INTERVIEW:Rim of The World Writer Zack Stentz talks about the film, Marvel, Summer Camp and Aliens

Get ready to return to summer camp because that is exactly what will happen this Friday when Rim of the World will premiere on Netflix. On this movie, four teenagers that are on a summer camp vacation must save the world from an alien invasion. They all must band together to give the aliens a much deserved defeat so they can live to tell the tale when they go back to school in the fall. The movie stars Jack Gore, Benjamin Flores Jr., Andrew Bachelor, Miya Ceth, and Alessio Scalzotto and is directed by Mcg. The film is written by Zack Stentz who is known for his work on Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor, X-Men: First Class, and The Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles. I got a chance to speak with him for a few minutes about the film along with his previous work as well in this great interview below.

You have many movies under your name such as X-Men: First Class, Marvel’s Thor, and Agent Cody Banks along with The Flash television show. How does it feel to see your work on those series with those larger than life characters play on screen and was there any high pressure on you and Ashley Edward Miller at all to write those characters that we have seen over the years? 

Zack: There is nothing like the rush of something that once existed only in your imagination or as pixels on a screen appear 30 feet tall in a darkened theater. And there was HUGE pressure on me and Ash on the Marvel films. Thor was considered a huge gamble at the time (a space viking with a magic hammer??) and with X-Men First Class we only had 10 days to write a script that could get a greenlight from a director. But sometimes insane pressure like that results in your best work!

Oh my! 10 days for that script for X-Men? I can imagine how stressful it is. But the finished product turned out great as I did actually liked that film. Going back to the early stages of the development of Thor, Do you have any funny stories of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston during your time writing Thor? And also, it was recently announced that Chris Hemsworth will star in the upcoming Hulk Hogan biopic. What was your reaction to that news when it broke? 

Zack: Honestly, I didn’t interact a lot with Hemsworth or Hiddleston during filming, though whenever I see either of them they’re lovely and being embraced by Hemsworth is like being hugged by a friendly oak tree. I think he’s a terrific actor though I’m not keen to see him play Hulk Hogan, especially given the sleaziness and racism that are now attached to Hogan because of that leaked tape. 

So that means that the upcoming Hulk Hogan film will not do it for you. I do believe that there will be backlash about the film one way or another. But that is absolutely great that both of them interacted with you! Now on to Rim Of The World. How did this film started and how many ideas went through your head before the casting of the actors even begun?

Zack: I wrote the original script back in 2016 and it was completed in a form pretty close to what you’ll see onscreen long before the young actors were cast. We were really delighted with all four of the kids, who are very close to what I envisioned. Zhenzhen is a little younger than I first imagined and Dariush was originally written as Iranian-American but Benji Flores came in and gave such an incredible audition that we rewrote the character to be half-black and half-Persian to more closely reflect his ethnicity. 

How long did it take for the kids to get in character if you have seen them act their scenes on set? and based on what I seen on the trailer, summer camp with an alien invasion is a nice twist. Was summer camp always the setting you had in mind when you were going through the script in your head? And have you ever went to summer camp when you were younger?

Zack: The kids did a lot of rehearsals and lived together at a hotel resort up near Mammoth Lakes for the first week of shooting, where they got a chance to really bond and get into character for the film. And yes, the premise of the film was summer camp + alien invasion from the start, because the camp environment seemed like a natural place to get kids away from adult supervision so they could have their own adventure. And the alien invasion took away their smart phones and other technology so they were even more knocked out of their comfort zones!

That is great that they all got along during the production of the film. Now since this will be up on Netflix in a few days, were there any scenes that you had in your script that were filmed that got cut from the final version of the film? And If those were your kids on a summer camp trip that turned into an alien invasion, would you believe them if they told you that it happened the same way as the film?

Zack: A few scenes were cut from the original script before filming and we filmed a lot of improvisational comedy especially during the summer camp sense where we let the actors go on anon but only used a little bit of it. Especially when the humor got a little too raunchy for a family movie. And if my kids were caught at summer camp in the middle of an alien invasion I would be happy if they were a quarter is smart and resourceful as our heroes of the movie!

Rim of the World will premiere worldwide on May 24th, 2019 on Netflix! Be sure to check it out.

