deerstalker
In honor of the writer’s 100th birthday, Legion M will debut
exclusive apparel as part of “The Centennial Collection”
Los Angeles, California – July 13, 2022 – Legion M, the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company, has announced its selection of limited edition Stan Lee merchandise, The Centennial Collection, available only at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, and at LegionM.com.
Coined as the “Godfather of Marvel Comics,” Lee was a trailblazer in the comic book universe, penning the iconic stories of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow. Lee created a fantastical world that drew in millions of fans, and over the years has grown to be one of the largest fandoms in history.
“As a company that values the power of fandom, we at Legion M would like to honor and celebrate the amazing contributions Stan Lee made to his fans by launching The Centennial Collection,” said Mandy Bardisbanian, VP of Licensing & Merchandising.
Lloyd Mintz, SVP, Global Consumer Products at Genius Brands International, the company that controls the rights to the Stan Lee Universe in a joint venture with POW! Entertainment, stated: “We are excited to partner with Legion M to bring this exclusive collection of limited edition Stan Lee merchandise to the iconic creator’s legions of fans at Comic-Con this year. This is just one of many initiatives that Genius Brands has in development this year to commemorate what would have been Stan’s 100th birthday celebration this year!”
The Centennial Collection will feature an array of t-shirts, all paying homage to the late writer, Stan Lee. Each day of San Diego Comic-Con, an exclusive t-shirt will be available for that day only, while supplies last. All merchandise will be available for purchase at Booth #3917 and on LegionM.com.
About Legion M:
Legion M is the first entertainment company designed to be OWNED BY FANS. With a rapidly growing community of over 150,000 people (including over 35,000 investors who own a stake in the company), Legion M has raised over $16,000,000 to help finance, produce, develop, release, and monetize film and TV projects including upcoming feature films The Man In The White Van (Sean Astin, Ali Larter, Brec Bassinger, Madison Wolfe), Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose (Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver), and Mary’s Monster (directed by Farren Blackburn and produced by Fulwell 73 and Rose Ganguzza). Working with partners that include NEON, Searchlight, Bleecker Street, SpectreVision, Saban, RLJ, and Screen Media, Legion M has been involved with many notable releases including Colossal (Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis), Mandy (Nicolas Cage, Andrea Rosborough), and the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (Kevin Smith).
Led by two Emmy award-winning serial entrepreneurs, Legion M is backed by an advisory board of Hollywood heavyweights including William Shatner, Dean Devlin, Bill Duke, Leonard Maltin, Eric Ries and senior executives from the studios and streamers. To learn more about investing in Legion M and/or to become a member of the Legion for free, visit www.legionm.com.
About Genius Brands International
Genius Brands International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNUS) is a leading global kids media company developing, producing, marketing and licensing branded children’s entertainment properties and consumer products for media and retail distribution. The Company’s IP portfolio of family-friendly content features the Stan Lee brand, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, coming to Kartoon Channel!; Rainbow Rangers on Kartoon Channel! and Netflix; Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, on Netflix and more. Recently, Genius Brands entered into an agreement to acquire Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media (TSX-V: WOW), which includes 2,500 channels under the Channel Federator Network, and has also made a strategic investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (FRA:RTV), one of Europe’s largest distributors and broadcasters of high-quality programs for children and families.
Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed entertainment platform with 100% penetration in the U.S. television market and international expansion with launches in key markets around the world. The channel is available in the U.S. via a broad range of distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Android TV, Android Mobil, Google Play, Roku, YouTube, KartoonChannel.com, Samsung Smart and LG TVs, the JetBlue Inflight platform and more. Genius Brands will soon launch the subscription-based Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse, featuring metaversal content and over 15,000 animated titles.
For additional information, please visit www.gnusbrands.com.
The post LEGION M TO COMMEMORATE THE LEGENDARY STAN LEE AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON FOR CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY appeared first on The Nerd Element.
A Flippin’ Big Deal That’s Out of this Universe:
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Bob’s Burgers Movie Head to San Diego Comic-Con
with Games and Grub
Plus a Special Family Screening of Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear
In celebration of the Digital and Blu-ray
/DVD releases of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 20th Century Studios’ The Bob’s Burgers Movie and Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear, an exciting range of activities are set to take place at Comic-Con International in San Diego, presented by Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution.
Fans of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Bob’s Burgers Movie can enjoy themed, interactive experiences at the Gaslamp Diagonal, including immersive photo ops, games that are sure to “pack a punch” and complimentary burgers that will “get the patty started.”
Plus, in anticipation of the forthcoming Lightyear home entertainment release, a special family screening of the film will take place on Sunday.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie
WHEN: Thursday, July 21 – Saturday, July 23 | 10am-6pm
WHAT: Fans are invited to get their buns to The Bob’s Burgers Movie activation to enjoy engaging photo ops, play the Lucky Ducks game, and enjoy a complimentary burger during the daily “Patty Hour” from 3-6pm — while supplies last and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Collectors can beef up their movie collection with The Bob’s Burgers Movie – now available on Digital and on Blu-ray and DVD July 19.
