Middle-earth is different in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. Season one ended with an eruption, both the literal and figurative kinds. The Southlands became Mordor in a fiery instant. Galadriel learned she had a hand in helping Sauron return. Darkness is creeping in. That darkness and the looming of villains came up often during Nerdist’s visit to the set of The Rings of Power season two. Along with a group of reporters, we spoke with The Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay about season two. Here’s what we learned about Sauron, Galadriel, the Stranger, new locations, and more.

The Psychology of Sauron

Sauron walked Middle-earth and Númenor as Halbrand for nearly all of season one of The Rings of Power. But now Galadriel knows who he is and we, the audience, know. McKay said, “We saw in season one that Galadriel who, in our estimation is one of the great heroes of Middle-earth, her pride and her PTSD were a crack that he could get into and manipulate her to get everything he wanted. Now he’s going to do that with everybody. And the joy of season two is we know who he is. And so, instead of season one, where Sauron’s [identity is] in the dark, this is us about understanding his psychology, and how he works.”

Payne said of Galadriel, she thought, “I thought my compass pointed north. I was the most righteous certain Elf in all of Elvendom. And I literally was so upside down that I was helping the Dark Lord.”

But that’s Sauron’s specialty. He’s going to be influencing all the peoples of Middle-earth and beyond. “We know Númenor has big things to do with Sauron down the road,” noted McKay. “As do the Dwarves in Khazad-dûm and elsewhere. We know that the Southlanders who had a home in Mordor, that has been utterly devastated and destroyed, are now essentially refugees. How does that play into it? We know men are weak. We know men eventually take rings. And what is going to be happening over the course of season two is, every single one of these societies and heroes that we set up in season one, are now facing serious cracks in the foundation that Sauron can exploit.”

And really, it’s about the evil every individual must face as things change. McKay said, “There is good and evil in Tolkien. That’s really important, we feel. What side are you fighting for is something that everyone has to struggle with in Tolkien. And that to us, is like… Evil is not something over there that’s other, evil is in here.”

The Stranger’s Visit to Rhûn

When last we saw the Stranger, a currently nameless wizard, and Nori the Harfoot, they were starting a long journey to Rhûn. McKay said, “We’re really excited about that. We’ve never seen deserts on-screen, in Middle-earth. And we’re really excited to go there. We think deserts are beautiful and awesome, and we’re doing our own Tolkienian Lawrence of Arabia. And one of the things that’s been fun about that is, Rhûn is really a blank canvas.”

He continued, “There’s little hints. There’s talk about magic cults and talk about the stars being strange, and there’s rumors of wizards having adventures in Rhûn that may or may not have gone well. And we’re drawing on all of that, all those seeds, to hopefully continue to tell a story that feels worthy of the other canonical stories in here.”

McKay noted, that at the time of the set visit, they had just spent five weeks shooting in a far-flung location for spectacular vistas. As a viewer, he sees Nori and the Stranger and thinks about E.T. and Elliott or the Iron Giant as far as a similar sense of wonder in their journey. Payne added that going through the experience with the characters keeps the story grounded.

As for the Stranger’s identity, Payne explained, “The wizard doesn’t know who they are. If they did, then it might feel a little cheap. It would be like we were just withholding, just for the purpose of withholding, but the wizard is on a journey of self-discovery, and learned a couple key things about himself at the end of season one, learned that he’s an Istar, and learned that he has a destiny in the East. So now, we are on that journey of self-discovery with him, where he’s learning how to control his powers. For us, it’s really delicious to watch a character who could eventually become one of great power, not yet be there, and then have to figure out, ‘What are the mistakes they’re going to make along the way?’”

Though the Stranger used a line from Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring in season one, that was not necessarily meant to be a hint. “Despite what some folks might think, we’re really not about a game, we’re really not about a puzzle,” McKay noted. “But we don’t want to take for granted where characters will end up. We want to see them grow and change along the way. And we hope that, in the end, you look back and it feels inevitable. But in the moment, hopefully… Yeah, I’m trying to say but not say.”

Payne added, “We also try to make it delightful that there are several possibilities what that could end up meaning. Could that mean that the stranger is Gandalf, and that, ‘He says that, then he says that later on?’ It could definitely mean that. Could that mean the stranger is Saruman? And that’s something that you’re going to realize that later on, Saruman said that to Gandalf, and then Gandalf said it. There are always ways you can pinball it from the legendarium to the story, and there could be delightful paths that could come out of either eventuality. We like to keep those doors open.”

Hope in a Time of Darkness

Though the stakes are large and very real in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, the story also has a sort of coziness. While season two is inherently darker, they’re trying to be aware of not going too far and only doing what makes sense for the story. McKay said, “Journeys have to go to darker places as they go forward. Every saga that we love, that’s sort of the classical structure. I think, when we think about Peak Bleak, it’s not necessarily about the level of the stakes or the scariness of it, or whether people could die. It’s more about, ‘Is there a…’”

“It’s the core ethos at the center of it. Is it nihilistic bleak…” Payne said.

“Or cynical,” McKay said.

“Or cynical where people are just screwing each other over for their own self-gain without any sense of redemptive quality at the center of it? And in Tolkien, even the villains often have something redemptive at the center of it. Even Sauron, in his own twisted way, thinks he’s healing Middle-earth. So I think that’s one ways, is that there’s always a core there, that isn’t just darkness for darkness’ sake,” Payne explained.

McKay added, “There’s an earnestness to Middle-earth and stories in Middle-earth, and we happily embrace that. It’s really hip to be cynical and roll your eyes, and be postmodern, and winky-winky, and we’re just not going to play that game.”

Releasing Seasons More Quickly

The Rings of Power‘s first season debuted in 2022. Season two is coming out in August 2024. The showrunners have mentioned a five-season plan and at the current pace, that finale would be far into the future. McKay said, “We took this insane ambitious project on because we had a story we wanted to tell, and we felt needed to be told, and we were willing to give our lives for a long time to tell it. The plan hasn’t changed. There’s opportunities all the time. When you meet an actor who inspires you, it gives you a new idea. There’s always room for that. But this was always the plan, was to continue telling this five-season story. And we’re now in the sixth inning of making—maybe the fifth inning of making, depending on how you count it—the second piece of it.”

McKay continued, “We have all kinds of ideas for the third and the fourth and the fifth [seasons]. But there’s a long road ahead, in terms of really developing them. In terms of the timeline…”

Payne jumped in, “Some things speed up in season two, because we’ve cast a lot of the show. So that process is a little further this time around. Some of the things have been designed in terms of costumes to the world. There’s a lot of new things that you’re going to do as well. Some of the machine, that’s time that you save there a little bit.”

McKay noted, “Which is the machine of production, how we actually physically make the show.”

They pointed out they didn’t have COVID in the middle of season two, so at the time of the interview, they thought it would take about as half as long to make as season one did. What that means for release dates for season three and beyond is not yet clear.

New Locations in The Rings of Power Season Two

Season one of the fantasy series traveled throughout Middle-earth and past that land’s borders. And season two will expand the show’s locations. McKay said, “We talked about Rhûn a little bit, that’s certainly a big opening up. The Southlanders are going to Pelargir, an old Númenórean colony. We know that’s a place that has a significant destiny in the legendarium, and how the colonies of Middle-earth relate back to the parent country, back in Númenor. So, that’s a story that’s kicking off. And we love the idea of an old Númenórean colony that had become now adapted to Southlander life, and what might that look like, and it’s quite rugged the way that that world tends to be, and really beautifully designed, I would say.”

Then there’s seeing more of locations we already know. Payne said, “The Dwarves are going to be digging deeper, and going to new parts of Khazad-dûm we haven’t seen before. There will also be journeys within lands that we know, but new parts of those lands, and seeing new creatures. There’s a lot of creatures this season.”

“There’s the Grey Havens in Lindon. That’s expanding that,” McKay recalled. “In Númenor, a lot of the story this season… It’s a really exciting Númenor story. We’re doing the old quarter of the capital city in Númenor, and really going into the ethos of the faithful and starting to set up what people who love the mythology know is a civil war, and a battle of ideologies, and what does their faith mean to them, and what did old Númenor mean to these people, versus what does it mean to the more Pharazôn-y folks? That’s all stuff we’re exploring. So hopefully that’s a whole new side of that world.”

Filming moved from New Zealand to the United Kingdom for season two, and they’ve been leaning into that. Payne said, “We’re shooting in some of the very forests and country sides that inspired Tolkien, and that really gave birth to Middle-earth. And so, we’re taking full advantage of that. We’re shooting in these forests that have thousand-year-old-plus trees. We’re able to bring to life the forest of Eriador in absolutely spectacular fashion, and see the strange wonder things that might be lurking therein.”

The Rings of Power season two premieres on Prime Video on August 29.

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Círdan, most often known as Círdan the Shipwright, is the Master of the Grey Havens. He’s also one of the eldest of the elves. Skilled at building ships and ports, knowledge he shares with the Númenóreans, Círdan is a sort of intermediary between Middle-earth and Valinor. Eventually he goes on to inherit one of the Elvish Rings of Power. The elf will make his first appearance in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two. While visiting the set, Nerdist learned from showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne that Ben Daniels (Interview with the Vampire) will be playing Círdan the Shipwright. We have your first look at Daniels in character as Círdan.

McKay said of Daniels, “He’s a wonderfully classically trained British actor, and brings a lot of wisdom and gravitas to the role, and humor and warmth. We really fell in love with him in The Crown and wanted to work with him.”

Here’s Prime Video’s official description of the character:

Círdan the Shipwright is Master of the Grey Havens and a font of wisdom even among the High Elves. An expert ship-builder, Círdan is also the original bearer of Narya, one of the three Elven Rings of Power designed by Celebrimbor. In Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, he also serves as a mentor to Elrond.

