Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 25th to 31st, 2021 - Update #5

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - Variety:   The winner of the 7/23 to 7/25/2021 weekend box office is "Old" with an estimated gross of 16.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdaine" tops the specialty box office.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  The estate of the late singer, Grammy-winner James Brown, has been settled after nearly 15 years of legal battles.  The estate had been in dispute since Brown died Christmas Day 2006.

NETFLIX - From Variety:   The site has a huge piece on Kevin Smith, the development of Netflix's "Master of the Universe" animated series, and about online fan backlash against the series.

CELEBRITY - From YahooPeople:    Judge John Ouderkirk, the judge involved in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's ongoing custody case, will be disqualified after he was found to have "violated his ethical obligations," according to an opinion submitted by three appellate judges on Friday.

OBIT:

From Deadline:  The actor Mike Mitchell has died at the age of 65, Friday, July 23, 2021.  Mitchell was a former "Mr. Universe" and won several "World Fitness Federation World Championships."  He appeared in such films as "Braveheart" (1995) and "Gladiator" (2000).

A "Star Wars" Link-o-Rama 2021 by Negromancer - Update #28

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS AND RUMORS: 

A NEW HOPE - From TheWrap:   George Lucas once showed an early cut of his film, "Star Wars," to his pals Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian De Palma.  De Palma ("Scarface") disputes Spielberg's recollection of what went down at the screening...

VISIONS - From CBR:  Lucasfilm has announced that seven of the Japanese anime (animation) industry's top studios, including Trigger and Production IG, will be involved in the production of "Star Wars: Visions," an anime anthology series.  "Star Wars: Visions" will feature 8 animated short segments and will debut exclusively on Disney+ on Septemeber 22, 2021.

From StarWars:  Here is a special video clip look at "Star Wars: Visions."

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Here is a list of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" comic book releases for October 2021 - with some speculation thrownin.

MANGA - From ComicBook:   VIZ Media has announced a manga that will be a prequel to the 2016 film, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."  The manga will actually be an adaptation of Greg Rucka's novel, "Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills."

THE FORCE AWAKENS - From Collider:   Concerning the "sequel trilogy," writer-director J.J. Abrams says it would have been better to have had a plan.

THE MANDALORIAN - From YahooLifestyle:   Disney has apparently decided to NOT move forward with its announced spinoff of "The Mandalorian," which was to be called "Rangers of the New Republic."

JOHN BOYEGA - From YahooEntertainment:   John Boyega reflects on bringing up "Star Wars" race issues: "I wanted to discuss the elephant in the room."

DAVE FILONI - From Variety:   Dave Filoni actually has been "executive creative director" at Lucasfilm since Summer 2020.

A NEW HOPE - From YahooEntertainment:  The "Star Wars" stars that never were: Meet the actors whose scenes were cut from "A New Hope."

From Variety:  Variety.com has offered up its 1977 review of the original "Star Wars" from its print edition.  The reviewer at that time, A.D. Murphy, really liked it.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics is publishing a "Star Wars" comic event, "War of the Bounty Hunters," which tells the story of what happened to frozen Han Solo between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."  One of the tie-in comic books will be "Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - Jabba the Hutt #1."

OBI-WAN KENOBI - From StarWars:   The cast for the Disney+ series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," has been revealed.  It includes (of course) Ewan McGregor.  He is joined by Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Sung Kang, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Moses Ingram, and Bonnie Piesse, among others. The series will begin shooting this month (April 2021).

LANDO - From BleedingCool:   Lando Calrissian is apparently officially "pansexual," according to LucasFilm.

OBI-WAN - From Deadline:   "Game of Thrones" actress Indira Varma reportedly joins the cast of the Disney+/Lucasfilm Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

RIAN JOHNSON - From DigitalSpy:  Some time ago, there was an announcement that director Rian Johnson ("Star Wars: The Last Jedi") was developing a new Star Wars trilogy.  It apparently is still in development, according to bestselling author Sariah Wilson, although that had been reports that the trilogy had been cancelled.

COMIC BOOKS - From StarWars:   Writer Charles Soule talks about his upcoming comic book series, "Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters."

From BleedingCool:  In May 2021, the "Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters" comic book event will take place in six Marvel Comics titles.

