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Ishana Shyamalan makes her feature film directorial debut with Warner Bros. The Watchers, based on A.M. Shine’s novel of the same name. As you may have already guessed, she is the daughter of director M. Knight Shyamalan, who lends a helping hand as a producer.
The film follows Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, who serves as the main character while adding an A-lister to the roster. After experiencing some car trouble on a path through the woods, Mina ventures out of her car to look for help. Instead, she finds herself running from something lurking in the shadows, ultimately darting towards a welcoming stranger in a closed off room with two others. The older and seemingly more experienced Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) explains to Mina where she is and what she was running from, although she wasn’t able to lay eyes on the mysterious creature.
While in the room, she is given a little more backstory about two others she encounters: Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) and Ciara (Georgina Campbell, recently seen alongside Bill Skarsgärd in Barbarian). After some conversations, Mina learns that the group have given up hope about getting out of their situation. Mina, on the other hand, refuses to accept that this is her new home and begins to plot her escape. While they are not being held captive, they are going up against the daylight, which is the only time they can wander about the woods safely. This has become the sole reason they have opted to stay put in their new space: death awaits them if they get caught outside when the sun goes down.
The Watchers is one of those movies where you can’t say much out of fear of spoiling the very themes that are purposely kept unknown and out of trailers. Going into the flick, you are already anticipating a wild ride followed by a plot twist, especially when the director’s last name is Shyamalan. Taking a page out of her father’s book, she provides a series of turns that are exactly the type of ingredient we miss in cinema these days. The jump scares and weirdly formed “things” are what fans of sci-fi projects live for and want injected into their veins.
The film has a 100-minute runtime, but the last 35 minutes will have you dialed in trying to predict what’s next to come. You’re guessing right up until the very last few minutes. Right when you think you’re coming down from the climax, you immediately realize you’re wrong to let that thought intrude.
This leg is perhaps the best part of The Watchers, deeming most of what you’ve seen before almost unnecessary as it does not contribute much to the story. The idea at hand is compelling and rather unique, but the fluff that leads up to it feels like underwhelming filler. To add to that, the characters are far from memorable, making it a smart move not to cast big name talent aside from Fanning. The 30-year-old’s performance is solid and provides viewers the opportunity to see her grow as an actress. She’s come a long way from the young girl we grew to love in Uptown Girl and I Am Sam.
One thing the film does well is setting the scene, with the gloominess and tall trees contributing to the sense of lonely isolation. You can’t help but feel thrown right into the mix along with the characters, which is important when trying to convey the real dire situation they are facing.
It isn’t likely that this flick will blow box office numbers out of the water, and that’s okay. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not. The Watchers is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel giving us faith that unique thrillers and sci-fi projects haven’t died. It is important to note that Shyamalan was 22 years old when putting this together, which is wildly impressive no matter what connections you have to directing. Knowing that, it is a no brainer that Ishana is destined to have a stellar career ahead of her.
The cast recently sat down with Black Girl Nerds to discuss their project; you can check out the interviews here. If you are a fan of the book, then you will enjoy the film, especially given the fact that A.M. Shine is credited as a writer. Many may not have even known this was a book adaptation, but that doesn’t take away from the story at all. Is it going down in the books as a classic? No. Is it enjoyable and not too predictable? Yes. Unless you have crazy surround sound at home, hit the theater to experience this one.
The Watchers releases June 7, 2024.
Ishana Shyamalan makes her feature film directorial debut with Warner Bros. The Watchers, based on A.M. Shine’s novel of the same name. As you may have already guessed, she is the daughter of director M. Knight Shyamalan, who lends a helping hand as a producer.
The film follows Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, who serves as the main character while adding an A-lister to the roster. After experiencing some car trouble on a path through the woods, Mina ventures out of her car to look for help. Instead, she finds herself running from something lurking in the shadows, ultimately darting towards a welcoming stranger in a closed off room with two others. The older and seemingly more experienced Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) explains to Mina where she is and what she was running from, although she wasn’t able to lay eyes on the mysterious creature.
While in the room, she is given a little more backstory about two others she encounters: Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) and Ciara (Georgina Campbell, recently seen alongside Bill Skarsgärd in Barbarian). After some conversations, Mina learns that the group have given up hope about getting out of their situation. Mina, on the other hand, refuses to accept that this is her new home and begins to plot her escape. While they are not being held captive, they are going up against the daylight, which is the only time they can wander about the woods safely. This has become the sole reason they have opted to stay put in their new space: death awaits them if they get caught outside when the sun goes down.
