UPDATED! NEW TRAILER & FIRST LOOK: Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny!

Published on November 26, 2022December 4, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

UPDATE! Check out the First Teaser Trailer for Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny!

For my money, Empire Magazine has always been the premiere movie periodical. So I’ve been happy to see Empire transition gracefully into the digital age. They still manage to consistently get exclusive coverage of the most highly anticipated films. In their latest issue, Empire has the first details and images of 2023’s Indiana Jones 5!

In these exclusive images from Empire, we get our best look yet at the final adventure of Dr. Henry Jones Jr., the greatest action hero in cinema history.

I’m a MASSIVE Indiana Jones fan. The series is a big reason I fell in love with movies in the first place. I’ve probably seen Temple of Doom hundreds of times. Though heavily criticized upon it’s release, I’ve always enjoyed Indiana Jones The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull as a flawed, but solid entry in The Indiana Jones Saga. However, I still always wanted just one more film. Indy deserves a final kick ass movie, to send the series off with a bang. And it looks like that’s exactly what we’re going to get from the filmmakers of Indiana Jones 5, making it one of my most anticipated movies of 2023.

Notably, this will be the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg. Director James Mangold will be helming the as-yet-untitled Indiana Jones 5, with Spielberg staying on as producer. Mangold was the filmmaker behind 2017’s Logan, so he certainly knows a thing or two about sending an aging movie icon off for one last ride. Mangold was a genius pick for this project. I can’t think of a director better suited to take on Indiana Jones 5.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Indy’s god daughter

Mads Mikkelsen as Voller, the film’s big bad. Who Mikkelsen partially based on real life NASA engineer and ex-Nazi, Wernher von Braun

Even with the film months away from release, some of the more cynical audience members have regarded the very idea of an Indiana Jones 5, as pushing the franchise beyond it’s expiration date. Especially considering the negative reception the last installment received from a significant portion of the fan base. The common refrain from certain movie fans online about Indiana Jones 5, have all been some variation of: “An elderly Ford, still running around with his fedora and whip?” and “Isn’t he a little too old for this shit?” or “C’mon, how believable is it for an 80 year old man to make another, very physical, action movie epic like this?”. Well, as the great Tyrion Lannister once said “Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.”. A sentiment that, director James Mangold, has certainly taken to heart. Lesser filmmakers may have tried to coast by, just cracking a few jokes old man jokes and hope the audience is willing to suspend their disbelief, Instead, when he was brought on board, Mangold decided to take these criticisms head on and make them the thematic heart of the film. A story about a lifelong adventurer coming to the end of his epic adventures. Mangold felt very strongly that Indiana Jones needed a movie to close out the franchise, to give it an ending. Mangold took what other saw as weaknesses and made them into strengths that are the thematic pillars of this movie. The director saw Harrison Ford and his character’s age, as an opportunity to give Indiana Jones a Grand Finale!

It’s also been revealed that the upcoming movie opens with a massive flashback, action sequence, bringing us back to the era of Raiders of The Lost Ark. This sequence will feature the most cutting edge version of the de-aging technology we’ve increasingly seen on the big screen over the last several years, allowing Ford to play Indy in both time periods. However, the flashback opening with a younger Indy isn’t just for fun, the sequence taking place in 1944 connects directly to the film’s main story, taking place in 1969. Very little is known about the film’s plot, other than it involves the NASA Apollo Missions and Indy once again dealing with his most despised adversaries, Nazis. However, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the movie will involve a lot of glob trotting, adventuring to exotic locations, and the search for some sort of legendary, archaeological artifact. Possibly even supernatural in nature.

Boyd Holbrook as Klaber. Voller’s henchman.

Indiana Jones 5 opens in theaters June 30, 2023

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, 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

COMIC-CON 2022!!! Marvel Studios! DC! The Sandman! & Much More!

Published on July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

*EDITOR’S NOTE: A lot of interesting content was revealed at this year’s COMIC-CON, so I’ll be updating this page with new content over the next several days.

Its that time of year and Comic-Con is upon us once again! This the venue where audiences get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy genres. There were quite a few notable announcements, trailers, and first looks, so let’s dive right in!

MARVEL STUDIOS

After The Infinity Saga came to a close, fans have been eager to see where The MCU would go next. The head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Fiege, did not disappoint. As we’re heading towards the end of Phase 4, Marvel debuted the films and Disney+ shows that would make up not only Phase 5, but Phase 6 as well!

