Cosplay at C2E2 - Day Three, April 23, 2017

C2E2 - SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017

 MILLIE BOBBY BROWN!!!!!

Cosplay at C2E2 - Day Two, April 22, 2017

C2E2 - SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017

Cosplay at C2E2 - Day One, April 21, 2017

C2E2 - FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017

Trailer for Luc Besson's "Enter the Warriors Gate"

ENTER THE WARRIORS GATE

[Source: blastr] While we wait with bated breath for Luc Besson’s new space opera opus Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets to swoosh into movie theaters in July, a fantasy-adventure film Besson co-wrote with Robert Mark Kamen (Taken, the Transporter movie franchises) titled Enter the Warriors Gate will arrive next month.

First released in China late last year, Warriors Gate will premiere in U.S. movie theaters and On Demand on May 5. Directed by Matthias Hoene (Cockneys vs Zombies), the movie stars Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista, Uriah Shelton, Mark Chao, Ni Ni, Francis Ng and Sienna Guillory. So, what’s the movie about? Here’s a synopsis:

Epic fantasy-adventure meets martial arts action in this thrilling film written by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen. After a mysterious chest opens a gateway through time, teen gamer Jack (Uriah Shelton) is transported to an ancient empire terrorized by a cruel barbarian king (former WWE superstar Dave Bautista). Jack will need all of his gaming skills as he battles to defeat the barbarian, protect a beautiful princess, and somehow find his way back home.

Yeah, it’s pretty similar to 2008’s The Forbidden Kingdom, which starred Jet Li and Jackie Chan, albeit with a video game twist. The film followed an American teenager who is a massive fan of kung fu and Hong Kong cinema and travels back in time to China after discovering a magical stick weapon. There he joins a group of martial arts warriors to free the Monkey King from imprisonment.

From the look of the trailer, Enter the Warriors Gate could be a lot of harmless cheesy fun (focus on the word cheesy), too. Check it out, and let us know what you think! Will you enter the Warriors Gate?

New live-action Tokyo Ghoul movie

T O K Y O   G H O U L

[Source: blastr] Check out our first peek at the new live-action version of the celebrated Japanese manga series, Tokyo Ghoul. While this short look only offers a few flashes of the maniacal masks worn by the roving ghouls, it gives fans a great taste of what to expect when this dark fantasy feature strikes on July 29.

Adapted from the serialized comics by Sui Ishida, Tokyo Ghoul depicts the ravenous lifestyles of flesh-eating beings existing beneath the glass towers and spires of the Japanese metropolis. Since 2011, Tokyo Ghouls and its sequel,Tokyo Ghouls: re, have combined to sell over 22 million copies worldwide and the property has spawned a pair of anime series, video games, light novels, smartphone apps and even a stage play.

Here's the official description of the series from North American publisher, Viz:

Ghouls live among us,​ the same as normal people in every way - except their craving for human flesh.​ Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize.​ But it turns out that she's only interested in his body - eating it,​ that is.​ When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid,​ Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls,​ which exists alongside our own.​

Bite into this fresh teaser for director Kentarō Hagiwara's Tokyo Ghoul and tell us if you've got an appetite for this feature project.

The Best of Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS of STAR WARS

The Force was strong at Star Wars Celebration Orlando, April 13-16, 2017. Take a look back at the biggest and most widely-attended Celebration in history.

Interview with cast of "STAR WARS: The Last Jedi"

In this ABC News interview, the cast, director Rian Johnson, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy discuss what fans can expect in the new movie.

Atomic Blonde - Official Trailer #2

A T O M I C   B L O N D E

Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors.

The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.

The film is based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, written by Antony Johnston and published by Oni Press. It follows Lorraine Broughton (Theron), a take-no-prisoners spy-type operative, as she attempts to find an "atomic bomb of information" and uncover an espionage ring, all on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

Director David Leitch, best known for the gun-fu fighting John Wick, is helming the project, with a screenplay by Kurt Johnstad (of 300 and the upcoming Aquaman). James McAvoy, John Goodman, Toby Jones and Sofia Boutella also star.

