WandaVision has finally premiered on Disney+, officially kicking off Phase 4 of The Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Entertainment has posted this very cool video to mark the occasion. The video shows how the Phase 3 films, which begins with Captain America: Civil War and ends with Spider-Man: Far From home. The video shows how some the Phase 3 films perfectly re-create iconic images and moments from the comic books source material and put them on the big screen. Take a look:
Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and followsgo a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we’re going over The Best & Worst Movies of 2020! Normally, choosing the best and worst movies at the end of the year, is one of my favorite movie rituals. Unfortunately, this year didn’t have quite as many opportunities to see new films in theaters, due to the obvious mitigating circumstances. I still manage to see quite a few movies nonetheless. It just meant watching a lot more steaming content and movies On Demand. So GODDAMMIT!, I was gonna do my best and worst movies of 2020 list, so help me God! Because if I don’t the virus wins! So here it is! It’s nothing to write home about, but hey they can’t all the gems! Please let me know in the comments what movies you loved, or hated, 2020!
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42893825 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
We are also going to be posting either an article or a podcast about our favorite TV shows of 2020, as well as the projects we’re p most looking forward to in 2021! Those will be up in the very near future, so keep an eye out…
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
After 2020’s thrillling 2nd Season of The Mandalorian and the phenomenal Final Season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars both streaming on Disney+, fans are excited about what’s next for our favorite corner of a galaxy far, far, away. In Episode 4 of The Mandalorian’s 2nd Season, titled “The Jedi”, not only were we introduced to Rosario Dawson’s live-action iteration of Ahsoka Tano, but a MAJOR name from Star Wars mythology was dropped as well. A name that has potentially massive implications for the future of the franchise. In this episode, Ahsoka revealed that she is hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. While many viewers likely didn’t understand the weight that his name carries, Thrawn is one of the most fascinating and dangerous villains in the Star Wars Universe. With more seasons of The Mandalorian and the recently announced upcoming shows like Ahsoka, Rangers of The New Republic, and The Book of Boba Fett, all coming down the pipe line, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni plan to keep these shows closely interconnected much like The MCU. The plan being that at some point, there will be some big crossover miniseries or movie on Disney+ that will bring all the characters from the various shows together to combat some larger threat.
Grand Admiral Thrawn would be the perfect antagonist to embody that larger threat in a team up project like this. Not only would he poses an existential threat to the galaxy, but he’s also a fantastic character. Thrawn was first introduced in a trilogy of novels written by Timothy Zahn.
The novels told the story of how The Emperor sent Thrawn on a special mission to investigate a strange new threat that took him far beyond the outer rim, for years. He was so far away in fact, that communication between himself and the heart of The Empire was impossible. Thrawn finally returns with a small fleet to find The Rebellion victorious and The Emperor killed after the events of Return of The Jedi. He rallies what’s left of The Empire and with his brilliance and lethal cunning comes damn near close to destroying The New Republic.
From The MCU’S Greatest Hero to The Most Cunning Villain In Star Wars?
This image was created by a fantastic digital artist. I don’t have the artist’s name right now, but as soon as I do I will post it on this article with a link to see more of their work.
Rumor has it, that none other than Robert Downey Jr, old pal of Jon Favreau, is in talks with Disney and Lucasfilm to sign on as the character in upcoming Star Wars projects for Disney+. While it hasn’t been 100% confirmed that Thrawn is the character Downey is meeting with Disney/Lucasfilm and Favreau to discuss, reports have been very clear that the role is not a cameo, it’s a significant part, it would require Downey to wear some sort of prosthetic make up and it would be a departure from the heroic characters he’s been playing over the last 15 years or so.