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THE MANDALORIAN - From Variety:   Apparently, actress Gina Carano, who portrayed the character "Cara Dune" on "The Mandalorian," has tweeted herself out of future employment with Lucasfilm.

BOOK OF BOBA FETT - From LRMOnline:  Some fan-favorite bounty hunters reportedly will appear in "The Book of Boba Fett."

From CNET:   Some answers to some questions about "The Book of Boba Fett."

COMICS - From ScreenRant:   Part of "The High Republic" publishing program will be the first original Star Wars manga, "Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance," from VIZ Media.

QUI-GON JINN - From YahooIndieWire:  Actor Liam Neeson said he would be interested in returning as the beloved Jedi "Qui-Gon Jinn."  But he is wondering if "Star Wars" is fading out on the cinematic landscape.

COMICS - From Patreon:  This link is to my review of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: The High Republic #1." 

From Patreon:  A review of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: Vol.: The Destiny Path" trade paperback.

VIDEO GAMES - From TheBeat:  Ubisoft is developing an "open-world" Star Wars video game.

HIGH REPUBLIC - From TheBeat: Lucasfilm Publishing’s STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC launches

HIGH REPUBLIC - From StarWars:  There is a new trailer and new information in promotion of the impending release of the first books and comic book in "Star Wars: The High Republic" publishing initiative.

NOVELS - From IndieWire:  Beloved "Star Wars" novelist, Alan Dean Foster, talks about being asked to remove a budding romance between Finn and Rey that he was setting up in his novelization of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

BOBA FETT - From StarWars:  There is more news on the recently announced Disney+ series, "The Book of Boba Fett," which will be executive produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez.

From Deadline:  Previously unannounced, "The Book of Boba Fett" will be a new Disney+ "Star Wars" series.  A spinoff of "The Mandalorian," the series is set to debut December 2021.

COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: The High Republic #1" has sold out three weeks before its release date.  Marvel has reportedly ordered a second printing.

OBIT - From CinemaBlend:  The English actor Jeremy Bulloch has died at the age of 75, Thursday, December 17, 2020.  Bulloch played the bounty hunter, "Boba Fett," in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, appearing in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of Jedi."  While Bulloch wore Boba's costume, the late American actor, Jason Wingreen ("All in the Family," "Archie Bunker's Place") provided Boba's voice.

GEORGE LUCAS - From IndieWire:  Legendary film director, Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather"), says that he feels sad that "Star Wars" dominated George Lucas' career.

OBI-WAN - From Deadline:   Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader in the developing Disney+ series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

ROGUE SQUADRON - From Deadline:   Patty Jenkins, the director of the "Wonder Woman" film franchise, will direct a new "Star Wars" film, "Rogue Squadron."  This will be the first "Star Wars" feature directed by a female director.

OBIT - From StarWars:   David Prowse, the actor who gave the physical performance of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, died this weekend. He was 85. 

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STAR WARS Movie Reviews:

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars"
From Negromancer:  "The Empire Strikes Back"
From Negromancer:  "Return of the Jedi"

From Negromancer:   "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

From Negromancer:  "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008 animated film)
From Negromancer:  "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
From Negromancer:  "Solo: A Star Wars Story" 

I Reads You "Star Wars Central" comics and graphic novel review page is here.

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BOOK REVIEWS:

From IReadsYou:  My review of the new novel, "Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage."

From IReadsYou:  My review of the new novel, "Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi." 

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WWE to Welcome the New Year (2022) from State Farm Arena in Atlanta

WWE® Kicks off 2022 in Atlanta

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WWE® (NYSE: WWE) will kick off the new year at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, January 1, 2022, marking the first time in history that a WWE pay-per-view event will be held on New Year’s Day. The event will stream live on the night of New Year’s Day at 8 pm ET exclusively on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.

    “I don’t know about you but I think New Year’s Trae would be a great name for the event, and I can’t think of a better way to bring in 2022 than with the WWE Universe”

“I don’t know about you but I think New Year’s Trae would be a great name for the event, and I can’t think of a better way to bring in 2022 than with the WWE Universe,” said Atlanta Hawks All-Star Point Guard Trae Young, who exclusively announced the New Year’s Day event during tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown.

“State Farm Arena is a phenomenal venue with a long history of hosting world-class events,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We’re excited to deliver this pay-per-view to the people of Atlanta and the many that travel to the city to celebrate New Year’s.”

