Now You Know

The popular Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy, is returning for its third season. The story about the family of superpowered beings and their time-traveling adventures, as they try to stop global catastrophes, have endeared them to audiences across the globe. Here are some lesser-known facts about the show. 

1.  Justin H. Min’s character, Ben, is shown to appear wearing hoodies in various episodes, but with different colors as the story moves forward. As Ben is a ghost and can only be seen by his brother Klaus, the change in these colors are to depict the evolution of Klaus’s powers. In earlier episodes, Ben is seen in black but as the narrative progresses more colors are added to signify the growth in Klaus’s supernatural abilities. 
2. Similarly, Elliot Page’s character Vanya, undergoes similar changes to her wardrobe and hairstyle. In the first episode, Vanya wears black clothing with a tightly pulled back hairstyle, but towards the end of season one, Vanya wears an all white costume and loosely tied hair. This is to signify how Vanya’s powers have finally manifested to their full potential which was dormant in the first episode.
3. Actor Aidan Gallagher who essays the role of Five was banned from appearing on set for certain scenes involving gun fights.This was due to fact that Gallagher was underage and the child labour laws prevented him from being present on set. Therefore, a body-double was used in his place to complete the scenes. 
4. The original comics was written by Gerard Way, the lead vocalist of the rock band named My Chemical Romance. The band is widely regarded as the most influential bands for rock and punk rock during the turn of the millennium.
5. Those who watched season one would be aware of the fact that Vanya’s powers are powerful enough to destroy the entire planet, something which is more potent than a hydrogen bomb. Intrestingly enough, the most powerful nuclear bomb ever tested, called The Tsar Bomba hydrogen bomb, built by the Soviet Union in 1961, was nicknamed Vanya.
6. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the motel used by Hazel and Agnes in the eighth episode of season one is the famous Rosebud Motel from multiple Emmy-winning series, Schitt's Creek. 

Well that's the OTTplay Now You Know episode for today, until the next time its your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

Now You Know - Ms. Marvel - Episode 78

Welcome to yet another episode of OTTplay Now You Know, I'm your host Nikhil.

Marvel’s latest Disney+ Original series, Ms. Marvel, has warmed hearts and is earning plaudits for its writing, visuals, and coming-of-age narrative about a superhero in high school coming to terms with her newfound abilities. The series stars Iman Vellani in the lead and is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Let's check out some trivia from it.

1. Star of the hit Netflix coming-of-age comedy series, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, was a fan favorite choice to essay the role of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. However, Ramakrishnan clarified that an actor with Pakistani heritage would be better suited for the role as she is a second-generation Sri Lankan/Canadian with Tamil heritage. 
2. In the comics, Kamala’s origin story is associated with the Terrigen Mist from the beings called the Inhumans. However, the negative reception and controversy of the ill-fated live-action TV series called the Inhumans, released in 2017, may have influenced the writers to sever any ties Ms. Marvel may have with the Inhumans. Therefore, her powers and origin story for the film have been altered.
3. Ms. Marvel’s powers from the comic books are significantly different from the ones shown in the TV series. In the comics, she has super-healing abilities like Wolverine and Deadpool, metamorphic abilities like Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, and the ability to enlarge or shrink in size like Ant-Man. However, Marvel decided to give her cosmic powers instead, manifested through her family heirloom bracelet. It grants her powers very similar to DC superhero Green Lantern and the ring used by members of the Green Lantern Corps.
4. Kamala Khan’s obsession with her favorite Avenger, Captain Marvel, is well documented in comics, video games, and the new TV series. In fact, Ms. Marvel was originally the moniker for Carol Danvers who is now known as Captain Marvel, a role essayed by Brie Larson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But when Danvers became Captain Marvel, her biggest fan, Kamala Khan took over the mantle of Ms. Marvel. 
5. It is also interesting to note that for several decades in the comics books and in several adaptations such as the ongoing acclaimed animated TV series, Young Justice, the DC character Shazam is actually called Captain Marvel. It wasn’t until recently, through video games such as Injustice and the Shazam live-action film did Captain Marvel change to Shazam. It could be a creative decision by Warner Brothers and DC to avoid any confusion with Marvel Comics’ Captain Marvel.
6. Just like her character Kamala Khan, actress Iman Vellani is also a massive fan of comic books and the Avengers. Vellani also confessed in an interview with Jimmy Fallon that Ms. Marvel is her favorite character and that she has previously cosplayed the character for Halloween long before she landed the role as Ms. Marvel in the TV show.