I think this is fantastic news. Like I mentioned before, Downey is good friends with Jon Favreau, it’s a fantastic role for any actor, and after the unmitigated disaster that was Dolittle, I’m certain Downey is probably looking for a sure thing for his next major project. As an added benefit, I often describe Thrawn as an evil Sherlock Holmes. Considering that Robert Downey Jr. played a pretty damn good Sherlock Holmes in the past, that’s just one more check in the plus column. I really hope this rumor becomes reality. It’s interesting that so many elements from The Star Wars Expanded Universe are being brought into play lately because when Disney bought Lucasfilm they tossed out all of the Star Wars EU stories and filed them under the umbrella of Star Wars “Legends”. Meaning the stories were no longer considered canon. I understand why Disney/Lucasfilm would want to do that at the time, a lot of the EU stories took place after Return of The Jedi. The company wanted to keep the “Post-RoTJ” time period wide open, so they didn’t have any pre-existing stories or characters that would interfere or contradict the direction that they wanted to go in. Which didn’t work out quite as well as we all would’ve hoped, however, I must admit that I absolutely love The Force Awakens.
Thrawn was reintroduced to Star Wars continuity as the main villain facing the fledgling Rebellion in the final 2 seasons of Star Wars: Rebels. An argument could be made that Lars Mikkelsen, who played Thrawn in Rebels, wouldn’t be a bad choice to play the live-action version of the character. So I really like the actor, he played the villain Charles Augustus Magnuson in Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Season 3, he also played the wizard Geralt meets in the first season of The Witcher. Personally I think his brother, Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Casino Royale, Doctor Strange), would be much better suited to play Thrawn. Unfortunately, he already played a pretty major character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Galen Erso, the man who was forced to design and build The Death Star. BUT he also put the fatal flaw in the space station’s design that allowed Luke to destroy The Death Star during The Battle of Yavin. We’ve even seen Thrawn appearance in some excellent comics recently. Disney also owns MarvelComics, so there of been some fantastic Star Wars graphic novels published, with one miniseries specifically focusing on Thrawn.
With Thrawn already having made his appearance on Star Wars Rebels and now possibly in live action for the first time, as well as Boba Fett officially surviving his trip into The Sarlak Pit (which is also an Expanded Universe concept), it seems that Lucasfilm is getting more comfortable about using EU characters and stories. They seem to be keeping the essence of exactly who these characters are, while changing minor details like when they appear in the mythology. Thrawn debuted on Star Wars Rebels at the height of The Empire’s power, right before the start of The Rebellion. In the EU, he comes into play after Return of The Jedi and the fall of The Empire. So people like Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni seem to be interested in using EU characters, they might just move around where they pop up in the Star Wars timeline and how they fit into mythology, while still respecting the essence of the character. Which begs the question what other EU characters might we see pop-up next? Dash Rendar? Prince Xizor, or a fan favorite character like Mara Jade? My money would be on the latter. Time will tell. Despite the lack luster ending of The Skywalker Saga, it seems like it’s still a pretty good time to be a Star Wars fan!
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
To all of our readers, listeners, and supporters, I want to say thank you and extend a heartfelt and sincere Happy Holidays from all of us here at World’s Best Media! We appreciate each and every time you click on one of out article or listen to one of our podcasts. We couldn’t do any of this without you and we’re so grateful for all of your support! We hope you’re all having a safe and Happy Holiday season! As the year comes to an end, keep an eye out for our Best & Worst of 2020, where pick the highs and lows in movies, TV, and comics, over the last year. We should have out Best/Worst Lists posted before New Years Day. We also have big, big plans for 2021, so stay tuned…
Despite how happy we are that World’s Best Media continues to grow, we know that 2020 has been a brutal year for way too many people. With all of the suffering and hardship so many have endured this year, I’ve been reminded to appreciate the little things in life. I know from experience, that sometimes the simplest of things, can mean the world when times are at their darkest. Which is one of several reasons I was so thrilled that Wonder Woman 1984 was finally available to watch, Christmas Day on HBOMax.
When times get tough, going to the movies has always been my favorite way to escape for a little while (Well, my favorite escape that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol anyway. But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy all 3 at once, right? Go ahead, you’ve earned it!). I think a lot of people out there miss the simple joy of going to their local movie theater to see a feel good, blockbuster and let their troubles slip away from a few hours. I know it’s not much, but folks had the opportunity to watch a great big, superhero, comic book movie, without having to worry about the dangers of going to a movie theater.