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Fear The Walking Dead comes to the IFC Center for the Split Screen Festival

New York, May 22, 2019 – IFC Center, home to DOC NYC — the largest documentary festival in the US — unveiled its final lineup for the third annual Split Screens TV Festival taking place Wednesday, May 29 through Monday, June 3, 2019, at NYC’s IFC Center. The 2019 program, celebrating the art and craft of storytelling, puts a spotlight on wide-ranging themes including identity, the mystery of existence itself, dystopian realities and alternate timelines, and invites fans to enjoy screenings and events that transport us into any number of time periods and places, be it a late-1800s South Dakota town or the tensions of New York City at the end of the 1980s.

Tickets to the public are on sale (www.splitscreensfestival.com) for exclusive screenings and compelling panel conversations featuring the biggest and boldest names in scripted content, both in front of and behind the camera. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @SplitScreensTV.

For the third edition of the event, notable Salon TV critic Melanie McFarland was named Co-Creative Director, joining founding Co-Creative Director Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Magazine’s TV critic and best-selling author. The festival will once again be anchored by four signature pillars: PREMIERES, an opportunity for audiences to be among the first to screen anticipated season premieres and finales; CLOSE-UP, conversations with celebrated actors and creatives; TV TALK, an exploration of content’s cultural impact through the lens of superfans, pop culture writers and experts; and REWIND, a closer look at an iconic episode of TV; plus a number of SPECIAL EVENTS.

Festival highlights include: close-up conversations with Pamela Adlon, executive producer, writer, director and star of FX’s Better Things; William Jackson Harper, star of the philosophy-themed NBC comedy The Good PlaceChristopher Abbott, star of Hulu’s critically acclaimed Catch-22; a deep dive into the art of the paranoid thriller with Sam Esmail, creator of USA’s Mr. Robot and director of Amazon’s Homecoming, with a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut; and Leslye Headland, co-creator and co-executive producer of Netflix’s hit series Russian Doll, who will anchor a panel of creative professionals  who helped bring the world of Russian Doll to life. 

Festival attendees will also enjoy Deadwood: The Movie, a chance to experience the epic conclusion of HBO’s legendary Western series on the big screen along with a half-hour Deadwood companion doc written by Matt Zoller Seitz, followed by a discussion with stars Robin Weigert (on stage) and Ian McShane (live via satellite); a closer look into a breakout episode from season one of The Twilight Zone, CBS All Access’ re-imagining of the classic anthology series (followed by a conversation with actress Sanaa Lathan and screenwriter Selwyn Seyfu Hinds); an advance screening of the season 3 premiere of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale; a sneak preview of When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s highly anticipated Central Park 5 Netflix miniseries;  the season 1 finale of Cinemax’s Warrior; a live-watch of the fifth season premiere of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead and panel featuring actors Jenna Elfman, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia and Austin Amelio, along with Exec Producer Scott M. Gimple, and Chief Content Officer of the Walking Dead Universe; an advance screening of the season 2 premiere of CBS’s Instinct with co-stars Alan Cumming & Bojana Novakovic; a conversation with key cast and creative talent of OWN’sQueen Sugar, following an advance screening of the season 4 premiere;  (S)heroes: Women of Action!, a fan appreciation panel of influential female characters; and a conversation with noted TV critics about how the age of streaming has transformed the craft of storytelling.

Split Screens Festival is produced and presented by IFC Center, one of New York’s leading independent cinemas, and is organized by the core team of its successful DOC NYC documentary film festival, including Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen, Director of Development Deborah Rudolph and Operations Director Dana Krieger. Collaborating with broadcasters, cable networks and streaming services, the festival will highlight great content from a range of platforms to bring together the creative talent behind TV’s most acclaimed shows and sophisticated New York audiences.

Split Screens Festival is made possible by Event Sponsors FX and National Geographic; Friends of the Festival include Essentia, PTEX and Wheelhouse Creative.

Venue and Ticket information:

·         All festival events take place at IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. (at West 3rd St), with the exception ofDeadwood: The Movie on May 31, which screens at the SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd St.