The Watchers is one of those movies where you can’t say much out of fear of spoiling the very themes that are purposely kept unknown and out of trailers. Going into the flick, you are already anticipating a wild ride followed by a plot twist, especially when the director’s last name is Shyamalan. Taking a page out of her father’s book, she provides a series of turns that are exactly the type of ingredient we miss in cinema these days. The jump scares and weirdly formed “things” are what fans of sci-fi projects live for and want injected into their veins.
The film has a 100-minute runtime, but the last 35 minutes will have you dialed in trying to predict what’s next to come. You’re guessing right up until the very last few minutes. Right when you think you’re coming down from the climax, you immediately realize you’re wrong to let that thought intrude.
This leg is perhaps the best part of The Watchers, deeming most of what you’ve seen before almost unnecessary as it does not contribute much to the story. The idea at hand is compelling and rather unique, but the fluff that leads up to it feels like underwhelming filler. To add to that, the characters are far from memorable, making it a smart move not to cast big name talent aside from Fanning. The 30-year-old’s performance is solid and provides viewers the opportunity to see her grow as an actress. She’s come a long way from the young girl we grew to love in Uptown Girl and I Am Sam.
One thing the film does well is setting the scene, with the gloominess and tall trees contributing to the sense of lonely isolation. You can’t help but feel thrown right into the mix along with the characters, which is important when trying to convey the real dire situation they are facing.
It isn’t likely that this flick will blow box office numbers out of the water, and that’s okay. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not. The Watchers is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel giving us faith that unique thrillers and sci-fi projects haven’t died. It is important to note that Shyamalan was 22 years old when putting this together, which is wildly impressive no matter what connections you have to directing. Knowing that, it is a no brainer that Ishana is destined to have a stellar career ahead of her.
The cast recently sat down with Black Girl Nerds to discuss their project; you can check out the interviews here. If you are a fan of the book, then you will enjoy the film, especially given the fact that A.M. Shine is credited as a writer. Many may not have even known this was a book adaptation, but that doesn’t take away from the story at all. Is it going down in the books as a classic? No. Is it enjoyable and not too predictable? Yes. Unless you have crazy surround sound at home, hit the theater to experience this one.
The Watchers releases June 7, 2024.
No IP has had as much trouble getting to movie status again as much as Masters of the Universe. After a long time in development at Netflix, to the point they even cast Noah Centineo as He-Man, they stopped pre-production on the movie and let the rights lapse. This was after years of trying to get the fantasy heroes of Eternia off the ground as a theatrical film. Now, Amazon and MGM have the rights, and are preparing to start shooting Masters of the Universe with director Travis Knight this summer. They’ve even found their He-Man, in Red, White, and Royal Blue star Nicholas Galitzine. But is a movie the right way to go for Amazon? We actually think Masters of the Universe should instead become an episodic live-action series on the platform. And here’s why.
A He-Man Live-Action Series Could Explore the Whole Mythology
The Masters mythology, from both the original toy line and all its animated incarnations, is pretty expansive, especially for a property that really only had a relatively brief pop culture dominance. The original toy line ran from 1982 to ’87, while the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon show only had two seasons. Which, to be fair, were re-run in syndication for years. The toys’ and show’s mythologies differed greatly at times, and since the toy line ran longer than the cartoon show, there are elements from the toys that the classic cartoons simply never got around to.
Yet a live-action series could incorporate all aspects of the Eternian mythos. A movie will barely have time to scratch the surface. Whether it turns out great or terrible, like the Masters of the Universe film from the ’80s starring Dolph Lundgren was, the truth is that a He-Man movie with a two-hour runtime is going to focus on just the heavy hitters: He-Man, Teela, Skeletor, Evil-Lyn. This means that many fan favorites from the cartoon and toy line would end up left out. Or worse, just be Easter eggs in the background.
On a show, you have hours upon hours to explore all the beautiful craziness of this franchise in detail. There were over 60 action figures in the original toy line. If you reinvented this property as a live-action series, you might actually see some of the wackier characters come to life. Like half-man/half-bee Buzz-Off, or the Snake Men, or even Stinkor—the guy whose super power was smelling bad! Chances are, none of these guys would show up in a movie, unless that movie was so successful it spawned a franchise. But that’s always a big “If.”
A Masters of the Universe Series Would Have More Pop Culture Staying Power Than a Streaming Movie
These days, a streaming series has more pop culture staying power than a movie. We won’t name names, but think of all the big-budget streaming films that have hit in the last few years. Many with huge stars in them. All almost instantly evaporated from the pop culture consciousness. Because streaming series parse out episodes over time (at least they should) they have time to build an audience. A Masters of the Universe show on Prime Video might vanish from everyone’s radar after a weekend. A series has a better chance to build an audience.