During the set visit, we also learned from supervising art director Martin Foley that they built Círdan’s boathouse as one of their first sets. A miniature model of the boathouse was delicate and swooping. Foley said ancient Japanese craftmanship and artisans inspired the design. “We had an interior set on a stage, which was huge and beautiful. Then we had an exterior set on the back lot where, you can see on the model there, we had part of a bridge which linked it to other islands in the Grey Havens setting. Then we have a tower, a lighthouse tower with a huge bonsai tree wrapping around it. It’s nature coming into the architecture, because the Elves are all about the nature,” Foley said.

We look forward to visiting the Grey Havens and meeting Círdan. He’s a somewhat enigmatic figure in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, so we’re eager to learn more. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two premieres on Prime Video on August 29.

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Ravensburger is no stranger to Disney. The games publisher has made a mark on the world of trading card games with Disney Lorcana, which first launched in August of last year. Before that, there was Disney Villainous. This time, the game company is combining Disney with RPG-style gameplay in Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition). The tabletop game will feature Disney and Pixar heroines joining forces to conquer a darkness threatening the world. This new Disney game is an immersive adventure that combines roleplaying, storytelling, and cooperation. All of that comes in an approachable board game package.

The game’s cover art shows Disney heroines Maid Marian, Belle, Moana, and Violet. We do not see enough of Maid Marian from Robin Hood, and I’m happy to see her here wielding a badminton racket like a weapon. We don’t know too much about Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls, but here’s a brief description from Ravensburger:

In Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition), players work together to form dynamic alliances of Disney and Pixar heroines, including Moana (Moana), Violet (The Incredibles), Maid Marian (Robin Hood) and Belle (Beauty and the Beast). Materializing as radiant crystal versions summoned into the realm, the heroines drive back shadows of infamous Disney Villains and restore the Realm of Light. Along the way, the team explores a brand-new illustrated world and encounters familiar characters, items, and creatures on their quests. Fully designed and illustrated by women, the game’s diverse missions and modular board generate new adventures every time it’s played.

Ravensburger recommends the game for four players ages eight and up.

We look forward to seeing more illustrations and discovering more about the gameplay.

Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition) is now available for pre-order at Target.com. It will then be available for purchase at Target and hobby stores nationwide on July 21. The MSRP is $29.99.

The post Bring Light to the Dark with This New Disney RPG-Style Game, Available for Pre-Order Today appeared first on Nerdist.

Season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduced us to numerous societies and heroes of Middle-earth and beyond. The Dwarves in Khazad-dûm discovering mithril. The Elves in Lindon trying to ensure the survival of their race, with a master smith turning to outside help to do so. The Harfoots ending a long journey with a strange wizard, and one of them stepping on a new path. The Númenóreans answering Galadriel’s call to war and accidentally contributing to the rise of Mordor. The Southlanders losing their home. All separate groups and separate lives then, but with Sauron’s return, season two shows they will be separate no longer.

“As the season goes on, [we’ll start to realize] that this is not a story about several different worlds. This is a story about one world, and Sauron is the spine that connects all of it,” co-showrunner Patrick McKay said in a conference room adjacent to the show’s sets, surrounded by concept art and location models for the upcoming season.

Nerdist joined a group of journalists on The Rings of Power season two set in spring 2023. The crew had been shooting since October, over London’s dreary winter. Normally, production designer Kristian Milsted explained, you want to avoid filming in London during that time. But in this case, the gloomy cold and landscapes with dead trees suited the darker universe they’re establishing in season two. A season, executive producer Lindsey Weber said, that is more about villains. “Sauron is out and about and the people of Middle-earth are having to confront the fact that he’s back. Stakes are increasingly high, so the storytelling by its nature is a bit different. It’s certainly more intense.”

Season one of the fantasy series ended with Galadriel learning her friend Halbrand was actually Sauron, and that he’d returned to a place of power, in no small part, because of her actions. He traveled to the newly established Mordor. Gennifer Hutchison, who wrote the season one finale and the season two premiere, said there’s not a large passage of time between the two seasons. We’ll pick up not long after where season one wrapped. But first, a flashback.

The Opening of The Rings of Power Season Two

Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay gleefully painted a picture of the beginning of season two. It starts with the ice fortress Galadriel visited in the season one premiere. When Galadriel and her forces entered the fortress, it was desolate. The only presence was evil and a snow troll. That was not always the case. Payne set the stage, “We open in the darkness. An orc is walking in, and we see there are thousands of orcs gathered here. And we see that it’s not ruined and cracked…”

The rest, well, it’s too full of spoilers to share. But know that we’ll see a key part of Sauron’s trajectory, as well as his complicated history with Adar. This will show us how Sauron came to the Halbrand guise, as well as how he came to meet Galadriel on the ocean.

Galadriel Reckoning with Her Choices

That beginning will re-contextualize season one, in terms of Sauron and Galadriel’s relationship. It will show where he was emotionally. He manipulated her and ultimately used her to access the Elves, but season one didn’t end exactly as Sauron hoped. He left Eregion with no allies, no army, no resources.

Payne said, “Season one was all about the heroes, and about setting the table with Galadriel, and with the Dwarves, and Númenor, and with the Southlanders. Season two is going to be all about the villains, and specifically, all about Sauron. And we’re going to watch as he uses deception, manipulation, lies, coercion, cunning, to start to set the chess pieces in motion, where he is going to go to this person over here, and set this group against that group over there. And start using people’s inherent trusts and mistrusts and fears against them, to start to set up the situations that are all beneficial to him.”

As we’ve since learned about season two, Sauron adapts the guise of Annatar, which means “Lord of Gifts.” His visage has become fair, more elf-like. We saw him get under Galadriel’s skin in season one, and now he’s going to do it with everyone. “Sauron’s able to take the things that you want to do that are good, and turn those against you,” Payne said. “It’s the ring personified. Literally, the ring offers you ultimate power. And when you give someone power, you see what’s really inside them. Because you see, ‘What would they will into being if they could will anything into being?’ And so when you see Sauron having relationships with people, he doesn’t have normal relationships, because he empowers them.”

Beyond Sauron and his obvious darkness, individuals have to reckon with the possible evil inside of themselves—like Galadriel. Payne said, “Galadriel made some pretty questionable choices in season one, and really empowered the Dark Lord to really rise from nothing on the rafts, to being at the point where he could, as Patrick said, have access to some of the big power players in Middle-earth. She’s got to deal with that in season two. Her friends might look at her differently and not trust her as much, and then she has to really come to terms with that.”

McKay continued, “What does it mean for the rest of the elves? How does Elrond feel about that? Elrond loves her and trusted her, and was worried about her, and everything he feared came true. That’s a lot worse, potentially. So what’s going to happen when he finds that out? But we’re talking a lot about darkness and horribleness and misery, and that’s all a part of it. Tolkien takes you there. But the other thing that we really love about Tolkien in this material is that there’s hope everywhere too. And we know there’s an unnamed wizard heading out to parts unknown, and exploring huge parts of the map we’ve never seen before on-screen. Or even in the books, only talked about in myth and rumor, perhaps that destiny is going to tie back into the rise of Sauron over here.”

The Adar of It All

The season two opening makes Adar an even more intriguing character. In season one, we saw him leading the orcs in season one and demonstrating compassion for them. Payne explained, “Adar is in an interesting and sort of vulnerable place. He just made Mordor and is the father of this entire orc nation. But when you do that, you also get a target on your back. You have a lot of land to protect now. And his ambitions aren’t over yet. His desire to make sure his children are safe is stronger than ever. But now, there’s other forces that… He’s on their radar. Before, he was going below it all. And there’s the Elves that know he’s there now. There’s Sauron that knows he’s there.”

Besides showing Adar’s current power struggle, season two of The Rings of Power will go deeper into his character. McKay said, “We know that he’s one of the first orcs. How did he become that way? And why? What does he really want? And how is his journey to pursue that going to test and twist him even further than he might already be?”

The trauma from season one is coming back to touch all of Middle-earth. Darkness is arriving for everyone.

The Rings of Power season two premieres on Prime Video on August 29.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Brings Villains Into the Light appeared first on Nerdist.

Around these parts we love fantasy stories, we adore cozy stories, and we can’t get enough of romance. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst promises to deliver on all fronts. It was the book’s gorgeous Ghibli-esque cover with sprayed lavender pages that caught my eye first. That alone feels like a warm hug. But once I read the description of the book about a librarian who returns to her home and goes on to open a secret spellshop, I became even more curious. We have an exclusive excerpt from The Spellshop that will have you ready to read more.

The story follows Kiela. She was a one-time librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium and worked there with her assistant Caz, a magically sentient spider plant. But her and Caz had to leave the library. Now they’re taking refuge in her childhood home and using some illegal magic to open the island’s first spellshop. Tor describes it as “a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic.” Yes, please.

Without further ado, here’s the excerpt from The Spellshop:

The Spellshop – Chapter 2

As the sun stained the horizon orange, Kiela sailed toward a little cove on the island of Caltrey. It was just a mile east of the village and its harbor, tucked behind a veil of rocks and trees. She aimed the boat between the rocks.

“You’re going to crash,” Caz observed.

“I’m not going to crash,” Kiela said. “I’m going to dock.”

Inside the cove, there used to be a wooden dock that belonged to her family’s cottage. She remembered she used to squat on the end and watch the fish dance in the water. At low tide, she’d be able to see crabs scuttling over the rocks, and at high tide, merbabies would swim around the dock posts, before they were called out to sea by their parents—a sighting that locals said was good luck. She wasn’t, of course, entirely certain the dock would still be standing, but she supposed she could drop anchor and they could wade to shore. Or she could just beach the boat, provided she could avoid slicing the hull on the rocks.

