Lionsgate made a major impact by showcasing an action-packed lineup of upcoming films, franchise expansions, and new IPs. Some of the biggest highlights included first looks at John Wick spin-off Ballerina, Francis Lawrence’s Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and The Housemaid based on the popular best-selling novel of the same name.
Neon a studio that is surely making a name for itself, with recently earning a best picture win for the film Anora, has a number of titles due for release this year. Here’s a list of the following:
Neon’s upcoming slate include:
– Splitsville starring Dakota Johnson
– Keeper Oz Perkins fall release
– Upcoming Boots Riley film with I Love Boosters with Demi Moore
– The Wrong Girls – a stoner comedy with Seth Rogen and Kristen Stewart
Remarks from Cinema United industry professionals were mentioned, but one of the most notable quotes came from CEO Michael O’Leary who is advocating for a longer window for movies to stay in theaters. Nothing short of 45 days to be exact. He also believes, “we should not present see at home options while the film is still in the theaters.”
Ana de Armas came on stage to present her film Ballerina. She discussed the high-intensity training that went into her role. BGN chatted with her in an interview at CinemaCon and you can catch more of her remarks about the film below:
Mark Hamill, Francis Lawrence and David Jonsson came onstage to chat about The Long Walk. This is one of the rare moments we see Mark Hamill play a villain in major role.
Actor David Jonsson, who is having a stellar moment this past year with films such as Alien: Romulus and Rye Lane, spoke of Mark’s character as being not a likeable person, but it was so hard because Mark himself is someone he liked so much. David also added said it was a grueling set to work on. The Long Walk premieres in theaters Sept 12th. The trailer is pretty intense, the best way to describe it is if Hunger Games and Speed had a baby, they would produce this.
Speaking of Hunger Games, Francis Lawrence was back onstage to talk about the next installment Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping which releases in theaters November 20 2026. CinemaCon attendees left the presentation with a free copy of Suzanne Collins’ latest book.
Luca Guadagnino was on video chatting about his American Psycho movie but mentioned he’s traveling and will arrive later to CinemaCon. It’s likely to promote his film After The Hunt.
There was more John Wick news, including a confirmed anime prequel and another sequel. John Wick 5 is indeed happening! Donnie Yen is also set to direct and reprise his role in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Caine for a spinoff film, which begins production in Hong Kong later this year.
The Aziz Ansari movie Good Fortune comes out this Fall.
It was also announced there would be no Michael footage screened at CinemaCon. Micheal Jackson’s biopic only got a mention and no other information was shared. There were no poster displays at CinemaCon for the title either.
Power Ballad with Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas and the two actors show they have great chemistry on screen based on the trailer screened at CinemaCon.
The release date for Now You See Me Now You Don’t is November, 14, 2025.
Paul Feig, Sydney Sweeney, Brandon Skelnar and Amanda Seyfried came onstage to present The Housemaid. Amanda Seyfried says, “We created some really wacky shit”. And Brandon Skelnar adds, “Andrew is pretty fuckin unhinged”.
Jenna Ortega came on stage for Hurry Up Tomorrow she describes the premise of the film is psychological. Also described as a “singular cinematic experience” the film Hurry Up Tomorrow will premiere in theaters May 16.
The film also stars The Weeknd, who came on stage in a surprise pop-up live performance on stage performing one of his most notable singles “Blinding Lights”.
And the presentation ends with a musical performance along with some exciting titles coming our way from Lionsgate and Neon.
The post The Lionsgate Presentation at CinemaCon appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Shinichirō Watanabe is responsible for some of the best anime of the last three decades.
Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Carole & Tuesday are on the top of my list of best anime for newcomers to the format right up there with Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Haikyuu. Y’all have been here long enough to know when I’m invoking those two, it’s *real* good. But these are series that need little to no introduction. When I type Tank!, a nontrivial amount of you are currently hearing a series of brass instruments followed by “Okay, three, two, one, let’s jam” followed by more brass.
You are more than likely here because you already know that Watanabe is one of the greats and this is his first project in six years, and it’s got Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame directing the action sequences, more jazz, and animation from MAPPA.
Lazarus, by pedigree alone, was always going to be good, so the question that is really on everyone’s mind is Lazarus going to be great?
I’ve watched the first five episodes, and my answer is a solid “maybe.”
The moment the show starts, the animation is ethereal and atmospheric. The opening narration quickly explains the premise of the show: Dr. Skinner released Hapna, the best painkiller ever developed to the world, and then vanished for a bit, before coming back and informing the world that anyone who took the drug was gonna end up dead unless they manage to find him. This exposition is prologued with the following line:
“If you find yourself unable to feel, then that is no different than being dead.”
And then the jazz kicks in, and it very much feels like a homecoming, especially when we meet our poster child, Axel Gilberto. Axel is in line with your typical Watanabe protagonist, although perhaps borrowing a few more moves from the Mugen school of acrobatics while still maintaining the swagger of Spike Spiegel.
Your pilot is a typical pilot, an introduction to the world and to the cast at a very high level. It’s entertaining enough, and the end credits countdown the number of days left to find Skinner before it all goes to hell.
The next few episodes manage to texture the world further as different characters provide different perspectives on their interaction with Hapna. And the sense of worldbuilding is fantastic. The 2050s set pieces manage to feel grounded while showing off a sleek futuristic sense of style and spectacle between all the slickly designed tech, whether it’s massive drones or new age motorcycles. You can believe that this is a world where such a powerful and mysterious drug can be developed, and you can just as easily believe the world’s reaction to the revelation that there is a mass extinction event on the horizon.
The titular Lazarus team is brought together with a little Suicide Squad magic. Everyone’s got some red in their ledger, and some are there voluntarily trying to get rid of it and some are there because it’s mandatory. The team of five is your typical composition of 3 men and 2 women, with four field agents and one running tech support from home base. The first string of episodes shows them in a wide variety of scenarios and shenanigans all in service of their primary mission, with each character getting to pepper in details here and there about their backstory and personality.
Is the main cast likable? Absolutely. Do they radiate a certain aura of cool? You bet they do. Are they still a little archetypical? Unfortunately.
Whereas Cowboy Bebop introduced their principle cast of four over 9 episodes (yeah, Faye showing up in 3 makes perfect sense, but it is wild that Ed doesn’t show up until *episode 9*) and Samurai Champloo and Carole & Tuesday had naturally smaller casts, Lazarus doesn’t generate that same level of endearment for its characters. Axel, Doug, Chris, Leland, and Eleina are entertaining to watch, but their shared screen time in pursuit of solving the grand serialized mystery leave me with only their vibe. Lots of things are implied, but nothing is really known, which can work to a degree, but Axel being a serial prison escapee is nowhere near as iconic as his predecessors.
All that said, Lazarus does stand out in pretty much every other field. The soundtrack is aural bliss, and the action scenes are everything you ever wanted from the vision of Watanabe and the direction of Stahelski. The John Wick DNA is evident and present, and we are thankful for it. The hand to hand is superb, the gun play is clean, the parkour is so much fun to watch. When the characters are in their bag, functionally being superheroes or superspies, the show sings. MAPPA’s animation is so good I continue to wonder how they keep managing to produce the sheer number of high-quality projects that they do. I was enthralled by each episode, so I can forgive the first five episodes for not quite getting their footing for their ambitious scale.
The entire premise of the story comes at a very specific time in our own history, where we are dealing with the aftermath of an opioid crisis and an insurance industry that actively seems indifferent to us. It’s telling that this is the second series that Adult Swim has put out this year about a so-called miracle drug (and you should definitely be watching Common Side Effects, especially since the second season has been confirmed). And that premise is inherently fascinating to me, and why I’m more than willing to keep watching the sleek spectacle.
Lazarus has a solid foundation, a compelling myth arc, clever storytelling, and a cast that needs just a few more dedicated scenes to their own backstory to really sell them. Lazarus also lives in the shadows cast by its predecessor series, some of the most iconic in anime. And only time will tell how far out it will make it, but it does have a decent running start.
Lazarus premieres 4/5 @ midnight on Toonami on Adult Swim, next day on Max.
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The post Saving the World from Big Pharma Never Looked So Slick – ‘Lazarus’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry and One World, a Random House Publishing Group imprint, announced on March 29 that Curry and the imprint have agreed to a three-book deal, with the first book, “Shot Ready,” set to debut on Sept. 9.
According to the press release from One World, Curry will draw on his personal journey in hopes of inspiring people from backgrounds different from his own to meet challenges in their lives.
Steph’s new book “Shot Ready” is available for preorder now at https://t.co/9iuYMYCzHC!
— Anika
“Shot Ready is a powerful distillation of Stephen Curry’s transformative philosophy of success–centered on preparation, constant improvement, creativity, connection, mindfulness, and joy —… pic.twitter.com/AglEzmjQxY(@WardeIICurry30) March 29, 2025
“I want to use my story to connect with people of different backgrounds and help them solve the puzzle of their own potential,” Curry said in a statement. “This book is a celebration of the work that happens in the shadows, the creativity that fuels every move, and the mindfulness that keeps me grounded. I hope ‘Shot Ready’ inspires readers to embrace their own journey, trust the process, and always find joy in the pursuit of excellence.”
According to ESPN, the books will also be published in partnership with Unanimous Media, a multimedia company that works to produce compelling family, faith, and sports content for a wide range of ages, which Curry and Erick Peyton started in 2018. The book, which is a hardback, coffee table-style book, is currently available for pre-order on One World’s website.
“Shot Ready” is a multimedia project that includes over 100 photos of Curry and his personal reflections. Like Curry, the publishers are billing the book as a distillation of his personal philosophy of success, geared toward readers who want to reach their full potential. The book is currently on sale for $41.85 on Penguin Random House’s Bookshop page.
“’Shot Ready’ is a powerful distillation of Stephen Curry’s transformative philosophy of success-–centered on preparation, constant improvement, creativity, connection, mindfulness, and joy — delivered in his incomparable voice and style. Stunningly designed and illustrated with over 100 gorgeous photographs, ‘Shot Ready’ is an intimate narrative and a practical blueprint for any reader who wants to unlock their own potential,” One World’s blurb reads.
According to the description of the imprint’s mission on Penguin Random House’s website, Curry’s multimedia company and One World Publishing seem to have aligned missions.
“The mission of ONE WORLD is to provide a home for authors—novelists, essayists, memoirists, poets, journalists, thinkers, activists, and creative artists unconstrained by genre—who challenge the status quo, subvert dominant narratives, and give us new language to understand our past, present, and future. Our writers represent voices from across the spectrum of humanity telling critical, universally important, and compelling stories about a changing world,” the publisher stated.
