with this one card would be a huge advantage for yourself if you have cards that prevents your opponent’s insect monsters to attack or use their effects.
8. Relay Soul (Trap Card)
Relay Soul is a gift and a curse. The gift is, you can special summon any monster from your hand as long as the conditions are met and you will take no damage as long as Relay Soul is on the field. The curse, is that if Relay Soul leaves the field, your opponent will win the duel. This card is very risky to play so you should only use it as a last resort. Interestingly enough, the anime version of this card needs to be activated when your life points reach 0.
7. Convulsion of Nature (Continuous Spell Card)
The effect of Convulsion of Nature may not seem like it is a big deal, but like older cards in the past, they eventually became better when more support cards were printed. The effect of this cards allows both players to turn their decks upside down and continue with the current duel. The biggest advantage here for both players is that they can see what cards are being drawn next.
6. Centerfrog (Effect Monster)
Imagine being able to control every monster your opponent controls? You can do that with Centerfrog. In order to do that, you must place two Centerfrog cards on your opponent’s unoccupied monster zones. When the two are there, you gain control of each monster that are in between those two Centerfrog cards. Monster zone locations never really mattered before the introduction of Link Summoning and when used correctly, Centerfrog could be a dangerous card.
5. Question (Normal Spell Card)
This is by far, the only card to temporary shut down a game mechanic by preventing your opponent of checking the graveyard when Question is activated. Your opponent must guess the first monster on the bottom of the graveyard and if their guess is correct, that monster is banished. If it is wrong, then the player that activated Question can special summon the monster. Your opponent will need to have good memory skills to remember which card is first in your graveyard especially when the graveyard starts piling up.
4. Transmission Gear (Trap Card)
The rock-paper-scissors game usually starts before the duel begins to decide who goes first. But for this situational card, it is to decide which of the two monsters that battled would be banished. If those two would be the only two monsters on the field, then one player would go for a direct attack after this card is played.
3. Pyro Clock of Destiny (Trap Card)
A very useful card that will change the turn count forward by one turn. That is very effective to other cards that have turn counts such as Swords of Revealing Light and Final Countdown. If you had three of these cards in your deck, you can potentially move up the turn count to three turns in one duel.
2. Yu-Jo Friendship (Spell Card)
Yu-Jo friendship is the first card that requires physical interraction between the two players. However, when this card is played in tournaments, there is a certain house rule where the physical handshake is just a word instead of actually doing it.
Pole Position (Continuous Trap Card)
This card is so unique and so broken, that it cannot be added on any of the video games. This is due to the fact that many of the same monsters could have the same attack point number due to other cards on the field that either increase or decrease attack points. Pole Position’s effect could go on forever without a single phase within a turn ending and when that happens, infinite loops could be created.
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Last fall, the mid-season finale of the tenth season of The Walking Dead ended with some of our fan favorite characters stuck in a cave as Alpha lured the group into a deadly trap. The mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead is in a matter of a few weeks away and I got a chance to watch the first two episodes of the second half. Here are my non-spoiler thoughts of The Walking Dead season 10, episode 9 titled “Squeeze” and the following episode “Stalker.”
10×09: “Squeeze”
The Daryl and Carol scenes on this episode were done really well and I am glad that the writers acknowledge that Carol is claustrophobic which was first mentioned a long time ago in the earlier seasons. Now that Carol is in a life and death situation, she had to overcome her fear of it during this episode. The scenes of everyone going through the tight spaces of the cave made me claustrophobic myself just by watching it. Daryl was the lead of the escape of the cave, but everyone played a good part of coming up with ideas on how to escape while they were trapped down there.