Well, that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

Now You Know - Jurassic World: Dominion - Episode 77

The iconic Jurassic Park franchise is returning with the sixth installment and third film of the Jurassic World trilogy. Created by Michael Crichton through his novels, the films were immortalized by Steven Speilberg through the groundbreaking 1993 film, Jurassic Park. Jurassic World Dominion is set to hit theaters this Friday the 10th of June. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will reprise their roles as the lead characters and will be joined by the cast from the original trilogy, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern. 

1. Actor Joseph Mazzello who played the young boy named Tim in the original film, fondly remembered for his love for dinosaurs, has hinted on social media through a cryptic tweet that he may return for the final film. 
2. The three landmark films of the franchise Jurassic World: Dominion, the final film, Jurassic World, the first film of the new era, and the original film Jurassic Park share a unique connection with their release dates. Jurassic World: Dominion will be released on June 10, just a day before Jurassic Park’s release on the 11th of June in 1993, and just two days before Jurassic World’s release on June 12 in 2015.
3. Sam Neil confirmed in an episode of The Graham Norton Show that the legendary Giganotosaurus, which translates to giant southern lizard, will make its live-action debut in the film. It is one of the largest predators to have ever walked on land and is believed to be even bigger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex or T-Rex. It is from the late Cretaceous period and found its habitat in a region which is now Argentina.  
4. A popular fan theory online indicates that the Ingen corporation may have found a way to clone extinct mammals as well. Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom there was a collection of fossils in Lockwood Manor that belonged to the sabretooth tiger. A hint that they may have the technology to bring the extinct animal back to life. 
5. When Michael Crichton initially wrote the book, the scientific knowledge about the appearance of dinosaurs was limited. Thus, several dinos have not been accurately depicted in the films. For instance, the Velociraptors in the films were just slightly larger than modern-day chickens and even had feathers like the chickens in real life. The real name of the animals shown in the film is Deinonychus antirrhopus. These errors were addressed in the films as genetic anomalies caused due to mixing DNA from other animals that were used to create these dinos in a lab.
6. The prologue footage released for Jurassic World: Dominion is set in the Mesozoic era and featured unaltered dinosaurs. It depicts the dinosaurs in their natural habitat and resembles how they should look based on the latest scientific evidence. However, the epic battle in the prologue scene, between two legendary predators the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Giganotosaurus, would have never happened as there are several historical inaccuracies. Not only did the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Giganotosaurus belong to two different continents, but they also existed several million years apart. 

Well, that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

Now You Know - Top Gun - Maverick - Episode 76

Tom Cruise is back soaring through the skies yet again as the ace fighter pilot, Pete

‘Maverick’ Mitchell. The new film Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 film Top

Gun, is breaking box office records and has garnered immense praise from critics. So

here are some lesser-known facts and trivia about the film. Buckle up lets dive right in

1. Tom Cruise is a man of many talents and one of them is being a licensed aircraft

pilot. In the film Top Gun: Maverick, a World War II P-51 Mustang is used for one

of the scenes. This is in fact Cruise’s own aeroplane.

2. The lead actors in the film essaying the roles of the pilots were required to film

themselves, operate the cameras, apply their own makeup, as well as manage

their own lighting and sound. Director, Joseph Kosinski, had to wait for several

hours on occasions for the actors to deliver the required footage. If the footage

did not meet the required standards, the actors would have to repeat the exercise

until Kosinski was satisfied with the footage.

3. Additionally, the actors were given a 3-month aviation training course in order to

handle an F-18 jet. The course was personally designed by Cruise. Miles Teller,

who essays the role of ‘Rooster’ admitted that three out of the six actors threw

up at the end of each session. It is unclear whether this was despite the course

or because of it.