In addition to Curry, One World counts Tina Knowles, Anelise Chen, Heather McGhee, Keshia N. Blain, Ibrahim X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Donovan X. Ramsey, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Eve L. Ewing, among authors with whom it has collaborated.
RELATED CONTENT: Stephen Curry Takes On Role Of Assistant General Manager At Davidson College
So, the hype got to you, huh? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series is one the most popular adult fantasy series of the 21st century, with its third novel, Onyx Storm, becoming the fastest-selling adult fantasy novel in 20 years (it sold 2.7 million copies in its first week of release).
Before you can dive into Onyx Storm, though, you’ll first have to read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, as they set up the all-important and overwhelming romantic relationship between the series’ protagonists, Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson, as well as the war between the Continent and the venin; dark magic wielders who steal their power from the world they inhabit.
Leonardo DiCaprio is in the new Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another. The film is loosely based on the 1990 novel Vineland from Thomas Pynchon. Vineland makes a point about Ronald Reagan and is a story about a political life. Keep this in mind.
The trailer dropped today and gave us a bit more insight into Anderson’s take on the story. From the trailer, it is very clearly about a “rebellion” and pushing back on the government. They say as much in the trailer. So if you weren’t aware of what the novel was about, the trailer clues you in. Still, let us go on.
In episode six of Daredevil: Born Again, after waiting five whole episodes, Matt Murdock puts on the Daredevil costume again at long last. And he has very good reason to do so. Here’s what happened in the sixth episode of Born Again, “Excessive Force.”
The Serial Killer/Artist Muse Takes Another Victim
We open with more BB Reports, with candid interviews with a New York graffiti artist, who talks about getting a bad rap in the wake of Muse’s art all over the city’s buildings. Another guy talks about how a friend of his caught a new vigilante saving people using a sword, earning him the nickname “the Swordsman.” Marvel Comics fans may know that back in the ‘70s, there was an Avenger named the Swordsman, who actually married Guardians of the Galaxy’s Mantis. (Don’t hold your breath for that to happen in the MCU.) More on him later. Near a rundown part of the docks, a sanitation worker finds the body of a young man with his eyes gouged out, with blood dripping out of each socket, as if painted on. The latest “masterpiece” from the graffiti artist/masked serial killer called Muse.
Matt Murdock, Still a Good Catholic Boy
In his apartment, Matt prays while holding Foggy’s funeral card, dwelling on his recent losses. Not only is he thinking of Foggy, but also Hector Ayala. He also thinks about how good it felt to put on a mask and kick some bad guy ass, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s really asking God’s help in keeping his promise to not return to being Daredevil. Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) seems genuinely surprised Matt still prays, and he tells her that while he’s given it up before, he always comes back to his Catholic faith. She tells him she’s working on a new book, exploring the psychology of vigilantes. She tries to get Matt’s insights on it, as he knows the Punisher and Daredevil. (One of those he knows extremely well.) For obvious reasons, Matt doesn’t seem too keen on the whole thing.
Mayor Fisk’s Criminal Past Keeps Coming Back to Bite Him
At the mayor’s office, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) has an “unscheduled visitor,” and it’s Luca (Patrick Murney), head of one of the five families. He isn’t happy having to pay $1.8 million to a rival mafia family, especially as he never got the diamond from the bank robbery in the previous episode. All of this is to pay restitution for the killing at Red Hook, and Fisk reminds him he must follow orders. Luca tells Fisk he can “shove that 1.8 up his ass.” Fisk informs him that 1.8 has now turned into 2.8 million. The 1.8 goes to fellow mafia boss Victor, and the rest goes to him directly. Luca spits out “You’re out of the game, old man. Stay out of it.” This clearly gets very under Wilson’s skin big time, and he’s ready to pop. The mayor is giving way to the mob boss inside of him.
The next morning, a New York City sanitation worker who has been tasked with getting rid of Muse’s various murals around the city, reveals that after a chemical analysis, he discovered that the paint was so stubborn to come off because it’s made partially from human blood. Fisk now realizes there’s a serial killer at large, and he has to be the one to take care of it. He adamantly doesn’t want the police to reveal there’s a killer on the loose, mainly because it makes him look bad. Even though alerting the public could literally save lives. Once again, Fisk is only thinking of himself and how he looks.
White Tiger’s Niece Calls Matt Out (And She’s Right)
At Murdock & McDuffie, Hector Ayala’s niece Angela (Camila Rodriguez) comes to see Matt. Angela informs Matt that her uncle was investigating missing people, and died before he could find them. She tells Matt someone needs to finish her uncle’s investigation. She’s pieced together that the missing vanished near the old Q Line, which was shut down years earlier. Matt says he’s just a lawyer, she needs to go to the police for help. Angela reminds him that cops killed her uncle, and she’s never going to them for help. When Matt asks “What do you want me to do about it?” Angela retorts with “How about literally anything?” She leaves Matt’s office, realizing she’s on her own. This is one more punch in the gut for Matt, who knows that as Daredevil, he absolutely can do something about it, but has chosen not to.
Muse Takes Two More Victims
Police Chief Gallo informs Mayor Fisk that the DNA profiles show that Muse’s paint involves at least 60 different victims. This constitutes a major failure on the part of the mayor’s office, and his promise to keep the city safe. That night, two female fans approach Muse as he paints another mural, and he attacks and kills both women. Gouging their eyes out, he leaves their bodies for the police to find. Knowing that his “art” has caught the attention of the authorities, he’s flaunting it now.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Mini-Hawkeye Crossover
Wilson informs Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) that Luca came to visit him in his office, showing him disrespect. The whole thing is an emasculating reminder that his wife was better at being a criminal Kingpin than he ever was. Later, at a fundraising gala, Fisk meets with many of the old money families of New York, whom he needs for their financial support for his redevelopment plans. Among the attendees is Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), who Marvel fans might remember from Hawkeye. He was Kate Bishop’s mother’s rich boyfriend, who put his sword fighting skills to good use in that series’ final episode. Now we know since the events of that series, he’s continued being a vigilante, as properly become the Swordsman. He makes vague threats to Fisk at the party, suggesting that without the elites and their money, he’s nothing. Another blow to Wilson’s fragile ego.
Matt Murdock Learns About New York’s New Serial Killer
Cherry the P.I. (Clark Johnson) visits Matt in his office, and tells him that although it’s not public knowledge yet, there’s a new serial killer in the city. In fact, it’s a murderer with as many as 60 victims. Cherry tries to beg Matt to let this one go, and let the police handle it. But Matt knows he can’t sit idly by while innocents are dying. That same night, at the mayor’s party, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) pulls Fisk aside and shows him the bodies of the two new Muse victims. Muse left them right under one of his art pieces, taunting the police, who he now knows are on to him.
Mayor Fisk Creates His Own Private Militia
In the mayor’s office, Police Chief Gallo (Michael Gaston) begs Fisk for more officers to take down Muse. Instead, Fisk tells him he’s to put together a special task force, made of cops hand selected by him. The chief realizes that every cop in this task force that Wilson wants is corrupt. Or at the very least, has had major discipline issues. Fisk offers to oversee this task force personally, and the next morning, he meets with them. He tells them all they are now founding members of his anti-vigilante task force, and “this city is yours.” He riles them up, essentially giving them impunity to act outside the law to find Muse.
The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen Returns at Last
At the old train tracks, Angela goes searching for the killer, not even realizing it’s Muse. As Matt does research on the abandoned train tracks online, Angela’s aunt call him. She tells him that Angela has gone missing, and not knowing where else to turn. Matt struggles with what to do next, and calls 911…before hanging up the phone and saying “F*** it.” He gets the Daredevil costume out at last, and heads to the train tracks where Angela went missing. Muse has already caught her, and takes her unconscious body to his lair. He lays her out on a table, and we see the hanging bodies of several of his other victims
Daredevil vs. Muse (Round 1?)
He begins to drain Angela of blood. Not long after, Muse hears something approaching, and we see Daredevil come out of the shadows and beat the crap out of him. Still, Matt is a little rusty at the vigilante game, and Muse holds his own. Whoever this serial killer really is, he’s clearly well-trained in fighting, if he can keep up with Daredevil. This fight happens while Angela is being slowly bled to death. Matt finally chokes Muse long enough for him to pass out, just as Angela’s heart stops. He chooses to revive Angela and lets Muse get away, despite knowing that Muse will kill others now that he’s escaped. But he can’t allow himself to let Angela die.
Fisk Pummels His Prisoner, Reverting to Type
Fisk goes down to his basement where he has Vanessa’s lover Adam locked up. He comes down with an ax, giving us serious Jack Torrance in The Shining vibes. Wilson says that he thinks Vanessa would want him to let Adam go, but he doesn’t think he can. He throws Adam the ax, giving him a chance to defend himself. In a rage, Adam attacks Fisk with the ax, but the mayor easily overpowers him. Fisk throws Adam around the room, and pummels him, right in front of his beloved painting “Rabbit in a Snowstorm.” Fisk begins screaming “Mine!!” Which we assume is a reference to Vanessa. At the same time, a few miles apart, both Fisk and Murdock give in to their true selves. Fisk is a brutal, territorial animal, and Matt is the heroic yet perpetually rage-filled man.
What happens now that Daredevil is back on the city streets? Will Fisk blow another gasket? And will Daredevil catch Muse and stop more murders? We’ll find out as Daredevil: Born Again continues its first season.
The post DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 1, Episode 6 Recap, New Revelations from “Excessive Force” appeared first on Nerdist.
The Woman in the Yard is an upcoming Blumhouse horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Sam Stefanak. The film follows Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler), a grieving mother recovering from a devastating car accident that killed her husband (Russell Hornsby). As she and her children try to rebuild their lives in a rural farmhouse, a mysterious woman dressed in black (Okwui Okpokwasili) begins appearing in their yard, slowly encroaching on their home with seemingly sinister intentions.
Black Girl Nerds had the opportunity to visit the set of The Woman in the Yard and chat with actor Russell Hornsby along with a small group of journalists with an inside look of what his character has to offer and how his role impacts Ramona’s journey throughout this film.
In the story of The Woman in the Yard, we learn that Ramona is dealing with the post-traumatic stress of a recent accident she was in involving her husband, played by Hornsby. Ramona survives the accident but is paralyzed; tragically her husband does not. During our interview with Hornsby, we can only assume what we do learn or know of his character is through flashbacks inserted throughout the film.