Once, we would have said that Masters was simply too elaborate a fantasy world for anyone to properly realize as a live-action series. However, times have changed. We now live in the era of major fantasy epics on streaming platforms like House of the Dragon and Rings of Power. Both of those series spared no expense in creating vibrant fantasy worlds on screen. If they can do it for those properties, nothing is stopping them from doing the same for Masters of the Universe.
A series also offers the creators a chance to go a little bit darker. There shouldn’t really be an R-rated He-Man per se, as this is a property originally designed for kids. But a movie in theaters would have to push the “fun for the whole family” aspect extra hard. If only to make it a four-quadrant blockbuster, and become profitable for the studio. A series, on the other hand, has a little more leeway. It can push the horror design aspects of the villains a little more than a movie could.
There is proof that these characters could look super badass if done right. A few years ago, a concept artist named Paul A. Gerrard, who has worked on projects like The Hellboy reboot, created some astounding concept art for a live-action MOTU. A lot of these pieces were for deep-cut characters that might not appear in a movie. Who wouldn’t binge-watch a show in order to see some of these designs brought to life? The series itself could be a stinker, but we’d still watch to see a cool version of Moss Man.
Masters of the Universe continues to hold sway in our collective memories. The adult collector’s toys have been selling to grown ups for years, as has the Funko Pop! line. Netflix and Kevin Smith did two animated continuations of the He-Man lore, with Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Revolution. Both proved that long-form storytelling is the way to go with the property. Now, all that’s left is for them to do the right thing for the franchise, and make this movie into a backdoor pilot. Here’s hoping the powers that be they still “have the power” to know when to switch gears.
Originally published on January 29. 2020
The post Why MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Should Be a Series, Not a Movie appeared first on Nerdist.
Unless this is your first visit to the website, there’s a good chance you have heard some version of our origin story. The short version is that Omar Holmon and I met in the Poetry Slam community, became friends, became rivals (not really), became closer friends, shared our nerd affinity with each other and came up with an idea to be our Black and nerdy selves with the world at large. We were different types of nerds when we met. Omar was a comic book and manga/anime omega level threat. I was a gaming and fantasy novel archivist. But we overlapped where it mattered most, we absolutely loved this shit. I believe Nicole Homer said it best about our nerd enthusiasms; We are absolutely the cats that kill a bird and then show up on your front step with it saying “please, partake in this splendor that I am enjoying so much. Trust me, you’ll love it.”
It is an understatement to say things have changed dramatically since BNP launched. Even before, when we were having our eventual contributors post on their own blogs before our site was up and running. Or before that, when Omar, Chace Morris aka Mic Write, and myself were writing BarsInPanels where we adapted rap lyrics to our favorite comic book characters [a decade later, I’m still proud of my adaptation of Nicki’s “Monster” set to Wonder Woman]
Pull up in the jet invisible gangsta /
with a bad b*tch who came from Themyscira /…
We started with 9 folks who had one thing in common: They were marginalized nerds and didn’t mind flexing their nerdiness in public. I can’t begin to list all the things I learned over the first couple of years whether it was about the nerd community, managing personalities, how content actually works, the responsibility you have as someone on the internet, etc etc etc. But running the website and all the complimentary things BNP did to supplement the site feels a lot like being a parent. In the respect that every time you think you got some shit figured out, you’re confronted with something new that makes you adapt quickly. So you kind of give up on the idea that you have all the answers and shift to always being as prepared as possible. It’s been a fun, exhaustive and ultimately rewarding tenure. One that has truly changed my life.
We’re a decade deep into his now, so I don’t need to preach to you about why it was important then or is still important now to carve out these spaces. I feel confident that sites, personalities, orgs etc. like Black Nerd Problems who have been beating the drum against the same old stories with nothing but white protagonists or the diminished roles of POC in our favorite media has absolutely had an impact on what media looks like today. As for us, I credit us most with so many people learning how to redefine the word “nerd” and letting folks be comfortable in the shit that they like. I’m most proud of being the place where so many writers got their start and launched them into other spaces. Whether that’s becoming editor-in-chief of bigger sites, writing for major comic book lines, becoming a staff writer for nationally known publications, or the myriad of other ways folks have flourished for us and then flourished after us is truly, honestly heart-warming. It is the best compliment, honestly, and proof that when given the opportunity *our people* can create beautiful things.
