https://www.themarysue.com/margot-robbie-patty-jenkins-barbie/

barbie

After years of false starts and multiple actresses attached (including Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway) Warner Bros.’ Barbie movie is moving forward with Margot Robbie and (possibly) Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. I know what you’re thinking: son of a bitch, does this mean we have to see the Barbie movie? Yes. Yes it does.

As someone who never played with Barbies (I was more of a TMNT girl) I can safely say that this movie has held zero interest for me. But damn, Robbie is not only a tremendous actress (I, Tonya was the best film of 2017, come at me) but she is a shrewd producer as well. It was Robbie who was instrumental in hiring Cathy Yan to direct Birds of Prey and she’s made it clear that it’s important for the film to feature a diverse cast.

And then there’s Jenkins, the highest paid female director in Hollywood and the force of nature behind the Wonder Woman franchise. Considering that Jenkins can write her own ticket and truly do whatever she wants, there must be a powerful draw to the project. Rumors were swirling about a feminist, empowering take on Barbie, and it must be true to attract this level of talent … right?

I’m also curious as to the tone of the film. It seems like they making it more of an adult comedy as opposed to a straight up kids flick (arguably the biggest audience for a Barbie movie). Or maybe they’ve found a way to thread to needle and make it appealing to everyone, like The LEGO Movie. I mean, let’s be real: when you first heard about The LEGO Movie you didn’t immediately think it would be a hilarious send-up of hero tropes, right? It seemed like a blatant cash grab, but to everyone’s surprise the film turned out to be wildly original and delightful. It goes to show that any concept, with a smart script and strong execution, can make an entertaining movie.

Will Barbie become a surprise hit that makes us rethink Mattel’s iconic do-it-all doll? Or will it be a big budget version of Life Size with Tyra Banks? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

disney channel

(via Collider, image: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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October 6, 2018

Margot Robbie and Patty Jenkins Are in Talks to Join the Barbie Movie So I Guess We’re Seeing the Barbie Movie Now?

https://www.themarysue.com/margot-robbie-patty-jenkins-barbie/

barbie

After years of false starts and multiple actresses attached (including Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway) Warner Bros.’ Barbie movie is moving forward with Margot Robbie and (possibly) Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. I know what you’re thinking: son of a bitch, does this mean we have to see the Barbie movie? Yes. Yes it does.

As someone who never played with Barbies (I was more of a TMNT girl) I can safely say that this movie has held zero interest for me. But damn, Robbie is not only a tremendous actress (I, Tonya was the best film of 2017, come at me) but she is a shrewd producer as well. It was Robbie who was instrumental in hiring Cathy Yan to direct Birds of Prey and she’s made it clear that it’s important for the film to feature a diverse cast.

And then there’s Jenkins, the highest paid female director in Hollywood and the force of nature behind the Wonder Woman franchise. Considering that Jenkins can write her own ticket and truly do whatever she wants, there must be a powerful draw to the project. Rumors were swirling about a feminist, empowering take on Barbie, and it must be true to attract this level of talent … right?

I’m also curious as to the tone of the film. It seems like they making it more of an adult comedy as opposed to a straight up kids flick (arguably the biggest audience for a Barbie movie). Or maybe they’ve found a way to thread to needle and make it appealing to everyone, like The LEGO Movie. I mean, let’s be real: when you first heard about The LEGO Movie you didn’t immediately think it would be a hilarious send-up of hero tropes, right? It seemed like a blatant cash grab, but to everyone’s surprise the film turned out to be wildly original and delightful. It goes to show that any concept, with a smart script and strong execution, can make an entertaining movie.

Will Barbie become a surprise hit that makes us rethink Mattel’s iconic do-it-all doll? Or will it be a big budget version of Life Size with Tyra Banks? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

disney channel

(via Collider, image: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—


October 6, 2018

Things We Saw Today: Susan Collins (and Two Other Cowards) Will Vote Yes on Kavanaugh, Effectively Ending This Fight

https://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-susan-collins-kavanaugh-vote/

kavanaugh, collins, vote, speech, blasey ford

In an extremely lengthy speech on the Senate floor this afternoon, Maine’s Republican Senator Susan Collins, previously a potential swing vote, announced she would be voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Her vote is disappointing enough, but her speech was a giant middle finger to all survivors of sexual assault. She specifically dismissed the accusations made by Julie Swetnick as “outlandish” (despite the fact that Swetnick was questioned by neither the Senate nor the FBI). She also spoke of the constituents who reached out to tell her of their stories of assault.  And this is what she gave them in return.

Collins wasn’t the only senator to announce a plan to vote yes in the full vote tomorrow. Jeff Flake also added his name to the now-majority.

West Virginia’s Joe Manchin is also planning to vote yes on Kavanaugh–the only Democrat to do so. His reasoning is nonsensical and insulting. Both he and Collins attempted to express a belief that Dr. Blasey Ford was assaulted, but not by Kavanaugh. Though, when asked how sure she was that Kavanaugh was the boy who attacked her, Dr. Ford said “100%.” You do not get to say you believe her, but not that part. To deny she knows her attacker is to deny her entire story.

We have to give a deserved shout-out, though, to Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. She was the deep-red state’s first female senator, she’s up for re-election in November, she’s behind in the polls, and she knows voting against Kavanaugh will hurt her even worse. And she still stuck to her conscience.

(image: Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

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October 6, 2018

Disney Made a Drone That Can Paint Buildings

http://nerdist.com/disney-drone-can-paint-buildings/

Did you know that Disney has a research department called…Disney Research? They have a bunch of folks investigating new technologies, which is probably a good thing, considering how Disney has pushed their field of animation forward as a whole. If the company’s philosophies and practices have made it a global leader in entertainment, maybe similar ideas could benefit other areas of life? The latest creation from Disney Research certainly seems to suggest that: They’ve just shared the PaintCopter, an autonomous quadcopter drone (a modified DJI Matrice 100) that can spray paint on 3D surfaces (via Digg).

The way the technology works can be explained simply: First, the surface to be painted is scanned, which generates a 3D map. Once that’s done, a designer lays out onto the 3D model what design needs to be painted. Then, the PaintCopter makes it happen.

In the video above, you can see that it definitely works, although it isn’t exactly the most accurate or consistent paint job in the world. Still, it’s pretty good, and you have to believe that as this is worked on more, it’s only going to get better and better. Disney Research hopes the PaintCopter will eventually allow us to paint large surfaces without using ladders or scaffolding, a goal that seems completely plausible once the technology improves, and one that would make painting buildings, murals, and things like that a heck of a lot easier.

What other applications can you think of for this technology? Let us know down in the comments!

Featured image: DisneyResearchHub


October 4, 2018

The Year of Spider-Mania

https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2018/10/02/the-year-of-spider-mania/

Superhero media is everywhere. Four of the Top Five movies of 2018 are superhero films, with Black Panther, Infinity War, and The Incredibles 2 taking the top three slots. There are literally dozens of live action superhero shows on TV, cable, and streaming. The number goes up exponentially when you factor in animation. Despite this […]