Marriages can be complicated and the question is what kind of relationship does Ramona have with her husband? Hornsby says, “I think with any marriage or any relationship it starts off with good intentions. Love is there. My feeling is, having been married for almost 17 years, problems start when the kids come.” He laughs.
Ramona’s kids are the anchors to her story as she’s dealing with the aftermath of this incident. She has two children. Peyton Jackson plays Taylor, her 14-year old son, and Estella Kahiha plays Annie, her six-year-old daughter. As the family grieves and tries to move on, they become increasingly threatened by the eerie presence of a mysterious woman in their yard.
According to Hornsby, he also describes how David and Ramona have different goals when it comes to what their wants and needs are out of life. “Both Ramona and David had their collective dream and their individual dream. Ramona being an artist of sorts and doing her thing, and David being this architect. Seemingly we see that David’s dream has been fulfilled, and Ramona is somewhat deferred. And it’s obviously, seemingly not panning out,” he says.
Hornsby further describes Danielle Deadwyler’s character Ramona as someone “not being fulfilled,” despite moving out to the country and living in a place that is seemingly peaceful. When we meet his character he comes with a “bottle of frustration,” which indicates a pattern of Ramona carrying this sense of feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled even during her marriage to David. And although David feels he has been a true partner and has been there to help, he says that Ramona “feels differently.”
When it came to the production of the Universal Pictures film The Woman in the Yard and specifically the script, for Russell Hornsby, what reeled him in to this project was the opportunity to work with Danielle Deadwyler and producer Stephanie Allain. Danielle Deadwyler has had a stellar career these past few years with projects in films such as The Piano Lesson, 40 Acres, and Till, and Stephanie Allain is notable producer who worked on Hustle & Flow, Exhibiting Forgiveness, and another Blumhouse horror flick The Exorcist: Believer.
“I thought it was a great script for Danielle. I think that she is an actor of the first order. Exceedingly talented, very bright, what I like to call an actor’s actor. Obviously, Stephanie having her history with being a producer of some wonderful and iconic films, historically and I just wanted to be a part of it and lend my talents however I could. As I said to them when we got on the Zoom, “You had me from hello.” And it was really just that, as with the opportunity to work with both these women and and I had been really appreciating and respecting Danielle’s work from afar, and just really been a fan of hers,” Hornsby says.
This is Russell Hornsby’s first Blumhouse production and he’s happy to be a part of the family. He recalled a scene that takes place at a restaurant, which made this experience one of the most memorable and unique productions he’s worked on, when he was instructed by director Jaume Collet-Serra to do a few pages of dialogue. But instead of reading it off of the page, Jaume told Russell to “play.” Both Hornsby and Deadwyler improvised their scene, and he recalled that moment as being “special.”
Although Hornsby didn’t read any specific horror books to prep for this role when asked while shooting if there were any books that fit tonally with this film, he compared it with Stephen King’s Misery. “The idea of being trapped, that’s what comes up in my head,” he adds. He also says Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Adding in the concept of what’s down is up and what’s up is down. And the fact that… we’re not in Kansas anymore.
The Woman in the Yard premieres in theaters March 28, 2025.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
The post Inside ‘The Woman in the Yard’: Russell Hornsby’s Role Revealed appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
The Blerdosphere has been abuzz with anticipation for the animated adaptation of Iyanu. YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Comics’ Yoruba-inspired graphic novel is about to hit the small screen in a big way. Black Nerd Problems had a chance to sit down with the show’s creators and chat about teaming up with Lion Forge Animation and the road to bringing an all-African voice cast to Cartoon Network and Max. Iyanu is slated to premiere in the United States on April 5th, 2025.
BNP sat with Roye Okupe, the writer and creator of the original Iyanu graphic novel series, and the show’s lead scriptwriters, Kerri Grant and Brandon Easton.
BNP: From across the globe, across the different mediums of comics, television, and film – what brought this particular group together on this project?
Roye Okuye: Man, this, it’s been a long journey. It’s funny, because outside of myself, Kerri, and Brandon have been some of the few people that have been there for almost the entirety, in one way or the other. I’ve known Brandon for, my goodness, it’s over 10 years now. Brandon was one of my first supporters when I first started in the book industry. He didn’t know me from anybody. He just saw one of my projects, and he fell in love. One of the things that I’ll always be grateful for is that a lot of people talk about, “Oh, we need to see more Black content.” But it’s the people who take the next step to either share or use their hard-earned money to support it that get these types of things out there in the public.
Kerri, I met through a producer friend of mine named Erica Motley. She introduced us. We had dinner in LA, and it just felt like meeting someone for the first time, but it was almost like we’d known each other for five years. We had like a two-hour-long conversation, just talking! So, you know, bringing on, you know, Brandon as an editor and then Kerri obviously in the writer’s room was something that for me I felt helped ground the project.
So, we came together through mutual connections. But I think it was primarily because of the admiration of each other’s work that we were able to assemble the team; everybody on this call and everybody at large on the project.
Kerri Grant: I feel like it was Kismet. First of all, ‘Kismet’, fun fact, was my poetry name in college. So, I believe in Kismet, also very tapped in. I met Erica (Motley) through a mutual writer friend who told me about Roye’s project. As soon as I read it, as soon as I saw the graphic novel, I just absolutely fell in love with the character. It was gorgeous, just like stunning, beautiful storytelling. The world-building was so just vast and intricate and really powerful on a, I think, a primal sort of storytelling level. I just feel like it’s an epic tale of a girl coming into her own, a coming-of-age story. Coming into her powers and then fighting these kinds of larger forces beyond her. And as a lover of storytelling and mythology, I was just really drawn to it in multiple ways. Then, when I met Roye and we had that two-hour dinner, it just, like he said, it just felt like we had known each other forever. We connected on so many points. And I just knew from then that I really just wanted to be a part of the making of, you know?
Brandon Easton: Like ten years ago, I would go on to Kickstarter to find Black projects to support. I had stumbled across a few of Roye’s projects and even though I was dealing with some financial struggles, I would always just section off somewhere between thirty to fifty bucks. If I saw something worthwhile, I would take those hard-earned dollars and throw it at another Black creator. Roye’s Exo: Wally Williams story was just extraordinary to me because I’m a tech head. I have an astrophysics science background. The fact that you had a story coming out of Nigeria of Black excellence. Nigeria is the birthplace of many Black engineers and scientists in West Africa. I just had to support it. I had no idea that Roye knew who I was, but I just wanted to support that young brother. I mean, I spent a lot of money on Kickstarters. But the bottom line is, that when I saw what he was trying to do at the time and what he was doing at the time, I had to support him. I had no clue that years later Roye and his producing team would find me. That’s really what started the whole shebangabang, as they say. So the theme is kismet.
Roye: Serendipity. It also goes to show how when you treat people with decency, decorum, respect – you just never know when you’re going to meet people, right? It’s one of the where I always tell people in this industry, you just never know who you’re going to meet in five or ten years. When Erica and I looked at a list of people that we would want to bring in to the writer’s room, Brandon was the top of the list. Brandon, I’ve never shared this with you. I was nervous that he [Brandon] was going to say no. That’s how high I placed Brandon in terms of someone I would want to work with. At that time, Brandon had worked on Marvel. He had worked on Transformers. He [Brandon] keeps on saying that, “Oh, yeah, he [Roye] brought me in.” But we got the better end of the deal with Brandon saying yes. I’m saying that to say – that you just never know.
BNP: To air a show in the U.S., on a major streaming platform, and for it to center the lore of Yoruba is a big deal. Especially now. Why did you decide to center those things?
Roye: For me, there was really no other way, right? I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. And I’m of the Yoruba ethnicity. So I grew up with the culture. It’s funny that you mention ‘major network’; I grew up on Cartoon Network. I mean, Dexter’s Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo. Later in my life, Adult Swim as well. That was through my college years, those got me through. I’ve always been an introvert. I never went to college parties. So to be able to create a show airing on the same network is one of the most humbling experiences I could have ever wished for. But in terms of the instructing culture, to me, I’ve always believed that there’s no one like you. There’s no one with your experiences, your heritage, your quirks, your beliefs, your fears, your insecurities. That’s what makes you you, right?
If you can package all of that, as a creator and a writer or a storyteller, into an entertaining package…I think it gives you the most chance of success because to me, that’s what truly defines doing something different. If you can put yourself into your work in a way that’s authentic, it really gives you an edge in terms of storytelling. I’ve always wanted to create these types of stories superhero stories, fantasy stories, sci-fi stories that were inspired by Nigerian culture. With Iyanu specifically, you’re talking about history, culture, and mythology. It’s very deep. It’s very, very vast. Kerri will tell you, because she’s also studied mythology as well, it’s so beautiful and very intricate. It was about taking a lot of inspiration from that in a way that would be very unique, but also feel similar in a way for people that are used to this type of content. I wanted to be authentic, but inclusive. Whereas if somebody was, if a ten-year old in Norway put this on and watched the first episode, I want them to be able to see themselves in it. I also tried to put real-world things that are going on in our world today and integrate Yoruba culture into that so that you get the authenticity, but also you don’t lose people that aren’t from Nigeria or West Africa. Who might not know anything about African history, culture and mythology. So that was always the plan for me.
BNP: Authentic, but inclusive. That’s a glorious concept. So for Kerri and Brandon, so how do y’all translate that into this animated feature?
Brandon: It was a complicated process. In the sense that I wanted to look at what Roye and Godwin did on a page and turn that into visual dramatic storytelling. It was a 2-D comic book page and adaptation is always deeply complex anyway. But one of the core things was to make sure that the core essence of what Roye and Godwin were trying to say showed up in the script. That took a little bit of time. Iyanu was constructed on the page in such a way where the themes came through very easily. A testament to the original storytelling. Because if you look at stuff like Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, or 300, or if you look at Watchmen, even Star Trek – you see the core idea of empathy. The core idea of exploration, the core idea of expanding your world vision, it was already on the page. So I was able to take that and make sure that the first episode, the first twenty-two minutes, encapsulated a lot. And that was not easy, but it pulled it off.
And then Warner Brothers, HBO Max, whatever you want to call them, they were like, OK, let’s do a second episode. Episodes I wrote, and then over the time, we massaged it, and that is what got us greenlit into a series. And the core of that was on those pages in that first graphic novel that Roye sent me so many years ago. I looked at it, and I said, these are what we need to pull out. Just looking at source material and figuring out what works. When I apply that to something like Roye’s vision, which was so Yoruba, which was so Nigerian, which was so African, but we figured out a way to make it universal. That was a testament to not only myself but to the entire writing staff.