HAPPY EASTER!

The Final Season of STAR WARS Rebels

"It was a simple story about a boy who was lost and a girl who was broken. They fought alongside a survivor, a war veteran, and a fallen knight. I led them into battle, against an evil so terrible, it tried to black out the stars. We fought for each other. We fought for those who could not. But we never imagined it would end... like this."

STAR WARS | R E B E L S
Star Wars Rebels Season 4 debuts Fall 2017 on Disney XD.

[Source: blastr] The fourth season of Star Wars Rebels will be the last, Lucasfilm announced today at the Star Wars Celebration Orlando panel for the series. It will also be shorter - only 15 episodes instead of the customary 22.

Official Trailer for STAR WARS: The Last Jedi

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Orson Scott Card's 'Extinct'

E  X  T  I  N  C  T

Famed sci-fi author Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) is lending his considerable talent and genre experience to a new post-apocalyptic original series titled Extinct. Premiering on BYUtv on October 1, it's a 10-episode, far-future survival show revolving around a hearty band of humans hoping to restore humanity following an extinction-level event caused by an alien invasion. This has an obvious feel of shows like Falling Skies and Colony, yet on a much leaner budget, and if you can look past the weak special effects it could present some interesting ideas.

“We are pleased to debut a sci-fi thriller created exclusively for BYUtv by one of the most awarded and bestselling authors – Orson Scott Card,” said Derek Marquis, managing director of BYUtv. “Following the incredible response to our first scripted drama, Granite Flats, we are bringing a powerful apocalyptic story to life, written by two of the strongest writers in the world of speculative fiction, and directed and produced by top independent filmmakers.”
 

Extinct is co-created and co-written with Card by best-selling author Aaron Johnston (Earth Unaware, Earth Afire, Earth Awakens) and stars Chad Michael Collins (Sniper, Freakish), Victoria Atkin (Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate), Jaclyn Hales (Unicorn City), Yorke Fryer (How to Get Away with Murder), Jack Depew (Mad Men) and Matthew Bellows (Grimm).

Here's the official synopsis:
 

The 10-episode action-packed series takes place 400 years after the extinction of the human race and follows a small group of humans who are revived by an alien civilization. The aliens claim they want to restore the human species, but the reborn humans uncover new dangers, hidden agendas and powerful secrets that challenge that claim and threaten to annihilate the human race all over again.
 

Extinct carries the colony of revived humans through struggles with the aliens who extinguished humankind centuries before — while trying to understand and get along with the mysterious aliens who revived them. Nothing is as it seems to be, and if they aren't careful, courageous, and unified, they'll find themselves under the control of one group or the other.

Awake into this captivating new trailer for Extinct and tell us if you think it holds promise.

'Kabaneri' Movie Comes to Theatres April 26

KABANERI of the IRON FORTRESS

[Source: Forbes] Anime Movie Night, a collaborative effort to bring Japanese cartoons to the big screen, has just announced its first title: Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.

Kabaneri, the story of a post-apocalyptic society that circumvents a zombie horde by way of steam-powered trains, is a hit anime series currently available on Amazon Prime. The movie night offering will be a film compilation of the twelve-episode show, told in two parts: Part 1: Light That Gathers and Part 2: Life That Burns. The film will screen at select theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

Tickets are available beginning today at the Anime Movie Night website for the one-night exclusive screening on Wednesday, April 26. According to the organizers, 200 movie theaters will participate, and as of this writing, there are four movie theaters within 20 miles of the author that are. (The organizers said that Anime Movie Night will continue to add new theaters.)

Anime Movie Night is a collaborative effort between streaming anime provider Crunchyroll (think Netflix for anime), cinema advertiser Screenvision Media, and event cinema creator KAOS Connect. It's a venture to make anime viewing more social, and attract a new audience in the process.

Crunchyroll ought to know even better than its partners that traditional movie theater sales are lagging, making room for the lucrative streaming media vertical it's cornered. However, CEO Kun Gao thinks that by bringing anime to a new environment where it has only appeared rarely will encourage fans to interact with a medium in a different way.