·         Tickets for all events are available online at splitscreensfestival.com or at the IFC Center box office, open daily 10:30am-10:00pm. Same-day tickets for Deadwood: The Movie will also be available at the SVA Theatre box office starting at 6:30pm on May 31.

·         Tickets for the TV Talk events on June 1 are $12 general admission / $9 IFC Center members

·         Tickets for all other festival events are $17 general admission / $14 IFC Center members

·         A discounted 3-ticket pack is available for $40/$35 IFC Center members.

8:15 PM – Fear the Walking Dead Season 5 Premiere (AMC) – SPECIAL EVENT

In attendance: Actors Jenna Elfman, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia and Austin Amelio, and Scott M. Gimple, Executive Producer of Fear the Walking Dead and Chief Content Officer of the Walking Dead Universe

Join us for a live screening of the season 5 premiere, followed by a conversation with the cast and executive producer.

As AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead enters Season 5, with a powerful ensemble including Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, Jenna Elfman, Alexa Nisenson, Austin Amelio, Ruben Blades and Karen David, its core characters’ mission is clear: locate survivors and help make what’s left of the world a slightly better place. With dogged determination, Morgan Jones (James) leads the group with a philosophy rooted in benevolence, community and hope. Each character believes that helping others will allow them to make up for the wrongs of their pasts. But their mission of helping others will be put to the ultimate test when the group finds themselves in uncharted territory, one which will force them to face their fears and perhaps discover an entirely new way to live.

Fear the Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios.

Fear The Walking Dead Season 5 Preview (Non Spoiler)

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, Lennie James as Morgan Jones – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC

Fear The Walking Dead will return in the next few weeks for their fifth season and with the mixed reception of the fourth season, You will be glad to know that this season is a fresh breath of air over the previous season. I seen the first four episodes of the fifth season thanks to AMC Network and I must say, I am gladly impressed. You will think that the producers did not learn from their mistakes from the last season if you were going into this season with that thought, but your mind will change after the first episode. Without me going along any further, here is my non spoiler impressions of the first four episodes of the fifth season of Fear The Walking Dead.

The first episode of the season starts with the action right away after the first few minutes and there were moments where a few of the characters were in life or death situations especially when I thought that one particular character was going to die after seeing what happened to that character. There are new characters that are introduced as well, but their motivations are not quite clear yet. Morgan and Alicia are my favorite two of this episode as Morgan is the person of reason more than ever on this show. I also love that Alicia is still grieving from Madison and Nick’s death in the previous season. They are also in constant contact with the other characters during the episode such as Strand and Charlie but I will leave it there for now until my review. John and June is also quickly becoming my favorite couple on the show as their chemistry levels Glenn and Maggie’s relationship on the main show The Walking Dead. Althea is on her investigative mode during the episode, and there are also cool easter eggs and callbacks to the main show that I noticed as well. The ending of the first episode will have everyone talking as I was stunned to see it when I first seen it and I mean this in a good way.

I will not get too much into the second episode’s main plot since it would be in huge spoiler territory, but the reunion of two characters will not be a loving, sweet reunion at all as things from the past will be bought up. Another thing I will note is that another new character is introduced, but it also revolves around the central plot of the episode. But this new character also has a head scratching moment involving walkers and Alicia that might make you scream at the television for a few seconds.

The third episode is so far my favorite episode of the season so far and it is because of the setting and we have a lot of John and June and another character. John really showed off his badass revolver shooting skills during the epiosde and it was satisfying to see that he has been given more development so far this season. There is also a very cool and smart walker kill scene involving John and another character and that will go down as one of the best scenes of the entire season. I also believe that the setting this scene and most of the episode takes place was fitted for John and June. By the end of the episode, you will realize that nobody is trusted.

And finally, the fourth episode directly connects with the second episode along with the plot of the end of the third episode moving forward. Remember Goose from Captain Marvel? that cat is lovable and the cat on this show will be as loveable as Goose. Although I am puzzled to why Charlie is still alive since she killed Nick, she is quite resourceful during this episode in a few ways. Charlie is also the voice of reason in one particular scene later during the episode. The group also learns more of Morgan in this episode and a few names are mentioned when he was describing his past. The only other thing I will say is that the ending of this episode is almost similar to the first episode and the new characters are aware of a particular group.