One hand on the rudder, she guided the sailboat around the rocks and into the cove. Caz clambered up the mast, using his ten- drils to climb, for a better view. With the light so low in the sky, the cove was coated in shadows. The water looked near black, and the trees, with the rocky cliffs behind them, cast even more shad- ows. It was silent, except for the lapping of the waves on the rocky shore and the call of an unseen bird from one of the pine trees. But despite the shadows, it didn’t feel unwelcoming. As they drifted deeper into the cove, it felt as if the shadows were embracing them, in the same way that a thick nest of blankets did on a chilly night.

Kiela spotted the old dock, right where it was supposed to be. It was more rickety than she remembered, though. About a third of the slats were missing, like the smile of an old man who’d lost some of his teeth. Luckily the posts were there, sturdy but coated in seaweed.

Using the pole, she sidled the boat up next to the dock and tossed a line around a post. Yanking on the line, she dragged them closer and tied a bowline knot. She remembered her mother teach- ing her how to make this exact knot on this very same dock. It felt both like just yesterday and a lifetime ago. She shook her head to chase the memory away. Clambering over the crates, Kiela pulled the sail down and wrapped it tight against the boom.

Caz was perched on one of the book crates. “I am not walking on that.”

“You’d rather swim?”

“I’d rather stay on the boat,” he said.

Kiela sighed and rubbed her eyes. She’d never felt this bone- marrow-deep tired before. Even when she stayed up all night with her books, it was never like this. Between the stress of their escape and the effort of their night-and-all-day sail, she felt like a book so well read that its pages curled and spine cracked. “I can carry you.”

He was quiet for a moment, then he said, “That’s undignified.” “You think the shrubbery is going to mock you?”

If he’d had eyes, she expected he would have rolled them at her. “Fine. Carry me. But only if you tell no one.”

“Who am I going to tell? I don’t know anyone here and don’t want to.” She scooped him up, careful to gather all the soil that clung to his exposed roots. It felt like holding a very plump and very leafy toddler. His tendrils draped over her shoulders, and he grumbled as she adjusted her grip. “We’re going to lay low, keep to ourselves, and avoid trouble,” she said. “With luck, none of the locals will even know we’re here.”

Kiela tapped the nearest slat of wood with her toes. It seemed sound enough. Cautiously, she shifted her weight and was pleased when the dock held. Caz’s leaves flattened around her back. She carried him carefully as she stepped from slat to slat, testing each one before she trusted it. At last, she reached the shore.

He climbed down from her arms to the ground. Shaking out his leaves, he groomed himself with a tendril. He looked a bit like a cat licking his fur. “We won’t ever speak of that again.”

“Of course,” she agreed.

She looked up at the knot of greenery in front of them. There used to be a path, with stairs carved into the rocks, but all she could see was a tangle of vines cascading down the hill. Frowning at it, she paced in front of the green. The stone steps should still be there, if she could find— Ah, there!

Kicking away a few vines, Kiela uncovered the first step. “Found it.”

“Found what?” Caz asked.

“The way home.” She felt the word vibrate through her.

Step by step, she climbed, with Caz behind her, clearing the steps as best she could. Some, she was only able to uncover a few inches, but it was enough. By the time she reached the top, the sun was completely down.

Bathed in the silvery gray of twilight, the cottage waited for them. She wanted to feel as if they’d made it—she was home, they were safe, and everything would be easy from now on. But the cot- tage was nearly as enveloped in vines as the stairs. She couldn’t tell where the walls ended and the green began. Her former home looked one gulp away from being swallowed entirely.

“It’s nice,” Caz said.

“Now who’s lying,” Kiela said. “It has a roof. And walls.”

He was right about that. It could be worse.

An owl hooted much too close, and Kiela jumped. Caz skittered behind her. She forced herself to breathe and calm down. It didn’t look as if anyone was living in the house, which was good. She could have come back to find squatters. Or new owners, if the lo- cals had decided there were no more living relatives who might return to claim it. She couldn’t vouch for how many mice, birds, or other critters had taken up residence inside.

She wished they’d arrived earlier so it wouldn’t look so dark in there.

“Should we go in?” Caz asked.

Yes. Maybe. No. She wanted to retreat to the boat, sail back to Alyssium, and sequester herself in her nice, warm, safe cubicle deep within the stacks of books, where she knew what to expect out of every night and every day. If she went into this house, what would she find? And if she didn’t, what would happen then? She hated not knowing which was the right choice.

Have I made a terrible mistake coming here?

The owl hooted again. “We go in,” Kiela said.

They approached the front door. It felt like walking up to the mouth of a slumbering beast. It was ajar, with dead leaves clogging the entranceway. She nudged them out of her way with her foot and leaned against the door to push it open farther. It squeaked loudly, as if it hadn’t been moved in years, which was entirely possible.

Stepping inside, Kiela waited for her eyes to adjust. The last gasps of day shed a grayish light through the few windows that weren’t blocked by vines. It was enough to see shapes: chairs, she guessed, and a table. She matched the shadows to her memories and was surprised to find that it felt familiar, like a half-remembered old tale. The wood-burning stove was . . . ahh, yes, there, squatting like a hulking creature, with a chimney rising from its back. A daybed used to be in the front corner—that’s where she used to sleep—and her parents’ bedroom budded off the back. A kitchen area with a sink and a window that overlooked the back garden should be to her left, beyond the table. She couldn’t see that in the darkness, though, and it made her feel like she’d walked into a surreal kind of dream, with pieces of memories overlaid by shadows. She wondered how Caz felt about this place. “If you’d rather, we could spend the night in the boat, and explore this in the morning,” she offered.

“Sleep on the boat?” Caz sounded appalled. “With fish under us?” “You really have a thing about fish,” she said. “I had no idea.” “You hear stories,” he said darkly.

“Do you? Do you really?” She navigated across the room, leaves crunching underfoot, and found the daybed, exactly where she re- membered it. It seemed smaller, though. And dustier. Lifting the quilt, she shook it, and twigs, leaves, and dust flew into the air. She coughed.

Setting the quilt aside in a heap, she pushed her hands against the mattress. It hadn’t disintegrated, which was a plus. She sup- posed it would hold her, and under where the quilt had lain, it wasn’t that dusty, at least in comparison. It wasn’t as if, after sailing through the night and all day, she was particularly clean anyway.

“Hey, there’s a hole in the floor,” Caz said, pleased. “I can root here for the night.”

Could she sleep here? After their escape and long sail, she should be able to sleep anywhere. If mice or raccoons or whatever murder me in the night, at least I’ll get some rest. Gingerly, she lay down on the little bed. It creaked but didn’t collapse. The quilt was the vel- vety soft of worn cotton, and the mattress cradled her as she sank into it. It smelled like dust and a little like roses. She felt her neck and shoulders begin to unknot.

Outside, the owl hooted softly.

As dawn pried its fingers into the vine-covered cottage, Kiela opened her eyes. And screamed when she saw a man standing in the doorway with a scythe in his hands. She tried to jump to her feet, but the little daybed couldn’t handle the quick movement. It toppled over, and she spilled onto the floor.

The man rushed forward. Kiela screamed again.

He backpedaled. Leaned his scythe against the wall. Held up his hands, palms out. “Sorry. Very sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He had a deep voice, soothing. She’d never seen him be- fore, which wasn’t a surprise since she hadn’t been here in ages. He wasn’t what she’d call handsome, but he didn’t look like a mur- derer either. Not that she knew what that would look like. He was tall, which wasn’t an argument for or against murderer. He must have had to duck through the doorframe. He also appeared stron- ger than the average library-goer. Judging by his arms, he looked as if he could pick up one of her book crates one-handed. Or crush her throat with his pinkie. None of that was at all reassuring.

She got to her feet and scanned the cottage quickly. She didn’t see the spider plant anywhere, and she felt panic rise up from her stom- ach. “Caz? Caz, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Hands still out, the man said in the same soft, deep tone, “I didn’t hurt anyone. Or see anyone else. There was only you here when I came in.”

Her heart was thumping wildly in her rib cage, even though he hadn’t made any threatening moves beyond coming into the place where she was sleeping and scaring her half to death. It was terri- fying enough that he was large, male, and here. And I don’t see Caz. “Why are you here?” she demanded, trying (and failing) to keep the shake out of her voice. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Mildly, he said, “I had planned to ask you the same questions. This house has been abandoned for years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t someone’s home.”

“It’s mine,” Kiela said. “My home. It was. Is.” “Ah,” he said.

He waited for her to explain further.

“My name is Kiela Orobidan. My parents lived here, and my mother’s parents before them. I was born here. We moved away when I was eight. Nine. But they never sold their cottage. It’s mine.”

“Ah.”

He wasn’t going to say more than that?

She saw a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced up at the rafters. Caz was there, draped around one of the cobweb-choked beams. He waved a tendril at her, and she exhaled. He’s okay. Just hiding. She wished she could have done that. “And you are?”

“Larran Maver. I live at the base of the cliff, near town. Noticed your boat in the cove and came to see who was using the old Orobidan cottage. Around here, we like to keep an eye out for each other.”

Outer islanders care for our own. She’d heard that dozens of times as a kid. This far away from the cities and the larger islands, they didn’t have much choice, but it was also a point of pride.

She supposed it was a reasonable explanation for why he was here. He couldn’t have known she’d be asleep on a dusty old day- bed. She still didn’t like the way he filled the entire doorway, block- ing the exit. “You mean you’re nosy.”

He smiled, and the expression transformed him from ordinary into stunningly handsome. It was like the sun coming out from be- hind the clouds over a stormy sea. She found herself smiling back without meaning to. As soon as she realized she was doing it, she frowned. “Sure,” Larran said, “that’s one word for it. We prefer neighborly, but ‘nosy’ is probably just as accurate.”

Still could be a murderer, she reminded herself. There was no law that said dangerous men couldn’t also be handsome. On the other hand, he hadn’t moved any closer since she’d screamed. In fact, in retrospect, he’d looked almost as spooked as she felt.

