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https://nerdist.com/article/everything-we-know-about-prime-videos-fallout-series/

Video game fans have been safely enjoying the excitement/terror of a post-nuclear wasteland since 1997. That’s when Fallout and its ’50s-era Cold War aesthetic first came to stores. Since then countless sequels and spinoffs have turned the game into one of genre’s most successful franchises. Now Fallout is ready to conquer another medium entirely. It’s getting its very own show from Amazon. What kind of story can gamers expect from the adaptation? Who’s behind it and who will star on it? And when will we get a chance to see it? Here’s everything we know about Prime Video’s Fallout series so far.

Title

Prime Video’s adaptation will share the same name as the original game, Fallout.

Fallout‘s Plot

Vault 33
Location: Los Angeles

Fallout, an original series, coming to Prime Video in 2024 pic.twitter.com/tlHh2WutF4

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) August 23, 2023

Prime Video has yet to release an official synopsis for the show, but the streamer has shared some major details about the adaptation. The series is “set in the future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles and world of Fallout.” It will also tell an “original story based on Fallout that will be part of the canon of the games.” 

The first look at the show also featured a look at the franchise’s all-new Vault 33.

Behind the Scenes

Fallout comes from Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, and Kilter Films. The latter is the production company of executive producers Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, creators of HBO’s Westworld.

Writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner will also serve Fallout co-showrunners and executive producers. Nolan directs the first three episodes.

Fallout‘s Cast

The show stars: Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Aaron Moten (Emancipation), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Leslie Uggams (Deadpool), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance), Johnny Pemberton (Ant-Man), Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O’Hagan (Law & Order: SVU), and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time). 

Fallout‘s Release Date

Prime Video celebrated the 26th “Fallout Day” by announcing when the series will premiere via a Pip-Boy-style message. The show begins its post-apocalyptic adventure on April 12, 2024.

PLEASE REMAIN CALM. An Important Dated Message Brought to You By Your Friends at @PrimeVideo. pic.twitter.com/yyaFynVjAK

— FALLOUT (@falloutonprime) October 23, 2023

That’s a lot closer than it sounds, which means we should start getting trailers and more information soon, too. When we do you’ll find everything you need to know about Prime Video’s Fallout right here.

The post Everything We Know About Prime Video’s FALLOUT Series appeared first on Nerdist.

https://nerdist.com/article/loki-temporal-loom-marvel-comics-inspiration/

The Temporal Loom is central to Loki’s second season, and we learn it’s critical in making the Time Variance Authority function. But what is Loki‘s Temporal Loom exactly? Here’s what we know about the Temporal Loom from Loki season two and what we can glean from Loki‘s various inspirations.

The MCU’s Loom: Loki Season Two’s Temporal Loom

Created by He Who Remains at some unknown point in time, Loki‘s Temporal Loom takes raw temporal energy and refines it into a physical timeline. Part of the reason the TVA prunes the extra timelines is so that the Temporal Loom doesn’t overload trying to “weave” too many timelines at once. Without the Temporal Loom, the TVA can’t function. And if it overloads, the TVA goes boom, and all of reality would soon follow. In episode two, we learn that a meltdown can’t be prevented without the temporal aura, or time signature, of He Who Remains. Who is currently quite dead.

By the third episode of Loki season two, the Temporal Loom is indeed overloading, thanks to the countless branched timelines that are returning with the death of He Who Remains. It simply wasn’t made to handle so many divergent timelines branching off at once. And without it, not only does the TVA cease to function, but chaos will reign in the multiverse. But we also learned of the origins of the Temporal Loom and how they tie into a specific Kang variant.

Victor Timely and the Origins of the MCU’s Temporal Loom

In episode three of Loki’s second season, Loki and Morbius travel back in time to the year 1893. There, they encounter a variant of He Who Remains. This variant, Victor Timely, is presenting his latest invention at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. It’s a very rudimentary version of the Temporal Loom, sold to the 19th-century audience as a way of harnessing energy. Victor Timely was able to create this Temporal Loom prototype based on his understanding of the descriptions of the TVA manual. A book that was left for him by Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes when he was a child. Of course, the Temporal Loom malfunctions on stage after a mere few minutes. Yet it shows that as early as the 1890s, a Kang variant was working on the very thing that would make the TVA run.

But does this powerful device have a precedent in the pages of Marvel Comics? Well, yes and no. But mostly, no. However, Loki season two’s Temporal Loom found inspiration in various parts of Marvel’s comics and actual myth.