My thoughts of the season so far, a massive improvement over the previous season and I can tell that the writers and producers realized the split feedback from the previous season and wanted to fix it for this season. This season so far connects to the main show greater than ever. However, I can also see it being called out on in the vocal minority due to those decisions. But I think that the payoff will be worth it down the line. There are a few scenes that slows down the episodes, but it does not feel like it is dragging at all since I am invested in the characters. Austin Amelio who plays as Dwight will be in this season, but you will have to guess which episode of the four he will make his debut as I cannot spoil it at all and I want everyone to be as surprised as I was when I seen his debut along with a few more moments I wish I can describe. If you have tuned out during season four, this season will tune you right back in.

Fear The Walking Dead returns on June 2nd on AMC Network and my review of the first episode will be up on that day as well!

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Gotham stars Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin to headline Wizard World Philadelphia

GOTHAM: James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, L) consults Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin)

“Once Upon a Time” stars Lana Parrilla, Rebecca Mader and Jared Gilmore, “Gotham” standouts Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin, “The Vampire Diaries” headliner Ian Somerhalder and the “Supergirl” tandem of Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan are among the early wave of celebrities scheduled to attend the 19th annual Wizard World Philadelphia, June 13-16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Other stars scheduled to appear include the “Charmed” trio of Holly Marie Combs, Brian Krause and Drew Fuller, “The Magicians” duo of Hale Appelman and Stella Maeve, Sean Maher (“Firefly,” Serenity), The “Firefly” trio of Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite and Sean Maher, Kevin Conroy (“Batman: The Animated Series,” “Justice League”), “RWBY” stars Lindsay Jones, Kara Eberle, Arryn Zech and Barbara Dunkleman, Chris Owen (American Pie franchise) and Thomas Ian Nicholas (Rookie of the Year, American Pie).

Some of the world’s most talented creators populate Artist Alley at Wizard World. Top writers and artists scheduled to attend are Kurt Lehner (“Gargoyles,” “Marvel Action Hour”), Jeremy Clark (“Grimm Fairy Tales,” “Day of the Dead”), Josh Lyman (“Voltron Force United,” “Drawn”), Carl Potts (“Alien Legion,” “Venom”), Thomas Estrada (Disney, DreamWorks), Tim Lattie (“Ghostbusters,” WWE), Jai Nitz (“El Diablo,” “Fu Jitsu”), Mostafa Moussa (“Superman,” “Fantastic Four”), Joe Wos (“Mazetoons”), Mike Watson (Freestyle Komics, UpperDeck), Jen Taylor (“Sid the Science Kid,” Victoria Beckham’s Target line) and more.

Wizard World Philadelphia will also feature non-stop live entertainment hosted by Kato Kaelin, gaming, exclusive Q&A sessions with top celebrities, movie screenings hosted by stars and directors and more. Details to follow soon, along with programming and entertainment stage schedules.

Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The seventh event scheduled on the 2019 Wizard World calendar, Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, June 13, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, June 14, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World Philadelphia is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character and some never before dreamed will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2019 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR.

About Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD)

Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, tech, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard Entertainment has also teamed with Sony Pictures Entertainment to find the next generation of movies as well as to engage in a number of strategic initiatives. Additional initiatives may include an augmented touring schedule of Wizard World shows, fixed-site installations, curated e-commerce, and the production and distribution of content both in the U.S. and internationally. Fans can interact with Wizard Entertainment at www.wizardworld.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The 2019 Wizard World convention schedule is available at: http://www.wizardworld.com/comiccon.

Tribeca Film Festival 2019-Scottie Thompson Interview

Scottie Thompson is here this week at the Tribeca Film Festival promoting the upcoming film Crown Vic. She plays the character Claire and the movie is about a veteran LAPD police officer being tasked with training a very young rookie cop as the two cops chase down two cop killers in an action packed thriller. The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this week and so far, the reception of the film has been greatly positive. The movie itself is not the normal buddy cop movie as it is greatly acted and it made the viewers take it seriously.

I got the chance to interview one of the stars of the movie Scottie Thompson (Who has also appeared in Star Trek, 12 Monkeys, The Blacklist, NCIS) as we talked about her role in the film along with stories meeting fans, her time on 12 monkeys, a discussion about New York and Los Angeles, and her future projects. All in all, It was great meeting her for the first time this week and I am looking forward to the film.