Kerri: It was like a well-oiled machine. I think that started with Roye and Godwin and what they put on the page. Then what Brandon took from that and put into the pilot and the second episode. Our jobs were to then expand even further from that. The novel is this kind of two-dimensional work, right? It’s like flat pages. You take it to TV and then it’s like you’re walking through that world. So now you have to figure out where the walls are, where the ceilings are, where the floor is, who the characters are, how they move. Not just how they move physically, but how that translates to how they speak, their relationships with each other. All of that, their mannerisms and all of that just becoming richer and richer with the episodes we created. I love the process of adapting. There was so much material to pull from, graphic novels, and with wanting to keep, the idea – not to create something totally different. It was to expand the already created world and make it tactile and lived in. We worked really well together banging out those stories in that room. And that’s, again, into Roye and Godwin and what they initially created and then Brandon and his encyclopedic knowledge of media and film and structure and just like really putting it down for us all to really be able to shine and make the work sing.
BNP: I am a firm believer that each of us brings our personal histories to the collective experience. So what are each of you bringing with you this project (Iyanu) that you’ve picked up from your past work?
Kerri: Coming into Iyanu, I was just coming out of running a show called Ada Twist Scientist on Netflix, also adapted from a series of books. So that experience of taking from that two-dimensional book world and expanding it out. Always with the intention of keeping a connection to the books, the spirit of it. But not trying to create something totally different. Also, I think the story of a Black girl coming into her powers and coming into her own is something I can speak to as a Black girl, as a Black woman. I’ve always really identified with the outsider perspective. I was born in Jamaica. We moved to America when I was eleven years old, that was kind of a formative age, you know? That’s actually when I started to write, feeling like an outsider. Feeling like I was just mainly observing people and trying to figure out where I belonged in the world. That’s a big theme for my life: belonging. And I think that’s also one of the themes we touch on in Iyanu, that idea of belonging and figuring out where you fit and coming into your powers. And then accepting your powers – and that story is personal and universal. So that’s what I’m bringing to this.
Brandon: I mean, it was kind of an inside joke that I would make these obscure references to cinema from like a hundred years ago. The thing is, I’m a hard, very very hardcore old school cinema geek. You know, I go back to Oscar Micheaux. I go back to the Marx Brothers. I go back to the Three Stooges even. I go back to vaudeville and, you know, my biggest influences are people like Akira Kurosawa or Katsuhiro Otomo or Jean-Luc Godard, or Peter Weir, like even Christopher Nolan, Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua. Bringing all this, ‘cornucopia of cinema’ knowledge to the show itself.
I’ll give you a great example. People didn’t know this reference, but in the sneak peek that’s available now from Cartoon Network, we have Iyanu going through the trials. In one of the trials, she has to figure out where to step on these particular glyphs, letters, or characters, right? But I pulled that from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where he had to walk in the name of God, right? So when we were pitching this, we were talking about, “Okay, what would be a trick for for Iyanu?” And we talked about her stepping in the path of the divine. And we do this really cool thing. That movie came out in 1989. I saw it in theaters, but everybody’s not my age. So I bring in other things. Many, many, many different references. We go from Ghost in the Shell to Evangelion, to Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Roye: Evangelion was a big one. That came up at least once every other week.
Brandon: The Star Wars Saga.
Kerri: Star Trek!
Brandon: We look at, like, Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship as core. And we didn’t use that. That came up after the fact, after we were well into our synthesis. We looked at a lot of what was going on with The Mandalorian. And then when the Obi-Wan series came out. There’s that moment at the end of Obi-Wan where Ewan McGregor says to Hayden Christensen, “I’m sorry, Anakin. For all of it.” We pulled some of that in, a little bit of it. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know exactly the deep emotion of him saying, ‘I’m sorry, Anakin, for all of it.’ One of the most pivotal moments in the entire saga. So we were pulling in that emotional weight. I feel like that’s what’s most important with Iyanu.
BNP: What I love about writing for Black Nerd Problems is that we ‘keep it a dollar’ about what’s happening out in the world. I feel like Iyanu is about to hit hard, you know, with its intentional authenticity and culture. And as, you know, diversity, equity and inclusion policies are being scaled back. So, I have to ask, what does this project mean for y’all on a personal level, as a matter of pride, as members of this creative team?
Kerri: People just taking matters into their own hands, you know? I feel like that’s what is needed at this moment. So the show is coming out at this time when it’s gonna be especially potent. I do think the pendulum will swing back you know, that’s a whole other conversation. But yeah, but I just look forward to it for people to be able to watch Iyanu and enjoy it and see themselves in it and get some empowerment and hope out of it, hopefully, as art tends to do for people.
Roye: I’ll address the question in two parts. First of all, gratitude is a big deal for me. I’m always very thankful for any little progress I’m able to make. Not just in my career, just in my life in general, because life is hard, period. Being born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. To go from being born in a country where there’s little to nothing, at least when I was growing up in terms of an animation industry, a comic book industry; to grow up in that setting, to dreaming about Hollywood, getting a chance to move to the United States. So to look at where I have come from to this moment, my story is literally one in a million. This is not an exaggeration. This is not hyperbole. Regardless of what’s going on in the world, I’m just grateful that I can say that I have created a show that will air on one of the biggest networks in the world. Politics will always be politics. Things are always going to happen externally. I’m a big proponent of, yes, we should always speak up against any form of injustice or things that affect, especially the people, minorities, or whatever the case may be. But you should always try to focus on what you can control. And what I can control now is creating the absolute best show that I can and hope that people will see it for what it is. Yes, is it inspired by Yoruba culture. Nigerian? Yes. At the end of the day, it’s a kick-ass, fantastic action-adventure show, you know, with an excellent protagonist and an excellent group of friends and a magnificent story.
Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, let the chips fall where they may. But no one will be able to ever take this away from any of us. We did what we wanted to do. We did it very well. We did it with excellence. We didn’t take any shortcuts. We didn’t mail anything in. We worked extremely hard to put this together. Every single person that has been on this show has worked extremely hard. And nobody’s going to be able to take anything away from us because we did our best. And when it releases, everybody will see just how marvelous it is. And we can only hope that people love it.
Check out Iyanu on Max when it drops. Get into the vast world Roye has created with YouNeek Studios here so you have everything you need to be up to speed.
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The post Authentic and Inclusive: ‘Iyanu’ Creators Interview appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The United States is filled with weird little landmarks that have history that makes no sense. But one in particular is such a mystery that we’ve had multiple ghost shows try to figure it out. And now 1923 brought it up.
Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is trying to get back to Montana just as Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) is. The two are on opposite sides of the country and while Alex has been assaulted, mugged, and attacked, she is trying her best to get back to her husband. Spencer has had to stop a rape, help police find Italian bootleggers, and prove his innocence. In doing the last thing, the US Marshal who found him (played by Jennifer Carpenter) brings up my favorite weird fact about this country: The Winchester house.
Doctor Who season 15—or season 2, if that’s what you want to call it—is almost upon us. We’re just a few short weeks away from reuniting with Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and meeting his new companion, Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra. As promotion for the upcoming season ramps up, the official Doctor Who X account has teased more of what’s to come by releasing the titles for all eight season 15/season 2 episodes.
They are as follows:
Your fast food meal is about to get a little more…blocky. McDonald’s x Minecraft is a reality with a new collaboration between the two brands for the upcoming live-action A Minecraft Movie produced by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. In anticipation of A Minecraft Movie, you can expect to see new meals, packaging based on the video game world, and exclusive collectibles. Beginning April 1, you can pick up all the new limited items.
McDonald’s is no stranger to pop culture collaborations in recent years, having dipped their toes into the world of the popular TV show Friends, Rick and Morty, and pop group BTS. In most of these collaborations, McDonald’s adds a new themed meal to their menu along with an exclusive sauce. The Minecraft collaboration is getting the full treatment with both A Minecraft Movie Meal and A Minecraft Movie Happy Meal.
Both meals come with custom packaging, a Nether Flame sauce, A Minecraft Movie-themed toys, and in-game downloadable content codes. The A Minecraft Movie Happy Meal comes with the regular Happy Meal fixings and scannable game code. The toy element is one of twelve A Minecraft Film-inspired figurines or Block World toys. Details on the game are scarce, but the McDonald’s website says it involves players completing a quest in the A Minecraft Movie universe.
A Minecraft Movie Meal comes with one of six collectible figurines that are inspired by McDonald’s characters and the film. Each figure comes with a matching card and a DLC code to unlock the character’s skin in Minecraft. Along with this, fans will get a one-time redeemable code unlocking the McDonald’s Add-On pack in the game. This includes “McDonaldland characters, builds, and tools.” The figurines are as follows:
- Big Mac Crystal – Mined from the sea of special sauce, this precious block derives its radiant shine from melty cheese and a toasty sesame seed bun.
- Birdie Wings – Keep your eye to the sky or you might miss the early bird soaring high above the clouds with a rare pair of elytra wings.
- Fry Helmet – Forged from the iconic French Fry box, this enchanted helmet is rumored to protect you from friends stealing your last Fry.
- Grimace Egg – Emerging from the depths of a purple shake, this magical Grimace mob gets its shape from the most coveted egg of them all.
- Soda Potion – The electrifying effect of this potion is as mysterious as its recipe: an accidental combo of fantastic fizzy flavors.
- Zombie Hamburglar – Little is known about this hungry mob who spawns late at night and wanders all biomes in search of hamburgers.
As for the edible contents of the meals, the regular meal includes a choice between a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets with a medium drink and fries. Make sure to try to get the nuggets so you can dip them in the Nether Flame Sauce condiment. It’s a limited-edition hot sauce with tasting notes of crushed red pepper, cayenne, hints of garlic, and a little sweetness. You can also add just the sauce to any McDonald’s order.
You can check out A Minecraft Movie in theatres April 4 and maybe grab some nuggets on the way.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks
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Suits LA is continuing to bring more of the original show’s cast into the fold. Harvey Specter and Louis Litt are both heading to LA and now their former boss will appear too. Deadline reports that David Costabile will reprise his role as Daniel Hardman in Suits LA.
Daniel was the co-founder of Pearson Hardman, the firm that all the Suits drama revolved around. After embezzling money to take care of his mistress while his wife died of cancer, Jessica Pearson and Harvey Specter hit him with a little blackmail to get him out of the company. He was the show’s first villain and continued to pop up throughout its run to be a horrible human.