Loki‘s Temporal Loom and Its Mythological Inspirations

In Greek mythology, there is a Loom of the Fates, which also exists in the Marvel Universe. In Norse mythology, that loom is the Loom of the Norns. (Marvel Comics combines these two mythologies together into one.) Essentially, in mythology, the three Fates weave this loom to shape the life and destiny of every being in creation. Thor destroyed the Loom of the Fates in Thor Vol. 2 #85 and broke the thread that holds the destiny of Asgardians, from which Those Who Sit Above in Shadow were absorbing energy. Those Who Sit Above were the silent beings who created the Asgardian Gods. So it’s fitting that a powerful loom that determines how the universe flows originated in Thor comics since the MCU’s Temporal Loom now appears in Loki, thus tying it to Thor’s mythos.

Spider-Man’s Loomworld

In the Spider-Man lore, there’s another powerful loom of sorts, reminiscent of Loki‘s temporal loom. The loom in this instance is a whole world itself, one that accesses all existence. There’s an entire Loomworld, where beings called the Inheritors could access the Web of Life and Destiny to travel across the multiverse and hunt down Spider-Totems. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse especially drew inspiration from this. They created the Loomworld of conquered realms from countless wars fought across realities. Eventually, several spider-people formed the Web-Warriors. They operated from Loomworld and used it as a focal point to protect the multiverse, which is similar to how the MCU’s TVA works.

Temporal Limbo, Chronopolis, and the Heart of Forever

In the comics, Kang did not create the TVA. There was a “He Who Remains,” but as far as we know, he’s not a Kang variant. However, the TVA has a lot in common with the realm of Limbo, a place outside of time historically ruled by Immortus, who was, of course, a Kang variant. Temporal Limbo was a timeless realm facilitating time travel to various points in history. Much like the MCU’s TVA, it existed outside the time stream. And time did not flow there the way it does everywhere else.

Limbo is also part of Chronicles, which has something very similar to the MCU’s TVA. At its heart is the most important component of the city, the Heart of Forever. It’s a trans-chronal engine that enabled Kang’s home to exist in every branch of the timestream simultaneously. While not exactly like the Temporal Loom in Loki, it has key similarities.

In the end, Loki‘s Temporal Loom is a hodgepodge of different elements from the pages of Marvel Comics—not to mention actual mythology itself. Ultimately, though, the Temporal Loom is a unique creation designed for the MCU. However, we’d hardly be surprised to see it retconned into the comics at some point.

Originally published on October 5, 2023.

The post LOKI’s Temporal Loom: What Is It and What Are Its Marvel Comics Inspirations? appeared first on Nerdist.

https://nerdist.com/article/how-the-universal-monsters-dracula-frankenstein-wolf-man-became-the-mascots-of-halloween/

The traditional mascots of Halloween tend to be skeletons, witches, zombies and the like, but also, a handful of very specific horror characters. Namely Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man. Occasionally we get supporting appearances by the Mummy, Frankenstein’s Bride, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. We see them in Halloween decorations decade after decade, and on any and all kinds of Halloween merchandise. Now, most of these characters are technically in the public domain, as the trademark on those 19th-century novels they came from has long since expired. But it’s not just any versions of these characters that have become ubiquitous with spooky season. They’re the ones from Universal Pictures, who dominated Hollywood from the 1930s through the early ’50s.

But how did this happen? How did these specific versions of certain monsters become icons of a whole season? After all, most people under the age of 50 have never even seen those Universal Monsters movies. At least, not beyond clips used in other media. Even modern-day kids, for whom these films might as well be as old as the pyramids, know who these specific character archetypes are. Many still dress like them each Halloween. Ultimately, the story of how the Universal Monsters became synonymous with Halloween is about the power of the Hollywood dream machine, and how movies can create icons that transcend the big screen and enter the pop culture fabric. Decades after their supposed expiration date.

The Universal Monsters Become Hollywood’s First Big Franchise

The Universal Monsters as we know them launched in 1931, with the release of Dracula and Frankenstein. Both films were based on already celebrated novels, and had prior silent adaptations. But these versions were instant blockbusters, and the double whammy of Dracula and Frankenstein‘s massive success helped save Universal Studios financially that year. However, both versions deviated from their book incarnations. Dracula wearing a tuxedo and cape like a dapper gentleman? That was an invention of the 1924 stage play, popularized on screen by Bela Lugosi. Frankenstein’s iconic, lumbering look, with the flattop head and the bolts coming out of actor Boris Karloff’s neck? That was certainly not how Mary Shelley described him. No, that was the invention of makeup artist Jack Pierce. Once millions of moviegoers saw those versions, however, they imprinted on the mass consciousness. They became the definitive versions of Dracula and Frankenstein.