I have attached the audio of the interview below this so you can listen. Enjoy!

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Why 2020 Is The Year of The Walking Dead

The year 2020 is coming very close as we are almost half way into 2019 in a few more months. There has been recent news about the universe of The Walking Dead and I believe it is positive news. Although it will be the final season for Danai Gurira as Michonne, more great things will come along the way for the months to come. How her exit will be on the show is up in the air right now as we do not know how many episodes she will appear in. With that out of the way, here are the reasons why I believe that 2020 will be the year of The Walking Dead.

ISSUE #200 OF THE COMIC BOOK SERIES

By the end of this year, the comic book series of The Walking Dead will be up to issue #198. In Feburary 2020, the 200th issue will be in stores for everyone to read and I have a feeling that there will be something huge to go down on that issue. To refresh everyone’s memory, issue #50 was Carl Grimes’ biggest character development of the series so far, issue #100 was the debut of Negan along with Glenn’s brutal death, and issue #150, Rick Grimes declares that they will go to war against The Whisperers. With issue #200 on the horizon, what do you think will happen and although Robert Kirkman stated in one of the letter hacks of a recent issue that “No one dies in issue #200. There, I said it. Cannon–letters columns count!”, he could either be telling the truth, or hiding something much bigger than we think.

THE 150th EPISODE OF THE TELEVISION SHOW IN SEASON 11

Many people may have not noticed or kept track, but if The Walking Dead gets renewed for an 11th season, then the third episode of the 11th season of The Walking Dead will be the 150th episode! Way back in Season 8, We got the 100th episode which was the beginning of the All Out War arc and that episode also had many callbacks to the first episode of the series. Who knows what they will pull off in season 11, but I believe that the group will go to The Commonwealth any the beginning of the 11th season if the show gets renewed for that season.

THE THIRD SPINOFF SERIES

AMC Network recently announced that there will be a third spinoff series of the universe of The Walking Dead within the next year and the news opened up many possibilities of more crossovers between The Walking Dead and the second show Fear The Walking Dead. The only thing that we do know of now is that it will be a female lead main character. We do not know where it will take place or when in the timeline, but this will be something to look forward to and I have a feeling that the first major details will be revealed at San Diego Comic Con. Speaking of details, this Segways into…

THE MOVIES ABOUT RICK GRIMES

Yes! This is what all of the fans has been waiting for and I believe that we will have the first details about the movies at the San Diego Comic Con panel. There will be three movies in which Andrew Lincoln will reprise his role as Rick Grimes and hopefully, we can and will see what happened when Jadis took him away on the helicopter before the six year time skip begun. The bigger question, is whether if Rick will go look for Daryl, Michonne, and the rest after he is healed up. Since Jadis traded Heath for supplies (You can read about that here ), Will Rick Grimes reunite with him. We should get more information about it in the coming months.

Are you excited for what is to come for The Walking Dead in 2020?

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Star Wars Episode 9 Title Revealed at Star Wars Celebration

Star Wars Celebration is in Chicago this week and the biggest news to come out of the event is the title of the upcoming Star Wars Film which we now know is “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”.

The title was revealed during the panel that featured the cast and JJ Abrams on the stage as they discuss the movie along with the appearences of BB-8, R2D2, and the new D-O. There were also photos shown on the screen as well to show the audience what the characters will look like in the upcoming movie.

The trailer for the movie was shown before the panel finished and everyone finally seen a small taste for what is to come later this year. The trailer and the photos will have the fans talking for the months to come.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be in theaters on December 20th, 2019

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WrestleCon 2019 Recap

WrestleCon just finished last weekend and it is the event that brings wrestling fans around the world in one large venue during WrestleMania week. Here, you are given the opportunity to meet your favorite professional wrestlers such as Rob Van Dam, Kevin Nash, Billy Gunn, Scott Hall, Arn Anderson, Rick Flair, Lita, Trish Stratus, Booker T, and much more. There are over two hundred different wrestlers that shows up every day and there are also live shows and even Q and A’s with select talent. There was event an event tied to this with Joey Ryan that could only be attended if you are only 18 years old but I will leave it at that. If you are a wrestling fan, this is a must go when WrestleMania weekend is in your town.