Tickets for the New Year’s Day pay-per-view event go on sale Friday, August 27, 2021 at 10 AM ET via Ticketmaster.com. The event will feature Superstars from both SmackDown and Raw including WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H, WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews, Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, United States Champion Sheamus, Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina, Drew McIntyre, Charlotte Flair, Randy Orton, Riddle, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Alexa Bliss and many more.


About WWE:
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900 million homes worldwide in 28 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network. The Company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Dubai, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Riyadh, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, results of operations and financial condition; entering, maintaining and renewing major distribution agreements; a rapidly evolving media landscape; WWE Network (including the risk that we are unable to attract, retain and renew subscribers); our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets including possible disruptions and reputational risks; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including without limitation, claims alleging traumatic brain injury; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our indebtedness including our convertible notes; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the volatility of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 18th to 24th, 2021 - Update #17

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   CBS has revealed a first-look teaser trailer for "CSI: Vegas," the sequel to its long-running, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

CULTURE - From Slate:  BY Dahlia Lithwick: "We Are All Our Own Militia Now": The new Texas abortion law, paired with rising vigilantism and the ideas that fuel “stand your ground,” points to a frightening future.

MUSIC - From YahooTheRoot:   The first Prince album to be released posthumously will be available for streaming beginning July 30th.  Prince died in April 2016, and the album, entitled "Welcome 2 America," was apparently recorded 11 years ago.

MOVIES - From RollingStone:   A year from now, July 22, 2022, Jordan Peele's next feature film will debut ... says Peele.  He releases a teaser poster for the film with a title, and the title is "Nope."

STAR TREK - From WeGotThisCovered:  While the streaming series, "Star Trek: Picard," is currently in production of its second season, rumors say that there could be as many as three more seasons.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Rob Zombie has provided a first look at the makeup and costume design for his big screen adaptation of "The Munsters."

TELEVISION/OLYMPICS - From Deadline:   The site offers the Tokyo Olympics full TV & streaming schedule: how to watch everything from gymnastics to track & field, basketball and soccer on NBC, Peacock and more.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:   The Milwaukee Bucks are the 2021 NBA World Champions.  They beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 in Game 6 on Tues. July 20th to win the best-of-seven series, 4 games to 2.  Star player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points.  This is the Bucks first NBA title since 1971.

CELEBRITY - From APNews:   HarperOne will publish Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis' memoir, "Finding Me," April 19, 2022. Davis is currently working on the memoir.

SCANDAL - From ABCNews:   This morning (Tues., July 20th), New York State Dept. of Corrections officials handed over convicted rapist, Harvey Weinstein, for extradition to California to face sexual assault charges there.

COVID-19 - From THR:   Hollywood’s major studios and guilds have come to a tentative, short-term agreement on new on-set COVID-19 protocols, finally taking vaccines into account.

CELEBRITY - From YahooLife:   Grammy-winning recording artist, Megan Thee Stallion, is the cover stallion on the 2021 edition of the "Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit" issue.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to Kevin Smith’s "Clerks III," which is in pre-production in New Jersey and will begin production next month.  The film will be a sequel to his 1994 cult hit classic, "Clerks," and to he first sequel, 2006's "Clerks II."

MOVIES - From Collider:   Warner Bros. releases a bunch of character posters for its upcoming blockbuster film, "Dune," which is due October 22nd in theaters and on HBO Max.

MOVIES - From Collider:   Actor Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise the Clown in "It") is joining "John Wick 4."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 7/16 to 7/18/21 weekend box office is "Space Jam: A New Legacy" with an estimated take of 31.6 million dollars.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  There are rumors of a Comcast/ViacomCBS merger and NBCUniversal/Lionsgate merger, among others.

ANIMATION - From THR:   There will be at least two animated series based on "Game of Thrones." While a single animated project was previously reported to be in development in January, HBO Max is now working on at least two more potential shows.