“We want to create new ways for fans to come together and share the experience of the content they love, and cinema is the perfect medium," he said.

First Trailer for 'Thor: Ragnarok'

T H O R :  R A G N A R O K

Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor's quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization.

Release date: November 3, 2017 (USA)

Director: Taika Waititi

Music composed by: Mark Mothersbaugh

Screenplay: Eric Pearson

Second Trailer for 'Valerian' Movie

V  A  L  E  R  I  A  N
AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and culture. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Trailer for Chinese Anime 'Relentless'

Chinese Anime Spider Dandalero Relentless

Preview Kuiyu Chouyuan Movie Trailer 

"Relentless coming soon. Might be one of the best albums to come out in 2017. The anime looks amazing!"

Two Spellbinding Trailers for 'Fullmetal Alchemist'

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

[Source: blastr] To fulfill your yearning for more live-action adaptations of classic Japanese anime after you've experienced Paramount's Ghost in the Shell, here's a fresh pair of teasers for the big screen debut of Warner Bros.' Fullmetal Alchemist. It's adapted from the celebrated series of Fullmetal Alchemist anime, manga, clothing, video games, toys and collectibles that is a dash of Harry Potter matched with a Euro-samurai flair.

Director Fumihiko Sori (Ping Pong) is committed to infusing this magical adventure with respect to the original manga source material, combining the authenticity of an all-Japanese cast with the historical background of Europe. First created by Hiromu Arakawa in 2001, the award-winning comic series has sold over 65 million volumes worldwide and is considered one of the most popular anime properties of all time.

For the uninitiated, here's the official synopsis:

The plot takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, in a reality where alchemy (ancient esoteric science that sought the transmutation of matter) is real,extremely developed and respected. The plot features brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who, after attempting the forbidden technique of human transmutation, suffer the consequences. Alphonse loses his entire body while Edward loses his left leg. He then sacrifices his right arm to keep his brother's soul trapped within a metal suit of armor. Using mechanical prosthetics known as "automail",he‘s given the nickname "Fullmetal Alchemist", all while in search for the legendary philosopher's stone that will repair their bodies. 

Fullmetal Alchemist stomps into theaters in Japan on December 1, 2017, with hopefully a US release in 2018.

9 Anime Cliches that are Secretly Awesome

Crazy Awesome Cliches...

All our favorite anime series are filled with cliches. From Dragonball Z to Bleach, from One Piece to Gurren Lagaan. Even Kill la Kill is bubbling over with tropes. But some of these tropes are actually awesome! Our resident anime expert Jared is here to tell you why your favorite weeaboo bait is actually otaku gold. These shounen series filled with ultimate attacks may get a lot of flak, but they are actually awesome!

Water Lily - Birth of the Lotus [Short Film]

WATER LILY

CGI 3D Animated Short Film "Water Lily - Birth of the Lotus" by Justine Cunha, Alexandra Batina, Clémentine Delcourt, Margaux Lahuppe, Pascal Miller. A Japanese tale about the birth of the lotus flower. Made in Supinfocom Valenciennes (2015).

"The Pro" Comic to become a movie

T H E   P R O .

[Source: Deadline] A lot going on at Paramount Pictures, but they are still making deals. The studio has picked up rights to The Pro, a graphic novel by Garth Ennis, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Erwin Stoff of 3 Arts is producing and Zoe McCarthy has been hired to write the screenplay. She is best known for her script Bitches On A Boat.

The graphic novel writers and illustrators all have stuff going on in Hollywood. Palmiotti’s graphic novel Painkiller Jane has just attached Jessica Chastain, and he is currently writing the comic Harley Quinn along with Conner for DC Comics. Ennis is producing the AMC series Preacher, based on the graphic novel series he created with Steve Dillon.

First published in 2002, The Pro is in its eighth printing with Image Comics and Paperfilms. The logline: A prostitute who wakes up one day with superhero powers and is asked to join the League of Honor to help curb her anti-heroic behavior. The film puts a humorous twist on the superhero genre.