This event took place at the Hilton Hotel on 6th avenue in New York City and I have to say that it was very much organized with a lot of space used compared to previous years and I had no problem going back and forth to different vendors and tables as it did not feel very crowded or boxed in compared to other shows in the convention scene. On this particular week, I was the official Correspondent of the show working for Five.TV to conduct interviews and here are the ones that has happened during the show.

My first interview of the day is with the “Interview Queen” Alicia Atout We talk about how she became the Interview Queen and what did it take for it to happen. We also talked about comic books, her earliest memories as a wrestling fan, Her favorite music, and her website. From what I have been told by other people, she has never been interviewed before and it was a shock to see her interviewed. You can check her content right here https://amusicblogyea.com/about-the-writers/


https://www.fite.tv/video/wrestlecon-2019-alicia-atout-intervi/2ouzw/

Up next, is UFC and MMA Dan “The Beast” Severn. I have been a fan of mixed martial arts since I was a pre-teen and it still amazes me to this day. I was first exposed to him in the WWE in 1998 but then my friends in the classroom told me that he was in UFC and then I was borrowed a cassette VHS tape of one of his fights and I became a bigger fan of his ever since. We talk about his championships that he has won in his career, Jim Cornette, the Brawl For All, Connor McGregor, If he keeps up with the current product of both MMA and WWE, and much more.

Scott Steiner is a funny guy and I have been a fan of him since WCW. He is not known as the “Big Bad Booty Daddy” for no reason as we talked about his time when he was an amateur wrestler when he was younger and the accomplishments he has made, his time as the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and the infamous “math” promo he cut in TNA Wrestling his reaction to WWE Superstar Big E doing his version of the math promo. We joked around also for a little bit after the interview and he is a guy that you would want to meet if you see him.

I next interviewed former WWE Superstar Celeste Bonin (Kaitlyn) at the show and she is awesome! Even Vickie Guerrero made a cameo as well. Celeste talked about his time with WWE, her clothing line Celestial Bodiez, her time in NXT, a mention of Triple H and AJ Lee, and her workout routine. It was a fun interview. You can check out her clothing line right here: https://www.celestialbodiez.com/pages/celesteboninceo

Brian Zane of Wrestling With Wregret to me is the “Angry Videogame Nerd” version of professional wrestling. His topics and discussions on his videos are always a must watch and I have been watching his channel since the start way back in 2013. I finally got the chance to interview him as we talked about the origin and beginning of his channel, what did he look forward to at WrestleMania, who would he like to collaborate with, his favorite episode on his channel, a story about how the Herb Abram’s UWF episode was made, and much more. He was at the show for three days so I can image how he and the others are very drained since these shows will have your energy for most of the time. You can subscribe to Wrestling With Wregret right here as he post many great produced videos every week. In fact, my favorite episode of his is also the UWF episode!

My final interview is the biggest I have done so far this year and it is with Rob Van Dam. Rob Van Dam has been highly successful in everywhere he has been whether if it was in ECW, WWE, or Impact Wrestling (in which he has just returned last week), he is a name that everyone will never forget in years to come. His flashy and high impact style makes him stand out during the 1990’s and the 2000’s and to this very day. We talked about his return to Impact Wrestling, his new documentary and how it started as a comedy tour documentary that organically transformed into the major topic of CTE, A story about Vince McMahon, his research on CTE, and his favorite moments in the ring and how he got the call to return to Impact Wrestling. Even his girlfriend Katie Forbes made a cameo too and she also made her Impact Wrestling Debut at the United We Stand show.

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The Walking Dead News: Third Series to Premiere in 2020

Matt Negrete, a veteran writer on the flagship, will serve as showrunner on the 10-episode series he co-created alongside franchise chief content officer Scott M. Gimple.

