Geek News Brief

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Michael B. Jordan’s Vad-Zod project, Doctor Who Season 13, & Anna Torv joins The Last of Us – 2021-07-26

Michael B. Jordan developing Val-Zod project for HBO Max

Michael B. Jordan and his production company Outlier Society are developing their own black Superman project for HBO Max that centers on the Val-Zod incarnation of the character.

Sources have told Collider that Outlier Society has hired a writer who is currently working on the script, which is being written as a limited series that Jordan will produce and possibly even star in, though he has yet to officially commit on the latter.

As previously reported, J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot are set to produce a black Superman movie for Warner Bros. that is expected to follow the Kal-El/Clark Kent version of the character. Though Clark Kent is traditionally depicted as white in the DC comics, the character will be played by a black actor, which will likely be directed by a black filmmaker, as Abrams is simply expected to produce.

While Jordan did work with Warner Bros. on developing a black Superman movie at one point, he recently shot down rumors that he would star in Abrams’ new film, saying “I’m flattered that people have me in that conversation. It’s definitely a compliment, but I’m just watching on this one.”

A recent editorial penned by Jamie Broadnax for Black Girl Nerds provides some context, as her sources told her, “Jordan has not wanted to engage in conversations about racebending Kal-El for the same reasons many of the fans are pushing back on the current Warner Bros. re-imagined version of Clark Kent, but that he would be interested in engaging on a black Superman project centering on the Val-Zod storyline.”

The distinction is an important one, particularly within the Black community, as Broadnax explained how it would be tone-deaf of Warner Bros. and DC to ‘racebend a white character and erase black characters that already exist in the DC universe under the Superman banner — Calvin Ellis and Val-Zod.’

Val-Zod is the Superman from Earth 2, where he is one of the last Kryptonians, and the second to assume the mantle of Superman. The character was orphaned after his parents were executed by Krypton’s high court, though he was found on Earth 2 by Terry Sloan, who offered the young alien asylum to “protect” him from the outside world. Ellis, on the other hand, is the Superman of Earth 23, where he is the President of the United States.

Season 13 of Doctor Who will be a singular story

We learned more about the next season of Doctor Who during their recent panel at Comic-Con@Home. According to showrunner Chris Chibnall, unlike prior seasons, Season 13 will tell a singular story. This change was made because of the shooting schedule wrought by the challenges of the pandemic, which has also shortened this season to eight episodes. But it also hearkens back to the original incarnation’s days as a cliffhanger serial.

The panel also welcomed new companion John Bishop, who was announced at the end of the holiday special. He replaces previous companions Ryan and Graham O’Brien.

Doctor Who is still in production for Season 13, but expects its first shows to arrive later this year.

HBO’s The Last of Us casts Anna Torv as Tess

Anna Torv has been cast as Tess in the upcoming HBO series The Last of Us. Tess was introduced in the original video game as Joel’s smuggling partner in Boston. She also played an important role at the beginning of Joel and Ellie’s cross-country journey to locate the other members of the Fireflies. However, it sounds like the TV show is expanding her backstory, because Torv will apparently be a recurring guest star. The live-action version of Tess is also described as a smuggler and hardened survivor in a post-pandemic world.

Torv is best known for her five-year stint playing Olivia Dunham on Fringe. In the years since the series ended, she has booked starring roles on other acclaimed shows like Secret City and Mindhunter, both of which ran on Netflix.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Leslie Grace cast as Batgirl, Injustice movie voice cast, & Dead Space remake – 2021-07-23

Leslie Grace cast as Barbara Gordon for Warner Bros. and DC Batgirl film

According to Deadline, Leslie Grace has landed the lead role of Barbara Gordon in DC and Warner Bros.’ upcoming Batgirl movie. The film will premiere on HBO Max, marking one of the first major DC properties to debut exclusively on the streamer.

According to an earlier report, Grace came out on top among a final group of actresses being tested for the role that included Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch, and Haley Lu Richardson.

While plot details are currently under wraps, Batgirl will center on Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon. Batgirl’s last appearance in a live-action big-screen feature was in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin, which released in 1997 with Alicia Silverstone in the role.

DC’s Injustice: Gods Among Us animated film sets cast

Warner Bros. has revealed the voice cast for their upcoming animated film, Injustice: Gods Among Us. The film, based off the popular 2013 NetherRealm Studios fighting game that spawned its own comic series, was also announced to have a release date sometime this Fall.