However, these aren’t the only reasons that the release WW84 is special, this also marks an important milestone for The World’s Best Podcast. Tim Cuff and I reviewed 2017’s Wonder Woman for the very first episode of The World’s Best Podcast! Longtime listeners of the podcast will recognize Tim Cuff and Ryan McDonald as two of my most frequent co-hosts on the show (Tim even helped me co-create the podcast in the first place). In case you don’t know, Ryan and Tim co-host their own podcast, Cuff’s Basement. In the spirit of the superhero comic books that feature characters like Wonder Woman, to review and discuss WW84 we needed a crossover! So get ready for The SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME WORLD’S BEST PODCAST/CUFF’S BASEMENT CROSSOVER EVENT!
Since The DCEU (or The World’s of DC or whatever the hell they’re calling it now) launched with 2013’s Man of Steel, Wonder Woman has proven to be the studio’s only true critical and commercial hit. Sure, many of these other DC movies made a lot of money, but they were critically trashed and divisive at best among the Fanbase. Does Wonder Woman 1984 live up to the promise of the original movie? Listen below to find out! Enjoy!
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42685229 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
I’m always looking for an opportunity to get more people interested in comics. None of these incredible films and beautiful stories would be possible, without the amazing comic book source material. So if you enjoyed Wonder Woman 1984 and want to learn more about the character, takes a look at some of the books I’ve posted below. They’re great places to star for anyone new to comics, if you’ve seen either Wonder Woman movie, you’re good to go! All of these books are available at your local Comic Book Store, I recommend Googling the closest comic book retailer in your area. The Hall of Comics in Southborough, MA is my local spot for comics and graphic novels and I’ve had nothing, but great experiences with them over the years! If you don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home, you can alway read these stories on your tablet with the ComiXology app. Finally, you can always order any of these graphic novels online through Amazon. I posted links below for you to order any of my recommendations. I hope you give them a chance!
Wonder Woman: Year One (writer- Greg Rucka/Art- Nicola Scott)
Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Vol.1
Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol.1 (W. Grant Morrison/A. Yanick Paquette)
Wonder Woman: Blood (A. Brian Azzarello/A. Cliff Chiang
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
For five decades and running, Star Wars has become our greatest modern myth. In the distant future (assuming of course humanity hasn’t already wiped itself off the face of the planet), people will look back on Star Wars like we look back at epic poems like The Iliad and Beowulf. Stories like Star Wars and Beowulf endure because they’re primal, archetypal stories that speak to timeless themes of family, freedom, and hope.
Part of what makes Star Wars so special, is how it’s stories have touched multiple generations in very different ways. There were the folks who saw the original film at their local movie theater in 1977, unaware of the earth shattering, mind blowing, movie going experience they were about to have. Up to that point, nothing like Star Wars had ever been seen in the history of cinema. Looking back, it’s easier to see some of the stories and archetypes that influenced George Lucas and inspired him to create Star Wars. Then there are the kids like me, who saw the original trilogy when it was re-released in theaters for the Special Editions. It was indescribably cool to see these movies for the first time on the big screen. When The Star Wars Trilogy Special Editions were released, some were very frustrated with some of the changes George Lucas made to the classic trilogy. None of that mattered to me, I was a kid experiencing these classic films for the first time. Which is probably why I don’t find the changes to the movies so jarring. I feel extremely lucky that I got to experience every single Star Wars film, the entire Skywalker Saga for the first time on the big screen. Another group of fans are the kids who’s “original trilogy” is the prequel trilogy, that was the Star Wars they fell in love with. It’s one of the reasons the prequel‘s are looked back on more fondly than people may suspect.
