Saturday, April 20, 2019

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 14th to 20th, 2019 - Update #17

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MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski ("The Pianist") has sued to be reinstated into the Academy of Motions Pictures Arts and Sciences, the non-profit organization behind the Oscars.  He was expelled in 2018 over the Academy's "standard of conduct."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two-time Oscar nominee, John Singleton, who is best known for the 1991 film, "Boyz n the Hood," has apparently suffered a stroke.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Clint Eastwood may direct "The Ballad of Richard Jewell."  The late Richard Jewell was a real-life figure, a security guard whose life got turned upside down after media reports identified him as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing.  Previously, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill were to be greatly involved in this project, but they make be limited to producing it.

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MOVIES - From Variety:   The 72nd Cannes Film Festival has announced its lineup.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Two weeks before production was to begin, Disney has cancelled the "Mouse Guard" film, a motion-capture movie based on the comic book of the same name.  It was being developed by Fox before the Disney merger.

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POLITICS - From Axios:  The 10 episodes of potential Trump obstruction listed in the Mueller report.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Travis Knight ("Bumblebee") has been picked to direct, "Six Billion Dollar Man," a movie based on the classic 1970s television series, "Six Million Dollar Man."  Mark Wahlberg is attached to star in the film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jennifer Lawrence's next film will be an as-yet untitled drama from director, Lila Neugebauer, who is acclaimed for her work in live theater.

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CULTURE - From Pulitzer:  The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists have been announced.  The late Aretha Franklin posthumously received the Pulitzer Prize in the category of "Special Awards and Citations," becoming the first individual woman to earn the prize.

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AVATAR - From Newsarama:  Michello Yeoh has been casts in James Cameron's "Avatar" sequel films.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/12 to 4/14/2019 weekend box office is "Shazam" with an estimated take of 25.1 million dollars.

From Patreon:  A review of "Shazam!"

From IndieWire:  Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro's films, "Hellboy" (2004) and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (2008) were the last films of their kind.  On the weekend when the "Hellboy" reboot apparently flops at the box office, IndieWire offers a look back.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Golfer Tiger Woods has won the 2019 Masters, his first win in one of professional golf's four major tournaments in 11 years.  Overall, it is his 15th win in a major and his fifth win at the Masters.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  CBS renews its TV cop-family drama, "Blue Bloods," for a tenth season.


TRAILERS/VIDEO:

From YouTube:  First teaser trailer for "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker."

From WaltDisney:  This is a page where you can view The Walt Disney Company's Investor Day 2019 webcast.  This video includes information about Disney upcoming streaming service, Disney+.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The novelist, playwright, and poet, Warren Adler, has died at the age of 91, Monday, April 15, 2019.  He wrote 50 novels and a number of them were adapted for film, TV, and the stage.  The best known of those adaptations is probably the 1989 film, "War of the Roses," which starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and was directed by Danny DeVito, and was based on Adler's 1981 novel of the same name.

From EW:  The television actress, Georgia Engel, has died at the age of 70, Friday, April 12, 2019.  Known for her soft voice, she rose to fame "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as the soft-spoken Georgette Franklin.  The five-time Emmy-nominated actress also had a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," and she also appeared on "The Betty White Show" and "Hot in Cleveland."

From TheWrap:   The Swedish actress, Bibi Andersson, has died at the age of 83, Sunday, April 14, 2019.  Andersson is best known for her association with legendary Swedish writer-director, Ingmar Bergman.  She appeared in 11 of Bergman's films, including "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," and "Persona."


Netflix and Mark Millar Announce "Space Bandits" from Image Comics

MARK MILLAR & IMAGE/NETFLIX ANNOUNCE SPACE BANDITS & SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION COVERS ILLUSTRATED BY ARTIST LEGENDS

First Limited Legends Cover Illustrated by Howard Chaykin to Retail for Just 75 Cents, the Price of a Comic-Book When Millar Was a Teen

PORTLAND, OR — Netflix and Mark Millar announce their latest project created in-house, SPACE BANDITS #1—a female led sci-fi story, described by Millar as a female Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid set in space with a massive and exciting cast of characters.

Superstar Artist Matteo Scalera will illustrate the comic-book translation of this original Netflix property, published by Image Comics

In Space Bandits, Thena Khole and Cody Blue are among the universe's most wanted felons. Each the leader of their own criminal operations, they run heists across the galaxies—hopping from ship to ship to fleece everyone inside. But when both women are betrayed by their treacherous crews, the bandits only have one thing on their minds: REVENGE.

"I love writing female-led stories in everything from Reborn to Empress to Hit-Girl to Jupiter's Legacy and, of course, our recent Magic Order at Netflix," said Millar. "I also love writing big, fun sci-fi things. In a world with a billion superhero properties and gloomy, rain-soaked dystopian sci-fi, there's a gap in the market for sci-fi that's upbeat and fun and I wanted to combine all this into a big, high-octane story. I've been working on this as a property for Netflix since last Summer and now I'm being joined by the brilliant Matteo Scalera for the comic-book translation of this story. The guy's a genius and I've followed him for years. Having him draw this is like someone you've always had a crush on going out on a date with you. He's just amazing."