WHERE: Gaslamp Diagonal, adjacent to the Omni Hotel (where Sixth Avenue ends)
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
WHEN: Thursday, July 21 – Saturday, July 23 | 10am-6pm & Sunday, July 24 | 10am-2pm
WHAT: Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is taking a thrilling ride to Comic-Con! Experience the multiverse in person with ‘Pop-A-Poppa’ – an entertaining game inspired by Pizza Poppa, the hilarious pizza purveyor from Universe-838. Fans will be given a chance to win prizes, as well as enter a new reality with themed photo ops. Plus, Multiverse Scavenger Hunt invites fans to journey from the Marvel booth through Comic-Con’s multiverse of madness to complete tasks for a chance to win prizes.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now available on Digital and will be released on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD July 26.
WHERE: Gaslamp Diagonal, adjacent to the Omni Hotel (where Sixth Avenue ends)
Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear
WHEN: Sunday, July 24 | 12:45pm
WHAT: Special family screening of Lightyear plus free souvenir postcards for attendees
WHERE: Room 6BCF
The post Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Bob’s Burgers Movie Head to SDCC appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Persuasion is Jane Austen’s last complete novel and a perfect blend of biting wit, sympathy, impressive insight, and terrific style. These aren’t the exact sentiments felt towards the latest Netflix film. 2022’s Persuasion is a more freely updated expression of the classic. It’s the Sparknotes film version for the folks that may be looking for a modern twist to the old English. This is not the best adaptation to come from a Jane Austen novel in this current renaissance of the Regency Era.
2022’s Persuasion is directed by theater director Carrie Cracknell. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, writers include Ron Bass (My Best Friend’s Wedding) and Alice Victoria Winslow in her feature writing debut.
The story follows Anne Elliot. Eight years ago she was persuaded to not marry and give up the love of her life, navy man Frederick Wentworth because he had no title and fortune. This film is about second chances. Wentworth comes back into Anne’s life with money and looking for a wife. Anne must put the past behind her or listen to her heart.
The film stars Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth, 2016), Mia McKenna-Bruce (Get Even), and Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians). It also features Richard E. Grant (Loki), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Luther), Izuka Hoyle (Mary Queen of Scots), and Lydia Rose Bewley (The Royals).
When thinking of a Jane Austen-inspired film, there is emotion — a revelation. The latest adaptation of Persuasion is lacking in these departments. I don’t know if it’s the breaking of the fourth wall, the pacing, or the somewhat anticlimactic ending, but the emotional impact was missing. With any Jane Austen piece, the audience must feel something for the main characters or even one character. Persuading the audience to fall in love with or even care about these characters is a tough order.
If there is one character that played her role memorably, it would be Mia McKenna-Bruce as Mary Elliot or Mrs. Charles Musgrove. Mary’s pride and arrogance lend to the story very well when Anne (Dakota Johnson) comes to visit her upon her request. Mary is dramatic, sarcastic, and funny. She is overall ridiculous, but Mia plays her to the fullest.
Whether it’s being carried in the house by her husband after a long walk because she can’t stand to use her legs anymore or the consistent disregard for her children’s whereabouts, Mary is a character that highlights the correct Jane Austen portrayal of mothers that we so often see in her novels. A minor figure in the story, but a spotlight stealer nevertheless.
Dakota Johnson as the protagonist, Anne Elliot, was charming to start. Her British accent aside, she was convincing, at first, as the least favorite child whose family doesn’t think her beauty is of any consequence. The opening scenes showed a young woman who was sarcastic, smart, witty, and sensible, who had a sense of humor.
It’s an intriguing intro to the character, and you may want to know more, but it is quickly lost. Anne quickly goes from sweet and elegant to patronizing, and maybe even a bit pompous. Again, her direct addresses to the audience, even so far as to wink at the end like it was all a game that she knew she would win, takes away from the character of Anne that Jane Austen fans love.
Persuasion, on occasion, does manage to highlight that wit and sarcasm that Jane Austen was known for. Anne’s use of direct address and fourth wall asides highlights those moments, but to a point where it is unnecessary. The audience can discern sarcasm on their own. What should be funny, like Jim’s asides in The Office, comes across as disingenuous and disrupting to the audience’s flow of emotions.
We see what they were trying to do, but it didn’t work 100 percent as they hoped. The direct addresses make the film somewhat scattered. With not much to do, the film seems to drag along. Then comes Anne with a comment to the audience to get things moving. It’s uneven and boring at times.
The uneven pace makes the resolution unearned. It was rushed and sloppy. The way they treated William Elliot (Henry Golding) minimized what his character means to the story. They treated Lady Russell (Nikki Amuka-Bird) similarly. She should have been a formidable woman, influential, with integrity and honor. She should have been a more formidable antagonist to Anne.
The relationship between Anne and Lady Russell could have been much stronger and more interesting. Kind of a love-hate relationship because she is the one who wants the best for Anne but keeps her from being happy, to begin with. Overall the story could have been much stronger with character relationships leading the charge.