4. Jennifer Connelly replaced Kelly McGillis as the lead actress in the sequel.

Connelly plays a new character named Penny Benjamin. However, eagle-eyed

viewers have discovered that Penny Benjamin was briefly referenced in the 1986

film when Tom Cruise’s character was being reprimanded by his superior.

5. It is common for two films to use the same vehicles and equipment for their

respective production. However, the black Ford Raptor seen in the film was used

in the 2020 film Break Even, and both productions were filmed simultaneously.

6. Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise are the only two actors who reprised their roles from

the original film. Kilmer, who plays Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, is battling throat

cancer in real life. Kilmer’s character who is now an admiral is also shown to

have throat cancer in the film. The filmmakers used AI and other technological

advancements to recreate Kilmer’s voice for the minimal dialogue he has in the

film.

Well thats the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode its your host

Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

- Written by Ryan Gomez

Welcome to another episode of OTTplay Now you Know, I'm your host Nikhil

The highly anticipated Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to premiere on the 27th of May. The original cast of the Star Wars prequel trilogy including  Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, and Joel Edgerton will reprise their roles. So here are some lesser-known facts about the Disney+ original series. Let's dive in

1. Ewan McGregor, who plays the titular character, revealed that it was a massive relief when Disney finally announced the project because he had known about the TV series for four years and found it extremely difficult to keep it a secret which involved lying to everyone about it.
2. Actor Hayden Christensen, who essays the role of Anakin Skywalker, rewatched all Star Wars movies as well as binged the animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels to help prepare for reprising his role as the character who would become the iconic villain, Darth Vader.
3. Popular talk show host Jon Stewart inadvertently helped name Obi-Wan’s home planet. When Stewart interviewed Star Wars creator George Lucas in 2010 at a convention, Lucas joked that Obi-Wan’s home planet is named Stewjon, a play on Jon Stewart’s  name. The name has somehow stuck and as per the official Star Wars website, Stewjon is considered canon.
4. Sir Alec Guinness who played the role of the older version of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy of films is the only actor in the entire franchise to receive an Oscar nomination for essaying the role of a Star Wars character.
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi is regarded as a legendary Jedi Knight in the Star Wars universe, therefore several artefacts are named after him. Within the Star Wars lore, The Kenobi Medallion, for instance, is awarded to those who have displayed great feats of bravery, while the New Republic commissioned a Star Destroyer called the Obi-Wan, and the Kenobi Offensive is a term used to describe a starship offensive manoeuvre.
6. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was allegedly displeased with the script at one point, and it eventually led to production temporarily being halted on January 23rd 2020 and sending the crew home. 

Well that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today until the next time its your host Nikhil signing out

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

Now You Know - Stranger Things 4 - Episode 74

The highly anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things is set to release this Friday on Netflix. Created by the Duffer brothers, the sci-fi horror series is one of Netflix’s most popular shows across the globe. Eleven and her friends will reunite as a new threat emerges in Hawkins. So here as some lesser-known facts about Stranger Things. Let's begin

1. The star of the series, Millie Bobby Brown came into prominence after Stephen King praised her performance in the TV series Intruders on Twitter. Stranger Things is in fact inspired by several Stephen King novels. 
2. The third season of Stranger Things introduced the fan-favorite character Robin Buckley. The character is essayed by Maya Hawke, the daughter of Hollywood icons Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. 
3. The actors growing up too quickly as they entered their teen years always presented a problem for the showrunners as it would create inconsistencies in a particular season. In fact, in an interview with TODAY, actor Noah Schnapp was asked to lower the pitch of his voice and stand shorter while filming season 2.
4. British actor Joseph Quinn, who joins the fourth season as a new character named Eddie Munson, is modeled after 80s rockstars such as Slash from Guns N’ Roses and Bon Scott from AC/DC. The character Eddie Munson is an avid Dungeons & Dragons fan as well as a lead guitarist of a local rock band. 
5. Two other new characters that will play an integral role in the upcoming season are Argyle and Dmitri. Argyle is Jonathan Byers’ new best friend, while Dimitri is a prison guard in a Soviet Union prison who forms an unlikely alliance with David Habour’s character Jim Hopper who is imprisoned.  Eduardo Franco is known for his role in the Netflix comedy film The Package, Tom Wlaschiha is famous for essaying the Faceless Man Jaqen H'ghar in Game of Thrones.
6. The new terrifying monster in the fourth season of Stranger Things is called Vecna. Unlike the monsters in the previous seasons such as the Demogorgon, the Demodogs, and The Mind Flayer, Vecna stalks and communicates with his victims directly, targeting traumatized and vulnerable teens. However, like the other monsters, Vecna is a character from the board game Dungeons & Dragons, who was once a powerful wizard. 