As a special bonus, and available to order at the same time, is a limited edition series of Space Bandits Legends Covers, featuring Miller's all-time favorite comic-book artists—artists Miller was obsessed with in high school, and whom he has wanted to work with for years.

The first of these five very limited edition covers will be illustrated by comic-book legend Howard Chaykin, and will retail for the same price as a comic-book cost when Mark was in high school... just 75 cents. All other covers will retail at the regular $3.99 price.

Space Bandits #1 will be available in stores on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. The final order cutoff deadline is June 10, 2019.

Space Bandits #1 also will be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including the official Image Comics iOS app, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

Diamond Comics Distributors Codes:
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover A SCALERA - MAY190028
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover B SCALERA - MAY190029
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover C LEGENDS VAR CHAYKIN - MAY190030
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover D COIPEL - MAY190031
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover E PICHELLI - MAY190032
SPACE BANDITS #1 Cover F BLANK VAR - MAY190033


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Thursday, April 18, 2019

"Batman: The Complete Animated Series" Leads 2019 Home Media Awards

Winners of the 2019 Home Media Awards Announced by ‘Media Play News’

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Batman: The Complete Animated Series — Deluxe Limited Edition earned the top prize in the ninth annual Home Media Awards, which honor the best home video releases of 2018, taking "Title of the Year" and "TV on Disc of the Year." It also won "Best Complete TV Series Set."

    ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Blu-ray takes top honors in 2019 Home Media Awards from Media Play News

Blu-ray Disc of the Year went to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s 2001: A Space Odyssey — 50th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It also won for Best Restoration.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment/Marvel Studios won Best Theatrical Disc for Avengers: Infinity War, which also won for Best Superhero Disc.

Warner Bros.’ The Death of Superman was voted Best Direct-to-Video Movie, while Best Catalog Title honors went to Shout! Factory’s Creepshow: Collector’s Edition.

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films, released by MVD Entertainment Group/Arrow Video, won Best Movie Collection.

Paramount Home Media Distribution scored a triple win with Mission: Impossible — Fallout, which won Best 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Best Digital Presentation of a Movie and Best Action Disc.

Best Digital Presentation of a TV Show went to HBO Home Entertainment’s Barry: Season 1. HBO also won Best TV Movie or Miniseries honors for Sharp Objects.

Winners were chosen by a panel of judges in conjunction with an online consumer vote for eligible titles submitted for consideration by studios and distributors.

The Home Media Awards presented by Media Play News is the most comprehensive awards program covering the home entertainment industry, with dozens of categories honoring the top releases by format, genre and technical achievement. Categories include Best Theatrical Title on Disc, Best Bonus Materials, Best 4K UHD Blu-ray, Best Box Art and more.

For a complete list of winners, visit www.MediaPlayNews.com/home-media-award-winners-2019


About Media Play News:
Media Play News, available at MediaPlayNews.com, is the voice of the $20 billion home entertainment industry, covering all aspects of personal entertainment from the moment it leaves the movie or TV screen and is readied for viewing in the home, in the car, or on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Media Play News also informs readers through daily e-mail newsletters and a monthly print magazine, and is available on social media as @MediaPlayNews on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" Adventure Game Announced for November 2019

EA and Respawn Announce Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ Will Launch November 15, 2019

Play as a Jedi Padawan on the Run After the Events of Star Wars™: Revenge of the Sith™

Watch the Story Reveal Trailer Here

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During a panel at Star Wars™ Celebration in Chicago, Respawn Entertainment, a studio of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA), announced that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™, a new third-person action adventure game, will launch on November 15, 2019 on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 and PC via Origin™. The game will feature an authentic story set shortly after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith™, when the Jedi have fallen. Fans will play as a young Padawan named Cal Kestis, brought to life by Cameron Monaghan (Shameless, Gotham), who has survived Order 66, the Emperor’s secret decree to eliminate all Jedi. Players must pick up the pieces of Cal’s shattered past to complete his training and master the art of the iconic lightsaber - all while staying one step ahead of the Empire and its deadly Inquisitors.

    “When Respawn approached us with the idea for this game, we were immediately supportive. A single player, story-driven title in the Star Wars universe was exactly what we were looking for, and we know the fans have been eager for one, as well”

“Many Star Wars fans, ourselves included, are really interested in the dark times, so we wanted to explore that mysterious, dangerous period,” said Stig Asmussen, Game Director, Respawn Entertainment. “The team at Lucasfilm have been amazing collaborators, helping us explore and further develop this part of the timeline where the Empire is at the height of its power and any remaining Jedi are in hiding. Within this narrative, we’ve crafted a game with intense, yet thoughtful and fun melee combat using the lightsaber and Force powers, allowing anyone to fulfill their Jedi fantasy.”

