Corey

the-future-now:

And just like that #TeaLizard was born. At least GMA realized their mistake and tried to make up for it.

In a few weeks we’ll see Alexander Skarsgård as king of the jungle in The Legend of Tarzan, but later this year he’ll get in touch with his wild side in an entirely different way. Directed by John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, Calvary), War on Everyone stars Skarsgård and Michael Peña as two very corrupt cops who get in over their heads in New Mexico. If Shane Black’s The Nice Guys left you wanting more in the “pitch-black buddy action-comedy” subgenre, War on Everyone should have you covered.

War on Everyone hit Berlin and SXSW earlier this year to strong reviews, and now it’s gearing up for a theatrical release in the U.K. (No U.S. release date has been announced yet, alas.) As smuch, the first War on Everyone red-band trailer has just arrived, and you can watch it after the jump. 

U.K. distributor Icon Film unveiled the first War on Everyone red-band trailer. Be warned it’s a little NSFW.

The timing seems a little off in this trailer, but War on Everyone‘s festival reviews have been good enough to earn it some benefit of the doubt. It shouldn’t be any surprise that Peña looks hilarious — remember his scene-stealing turn in Ant-Man? — but it’s a rare comedic performance from Skarsgård, and he seems to take to it pretty well. It helps that Skarsgård and Peña are surrounded by a very promising supporting cast that includes Tessa Thompson, Theo James, Stephanie Sigman, Caleb Landry Jones, Malcolm Barrett, and Paul Reiser.

Saban Films is releasing War on Everyone in the U.S. No release date has been set, but we can probably expect to see it this fall or so.

War on Everyone follows two corrupt cops in New Mexico who set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Things take a sinister turn, however, when they try to intimidate someone who is more dangerous than they are. Or is he?

The post ‘War on Everyone’ Red-Band Trailer: Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña Are Up to No Good appeared first on /Film.

Mondo has unveiled Phantom City Creative‘s Jaws poster print, and its beyond cool. I already have the ApeMeetsGirl Jaws poster hanging on my wall, but if I didn’t this would be in its place. Find out how you can get the poster and see the atomic-looking variant, after the jump.

Here is a look at the more limited variant poster print:

Okay so first lets get to the bad news: the poster will be on sale at the Alamo Drafthouse’s Jaws On The Water screenings which happen the next two weeks in Del Valle Texas. The event sounds amazing, as Alamo is constructing an Amity Island beach party before the screening complete with The Lone Star Beer Garden. Guests will sit in the water for the screening of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster classic in a specially designed inner tube created just for this year’s event. The bad news is that the posters will be on sale at these nine screenings, and only the leftovers will be made available online.

@LifeAfterZoe @PhantomCityCrtv @drafthouse While supplies last, so we recommend going to an earlier screening to guarantee a print!

— MONDO (@MondoNews) June 21, 2016

And chances are that all the posters could sell out before the last screening, meaning you might have to pay some poster flipper an an insane uncharge on eBay to get a hold of one of these prints. Of course, we don’t have any additional details about these prints, and that means size (although we assume its 24 x 36) or how many are being printed (probably in the hundreds). So if you can, buy tickets to the Jaws On The Water screenings in Texas for your chance to buy one of these awesome pieces of pop culture art.

The post Cool Stuff: Phantom City Creative’s ‘Jaws’ Poster appeared first on /Film.

No matter what they like to call themselves, Archer, Lana, Cyril, and the rest of the gang that used to be spies, drug smugglers, and CIA freelancers cannot seem to stick to one job. Of course, just by doing that takes away from the fun of it all. But as Archer season 7 ended on a huge cliffhanger, it was unclear if FX wanted to explore more of what the worst thing that could go wrong for these former spies was.

But worry not as FX wants to make sure that they get a proper ending as the network has officially confirmed that The show will be extended all the way to season 10. However, there is a small catch. There will be less episodes for each season. More on the story below. [...]

The post ‘Archer’ Gets Extended For Three More Seasons appeared first on Geeks of Doom.