The fourth season of Stranger Things is all set to drop this Friday on Netflix.

Well, that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

Now You Know - Love Death & Robots - Episode 73

The highly anticipated third season of the Netflix anthology series Love Death + Robots is releasing this weekend. Created by Tim Miller and David Fincher, the series is a collaborative effort of several filmmakers from across the globe, exploring several genres including sci-fi, fantasy, horror, romance, and comedy. Before you immerse yourself in this TV show over the weekend, here are some lesser-known facts about Love Death + Robots. Let's begin.

1. Streaming giant Netflix revealed on Twitter that they are experimenting with how the episode order appears to different viewers by showcasing them in four different episode orders. 
2. Peni Parker, an alternate version of Spider-Man, who shares a psychic link with a radioactive spider and controls a mecha suit, is an inspiration for the episode titled 'The Witness'. Director and Art Director, Alberto Meilgo, worked as the Lead Art Director for Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, a film in which Peni Parker plays an important role.
3. In the episode titled Helping Hand, an astronaut attempts to repair a satellite called LV-426. It is a homage to James Cameron's 1986 film Aliens. LV-426 is the name of the home planet of the Aliens shown in the film. While the planet and the alien creatures were first introduced in the 1979 Ridley Scott film Alien, the planet’s name was not referenced until the sequel was released a few years later by Cameron.
4. The episode titled ‘Three Robots’ pays homage to yet another James Cameron film. The opening scene features a robot stepping on a human skull, this is a reference to a T-800 Terminator robot in Terminator 2: Judgement Day stepping on a human skull in the opening scene.
5. The series was originally intended as a film reboot of the cult classic 1981 animated series, Heavy Metal. 
6. The story of each episode is hinted at the beginning of the episodes by changing the three-sign logo of the series.

Well, that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

Written by - Ryan Gomez

Welcome to another episode of OTTplay Now You Know, one podcast that gives you lesser-known trivia, anecdotes, and even facts about popular films and shows. I'm your host Nikhil.

The hit BBC series, Gentleman Jack, set in the 19th century England, chronicles the life of industrialist Anne Lister, one of history’s first openly lesbian women. Created by Sally Wainwright, the series stars Suranne Jones in the lead as Anne Lister. Gentleman Jack has returned for a second season this past month with the season finale expected to air on the 29th of May and can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar in India. Let's get into some trivia now.

1. Gentlemen Jack is adapted from a collection of diaries written by Anne Lister. They contain over 4 million words, with most of them written in a secret code.
2. Anne Lister is described as masculine for her time for regularly wearing black attires and researching and studying subjects that men delved into at the time. This earned her the moniker of ‘Gentleman’, which was used as a slur, whereas ‘Jack’ was also a slur to describe a lesbian.  However, in recent years Anne Lister's outfits have become an inspiration among the British LGBTQ community.
3. Despite facing social stigma, Anne Lister was self-aware of her sexuality and lived openly as a lesbian, which essentially made her modern history’s first lesbian.
4. When the show was initially announced as an eight-part series by BBC and HBO in March 2017, it was titled Shibden Hall after the name of Lister’s ancestral home
5. The show’s creator Sally Wainwright grew up in Yorkshire near Shibden Hall. Wainwright had dreamt of creating a drama about Anne Lister’s life for nearly 20 years before Gentleman Jack was finally produced.
6. Shibden Hall has now become a very popular tourist destination with its visitors tripling in numbers in recent years after the show’s success. As a result, the opening hours have been increased significantly to accommodate this surge in numbers. The exteriors and interiors were used as filming locations for the show.

Well, that's the OTTplay Now You Know for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

-Written by Ryan Gomez