As you’ll notice, not all of the films and TV shows that make up Phase 6 have been revealed. Some of these projects could hidden beceause even their title would spoil certain surprises that Marvel has in store. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those spots taken up by sequels for characters like Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange or even an X-Men related project. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a film about the main Marvel Universe version of The Illuminati or even a Doctor Doom solo movie. We’ll have to wait and see. Like The Infinity Saga before it, Phases 4, 5, and 6 will collectively make up…

Culminating in not one, but TWO Avengers films, with monumentally exciting titles…

Exciting stuff, but there’s more MCU where that came from…

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

The 3rd installment in the Ant-Man franchise marks the beginning of Marvel’s Phase 5. The big news in this movie is Jonathan Majors appearing as Kang The Conqueror. When we met He Who Remains, a much nicer variant of Kang, in Loki Season 1, we were warned that his variant’s are dangerous to put it mildly. When it comes to The Avengers’ the greatest foes, three names top the list: Thanos, Ultron, and Kang. Considering that the next Avengers movie is called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, you get the idea that Kang is as bad and as dangerous as they come. Jonathan Majors did a fantastic job of playing a variant of Kang in Loki Season One so I’m very excited to see what he does with a much more malevolent version of the character in this film. Below Marvel revealed an exciting poster for the upcoming movie, where you get a good look at not only Ant-Man and The Wasp, but Kang The Conqueror in his traditional comic book attire, along with Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie as her superhero alter ego, Stature.

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3

While some of the Guardians of The Galaxy panel is available to watch on YouTube, the brief teaser James Gunn cut together for the audience in Hall H , hasn’t made it’s way online yet. However, there were some cool reveals, it was officially confirmed that the film’s villain will be The High Evolutionary. The character will be played by Chukwudi Iwuji. Earlier this year, Iwuji played Clemson Murn in the spectacular “Peacemaker” series. He made a hell of the entrance by taking a page out of Tom Hiddleston’s playbook and showing up for the panel in character and costume.

Chukwudi Iwuji on stage in Hall H as The High Evolutionary.

The High Evolutionary is Doctor Herbert Wyndham, a geneticist who specializes in creating human/animal hybrids. Rocket has been frequently referred to as the central character in Vol.3., so going on some sort of journey of self discovery to find his ”creator” or ”father”, makes a lot of sense. Many fans have speculated that The High Evolutionary would be revealed to be Rocket’s creator. This reveal seems to have confirmed this running fan theory.

Daredevil: Born Again

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio return as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in the first 18 Episode Disney+ series. Notably, Fiege referred to this as the show’s “First Season”, implying that this isn’t a one off, like WandaVision, for example. Born Again refers to one of Daredevil’s most iconic stories, however Season 3 of the Netflix Daredevil series was largely an adaptation of this classic Born Again storyline. Even if the Netflix shows aren’t completely considered canon in The MCU, I doubt Marvel would rehash a story that we’ve, mostly, already seen, canon or not. Especially with Cox and D’Onofrio returning. If i had to guess, I’d say this is probably a Civil War or Age of Ultron situation, adaptations in name only and vastly different from the source material. I think that’s the most likely situation with Daredevil: Born Again. Out of all the projects revealed at COMIC CON this year, this is the one I’m most excited about.

In this video, IGN does a great job of explaining what Daredevil’s future in The MCU looks like. Check it out:

DC ENTERTAINMENT

The Sandman

Neil Gaiman, the celebrated author and creator of The Sandman comic series that the new show’s based on, breaks down the trailer in the video below.

SHAZAM: Fury of The Gods

Black Adam

-Paul

TRAILERS OF THE WEEK: Black Adam & The Sandman!

Published on June 10, 2022June 10, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

DC superhero films that have come out over the past several years have been a mixed bag to put it politely. However, there is reason to hope on the horizon. There has been a major shake up at Warner Brothers, the company that owns DC. They have a new head honcho. A man named David Zasla is the new Warners CEO nad he’s looking to make some big changes, for the better. First of all, they want to create an in-house DC Studios, so they can completely produce and create their own films. Like Marvel Studios has since the first Iron Man movie in 2008. He’s already been cleaning house DC Entertainment. Cancelling several TV shows and projects that don’t work or have long overstayed their welcome. Change can be a very good thing in a situation like this and the slate of films coming down the pipe from DC are pretty exciting.

BLACK ADAM

One project that I’m most looking forward to is Black Adam, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular character. Warner Bros./DC have just dropped a new trailer, so let’s take a closer look…

Black Adam is a fantastic character. Not somebody easily classified as a hero or a villain. More of an anti-hero. But a great character nonetheless. While I don’t think this is a particularly spectacular trailer, the first teaser was much, much better, I was already sold on this film and I think there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this movie.