He comes back, gets kicked out again, and constantly bumps heads with Harvey. Their final showdown in season 8 led to Hardman losing his license to practice law. It was all so darn messy and we loved it.
It will be interesting to see how Daniel Hardman plays into Suits LA. It could simply be through a series of flashbacks or there could be news that he is somehow practicing law again despite his many schemes. We don’t know if he will share the screen with Harvey or Louis, if his appearance is in the present. But we are pretty sure that no matter what, he’s going to bring a lot of drama.
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Revelations From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7—“Croak”
Past Timeline: Other People Know Where the Wilderness Is, and a University Has Been Using It as a Biological Study Space
On Yellowjackets, the wilderness has seemed like a magical, impenetrable space. But, in truth, other people have been visiting the wilderness all along. We learn on Yellowjackets season three, episode seven that a university with the moniker KHU has come by with some regularity to study the biology of the environment, and especially the frogs. The supplies Coach Ben found came from this university. We know that it has been seven years since the university visited, but now researchers are back. Hopefully someone knows where they are.
Past Timeline: The Strangers in the Wilderness Were Frog Biologists
The mysterious strangers we met in Yellowjackets season three, episode six, are actually frog biologists and their wilderness guide. Hannah and Edwin came to the Yellowjackets’ wilderness to study a rare mating act of the Artic Banshee frog, and they brought along a wilderness guide, played by Joel McHale, called Kodi or Kodiak. They surely got more than they bargained for.
Past Timeline: Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7 Confirms Lottie Killed Edwin
Oops. Lottie says the wilderness doesn’t want the strangers in Its space, and that’s why she killed the frog biologist Edwin. But unfortunately for Lottie, this is the first straight-up murder that involves a victim not from the Yellowjackets team and co. We’ll have to see how that plays out for Lottie after the team’s rescue.
Past Timeline: Hannah, One of the Biologists, Has a Child
We see Hannah record parts of the infamous tape Shauna receives in Yellowjackets season three, episode seven. And these scenes reveal that Hannah has a child back in the real world. We bet that child may eventually not feel too happy that his mother never returned from a trip to the woods.
Present Timeline: Tai has Been Evil Tai For a While, Confirms Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7
As we suspected, Van confirms that Tai has indeed not been Tai but other/evil Tai for quite some time. As Van gets close to dying on Yellowjackets season three’s seventh episode, she has a vision of Tai beside her, and Tai’s mouth is covered in dirt. As we know, Other Tai sometimes just has to shove soil into her mouth. Van says she knew it was evil Tai and demands to know how long Tai has been her other self. But evil Tai only smiles wickedly and promises that she’ll save Van’s life.
Questions From the Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7—“Croak”
Past Timeline: Can Hannah, the Frog Biologist, Help the Team Escape?
The Yellowjackets have acquired a new member of camp in episode seven of season three. Hannah, the frog biologist, is now amongst their number. We don’t quite know how she’ll fit in, or if she can help the Yellowjackets. She’s not a guide, after all. And she doesn’t have any way to contact the outside world. Still, her presence begs the question of whether she’ll be important to the team’s ultimate rescue on Yellowjackets.
Past Timeline: Will Joel McHale’s Character Kodi Help Travis and Akilah to Escape?
Meanwhile, Travis and Akilah have saved the life of wilderness guide Kodi. Joel McHale’s Kodi certainly seems like he has a shot at escaping the wilderness on Yellowjackets season three, but will he want to help Travis and Akilah out as well? He certainly seems a bit unsavory. We’ll have to see how this tense trio get along.
Past Timeline: Can the Broken Satellite Phone Be Fixed on Yellowjackets?
Yellowjackets season three, episode seven, makes a pretty big deal out of showing us the broken satellite phone. But at one point, Hannah claims she might be able to fix it. Could that be true? Will the Yellowjackets be able to fix the broken phone and reach civilization? And even if they can, will anyone be able to find them?
Past Timeline: Melissa Is Shot on Yellowjackets Season 3, Episode 7, But Will She Die?
Kodi shoots Melissa with his crossbow on Yellowjackets season three, episode seven. But will Melissa die in the wilderness? Tai, Van, Misty, and Shauna all seem to think she’s dead; they note so in the present day. But is that too easy? Only time will tell. We guess faking one’s death in the wilderness would be easy, but getting rescued without being exposed would be tough. On the other hand, it doesn’t look like Mari survives the wilderness either, and Shauna tells Mari that if Melissa dies, she’ll kill her. Maybe that was a promise.
Past/Present Timeline: Who Is Hannah’s Child on Yellowjackets?
Clearly, Hannah’s child is an important figure in Yellowjackets season three. In all likelihood, they are the person responsible for tormenting Shauna, killing Lottie and sending the tape. But just who is Hannah’s mystery child?
Present Timeline: Why Did Tai See Lottie the Day She Died?
Tai admits that she saw Lottie on the day she died in Yellowjackets season three, episode seven. She tells Van that it was so she could talk to Lottie about It and how It could help Van survive. But is there more to the story? Things do seem to get bloody around Lottie and sometimes Tai. And Tai, especially as Other Tai, definitely has no compunctions about killing. What did Lottie and Tai really say to one another that day?
Present Timeline: What Will Shauna Do to Hannah’s Daughter?
Shauna is pulling up outside the home of Hannah’s daughter when we leave her in Yellowjackets season three’s seventh episode. But what is she planning? Will she attack Hannah’s daughter? One never knows with Shauna.
Present Timeline: Did Shauna Kill Lottie on Yellowjackets Season 3?
Yellowjackets season three, episode seven presents us with the idea that Shauna’s DNA matches the DNA Misty took from under Lottie’s fingernails. Of course, this is according to Walter. Can we trust Walter? Can we trust Shauna? Did Shauna really kill Lottie on Yellowjackets season three? We suppose the season is about to tell us for sure.
Yellowjackets season three only has a few more episodes left, and we’ll be hungrily keeping track of them all.
Previous Recaps: Premiere/Episodes One and Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five, Episode Six
The post YELLOWJACKETS Season 3, Episode 7 Recap: New Revelations & Questions From ‘Croak’ appeared first on Nerdist.
The Gates of Hell open April 3, 2025
- Showrunner: Adi Shankar
- Animation Studio: Studio Mir
- Cast: Johnny Yong Bosch (Dante)
Synopsis: In this animated adaptation of the popular Capcom game and from the vision of Adi Shankar, sinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon hunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.
For the horror and fantasy fans comes an animated adaptation of one of Capcom’s finest–Dante the over-the-top-hunter of everything that goes bump in the night from another realm–is coming to our screens via Netflix next month! Studio Mir (The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, X-Men ’97 and so many fan faves including certain seasons of The Boondocks and The Legend of Korra) is bringing the heat of Dante’s animated adventures for Netflix fanfare. With Adi Shankar, the showrunner perhaps best known for his work with the Castlevania animated franchise, things are only looking up with knowing that voice actor extraordinaire Johnny Yong Bosch is attached to the project voicing Dante, himself.
Devil May Cry is based on the action-adventure game of the same name, developed by Capcom and created by Hideki Kamiya. The game follows the hunter Dante, who makes it his life’s mission to avenge his mother’s death by killing any and all demons. Dante is such a beloved video character and one beloved by fans everywhere.
There is a lot of hype attached to this Devil May Cry project and big expectations too. I remember watching the opening animated sequence via X (Twitter) a month ago and being stunned by the high energy and the song featured in the clip above. Limp Bizkit???!!! What year are we even in now? It is a song choice that took…perhaps…the internet by surprise and feels like a throwback to an earlier, albeit simpler time. It has set the tone for what this animated adaptation is bringing the fans next month, come April.
As quoted by Shankar to Netflix’s TUDUM earlier this month:
“Rest assured, we are working very hard because we love the franchise and because we want to deliver something great,” Shankar says. Shankar — who was showrunner for Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix — says he and his development partner Alex Larsen have been working on the series, based on the hit video game, every day since it was first announced in 2018. “Our goal wasn’t just to pump out another animated show. My goal is to make one of the best shows on the Netflix platform — period.”
Shankar partnered with Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf), whose portfolio of prior animation work, he says, “speaks for itself.”
His message to excited fans? “Get hyped.”
Devil May Cry will premiere on Netflix in April 3, 2025. Watch come April on Netflix!
About Netflix: Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.
About Studio MIR: Studio Mir Co., Ltd is a South Korean animation studio specializing in the entire production from start to finish. Founded in 2010, they have quickly tapped into the North American market with their strong producing skills in 2D animation sensibility and CGI technology. Among other works, they are best known for [The Legend of Korra], [Voltron: Legendary Defender], [The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf], [DOTA: Dragon’s Blood], and the Korean titles [Lookism] and [Star Wars Visions 2: Journey to the Dark Head]. Their most recent title is Disney+ series [X-Men ’97], further representing K-animation in the global streaming market.
Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!
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Dungeons & Dragons makers, Wizards of the Coast, and Penguin Random House are partnering with Humble Bundles to offer a collection of Dragonlance fantasy novel e-books. The most interesting part? The partnership brings an exclusive pay-what-you-want deal for the bundle of books.
The bundle offers readers the chance to delve into 26 best-selling Dragonlance novels with three different price points that buyers can pick between. There is a base price for three different bundle tiers, but as aforementioned, you can opt to pay more. For a bundle of three books, the price starts at $1. For a bundle of seven books, the starting cost is $10. The complete bundle of 25 books begins at $18.
The description of the bundle is as follows:
Embark on an epic adventure through the land of Krynn with the ultimate Dragonlance Collection from Wizards of the Coast. Follow the perilous journey to protect the mystical Blue Crystal Staff from an evil dragon goddess in Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Untangle dwarven political tensions, hidden dangers, and long-lost secrets with The Companions in Dragons of the Dwarven Depths. The battle of the gods comes to a dramatic climax in Amber and Ashes. Get 25+ amazing page-turners and help support Room to Read with your purchase!
Dragonlance was a universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman. Tracy and their writing partner, Margaret Weis, then expanded it into a fantasy novel series. Over 190 novels have used Dragonlance as their setting while also being a campaign setting in various editions of Dungeons & Dragons.
Humble Bundles is a platform that sells video games and books in collections, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. The Dragonlance bundles will offer a portion of its proceeds to the non-profit Room to Read organization. Room to Read works on improving children’s literacy and girls’ education across Asia and Africa. To find out which books come in each bundle and more about Humble Bundles, check out their website.