Jane Austen has come to be a popular writer whose stories are reinterpreted and adapted over and over again. Themes of love, loss, and love on your own terms can be found in Persuasion, but the story has always been much more than that. Feminism, politics, the economic position of women, class, and society are what fuel a Jane Austen story. I missed those in this version of Persuasion. This Rom-Com was not the Persuasion we needed today.
Persuasion will be released on Netflix on July 15, 2022.
BURBANK, Calif., (July 14, 2022) – Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios are prepping for Disney’s D23 Expo 2022 presented by Visa in Anaheim, California—a three-day extravaganza that kicks off September 9. Plans are underway at the animation powerhouses for an exciting weekend of announcements, first looks, sneak peeks, and presentations surrounding upcoming feature films and streaming titles—plus interactive displays, artist autograph signings, sharable photo opportunities, filmmaker Q&As, and giveaways.
LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Friday, September 9, 3:30 p.m., Hall D23
Disney Animation and Pixar are teaming up with Disney Live Action on Friday afternoon, welcoming thousands of Disney fans to Hall D23 for a special look at upcoming films and series. Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee will present never-before-seen footage, surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by all-star voice talent from the studios’ upcoming slate of original animated films and series. Fans will get an insider’s view at Pixar’s unique, perspective-shifting, long-form series Win or Lose, which launches on Disney+ next year. Pixar’s Peter Sohn, who helms the 2023 feature Elemental, will transport fans to a city where fire-, water-, land-, and air-residents live side by side. Disney Animation’s Academy Award®-winning director Don Hall will journey alongside fans deep into an uncharted and treacherous land with Strange World—releasing November 23—and Disney Animation and their collaborators from the Pan-African comic book company Kugali will reveal new details about Iwájú, a long-form sci-fi series set in Lagos, Nigeria, that launches on Disney+ next year. Cell phones, cameras, and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.
SHOW FLOOR
September 9 through 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
As Walt Disney Animation Studios kicks off its 100-year anniversary celebration, the studio will showcase its past, present, and future throughout D23 Expo 2022. They’ll team up once again with Pixar Animation Studios on the show floor, creating an immersive animation experience for fans. The studios’ upcoming original feature films, including Disney Animation’s Strange World, releasing this November, and Pixar’s June 2023 release, Elemental, will be highlighted. A six-foot-tall red panda will greet fans, celebrating Pixar’s Turning Red, now streaming on Disney+, and a photo op with Buzz Lightyear and his robot companion cat Sox from the now-in-theaters film Lightyear will be available. Disney Animation will invite guests into the realms of Strange World, Encanto, and more through engaging photo experiences. Fans will also get opportunities to meet the teams behind the series and movies, with autograph signings of exclusive art and promotional item giveaways.
ANIMATION PANELS
Friday, September 9
“traceback”: Celebrating the People of Walt Disney Animation Studios is scheduled for 11:45 a.m.– 12:45 p.m. on the Hyperion Stage.
- The Walt Disney Animation Research Library presents “traceback,” a look at the lives and work as well as the artistic and technical contributions of women and employees of color throughout the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Saturday, September 10
A Century of Storytelling at Walt Disney Animation Studios is scheduled for 2–3 p.m. on the Walt Disney Archives Stage.
- The Walt Disney Animation Research Library celebrates 100 years of Disney Animation storytelling by highlighting the stories and people behind key art and artifacts in its collection.
A Celebration of Disney Animation’s “Encanto” will take place from 3:30–4:30 p.m. on the Premiere Stage.
- Join the team behind Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning hit Encanto for stories behind the making of the film—and a few surprises!
Sneak Peek at “Zootopia+” from Walt Disney Animation Studios will take place from 6–7 p.m. on the Backlot Stage.
- Get a first look at the highly anticipated animated series Zootopia+, coming to Disney+ from Walt Disney Animation Studios, with directors Josie Trinidad and Trent Correy.
Sunday, September 11
100 Years of Treasures from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library is scheduled for 2–3 p.m. on the Backlot Stage.
- Never-before-seen clips, recording sessions, and live-action reference mark 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios as the Animation Research Library unveils newly digitized media from its collection and from its Oral History Project, in which the legends of animation have been interviewed.
A limited number of single-day tickets for Sunday of D23 Expo 2022 are available for $99 for one-day adult admission and $79 for children ages 3–12. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $89 for one-day Sunday adult admission. Single-day Friday and Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2022, visit D23Expo.com.
About Walt Disney Animation Studios
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully animated feature film, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2019’s Frozen 2, the biggest animated film of all time, to our 60th animated feature, Encanto. Among the studio’s timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia.
About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative, and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. The Northern California studio has created some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL•E, Up, Brave, Inside Out, Coco, Soul, and Luca. Its movies and technology have won 40 Academy Awards®, and the films have grossed more than $14 billion at the worldwide box office. Lightyear, Pixar’s 26th feature, released in theaters on June 17, 2022.
About D23 Expo 2022
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, streaming, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2022 news, visit D23Expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 99-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com, with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Duo Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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