On Monday, AMC formally announced that it has picked up what is now the third series in the zombie drama’s larger world with a 10-episode order for an untitled drama co-created by Gimple and longtime flagship writer Matt Negrete. The latter, who has been a writer and producer on The Walking Dead for the past five seasons, will serve as showrunner. Coincidentally, Negrete and Gimple collaborated on the season nine episode (“What Comes After”) that served as the last one for series star Andrew Lincoln, who will reprise his role as embattled former sheriff Rick Grimes in three movies. It’s unclear if the new spinoff will be connected to those movies. It’s unclear if any characters from either The Walking Dead or spinoff Fear the Walking Dead will have a role in the third series. Stars and fan favorites Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Melissa McBride (Carol) have “franchise deals” that allow them to move freely between all corners of the universe, for example.

“I’m beyond excited to be a part of this new show set in The Walking Dead universe,” Negrete said. “Writing and producing for the original series has been the job of a lifetime and I’m honored to be working with Scott and all the fine Dead folks at AMC in this new capacity. I can’t wait for the fans of the franchise to see what we’ve been cooking up!”

Few details were immediately available about the third series other than that it will feature two young female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come-of-age in the apocalypse as viewers know it. Production will begin in the summer in Virginia for a 2020 premiere on AMC. The Lord of the Flies-like series will feature a new corner of the world. Here’s AMC’s formal description: “Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. In the end, all of them will be changed forever. Grown-up and cemented in their identities, both good and bad.” The order arrives as the original series introduced (and, spoiler alert, killed off) several younger characters in season nine.

“Showing audiences an unseen pocket of The Walking Dead universe steeped in a new mythology is a very cool way to celebrate a Decade of the Dead on TV and over 15 years of [creator] Robert Kirkman’s brilliant comic,” Gimple said. “Matt Negrete is one of the best writer-producers in TWD’s long history — I’m thrilled to be working beside him to tell stories unlike we’ve seen before, taking our first step into an even larger world.”

The untitled Negrete series is the first new series to stem from Gimple’s March 2018 promotion to chief content officer, a role he was given after Kirkman moved his overall deal from AMC to Amazon. Gimple and Kang wrote Lincoln out of the flagship drama so the actor could spend more time with his family at home in England. Gimple will re-team with Lincoln for three TV movies that will air on AMC and could potentially serve as back-door pilots for other series. Production on those is set to begin in 2019 though its unclear just where they will be filmed. TWD is filmed in Atlanta, while spinoff Fear the Walking Dead has used locations in L.A., Canada, Baja and Texas. Overall, there are now three scripted series and planned three stand-alone movies in the world of TWD as franchises increasingly become valuable to broadcast, cable and streaming platforms alike.

“We’re thrilled that the Dead will keep walking into a new corner of the post-apocalyptic world, a corner that will present stories and characters unlike any that The Walking Dead has dramatized thus far, and that is bound to excite one of the most passionate fanbases in television,” said David Madden, president of programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios. “Scott has been an invaluable leader for the universe since taking on the role of chief content officer, with a distinct and innovative vision for the franchise. Likewise, we’re excited to have Matt, who has been a crucial part of The Walking Dead family for over five years and penned many memorable episodes of TWD, at the helm of this original series.”

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C2E2 2019 Recap

Chicago is always a great place to visit every year no matter if it is windy or not. The weather will go right out the way once you make your way to the Mccormick Convention Center for C2E2. C2E2 is the biggest comic and entertainment convention in Chicago and it will keep on getting bigger for the years to come. In fact, this year is their 10th year anniversary and it was clearly celebrated during the three day show whether if it was a panel, or fan meetup, screening, cosplay, and gaming, you name it. I have seen it all over my three days over there and here is my recap of this year’s edition of C2E2.

First, I would like to thank ReedPop for approving myself and Fidelina Roman with a media badge as we alway love to cover your shows. This year, the show felt more bigger than last year’s there were much more space dedicated to gaming as well this year and I believe that happened due to the fan feedback from last year’s show. There were gaming tournaments that took place over there as well. At the booths where comic books were being sold, there were many people looking for vintage comics (especially the Marvel line based on the people that I have spoken to since Avengers: End Game is coming next month). Also to add, I heard that someone was stealing comics from different vendors over there and I did not know it was true until it was reported on the news that it actually did happen (https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/indiana-man-accused-stealing-rare-comic-books-c2e2). Friday and Sunday the crowd was decent in many areas. Saturday however, was the most crowded. I am used to this type of crowd now since I have covered different shows for the last seven years so it did not bother me. There was also a blood drive that took place during the convention too that took place right by the entrance. The big panels took place at the main panel hall at room S406 and it filled up each time with the big name panels but I will get to that in a few paragraphs. Overall, between navigating each area from the panel rooms to the show floor, it was easier this year than any other year.