Because Black Adam rides that line between villain and anti-hero, I love how the “antagonists” of the movie are the superheroes Teth-Adam (his real name) faces off with in the comics. It’s a brilliant reversal on the hero/villain dynamic that we haven’t quite seen before in a superhero film. The superheroes in question are The JSA or Justice Society, the team that bump heads with Black Adam most frequently.

It’s a really cool line up, too! With Pierce Brosnan playing Dr. Fate, along side characters like Hawkman (played by Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. I even think the JSA character designs are done very well. In fact, Black Adam looks spot on as well. Based on what I’ve seen in the trailers so far, I really dig the film’s aesthetic.

It should also be noted that Black Adam has major ties the character Shazam/Billy Batson. 2019’s SHAZAM! was one of the better DC movies to hit theaters over the last few years. Shazam and Black Adam are large parts of each other’s mythologies. If the upcoming sequel, SHAZAM!: Fury of The Gods, is a success, we should expect these characters to cross paths in the near future. In fact, I’ll be surprised if Black Adam doesn’t feature a cameo or some other major reference to Shazam. I’m really intrigued to see how it’ll all play out on the big screen. Check out the trailer here:

THE SANDMAN

Next up, we have the new trailer for the upcoming Netflix series based on Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman! The Sandman is by far one of my absolute favorite comic books of all time. It’s a story that I find myself coming back to over and over again. I tend to re-read it every few years and I always discover something new in the story that I didn’t notice before. It’s a true masterpiece of the medium. I knew that The Sandman series was premiering in 2022, they already dropped a teaser trailer, but I thought it was odd that we hadn’t heard anything else about a specific release date. No behind the scenes footage or other promotional material. Well, now we have an official trailer to announce the release date, confirming a 2022 release. The trailer reveals we’re going to be seeing it much sooner rather than later, premiering August 5th on Netflix.

It’ll be very interesting to see how this show plays out. It seems to be both a very faithful adaptation, taking images straight off the page, while also deviating from the comic in some other major ways. Which is fine, in fact most times, it’s a good thing. Often, it’s the best way to tackle a project like this. When adapting something from one medium to another, some things that work on the comic book page don’t always work on screen, necessitating changes in the translation. I think the important things like the actor cast in the role of Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless AKA the titular Sandman, Tom Sturridge, seems perfect for the role. The visuals seem spectacular and the tone appears to be spot on. So I’m optimistic. However, I have a feeling this is either going to be brilliant, or kind of a big let down. I don’t have any particular reason to believe that, it’s more just an instinct. Hopefully I’m way off and this is going to another wonderful adaptation of one of Neil Gaiman’s most wonderful creations. Anyway take a look at the trailer for yourself below and step into the world of The King of Dreams…

-Paul

FIRST LOOK: Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman!

Published on September 27, 2021October 7, 2021 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

“When the first living thing drew breath, He was there. Waiting…”

Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece, the groundbreaking comic book series, The Sandman, is being adapted into a live-action show for Netflix. A teaser trailer, along with a few stylish character posters, were recently released online. The Sandman is many things, but first and foremost, it’s the story of Dream of The Endless: Lord of The Dreaming & King of Stories. Dream has gone by many names over the eons, but these days he is mostly known as Morpheus.

When all mortal beings sleep and dream, we enter his realm, The Dreaming. As I mentioned before, Dream, along with his 6 siblings, are immortal beings called The Endless. They’re physical embodiments of fundamental aspects of existence. From oldest to youngest, there’s: Destiny (Dream’s big brother), Death (Dream’s big sister), Dream, Destruction (Dream’s wayward younger brother, sometimes referred to as “The Prodigal” among the family because he abandoned his duties), Desire (his brother/sister), Despair (his sister and Desire’s twin), and Delirium (his sister and the youngest of The Endless, once know as Delight).

*Dream & his Sibling, The Endless: Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delirium.*

The Endless aren’t simply manifestations of these concepts, they also take responsibility for their proper function. For example, Death ensures that recently deceased mortal souls reach their proper destination, after they leave the realm of the living. One of my favorite quotes in the entire series is from Death, when she says ”When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I’ll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights, and lock the universe behind me when I leave.” But this is all just set up, establishing the spectacular world of The Sandman.

In the introduction to Endless Nights, one of the volumes of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman talks about how he was asked to describe the story of The Sandman in 25 words or less. His response was “The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision.“. That is a beautifully simple, brilliant, pitch perfect description of something so wonderfully sprawling and complex. It’s one of my favorite quotes and it completely encapsulates one of the central ideas at core of this incredible tale. Throughout this incredible fable, the story takes us to ancient Rome, Hell, the beginning of the universe, Arkham Asylum, New York City, a serial killer convention, and a million places in between. Along the way we encounter characters like John Constantine, Batman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, William Shakespeare, Lucifer, and a cast of thousands!