“When Respawn approached us with the idea for this game, we were immediately supportive. A single player, story-driven title in the Star Wars universe was exactly what we were looking for, and we know the fans have been eager for one, as well,” said Steve Blank, Director, Franchise Content & Strategy, Lucasfilm Story Group. “Focusing on Cal stepping back into the shoes of a Jedi post Order 66 opens up a lot of gameplay opportunities and rich story threads to develop for this new character and his backstory.”

Players will meet Cal on Bracca, a brand-new Star Wars planet and one of several new locations introduced in the game. Cal is hiding from the Empire in plain sight but is forced to go on the run when he exposes his Force powers. Along the way, Cal will make new friends, like his mysterious companion Cere, as well as run into some familiar faces, all while being accompanied by his faithful droid BD-1. Cal’s flight from the Empire is made even more dangerous as he is being pursued by the Second Sister, one of the Empire’s elite Inquisitors, who seeks to hunt Cal down and extinguish this surviving Jedi. Assisting the Second Sister are the terrifying Purge Troopers, special Imperial forces trained to seek out Jedi and aid the Inquisitors in their dastardly work.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is designed with gameplay as a top priority in order to deliver the kind of intense Star Wars lightsaber battles that are seen in the films. Brought to life by Respawn, a studio known for high-quality games that are both visually beautiful and technically masterful, players will use their Jedi training to create different melee combinations with an innovative lightsaber combat system and Force abilities. Players will also use traversal and other platforming abilities to strategically overcome opponents and solve puzzles in their path across this galaxy-spanning adventure. Star Wars fans will recognize iconic locations, weapons, gear, and enemies, while also meeting a roster of fresh characters, locations, creatures, droids and adversaries new to Star Wars.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now for pre-order, and will offer fans unique cosmetic content. For more details, visit StarWarsJediFallenOrder.com.

For more information on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, please follow the EA Star Wars channels on Twitter and Facebook, or visit https://www.ea.com/games/starwars.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.

In the fiscal year 2018, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.15 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

Respawn, Origin, The Sims, EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Dragon Age, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2019 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Monday, April 15, 2019

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributrors for April 17, 2019

BOOM! STUDIOS

FEB191285    ADVENTURE TIME MARCY & SIMON #4 (OF 6) MAIN    $3.99
FEB191286    ADVENTURE TIME MARCY & SIMON #4 (OF 6) PREORDER MARCY    $3.99
FEB191287    ADVENTURE TIME MARCY & SIMON #4 (OF 6) PREORDER SIMON    $3.99
FEB191263    BLACK BADGE #9 MAIN & MIX    $3.99
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FEB191245    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4 CVR C RUAN VAR    $3.99
JAN199075    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4 FOC SLAYER MERCADO VAR    $3.99
JAN199076    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4 FOC VAMPIRE MERCADO VAR    $3.99
FEB191246    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4 PREORDER MANN VAR    $3.99
FEB198077    FIREFLY #4 (2ND PTG)    $3.99
DEC181360    GO GO POWER RANGERS TP VOL 03    $16.99
FEB191283    LUMBERJANES #61 MAIN    $3.99
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DEC181352    SONS OF ANARCHY LEGACY ED TP VOL 02 (MR)    $29.99
DEC181386    STEVEN UNIVERSE ORIGINAL GN VOL 04 CAMP PINING PLAY    $14.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 17, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

DEC180415    BERSERK TP FLAME DRAGON KNIGHT    $14.99
FEB190276    BPRD DEVIL YOU KNOW #15    $3.99
FEB190354    CALAMITY KATE #2 CVR A HOWELL PINTO    $3.99
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FEB190262    NEIL GAIMAN AMERICAN GODS MOMENT OF STORM #1 CVR B MACK (MR)    $3.99
DEC188010    WORLD OF TOM CLANCY DIVISION LTD ED HC    $99.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 17, 2019

DC COMICS

FEB190473    AMERICAN CARNAGE #6 (MR)    $3.99
FEB190474    AQUAMAN #47    $3.99
FEB190475    AQUAMAN #47 VAR ED    $3.99
FEB190480    BATMAN #69    $3.99
FEB190481    BATMAN #69 VAR ED    $3.99
JAN190663    BATMAN DETECTIVE REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 04    $34.99
SEP180539    BATMAN SUPERMAN SILVER AGE OMNIBUS HC VOL 02    $99.99
FEB198168    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 (OF 6) FINAL PTG    $4.99
FEB198169    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #2 (OF 6) FINAL PTG    $4.99
FEB198170    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #3 (OF 6) FINAL PTG    $4.99
FEB190493    DAMAGE #16    $3.99
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FEB198167    DOOMSDAY CLOCK #7 (OF 12) FINAL PTG    $4.99
FEB190496    ELECTRIC WARRIORS #6 (OF 6)    $3.99
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JAN190677    INJUSTICE VS MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE HC    $24.99
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FEB190515    JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 VAR ED    $3.99
JAN190685    KAMANDI CHALLENGE TP    $24.99
FEB190520    LUCIFER #7 (MR)    $3.99
JAN190616    MAD MAGAZINE #7    $5.99
FEB190521    NAOMI #4    $3.99
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