Among the cast are Justin Hartley as Superman, Anson Mount as Batman, Laura Bailey as Lois Lane and Rama Kushna, Gillian Jacobs as Harley Quinn, Anika Rose as Catwoman, Janet Varney as Wonder Woman, Kevin Pollak as Joker and Jonathan Kent, Zach Callison as Damian and Jimmy Olsen, and Yuri Lowenthal as Mirror Master, Flash, and Shazam.

The story takes place on an alternate Earth where the Joker has tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane, sending the hero on a rampage. This unhinged Superman decides to take control of Earth for its own good, leading Batman and his allies to attempt to stop him.

Dead Space is being remade for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

EA has revealed a teaser trailer for a remastered version of the original Dead Space, showing off a terrifying necromorph-infested environment. Motive Studios is developing the game, and it’s heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, as well as PC.

The studio described the remake saying, “The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up by Motive Studios to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. Harnessing the power of the Frostbite game engine and next generation consoles, this remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity and improvements to gameplay while staying true to the original.” They went on to say the new version will include improved story, characters, and gameplay mechanics.

The original Dead Space came out in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and became an instant classic. There’s currently no word on a release window for the remake.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Lionsgate nabs Clerks 3, Tom Clancy’s XDefiant, & John Wick’s The Continental – 2021-07-19

Lionsgate acquires rights to Kevin Smith’s Clerks 3

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.

Smith has written the screenplay and will direct, with all major cast members from the first two Clerks films set to reprise their roles: Jeff Anderson as Randal, Brian O’Halloran as Dante, Jay Mewes as Jay, Smith as Silent Bob, and Rosario Dawson as Becky.

In Clerks III, following a massive heart attack, Randal enlists Dante, Elias, Jay, and Silent Bob to make a movie immortalizing his life at the convenience store that started it all.

Smith said, “There’s a saying from the Tao that goes something like ‘To be great is to go on. To go on is to go far. To go far is to return.’ Thanks to Lionsgate, we get to return to where it all started with almost the whole cast that started it all! And for the first time since the first time we ever made a movie in 1993, we’re shooting the entire flick on location in New Jersey, as an ode to both the enduring allure of cinema and the resourcefulness and lunacy of its storytellers. Years ago, Dante and Randal made me a filmmaker – so now it’s time I return the favor.”

Ubisoft announces Tom Clancy’s XDefiant, a chaotic free-to-play FPS

Ubisoft is making a new free-to-play shooter set in the Tom Clancyverse called Tom Clancy’s XDefiant. It’s pitched as a “high-octane,” 6v6 multiplayer first-person arena shooter.

Developed by Ubisoft San Francisco, Tom Clancy’s XDefiant promises realistic gunplay with personalized classes, represented as factions with special abilities. Those factions (Echelon, Outcasts, Cleaners, and Wolves) are inspired by other Tom Clancy games, like The Division, Splinter Cell, and the Ghost Recon series.

On top of deep personalization and customization, gunplay is a top priority. XDefiant will feature an ever-growing arsenal of authentic weapons and attachments, with Ubisoft San Francisco crafting every weapon attachment for precise, satisfying gunplay.

An early gameplay test will launch Aug. 5, and interested players can register at the game’s official website. While the game is still early in development, its creators are saying that your feedback is essential to make this game great.

Tom Clancy’s XDefiant is coming to PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, with streaming versions for Amazon Luna and Google Stadia. Ubisoft has also promised cross-platform play.

Starz sets John Wick prequel The Continental as 3-night event series

After initially announcing it as a spinoff series to the Keanu Reeves-led John Wick films, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Starz and Lionsgate Television are now redeveloping the long-awaited project The Continental as a three-part prequel. Each installment of the event series is expected to be 90-minutes long and will premiere over the course of three consecutive nights.

The Continental was first announced in 2017 by franchise creators Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad. The titular hotel was introduced in the first installment of the John Wick films as a safe haven for assassins and has been a primary location in the franchise.

Set 40 years before the events of the films, the upcoming prequel centers around Winston, who will one day grow up to be the character played by Ian McShane in the Wick movies. In the prequel set against the backdrop of 1970s New York, fans will find a young Winston as an up-and-coming hitman hotel proprietor who, along with others, creates a haven for unsavory types.

Production on the highly-anticipated fourth installment to the John Wick film is also currently underway. John Wick: Chapter 4 will again see Keanu Reeves returning as the unstoppable hitman and is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 27, 2022.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Game of Thrones animated series, Minions in Minecraft, & Netflix getting video games – 2021-07-19

HBO Max developing multiple Game of Thrones animated series

HBO Max is developing multiple animated projects inspired by the award-winning hit series Game of Thrones. It was announced in January that the streamer was developing an animated drama and was being led by HBO drama head Francesca Orsi and her group. HBO Max is now reportedly working on at least two additional potential animated series, with one of the projects being set in The Golden Empire of Yi Ti, a territory that was never seen on the original live-action series.