WATCH THE ANIMATED COMIC HERE.

Tsutomu Nihei's 'BLAME!' coming to Netflix 2017

NETFLIX Presents Tsutomu Nihei's

B L A M E !

Killy, a silent loner possessing an incredibly powerful weapon known as a Gravitational Beam Emitter, wanders a vast technological world known as "The City". He is searching for Net Terminal Genes, a (possibly) extinct genetic marker that allows humans to access the "Netsphere", a sort of computerized control network for The City. The City is an immense volume of artificial structure, separated into massive "floors" by nearly-impenetrable barriers known as "Megastructure". The City is inhabited by scattered human and transhuman tribes as well as hostile cyborgs known as Silicon Creatures. The Net Terminal Genes appear to be the key to halting the unhindered, chaotic expansion of the Megastructure, as well as a way of stopping the murderous horde known as the Safeguard from destroying all humanity. Along the way, Killy meets and joins forces with a resourceful engineer named Cibo and several groups such as a tribe of human warriors called the Electro-Fishers. Cibo and Killy are often pursued by the Safeguard, who view any human without Net Terminal Genes as a threat to be extinguished on sight. Because of the size and nature of The City and the violent lives led by its inhabitants, there are virtually no recurring characters and any alliances made are short-lived.

Official Japanese Trailer

Blame! : The Original Net Animation

Second Trailer for 'The Mummy'

T H E   M U M M Y

Universal Pictures has unwrapped a second action-packed trailer for The Mummy, set to kick off the studio's ambitious monster movie universe. Directed by Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) and Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange), The Mummy stars Tom Cruise as Nick Morton, a man chosen by Sofia Boutella’s (Star Trek Beyond) evil titular mummy, Princess Ahmanet, for mysterious reasons. The film also stars Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World), Courtney B. Vance (Terminator Genisys) and Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll.

Thought safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen (Sofia Boutella of Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension. From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

The Mummy will open in theaters on June 9.

Stan Lee in ‘The Reflection’

Stan Lee Ventures Into Anime Territory Again With ‘The Reflection’

[Source: Fandom] Comic book pioneer and regular cameo star Stan Lee (X-men and The Avengers) will venture again into anime territory with THE REFLECTION. At Los Angeles Comic Con, Stan Lee revealed a teaser visual and staff for anime project THE REFLECTION. The new series is a collaboration between Pow! Entertainment company (Lee’s company), Studio Deen and director Hiroshi Nagahama (Flowers of Evil, Detroit Metal City, Mushi-Shi)

THE REFLECTION

Studio DEEN describes the story:

“After THE REFLECTION, some of the people in all parts of the world are discovered with super powers. Some become heroes, and others villains. How did the Reflection happen? What was the cause of it? With many unsolved mysteries, the world is lead into turmoil.”

The staff includes:
Stan Lee: original work
Pow! Entertainment and Studio Deen: project planning
Hiroshi Nagahama (Flowers of Evil, Detroit Metal City, Mushi-Shi): director, character design, co-creators
Yoshihiko Umakoshi (Casshern Sins, Berserk, Mushi-Shi): animation designer
Trevor Horn (ZTT Records): music producer
9nine (Star Driver, Magi, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun): incidental music

Stan Lee’s First Anime: Heroman

This isn’t Stan Lee’s first venture into anime. The Godfather of comic book heroes has collaborated with anime studio BONES on the Heroman anime series. And while Heroman received positive reviews for its lighthearted fighting scenes, it did not add anything new or unique to the Shounen genre. However, Lee’s work not only spread to anime but also manga as he and Hiroyuki Takei collaborated on the manga series, which ended in October 2015.

Release Date?

While the panel did not reveal much, we do know that it will get a worldwide release sometime next year. Last year the plan was to release it first in Japan, so luckily, that changed. In the meantime, you can watch Heroman and see if Stan Lee’s magic translates well into anime territory.

The Avengers react to the Justice League Trailer

Seems that the Avengers will finally get some serious competition. Here's a mashup imagining what would be their reaction.