Review: "SNAKE EYES" is for G.I. Joe Fans ... Only

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 46 of 2021 (No. 1784) by Leroy Douresseaux

Snake Eyes (2021)
Running time:  121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Robert Schwentke
WRITERS:  Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse; from a story by Evan Spiliotopoulos (based on the characters from Habro's G.I. Joe)
PRODUCERS:  Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Brian Goldner, and Erik Howsam
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bojan Bazelli (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Stuart Levy
COMPOSER:  Martin Todsharow

ACTION/SUPERHERO/FANTASY

Starring:  Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Haruka Abe, Takehiro Hira, Eri Ishida, Iko Uwais, Peter Mensah, Ursula Corbero, Samara Weaving, Samuel Finzi, Steven Allerick, and Max Archibald

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a 2021 action and superhero fantasy film directed by Robert Schwentke.  It is the third film based on characters from Hasbro's G.I. Joe media franchise.  Snake Eyes is an origin story for the title character and a G.I. Joe spin off film.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins opens in the past.  We meet a boy (Max Archibald) who watches a group of men kill his father (Steve Allerick).  The leader of the men uses a pair of dice to decide the father's fate, and the dice come up “snake eyes.”

Years later, the boy has become a mysterious lone underground fighter known only as “Snake Eyes” (Henry Golding).  He falls in with Kenta (Takehiro Hira), a gang leader and gun smuggler who says he can help him.  Kenta claims to know how to find the man who killed Snake Eyes' father, and Snake Eyes has spent years seeking revenge.  After he falls out with Kenta, Snake Eyes befriends Thomas “Tommy” Arashikage (Andrew Koji), the presumptive heir of the Arashikage ninja clan.  Tommy takes Snake Eyes to Japan and offers him a chance to join the clan – if he can past the “three tests.”

However, Snake Eyes finds his loyalties constantly being tested and his motives questioned, especially by Akiko (Haruka Abe), who is in charge of security at the Arashikage compound.  Snake Eyes will soon find that his secrets and lies have him caught between two competing covert organizations, the counter-terrorist G.I. Joe and the terrorist Cobra.

I am not a big fan of the G.I. Joe media franchise although I have read a few of the comic books published by both Marvel Comics (1982-1994) and IDW Publishing (2008-present).  I watched a few episodes of the syndicated animation television series that ran from 1983 to 1986.  I have even watched the two live-action G.I. Joe films, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013).  However, I have always been curious about the rival characters Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe) and Storm Shadow (Cobra).

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is an origin film, acting as the story of Snake Eyes.  It is also a reboot film, restarting the G.I. Joe film franchise, and it even includes the appearance of both the G.I. Joe and Cobra organization and the appearance of new versions of a few of the characters.

I can keep this simple.  Snake Eyes is for G.I. Joe fans.  I'm not sure that even people who were or are causal fans of the earlier G.I. Joe films will like this.  The fight scenes are good, with a few (the car chase fight) being quite spectacular.  The character drama is junk, and even the opening section about the murder of Snake Eyes' father fails to really resonate the way the killing of a protagonist's parent should.  None of the characters' motivations and few conflicts seem genuine; everything seems contrived or, at least, badly written.  It does not help the drama that most of the acting is … let's say “average” to be nice.

Like the previous G.I. Joe films, I think Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins will have a long life on cable television or however long cable TV has left as a viable medium (which is another story).  In fact, I like the fight scenes and actions enough to kind of like this movie.  I think that there is a great story to be told of the origin of Snake Eyes, but that great story just isn't in this movie.

5 out of 10
C+

Friday, July 23, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2021 - Update #89

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIE REVIEW - From Negromancer:  My review of "Black Widow."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:   Marvel Studios releases an official trailer for its upcoming animated series, "What If...?"  The series debuts on Disney+ August 11th.

From Marvel:   Marvel Studios has released a brand-new video that provides a glimpse into its plans for its "Phase 4" movies.

From Marvel:  In celebration of "National Super Hero Day," Marvel has released (Wed., April 28th) this "Black Widow" featurette, "How Much Do You Really Know About Natasha Romanoff?"  "Black Widow" finally arrives in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th. [Disney should have kept they May 7th, 2021 release date. - Leroy]

From YouTube:   First official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios "Shangi-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings."  It is now due in theaters Sept 3rd.

From YouTube:   New "Loki" trailer - released Mon., April 5th, 2021.  "Loki" is due on Disney+ on June 11, 2021.

From YouTube:  New "Black Widow" trailer - released Sat., April 3rd, 2021.  Film is due in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th.

From YouTube:  Spider-Man 3 has a name. It's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as revealed in this video clip (Wed., Feb. 24th, 2021).  It is due in theaters Christmas 2021.