As many know now, Universal Pictures launched a whole universe of monster sequels coming from these films. There was The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, and eventually The Wolf Man. Starring Lon Chaney Jr., The Wolf Man was not based on any one werewolf story. But the idea of a werewolf, half-man/half-wolf hybrid who walks on two legs, was also Universal Pictures’ invention. By 1948, and after endless crossovers and sequels, the monster well had run dry. Dracula and Frankenstein had become parodies, mocked in comedic films like Universal’s own Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. That might have been the end of them, were it not for the advent of television in the 1950s. Combined with a post-war suburban surge in trick or treating, this confluence of events would keep these versions of the classic monsters cemented in the public consciousness for all time. And forever linked to Halloween night.

The Monster Craze of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s

These new television stations needed content. Lots of it. In 1957, those old Universal horror classics were sold as a package, and started to be rerun late at night, primarily on shows like Shock Theater. Baby Boomer kids became obsessed with the classic monsters, which their parents now discarded as silly camp. To them, they weren’t necessarily scary, they were cool, outsider figures to admire. This led to magazines celebrating those old movie boogeymen, like Famous Monsters of Filmland the very next year, and a ton of merchandise. Specifically, Halloween costumes. The chief producers of cheap, vinyl Halloween costumes from the ’50s through the mid-80s were Ben Cooper (pictured below) and Collegeville. They did their off-brand version of the Universal Monsters, and Frankenstein became their biggest seller. Suburban streets were flooded with pint-sized versions of the Universal Monsters on October 31, owning the night.

During this time, tons of other companies, like Dennison and even Hallmark, who produced Halloween merchandise used the images of the Universal Monsters, now beloved by American kids. However, not all had the official Universal license. In fact, most didn’t. But those other companies found a way to skirt around such pesky legalities. Their Frankenstein might be pale orange instead of green. Their Dracula might have more exaggerated features, so as to not be confused with Bela Lugosi. But everyone knew; these versions were the same monsters from those old movies. Changing little details was enough to not get sued by Universal, but every kid knew exactly who they were. And because they managed to do a dance around trademarks, they were used to sell everything from Colgate shampoo to Fritos chips, especially at Halloween. Off-brand or not, the Universal Monsters became the unofficial ambassadors of the holiday.

The Universal Monsters Become Rock Stars, Sell Cereal, and Star in Cartoons

The early ‘60s was when the “Monster Craze” peaked. During this time, model kits were all the rage so Aurora Plastics sold thousands of models of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and the Mummy. These began in 1962, and they sold so briskly that the plant where they were made had to run overtime to keep up with demand. The same year, a novelty single cashed in on the fad, Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “The Monster Mash.” Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolf Man all got a namecheck. The song became a Halloween season staple, and has remained so for 60 years. The creatures that terrorized the Greatest Generation were now the cuddly Halloween season icons of their children. Just as Santa and his elves became the mascots of Christmas, versions of Universal’s monsters were now the same for Halloween.

The apex of this fad was the release of The Munsters on TV in 1964. In a Universal-produced show, Herman Munster’s makeup could legally look like the one made famous by Karloff. But it further ingrained the idea of these monsters as almost cuddly friends to kids, and representative of all things Halloween. They’d continue to become kid-friendly going into the ‘70s, and non-official versions turned into wholesome entertainment, with animated shows like The Groovie Ghoulies, the Count on Sesame Street, and the Monster cereals like Count Chocula and Franken Berry.

There was even Drac Pack, a cartoon that reinvented the classic monsters as teenage superheroes. And, of course, Scooby-Doo had fun doing their own versions of the Universal Monsters, although there was always some boring old man under the mask. Halloween was mainly a kid’s holiday, so naturally, the monsters kids like the most ruled it. Although this trend slowed down after the ’70, it reached all the way into the ’80s, with all the Universal Monsters together (again, off-brand) fighting Goonies-style kids in The Monster Squad. That film, of course, became a Halloween night tradition.