So anyone, no matter the age, has their own very specific Star Wars experience. If you ask 10 different people to rank their favorite Star Wars films, you’re likely to get 10 completely different answers. If had to rank the films, my top three favorite Star Wars movies are The Empire Strike Back, Revenge of The Sith, and The Force Awakens. One movie from each trilogy. Beyond that, there are all of the books, comics, and video games that make up TheExpanded Universe, which also affect a person’s feelings about Star Wars. I suppose technically The Mandalorian would fall under the umbrella of an Expanded Universe story. It’s not technically a part of The Skywalker Saga, yet it has already become an indelible part of Star Wars. So much so that The Mandalorian will be looked back upon as being a vital piece of Star Wars just as much as something like Return of The Jedi.
Anyway, I was very excited to talk about the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian on this week’s show. In less than 24 hours, the final episode of the season sent shockwaves through the fan community. A rapturous, collective pop-culture event, the likes of which I don’t think has been seen, since Thanos infamously snapped half of the universe out of existence. It was one of those rare times when the term, “broke the Internet“ felt actually appropriate. So, on this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we discuss the Season 2 Finale of The Mandalorian, and what we thought of the season overall.
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42564351 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
Before you go, I wanted to share a cool video. With the exception of Dave Chapelle, who has become a full-blown legend, Bill Burr is probably the best working comedian in the business right now. His character from Season 1, Mayfield, returned to The Mandalorian in Episode 7, where he showed off some impressive acting chops. Bill Burr’s scene with Mando and Mayfield‘s former commander from his days as a soldier for The Empire, was easily one of the best scenes of the season. The scene felt like it was pulled right out of a Quentin Tarantino movie, and I mean that in the best way. Despite the incredible dramatic acting talent he put on display this season, Bill is still first and foremost an ridiculously funny comedian. Which is why, when I came across this very funny video, I thought you guys might really enjoy it. You can watch the video below, take a look:
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram@worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
-Paul
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW!!!
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If “you know who”can make an appearance on The Mandalorian, why not this? If done well, it could be really cool…
There’s going to be some spoilers for the Mandalorian season 2 finale, so you’ve been warned.
With the wrap up of season 2 of the Mandalorian we’ve seen Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) go off with Luke Skywalker. So in season 2 we learned that he was a Jedi youngling when Anakin slaughtered them, and now he’s going off with Luke to be trained, presumably alongside Ben Solo (the future Kyle Ren).
That is a lot of darkness surrounding the cute and cuddly character. He doesn’t have a great start—through no fault of his own— to a life as a Jedi. In addition to all of that there is clearly a conflict in him, one that we have seen before in Star Wars, that of emotional attachment. These elements, personally make me want to see Grogu be a Gray Jedi.
We’ve seen Gray Jedi before, but we’ve also seen people who would probably have been better if they hadn’t fought their nature, like Anakin. Emotional attachment is such a fundamental conflict within Star Wars, and I think letting Grogu handle that in a less binary more healthy manner will be cool.
When 900 Years OldYou Reach, Look This Good You Will Not
In addition to wanting to see Grogu go the way of a Gray Jedi, I also think he gives the storytellers an interesting opportunity to anchor the future Star Wars (both our future but also the stuff happening after the original trilogy) within the canon.
Yoda’s species ages at such a slow rate, that they have an opportunity to oversee or participate in such a wide range of generations. Grogu is years younger than Anakin (maybe fifteen) all the way through The Rise of Skywalker and he’d be the equivalent of a preteen?
Grogu can stand beside the Jedi that Rey trains, and the Jedi they train. It’s not to say that I want him to be a Yoda, where he is the wisest, and know so much about the Jedi order, but I think having a character who can come in and out of the different Jedi stories will help to keep Star Wars feeling connected in the wake of the Skywalker Saga ending.
Should Grogu get his own movie?
I’m not fully opposed to this, but I’m not sure it’s the way to go either, but if we’re going to get Grogu as a main character—and I’m assuming he’ll learn English as he grows older— I have a couple of ideas for who I want in charge of it.