She was suddenly very aware that her hair was matted on one side, and her mouth tasted like peanuts. This wasn’t how she wanted to meet the neighbors. In fact, she’d been hoping to not meet them at all. It would have been simpler if she could’ve stayed unnoticed. Fewer variables; fewer problems. She wished he’d leave.

“What brings you back to Caltrey?” he asked.

Kiela considered a half-dozen answers, but she settled on the one that was simplest and required the least amount of reliving recent traumatic events. “I’d had enough of the city.”

“Ah.”

Miraculously, he seemed to find that answer both reasonable and sufficient.

“Would you like help . . .” He looked around the cottage, as if cataloging all the myriad things she could possibly need help with, which was, at a rough estimate, everything. “. . . settling in?”

Absolutely not. The last thing she wanted him to do was stay and help. The entire point of coming to Caltrey was to hide away in a place where she knew no one and no one knew her, and she and Caz and the books would be safe. “Thanks, but we—I have it covered.”

He raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t argue or try to convince her otherwise, which she appreciated. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m just through the woods, down by the shore.” He waved toward the northwest. “It’s the merhorse farm with the yellow house near the water. Drop by any time.”

She had absolutely zero intention of ever doing that, but she thanked him. Best not to be rude to their new neighbor. Especially if it got him to leave faster.

He left, taking his scythe, and she watched him out the window, through a hole in the ivy, as he strolled away. A few minutes later, the green had swallowed him entirely.

The Spellshop is available on July 9. Get a copy wherever you buy books.

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Middle-earth is a land undergoing transformation. Season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brought literal change to the landscape with the formation of Mordor. Then there is a more nebulous change afoot—the kind of change that comes with the return of Sauron, a powerful dark lord. Darkness is coming back to the land and will affect all its people. While visiting the set of The Rings of Power season two with a group of other reporters, Nerdist heard in multiple interviews how season two leans into that darkness.

We’ll see Sauron’s influence across the locations we visited in the first season. In Khazad-dûm, for example, production designer Kristian Milsted told us, “Certain things happen because of what happens in Mordor that brings conflict and darkness to this universe.” He continued, “We could look at what they did for Khazad-dûm in season one, and we could say, ‘Okay, now we’re going to give it a twist, and we’re going to make it more sinister, make it more dark.’ It’s about greed. It’s something that the dwarves are good at.”

The above exclusive image of King Durin III and Prince Durin IV does not show any obvious darkness, but one can certainly imagine the tone of the conversation between father and son. Nothing about it looks cheerful.

Flip through the gallery below to see more from The Rings of Power season two.

Click To View Gallery

The Rings of Power season two will premiere on Prime Video on August 29.

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Decades before Peter Jackson’s live-action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi rendered the epic in striking animation. (Rotoscope is cool, eh?) Now, a new project from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. returns J.R.R. Tolkien’s sprawling story to animated form. And this time, they’re going the way of anime. This trip into Middle-earth will be The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, fostered by filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama. And now, we finally have our first-look images which show us what The War of Rohirrim will look like. In addition, the first voice cast for The Lord of the Rings anime has been revealed, alongside more story details, concept art from the film, and the movie’s release date. It has even been announced that the story will be narrated by Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

Here Is Our First Look at the Art of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

We finally know what The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim will look like. Four first-look images of this anime-style The Lord of the Rings movie have been released.

In the images, we see main character Héra, antagonist Wulf, and the legendary king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand and his family, Héra, Haleth, and Hama.

Click To View Gallery

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Synopsis and Stars

Miranda Otto reprises her role as Éowyn in The War of the Rohirrim. She serves as the movie’s narrator as she tells the tale of Rohan’s history. Alongside Otto, Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino have been cast as the leads in the Lord of the Rings anime. Cox will voice the protagonist Helm Hammerhand. Wise will voice his daughter Hera. And Pasqualino will voice Wulf, the presumed antagonist.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim Synopsis

A press release describes the new film as an exploration of “the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep.” The material adds that this feature will “delv[e] into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.” And new synopsis further shares that this Lord of the Rings anime will take place 183 before the events revealed in The Lord of the Rings movies.

The anime movie’s description notes, ” Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”

Deadline‘s article also reveals more of The War of the Rohirrim‘s plot. It notes that “A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Hera, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”

More About The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim

Director Kamiyama shares of this The Lord of the Rings anime movie, “This is the story of the most powerful king in Rohan’s history, someone who defeated his enemies with his bare fists. Why did his lineage have to end with him? I think there is a lesson in hubris there and also for a need for responsibility and awareness in their power. We live in an age where, all over the world, we face the reality of war again. What, then, is power? What is the responsibility of those who possess it? It is something they need to think about by thinking together with those who don’t.” 

Of Helm’s daughter Hèra, producer Philippa Boyens notes, “In the appendices where the story is drawn from, we get these quite interestingly drawn male characters, and then we get this young female character who is never named — and that was really interesting to me. We know Helm has a daughter, and we know that she was central to the conflict that happened. But myself, and especially screenwriter Phoebe Gittins, were drawn to her. We could feel the weight of being that unnamed daughter, which immediately piqued our interest: Who was she? How did she live?”

Finally, who is the antagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, Wulf, who is “leading the armies of Dunlendings against Helm’s kingdom.” Boyens shares, “We have an exceptionally great antagonist in this story. He’s been one of my favorite antagonists to have written across all of the films I’ve worked on.”  Wulf is no wizard or powerful being, instead he’s just a human in The Lord of the Rings world. And Boyens reveals, “He speaks so directly to a lot of the crises that we’re facing today. He’s a really fascinating character and exciting too. You don’t know what he’s going to do, and some of the choices that he makes are just breathtaking in a good way.” 

Concept Art From The Lord of the Rings Anime Movie

The below concept art by Weta Workshop certainly hints at those blood-soaked times. That Oliphaunt doesn’t look like it’s there for a good cuddle.

Helm, the ninth king of Rohan, was famously defeated—but not killed—at the Crossings of Isen. However, he would survive for just another year, following a lengthy siege alongside his brother. Despite his defeat, Helm maintained a ferocious reputation; he was even thought to live on in some form following official decree of his death. You can check out the rest of The War of the Rohirrim‘s concept art below.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Director and Other Cast

The War of Rohirrim‘s director, Kamiyama, has been imbuing the anime world with color and story since the 1980s. Among his most noteworthy credits, we find several Ghost in the Shell series, as well as the 2019 Ultraman show.

Additional cast for the movie include Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski.

Peter Jackson will serve as an executive producer of the film.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Release Date

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will debut in theaters on December 13, 2024. At present, Warner Bros. touts Rohirrim as a stand-alone story; as such, we shouldn’t necessarily expect a trilogy born of this project. But given that The Hobbit was originally only supposed to be one film, we might not wish to count anything out, either.

Originally published June 10, 2021 with reporting from M. Arbeiter.

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L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz got turned on its head with Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. The 1995 book put the spotlight on Elphaba and her life, often one full of hardship, until Dorothy kills her. Wicked became a Broadway musical in 2003 and has since become the fourth longest-running Broadway series. And this journey through Oz doesn’t stop with a musical: we’re getting a two-part film adaptation from director Jon M. Chu. The first Wicked trailer is here, showing off a beautifully cinematic version of Oz and the beginning of Elphaba and Glinda’s fateful and witchy friendship.

Wicked‘s New Release Date

Wicked was slated to be released on November 27, but it will now release a little earlier on November 22.

Watch the Wicked Movie’s Trailer

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande plays Glinda. They meet as students at Shiz University and become close friends. Elphaba and Glinda could not have more different backgrounds. Those backgrounds definitely put a thorn in the side of the friendship. As Wicked‘s synopsis explains:

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

We’re glad to see the Wicked movie trailer embrace its roots and even tease the movie’s version of the many iconic musical songs. We can’t wait to hear them in full.

You Can Also Check Out the Wicked Trailer in LEGO Form

In case the real version of Wicked‘s movie trailer left you wanting more, you can also check out a LEGO version. Who doesn’t love LEGO Oz?

Wicked Movie Featurette and First-Looks

Wicked is an epic and long story. Is it a story that needs two movies? Only time will tell. Happily, it does seem like the cast and crew of the movie are very passionate about it.

In addition to Erivo and Grande, the cast for Wicked includes: Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero; Ethan Slater as Boq; Marissa Bode as Nessarose; and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and Keala Settle also star. Most recently we learned that Peter Dinklage would Dr. Dillamond, a goat with the ability to speak. You can see more first-looks from the movie, below.

Here Are Some New Looks at Wicked‘s Cast

Wicked arrives in theaters on November 22, 2024. Wicked Part Two will follow on November 26, 2025.

Originally published on February 12, 2024.

Featured Image: Universal

The post WICKED Trailer Teases Iconic Songs from the Musical and Gets New Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

Disney announced a big and necessary change for its parks in 2020: an update for Splash Mountain. The log flume ride in Florida’s Magic Kingdom and California’s Disneyland was based on 1946’s problematic Song of the South. The announced update would bring Tiana from 2009’s The Princess and the Frog into the spotlight. Four years after the announcement, the makeover is complete. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is on the cusp of opening at Magic Kingdom, bringing jazz, spice, and New Orleans flavor to Frontierland.

During a media event in advance of the ride’s opening, Executive Creative Producer Charita Carter explained why they chose to focus on Princess Tiana. “Tiana was our inspiration because Tiana is everybody’s princess. She comes from a real place in America. She wasn’t born into royalty. She has a working mom, she has military ties, and there’s so much about her life that is relatable. Everyone can find a part of Tiana’s story in their own story, and so many people are inspired by her. And you know, Tiana is a dreamer and a doer.”