Filed under: News, UFC

The feud between UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and interim champ Jon Jones produced one of the most infamous and memorable moments in UFC history, as the two briefly brawled in the lobby of Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As the two prepare to meet again at UFC 200, listen to Cormier relive the incident, along with the help of a cartoon illustration, in the latest edition of theChive’s “Celebrity Stories.”

Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) meet in the headlining about of UFC 200, which takes place July 9 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in a long-awaited rematch. Ahead of that contest, let Cormier take you down memory lane with “A Forehead Too Far.”

For more on UFC 200, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Over the past decade, it feels like the zombie subgenre of horror films has been played out. The popularity of The Walking Dead on television reinvigorated zombie movies, but most haven’t done anything original with the concept. There have been fresher approaches to zombies with films such as Zombieland, Warm Bodies, Life After Beth, Maggie and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, but 28 Days Later was probably the last great zombie movie.

However, it looks like the United Kingdom might have another great zombie thriller waiting to be unleashed. The Girl With All the Gifts trailer has just arrived online, showing off the film adaptation of M.R. Carey‘s novel of the same name. The film follows a contingent of soldiers and scientists researching a group of children who are infected with a zombie pathogen, but somehow still control their thoughts and emotions, despite still have a desire to eat human flesh. Among the group, one girl named Melanie seems to be the key to finding a cure.

Here’s The Girl With All the Gifts trailer from Warner Bros. UK:

If the idea of yet another zombie movie doesn’t appeal to you, maybe the fantastic cast will change your mind. Glenn Close, Gemma Arterton and Paddy Considine lead the film with newcomer Sennia Nanua playing the young girl at the center of the story. In addition, the film is directed by Peaky Blinders and Sherlock helmer Colm McCarthy, so that should make this worth paying attention to as well.

There are flairs of World War Z in this film for sure, but this movie is on a far smaller scale than the globe-trotting thriller featuring swarms of wiggly, computer generated zombies. There’s just something about this movie that feels like it’s really going to deliver a decent story. Sadly, the film is only slated for a September 23 release in the UK with no US date set yet. Hopefully that changes soon.

The near future; humanity has been all but destroyed by a mutated fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh-eating “hungries”. Only a small group of children seem immune to its effects.

At an army base in rural England, this group of unique children are being studied, subjected to cruel experiments by biologist Dr. Caldwell. Despite having been infected with the zombie pathogen that has decimated the world, these children retain normal thoughts and emotions. And while still being subject to the craving for human flesh that marks the disease these second- generation “hungries” are able to think and feel making them a vital resource in the search for a cure.

The children attend school lessons daily, guarded by the ever watchful Sergeant Parks. But one little girl, Melanie, stands out from the rest. Melanie is special. She excels in the classroom, is inquisitive, imaginative and loves her favorite teacher Miss Justineau.

When the base falls, Melanie escapes along with Miss Justineau, Sergeant Parks and Dr. Caldwell. Against the backdrop of a blighted Britain, Melanie must discover what she is and ultimately decide both her own future and that of the human race.

The post ‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ Trailer: Children Are Our Only Hope to Stop a Zombie Epidemic appeared first on /Film.

For any fans of the original iteration of The Office, it appears this is as close as we’ll get to seeing a film adaptation of the comedy mockumentary series. Comedian Ricky Gervais is back as former Wernham Hogg Paper Company boss David Brent, only this time he’s a traveling salesman who is still desperate to follow his dream to become a rock star.

David Brent: Life on the Road is a mockumentary feature that follows the clueless title character as he self-finances a tour across the United Kingdom with his band Foregone Conclusion. As you might expect, audiences aren’t so keen to receive the band, and Brent continues to make every situation awkward with his inappropriate sense of humor and complete lack of self-awareness.

Watch the David Brent Life on the Road trailer after the jump.

It’s been 12 years since David Brent was on television, and it appears he hasn’t learned any lessons. This time, Brent has a whole new crew that will roll their eyes at him. There’s Ben Bailey Smith as Dom, forced to rap weird things on tracks like “Equality Street” and more; Tom Basden as the road manager; and We Are Scientists drummer Andy Burrows as the drummer of Foregone Conclusion.