From YouTube:  "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Super Bowl LV trailer. Series arrives on Disney+ March 19, 2021.

MARVEL STUDIOS NEWS:

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Variety:   The site is reporting that actress Michaela Coel (HBO Max's "I May Destroy You") has been cast in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in an unknown role.

From TimeOut:  Here is everything publicly known about "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

BLACK WIDOW - From WeGotThisCovered:  The "Black Widow" character, "Yelena Belova" (played by actress Florence Pugh), reportedly will make multiple appearances in the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Hawkeye."

BLADE - From Deadline:   Bassan Tariq "(Mogul Mowgli") is apparently Marvel Studios' choice to direct its "Blade" reboot film starring Mahershala Ali.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Collider:   Winstone Duke, who played M'Baku in "Black Panther, has confirmed that he will return for the sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SHE-HULK - From YahooMensHealth:   Actress Jameela Jamil, who will play "Titania" on Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk," shows off her fight training.

KEVIN FEIGE - From TheDirect:   Marvel Studios just held a big meeting about multiverse rules in the MCU.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:  "Black Widow" crosses the 100 million dollar mark in domestic box office in record time during the pandemic.

LOKI - From Deadline:  Disney+ has renewed its Marvel Studios hit, "Loki," for a second season. Audiences found out during the credits of the final episode of Season One. 

From Deadline:  Kate Erron, executive producer and director of "Loki," says that she won't be returning for the series' second season.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  Don Cheadle expresses surprise at his Emmy nomination ("Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series") for his 98-second appearance in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:   We do know that "Black Widow" won the 7/9 to 7/11/21 weekend box office.  Now, we know how much the movie made via "Disney Plus Premiere Access," in which consumers pay an additional 30 dollars to see a new Disney film.  In a rare look at its profits, Disney announced that "Black Widow" made an additional 60 million dollars via premiere access.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   "Black Widow" director Cate Shortland talks about the potential for a sequel to this film and about how the current film was made.

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  "Black Widow" Cate Shortland talks about turning down directing the film before accepting the gig. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Variety:  Chris Pratt ("Peter Quill/Star-Lord") says that "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" will begin filming later this year.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:   The story of "WandaVision," according to Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, "will continue."

SHE-HULK - From Variety:   The news site is reporting that actress Jameela Jamil has been cast in Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Kotaku:   At E3, Square Enix announced "Guardians of the Galaxy," a new game based on the popular Marvel team featured in movies and comics. The game is being developed by Eidos Montreal. It’s out on October 26, 2021.  The game also features a new original story featuring Marvel’s cosmic misfits. At the start of the game, they have only been together for a year. Players will take on the role of Peter Quill, also known as Starlord.

LOKI - From Metro:   Michael Waldron, the head writer of Disney+/Marvel's "Loki," teases cameos from Marvel Comics characters.  "Expect the unexpected," he says.

WANDAVISION - From RollingStone:   Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and more tell the story of how the year’s biggest, boldest show came together

MOON KNIGHT - From Variety:   Marvel Studios finally officially confirms that Oscar Isaac is the star of its Disney+ series, "Moon Knight."

DOCTOR STRANGE - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige now says that it was a mistake to cast Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton as "The Ancient One" in "Doctor Strange" (2016).

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety:  Sebastian Stan talks about being injured on-set during film of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FRANCHISE - From Variety:  Did you know that Marvel Studios' does not use a "showrunner" for its Disney+ series, a position that is industry standard for TV series.  Some TV writers are worried and upset about that. 

BLACK WIDOW - From HypeBeast:   Here are the "Black Widow" character posters.

WANDAVISION - From Movieweb:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says "Doctor Strange" was written out of "WandaVision" to keep from having a "white guy" save the day.

ETERNALS - From Marvel:  A new promotional video from Marvel Studios includes footage from the upcoming film, "Eternals," which is due for a Fall 2021 release.

MS MARVEL - From ComicBook:  There are some photos that are alleged to be from the set of Disney+/Marvel's "Ms. Marvel" TV series.  Those photos provide a look at Ms. Marvel's uniform.

DEADPOOL - From Deadline:   Via a NYPD officer, Hugh Jackman makes of request of "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds - put me in "Deadpool 3" as Wolverine.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From WeGotThisCovered:   A second season of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is a possibility.