A real-life dreamer and doer, Leah Chase, inspires Tiana’s story. Her and her husband ran Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans. Before The Princess and the Frog, Disney Animation visited the city and Chef Chase to learn more about them. And Walt Disney Imagineering went back to New Orleans as they developed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. There, they talked with the current generations of the Chase family, through whom Leah and Dooky’s legacy lives on.

The restaurant Tiana started in the animated film has thrived. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Executive Creative Director Ted Robledo said, takes place about a year after the events in the film. “A lot has changed since then. One of the most exciting parts of the attractions in seeing where Princess Tiana’s life has taken her after that,” Robledo noted. “Following the successful opening of her restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, there next to the beautiful Mississippi River in New Orleans, she’s continued to grow her business, but this time she’s included members of the community and built a new beloved brand called Tiana’s Foods.”

Tiana’s Foods and Tiana’s Palace are prominent in the ride’s queue through newspaper articles about both businesses. What you hear in the queue helps set the stage for the ride’s story: Mardi Gras season is here and Tiana has a lot to do for a big party.

Robledo explained, “After we board our boats, then we pass through this beautiful, lush lagoon filled with trees, plants, and flowers of the bayou, of course we’re going to join Tiana and the jazz loving alligator trumpet player, Louis, on an adventure down the river. And we’re going to be searching for that essential missing ingredient, which you know is musicians. So along the way we’re going to meet bands of critters, this sharing all of the diverse and rich sounds of New Orleans playing their own renditions of these Tiana songs. And with the help of Mama Odie and her special magic.”

To bring authenticity to the setting of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Disney sought out artisans local to the city. They collaborated with them on the attraction. Additionally, legendary musician Terence Blanchard, born in New Orleans, returned to the world of The Princess and the Frog to record a new song for the ride with Anika Noni Rose. Rose, of course, voiced Tiana in the animated film, and Blanchard played Louis’ trumpet parts in the movie. PJ Morton wrote “Special Spice” specifically for the ride. All of these elements contribute to the attraction being what the Imagineers call a love letter to New Orleans.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens at Magic Kingdom on June 28. It’s expected to open at Disneyland later this year.

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When I decorated my current home office, the first dedicated office space I’d had in years, I did so knowing how much time I’d spend in it. I made the space warm with a palette inspired by the earthy tones of Dagobah. Then I acquired shelves to hold my many, many books. I found the right desk and added décor that brings me joy. But one element was never quite right: my desk chair. I wanted something that fit the room’s aesthetic while also being supportive of the body I contort in unhealthy ways while I work and write. I went through two chairs that didn’t leave an impression until Secretlab sent me a TITAN Evo to try.

I hadn’t considered gaming chairs when I looked for the right addition to my office because when I play games, it’s usually while curled on my couch holding my Nintendo Switch Lite. Being so literal about a chair’s purpose was silly. If you’re sitting at a desk for hours on end, you benefit from an adjustable chair that offers support. Gaming chairs are ideal for this. After about a month of solid use, I can’t claim the TITAN Evo has cured my terrible posture, but I can say my bones are generally happier after a full day at my computer since I can adjust the chair to accommodate how I sit.

Set up is a process. The chair comes in a massive box, and I had to wait until I had assistance to move it into my office and assemble it. If you’ll be moving it up stairs, prepare yourself. Definitely put it together in the room you plan to leave it in. While it takes a little time to sort everything, it’s relatively straightforward. I recommend taking the time during assembly to understand which levers control the various parts of the chair.

While I wish I could say the TITAN Evo’s ergonomic touches alone were enough to sway me, they were not. It was the most comfortable chair I’d put at my desk by a factor of many, but it was plain. But then I added the Ahsoka Tano SKINS Secretlab also sent. Secretlab has a line of premium chair sleeves that enable you to personalize the Evo and give the chair some zhuzh equal to its comfortable design. Ahsoka is just one of the Star Wars SKINS available. Adding the SKINS sleeve over the chair’s back and seat was simple and quick. It hugs the existing chair structure in every spot, so there aren’t weird gaps or areas without coverage.

The Ahsoka design fits my office vibes perfectly. Having a chair that looks as nice as it feels to sit upon has made my time at my desk more appealing. My cat (also named Ahsoka) agrees. She’s never stolen an office chair from me like this before.

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Ravensburger has stretched and shaped Disney Lorcana since the trading card game’s first release in August. With the most recent set, Ursula’s Return, the gaming company released a standalone game that brings a whole new way to engage with Lorcana. Ravensburger sent Nerdist a copy of Illumineer’s Quest Deep Trouble for review. After putting in time trying to defeat Ursula, we collected our thoughts. Overall, Deep Trouble is a challenging battle and an excellent way for single players to access Lorcana.

What We Like About Illumineer’s Quest Deep Trouble

We love seeing a spin on the way players engage with Lorcana. Deep Trouble features all the same gameplay mechanics you’re used to from regular play, but the twist with Ursula makes it feel different and fresh. Ursula is a powerful villain, and the story and her deck reflects this. The dark nature of her deck adds a cool selection of beautifully creepy art to the game, too. This separate game enriches the lore of Lorcana, which we always enjoy seeing.

I appreciate how Deep Trouble allows for a single-player match or cooperative play with others. Having both options is helpful for those who may not play in a Lorcana league but still want to collect and play. The game’s set up is simple and quick to learn. Assuming you know how to play Lorcana, you’ll be up and running in less than 10 minutes.

Deep Trouble is a challenging game, as I guess it should be since you’re fighting Ursula. It’s a thing worth noting so you can set expectations. I was convinced I was doing something wrong because I lost so badly. Out of three solo games, I won against Ursula only once with the provided Amethyst and Steel deck. In the other two games and in another one with two players, Ursula won by hilariously large margins. I played all the games on the easiest mode. If you advance to more challenging modes, you’ll need your own custom decks to stand a chance—the rules for Deep Trouble even suggest this.

What We Don’t Like About Illumineer’s Quest Deep Trouble

My quibbles are largely related to design and packaging. Deep Trouble replaces the gift set for the Ursula’s Return release, so the packaging is similar to that of a gift set. However, this is its own game. Once you open the box, there’s nothing to contain the pieces in. You can use your own deck boxes and storage, of course, but I wish this came in a dedicated game box to hold the playmat, Ursula’s deck, the two player decks, and the encounter cards.

The playmat has only a single row to track lore. So basically, you can track Ursula’s lore. If you try to stack up the lore trackers for two players in that same row, you run out of space. Yes, there’s a place to track lore for Deep Trouble in the app, but I don’t want to default needing to have my phone out.

Illumineer’s Quest Deep Trouble is available wherever you buy Disney Lorcana.

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Disney Lorcana: Ursula’s Return has been with us since May, and we’ve all been learning how this latest chapter plays into a building storm in the magical realm of Lorcana. Ursula is nothing if not persistent. She’s also, unfortunately, super powerful. The Disney Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Illumineer’s Trove reflects all things Ursula with its moody color palette and tendrils of a dark smoke. Ravensburger sent an Illumineer’s Trove to Nerdist for review, so let’s take a closer look.

Ursula’s Return Illumineer’s Trove

To review, here’s what comes with the Illumineer’s Trove:

• 8 booster packs
• 1 lore tracker
• 6 dice to track damage
• 6 card dividers
• 1 storage box

You’ll notice this chapter’s Illumineer’s Trove sadly does not bring back the lore booklet that digs into more of the story. Hopefully we see it come back in future sets or in another form.

The MSRP is $49.99. The booster packs alone make it worth it, but then for a little extra, you get themed items to zhuzh your gameplay and storage. These extras have increased in quality with each release. The storage box has splashy art with heroes and villains fighting and emphasizing that Ursula’s Return is about action and stopping Ursula. It’s quality and the kind of box I would find a purpose for if I didn’t need it for all my Lorcana cards.

While we’ve seen dividers and a lore tracker in a previous Illumineer’s Trove, these fit right into the darker theme of this release. Wisps of smoke or a dark mist wrap the lore counter, which shows numbers in a fuchsia color. The dividers are different in that, instead of marking the color of the ink, they’re for organizing your cards by rarity. With their muted colors, these dividers fit right into the overall vibe. And hey, I like them because maybe it will help me finally memorize the rarity symbols.

Finally, my favorite part of the Ursula’s Return Illumineer’s Trove: the damage counter dice. They’re swirled aqua and purple with gold numbers—lovely with just a hint of transparency, which I choose to interpret as light hitting the shallow depths of the ocean. Also, those are just some of my favorite colors. I’m never going to be mad about adding more dice to my collection.

The Disney Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Illumineer’s Trove is available from your local game store and mass market retailers now.

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In this modern world, you may not need to send many letters. Maybe you mail the occasional card to a friend. Perhaps you have that one bill you have to pay with a check. But wouldn’t you like an excuse to send more mail? The US Postal Service has just the thing. The USPS has announced Dungeons & Dragons stamps for 2024. Yes, D&D stamps! It’s a way to level up any envelope. The set of 20 stamps features 10 different designs that revisit decades of Dungeons & Dragons art.

The Dungeons & Dragons stamps celebrate 50 years of the tabletop roleplaying game. It’s only become more and more popular in recent years with its fifth edition. Jumping into D&D is easier than ever (as long as you can find folks to play with) and it’s an excellent way to escape the world and stretch your imagination. We know mage’s spells aren’t actually real, but we like the notion that adding a D&D stamp to any piece of mail gives it magical armor.

Take a closer look at each stamp in the collection in the gallery.

Click To View Gallery

The stamps feature art from:

• The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons
• Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
• Wizards and Spells: A Young Adventurer’s Guide
• Player’s Handbook
• Dungeon Master’s Guide
• D&D Basic Set
• Beasts and Behemoths: A Young Adventurer’s Guide
• Monster Manual
• D&D Starter Set

It seems very possible we’ll need a set of Dungeons & Dragons stamps to collect and a few sets to use for everything we mail in the next two years. The USPS will release the Dungeons & Dragons stamps during Gen Con, taking place in Indianapolis from August 1-4, 2024. They will be available at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of Gen Con and then the Indianapolis Main Post Office for those without Gen Con passes. Greg Breeding, the art director for the stamps, will be available for autographs at 10am on August 1 following the unveiling of the stamps at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Originally published on December 28, 2023.