There were also times where two characters got into a near death experience in this episode and one of them happened at the middle of the episode. I was convinced that this person was going to be gone due to the very tight space. However, not everyone makes it out of the cave as the fate of some characters were left unknown after the escape. I wish I can say who it is, but I cannot so you will have to wait until the episode airs. Also to note, there is a head-shaking (and also tense) moment involving Carol in this episode that would make you question why would she do that in the first place. I have praised Melissa McBride in my past reviews with Carol’s mental state following how much Alpha put her through. But this time, I just hope that the payoff would be worth all the questionable decisions she has done so far this season. I know that previous characters were put in thye same situation as her and I called it out, but it is frustrating to see it happen with Carol episode after episode.
The Negan and Alpha scenes were very good and some of the dialouge were straight from the source materiel (Issues #155 and #156). There is one moment however that will be talked about through The Walking Dead community after this controversail scene will be shown to the world. In fact, I believe it will be the most memorable scene of the entire season as far as shock value it will be. I will also warn everyone to not watch this scene with your children too. I will give it a slight praise since it fits who Alpha is as a person and as the leader of The Whisperers.
Overall, “Squeeze” is a great episode and it does not waste any time to get back to where it left off. And Kudos to Beta for just being there towering over everyone.
10×10: “Stalker”
I have to get this out of the way right now, Beta in this episode is fantastic! Not only does he stalks from within like he is Michael Myers, but he also does brutal killings in this episode. Also, he is involved with two of the three fights on this episode. Also, I noted on my review of 9×13 that Beta has armor under his clothes during his fight with Daryl which is a detail that mostly everyone missed at the time, but it will be useful again in this episode too (Side note, my review of 9×13 is shorter due to me traveling that week). Gabriel will also get high praise from me on this episode too as his advice from Negan earlier this season is starting to really showcase for him especially his conversations with Gamma. Speaking of Gamma, you will all love it when Rosita does what Rick did to Aaron when he first meet him.
Daryl has a fight in this episode with Alpha and I not only loved that scene, I love how the VFX team used the blood on the cameras for Daryl’s eyesight during that fight. Alpha also has a great scene later in the episode as she is finally able to accept what she could not earlier this season. There are also spooky moments that happen at night on this episode too that I cannot give away, but the theme of paranormia returns on this episode too and Rosita will experience that on this episode. I wish I can say more of the episode, but it will be more spoilery than the last episode, but I liked this episode over “Squeeze” and it felt like the first half of the season was the buildup like a bomb fuse being light up and the beginning of the second half is the explosion.
Be sure to check out my full review of “Squeeze” on Feburary 23rd after the episode airs.
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Apple TV’s newest comedy series Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet debuted not too long ago and it follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game. Co-created by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz, Mythic Quest has a strong cast and of the cast, I got the chance to interview Jessie Ennis, Imani Hakim, and Danny Pudi as they given me the details on their roles in this exclusive interview as you can check out the key highlights below.
Jessie on the limits of her character “Jo.”
Jessie: There is a lot of times where they wanted me to explode, like we see in the pilot when I say “you’re a dick.” I remember being like “Is that funny” (laughs). And then it was really surprising at the screening to hear people laugh for that cause. I mean, I just I kept thinking this is too big, but it was such a blast to get to do. But no, Rob [McElenney] was really the one turning it up to eleven when it came to how much my character can say.”
Danny on playing as a villian.
Danny: “I’ve always wanted to be a villain. Like ever since I saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame, that bishop was like my inspiration on playing a villian. It was so it was awesome. It was a great time. I get a chance to explore something different. I always dreamed I’d get to work with Murray F. Abraham. I never thought I would be in that capacity. But yeah, in terms of the show, it’s been fun to just bounce around. The cast is incredible and to play a character that there’s just tension with him and the creators. It’s a lot. It’s great for comedy and fun for me.”
You each have these super strong characters, and they are what they are. If you want to pick a celebrity to play your character, who would you pick?
Jessie: I’m not letting anyone take this for me. I’ve got my teeth sunk into it (laughs) and it’s my favorite thing to do so I would not share it.
Imani: “I would chose the mother of my character for this question. I think I would say Jada Pinkett Smith. She would be a fun Mother to Dana. I’m attached to my character Dana too.”