ETERNALS - From Variety:   Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao apparently impressed Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige with her use of practical locations instead of CGI when filming the Marvel film, "Eternals."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   The site interviews Malcolm Spellman, the showrunner and executive producer of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Spellman is also the announced writer of the developing film, "Captain America 4."

SAM WILSON/CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Disney+ has released a poster featuring Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   The site is reporting that Marvel Studios is developing a fourth "Captain America" film.  It would follow the events depicted in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," with the series' showrunner, Malcolm Spellman, writing the script.  This fourth film could follow Sam Wilson/Falcon as the new Captain America or could feature the original Captain America, Steve Rogers.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   SPOILER - the final episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" reveals Sharon Carter to be the "Power Broker."  Sam Wilson/The Falcon takes on the mantle of Captain America.

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From ScreenRant:  Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has reportedly confirmed that he is in Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love & Thunder," and that he will play the role of the Greek god, "Zeus."

FRANCHISE - From YahooTelegraph:   How being in a "Marvel movie" became every serious actor's dream.

SECRET INVASION - From Variety:   "Game of Throne's" Emilia Clarke has reportedly joined Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Secret Invasion."

SHANG-CHI - From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star, Simu Liu, celebrates with fans the release of the first official teaser trailer for the film. 

From Variety:  What the "Shang-Chi" Teaser Reveals About Marvel Studios’ Groundbreaking Movie

SECRET INVASION - From THR:   Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman is reportedly in negotiations to appear with Samuel L. Jackson in the Disney+/Marvel Studios' series, "Secret Invasion."

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Actor Alfred Molina, who appeared as Doctor Octopus" in 2004's "Spider-Man 2," talks about reprising the role in the upcoming "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

BLACK PANTHER II - From Deadline:  In a guest column, director Ryan Coogler explains why "Black Panther II" will film in Georgia, while he uses his voice to continue to fight Georgia's recent Jim Crow voting laws.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BleedingCool:   In a series of videos, the cast of DisneyPlus' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" talks about the appearance of the Dora Milaje, and there is a final teaser trailer for the series.

DEADPOOL - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors say that Ryan Reynolds is attempting to revive an animated Deadpool TV series that was dropped a few years ago.  He also wants the series to be canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

SHANG-CHI - From YahooFinance:  Simu Liu will be Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios first Asian-American superhero in the upcoming film, "Shang-Chi: Legend of Ten Rings."  Liu says the time of rising hate crimes against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities is not a time for AAPI actors to feel discouraged about pursuing their passions.

HAWKEYE - From BleedingCool:  Disney+ offers some prep on the character, Kate Bishop, who will appear in the still-filming "Hawkeye" series.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From YahooEntertainment:  Malcolm Spellman talks about going from stealing comics as a young man to showrunning Disney+/Marvel Studios' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BuzzFeed:   Actor Desmond Chiam talks about appearing in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and about being starstruck by series stars, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  According to the site is is official that previous screen Spider-Man actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, will appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  Apparently, numerous villains from the previous Spider-Man films will also appear, and Doctor Strange is the instigator of this live-action "Spider-Verse."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From Deadline:   Reports indicate that Oscar-winning actor, Russell Crowe, is joining Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love and Thunder" in a mystery role.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Isaiah Bradley, a black Marvel Comics character exposed to the super-soldier serum, makes his official appearance in the MCU in the second episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   Disney has moved the release date for "Black Widow" from May 2021 to Friday, July 9, 2021, when it will play in theaters and on Disney+.  Disney is also doing that with its film, "Cruella" (May 28th).

RUMOR - From Variety:   Disney+ is reportedly in early development of a TV series featuring Native American Marvel Comics' character, "Echo."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Not everyone is crazy about the new Captain America, "John Walker," who appears in the first episode of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Still, the article has some information on him.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety: Writer Malcom Spellman explains why "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is so pointed about race, nationalism and the world today.

RUMOR - From WeGotThisCovered:   Hot rumor is that Michael B. Jordan and his character, "Killmonger," will return to take up the mantle of Black Panther in "Black Panther 2."

SECRET INVASION - From Deadline:   British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir will star in Marvel's "Secret Invasion" series.  Ben-Adir recently portrayed Malcolm X in Regina King's "One Night in Miami."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   While he would not commit to a Season Two of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios President and CCO, Kevin Feige, says that there are ideas...

