Number of Netflix Original Series to Double in 2016
Netflix is doubling its output for scripted, original shows, says chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
Sarandos spoke at the UBS Media Conference this morning (as reported by the Verge) and announced that Netflix will almost double the 16 scripted shows that aired in 2015, bringing the total to 31.
"It's not just a lot of volume," said Sarandos. "This is quality stuff."
Fans of Netflix originals like Jessica Jones, Daredevil, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black already know this to be true. According to The Verge, this success is two-fold—because of Netflix's expansion, other networks are wary about licensing to the streaming service. Netflix has "to make even more of its own original content to remain competitive."
Powers: Season 2 First Trailer Revealed
The first official trailer for Powers: Season 2 has been unveiled.
Big changes are in store for the second season of the PlayStation Original series, as Detectives Christian Walker (Shalto Copley) and Deena Pilgrim's (Susan Heyward) search for the killer of Retro Girl (Michelle Forbes).
Get a sneak peek at what's to come in the show's official "first look" trailer below.
That's not the only thing new in Powers: Season 2, as back in October, executive producer and comics co-creator Brian Michael Bendis announced Wil Wheaton is joining the show in an "exciting, mysterious and powerful" role.
Top Comics to Buy This Week: December 9, 2015
We all want the best of the best, so let us point out the hottest comics released each week. We spotlight our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then take to the comments to let us know what looks good to you!
By writer James Tynion IV & artist Freddie Williams | DC Comics (with IDW Publishing)
20 Films Shortlisted for Visual Effects Oscar
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 20 films have advanced in the voting process for the visual effects category.
Among the films vying for a Visual Effects Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards are Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Here's the full list via The Hollywood Reporter:
- Ant-Man
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Bridge of Spies
- Chappie
- Everest
- Ex Machina
- Furious Seven
Watch This Black Panther In Phase 2 Featurette
In a new video releasing with Marvel's Phase 2 collection, Chadwick Boseman discusses his role as Black Panther in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War.
Entertainment Weekly shows that Black Panther will play an important part in the film, which deals with the government's response to the Avengers, and what's happened in the universe thus far. Nate Moore, executive producer of Civil War, notes that the government thinks "all superheroes should be registered; there should no longer be vigilantes."
A rift comes between Captain America, Iron Man, and the Avengers when ideas differ on the course of action. Black Panther comes in as a "third-party who
iZombie: Get Ready for Liv to Turn Superhero
While iZombie is based on a DC Comic, it’s specifically from DC’s Vertigo imprint and not based in the traditional superhero world – but that will change, at least for a week, on Tuesday’s new episode.
When I spoke to the cast about this episode, “Cape Town” on a recent visit to the set of iZombie, there was a lot of excitement about it, with Malcolm Goodwin (“Clive”) noting, “It’s one of my favorite ones. It reminds me of Kick-Ass and I love Kick-Ass.”
Yes, this time out, Liv will find herself eating the brain – and thus taking on the traits -- of a real life costumed vigilante; someone Goodwin described to me as, “A teacher by day. He was a teacher at a woodshop and he posed as a superhero at night.”
The Worst Episodes of Great TV Shows
Warning: Spoilers for specific episodes follow. Proceed at your own risk...
Journeying through a terrific TV show can be a wholly rewarding experience. A story told right, paced well, and presented impeccably - there's nothing quite like it. But even the best TV shows can have an off week (or season). Some stumble at the start and then find better footing. Others make some mid-run mishaps while trying to fill in time before the endgame. And then there are those that flub the finish, providing an unsatisfying ending to an otherwise grand experience.
No, not every show can be Breaking Bad (which we insist never had a bad episode - though we're well aware of "The Fly" haters out there), but then again what show - no matter how good - can be perfect for its entire run?
Good Dinosaur Poised to be Pixar’s First Box Office Bust
Pixar may have its first major flop on its hands, as The Good Dinosaur struggles to find an audience among moviegoers.
So far, the film has made just $131.3 million, after seeing a 60 percent drop in sales during its second week at the box office. With a production budget of $200 million and another $150 million invested in marketing, analysts estimate The Good Dinosaur will need to earn $500 million to break even.
Unfortunately for Disney and Pixar, however, it doesn't look like that will likely happen. According to Variety, current projections suggest the film will be lucky to hit $400 million in sales. If that proves true, The Good Dinosaur will join the ranks of A Bug's Life, which earned an underwhelming $363.4 million when it released back in 1998.
Why Defenders Probably Won’t Be in Infinity War
The Defenders won't likely be making an appearance in Marvel's The Avengers: Infinity War, according to co-director Anthony Russo.
As for why the four Netflix heroes (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) won't be included in the two-part film series, Russo discussed the logistical complications in making a crossover like that happen. "It’s complicated. When we start to serialize the telling of stories it’s difficult," Russo told SUPER Interessante (via Heroic Hollywood).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is “Respectful” of the EU
According to Star Wars: The Force Awakens screenwriters J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, they didn't turn to the Star Wars expanded universe to develop ideas for the new film. There had some speculation that the new film would draw inspiration from the now-non-canon EU, but Kasdan said at the Force Awakens press conference that he and Abrams were simply inspired by what excited them.
When asked if developing the story for Force Awakens had more to do with the events of the EU or what happened at the end of Return of the Jedi, Kasdan said, "I think it had more to do with Jedi and the continuation of 4, 5 and 6. This is 7. We were aware, we were respectful of the canon, but we really wanted to tell a story that interested us and delighted us. We didn't really want any rules and parameters.