Danny: I would say my real life uncle. I think he’d be really fun in my role as a celebrity. And Helena Bonham Carter would be a great second choice.”
What surprises or challenges come your way when all of you started your scenes for the show?
Danny: “For me, I hadn’t worked with Rob. I’d worked with Megan on Communities so I was really excited to work with her again. I think she’s incredibly talented, but I didn’t know Rob at the time yet. It feels like friends making a show together. And I think there’s a similarity there to how we created the show. Every scene was us coming together, building something together, collaborating, improvising, adding things. Rob would suggest something and add build a new thing in the scene. So there were multiple writers and actors in the show. And so that was a different perspective for me, a chance to work with people who are in the process of creating the show in the writers room. But also on set and in the scene. And that was really unique and I think it brought a different element to the show.”
Imani: “I saw surprises. I think that as an actor, you just hope that you get to go to work and get along with your cast mates and the people that you work with. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this dynamic just works so very, very well. I look forward to going to work even on the days where I’m off and they’ve created such as safe space and like Danny said, is a very collaborative effort where we get to pitch in and chime in and have fun and freedom to improvise and to have to create our own voices for our characters.”
Jessie: “I’ve been lucky enough to come and visit the writers room for season two, and I’ve learned so much from Megan Ganz about breaking story and the structure of an episode. So that’s really the thing I feel is the newest to me. And it’s really inspiring to watch how our writers collaborate.”
It’s really fun to watch the clash of art and tech and business in these wonderful personalities inhabited the whole gaming culture. So I was just wondering if you could each talk about like your role in that.
Imani: “I didn’t know much about the world, but it’s really cool to play someone who portrays the one that’s very passionate about the world where she just loves nothing more than gaming. She plays all day at work. It’s literally her job. And then she goes home and she plays Mythic Quest. So it’s really cool to portray her well like that and also work with Ashley. But she was very much in the world of gaming and Ubisoft being very hands on and on set with Jason and Danielle. So I’m learning a lot. Being able to pick their brains. And if we have any questions that pop up like they actually track our eyeballs, that is a fun fact that I learned on set.”
Jessie: “I didn’t know much, but I was really lucky to work with Jason and Danielle from Ubisoft. I was curious if there was a Joe in their offices and was shocked to hear that there were people like that and unapologetically trying to get as much power as possible. Women who love having an ego and enjoy following their dreams. And I was just really thrilled to get to bring that to light.”
Danny: “I love videogames. I would play Zelda and I want to live in that world. You know, I wish I could just sit there and live in Hyrule. But I didn’t know how much went into the creation of videogames. And for my character, I play the head of monetization. I didn’t know anything about that. I also didn’t know about the tension of micro-transactions and Lootcrates and how that brings up a visceral response. And so that was kind of new and interesting for me to learn. I actually met with the head of monetization. He was always great about letting me talk and ask questions about how that works. And especially for Brad is a fun character to play because I get to operate as the sort of silo where I’m walking around bouncing off people. But there is this tension between creative and business. But ultimately, we have to work together to build this product, you know. And now I know how important it is because my son will pick up my phone and be like, ‘can I get this new skin for $4.99 dad?’ most times now.”
How did you all react when you first seen the trailer at E3 2019 since this was the first time that a television show trailer was shown at E3?
Imani: “Well we’ve been sitting on this project for over a year now. So now we’re moving into the space where it’s being released into the world. So it’s super exciting for us because we’ve been out having to keep a secret for so long and not being able to talk about this wonderful project that we got to be a part of. So now now that we get to talk about it openly, it’s it’s it’s super thrilling.”
Danny: “it was awesome to see and we didn’t get to see a lot of it before E3 2019. And this is a new experience for me to be on a streaming service where everything comes out at once. And so all the trailers and everything, it’s been it’s been a little while. So it’s like new for us to see it. We didn’t get to see a lot of the VFX, all the stuff that Ubisoft’s doing too. So we loved that it premiered on the biggest gaming convention of the world last year and that it was viewed by the millions that were in attendance.”