There were many panels that took place during C2E2 and there was also my panel. For the first time ever, I host a panel and it was Wrestling Soup featuring Anthony Missionary Thomas, Jon Draper, and myself as we took the stage on Friday to give our predictions of WrestleMania. We also talked about Captain Marvel, Avengers End Game, and The Punisher. We even gave away prizes to members of the crowd and it was a very fun experience to see about 100 people showing up to see us. It felt very satisfying that it happened and I would do it again.



All Elite Wrestling members The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega also took the stage that morning to talk about AEW and many questions directed towards them that many fans wanted to know were addressed. They addressed the fact that there will be no contract tampering with current WWE Superstars, but they did say that they have a wishlist of who they wanted to be signed with AEW. They also said that All In 2 will take place this year in Chicago in the same arena it took place last year. They also talked about how Brandi Rhodes came up with the idea to tackle sensory issues that is often never taken care of on WWE programming and Kenny Omega answered a fan question about an AEW comic book and video game. There were more questions that were answered and they made it clear that CM Punk will not wrestle at AEW. Great panel from the three of them and you can check it out right here.

Another great panel featured the writers and artists of DC Comics that featured Cecil Castellucci, Marv Wolfman, Robert Venditti, and Tim Seely as this panel was titled “Super Heroes of DC”. This panel featured a discussion with the four about the DC Comic stories that impacted the industry from their time, to the current. The panel was interesting to get an insight of what they were thinking at the time and how those stories shaped for the present day in the comic book world.

One of the biggest panels at the show was the Clueless reunion panel that featured Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Breckin Meyer, and Donald Faison as they took the stage to tell funny stories of their time on the movie and what did they do on their break time away from filming the movie. Breckin Meyer was also very funny during this panel and I loved it. Paul Rudd was also flooded with Avengers: End Game questions since he will appear in the movie as Ant Man once again and I knew from the start that many Marvel related questions would go his way and he even told a heart warming story about Stan Lee. This panel is a must watch.

My press coverage over there was great and it begins with Into The Badlands. I was also supposed to attend the screening of the newest episode, but I had time constraints. So a key takeaway here is that the creators already had an arc for the 16 episode season that would end with a conclusion that would, by their words, “reboot” the series and “take it in a different direction”. They go on to say, however, that they saw the writing on the wall about cancellation as they were writing the back half of the season and realized that they’re most likely working towards a conclusion instead of a continuation. They assured people that all major questions and plot/character arcs will be resolved, but left some doors open, which I assume is for the possibility to continue the story should they get picked up by another platform. If you want to watch the response yourself it is at the 10:48 time-stamp. Daniel Wu is very passionate of the series so I could not blame him of his frustration since I am also a fan of the show.

The cast and the executive producer of NBC’s The Blacklist were also in attendance at C2E2 as they spoken to the press at the roundtable interviews.I can also say that I stumped Jon during the interviews three times but he was great to speak to. I see how popular the show has gotten over the years and they appreciate the fan feedback from across the world. The talkers of the press roundtables are Jon Bokenkamp, Harry Lennix, Amir Arison, Hisham Tawfiq, and Clark Middleton.

I also interviewed legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette as we talked about Mid South, World Class Championship Wrestling, his trouble getting to the arena at Keystone Comic Con compared to C2E2, and much more in this quick, fun, and entertaining quick interview.

The cosplay at C2E2 was great and this year’s big influence is Captain Marvel since the movie was released a few weeks before the show. I have seen really good ones raging from different genres and fandoms of Mortal Kombat, Overwatch, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, Super Mario, and much more. I even made a best of cosplay video for you to see along with some the photos below.

C2E2 was great this year as usual and I would cover it again next year! I do know that it will be in February next year so it will be a challenge. I would recommend the show for anyone in the Chicago area. Now here are my final pictures as I fanboy with CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Eric Bischoff, and Amir Arison.

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