BLACK WIDOW - From ComicBookMovies:  During a shareholders' meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek says that will "Black Widow" still on course for a May 7, 2021 release.

ANTHONY MACKIE - From Variety:   "Variety" offers the profile of actor Anthony Mackie as he finally takes the lead in a Marvel Studios production, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

ANT-MAN 3 - From THR:  Rapper and actor, T.I., who appeared in the first two "Ant-Man" films will reportedly not appear in the third film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  Spider-Man: No Way Home reportedly has the largest physical set of any Marvel Studios film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From YahooNerdist:   Cast members of the third Sony-Marvel "Spider-Man"film share early images from the film and also speculations on the title of the film.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Inverse:  Emmy and Grammy Award winning composer, Danny Elfman, has apparently confirmed that he will be provided the musical "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which will be directed by Sam Raimi.

RUMORS - From WeGotThisCovered:   Once upon a time, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each had a TV series on Netflix.  Now, they may be reunited in a "Heroes for Hire"-type series that would be styled after Disney+'s upcoming, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From Deadline:   Actress Zawe Ashton will reportedly play the main villain in "Captain Marvel 2."  The film will be directed by Nia DeCosta and star Brie Larson in the title role.

BLADE - From THR:   Stacy Osei-Kuffour, a playwright who acted as story editor and writer on HBO'S Emmy-winning and acclaimed limited series, Watchmen, will write the screenplay for Marvel Studios' "Blade" reboot that will star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali in the title role.

ANT-MAN - From IndieWire:  Writer-director Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver") walked off the first Ant-Man movie over six years ago over creative differences with Marvel Studios.  Wright says he recently reconnected with Marvel boss Kevin Feige, and that he was glad he did.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, said that Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man 3"is the "most ambitious superhero movie of all time."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From MCUDirect:  This link will take you to set photos from "Thor: Love and Thunder" featuring Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star Lord).

From MensHealth:   Chris Hemsworth confirms the beginning of the filming of "Thor: Love and Thunder" with a set photo.

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DISNEYLAND - From YahooEntertainment:  Tom Holland teases a new Marvel ride at Disneyland: 'It's the most I've ever felt like Spider-Man'

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From ScreenRant:  Recent set photos from Sony/Marvel's third "Spider-Man" film indicates that the film may be partly set during Christmas.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke has reportedly signed a deal to play the lead villain in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight" series.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Actress May Calamawy has been cast in an unnamed key role in Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight"series.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Sources say that Chris Evan is in negotiations to reprise his role as "Steve Rogers/Captain America" in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

HAWKEYE - From CBR:   Actress Hailee Steinfeld promises that her portrayal of "Kate Bishop" in the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," will be "comics-accurate."

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel chief Kevin Feige talks legacy of Chadwick Boseman, how they'll approach 'Black Panther 2' without him.

DEADPOOL 3 - From Collider:   Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, says that "Deadpool 3" will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but won't start filming until at least 2022.

SECRET INVASION - From Collider:  Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, explains why "Secret Invasion" is a series and not a movie.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:   Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, indie genre filmmakers behind sci-fi horror movies, "The Endless" and "Synchronic," are joining Mohamed Diab, the Egyptian filmmaker behind Middle Eastern drama, "Clash," as directors of Marvel Studios TV series, "Moon Knight, which will star Oscar Isaac.

FRANCHISE - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wants most Marvel heroes to be women and people of color going forward.

WHAT IF...? - From YahooEntertainment:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed that the late actor, Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther") recorded a number of voice performances for Marvel's upcoming animated series, "What If...?"

TRAILERS AND VIDEO PREVIEWS FROM 2020:

From Marvel:   A first look at Disney+ series, "Loki" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at Marvel Studios' "What If ... ?" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From YouTube:  The official trailer for the Disney+ series, "WandaVision." (released, Sun., Sept. 20, 2020)

From YouTube:  The "final trailer" for "Black Widow" (released Mon., March 9, 2020).

From Newsarama:  This Disney+ Super Bowl TV spot focuses on the upcoming Marvel Studios TV series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki."

From Newsarama:  Here is the 30-second TV spot for "Black Widow" that was shown during Super Bowl LIV (Sun., Feb. 2nd, 2020).

From EW:  Here is the special look at "Black Widow" shown during the "College Football Playoff" Championship game between LSU (winner) and Clemson (Mon., Jan. 13th, 2020).