*The Sandman includes appearances from a large and diverse cast of characters. Like William Shakespeare, Lucifer, J’onn J’onzz The Martian Manhunter, and even Batman.*

I truly and deeply love the work of Neil Gaiman, and The Sandman is my favorite of his creations. I’ve re-read the series at least a dozen times over the years and I find something new and exciting every time I revisit it. Which is part of the magic of this amazing story. It was incredibly exciting to get our first look at this show, when the teaser trailer was released online, along with several character posters. This is the perfect time to tell the story of Morpheus of The Endless, in a medium other than comics. So, let’s take a look at the teaser trailer, a behind-the-scenes video, some cool new posters, concept art, and much more! Let’s dive in!

Morpheus can be prickly, standoffish, and solitary, but one of the few people (or beings) he trusts and opens up to, is his older sister, Death. Like in this scene, in which Death pays her little brother a visit, while he’s feeding pigeons in the park.

The Sandman: Teaser Trailer

Check out the trailer below:

This is a fantastic teaser trailer, with imagery pulled straight out of The Sandman #1

Official Posters & Plot Synopsis

Here’s the official series synopsis from Netflix:

The Lord of Dreams has been summoned, and captured, by mortal men. Once free from his captivity, this eternal ruler of Dreams will realize that his troubles are only just beginning. The Sandman is a Netflix series based on the groundbreaking comic book series created for DC by Neil Gaiman. The series is Executive Produced by Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, & David S. Goyer.

Behind-The-Scenes Sneak Peek…

A few months ago, Netflix put out a Behind-The-Scenes look at the making of The Sandman. If you’re unfamiliar with the source material, this video will definitely put the teaser trailer (above), in better context and give you a clearer picture of what exactly the series is all about…

Netflix also released some behind-the-scenes images that shows some of the beautiful sets they’ve designed and created for this series. This image gives us a look at the set for Lucifer’s palace in Hell, along with a piece of concept art that illustrates, roughly, what one of the scenes being filmed of the set will look like.

Concept Art: Morpheus meet with Lucifer in a scene taking place on the above sets

It’s really heartening to see that Netflix is investing in the time, money, and imagination to build amazing sets like these. It’ll require the use of both practical and VFX to effectively create a successful Sandman series. I absolutely adore this next piece of concept art, that shows, at least visually, the series is going to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the comic book.

The concept art depicts a key moment from the events that kick off the entire series and set the whole story in motion. Dream has just escaped 100 years of imprisonment at the hands of mortals, who so foolishly attempted to summon and imprison Death. Fortunately for the universe, (and eventually unfortunately for the idiots who kept him captive) they summoned Death’s younger brother Dream, instead. Eventually he escapes through patience and gets his retribution. I’ve included the same moment as depicted in the original comic book, to illustrate exactly how the Netflix series seems to be swinging for the fences with scope and wonder to bring us a faithful adaptation.

Below I included a cast list, as well. It’s not the entire cast, obviously. However it does give you a good idea of who is playing some of the key characters.

The Sandman Audio Series: Acts I & II (Audible Original)

Its’s a great time to be a Sandman fan, and the upcoming Netflix series isn’t the only reason to be excited. If you’re a fan of the graphic novels, like myself, and you’re eagerly anticipating the show’s Netflix premiere in 2022, I highly recommend you check out Audibles adaptation of The Sandman. It is far and away the best audio drama I’ve ever heard. It is top-of-the-line, excellence across the board. The music and sound design are fantastic. The voice cast, headlined by James McAvoy as Morpheus, is spectacular. Other standouts include, Michael Sheen a Lucifer, Kat Dennings as Death, and Jeffrey Wright as Destiny, but it’s McAvoy in particular who gives an unforgettable performance as Morpheus. Neil Gaiman himself does a great job of narrating the entire project. Those are just the highlights, there are literally dozens of great performances across these two volumes. Comics are a visual medium, so it’s truly impressive how the team behind this audio drama created such a faithful and entertaining adaptation. If you want to start listening or you’re just curious to check out, I’ve posted the links for both to both volumes below.

The Sandman Act I

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Sandman-Audiobook/B086WP794Z?pf_rd_p=c2921c27-7fad-4bd7-a9d8-170d9ae090ca&pf_rd_r=D2TXH40416YQK4CYJSXA

The Sandman Act II

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Sandman-Act-II-Audiobook/B098TWVZVD?ref=mrq_aud_TSAI_p_em17&source_code=MRQOR22308202105WH&ref_=pe_34199000_599693030

The Sandman Act I & II are now available on Audible and The Sandman comes to Netflix in 2022

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @thebestdamnblogwithpaulwrightPJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. 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