Imani on the toxic side of the video game community and Dana’s obsticles
Imani: “I think we do a really great job at touching on how the obstacles that comes with being a woman and gaining territory only way. So for Dana, she’s it very much in love with gaming. And as she finally lands something that she sees herself excelling in the streaming world. And then for that to be taken away, and and people calling her out and saying that she’s big and she’s not a true gamer when that’s all she wants to do. And it’s really cool that we get to highlight that. And I think it will follow Dana because she’s in her early 20’s and she’s trying to figure out exactly where her footing is in the company. And she’s going to try new things and she’s going to fail and she’s going to try to fit this. So that’s was really fun. Like with Danning saying it’s a story about the characters that happens to be in this video gaming world.”
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @julianexcalibur for more content. Contact me at julian@alternativemindz.com
FOR LIFE – The creative team for ABC’s new drama “For Life,” including Creator and Executive Producer Hank Steinberg, Executive Producer and star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, series lead Nicholas Pinnock and co-star Joy Bryant, and EPs Isaac Wright, Jr., Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan sat down for a panel discussion at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The conversation was moderated by CNN and #cut50’s Van Jones. “For Life” debuts on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 at 10 PM ET/PT on ABC. (ABC/Arturo Holmes)
HANK STEINBERG, CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON, ISAAC WRIGHT JR., NICHOLAS PINNOCK, VAN JONES
The red carpet was held at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, followed by a screening, panel discussion and a cocktail reception featuring DJ Max October. Attendees included executive producers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, attorney Isaac Wright Jr. (“For Life” is inspired by Wright’s story), Hank Steinberg, Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan, along with many of the series’ talented ensemble: Nicholas Pinnock, Joy Bryant, Tyla Harris, Mary Stuart Masterson, Boris McGiver, Timothy Busfield, Glenn Fleshler and Dorian Missick.
The panel discussion, moderated byCNN Anchor and #cut50 Co-Founder Van Jones, sparked a powerful conversation with the cast and executive producers around criminal justice reform and how Isaac Wright Jr.’s insurmountable story inspired the series. When asked how this project came to fruition, 50 Cent said, “Isaac was pitching a movie idea and I was like yeah, but it’s not a movie. It’s a TV show because it would only allow me two hours to tell the story and the story is too now, too current to what’s going on, so I put the team together and made it happen.”
FOR LIFE – The creative team for ABC’s new drama “For Life,” including Creator and Executive Producer Hank Steinberg, Executive Producer and star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, series lead Nicholas Pinnock and co-star Joy Bryant, and EPs Isaac Wright, Jr., Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan sat down for a panel discussion at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The conversation was moderated by CNN and #cut50’s Van Jones. “For Life” debuts on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 at 10 PM ET/PT on ABC. (ABC/Arturo Holmes)
NICHOLAS PINNOCK, CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON, HANK STEINBERG, VAN JONES, ISAAC WRIGHT JR., LOUIS REED, ALISON GREENSPAN, DOUG ROBINSON, JOY BRANT
Wright Jr. shared, “Coming up a few decades later to where I’m at today, the thing that stands out for me the most is the thing that hurt me the most and that was when I came home I knew that I was leaving thousands of people behind that did not have the divine gift that I’ve had and so now with this show, I became millions of people at the same time. And so this show is a representation of the inspiration and the hope that I had, that I now can give to billions all at once. … I think more than anything else, it epitomizes not only where I came from, but where I am, and what I would like to devote for the rest of my life to the general public and that is health, hope and inspiration.”
Louis Reed (#cut50 National Organizer) also weighed in, “Isaac’s story is something that I’m all too familiar with and so, while I was absolutely guilty of what I was convicted of, however there are hundreds of thousands of people in the United States of America who have genius that is languishing in our state and federal prisons who were not guilty of the things by which they were convicted of. And I just want to say this. Yesterday, there was something poignant that happened during the State of the Union. The entire chamber stood up when Trump started talking about criminal justice reform. And in my mind, that is how America is supposed to be standing up for people like Isaac people, such as myself and people such as Kenneth Richardson. So again, big shout out the 50 Cent.”
