Thursday, August 15, 2019

Keegan-Michael Key to Host NatGeo's "Brain Games"

National Geographic Announces Keegan-Michael Key as Host of Brain Games

Hit Series Brain Games Gets Hollywood Reboot as World-Famous Mentalist Lior Surchard Joins Key to Challenge Celebrities With Interactive Mind Games

Produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz’s Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves, the New Iteration of Brain Games Premieres Dec. 1, 2019, on National Geographic

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic announced that it has tapped Keegan-Michael Key (“Friends From College,” “Toy Story 4,” “Lion King”) as host of its rebooted hit series, "Brain Games." The eight-episode season, produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz’s Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves, adds a Hollywood twist to its classic mind-bending format by challenging some of the world’s biggest celebrities to realize their special brain power through fun and highly entertaining interactive games, illusions and social experiments.

    “‘Brain Games’ is such an important part of National Geographic’s screen heritage. It is an honor to have the opportunity to produce the show and to be working with a giant talent like Keegan-Michael Key whose humor, magnetism and intellectual curiosity will elevate the series in an exciting new way.”

The first five celebrities confirmed are: Kristin Bell (“The Good Place”), Dax Shepherd (“Bless This Mess”), Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints), Rebel Wilson (“The Hustle”), and Anthony Anderson (“Blackish”).

Brain Games premieres Dec. 1, 2019, on National Geographic and will air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages. For more information visit our press site www.natgeotvpressroom.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NatGeoPR.

In Brain Games, host Key will investigate mind-bending questions with the help of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Joining Key on stage in front of the live studio audience, world-famous mentalist Lior Surchard will assist with brain games and challenges for the celebrity guests. Meanwhile, field correspondent and science communicator Cara Santa Maria will take the cerebral challenges on the road and put everyday people across America to the test. With insight from some of the world’s leading neuroscientists, engineers and brain experts, we’ll explore the “why” behind the “wow” of questions like the following: Are women better communicators? How do our brains control what we love to eat? Can brain science help us with our dating lives? What is the magic ingredient to gaining, having and keeping power? And much more!

“I’ve always loved science, and when National Geographic called, I jumped at the chance to be part of this really amazing series,” said Key. “I’m going to be bringing some friends along, and together we are going to explore some really fascinating aspects of the human brain. I can’t wait to get started!”

“As we looked to revive this much-adored series with a colorful superstar twist, it’s a no-brainer to introduce Keegan-Michael Key as host of Brain Games,” said Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Global Networks. “He uniquely possesses the combination of charm, quick wit, intelligence and humor that’s ideal for in-studio scenarios, but beyond that, he’s a fan of the series and has a sheer passion for the science behind how our brains tick.”

Said Cutforth and Lipsitz, “‘Brain Games’ is such an important part of National Geographic’s screen heritage. It is an honor to have the opportunity to produce the show and to be working with a giant talent like Keegan-Michael Key whose humor, magnetism and intellectual curiosity will elevate the series in an exciting new way.”

“A show like Brain Games belongs on stage in front of a live audience, where celebrity guests, audience members, and viewers can experience science in a fun and interactive way. With Keegan-Michael Key as our host, this high-energy, reimagined version of the original Brain Games will definitely appeal to both the left and right sides of viewers’ brains,” said Toby Gorman, Executive Producer and Interim CEO of Magical Elves.

While some episode games — including “Battle of the Sexes,” “Kids vs. Grownups,” “Laws of Attraction” and “Movie Magic” — are tailored to the headlining celebrities, others — including “Laws of Attraction,” “Deception” and “Power of Persuasion” — draw from the most successful themes across the previous five seasons. The new season includes a mixture of in-studio and in-the-field game components, physical and mental games, and the introduction of “The Gauntlet,” a fifth-act combination of previous episode games to pit celebrity against celebrity.


About Keegan-Michael Key
Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer and creator Keegan-Michael Key is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand forces. With his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging talent in both comedy and drama, Key redefines what it means to be a chameleon and multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television and theater. He will next appear in two of 2019’s most highly anticipated films, Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” and Disney’s live action/CGI remake of “The Lion King.” In addition, he recently wrapped production in Vancouver on Paramount’s “Playing With Fire,” starring alongside John Cena, Judy Greer and John Leguizamo. He will soon star opposite Eddie Murphy in Netflix’s “My Name is Dolemite!”.

Key is represented by UTA and attorney Dave Feldman.

Brain Games is produced for National Geographic by Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz are executive producers for Alfred Street Industries. For Magical Elves, executive producers are Toby Gorman, Casey Kriley, James Rowley and Lauren Williams. Elisa Key is also an executive producer. For National Geographic, Matt Renner is executive producer and vice president, original programming and production; and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment.

About Magical Elves:
Magical Elves is the veteran production company behind Emmy award-winning hits “Top Chef” (Bravo) and “Last Chance Kitchen” (Bravo), Peabody Award-winning “Project Runway” (Bravo), IDA Award winner “Time of Death” (Showtime) and the recent streaming successes “Nailed It!” (Netflix) and “Sugar Rush” (Netflix). Other credits include “Project Greenlight” (HBO), “Cleveland Hustles” (CNBC), “There Goes the Motherhood” (Bravo), “Braxton Family Values” (WETV), “Tamar & Vince” (WETV), “Shine On” (DirectTV), “All in With Cam Newton” (Nickelodeon), “Last Comic Standing” (NBC), “Cold Justice” (Oxygen), “Top Chef Junior” (Universal Kids) and the 2017 music documentary “Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul” (Showtime). Magical Elves is a part of The Tinopolis Group’s portfolio of production companies.