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As we near the halfway point of Daredevil: Born Again season one, Matt Murdock deals with the fallout of the White Tiger case, while the marriage therapy of Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer) gets a little more awkward. Here’s what went down in episode four of Born Again, titled “Sic Semper Systema,” which is Latin for “thus always to the system.”
Revelations From Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 4, “Sic Semper Systema”
The Aftermath of White Tiger’s Murder
The episode starts with various pieces of Hector Ayala’s personal belongings put into evidence after his death, including his mystical White Tiger amulets. Matt Murdock is at the morgue questioning how they killed Hector, and he’s informed that the projectile that killed him was not recovered, and no casings were found. It’s then that Hector’s teenage niece, Angela (Camila Rodriguez), walks into the morgue demanding to see her uncle’s body, while fighting back angry tears. Angela tells Matt her suspicion that the police killed her uncle, and Matt (unconvincingly) tries to tell her he’s just not sure. “You have to believe someone will find his killer.” But it’s unclear if Matt is trying to convince Angela or himself. He knows as well as anyone that the cops were almost certainly involved.
BB Urich Takes Advantage of Drunk Daniel’s Loose Lips
Meanwhile, we see the serial killer/graffiti artist we know from the comics as Muse takes a body (dead or alive still? We’re not sure) to his lair in the subway tracks. At the same time, at a hipster bar in Manhattan, BB Urich (Genneya Walton) is drinking with her friends, including Wilson Fisk’s young acolyte, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini). Drunk off his ass, Daniel lets slip to BB that Fisk is going to meet with a new group of tech recyclers. If he hired them, it would break the city’s union contracts. BB is a savvy reporter like her late uncle Ben and realizes this is information she’s going to put in her blog.
Across the street, the police apprehend a man named Leroy Bradford (Charlie Hudson III) for stealing snacks from a local convenience store, while the cops who arrest him literally eat the evidence themselves. It’s not as if they paid for them, but all of this just illustrates how there are two systems of justice at play here. Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James) calls Matt and tells him to meet the arrested man in detention. He’s someone with a long rap sheet of small, petty crimes, the kind of hard luck case that she knows Matt can’t resist.
Things Get Tense at Fisk Family Therapy
At another therapy session, Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) sits down with Wilson and Vanessa Fisk. They are sitting a little closer together on the couch this time, so maybe things are getting better between the two? She finally gets them to talk about Vanessa’s affair with a man named Adam when Wilson was away. As she talks about this mysterious Adam guy, Fisk becomes increasingly agitated. It only gets worse when Vanessa talks about Adam’s “amazing hands” lustily, and we learn he was an artist. It’s evident she’s talking about him this way to make her husband insanely jealous….and it’s clearly working. Does Vanessa have a death wish?
Vanessa tells Heather that the appeal of Adam was that “he wasn’t part of my husband’s world.” And it’s pretty clear to Heather just what Vanessa means by that. Wilson admits he confronted Adam, and they had “a dialogue.” When Heather asks “Where’s Adam now?,” the couple says “I don’t know” at the same time. It’s pretty clear at least one of them knows where he is, and just isn’t saying. Since Wilson Fisk was famously a mob boss before becoming Mayor, Heather is appropriately spooked. Before the session ends, Heather speaks to Vanessa alone, and asks if she feels safe in her marriage. “My husband is capable of many things. Harming me is not one of them.” Does Vanessa believe that though? We had doubts.
Someone in the MCU Remembers Skrulls Exist
Matt meets with Leroy Bradford in jail who laughs that his lawyer is “the blind dude.” Matt goes over the charges with him, which is petty larceny for stealing five boxes of snacks from a bodega. Leroy says he didn’t do it, but Matt reminds him that all the security cameras caught him doing it. In a rare moment acknowledging the wider MCU, Leroy asks if it could have been a Skrull. This directly refers to the shapeshifting aliens from Captain Marvel and Secret Invasion. Matt quickly shoots that theory down. From an MCU standpoint, this is the first acknowledgment of the Skrull panic that even Brave New World didn’t mention once.
Matt tells Bradford that it’s his rap sheet that’s his biggest enemy, and he needs to take a plea deal. Bradford refuses anything from Matt that doesn’t include probation. Matt doesn’t get him probation, but he gets Bradford down to 10 days by flirting with a lovely woman who works at the station. Once again, Matt Murdock’s sexy charms work in his favor.
Matt Confronts the Crooked Cop He Blames for Hector Ayala’s Death
Matt encounters Officer Powell in the precinct, and flat-out accuses him (or one of his cop buddies) of murdering Hector Ayala. Powell says he had nothing to do with Hector’s death, and Matt can tell by his heartbeat that he’s actually telling the truth. Powell tries to threaten Matt due to his beating the crap out of him, saying that the Bar Association wouldn’t take kindly to a lawyer beating cops within an inch of their lives. A little bit of Daredevil comes out of Matt at this moment when he says that next time, he’d better bring more guys so it’ll be a fair fight. It’s clear Matt is dying to put the suit on again and inflict some pain on the deserving.
At the run-down and dilapidated Red Hook port, Fisk tells his staff that he’s going to create a new development project on the site. He’s ready to make a big public announcement. He even has a little scale model of what it’s going to look like. He’s quickly reminded by his political advisor Sheila (Zabryna Guevara) that he can’t just announce things into existence. There’s simply too much red tape to go through when it comes to city government. This is clearly the part of being Mayor that Fisk absolutely hates. He just wants to will things into existence by the power of his personality. And that’s just not how things get done in the non-criminal world.
Back at the jail, Leroy isn’t happy with his 10-day sentence. Matt loses his patience, saying probation just wasn’t ever on the table with his criminal record. Leroy gives a painful explanation about how the system has failed him his whole life, and just wanted something like a pleasant dessert for once. ”They’re willing to spend five times more to lock me up than they’re willing to spend to feed me.” Matt knows he’s right.
Fisk Listens to School Kids Sing ’80s Songs, Subsequently Has a Rage Fit
Mayor Fisk has to go to a local middle school, where students greet him with a rendition of “We Built This City.” Fisk clearly would rather die than sit there and hear these precious children and their off-key tunes, and leaves before song #2. It’s pretty hilarious. Some warbling kids are the least of what he deserves. (We’d like to imagine they did another Starship song. Maybe “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now?”) It’s then that Daniel realizes he screwed up big time. Looking at his phone, he sees that BB Urich took the information about Fisk’s plans and ran a story on it calling him a Union Buster, using the information he drunkenly told her. He knows he’s in very deep shit.
Fisk then fully explodes in his office in front of his staff, threatening them all to find out who leaked the information to BB Urich. Daniel steps up in front of everyone and admits it was him. Fisk clears the room, but asks Daniel to stay. Expecting to be fired (or worse), Daniel profusely apologizes to Fisk, and basically grovels in front of him. Fisk is impressed with his honesty and refuses to fire him. “In the fullness of time, you’ll be a better man. But do something like this again, and it’ll be the last thing that you ever do.” Sheila is speechless, because she knows Fisk 100% means what he says. It feels like this is the moment where it truly dawns on her that she’s working for a criminal overlord for whom murder is always an option. It’s not an act.
Matt Murdocks Does a Little Detective Work, and a Punisher Reunion
At night, Matt goes to the scene of the crime, right where someone murdered Hector Ayala. He figures out that the casing went down a storm drain, and recovers it. He then visits a remote location in the city that looks like a bunker, and it turns out it’s the home of none other than Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher. A grizzled Frank attacks Matt, not realizing who he is at first. Castle is popping pills, in rough shape since last we saw him at the end of Punisher season two.
Matt tells him the bullet casing has his Punisher logo on it. Franks knows it’s one of his “fanboys,” most of whom he knows are cops. Matt accuses Frank’s murderous ways of inspiring the wrong people while Frank accuses him of being weak. The two have words before Frank plays the Foggy card. He screams at Matt that he should have killed Bullseye for what he did to his best friend. But instead, he quit and let “the system” handle it. The same system allows Bullseye to still live while Foggy is in the ground. Matt snaps and strikes Frank, but through tears he knows Frank’s right on some level.
Matt Starts Getting His Daredevil Mojo Again
At their mansion, Fisk realizes that earlier at their session, Heather Glenn asked Vanessa if she felt safe with him. Vanessa says she does. “But should I?” Even she knows that the man she loves is just one bad day from hurting her too, no matter what he says. She tells him ”I’m not the same woman I was when you left.” She’s right, as when Wilson was M.I.A., Vanessa took over his criminal empire, and ran it better than he did. All of this only makes his wife even more intriguing to him. Matt and Heather have a romantic night, after which Matt sneaks into his special “Mattcave,” where he has his weapons and his Daredevil masks. He tries out his billy clubs again, seeing if he’s still got it. Turns out, it’s just like riding a bike.
Wilson Fisk Has Dinner with a Guest
Across town, Fisk goes into a dingy basement/bunker where he sits down to eat what looks like a five-star meal. In that very same basement, inside a dank prison cell, is Adam, the man who had an affair with his wife. We don’t know how long he’s been there, but judging from Adam’s looks, it could have been weeks or months. Adam begs for his freedom, but instead Wilson just eats his dinner while listening to the man scream. It seems no matter how hard he tries to do good, Wilson Fisk is a monster through and through. He’s kept his promise to Vanessa to not kill Adam, but he never said anything about not tormenting him. We can guess that’s what caused his bruised and bloody knuckles these last few episodes.
Finally, we find that Muse has brought another victim, a male, to his murder lair. He’s alive and tied to a table, shades of Dexter, while the masked killer begins draining his blood. If anything is going to bring the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen out of retirement, it’ll likely be a serial killer in New York City. But we can’t imagine that Mayor Fisk will take kindly to a serial killer running loose in “his” city either.
And that is our recap of the fourth episode of Daredevil: Born Again. More revelations will surely arise for Matt Murdock’s long-awaited return next week.
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If you were to tell me that a spin off focused on a bit character of a Canadian sitcom about a town of less than 5,000 people that we never saw the face of was going to be one of my favorite shows of the 2020s, well there is a part of me that probably would have believed you the moment you mentioned it was primarily about a hockey team. But there would be a bit of incredulity behind my eyes.
After being introduced to Letterkenny back in 2019, once I got past Fartbook, I was entranced by an utterly hypnotic depiction of Canadian small-town life: the Hicks, the Jocks, the Skids, the Natives, the Memonites, and the occasional out-of-towner. The was a cleverness in the writing, a delightful droll in the delivery, and all around, it was good at endearing you to the quirky members of the town. I also very distinctively remember the brilliant cold open of the season 1 recap that opened season 2.