Other notable attendees included: Mary Ann Wolf (VP of Current Programming, ABC), Lainie Gallers (VP of Network Drama, ABC), Jeff Frost (President, Sony Pictures Television), Jason Clodfelter (Co-President at Sony Pictures Television), Lauren Stein (EVP, Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television), Andrew Plotkin (SVP, Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television), CNN Anchor and #cut50 Co-Founder Van Jones, #cut50 National Organizer Louis Reed, COMPLEX editor-in-chief Damien Scott, Byron Pitts (ABC Nightline), Michael Blake (Assemblyman, Advocate for Criminal Justice Reform in NY), Kenneth Richardson (#FirstStepAct and #cut50 beneficiary) and Tom Murro (TV Personality).
About FOR LIFE
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson executive produces this fictional serialized legal and family drama. “For Life,” inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., is about prisoner Aaron Wallace (Nicholas Pinnock), who becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves – his estranged wife (Joy Bryant) and daughter (Tyla Harris) – and reclaim the life that was stolen from him. “For Life” will also, through the window of his ferocious struggle and his complicated relationship with a progressive female prison warden (Indira Varma), examine the flaws and challenges in our penal and legal systems.
The series is from Hank Steinberg, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson via G-Unit Film & Television, Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan of Doug Robinson Productions and Isaac Wright Jr. The pilot is directed and executive produced by George Tillman Jr. (“The Hate U Give”). “For Life” is a co-production of Sony Pictures Television Inc. and ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.P
About COMPLEX NETWORKS:
Complex Networks, formed from the acquisition of Complex Media Inc. through a joint venture by Verizon and Hearst, is a global lifestyle brand and media company and one of the most influential voices in popular culture today. Complex Networks’ digital channels, which include Complex, First We Feast, Pigeons & Planes, Sole Collector and more, is a Top 10 publisher in the U.S. for social engagement on channels like Facebook and YouTube. A diversified and profitable media business with premium distribution partners such as Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV, Roku, and iFlix, Complex Networks’ original content exemplifies convergence culture, exploring topics that span across popular culture from music to movies, sports to video games, fashion to food.
Complex Networks develops and distributes original programming for its channels and through output deals with premium distributors. The company cultivates content that spans across popular culture from music to movies, sports to video games, fashion to food, reaching the coveted 18-24-year-old male audience. In 2016, the company launched ComplexCon in Long Beach, California, to bring the “Internet to life.” The annual event attracts over 200 culture-shifting brands and over 60,000 digitally savvy attendees to the two-day cultural festival.
About #CUT50:
#cut50, an initiative of The Dream Corps, is a national bipartisan effort to smartly and safely reduce America’s incarcerated population by 50 percent over the next 10 years. #cut50 uniquely connects “ground up” ability to educate and mobilize people with “grasstops” media and influencer reach, filling the gap between the expertise and work of leading criminal justice reform organizations and top-tier media and influencers. By humanizing the narrative and pursuing transformative legislation, #cut50 is uniting the political machine of Washington DC, the financial reach of Wall Street, the innovation of Silicon Valley, and the cultural dominance of Hollywood to roll back the incarceration industry.
BURBANK, CA (January 30, 2020) – One of the most popular videogame franchises in history comes to animated life in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, an all-new, feature-length film produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NeatherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting April 12, 2020, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-rayCombo Pack and DVD on April 28, 2020.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengewill be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (USA $39.99 SRP; Canada $44.98 SRP), Blu-ray Combo Pack (USA $24.98 SRP; Canada $29.98 SRP), and DVD (USA $19.98 SRP: Canada $24.98 SRP) as well as on Digital. The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc featuring the film in hi-definition, and a digital version of the movie. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features a Blu-ray disc with the film in hi-definition, a DVD with the film in standard definition, and a digital version of the movie.