In addition, this is essentially like a sequel to The Office, because we get to spend plenty of time at David Brent’s new place of employment as well. At the new office, there’s Jo Hartley as Pauline, Tom Bennett as Nigel, Andrew Brooke as Brent’s nemesis Jezza, plus Nina Sosanya is playing Brent’s much-needed therapist.

Other cast members include Kevin Bishop, Roisin Conaty, Diane Morgan, Ashley McGuire, Alexander Arnold and Mandeep Dhillon, all under the direction of Ricky Gervais, from a script he wrote himself. So if you didn’t like the original version of The Office, or you just don’t like Ricky Gervais, then this may not be for you.

David Brent is now a rep selling cleaning products up and down the country. The thing is he has never really given up the dream of being a rock star, and in this documentary movie we follow his one last shot at fame. We find out what he’s been up to since his days at Wernham Hogg and we follow him on the road trying to get a record deal. He puts a band together (a group of mercenary session musicians taking his money with absolutely no love for him or his dream) and ropes poor Dom (a rapper who he was meant to be managing) into coming on tour with him to give him a bit of credibility. Let down after let down, faux pas after faux pas Brent never gives up his dream… just his hard earned money and a cashed in pension to fund the whole folly. With original music by the man himself Life on The Road is like a comedy musical. It’s exciting, funny, excruciating and a little sad.

David Brent: Life on the Road hits theaters in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand in August, but the rest of us in the United States will have to wait until 2017 for it to hit Netflix.

The post ‘David Brent: Life on the Road’ Trailer: Ricky Gervais Is Just a Man with a Dream appeared first on /Film.

IT’S FUCKING WEDNESDAY. DID YOU KNOW ON HIS SECOND DAY IN OFFICE, JIMMY CARTER PARDONED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIETNAM DRAFT DODGERS?

WORDS OF WISDOM OF THE FUCKING DAY:

JOBS FILL YOUR POCKETS. ADVENTURES FILL YOUR SOUL.

PERSON OF THE FUCKING DAY:

MOTHERFUCKER ROBBED A BANK BY POISONING THE EMPLOYEES. more>>

EDUCATE YOUR IGNORANT ASS:

THE DEADLIEST GODDAMN WARS AND DISASTERS. more>>

FUCKING MIND-BLOWING BOOK OF THE DAY:

INTIMIDATE THE SHIT OUT OF PEOPLE. more>>

USEFUL SHIT OF THE GODDAMN DAY:

SLEEP LIKE YOUR INSOMNIAC ASS HAS NEVER SLEPT BEFORE. more>>

WEBSITE OF THE FUCKING DAY:

QUICKLY CREATE DOCUMENTS AND SHIT. more>>

AWESOME-AS-SHIT VIDEO OF THE DAY:

HOW YOUR PHONE IS FUCKING CHANGING YOU. more>>

SWEET-ASS PICTURE OF THE DAY:

A GODDAMN VACATION PARADISE. more>>

Starz’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s American Gods is currently filming. Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) and Michael Green (Heroes) are running the series, which stars Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Gillian Anderson, Cloris Leachman, Orlando Jones, and more. The fantasy series will premiere next year.

Below, check out the American Gods first look.

In American Gods, Ricky Whittle plays Shadow, an ex-con who becomes a bodyguard for an ancient God disguised as a con man called Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). They go on a cross-country journey to amass forces for an imminent war between the old gods, who are rooted in mythology, and the new, based on modern obsessions such as money, celebrity, and technology.

Entertainment Weekly ran the first photos from the series, which is executive-produced by Gaiman and the pilot’s director David Slade (Hard Candy). Here’s Shadow, Mr. Wednesday, and the leprechaun Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber), in an image that calls to mind Fuller’s delightful but short-lived Pushing Daisies:

In the photo above, which is set in Jack’s Crocodile Bar, Shadow is taking on the drunk leprechaun to prove his worth to Mr. Wednesday. In an interview with EW, Fuller discussed the scene’s importance:

It was one of the sets that we were the most excited about and an opportunity to do a tonal landgrab for what we are and what the style of the show will be. [Jack’s] is a kind of hillbilly chic aesthetic for Shadow’s entrée into the world of the gods.