I was hesitant to do shoutouts because I don’t want to leave folks out, but it feels disingenuous to not mention my homie for life, Carrie McClain, who I feel most definitively, that without her presence, BNP may not still exist or, we might not have made it past that first year. Look, Omar and I were just a couple of heterosexual dudes puffing out our chests on all things nerdy back in 2014 and to say that Carrie kept us centered and grounded would be an understatement. She was patient with us when she barely knew us. Her ideas and guidance was wholly necessary for us to grow beyond just Omar and my own voice, and her enthusiasm as member of the community and as a writer just made us DIFFERENT in all the best ways. Ok, I’m gonna stop gushing about my friend now, just gonna say I love you and am immensely grateful to you homie.
I want to share some of the viral posts from the site and how they provided touchpoints for us, possibly shifted the way we were viewed, and ultimately make up the DNA of who we are now.
Possibly the first viral post from the site was The Sobering Reality of Actual Black Nerd Problems. The short version is the post my reluctance to by a giant replica weapon at a comic con event after the Darrien Hunt was murdered by police while in a Samurai Champloo cosplay. It was like an announcement of us, our site, our message, and also a planting of the flag of firmly what our politics were, even in this nerd shit.
Lips Like Peggy Carter, A Nerd Girl’s Adventure With Lipstick was the first banger from Carrie McClain and might still be one of my favorite posts on the site. This early in BNPs life, Omar and I were still writing about 70% of the sites postings and this was so wholly different than anything we could ever muster. It’s fun, its unique, its nerdy, and just everything we weren’t doing on the site yet.
When Jordan Calhoun wrote 29 Years Ago, A Goofy Movie Became the Blackest, Most Underrated Nerd Classic of All Time, I remember being in the drafts laughing like, wait, this negro is serious? Is he serious with this? To quote Inception, my problem was, I wasn’t willing to dream a little bigger darling. This is, without question, still the most read post on the site. And easily, one of the most copied and imitated essays in all of pop culture writing. Jordan saw the Matrix with this one and it has headlined the site for years!
#AceDay and Why Batman Should Come out as Asexual by Lauren Bullock was so bold and so damn courageous. The most surefire way to get people mad at you on the internet is to ponder on the sexual orientation of a popular comic book character that has existed for decades. But the piece isn’t meant to spark anything other than the exploration of a character that we have so much data on that Lauren makes a hell of a case. I loved every word of it.
You may know her as an award winning author of the ongoing Forge and Fracture YA Trilogy, but once upon a time, when we barely knew this human, Brittany N. Williams wrote “I’ve Found My People: Wakanda Simply Doesn’t Give a Fuck,” and I hate to admit, it was probably the funniest thing on the site. And Omar is funny, you hear me. But this post was so thorough, so unapologetic, and just outright funny that it boomed on the site instantly. Folks that I had known for years before BNP, who didn’t even read BNP, were hitting me up and asking me about Brittany and this post. She went crazy on that.
There were so many Omar posts that blew up I didn’t really know where to start but they all moved the needle for our site in different ways. His Saga fancast made us popular on the socials. His Banshee recaps got Black Nerd Problems hooked up with HBO/Max at the time. His Blade II Still has the Most Disrespectful Superhero Fades My Black Ass Has Ever Seen was so good and so funny, I basically made this man rewrite it without visuals because it HAD to go in our book. But I have to go with “An Open Letter to Gohan: You Gonna Stop Being Trash Anytime Soon or Nah?” This is the “Not Like Us” of nerd writing and honestly, the folks that came out defending Gohan on this sound a lot like OVO. It is hilarious, kinetic, and just kind of encapsulates everything that Omar does well with his writing that no one else can really do. He said Gohan was in the Home Movies’ Caoch McGuirk Alternate Costume man. I mean, what are we even talkin’ about!?
There were so many more viral columns, so many more ideas I loved like our Top 5 Dead or Alive series, The Wakanda Barbershop / Hair Salon write ups, the great podcast that Victoria, Mikkel, and Keith have been running for years (basically independent I might add), and I feel confident that our recap game was unmatched. It’s a lot of history for 10 years, and the kind of great (terrible) thing about the internet is that it’s all there to revisit. A very fair criticism of me is that I don’t celebrate the wins enough. So to have the privilege to run a site for ten years and provide a space for so many talented and nerdy people is a win. And it will never stop being that. Thank you for rocking with us, Black Nerd Problems has more on the way.
Editor-In-Chief,
William Evans
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The post 10 Years of Being the H. Nerd I.C. for Black Nerd Problems appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images By Victoria Uwumarogie ·
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