Based on the worldwide hit game created by Ed Boon & John Tobias, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengespotlights the once-in-a-generation tournament between the champions of Outworld and Earthrealm – a competition that will ultimately determine the fate of Earth and all its citizens. Lord Raiden, protector of Earthrealm, must gather the greatest fighters of his realm to defend it from the evil Shang Tsung in the battle to end all battles – Mortal Kombat!
Joel McHale (Community, The CW’s upcoming Stargirl) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) lead a stellar cast as the voices of Hollywood star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage and all-business warrior Sonya Blade, respectively. The voice cast also includes Jordan Rodrigues (Lady Bird, The Fosters) as Liu Kang, Patrick Seitz (Mortal Kombat X, Agrretsuko, Naruto: Shippuden) as Scorpion & Hanzo Hasashi, Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars Rebels) as Sub-Zero, Artt Butler (Her, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Shang Tsung, Darin De Paul (Overwatch, Fortnite) as Quan Chi, Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain, Batman: The Killing Joke) as Kano, David B. Mitchell (Mortal Kombat 11, World of Warcraftfranchise) as Raiden, Ike Amadi (Mass Effect 3, Mortal Kombat 11) as Jax Briggs, Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, The Simpsons) as Goro, Grey Griffin (The Loud House, Young Justice, Scooby-Doofranchise) as Kitana & Satoshi Hasashi, and Fred Tatasciore (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) as Demon Torturer.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengeis directed by Ethan Spaulding (Batman: Assault on Arkham, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis) from a script by Jeremy Adams(Supernatural, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans) based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Rick Morales (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face) is Producer, and Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) is co-producer. Executive Producer is Sam Register. Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios) is Creative Consultant.
“Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a riveting, no-holds-barred action-fest that delivers all the authentic combat, drama and humor fans expect coupled with edgy animation and an outstanding voice cast,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Senior Vice President, Originals, Animation and Family Marketing. “This film is unlike anything Warner Bros. has produced before, and fans should be prepared for the thrill ride of their lives.”
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
The artists reveal the design challenges of animating the world of Mortal Kombat, from authentic armor to wildly imaginative weapons and fantasy settings.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengewill also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On April 12, 2020, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengewill be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, the Apple TV app, FandangoNOW, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On April 28, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revengewill be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE
Movies Anywhere is a digital movie platform that enables movie fans to discover, access, and watch their favorite digital movies in one place. Movies Anywhere brings together a library of nearly 7,500 digital movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment) and Warner Bros., and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. By connecting participating digital retailers that include Amazon Prime Video, the Apple TV app, FandangoNOW, Google Play, and Vudu, movie fans can now bring together their digital movie collections (whether purchased or redeemed) in one place and enjoy them from the comfort of their living rooms, and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Chromecast; Roku® devices and popular browsers. Movie fans can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere – your movies, together at last.
ABOUT DIGITAL
Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.
BASICS
4K Blu-ray Languages:English, Spanish, French
4K Blu-ray Subtitles:English, Spanish, French
Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French, German
Blu-ray Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
DVD Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
DVD Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Running Time: 80 minutes
R for strong bloody violence throughout and some language.
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. WBA’s current series include Animaniacs for Hulu, Green Eggs and Ham for Netflix, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Jellystone, Little Ellen and Looney Tunes Cartoons for HBO Max, Harley Quinn and Young Justice: Outsiders for DC UNIVERSE, DC Super Hero Girls, Teen Titans Go!, ThunderCats Roar and Unikitty! for Cartoon Network, Bunnicula, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, New Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?, The Tom and Jerry Show, Wacky Races and Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! for Boomerang, and Mike Tyson Mysteries for Adult Swim. WBA’s full-length theatrical film, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, was released in summer 2018. As home to the iconic animated characters from the DC, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Movies— for DVD, Blu-ray® and digital media. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA Children’s Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