Why the Classic Monsters Will Always Rule Halloween

This trend of paying homage (but also defanging) these icons continues all the way to the modern day, with franchises like Hotel Transylvania. All of these versions of the Universal Monsters are tweaked ever so slightly, as to avoid copyright infringement. However, it’s unmistakable who they are to anyone who knows. Collectively, all these knock-offs have kept the Universal Monsters alive in the minds of one generation after the next. Audiences would take seriously characters like Dracula on film, but in every instance, they’d have to ditch the old Universal trappings to become scary once more. Sure, these days, modern horror icons are just as ubiquitous with the season. But no others really embody Halloween night like the originals. As these classic Universal versions slowly became the domain of young kids, they became the domain of the Halloween season itself. And we don’t foresee that changing anytime soon.

The post How the Universal Monsters Became the Mascots of Halloween appeared first on Nerdist.

https://nerdist.com/article/duffer-brothers-stranger-things-5-details-run-time-hawkins-max-spinoff-series-netflix/

Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 left us with quite a cliffhanger, so it makes sense that people are ready beyond ready for more. This long-running saga of a superpowered girl, her nerdy friends, and a small town with a dark dimension beneath is wrapping up its story for good, making people extra excited. Stranger Things 5 will be the last season, a plan that the Duffer Brothers have had since the beginning. So naturally, they have been dropping information here and there for a while. Here’s what we know so far about Stranger Things 5. 

Stranger Things 5 Releases Pre-Vis First-Looks at Episode One

Who would have thought we’d have our first-look at Stranger Things 5 so early. At least, a technical first-look. In support of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the Stranger Things 5 writers, who were recently allowed to return to work, posted a very interesting-looking Steve Harrington.

FYI this is pre-vis for a scene in ep 1. So technically your first look at season 5. We told Joe he has to perform it EXACTLY like this.

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 28, 2023

They followed up the slightly freaky image by noting, “FYI, this is pre-vis for a scene in ep 1. So technically your first look at season 5. We told Joe he has to perform it EXACTLY like this.” This Stranger Things 5 “first look” doesn’t actually reveal anything… But we are glad to see Steve, regardless.

They did Charlie dirty pic.twitter.com/NOWxnTou4l

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 29, 2023

The writers also shared a continuation of the moment and revealed that Jonathan is also present in it. It looks like they might be working on a car or something of the sort together. We honestly wouldn’t mind seeing a little bit more of their tenuous friendship.

Lastly, Stranger Things‘ writers have revealed pre-viz for a scene in Stranger Things 5 that features Nancy, Jonathan, and Dustin. They’re screaming a lot in a car… and also appear to possibly be heading into the Upside Down by way of Stranger Things 2 location McCorkle’s farm. Very interesting.

One more week without a deal. One more week closer to this: pic.twitter.com/YoisWTVIA3

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) October 20, 2023

Stranger Things 5 Will Be a Return to Season One and More

The Duffer Brothers teased the tone we can expect from Stranger Things 5. They shared:

Five, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s sort of got a little bit from each… Whereas before, each season was so [distinct]… [Season] 3 is our big summer blockbuster season with big monsters, and [Season] 4 was the psychological horror. Five, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s sort of got a little bit from each. I think that what we’re trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit, in sort of the tone of 1.

While having an Eleven-centric final season is a no-brainer, The Duffer Brothers affirm via a Variety interview that Will Byers is going to once again become a big focus in Stranger Things‘ final season. There’s no outright onscreen confirmation that Will is indeed gay (we do get lots of heavy hinting); however, actor Noah Schnapp did reveal his truth via TikTok as well as previously stating that his character is gay. In an interview with Variety, Schnapp affirms his own journey would inform how he portrays Will in the final season.

“I think the way I act in season five, honestly, might be a little different,” Schnapp says. “I will be fully aware of who I am. Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I’m honestly just excited.”

Ross Duffer further adds, “Will really takes center stage again in [season five]. This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality—it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

In terms of scale, the episodes are still as epic as Stranger Things 4‘s were. In fact, Stranger Things’ writers had quite a visceral way of describing the upcoming season. Take a look.

Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids.

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) March 21, 2023

Additionally, the script for Stranger Things 5 made Netflix executives cry, according to the creators… And David Harbour refers to it as “very, very moving.” So strap in folks.

Will There Be a Time Jump Between Stranger Things 4 and Stranger Things 5?