Taika Waititi is one of my personal favorite filmmakers right now. He directed Thor: Ragnarok, taking the Thor franchise to a place I never thought it would be, and I loved it. Next he directed Jojo Rabbit, which you haven’t seen it is one of the best films of 2019, about a boy and his imaginary friend Hitler, in which he tells an endearing story of a young nazi during WWII.
The reason I bring up these two projects, is to say that Taika Waititi can take very weird concepts and make them great, because he understands storytelling, and isn’t afraid to dive into the odd. If we’re ever going to get a Grogu movie, I can’t really imagine it won’t be the weirdest Star Wars film to date.
I know that Patty Jenkin’s Rogue Squadron was the big film takeaway from last week’s Star Wars announcements, but we know that Taika Waititi is also going to be directing a Star Wars film, and while there has been little to know information on it, the one consistent thing people have been saying is that it’s going to be weird and different.
My last point in arguing for Taika’s take on Grogu, and is that he’s directed an episode of The Mandalorian, he’s already in someway connected not only with Star Wars, but with this character.
We’ve Never Had a Real Gray Jedi
This is going to be a controversial point, because there is some speculation that Qui-Gon was a Gray Jedi, or that Kanan was. But the only real confirmed Gray Jedi we’ve seen have come in books and video games. Never a show, never a film. It’s an aspect of the story that is open for expanding the lore for the audience that only watches Star Wars.
Like I said before, Gray Jedi make the most sense in a lot of ways, they’re not good or bad, but rather they’re balanced. It’s something which in a series always so concerned about balance, has been sorely lacking, especially when we have so many balanced non-force wielders. With Lando, and Han, and Hando—just now realizing what they did there with his name— we see good characters with bad sides, and bad characters with good sides. Even within this season of the Mandalorian, we see Boba Fett, who is a bounty hunter help to do the right thing due to his honor code, and then presumably become a crime-boss.
Nuance is lacking in the force, and Grogu the Gray would be a great way of introducing it. That’s what I want to see.
Holy crap this was a great week for trailers! The annual Walt Disney Co. 2020 Shareholders Meeting, took place a few days ago. Over the last decade or so, Disney has made some huge business moves that paid off, big time! With the creation of Marvel Studios, partnering with Sony to get Spider-Man in The MCU, the company acquiring Fox, and the success of Disney+, the company’s star is continuing to rise. This year Disney live-streamed the event to their shareholders, so fans had a chance watch the presentation as well. Star Wars and Marvel fans in particular, should keep this yearly event on their radar. Just and foremost, this meeting is about Disney displaying their value to their shareholders, so they usually pull out all the stops. As one among several events Disney hosts every year, this is where we can expect to see major announcements about upcoming Marvel and Star Wars projects. The heads of each entertainment division at Disney (Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney Animation, etc) give presentation about all of the upcoming projects that they’re working on, which will of course make the shareholders shit loads of money. The event was live streamed on and they did not disappoint with some amazing and exciting announcements. We are going to go over everything that we saw at The Walt Disney Co. 2020 Shareholders Meeting on the next episode of The World’s Best Podcast, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, some fantastic new trailers were shown, so I figured it was the perfect time for Trailers of The Week!
Trailers For The Upcoming MCU Series On Disney+
Trailers For The New Star Wars Series On Disney+
These trailers are just a few teasers among a lot more exciting content heading our way! So much information was dropped during this event, that we are going to offer continued coverage of all the announcements, so keep an eye out for new articles and podcasts that will cover all of the really cool stuff coming down the Disney pipeline!