EW has another photo from the series featuring Mr. Wednesday sitting alone at the bar. Before McShane joined the project, plenty of American Gods fans dreamed of the Deadwood actor in the role. Fuller teased what to expect from McShane as Mr. Wednesday:

I think the comedy and charm and ease of Wednesday’s appeal is very well-suited for Ian McShane. He has a vibrancy as Wednesday that could have gone so many different ways in other actors’ hands, but has such a specificity and reality, despite the situation at hand.

Michael Green added they want to keep the Gods grounded, that they want them “to be people with problems.” The series isn’t about “lightning bolts” or “creatures who stomp on cities.” American Gods is, as Green says, “the question of day-to-day survival.”

Here’s the official synopsis for the Starz adaptation:

American Gods been translated into over 30 languages and earned numerous accolades including Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for Best Novel. The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.

The post ‘American Gods’ First Look: Shadow and Mad Sweeney Duke it Out in Jack’s Crocodile Bar appeared first on /Film.

There’s plenty of merchandise out there bringing the characters of Toy Story into the bedrooms of plenty of children who will play with them until they grow up and get rid of them, making millions of sad little Toy Story 3 narratives come to life. But you’ve never seen a piece of Toy Story merchandise like this.

Tamashii Nations has created a Chogokin combiner that has five different characters from Toy Story combine to form their own Voltron. That’s right, you can take Woody, Rex, Bullseye, Hamm and Slinky Dog and form them into one big robot. See the Toy Story Voltron below!

Here’s some pictures of the Toy Story Voltron figure from Tamashii Nations’ Facebook page:

You might thinking to yourself that this figure is a total missed opportunity because it doesn’t include Buzz Lightyear, a toy that was seemingly made to be able to form a Toy Story Voltron figure. The good news is that the official Tamashii Nations page for the Toy Story figure pretty much tells us that there’s a Buzz Lightyear addition to the figure coming in July, right in the middle of Comic-Con:

Even if you’re a die-hard Toy Story fan, this figure is a little expensive at $169.99, but you’ll have plenty of time to save up since it won’t be available until December this year. This could be just what some kids need in order to stop them from playing with all of Andy’s toys so soon. Or it’ll just look good sitting on a shelf. If you need more convincing, here’s an animated short to go along with it:

The post Cool Stuff: The Characters of ‘Toy Story’ Combine to Form a Pixar ‘Voltron’ appeared first on /Film.

In this edition of TV Bits:

• The pilot episode of Cameron Crowe‘s Roadies is now online for free.
• The first teaser for Narcos season 2 is here.
• David Cross says that more W/ Bob and David is on the way…hopefully.
• The Hey Arnold! TV movie reveals a title and voice cast.

Showtime has released the pilot episode for creator/writer/director Cameron Crowe’s new show Roadies for free online and you can watch it in the YouTube embed above. However, Crowe has already issued a warning on his blog that this version has been edited for language and nudity. For the uncut version, you need to subscribe to Showtime or be a paid member of Hulu. Here’s the official synopsis:

Roadies gives an insider’s look at the reckless, romantic, funny and often poignant lives of a committed group of “roadies” who live for music and the de facto family they’ve formed along the way. The music-infused ensemble comedy series chronicles the rock world through the eyes of music’s unsung heroes and puts the spotlight on the backstage workers who put the show on the road while touring the United States for a successful arena-level band.

I’ve yet to encounter a single person who has watched Narcos, but the show is apparently hitting the numbers Netflix needs it to hit since season two is only a few months away. A brief teaser trailer has arrived online and it is little more than a few glimpses of Wagner Moura‘s Pablo Escobar and a premiere date: September 2, 2016. From what I gather, season one concluded with Escobar escaping from prison, so if you want to know more, a Google search will spoil the entire show for you (don’t do that). The second season will also feature the return of Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal as DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña. Please feel free to let me know if you’ve watched this and if it’s worth my time.