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Disney Parks announced in 2020 that they were reimagining Splash Mountain at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The new theme? The Princess and the Frog. The attraction is currently themed around Song of the South. You know, the deeply problematic and racist 1946 movie Disney will not even put on Disney+. And now, we know the name of the updated attraction and when we might expect to ride it. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open on June 28 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, with a later 2024 opening for Disneyland in California. You can check out everything we’ve seen so far from the ride, including some looks inside of it, below.

A Look Inside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

First up is a neat look inside the ride. You can check out an abridged version from Walt Disney Imagineering’s Instagram below. Alternatively, you can go on a fuller adventure via YouTube. The section about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure begins around 16:15, and the look inside the ride itself kicks off at around 18:07.

The Tiana Animatronic Comes to Life and More

We also have a good look at the animatronic Tiana that will be a part of the new Disney attraction. Unlike the scary ones in Five Nights at Freddy’s, this one is actually cute.

You can also check out these wonderful new photos from Disney Parks Blog:

The Story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

The story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will pick up after the ending of The Princess and The Frog film—right after the final kiss. Featuring some of the incredible music from the animated feature, the attraction will follow Princess Tiana and Louis as they prepare for their first Mardi Gras performance. Given that Splash Mountain is adjacent to New Orleans Square in Disneyland, this story goes hand-in-hand with the area. The voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose, will reprise her role for the re-themed Splash Mountain attraction.

According to the Disney Parks Blog:

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on a musical adventure inspired by the beloved story and characters from the fan-favorite film. Picking up where the film left off, guests will join Princess Tiana, Naveen and jazz-loving alligator Louis on an adventure through the bayou as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome. Along the way, guests will encounter familiar faces, make new friends and travel through the bayou to original music inspired by songs from the film as they are brought into the next chapter of Tiana’s story.

Disney Parks updated the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 2017. The company removed the bride auction and give Redd the pirate a prominent role. The parks are making this much needed change to Splash Mountain.

When Will Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Open?

Splash Mountain closed in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in 2023. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open at both parks in 2024. As mentioned above, it will first open in Walt Disney World on June 28.

Originally published on June 25, 2020.

The post Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Reveals a Look Inside the Ride appeared first on Nerdist.

Mad Max: Fury Road introduced us to Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa in 2015. We haven’t stopped thinking about the inimitable character since. She blazed across the dusty Wasteland and into our souls. Fury Road writer and director George Miller hasn’t let go of her either. In 2019, he expressed interest in making two more Mad Max movies—one of them being a prequel story about Furiosa. Filming for that tale began in 2022. And now, finally, we have our first trailer and images for the film starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa. And we’ve even learned where in the franchise timeline the movie takes place and more about the movie’s cast, including the reasoning for the Furiosa recast. It was all worth the wait because Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga looks amazing.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Will Get a Black and White (Chrome) Version Like Mad Max: Fury Road

Speaking to the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Miller confirmed that a black-and-white or black-and-chrome version of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was on the way. Miller noted, “We’ve done it already. It’s the last thing I did on the film, and I call it tinted black-and-chrome. It’s really interesting, I’m still trying to demystify why the black-and-white for me, has something more elemental to it. It’s not because they look like old black-and-white movies, it’s something else.” Perhaps, Miller opines, it has to do with the drama of the outcomes.

How Does Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Fit Into Mad Max‘s World?

Technically, we know Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga takes place 45 years after the Collapse. But when we look closer at the semantics of all the Mad Max movies and comic books, it doesn’t perfectly fit. But it turns out that’s not really a problem.

Via Polygon, we saw director George Miller’s comments about the original Mad Max: Fury Road movie. He noted:

All the films have no strict chronology. It’s probably after Thunderdome, but it’s an episode in the life of Max and this world. It’s basically an episode, and it’s us revisiting that world. I never wrote the story, any of the stories, with a chronological connection.

And we’re willing to imagine that extends to Furiosa, too. Emotional logic, live it, love it.

Watch 6 Minutes of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

You can now check out six full minutes from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. If that doesn’t get you revved up for the film, we don’t know what will!

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Trailer and Synopsis

The trailer teases Furiosa’s origins and Taylor-Joy showing, even in a couple minutes, how much she is embracing the powerful role. She has a large shaved head to fill, but by all appearances, she’s doing just fine. Set 45 years after the Collapse, Furiosa must find her way home. And we know the world, so we know it won’t be easy. Knowing how her story continues makes watching her challenging odyssey somewhat easier. Only somewhat. And Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus? We’re already sold.

Click To View Gallery

Furiosa: A Mad Max’s Saga official synopsis is as follows:

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Casting Updates

We recently learned that Immortan Joe will now be played by Lachy Hulme. Hulme replaces Immortan Joe’s original actor from Mad Max: Fury Road, Hugh Keays-Byrne, who passed away in 2020. Hulme will also play Rizzdale Pell, a gang member who follows Hemsworth’s Dementus in the movie.

More About Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Timeline, Recast, and Other Intel

Director George Miller additionally clarified where Furiosa fits on the Mad Max franchise timeline. He shared, “This story happens 15 years directly before Mad Max: Fury Road, and it runs straight into it, and Max is lurking around somewhere in this story, but it’s really the story of Furiosa and how she got to be… A lot of the film will be familiar, and a lot of it’s new, which we haven’t seen before.”

Additionally, Miller has revealed why he chose to recast the role of Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Of course, Charlize Theron originally played the role in Mad Max: Fury Road. However, instead of using digital de-aging technology, Miller opted for a recast of the Furiosa role, bringing Anya Taylor-Joy into the prequel movie.

Miller shared the reasoning behind the recast with Empire Magazine, which we saw via IGN. He notes, “It definitely would have been Charlize [had Furiosa been filmed before Fury Road]… I began thinking, ‘Oh, maybe we could do de-aging.’ Then I watched really masterful filmmakers like Ang Lee and Martin Scorsese, doing Gemini Man and The Irishman, and I saw that it hadn’t been licked. All you’d be watching is, ‘Look how well the technology works?’ It would not have been persuasive.” And that’s really fair enough.

With all this in mind, get us back to the Wasteland now, please and thank you. Miller wrote the script with Nico Lathouris and is back in the director’s role.

When Is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga‘s Release Date?

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrived in theaters on May 24, 2024.

Originally published on November 30, 2023.

The post A Black and White/Chrome Version of FURIOSA Is Coming appeared first on Nerdist.

Jim Henson was a man with drive. He wanted to tell stories, to make things, and to experiment. Henson, who left the world far too young, was acutely aware of how time marched onward. He wanted to create as much as possible while he could. This is one of the constant threads throughout the documentary Jim Henson Idea Man. The documentary highlights Henson’s visionary genius, boundless creative energy, and his family life. We talked with director Ron Howard about exploring Henson’s extensive body of work and what he hopes people take away from the documentary.

Nerdist: What Jim Henson creation did you first experience?

Ron Howard: Now that I understand his creative journey, it was the character Rowlf on Jimmy Dean’s show and those funny songs that they would do together. We have a couple of them in our film. I remember seeing that and thinking that that was funny. And then other things, maybe a couple of those commercials—the outrageous commercials that are so non-politically correct today, but I think that’s probably it.

He meant so much to my family. Here’s the thing about what he brought to Sesame Street, was that adults would want to sit and watch it with their kids. It wasn’t just park the kids in front [of the TV], it’s that you wanted to see those funny little films that Jim made. You’d want to see those characters interact. That was a gift that Jim had given our family as well.

The documentary includes those commercials, the Muppets, everything. He was such a creative force who spoke to many audiences. What were the challenges of covering the breadth of his career?

Howard: Well, he was a social satirist and he brought that to children’s programming in a way that was so refreshing. Again, it would attract adults, but it also reached kids in an important way. But when you look at those commercials, they’re all satire. The Muppets, it’s all satire. He was a witty, funny guy. When you look at his home movies, even those are a little bit satirical. They’re certainly whimsical. He knew how to use fantasy humor, use the puppets as a way to unleash the audience’s disbelief and then get to us about our foibles and the truth of our existence and the human experience in ways that really resonated.

And he seemed to bring such a sense of play and curiosity to everything he did.

Howard: Yes, he thought life should be fun. He thought people should be treated well. He believed all these things and yet was a wildly productive person. He didn’t have to be a jerk to get things done. He just had to say, “Hey, come join me in my sandbox.” And people were working around the clock. So I think there’s a lesson in leadership there in our film as well.

You can see how much people liked working with him—people like Frank Oz.

Howard: Frank Oz gave us one of our really foundational interviews because he was such a key collaborator, and eventually they became like brothers. Jim was like an older brother to him. But just talking about Frank Oz, you forget that he spent all those years working with Jim and still had this remarkable career with Yoda and as an A-list Hollywood director, it’s kind of mind blowing, but I think Jim infused that sense of possibility and the thrill of productivity in many of the people that he worked with.

I definitely walked away from the documentary itching to create something. What do you hope audiences to take away from it?

Howard: I hope they feel the way I did, which is I had this opportunity to explore Jim as a potential subject, and I immediately realized that I thought I knew something about Jim Henson, but only a fraction. What I knew were these characters and these shows and these moments that we could certainly celebrate. But I recognize that there was so much we didn’t know about that was emotionally poignant.

His personal story, his family story as a son and a brother, and then as a parent and a husband, but also this archive full of hilarious, irreverent material that he had created that we knew nothing about. Some of it was deemed successful, some of it was never seen, and some of it was thought of as a misfire. It didn’t matter. He was going to create, and he was just going to trust that and keep going. And he was really an unstoppable creative force. But I think you said it, he loved creativity. I mean, the result was something that he certainly cared about, but he was working creatively as a way of life, not necessarily as the job that had to be done.