Thanks for reading… and watching! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
Disney is currently live streaming their 2020 investor presentation, which is highlighting the success of initiatives like Disney+, as well officially announcing the future of their major brands. Though this is a business event, meant to be speaking directly to their investors, there will be major announcements about the future of the MCU, Star Wars, and Disney+ during this event. The company has already announced that they have a planned 10 new MCU shows for Disney+ and 10 new Star Wars shows for Disney+, with more content news coming very soon in the event. Though you can watch the entire event on the Disney website, I’m specifically including The John Campea Show’s watch along and commentary. John Campea is one of my favorite YouTube personalities and a fantastic commentator on film, television, and genre entertainment in general. For those of you who are little less in the know, he’s the perfect commentator to walk you through this event. John will help clarify some of the major announcements the company is making. So if you’re interested in the future of Marvel, Star Wars, streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu, ESNP content,and much more. Check out this live event…
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
Streaming platforms like Netflix have drastically changed the way we consume entertainment over the last decade. For quite some time, I believed that streaming was the future of the film and television industry. Last week Warner Bros. made the monumental announcement that Wonder Woman 1984, one of their biggest upcoming releases, would be debuting simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max on Christmas Day. Subscribers to HBO Max will even be available to watch the movie free. This announcement was a very big deal, that sent shock waves throughout the film industry. The coronavirus outbreak has destroyed so many businesses and industries over the last year, with movie theater chains being hit particularly hard.
If a vaccine for the coronavirus becomes approved for public use in the next few weeks, the earliest the movie theater industry could expect to see any kind of bounce back, would be early summer 2021. With so many projects already finished, in the can, ready to be viewed by audiences, it was only a matter of time before a major studio made a move like this. Most people expected Disney+ to do something like this with Marvel’s Black Widow, while nothing has officially been announced yet, I think this move all but confirms that we’ll see Black Widow on Disney+ sooner rather than later. The point is that for awhile now, we’ve been heading towards a world where the way we watch movies will fundamentally change. The fact that Warner Bros. chose Wonder Woman 1984 to be the film to test the new format was a clear signal that they were taking streaming more seriously than they ever had before. This wasn’t some random film, this was the is the sequel to what is arguably the most successful DCEU superhero film. All the while Disney has been making it very clear that they plan to invest a lot of money and resources into the success of Disney+ and streaming. The current leadership of the company has seen streaming as a new gold rush (and that was before COVID-19 crippled the country).
Dune based on the classic sci-fi novel
Which brings me to my main point, today is the day movie industry has been fundamentally and forever changed. Warner Bros. announced today that all of their upcoming 2021 film slate will be available on HBO Max the same day as they’re released in theatres. The company is making sure to emphasize that the films will premiere on HBO Max and in theaters on the same one same day. While some theaters are open and partially operating in the U.S. right now, the main reason for emphasizing a duel streaming and theatrical release, is because many international markets don’t have access to certain streaming service yet. Another factor at play is how the international market, where people are physically going to see films in movie theatres more often. Mainly because most of these countries have the coronavirus under control in a way that the United States does not. Even though, as I mentioned before, Wonder Woman 1984 will be free to HBO subscribers, I am certain that an additional fee will be charged for all of these future releases Warner Bros. has planned for the platform in 2021 which includes 17 major titles such as The Matrix 4, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel Dune, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Godzilla Vs. Kong and more. One thing is for certain, it cannot be understated how much of a game changer this is for virtually every aspect of the filmmaking industry. Take a look at this promo trailer:
I’ve always found the inherent dichotomy in the movie industry fascinating. Half of it creatively motivated and the other half motivated by The Almighty Dollar. First and foremost, movie studios are businesses. Just like any other company, the point is to make money. However, in this case, their products happen to movies. The best filmmakers are incredibly passionate about storytelling and the art of film. Occasionally, movie studio executives bump heads with directors on set. Executives worry about the bottom line and the filmmaker is worried about the quality of the storytelling in their film. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it happens enough for people to notice it every now and again. Telling a great story and making a lot of money, don’t always gel together well.
Because there’s so much money dumped into any given blockbuster, studio executives occasionally give directors “Notes”, which are suggestions, or demands, from the film studio to their directors, that certain changes be made to their movies. “Studio Notes” are often misguided attempts by studio execs who aren’t talented or creative storytellers, trying to influence a film to appeal to the widest possible audience. Executives at these companies don’t think like artists, which is why so many films that are heavily affected by studio interference, turn out pretty shitty. Creative people and business motivate people are basically antithetical to one another.