On the other end of the Netflix spectrum, W/ Bob and David star David Cross recently spoke with The Wrap on the subject of whether or not his acclaimed comedy sketch show (a spiritual follow-up to Mr. Show) would return for another round. The good news is that Cross and Bob Odenkirk are both down for more:

I just spoke to Bob yesterday and we both really want to do another round — if not several more rounds.

The bad news is that Odenkirk’s time is presently occupied with the next season of AMC’s (brilliant) Better Call Saul, which will require some crafty scheduling:

It’s really tough. We have a short window and if he’s not available during that window, then we just can’t do it … But we both want to do it and Netflix would be happy to have us do it, so we will do more. I can pretty much guarantee it.

The upside to the Netflix model is that Odenkirk and Cross don’t have a specific delivery date for a new season. If the next season of W/ Bob and David takes a little longer to premiere, no one will bat an eye. The rules of traditional television scheduling don’t apply to the streaming landscape.

Nickelodeon has announced the title and the full voice cast for their upcoming Hey Arnold! TV movie, which will pick up where the original animated series ended in 2004 and resolve a few lingering plot threads (including exactly what happened to Arnold’s parents). Although the bulk of the original voice cast is returning for Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, Arnold and his best friend Gerald will now be voiced by Mason Vale Cotton and Benjamin “L’il P-Nut” Flores, Jr. Original voice actors Lane Toran and Jamil Smith will lend their voices to other characters. Other returning voices include:

Francesca Marie Smith (The Prince of Egypt) as Helga; Anndi McAfee (Tom and Jerry: The Movie) as Phoebe; Justin Shenkarow (Recess) as Harold; Olivia Hack (Family Guy) as Rhonda; Nika Futterman (The Boxtrolls) as Olga; Dan Butler (Frasier) as Mr. Simmons; Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) as Grandpa; Tress MacNeille (The Simpsons) as Grandma; Antoinette Stella (Melrose Place, writer) as Stella; Carlos Alazraqui (Happy Feet) as Eduardo; Dom Irrera (Back at the Barnyard) as Ernie; Maurice LaMarche (Futurama) as Bob Pataki; Kath Soucie (Rugrats) as Miriam; Danielle Judovits (Toy Story) as Big Patty; Danny Cooksey (The Lorax) as Stoop Kid; Jim Belushi (According to Jim) as Coach Wittenberg; and Craig Bartlett as Miles.

The great Alfred Molina will voice the film’s villain, “an infamous river pirate operating from a secret compound in the jungles of San Lorenzo.”

The post TV Bits: ‘Roadies’ Pilot Online, More ‘W/ Bob and David’ in the Works, and the ‘Narcos’ Season 2 Teaser appeared first on /Film.

Ricky Gervais‘ relationship with Netflix continues. The streaming service recently released his last film, Special Correspondance, and they’re also the home to the Gervais-led series, Derek. Their latest venture together is The Office spinoff, which Netflix has just purchased and will distribute in select territories. The faux-rockumentary, David Brent: Life on the Road, follows the former Wernham Hogg Paper employee, David Brent, as he attempts to fulfill his dream of becoming a famous rockstar.

Below, learn more about The Office spinoff.

The film, which Gervais wrote and direct, takes place years after the events of the BBC’s The Office, which ran from 2001-2003. Gervais has called the feature “almost a musical.” By day, Brent sells cleaning products; by night, he pursues rock stardom. His band is called “Foregone Conclusion.”

During the Opie With Jim Norton Show, Gervais revealed Netflix has purchased David Brent: Life on the Road (via Variety). The Office star and co-creator is pleased he’ll have “20 million people see it than half a million people see it in cinemas.”

As for the plot, here’s what Gervais had to say about Life on the Road:

[H]e hasn’t let go of this dream of being a rock star and he’s got a lot of songs together and he’s got a young band together that he’s paying through the nose for and they’re just sort of ripping him off. They’re sort of session musicians so he’s losing money. He has to cash in a pension, he does a little tour he wants the record companies to come along too.

Obviously he thinks it’s like Scorsese following the Rolling Stones around, this documentary team, but it’s really sort of a Where Are They Now documentary and it’s even sadder and tragic… I’m trying to do like Anvil did for real. It was sort of sweet and tragic… He’s doing songs, it’s almost a musical, really.