Yi Ti is a region in the continent of Essos, near the south-eastern limits of the known world. The society is considered one of the oldest and most advanced in author George R.R. Martin’s fantasy universe, and is inspired by Imperial China, in the same way that Westeros was inspired by Medieval Europe.

While those projects are currently in the early stages of development, the only post-GoT project certain to hit the air is the prequel House of the Dragon. That series will tell the story of the Targaryen Civil War that takes place 300 years before the events of the original series, and is set for release in 2022.

Minions have arrived in Minecraft

The reach of Despicable Me’s Minions continues to grow. After three Despicable Me movies, a cartoon series, a Minion-centric spinoff movie, and an upcoming sequel to that offshoot called Minions: The Rise of Gru, the Minions are making their next move… into Minecraft.

The Minions x Minecraft add-on from Illumination launched Friday, and you can buy it in the Minecraft Marketplace. The downloadable content does more than just add blocky versions of the yellow characters to Minecraft. It also lets you help Gru fight villains like Vicious Six, El Macho, and Vector. It’s apparently part of the lead-up to Minions: The Rise of Gru, which comes to theaters on July 1, 2022.

Netflix will reportedly offer video games within the next year

Netflix may be a TV show, movie and game streaming platform in the near future. According to Bloomberg, the company has hired Mike Verdu, a former Oculus and EA exec, as vice president of game development. Verdu was the VP of augmented and virtual reality games and content at Facebook, where he worked with developers for the Oculus Rift, Quest, and Go. From 2017 to 2018, he was also the head of EA Mobile and oversaw the studios that worked on Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, SimCity BuildIt, Plants vs. Zombies, and Sims Free Play, among others.

The company will reportedly build out its gaming team in the coming months to be able to start offering games for streaming within the next year. Netflix isn’t exactly inexperienced in the area and previously developed games based on its popular shows. However, it released those titles on mobile and consoles — Bloomberg says the company won’t be making a separate platform for its upcoming video games and will instead make them available alongside its shows and movies under their own category. Also, the streaming giant reportedly has no plans to charge extra for game access, though it’s unclear if the additional content will lead to a future price hike.

WandaVision’s Matt Shakman to direct the next Star Trek film

WandaVision director Matt Shakman is moving from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to seek out new life and new civilizations. Hot off of his directing Emmy nomination for Disney+’s WandaVision comes the news that Shakman has signed on to direct a currently untitled Star Trek movie for Paramount, which has a release date of June 9, 2023.

The script comes from go-to blockbuster screenwriters Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, with J.J. Abrams producing. At this stage, it’s unknown if cast members from Abrams’ 2009 reboot, led by Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, will be in the film.

Shakman is a veteran TV director, whose credits include Game of Thrones, The Boys, Succession, Fargo and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but this will be his first feature. Recently, his series WandaVision captured 23 Emmy nominations, including a directing nom for himself.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Valve’s Steam Deck, Antonio Banderas joins Indy 5, & Loki gets a Season 2 – 2021-07-16

Valve’s gaming handheld is called the Steam Deck

Valve has announced the Steam Deck, its long-rumored Switch-like handheld gaming device. It will begin shipping in December and reservations open July 16th at 1PM eastern time.

The unit comes in 3 different models for different storage tiers: 64GB for $399, 256GB for $529, and 512GB for $649. You can also expand the available storage using the high-speed microSD card slot.

The Steam Deck has a huge number of control options. There are two thumbsticks, but also two small, Steam Controller-style trackpads beneath the thumbsticks, which could give you more precision for things like first-person shooters. The front of the Steam Deck also has ABXY buttons, a D-pad, and a 7-inch 1280 x 800 touchscreen for 720p gameplay. The device also has a gyroscope for motion controls. Like the Switch, it has two shoulder triggers on each side, and there are four back buttons (two on each side) as well as built-in microphones.

As for the battery, “Steam Deck’s onboard 40 watt-hour battery provides several hours of play time for most games,” Valve says. “For lighter use cases like game streaming, smaller 2D games, or web browsing, you can expect to get the maximum battery life of approximately 7-8 hours. And if you need to pause your game, the Steam Deck offers a quick suspend / resume feature built into SteamOS that will let you put the device into sleep mode and pick up where you left off later.