I admire that he seemed to be fearless. Just that attitude of I’m going to try something and see what happens without letting my doubts get in the way.

Howard: He was an amazing risk-taker, and I think it’s just a reminder to us that we need them. We need to create environments where they can have an outlet and can be seen. But of course, the internet provides that for a lot of people today in a way. There’s still something very modern about what he and Jane did in their late teens and early twenties, which was use the new tech TV to do these little five minute short pieces, somehow get them on the air and begin to develop their voice. And if you think about it, that’s a very contemporary creative approach to finding your voice today.

I imagine putting together a documentary is not a linear path, especially as you learn new details. What was it like to find the through line of the documentary?

Howard: The family story was the surprise, in that there was a narrative through line, and both Jim and Jane, their love story is really the foundation for the Muppets and everything that we love. It couldn’t endure, ultimately, yet, they handled the disintegration of their romantic relationship in such a admirable, constructive way. It just says a lot about them as individuals. But because neither of them really liked being interviewed, that was the documentarian’s task, was to keep finding ways to understand their relationship as the foundation of this family and also this company and this output of work.

That kept evolving, and Jane’s voice actually found its way into a more central position in the film, something we always wanted, but it was very late in the process that she really became as important a character as she is. I’m really grateful for it. It was a matter of finding more photographs, a couple of little interview snippets that were meaningful, little things like that, an audio tape that showed up late in the game. That why when you’re making a documentary, the research never really can stop.

After people watch the documentary, what do you hope they go explore of Jim Henson’s work that they may not know about?

Howard: It depends on what delights them in watching the film. I really hope that people go back and watch those Muppet episodes because we have great jokes and great snippets, but those are half hour episodes. I had sort of forgotten how good they are and how relevant because as a satirist, he wasn’t just talking about the moment. He was talking about human beings and the way we think. And so all of these characters, Miss Piggy, all of them, they reflect the human experience in an incredibly revealing and entertaining way.

Then I hope that the people who want to do a little deeper dive go and look at some of Jim’s experimental films, go and look at some of the fantasy shows that he did that are not so well known, but can be found and are really worth watching, because he was relentless with his creativity, and it’s really all valid and all interesting.

Jim Henson Idea Man will premiere on Disney+ on May 31.

The post Ron Howard on Exploring Jim Henson’s Relentless Creativity for JIM HENSON IDEA MAN appeared first on Nerdist.

Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman premiered its first season in August 2022. The series brought the comic book series by writer Neil Gaiman and a number of artists to the screen in a faithful retelling. In many instances, it brought the comic book panels to life. We spent time with Morpheus and Dream, but we barely got to know the whimsical and fantastical world of the Endless. However, it’s time for more stories. Last November, Netflix confirmed The Sandman is a go for more. Fans of the Endless rejoice. Especially because Netflix has just revealed the three new cast members who will round out the rest of Morpheus’ family: Delirium, the Prodigal, and their oldest sibling, Destiny.

The Sandman Announces It’s Delirium, Destruction, and Destiny, Shares Season 2 Teaser Trailer

The Endless are now complete. The Sandman season two has revealed new cast for its upcoming episodes. Hannah‘s Esmé Creed-Miles (she/her) is joining as fan-favorite Delirium. Revenge‘s Barry Sloane (he/him) has signed on as Destruction, also known as The Prodigal. (If you aren’t familiar with Gaiman’s comic books that moniker is a big hint at his role in the story.) And Primary Colors‘ Adrian Lester (he/him) will fill the role of the eldest Endless, Destiny.

In addition to this casting news, The Sandman season two has also revealed its first teaser trailer. Check it out below.

The Sandman Season 2 Shares New Look at Dream and Desire

Netflix celebrated The Sandman‘s 35th anniversary by announcing more episodes of its hit series were officially in production. And if that weren’t enough, the streamer actually gave us a behind-the-scenes look at Tom Sturridge (he/him, Dream) and Mason Alexander Park (they/them, Desire) in action. We certainly feel excited by this brief new glimpse of the show.

Additionally, Neil Gaiman penned a letter to fans celebrating The Sandman‘s journey and evolution. The letter can be read in full here, but in it, Gaiman notes of the Netflix series:

This week we officially restart production on the next sequence of stories of The Sandman for Netflix. Genius show runner Allan Heinberg and the countless people in front of and behind the camera are building something endlessly special, and bringing these stories to life in a way that would once have been unimaginable.

A journey is beginning that will take us from Destiny’s garden to Hell, from the Heart of the Dreaming to Ancient Greece and revolutionary France, and from there to places even I cannot quite imagine on the screen. I will be patient. Good things are coming.

The Sandman Teases New Episodes

To celebrate the new episodes of The Sandman, Netflix even released a short teaser featuring Morpheus’ helm. And we got a logo, “The dream continues.” We love it. A release from Netflix also shares that the show will return with even more new “episodes and stories to be adapted from multiple The Sandman graphic novels.” For now, though, we have not received confirmation on episode count and story details. We will, however, get The Sandman profile icons.

More new episodes of The Sandman were not guaranteed at any point, even with the show’s success. In a since-deleted tweet, Gaiman noted the show “is really expensive” and that for Netflix to order another season, The Sandman had to “perform incredibly well.” Given that how Netflix measures success is not entirely transparent, we’re not positive what kind of metrics led to this continuation. But we’re glad to see that they have.

More About the The Sandman‘s Next Chapter

Offering us more information about this new, next chapter of The Sandman, Gaiman notes in a release:

Millions upon millions of people have welcomed and watched and loved The Sandman on Netflix, from established Sandman fans to people who were simply curious, and then became obsessed with the Lord of Dreams, his family and their goings-on. It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life. There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are. And now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell…

What we do know is that we’re looking forward to seeing more of the Endless. Season one of The Sandman brought a story that showed us why adaptations exist. It brought in a moving deep cut from the Hellblazer comics. And it even wrapped up with a surprise bonus episode. The original Sandman comics series includes ran for 75 issues. So, the series has plenty of material to pull from. The show has plenty more rich, sometimes twisted characters to introduce and explore.

As for when the release date for the new episodes of The Sandman will be, it’s likely going to take a moment.

Originally published on November 3, 2022.

The post THE SANDMAN Season 2 Reveals New Casting for Delirium, Destiny, and The Prodigal appeared first on Nerdist.

Rockstar Games announced a trailer reveal event for Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, for December 5. However, someone on X leaked it a day early. Given that, Rockstar let go of its December 5 launch. The game publisher officially released the GTA VI trailer a day early, saying simply, “Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing on YouTube.” The GTA VI trailer confirms two important things. Grand Theft Auto will return to Vice City, and GTA VI will arrive in 2025. Recently, that release window was also narrowed to fall of 2025.

Watch the sun-soaked, alligator-filled action here:

Vice City appeared back in the fourth entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. Based on Miami, that story followed a mobster and how he gained power with a criminal empire. GTA VI‘s main character is Lucia. It’s the game series’ first female protagonist in its 20+ year history. The trailer starts with Lucia in prison, but later she’s out and doing crime. It seems she’s pulling someone else into her crimes, saying they need to be a team and stick together.

“Grand Theft Auto VI continues our efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games said in a release. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this new vision with players everywhere.”

We’re sure it’s going to work out fine. We won’t worry about it too much. Instead, we’ll just be excited that new Grand Theft Auto is finally on the way after a 10-year break.

Originally published on December 4, 2023.

The post Rockstar Shares GRAND THEFT AUTO VI Trailer and Sets Release Window appeared first on Nerdist.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TROP) season one ended with an important reveal for the audience and Galadriel: Halbrand is Sauron. Surprise! He wormed his way into Celebrimbor’s forge, but he left before the elf forged certain rings. We last saw the Dark Lord looking over the recently formed Mordor. We have The Rings of Power season two trailer and premiere date, and it looks like the Prime Video series is taking us right back into the looming battle of light and dark in Middle-earth and all the power struggles that come into play. And as for Hot Sauron? He’s now Hot Elf Sauron.

The Rings of Power Season Two Trailer Is Here with Rings On

J.R.R. Tolkien’s words say Sauron is frequently disguised in “a fair form” in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Charlie Vickers steps into that guise in this The Rings of Power season two trailer. Fans joked about Hot Sauron in season one, but now, Sauron takes on an Elvish appearance. His face is fair, framed by long blonde hair, and he looks quite different than he did as Halbrand.

Among the Elvish, Sauron is known as Annatar, or “Lord of gifts.” But we see the Elves seem to catch onto Sauron’s lies. Mordor still looms for him, as does what appears to be Barad-dûr.

The Rings of Power season two trailer also has a number of rings. We see the three Elvish rings, at least one Dwarvish ring, and also Celebrimbor with what are perhaps prototypes for the One Ring. We can’t wait to see how these objects will start to come into play as the story progresses. We also hope for prop replicas we can purchase, please and thank you.

The Rings of Power Season Two’s Synopsis

In addition to its exciting trailer, The Rings of Power season two has shared a synopsis for what’s to come. It reads:

In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.

While season one set up the world and the time period, season two of The Rings of Power seems to be leaning into the action. Between the all-important rings, battles, and more glimpses of Adar, the orcs, the Stranger, and an eagle in its teaser trailer, we’re in for a ride in The Rings of Power season two.

TROP‘s Second Season Release Date

The Rings of Power season two will premiere on August 29. We can’t wait for more of the series.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Turns Hot Sauron Into Hot Elf Sauron appeared first on Nerdist.