James Gunn’s sequel to Suicide Squad
I brought this up to illustrate that the people who run film studios only care about the facts, how can they have a successful financial year? So making this kind of move, with this slate of major, high profile major films, seems to indicate all that Warner Bros. doesn’t expect movie theaters to bounce back to any kind of normalcy until fall or winter 2021, at the earliest. In a statement by Warner Bros, The company said that when it is completely safe for people to gather together in a movie theater they, plan on re-embracing the movie theater if you need experience. But the question is, at that point will audiences even want to go back to the old ways? I can think of a lot of reasons why I’d rather watch certain films at home rather than in a theatre filled with people You can be sure we will follow this story as it continues develop…
So, what do you think about this move by Warner Bros and HBO Max? Do you like the idea of watching the latest big movies from the comfort of your own home? Or perhaps you enjoy the movie going experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
A few years ago, I read a book called “The Knife of Never Letting Go,” by Patrick Ness. It’s not the greatest title, but immediately it was one of my favorite books. It was written in a way that was bizarre and interesting, and I was captivated from the beginning. The book is the first in a trilogy called “The Chaos Walking” trilogy. I read the entire trilogy as quickly as I could, and while the first book is by far my favorite, the entire trilogy is good.
The film adaptation of these books is coming out on January 22, 2021 (that is of course assuming things don’t get changed in the wake of the pandemic). As far as I can tell from the trailer, which was released today, the film will be adapting the trilogy as a whole and not the first book, and I’m not hating that. Here’s what I think about the upcoming adaptation, and the books, along with the trailer.
Before You Watch the Trailer
I don’t want to say much about these books, because I do think this is a situation in which going in with as little info as possible is going to enhance the experience. The trailer does somewhat spoil some of the secrets of the first book. I think that because of the way they are—necessarily—changing the telling of the story, the reveal of the first book would make absolutely no sense, but if you’re planning on reading the books before seeing the film, I strongly recommend reading at least the first book before watching the trailer.
The trailer shows you glimpses of events past the big reveal of the first book, but I don’t think there is much that is going to be ruined if you’ve read only the first book.
What Can I Tell You Without Spoiling?
Here is one of the things that I think if you pick up the book at a book store, and literally flip through it you would learn, so I don’t feel bad spoiling for you. This book doesn’t follow a layout the way pretty much every novel I’ve ever read has. This book, along with House of Leaves, are the only two books I’ve read, where margins and orientation are inconsistent, and messed with as a part of the story telling.
In this book, (minor spoiler here) we meet Todd, a boy who lives on a planet where everyone’s thoughts are projected aloud into the air for all to see and hear. The constant bombardment of these thoughts to the characters is reflected in scrawling text, sometimes looking like a notebook which has been writing has been written over.
This factor of the world is not a minor aspect, but affects seemingly everything that happens in all three books, and so when I read that the book was going to be adapted, I was genuinely curious as to how it was going to work. Based on what I’ve seen in the trailer it looks like they’ve come up with a pretty cool way of selling it.
Three Books—One Movie?
I could be wrong on this, but based on the trailer, I think they’re telling the whole story in one film, I think it’s a smart decision. In a world in which most novels are better translated into shows than films, I think this book series doing the opposite makes a lot of sense.
The three books while running high on page counts, don’t tell long stories. In fact, it’s very much three acts of the same story. A lot of the page count is dedicated to style and world building, and I suspect that on film both will be done much more efficiently than the novels. I’d rather see the whole story told well over the course of one film, than poorly over the course of three or four.
Ready for the Trailer?
If you’ve read the books already, or you’re thinking that you’re not going to, go ahead and watch the trailer. But this is your last warning. Watching this trailer will spoil what was personally one of my favorite aspects of the book. So I won’t tell you what to do, but like any good parent, I will guilt trip you and just say “I think you know the right thing, I just hope you choose to do it.”
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