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NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is adding another feat to his portfolio. The Milwaukee Bucks hooper is a minority owner after he acquired a stake in Major League Soccer side Nashville SC.
According to ESPN, Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, and Giannis’ brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alex are also minority owners.
“Soccer is a global sport, and our newest owners once again reinforce our club’s commitment to being a global team,” John Ingram, Nashville SC owner said in a statement. “Filip and Giannis are not just amazing athletes — they are ambassadors for their respective sports, role models for millions and advocates in their hometowns and worldwide. We share a common belief that our teams not only play to the highest standards but also lift up their communities and help those who need it most.”
“[Nashville] seems like a special place; there’s so much that’s up-and-coming,” Thanasis Antetokounmpo said to ESPN. “And we kind of had the same journey as well. Like, we’ve really fought to be in the big leagues, to be there, to be acknowledged, and somebody came and gave us an opportunity. And at the same time, for us to not only give the sport of soccer an opportunity to grow but [be known] overseas as well. I want people globally to know about Nashville and see the soccer team. So it’s a thing for us. It’s big.”
Yes, the Antetokounmpo brothers are elite basketball players with NBA rings under their belts, but soccer has also been a part of their life.
“My father was a professional soccer player, and it was the first sport I fell in love with in Greece,” Giannis said. “I’ve always had the dream of owning a soccer team. When my brothers and I explored Nashville SC, we knew it was a team and a city that we wanted to get involved with. I couldn’t be more excited to join the Boys in Gold, and can’t wait to come to a match at GEODIS Park soon!”
The elder Antetokounmpo played professional soccer in Nigeria and Germany. Their brother Francis also played professional soccer in Greece.
“I know he’ll be so proud of us today, that this is happening,” Thanasis said. “It’s not just the investment part of it. There’s a part of it that’s a legacy, that for us, it’s for generations to come that we’re part of this.”
Franchises refuse to die. Like some kind of alien spore species, they stick around and evolve and adapt ad infinitum for the purpose of money. Anyway, there’s going to be another Alien movie. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Fede Alvarez, the director behind Don’t Breathe and 2013’s Evil Dead, will write and direct an original standalone movie in the 43-year-old franchise. Ridley Scott, who directed the original Alien as well as the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, will produce. Mare of Easttown‘s Cailee Spaeny will star in the movie.
Also joining the cast are David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. The movie, from 20th Century Studios, will evidently go directly to Hulu to compete in the streaming space. A short synopsis shares:
In this ninth entry in the immensely popular and enduring film series, a group of young people on a distant world find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
The Hollywood Reporter says 20th Century plans to make more than 10 movies a year for the Disney-owned streaming service. Alien, a proven worldwide quantity, would likely entice people to subscribe to Hulu. Disney has a track record of sending prestigious movies to its streaming services; Turning Red will mark the third Pixar movie in a row to debut exclusively on Disney+.
This movie will not, as far as we know, have any direct connection to the upcoming Alien TV series set to debut on FX on Hulu in 2023. Hulu is, of course, the more adult side of Disney’s streaming machinations, keeping Disney+ mainly to family-friendly fare.
The Alien franchise has a total of eight films, including the two very bad Alien vs. Predator films. Though the news describes Alvarez’s movie as “standalone,” we don’t know if that means it will have absolutely no connection to any of the previous entries, or if it’ll just be outside the Ripley or David sagas. Alvarez’s most recent directorial work was as the writer and director of the animated horror series Calls on Apple TV+.
Regardless of which direction Alvarez goes for the film, we can be sure we’ll never have to wait too long again for a facehugger or Xenomorph to grace a screen.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
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The universe of Matt Reeves’ The Batman is expanding exponentially. Separate from the DCU involving the other DC heroes, Reeves’ world is hyper gritty, and focused solely on the world of Gotham City. And the first project of this new The Batman-verse is an HBO Max series focusing on Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin.
Most recently, we learned that Clancy Brown has joined the cast as Salvatore Maroni. Worth noting, in the comics, Maroni was responsible for throwing acid at Harvey Dent. This, of course, led Dent to become Two-Face. This could be an interesting way to bring the iconic villain into The Batman‘s world.
Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming series centered on the so-called criminal King of Gotham, once again played by Colin Farrell.
Title
As far as anyone knows, the title of the series is simply “The Penguin.” Although that may change closer to release.
The Penguin‘s Plot
Based on early statements, it seems the plot of the series focuses on Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot as he rises in the ranks of Gotham’s underworld, and becomes a power player. It will take place in the aftermath of the flooding of Gotham City, as seen in the final act of The Batman. Here’s what producer Matt Reeves had to say about the show’s premise:
Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman. Having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill. Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.
Star Colin Farrell also clarified when exactly the show takes place, confirming they will set it immediately post-The Batman.
[The Penguin] starts about a week after the film The Batman ends. So Gotham is still somewhat underwater… I read the first script for the first episode, and it opens up with my feet splashing through the water in Falcone’s office. Even just that alone, I read it, I was like, ‘Oh, jeez.’ It’s lovely. It’s so well-written.”
In an interview with Variety, HBO Max head of originals Sarah Aubrey had this follow-up, including that the movie show will bridge the gap between the first movie and its sequel.
The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can. As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters. It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level, because he’s not flying around like Batman does. We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.
Reeves has also spoken about how The Penguin fits into a connected world with The Batman and The Batman 2, noting, “There’s actually a whole little fabric of things we’re wanting to do, the way we’re doing with [the] Penguin and how that comes back into how that will lead into the sequel, and what that sequel is going to be.”
Although not confirmed, we imagine the Penguin’s infamous Iceberg Lounge will play a central role in the series. It is not yet known how (or if) the HBO Max Arkham Asylum series will tie-in to The Penguin series. Only that it will be set in the same universe.
How Many Episodes?
In an interview with Variety‘s Award Circuit podcast, Colin Farrell confirmed the show will be eight episodes long.
Behind the Scenes
Lauren LeFranc will write the script for the series and serve as showrunner. The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark will serve as executive producers, along with star Colin Farrell. Reeves won’t be directing, at least not early on. Directing an early episode is Craig Zobel.
The Penguin‘s Cast
In the title role is the returning Colin Farrell. Also in the cast is Cristin Milioti as the female lead of the show, Sofia Falcone. Just like her comic book counterpart, Sofia Falcone is the daughter of Carmine Falcone. John Turturro played the elder Falcone in The Batman. Sofia is fighting with the Penguin (Farrell) for control of the city. This is very much like her character in Batman: The Long Halloween, a big influence on Reeves’ version of Gotham. No word yet on if other characters from the film will appear.
In addition, Variety reports that Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Deirdre O’Connell have joined the cast in unknown roles. Additionally, Runways‘ Rhenzy Feliz has also come aboard.
The Penguin‘s Release Date
The Penguin hits HBO Max sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
Originally published November 9, 2022.
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