Brent’s sad but funny predicament sounds about right. The film will show more of the character’s “private life than The Office ever did before,” Gervais added. If you want to get a sense of Brent’s onstage charisma and talent as a musician, check out a few episodes of “Learn Guitar With David.”

Two years ago, Gervais said Brent’s story would have “a theatrical release around the world because The Office, the original one, played in about 100 countries.” Considering the work he’s done with Netflix since then, it makes sense he’s now excited about the prospect of his film reaching a larger audience outside of theaters, although a theatrical release is still the plan for some territories.

David Brent: Life on the Road opens in the U.K. August 19th. No domestic release date is currently scheduled.

The post The Office Spin-Off Coming From Netflix and Ricky Gervais appeared first on /Film.

When Steven Spielberg sits down for a full and proper interview, it is our duty as movie fans to pay attention. The greatest filmmaker in modern Hollywood history can often feel a little enigmatic (he doesn’t bother with things like DVD commentaries) and getting any kind of window into his process and life feels invaluable. So the arrival of two new profiles on Spielberg, his work, and his various companies is a cause for celebration – both stories are filled with wonderful anecdotes, insights and even a tease or two.

Oh, and Spielberg promises that he won’t be killing off Indiana Jones in the upcoming fifth movie.

Both articles come from The Hollywood Reporter and while both are tied to the upcoming release of The BFG, they find room to touch on many corners of Spielberg’s career. The first of them, a straightforward Spielberg profile that places on emphasis on his time with DreamWorks and the formation of Amblin Partners, contains this headline-friendly tidbit about Indiana Jones 5:

I think this one is straight down the pike for the fans. The one thing I will tell you is I’m not killing off Harrison [Ford] at the end of it.

That’s probably a good thing. Sure, Ford is getting up there in years, but do you really want to live in a world where both Indiana Jones and (spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoilers for you weirdo latecomers) Han Solo are both dead? If Indiana Jones 5 exists to make up for the disappointment of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, then the credits should roll with Indy celebrating one final triumph.

Anyway, Spielberg also spoke about working with Disney to make The BFG, which marked his first time working with the legendary studio. The way he trails off while speaking about the death of Bambi’s mother is equally sad and delightful:

I have directed films for every studio in Hollywood except for Walt Disney — until now. Disney was truly, when I was a kid, my singular inspiration and also the source of most of my nightmares. […] The separation of mother and child … I mean, the killing of Bambi’s — it was just one of the most …

He also spoke about losing his desire to make movies in the years following Schindler’s List:

I was sad and isolated, and as well-received and successful as that movie was, I think it was the trauma of telling the story and forming the Shoah Foundation. […] I started to wonder, was Schindler’s List going to be the last film I would direct?

For much, much more, make sure you read the whole thing. It’s not a brisk read, but it’s worth it. The second article is shorter but just as interesting, transcribing an interview with Spielberg and frequent collaborators Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy. Although there are scattered tidbits about Jurassic World and its sequel, the most interesting moment involves Spielberg helping convince J.J. Abrams to take the helm of Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

I brought J.J.’s name up. I thought J.J. would be the best person to direct Episode 7 and I called J.J. and said ‘Would you do it if it was offered to you?’ He said, ‘I would but my wife won’t let me ’cause she doesn’t want me to restart any more franchises.’ But I went to Kathy and asked if I could get J.J. to say yes to this would you consider it? Kathy said ‘Are you kidding? Of course I would. But why would J.J. do Star Wars; he’s already done Mission Impossible and Star Trek.’ So I take Katie Abrams and J.J. to dinner that night to Giorgio with my wife, Kate, and right in front of Katie Abrams I popped the question. I said to Katie, ‘I think there’s a chance that J.J. could direct Star Wars. What do you think of that?’ And Katie turned to J.J. and said, ‘That would be amazing. Really?’ And I went outside the restaurant, picked up my phone, called Kathy and said, “When can we meet with J.J.?” And that’s how the whole thing began.

The BFG opens on July 1, 2016. It’s a Spielberg movie, so you should probably go see it.