If you’re wondering whether we’ll see a major time jump between Stranger Things 4 and Stranger Things 5, it sounds like the answer is no, but the door does remain open.

In an interview recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, David Harbour chatted to the Happy Sad Confused podcast about when Stranger Things 5 will pick up the story. He offered, “…when you watch us on that hill looking at the ash and the smoke and fires—we’re going to start somewhere after that. So you’ve got to imagine the world is a different place.” Of course, somewhere after that could mean more than a little time, but it does feel like the ash is still hanging in the air when the cameras begin to roll.

The Title of Stranger Things 5‘s First Episode

To celebrate Stranger Things Day, Netflix gave us a tease of what we might expect in the final season of the show. Well, a tiny tease, anyway. Netflix released the title of Stranger Thing 5‘s first episode. The episode’s title? “Chapter One: The Crawl.”

Hrm… The doesn’t really clear much up. But for our money, that better mean Eddie Munson’s crawl back to life from his death in the Upside Down. Listen, it could happen. We guess we’ll just have to hang on for now. But we feel sure thousands of theories about this Stranger Things 5 title are already brewing.

Stranger Things 5 Will Be Shorter Than Stranger Things 4

Stranger Things 5 will be shorter than this very, very long season. According to an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the reason for this is pretty simple. “The only reason we don’t expect [Season 5] to be as long is because, this season, if you look at it, it’s almost a two-hour ramp-up before our kids really get drawn into the supernatural mystery,” Matt Duffer said. “You get to know them, you get to see them in their lives, all while they’re struggling with adapting to high school and so forth … Steve’s trying to find a date. All of that.” 

For now, it looks like the Duffer brothers and other Stranger Things writers are teasing us with an eight-episode Stranger Things 5.

Grid stage pic.twitter.com/b8EmBsafUF

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) August 25, 2022

Based on the end of Stranger Things 4, this all makes sense. There’s plenty going on with them immediately in Stranger Things 5, to be honest. And this doesn’t mean we’ll get a shorter finale. The runtime for the very last episode will be movie length and have a Return of the King type of deal with eight endings. Goodness. 

Stranger Things 5 Will Only Be Set in Hawkins 

Stranger Things 4 felt like that song about the dude who’s been everywhere, man. There were so many locations in several states (and even Russia). But the final season will stick to the place where we began this adventure: Hawkins, Indiana. According to Matt Duffer, returning to home base is what it’s all about. “We wanna go back to a lot of the things we did in season one,” Duffer told Entertainment Weekly. “A lot of the original groupings and pairings that we had in season one–there’s something nice about coming full circle.”

This is interesting considering the new faces we’ve added on like Robin and Erica. Where will they fit into these groups in Stranger Things 5? We know the first season was heavy on Mike, Dustin, and Lucas being together while Will was missing. Uh, oh. Does this mean Will will separate from his buddies again? 

One thing we got confirmed: the Duffer Brothers know how Stranger Things will end. And we can only speculate what they have up their sleeves. 

The Work Is Currently on Hold for Stranger Things 5 

In a Collider interview, Ross Duffer confirmed that the writers’ room will be back to work in August 2022. However, things came to a grinding halt in May 2023 with the writers’ strike. The Stranger Things writers room made a post on Twitter affirming that production would stop until a fair deal was reached.

Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023

This likely means we won’t get Stranger Things 5 until 2025. And that’s okay. The most important issue is to make sure that actors and writers are being treated fairly.

The Stranger Things Spinoff Will Connect to the Series

That elusive Stranger Things spinoff that only the Duffer Brothers and apparently Finn Wolfhard know about will have “connective tissue” with the series. They will be involved in putting it together but they also want to put the reins in someone else’s hands so they can take a step back. In the aforementioned podcast interview, they admit to wanting to stay involved. But they also say they are looking for “that right person to pass the baton to” so they can do new things. Makes sense considering they have been in Stranger Things land for several years. 

Max Is in a Really, Really Bad Situation 

The Duffers also confirm some really sad news about Max and her fate on Stranger Things. Apparently, she is alive but “brain dead, blind, and all her bones are broken.” So, at least for now, Max is certainly not the same person she was before. It’s not clear how this will play into Stranger Things season five but hopefully, she won’t end up being some vessel for Vecna or anything. We can’t bear to see anything else happen to Max. Save her, please! 

Originally published on July 5, 2022.

The post Every STRANGER THINGS 5 Tease Released So Far appeared first on Nerdist.