It was in this two-minute stretch that I became convinced of the creative genius of Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney. Over the next several years, Letterkenny season drops on Hulu became appointment television. It led to much lamenting when the series ended in 2023 and much rejoicing when the spin off was announced. Omar dropped a review on the first season back in 2022, and honestly, we’ve done the world a disservice by not talking about the Sudbury Bulldogs even more. So, we’re gonna fix that now…admittedly, a couple weeks after season 4 aired stateside on Hulu, but sometimes it takes a second to reflect upon greatness properly.
Part 1 of Shoresy, which is chronicled between Season 1 through Season 3, details a fairly familiar sport arc drama. A team on a losing streak determined to never lose again, eventually losing at a critical moment before resolving to not let the momentum go to waste and to press forward despite the physical and mental tribulations ahead. When the season 3 end credits rolled “End of Shoresy… Part 1”, I fist pumped into the air, knowing that I’d get to spend more time with this lovable hockey team and knowing that the series was going to be fundamentally different.
A major arc in the third season was the titular character Shorsey coming to terms with the fact that after a lifetime of making hockey his life, his body could not handle the physical taxation that came from the sport. The final game of the tournament, of the season (both in and out of universe), would be his last game as a player on the ice. And this is a man whose entire identity is centered around hockey. His love for the game, for his team, has sustained him and given him a purpose, and it is also actively killing him.
This is not the first piece of sports media to delve into such a character (Hajime No Ippo, another Omar approved piece of sports fiction, also famously delved into such) having to reckon with life after a professional career is finished, but there is such a specific intimacy we get to see witnessing Shoresy go through. This is a man who we met through trashtalking teammates through bathroom stalls to seeing a very complete and complex life adrift. Trying to find opportunities in media, trying to maintain his relationships with his teammates, trying to pursue love in more seriously, and trying to find this new version of himself. In classic Letterkenny/Shoresy/Jared Keeso fashion, a recurring sentiment is the call of “You’re good at coaching Shorsey” to the response of “I don’t think I can go coach. I’d just want to jump onto the rink and do it myself.”
Season 4 of Shoresy invites us to follow in a bittersweet revelry. The Sudbury Bulldogs are celebrating their win and coming to terms with the fact that the heart of their team is no longer going to be there in the same capacity. And it’s brilliant between Jared Keeso, Tasya Teles, Jonathan-Ismaël Diaby, Terry Ryan, Ryan McDonell, Andrew Antsanen, Camille Sullivan, and the rest of the cast bring their best comedic and dramatic chops to tell an off-season story that is just as compelling as the tournament arcs of yesteryear.
This is a season about what it means to mentor, about what it means to go where you are needed, about the work required to love something, love someone one, and how that work/love changes you. Jared Keeso’s writing is as a quick-witted as ever, and Dan Skene and Sean Skene behind the camera direct each episode with as deft hands as you’d see during a hockey math, combining brilliant cinematography with an absolutely pitch perfect music accompaniment. It is inspiring and heartwarming in all the right ways, with just the right amount of crass and abrasiveness.
It is fantastic, tight television. A vision of serialized storytelling that you should be watching if you have any inclination towards hockey or just good media. You can watch the entire season over the weekend if you haven’t already. I would implore you to do so, because I desperately need more Shoresy in my life, and you probably do too.
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Cujo, the vicious St. Bernard who terrified both ’80s kids and adults alike, is getting another shot at cinematic success. This time, from one of the unlikeliest of directors. According to a report from Deadline, it appears that Cujo, based on the novel by Stephen King about a rampaging killer dog, is getting a remake for Netflix. And the person behind the camera is none other than Black Swan and The Whale director Darren Aronofsky. The original Cujo novel came out in 1981, during the peak of Stephen King’s popularity, and made into a movie in 1983.
In the original Cujo novel and film, a St. Bernard in a small town is bitten by a rabid bat. It soon becomes a killer beast, terrorizing the locals. Somehow, King managed to write a whole novel around this premise and make it pretty good. Although he did admit years later he wrote the entire book in a cocaine binge in a single night. The master of horror has said in past interviews that he doesn’t even remember writing it. (It was a different time, folks.) A movie adaptation of Cujo came out in 1983, starring Dee Wallace from E.T. and The Howling. It was popular enough that for years, every dog owner scolded their badly behaved canine by calling them “Cujo.”
Cujo was one of two Stephen King adaptations to come out in 1983, along with John Carpenter’s Christine. The new Darren Aronofsky version will follow several recent cinematic remakes of Stephen King novels, like Carrie, Pet Sematary, and most recently, Salem’s Lot. None of them approached anything close to the cultural significance of their original versions, however. But with someone like Aronofsky at the helm, maybe Cujo will be the rare King remake that surpasses the original. And it almost certainly won’t be run-of-the-mill.
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Fans can see if they have what it takes to complete a mission in the captivating world of John Wick as part of the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE, a new immersive attraction at AREA15, the world’s first purpose-built immersive entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
With the experience now open to the public, the studio released the first photographs showcasing the approximately 12,000-square-foot ticketed attraction, which includes two themed bars and a retail shop.
The experience is based on the billion-dollar John Wick motion picture franchise, which franchise director Chad Stahelski produces with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee at Thunder Road Films. Stahelski and his team at 87Eleven Entertainment were creative collaborators on the experience from design to special stunt work.
The JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE blends more than a dozen highly themed cinematic rooms, live interactions and interactive gameplay to create an immersive journey that transcends reality and challenges wit, skill and nerve. As guests step through the doors of the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE, they find themselves in the fantastical underworld of John Wick, where they must navigate an all-new, high-stakes adventure.
Each group of guests will be tasked with completing a mission that plays out in unique ways with characters, mythology, and iconography inspired by the Wick universe. Visitors may rub elbows or grab a drink with John Wick Continental Las Vegas staff, assassins, crime bosses, or other curious guests like themselves within the relative safety of the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE. Guests will be drawn into the culture, trusted with secrets, and invited into private areas of the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE, promising an authentic and compelling action-packed experience.
To bring audiences into the world of Wick, Lionsgate and Stahelski worked closely with Egan Productions, the producer of the experience. A leading creator of escapes, attractions, and live events with more than 20 years of expertise in all aspects of production and operations, Egan is also Lionsgate’s collaborator on two other Las Vegas attractions based on the studio’s beloved IP: The Official SAW Escape, which opened in 2018 and has been named Best Escape Room by USA Today, and Escape Blair Witch, which opened in 2021.
“In the films, Chad Stahelski has created a complex, alternate reality with exquisite design, deep mythological influence and meticulous action,” said Jenefer Brown, Executive Vice President & Head of Global Products and Experiences at Lionsgate. “The most important part of creating this experience was honoring that and making sure that our guests truly feel like they are part of the world of the films. The experience delivers wholeheartedly on that promise, and we are excited to share it with fans.”
“The John Wick Experience drops you into the sleek, sophisticated world of The Las Vegas Continental,” said Jason Egan. “This is the ultimate destination for anyone seeking a unique and captivating Vegas experience, and a must-visit for John Wick fans.”
The launch of this experience comes as Lionsgate continues to expand the world of Wick, with Stahelski overseeing the franchise across all multimedia platforms. In addition to the four hit films, the John Wick universe includes two spinoff films including Ballerina, set for a June 6th release, and a spinoff starring Donnie Yen that is in development. In addition, Lionsgate is developing the highly anticipated series John Wick: Under the High Table, which Stahelski and Keanu Reeves are executive producing, and the studio has a John Wick AAA video game in the works.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE, please visit www.JohnWickExperience.com. Admission to the JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE is also included in AREA15’s Level 3 and Level 4 Experience Passes available at AREA15.com. Follow @JohnWickExperience on social media.
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George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy sparked the imagination of a whole generation, inspiring countless merchandise, much of it aimed at very young kids. Because of this, Lucasfilm substantially trimmed down one of the most disturbing moments from The Empire Strikes Back. Originally, George Lucas and director Irvin Kershner were going to show Han Solo’s torture at the hands of Darth Vader on Cloud City in greater detail, but cut away from most of it. But the YouTube channel Star Wars Analyst details how that scene was once much more graphic, but ultimately cut way down, so as to not traumatize ’80s children.
In the DVD commentary for Empire, Kershner describes how originally, the scene with Vader torturing Han was longer. Vader did all this so Luke would sense Han’s pain via the Force, and fall into Daddy’s trap. We see a brief glimpse of this mechanical torture before the camera cuts away. Harrison Ford’s muted screams behind closed doors are all that remains. But according to Kershner, he even cut that down. All because he and Lucas thought it was too disturbing for “the kiddies” who bought all those Kenner toys. And to be fair, Lucas was right. Like Leia’s torture by Vader in A New Hope, we didn’t need to see it to know it happened.
I do take issue with the narrator of this video saying that ’80s kids were “too soft” for this scene, when he grew up with Anakin’s immolation in Revenge of the Sith. I have to defend my generation’s honor a bit here. We Gen-Xers grew up with a shark eating a kid in Jaws, a guy ripping his face off in Poltergeist, and melting Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. And let’s not even get into Artax the horse’s death in The Neverending Story.
We could handle a lot, thank you very much. But Lucas made the original trilogy prior to the invention of PG-13. He didn’t want to push the envelope and risk an R-rating. He didn’t have the luxury of PG-13 existing, as he did with Revenge of the Sith. But aside from that dig, this video properly highlights how The Empire Strikes Back was very nearly that much darker.
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Written by: Megan Maher
Christie Sylvester from Refract Magazine wrote, “My dream is, that one day, a little Black girl will be able to walk into a comics shop and see heroes that look like her, as far as the eye can see.”
Jackie Ormes, Eartha Kitt, Hannah Beachler, Mara Brock Akil, and Javicia Leslie are some trailblazing women who are helping make that dream come true.
Jackie Ormes
Jackie Ormes became the first Black woman syndicated cartoonist to be published in a newspaper. She was a trailblazer who pioneered an Afrofuturism expression of writing and illustration. Ormes’ works, including Torchy Brown (1937–1938), Candy (1945), Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger (1945–1956), and Torchy Brown: Heartbeats (1950–1954), have left a lasting mark on the world.
Ormes’ comics centered on complex Black women. She utilized the “funny pages” to share stories delving into the Great Migration, romance, art, etc., while providing social, political, and environmental commentary. However, due to the period (McCarthyism) and the repression and persecution of left-wing individuals, Jackie Ormes was put under surveillance by the FBI.