Valve will also sell a dock you can use to prop up a Steam Deck and plug it into external displays like a TV. You won’t need a dock to plug it into a TV, though — Valve says that the “Deck can be plugged in to your TV, monitor, or even your old CRT if you have the right cables.” The Deck comes with fully-fledged USB-C ports that contain HDMI, Ethernet and USB data, as well as standard Bluetooth. You’ll have native Bluetooth audio, something that’s missing from the Nintendo Switch.

On the software side of things, the Steam Deck runs what Valve is calling a new version of SteamOS, that it’s optimized for the handheld’s mobile form factor. But the actual OS is based on Linux, and will use Proton as a compatibility layer to allow Windows-based games to run without requiring that developers specifically port them for the device.

Ultimately, though, the Steam Deck is still a full-fledged Linux computer, meaning that more technical users will be able to jump out to the regular Linux desktop, too. Valve notes that you’ll be able to plug in a mouse, keyboard, and monitor, and install other game stores, regular PC software, browse the web, and more.

Antonio Banderas joins the cast of Indiana Jones 5

Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas has joined the cast of Indiana Jones 5. The actor has closed a deal to star alongside Harrison Ford, who returns as the iconic archaeologist, and an all-star ensemble that includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson. For Banderas, the film marks another major franchise for the international star.

James Mangold is taking over directing reins from Steven Spielberg, who still is serving as a producer and is very much involved in various elements of the film. John Williams, who has worked on every score in the 40-year-old franchise including its iconic theme, will also return as composer.

Production is currently underway, with the film set to premiere on July 29, 2022. Plot details are still vague on what new adventure awaits Jones, as are details behind who Banderas will be playing.

Loki renewed for a second season at Disney+

Disney has revealed that the God of Mischief will return, as the Marvel Studios series Loki has been renewed for a second season on Disney+.

Loki had the streaming service’s most-watched premiere back in June when Disney+ shifted its release day for originals from Friday to Wednesday. Now, it has become the first Disney+ Marvel show to get a second season renewal.

It’s a good time to be a Marvel fan, as last week saw the release of Black Widow on Disney+ Premier Access and theaters, ending a two-year drought for Marvel movies. The action film raked in $60 million on the streaming service and over $215 million globally. Just days ago, Disney also revealed that Marvel’s animated show What If…? will debut on Disney+ on August 11th.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

The Suicide Squad, The Witcher 3, & Universal movies on Prime Video – 2021-07-14

James Gunn wanted Dave Bautista for Peacemaker role

In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview, director James Gunn revealed that he originally wanted previous collaborator Dave Bautista to play the part of Peacemaker in his upcoming DC movie The Suicide Squad. Ultimately, the former WWE performer opted to turn down the offer in favor of the leading role he landed in Zach Snyder’s Army of the Dead. That’s when Gunn called John Cena, another actor with the same pro wrestling background.

In response, Cena said, “I didn’t look at myself as a second choice; I just looked at it as a chance to do the best I could.”

Fortunately for Cena, while The Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters and HBO Max on August 6th, an eight-episode spin-off Peacemaker series is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in January of 2022.

DLC for The Witcher 3 to include items from Netflix series

CD Projekt Red will release its free next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt later this year. They’ll also be releasing free DLC inspired by Netflix’s live-action adaptation of The Witcher books. While the specific content of that DLC has not yet been shared, the key art shared by the studio makes mention of extra items. In 2020, the studio said those who already own the game on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One would get the new release for free, which is set to include features like ray tracing and faster loading times. In addition, Witcher fans can look forward to watching Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated prequel film centered on Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir next month, and season two of Netflix’s The Witcher in December.

Universal live-action movies coming to Amazon Prime Video

Amazon has struck a multi-year deal for exclusive Prime Video streaming rights for Universal’s live-action theatrical releases. As Deadline reports, it’s the first time Amazon has made such an agreement with a major US studio. The deal kicks in with Universal’s 2022 slate of movies. However, the deal is a little confusing, as it’s for a chunk of the pay-one window, which is the 18-month period after a movie’s theatrical run. Just recently, Universal and its NBCUniversal sibling Peacock reached a similar agreement for the first four and last four months of the window.

So, within four months of their theatrical release date, Universal’s live-action movies will start streaming on Peacock. Four months after that, they’ll move over to Prime Video for 10 months, then the films will go back to Peacock for at least another four months. Netflix currently streams Universal’s animated movies from Illumination and DreamWorks, and might still stream those animated releases for 10 months of the pay-one window that they’re not on Peacock, but either way, those films will also eventually hit Prime Video at a later date.