The post Steven Spielberg Promises Not to Kill Harrison Ford in ‘Indiana Jones 5’ appeared first on /Film.

Microsoft doesn't have a social network of its own, but it does have a giant pile of money. When you've got that, you can have anything you want. Microsoft has just announced it will purchase business-oriented social network LinkedIn for an incredible $26.2 billion dollars. That's 26.2 Instagrams or roughly the entire annual GDP of Estonia.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been at the helm for a few years, and hasn't really made any huge moves yet.

Microsoft Is Buying LinkedIn For $26.2 Billion was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

One of the most frequent questions by all collectors in this hobby is “What’s the next comic book to shoot up in value?” When I was 10 years old, I clearly remember asking my local comic shop owner this same question. He replied with, “Kid, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be working here.” That sums up this hobby perfectly. Obviously, we never really know. Some of the most successful price jumps have been surprises. Alternatively, most can be assessed with common sense and a keen eye for market waves. While this isn’t fool proof, I’ll make my own educated guess on books you should be investing in now, tomorrow and for the near future. These aren’t quick flips nor will they be quick risers. These are your “fine wine” books that need time to age properly. So, with that said, let’s look into the first entry of this month’s Crystal Ball.

SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

INFO

SAGA was released March 2012 to a rough 37,641 print run and continued on for 5 additional printings (see the bottom for the first issue print run info).

Did you know that this is Image’s best selling book? Yep, even more so than the juggernaut known as THE WALKING DEAD. Looking at comichron, the most current Saga issue #36 had a print run of 49K and WD was about 67K. Sure, obviously the WD is selling more monthly issues. However, that gap was pretty tight over the past few years with the difference being less than 10K. But what makes Saga so profitable are the trade sales. For example, Saga Vol. 5 TP 1st print had a print run of 29,387 (for comparison, in March 2016 WD Vol. 25 released to a 19K print run). Think about these numbers for a second: $14.99 price tag and 29K run. This trade will continue to see printing after printing after printing. And it has done just that; since September 2015 it’s be reprinted every single month, slowly dropping a few hundred as it goes. But it never disappears. All former volumes are still reprinted nearly every month. Saga Vol. 1 released in October 2012 and reached 120K copies less than a year later. THAT’S where all the money is coming from. Amazon has ranked Saga Vol. 6 as a “Best Seller” and it doesn’t even release until this July.

Don’t believe the numbers? Just ask your comic shop what their (1) most consistent money making book is, (2) most consistently requested book and (3) what they most recommend to new comic readers. The answer will likely be Saga. In 2013 it won 3 Eisner Awards (Best Continuing Series, Best New Series and Best Writer) and 6 Harvey Awards (Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Color, Best New Series, Best Continuing or Limited Series, and Best Single Issue or Story), in 2014 it won 3 Eisners (Best Painter/Multimedia Artist, Best Writer, and Best Continuing Series) and 2 Eisners in 2015 (Best Continuing Series and Best Penciller/Inker). It’s absolutely the most celebrated comic on the shelf currently and quite possibly on its way to “of all time”.

People like to use the phrase “it’s the next Walking Dead” for the most random new books. While its overuse is exhausting, if there’s any book that comes close, it’s SAGA.

ENTERTAINMENT SPECULATION

The market value for issue #1 is currently $125 raw, with the variant well over $800 raw (and raw copies for the RRP nearly never come up for sale). And while those are not easy entry prices, it’s really just the beginning. The term “unmake-able” has been thrown around in nearly every circle that engages in a “Should Saga be turned into content?” conversation. Even BKV has publicly expressed his preference in it not being turned into entertainment. However, I absolutely know that this is being shopped around Hollywood. Studios are paying attention to this property.

BKV is an entertainment creative. No comic writer knows the industry better than he does (expect for maybe Straczynski). He’s written and won awards for immensely successful shows like LOST. Heck, the initial solicitation for this book was “STAR WARS meets GAME OF THRONES”, two very successful entertainment properties. And just look at the incredible cast of characters. There’s already a ton of Lying Cat merchandise. I can see each issue shooting up in value when a character appears on screen (yes, like the WALKING DEAD). If any entertainment professionals are listening, offer Mr. Vaughn the ability to write and executive produce his Epic Space Opera with a sack of cash with a dollar sign on the outside, and he will (for our sakes) hopefully have a hard time saying no. And the first network/studio smart enough to do so will greatly profit. This really isn’t a matter of “will it get made?”, it’s “when?”

Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples
19″ tall talking Lying Cat plushy doll
Limited to 250 (for now)
Sold through www.essentialsequential.com

COMIC SPECULATION

For you “comic optioned” naysayers, let’s say it never gets turned into an entertainment property.

First off, it’s beloved by fans, shops and critics. It’s award winning and still the best selling title for Image. To top it all off, it’s only in it’s infancy at issue #36.

And where was Walking Dead at issue #36? Well, it definitely wasn’t an expensive book at all. In fact, it was probably about the same price if not less. We forget that WALKING DEAD wasn’t always a $1K+ book. In December 2009, WD #1 was $125/$150. In January 2010, when it was on issue #69, AMC announced it was officially going to be a show and made the value of the first issue jump to $250. The official AMC Frank Darabont 8 episode show order in May 2010 pushed it to $350. Even by November 2011, THE WALKING DEAD #1 could easily be bought for $400. By March 2012 (2 seasons in), around issue #83, WD #1 was a $700 book. It took 3 (3!!!) full seasons to finally break $1000 (and as a side note for those questioning other comic shows…. books DO go up if the show is a huge hit).

Keeping ALL of that WD comparison in mind, Saga’s stride is even more steady and consistent, even without entertainment. Every few months, this first issue jumps $5-$10. Yes, if you’re flipping comics, that’s incredibly slow. However, it’s organic and fan driven. Books that have this special formula carry a level of security with it. So, yes, if this is never made into content and you wield a normal size level of patience, you will STILL see a strong return on your investment.

Saga 2012 C2E2 Diamond Retailer Edition (RRP) #1

CRYSTAL BALL

Review time. Huge increase in profit with strong entertainment potential? Check. Fan/critical darling with steady and organic profitable growth? Check. It’s a no brainer. While the variant is already unreachable and at a price that most of us can’t “just sit on” (but could eventually be among the most expensive moderns), SAGA #1 and the next several issues (and subsequent printings) are books that should….. No, MUST be in your collection and should in no way be selling them right now. Hunt them, buy them, HOLD them and tuck them into your long box. There’s no book with more potential than SAGA right now. My personal guess is that we will see it optioned in the next two years and on our TV screens in about 3 years. So, yes, if you want a true investment book and if you’re looking for an answer to “What book is going to be worth something?” or even an answer to “What’s the next Walking Dead?” this article’s answer is SAGA.

PRINT NUMBERS FOR #1

1st Print: 37,641 (March 2012), Orange Title

Diamond Retailer Summit Variant: 500 (April 2012)

The 2nd & 3rd print were both released in April. The combined print run that month was 9,641. The below is a very rough estimate as I simply divided them by half. Since they were printed around the same time, this is probably not too far off (unless they “tacked on” the 3rd quickly to fill last minute orders).

2nd Print: 4,820 est. (April 11, 2012), Black Title

3rd Print: 4,820 est. (April 18, 2012), Blue Title

4th Print: Below 1,400? (no comichron info) (May 2012), Orange Outline w/ white fill

5th Print: 4,484 (June 2012), Black Outline w/ white fill

Saga 1 Image First: ? (December 2012)

There’s conflicting information out there from an interview with Image in 2012 that the 1st issue had combined printings of 70K copies. But the above numbers don’t reflect that. Reading an article ICv2 in May 2012, Image Publisher Eric Stephenson mentioned they’re “getting to the 70,000 mark”. The word “getting” seems vague and any amount could fall under that umbrella.

For rarity, my vote goes to the 4th Print (with the 3rd print being a very strong contender if that April number wasn’t an even split).

(Note: All print numbers above were pulled from http://www.comichron.com.  These numbers provided by Diamond Distributors are not a full representation of actual print runs as they don’t report international sales nor direct sales from the publisher.)

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