From Marvel:  See first official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" (Tues., Ded. 3, 2019).

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Click here for the 2020 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

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MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Review: Iron Man (2008)

Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Review: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Review: Thor (2011)

Review:  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Review:  Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Review:  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Review:  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Review:  Black Panther (2018)

Review:  Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Review:  Captain Marvel (2019)

Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Review:  Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

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Comics Review: "DARK BLOOD #1" is Hot Blooded

DARK BLOOD #1 (OF 6)
BOOM! STUDIOS

STORY: LaToya Morgan
ART:  Walt Barna
COLORS: A.H.G.
LETTERS:  Andworld Design
EDITOR: Dafna Pleban
COVER: Valentine De Landro
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Juni Ba; Dan Mora; Valentine De Landro; Marcus Williams; Javan Jordan; Mico Suayan; Felix Icarus Morales with Robert Nugent; David Sanchez with Omi Remalante; Karen S. Darboe; Ingrid Gala; Marco Rudy
24pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(July 2021)

Dark Blood created by LaToya Morgan

Dark Blood is a new six-issue comic book miniseries created and written by screenwriter LaToya Morgan (AMC’s "The Walking Dead," "Into The Badlands").  Published by BOOM! Studios, the series is drawn by Walt Barna; colored by A.H.G.; and lettered by Andworld Design.  The series focuses on an Black World War II veteran who discovers that he has strange new abilities.

Dark Blood #1 opens in Alabama, 1955.  It's night.  Avery Aldridge, also known as “Double A,” is leaving his job at the diner, “Hardy's Eats.”  In the alley, he has a fateful encounter with a racist.  Double A is a highly decorated World War II soldier, a former fighter pilot, a member of the soon-to-be-legendary “Red Tails.”  He is expected to act like a boy … when he is actually a very powerful, grown-ass man.  But this is “The Night of the Variance,” and everything is going to start to change – even the things some don't want changed.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I much as I love the original Star Wars movies and a number of classic Walt Disney animated features (Peter Pan), my all-time favorite movie moment occurs in 1967's In the Heat of the Night.  Involuntarily assigned to a homicide case in Sparta Mississippi, Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (played by Sidney Poitier) is interviewing a suspect, a local and powerful rich white man named Endicott (Larry Gates), when Endicott slaps him in the face.  Tibbs slaps him right back.  The first time I saw Tibbs slap Endicott, it took my breath away … and it still does.

Television writer-producer LaToya Morgan (AMC's "TURN: Washington's Spies") offers a sci-fi/horror spin on Tibbs' slap as the spine of the first issue of her new comic book, Dark Blood.  This time, the confrontation is longer, and Avery Aldridge's response is made a bit more complicated, partly because he seems unstuck in time.  Morgan does everything to tell her readers a lot by whetting their appetites for more, because they don't know the half of it, and she makes that “it” intriguing.

For all that I am intrigued by Dark Blood #1's story and concept, this first issue is also a showcase for the art team of illustrator Walt Barna and colorist A.H.G.  Barna's compositions are some of the most convincing period art that I have seen in a modern comic book in years.  Barna's Alabama, 1955 looks so “old-timey” that I could believe that it is something Barna drew at least half-a-century ago.  Barna's aerial sequences depicting Aldridge's time as a Red Tail reminds me of the comic book art one might find in EC Comics' legendary war comic book, Aces High (1955).

A.H.G.'s colors are gorgeous and also from a time machine.  If I didn't know better, I would say he hand-colored this comic book and manually separated those colors in a back office at a NYC-based comic book publisher – in days gone by.  Seriously, his colors shimmer, but are also earthy, and they make the storytelling's time periods look and feel authentic.

And I always enjoy Andworld Design's lettering, which is always stylish in a way that brings immediacy and power to the drama.  So LaToya Morgan, Walt Barna, A.H.G., and Andworld Design are off to a most excellent start, and Dark Blood #1 sparkles with promise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of modern science fiction and dark fantasy comic books will want to drink Dark Blood.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


Dark Blood trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzzXIYr_FrA&feature=youtu.be
Dark Blood first loook: https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/archives/dark-blood-1-first-look/
https://twitter.com/MorganicInk
https://twitter.com/WaltBarna
https://twitter.com/AHGColor
https://twitter.com/andworlddesign

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