About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

"National Geographic" to Appear at Disney's D23 Expo 2019

Last Minute Addition to D23 Expo!

National Geographic Offers D23 Expo Fans the Exclusive First Look at Scripted Series The Right Stuff

Adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s Bestseller Recounts Pioneering Chapter of Historic U.S. Space Race

Cast Attending Include:
Jake McDorman as “Alan Shepard”
Colin O’Donoghue as “Lt. Gordon Cooper”
Aaron Staton as “Wally Schirra”
Michael Trotter as “Gus Grissom”
Micah Stock as “Deke Slayton”
James Lafferty as “Scott Carpenter”
With Special Guest Moderator, Retired NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott
Throughout the Weekend, National Geographic’s Beneath the Blue: An Interactive Underwater Experience Will Take Attendees on a 360º Immersive Journey Through the Oceans


WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blast off at Disney’s D23 Expo as National Geographic presents an exclusive sneak peek of scripted series, "The Right Stuff," based on Tom Wolfe’s bestselling novel that spotlighted the historical Mercury 7 astronauts. Join Jake McDorman (“What We Do in the Shadows,” “Lady Bird”), Colin O’Donoghue (“Once Upon a Time,” “Carrie Pilby,” “The Rite”), Aaron Staton (“Narcos: Mexico,” “Castle Rock”), Michael Trotter (“Underground,” “The Evening Hour”), Micah Stock (“Brittany Runs a Marathon,” “Escape at Dannemora”) and James Lafferty (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Small Town Crime”) as they give fans the first look at the early days of production on the series.

The Right Stuff fan experiences will launch Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, with a cast autograph signing and meet-and-greet at Talent Central from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Then, over at Center Stage from 2:30 to 3 p.m., the cast will sit down with special guest moderator, retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, for an out-of-this-world Q&A and first look at the series. Immediately following, from 3 to 3:50 p.m. at the Walt Disney Television booth, fans will get another chance to meet and take pictures with the cast and Stott. Finally, at 4:30 p.m., the cast will serve as Grand Marshalls for the D23 Street Party, leading the festive indoor parade across the show room floor inside the convention center.

The first season of The Right Stuff, which uses Wolfe’s book as its starting point, starts at the height of the Cold War. To combat a national sentiment of fear and decline, the U.S. government conceives of NASA’s Project Mercury, igniting a space race with the Soviets and making instant celebrities of a handful of the military’s adrenaline-fueled test pilots. These individuals, who come to be known as the Mercury Seven, are forged into heroes long before they have achieved a single heroic act. At the heart of a historic drama populated by deeply human characters, two archrivals — Maj. John Glenn and Alan Shepard — jockey to be the first man in space. Production began last month in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and will premiere globally on National Geographic in 2020.

As previously announced, National Geographic will be joining Disney’s D23 Expo show floor for the first time, delivering unique experiences that inspire curiosity and exploration for fans of all ages. From free solo climbing to the top of El Capitan to exploring the “why” behind the “wow” behind our gray matter, National Geographic will immerse fans in adventure, ignite their curiosities about the world and surprise them with stories unlike any they’ve seen before, harnessing the spirit of the iconic yellow border. Details for talent appearances and special signings will be made available on the D23 Expo app, which will also include the following:

  •     Friday, Aug. 23, from 1 to 2 p.m.: Book signing with legendary rock climber Alex Honnold, featured in the Academy Award-winning film, Free Solo
  •     Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m.: WOMEN OF IMPACT: Meet the Nat Geo Explorers Changing the World on Stage 28, featuring women on the front lines of exploration, conservation and storytelling
  •     Saturday, Aug. 24, from 4 to 5 p.m.: Puppies and meet-and-greet with Dr. Jan Pol from Nat Geo WILD’s No. 1 series, The Incredible Dr. Pol
  •     Sunday, Aug. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon: Meet Sue Aikens from multiple Emmy award-winning series, Life Below Zero
  •     Sunday, Aug. 25, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Power Up Your Brain With Keegan-Michael Key at the D23 Expo Arena as Key (“The Lion King,” “Toy Story 4”) ignites your brain power and plays some fun, mind-bending, interactive challenges to show you the “why” behind the “wow”
  •     Sunday, Aug. 25, from 2 to 3 p.m.: After jumpstarting your brain, meet & greet with Keegan- Michael Key, host of Brain Games

In addition, throughout the weekend on the show floor, National Geographic is also creating a unique fan experience — Beneath the Blue: An Interactive Underwater Journey. Our breathtaking underwater world will lead attendees on a journey through the oceans. They’ll be transported below the waves in a 360º immersive experience with unique animal sculptures crafted from reclaimed ocean plastics.

Single-day tickets for Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children ages 3-9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $79 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children ages 3-9. Single-day Friday and Saturday tickets, as well as three-day passes, are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.


National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About D23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo — The Ultimate Disney Fan Event — brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Monday, August 12, 2019

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

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Dynamite Entertainment from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 14, 2019

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