While reading Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime by Deborah Elizabeth Whaley, a passage discussing Jackie Ormes’ comic, Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger stood out. At the forefront of this comic strip is the theme of comic art within traditional art spaces. In the panels, we see our protagonists, two Black middle-class sisters, Patty-Jo and Ginger, dressed in high fashion, walking through an art museum. A Picasso-esque painting of an abstract male profile hangs on the wall. The sisters, aesthetically, seem to belong in the space, yet this Picasso painting is glaring at them. Ginger returns the look of disgust to the painting and says to Patty-Jo, “Let’s get out of here… I don’t think he approves of us!” What made Ormes such an impactful artist was her ability to simplify complex themes and impress upon the reader introspective questions.
Eartha Kitt
Ertha Kitt became the first Black Catwoman in the 1960s Batman series. She is a trailblazer whose talent transcends generations. Kitt’s unique portrayal was nothing short of iconic. She redefined the character with her distinct purr-like dialogue and seductive roll of her r’s.
Kitt was referred to as “the most exciting woman in the world” by Orson Welles, and Batman producer Charles Fitzsimons remarked, “Eartha had a natural cat-like style that made her perfect for the role.” While this praise was deserved, Kitt’s portrayal of Catwoman came with racial barriers. Because of Standards and Practices regulations, interracial romance could not be depicted on television, which stopped the Batman-Catwoman love story. Eartha Kitt capitalized on the opportunity and without a romantic subplot, Kitt’s rendition of Catwoman emerged as a striking figure — elegant, enigmatic, and undeniably dangerous.
In Thursday’s Child, a book by Eartha Kitt, she reminisces about her first experience with theater as a teenager: “I saw the world in a different color. Everything was rosy, lavender, grey, and alive.” Kitt understood the gravity of the moment and the power of her voice, and she used hers to speak up for the voiceless. Unfortunately, Kitt’s career suffered (while under surveillance by the CIA), but in true Catwoman form, her career was able to breathe in a new life with her portrayal of more iconic characters.
Hannah Beachler
Hannah Beachler is the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Production Design for Black Panther (2018). She is a trailblazer who can translate Afrofuturism into a world that exists beyond our imaginations.
As a production designer, Beachler serves as the cinematic architect, shaping the visual landscape of the story. Beachler possesses a remarkable talent for reclaiming time and space, presenting them in a way that constructs a future world that the audience can understand, engage with, and somehow remember.
In a 2018 interview with City Lab Detroit, Beachler discussed the extensive research and intentionality that went into every detail of designing. There is a moment where she discusses the cityscape of Wakanda’s capital, Golden City, and the first building that stands out is the palace, followed by the records hall. It’s a stunning revelation because, like Beachler explains, as a Black American, you’re dealing with the erasure of our ancestors, the rejection of countries. In this fantastical world, untouched by colonization, where tradition and lineage have remained intact, the records hall emerges as one of the most prominent buildings.
Mara Brock Akil
Mara Brock Akil is the co-creator of Black Lightning (2018–2021), which is one of the first significant superhero shows with a Black lead on the CW Network. Brock Akil is a trailblazer who uses her pen to tell stories where we are celebrated.
Mara Brock Akil’s influence on television is profound. Her work, including Girlfriends (2000–2008), The Game (2006–2015), Being Mary Jane (2013–2019), Love Is (2018), and more, center around authentic and complex Black stories. Black Lightning is no different.
Black Lightning is an action-filled show with tons of political and social commentary, but at its core, it is a show about family. At the 2017 ATX Festival Panel, Brock Akil shared how her introduction to comics stemmed from falling in love with her husband, Salim Akil, who brought a box of comics home when they moved in together. She states, “It is through my husband and children, I’ve really opened up to how to tell stories in this medium.” What resonates with Brock Akil’s words is that when watching Black Lightning, it doesn’t matter how extreme the situation is or how isolated a character feels, through their love as a family, the members of the Pierce unit will always be okay.
Javicia Leslie
Javicia Leslie made her mark in history as the first Black actress to take on the role of Batwoman. Beginning her journey as Ryan Wilder in the CW series Batwoman in 2020, she succeeded Ruby Rose and brought a fresh and dynamic perspective to the superhero. Leslie is a trailblazer who showed us that everyone deserves a hero.
Bruce and Kate Wayne often symbolize privilege, and the city of Gotham shines the brightest light on them, with and without the cowl. However, Ryan Wilder is a character who has an underprivileged background. Leslie brilliantly harnessed that juxtaposition and embodied a Batwoman performance that was so raw and endearing that it made “The Bat” relatable. Her depiction invited new audiences to connect with Gotham’s biggest hero.
Regrettably, this groundbreaking moment for Black representation was met with a barrage of racist backlash from social media trolls. Yet, Leslie’s resilience shone through, never allowing it to dim Ryan Wilder’s light. In Batwoman, Season 2, Episode 15: “Armed and Dangerous,” there’s a scene where Javicia Leslie truly comes into her own as Batwoman. One of Ryan Wilder’s closest allies is in a life-threatening situation, and due to systemic obstacles, she can’t protect him. Ryan Wilder stands in her Bat suit in the Batcave, without the cowl, fully embracing the moment’s weight. Leslie delivers an emotionally charged performance that immediately distinguishes Ryan Wilder as Batwoman. While Bruce and Kate Wayne aim to keep Gotham safe, Ryan Wilder is focused on protecting all the citizens of Gotham, even the ones the world pretends not to see.
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HBO’s latest docuseries Seen & Heard is more than just a chronicle of Black storytelling in Hollywood, it’s a resounding declaration of its power, legacy, and ongoing fight for visibility. Directed by Giselle Bailey, the series delves into the evolution of Black representation on screen, amplifying the voices of trailblazers who shaped the industry and those pushing it forward today. Through personal narratives, archival footage, and candid reflections, Seen & Heard unpacks the cultural impact of Black cinema and television, shedding light on the triumphs, struggles, and systemic barriers that have defined its history.
In an exclusive interview with Black Girl Nerds over at SXSW, Bailey shares her vision behind the project, the challenges of crafting such a comprehensive narrative, and the urgent need for authentic representation in entertainment. From the early pioneers to the groundbreaking creators of today, Seen & Heard stands as a testament to the resilience and influence of Black storytelling. The series is also produced by Issa Rae.
Seen & Heard takes a dynamic time-traveling approach to storytelling. How did you and your team decide to take on this structure and what challenges come with weaving these different eras together?
We wanted to make sure that we were showing cycles. And so my natural inclination a lot of the time is to not necessarily tell a story in a linear way, because I think that’s the best way you can see, the progress come and then kind of fall and start over. And so that’s really how we tracked the two episodes. The first one is talking about Black people just being present on television. It was also important to me to show all kind of the social issues, the political issues that were happening around those moments, and even how some of them were playing out on screen. As we got more agency, we were able to put more of our own content on television, and that’s where you see the heyday of the 90s, and then everything crashes. And you hear about titans like Shonda, Oprah or Tyler Perry, talking about fighting from the bottom. I think we forget about that. When we see people who are successful, we forget about what it took. And so I really wanted to make sure you saw them filled from the ground up.
What do you see as the biggest milestone in this journey so far?
That’s interesting. I don’t know if it’s happened yet or if it’s yet to come. Because of the way that history is repeating itself, I certainly think the Norman Lear-era kind of changing from that into… okay, we’re not just on TV. And also, I hope it comes through in that era, how much, even though people weren’t necessarily Black, people weren’t necessarily writing the material, it was their essence. It was their improv that was really making those shows sing. But then there’s a moment where people are really able to craft the story, define their own narrative. Debbie Allen, for example, for me, is the godmother of Black television.
What do you think still needs to change for Black representation in television, to truly be sustainable and equitable?
Ownership. Figuratively and literally we have to be able to define our own destiny. So it’s creatively being able to tell our stories, but also it’s about owning the companies, owning the distribution, building together to create our own sources of financing so we’re not dependent on the industry to give us an opportunity.
How did your collaboration with Issa Rae help shape the direction of the documentary?
Issa is creatively involved. Her notes, her thoughts, her own experiences growing up really shaped the documentary. Issa was born in the United States, but she lived in Senegal, and you’ll see more of that in the documentary, and then moved back. And so her experience, she took a bunch of their family, recorded a bunch of Black shows, and took them with them. And she really came up with those shows. I’m an immigrant to the US. I’m Jamaican, but I lived in a few different countries, as we were making our way into the United States, and when I got here, we landed in the south, which was alienating for me, because of the specific environment I was in. There weren’t a lot of Black people, and so the Black shows really gave me community. So some of those experiences, the similarities and the differences, really helped shape I think the project.
How do you see the role of streaming platforms in shaping the future of Black television, and are they more of a help or a hindrance?
I think like any technology or any system, it’s to be used. We can’t let it use us. Streaming is where we are in the landscape of television. Whether it’s where we’re going is really going to be based on us, you know what I’m saying? So I think we can see that it helped us at certain points. We also can see how having agency and creating our own content, putting it out digitally, has really shifted television and could shift it again. So, yeah, I think it’s about how do we use these things, or how do we make our own?
Seen & Heard made its debut at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival and is coming soon to MAX.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
The post Giselle Bailey Explores the Legacy of Black Storytelling in HBO’s ‘Seen & Heard’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
After premiering in the United Kingdom in 2010 and in the United States in 2011, Downton Abbey quickly permeated the cultural zeitgeist. Created by Julian Fellowes, this 20th-century historical British drama captured the attention of audiences worldwide. Beyond viewers, the series was also critically acclaimed, taking home six Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, four SAG Awards, and two BAFTA Awards during its six-season run, and a third movie is on the way.
Fans adore the aristocratic Crawley family and the hardworking servants who attend them. With so many memorable characters to choose from, it’s hard to narrow them down, but as matriarch Violet Crawley would advise, “Don’t be defeatist, dear, it’s very middle class.” So, let’s keep calm and carry on. Here are the 10 best Downton Abbey characters ranked for your consideration.
10. William Mason
William, played by Thomas Howes, is the second footman at Downton Abbey. William wanted to work with horses, but his mother wanted a better life for her son and pushed him into household service. This kind, honest, and hard-working man was often the victim of first footman Thomas Barrow’s vitriol, but everyone has a breaking point. When Thomas pushed him too far after the death of his mother, William punched him in the face. No one blamed him.