Universal and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions have announced the title for the next movie Peele will produce: Him. The title is news, but we knew about the film’s setting. The psychological horror will be set in the world of football. Yes, football. Justin Tipping will direct the film, which stars Marlon Wayans. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wayans will play a legendary quarterback who must train a rising young athlete. Tyriq Withers plays the mentee, who trains at the aging athlete’s isolated compound.

Uh-oh. We can see where the psychological horror is coming in. Is it ever a good thing when a location is isolated in this context?

Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, comedian Jim Jefferies, Guapdad 4000, and Tierra Whack also star in the film. Him comes from a Blacklist script by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. Peele will produce the movie alongside Ian Cooper, Win Rosenfeld, and Jamal Watson. Executive producers include David Kern and Kate Oh.

Him is scheduled to release on September 19, 2025.

The post Jordan Peele’s Next Movie Is a Psychological Horror Set in the World of Football appeared first on Nerdist.

These times are uncertain for streaming services. Platforms that were once separate have merged. Various streaming services have increased prices and brought in ad tiers. Let’s not even get into various crackdowns on password sharing. But in a turn of events we could not have seen coming, Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced a new streaming bundle. This streaming bundle comes with Disney+, Hulu, and Max and will be available this summer in the US. What times we live in.

A Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle obviously brings a lot of brands together. The release points out it encompasses ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, and Warner Bros. among others. Customers will be able to purchase the bundle on any of the three streaming platform’s websites and choose between ad-supported and ad-free plans. It’s not yet clear if subscribers will be able to access the bundle through a single interface or separate services. If it’s a single interface, we can’t wait to see that design and how they make it not overwhelming.

Joe Earley, President, Direct to Consumer, Disney Entertainment, said in a release:

On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value. This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.

During a Warner Bros. Discovery earning call, JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games shared that this bundle would be “priced very attractively for the consumer.” Additionally, Perrette revealed that Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery were unlikely to invite any other streamers beyond Disney+, Hulu, and Max into the bundle, noting, “We don’t feel like we need anybody else in that package to make it incredibly compelling.”

Additional details about the Disney+, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle will be shared “in the coming months.” Summer arrives next month, so we’ll see.

Originally published on May 8, 2024.

The post Okay Sure, Disney and Warner Bros. Announce Disney+, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle appeared first on Nerdist.

We are not ready for Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea—except that we’re totally ready for the new themed area. This addition to the theme park marks the biggest land expansion yet at Tokyo Disney Resort. Fantasy Springs brings four new attractions, a hotel, and food and shoppping options. We’ll discuss all four rides, but from photos, the showstopper appears to be Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. The dark ride takes its inspiration from the animated movie Tangled. And you know what? It looks incredible. Look at these photos!

Click To View Gallery

My desire to go to Tokyo Disney Resort has grown by a factor of many just because of this ride. Here’s the description of Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival:

For the first time ever, be transported to where the glowing lanterns gleam on Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival over in Rapunzel’s Forest. This romantic gondola journey retells the tale of Disney Animation’s Tangled, from Rapunzel’s tower to the moment we’ve all been waiting for, watching the sky envelope with countless lanterns to the tune of “I See the Light.”

Fantasy Springs’ other rides include ones from Frozen and Peter Pan:

Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey
Set out on a voyage by boat on Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey located in Frozen Kingdom! This family-friendly attraction features the heartwarming tale of two sisters from childhood memories with Grand Pabbie to Anna turning to ice to save Elsa. The adventure is accompanied by songs from the film including, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” “For the First Time in Forever,” “Love Is an Open Door” and “Let It Go.”

Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure
An all-new adventure, this 3D escapade joins Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and the Lost Kids as they rescue John from Captain Hook and his band of pirates.

Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies
Shrink down to the size of a fairy and board a busy buggie to help Tinker Bell deliver packages throughout the changing seasons of Pixie Hollow. This attraction is perfect for those of all ages!

Fantasy Springs opens at Tokyo DisneySea on June 6.

The post Tokyo Disney’s TANGLED Ride Looks Like a Stunning Journey appeared first on Nerdist.

The time has almost come for Disney Lorcana’s next set to arrive. The trading card game from Ravensburger continues to take inspiration from Disney animation to build a thoughtful game with consistently beautiful artwork. Ursula’s Return marks the fourth chapter of the game and brings with it more teamwork, strategy, boosting Hero cards, and playing with the Resist and Challenge keywords. Ravensburger sent Nerdist the Disney Lorcana: Ursula’s Return Starter Decks, which combine Amber & Amethyst and Sapphire & Steel inks. They follow the general features of each ink, but if you’re at all a fan of Encanto, Amber & Amethyst will have your heart. Here are other highlights from the Ursula’s Return Starter Decks.

Ursula’s Return Amber & Amethyst Starter Deck

Okay, okay. Did I enjoy the cooperative nature of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cards when they released in Rise of the Floodborn? Yes. Their abilities interacted and boosted each other in helpful ways if the right cards ended up in your hand at the right time. But it meant flipping through a lot of characters who look quite a bit alike. The Ursula’s Return Amber & Amethyst Starter Deck brings the same kind of dynamics but with the family Madrigal from Encanto. The variety of the characters, who are much more vibrant than the dwarves from Snow White, along with unique support abilities make for a magical deck with so much opportunity. The main drawback, if you can call it that, is Encanto songs will be in your head every time you pick up the deck.

As with any deck you build, the Ursula’s Return Amber & Amethyst Starter Deck has its hurdles. Mirabel Madrigal, Gift of the Family, can’t add lore to other Madrigals if you don’t have them in your hand. However, the 60-card deck has 23 Madrigals (if I counted correctly). I’m not calculating probabilities, but odds of having a Madrigal in your hand seem solid—especially if you can use your MacGuffin at the beginning to redraw some cards in hopes of getting a Madrigal. You can use the Madrigals to stack lore and get ahead quickly. Protect these angels with whatever you can.

Remember to try out the new Sing Together mechanic too, which lets you use multiple characters to sing one song.

The Ursula’s Return Amber & Amethyst Starter Deck includes the below cards. Cards marked with an * are from a previous release.

3x Agustin Madrigal – Clumsy Dad
1x Ariel – Singing Mermaid
2x Félix Madrigal – Fun-Loving Family Man
2x Julieta Madrigal – Excellent Cook
2x Mickey Mouse – Leader of the Band
3x Mirabel Madrigal – Gift of the Family
1x Mirabel Madrigal – Prophecy Finder
3x Prince Eric – Seafaring Prince
2x Rolly – Hungry Pup*
2x Sebastian – Court Composer*
3x Stitch – Alien Dancer
2x Heal What Has Been Hurt*
2x Healing Glow*
1x Look at This Family
2x Lost in the Woods
3x Antonio Madrigal – Animal Expert
1x Bruno Madrigal – Out of the Shadows
2x Camilo Madrigal – Prankster
2x Dolores Madrigal – Easy Listener
3x Elsa – Queen Regent*
2x HeiHei – Persistent Presence*
1x Isabela Madrigal – Golden Child
2x Luisa Madrigal – Magically Strong One
3x Marshmallow – Terrifying Snowman
1x Pepa Madrigal – Weather Maker
2x The Queen – Hateful Rival*
2x Tick-Tock – Ever-Present Pursuer
2x Poor Unfortunate Souls
3x Casa Madrigal – Casita

Ursula’s Return Sapphire & Steel Starter Deck

This deck does not have the Madrigals, so it’s slightly less delightful. However, as someone who played exclusively Sapphire & Steel for a while, I see a lot of potential here. Rather than a group of characters unifying the deck, a type of characters stand out: Heroes. Characters with the Hero descriptor bring multiple layers of stalwart and true with Resist and Challenger abilities. The Ursula’s Return Sapphire & Steel Starter Deck is the kind of deck that makes you feel pumped up to play—like you’re doing a training montage to “Eye of the Tiger” and so ready to quest while challenging your opponents.

Most of the cards here are fierce and ready to conquer the day, but you have some possibilities for lore as well. One of my favorites is Rapunzel, Appreciative Artist. She costs five ink, has three lore, and if you have a Pascal in play, she gains ward. Then you have the Dig a Little Deeper song card that lets you look at the top seven cards of your deck (seven!) and keep two. The catch is it costs eight ink and it’s not inkable. But you can use the Sing Together mechanic. It’s the kind of card you likely won’t get on the table often but when you do, it will be very satisfying.

Like I said, a lot of potential.

The Ursula’s Return Sapphire & Steel Starter Deck includes the below cards. Cards marked with an * are from a previous release.

• 2x Mickey Mouse – Detective*
• 2x Pascal – Inquisitive Pet
• 1x Prince Phillip – Gallant Defender
• 1x Rapunzel – Appreciative Artist
• 2x Sisu – Wise Friend
• 2x Transformed Chef – Castle Stove
• 2x Dig a Little Deeper
• 2x Seldom All They Seem
• 3x Aladdin – Resolute Swordsman
• 3x Ariel – Determined Mermaid
• 1x Hercules – Beloved Hero
• 3x Kida – Royal Warrior*
• 2x Li Shang – Imperial Captain
• 2x Ling – Imperial Soldier
• 3x Mickey Mouse – Standard Bearer
• 2x Mulan – Armored Fighter
• 1x Philoctetes – No-Nonsense Instructor
• 3x Robin Hood – Beloved Outlaw*
• 1x One Last Hope
• 2x Smash*
• 3x Imperial Bow
• 3x Thebes – The Big Olive

Ursula’s Return will release at local game stores, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and select Disney Store retail locations on May 17, 2024. It will then be available from mass market retailers on May 31, 2024.

The post DISNEY LORCANA: URSULA’S RETURN Brings ENCANTO Magic appeared first on Nerdist.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi put the emphasis on choice and how moments big and small shape someone’s path. That series of animated shorts showed us why Count Dooku decided to pursue the dark side and how Ahsoka Tano chose to return to the fight and battle the Empire. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire also tells a story of choices, in this case those of Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee. The shorts reveal how their characters’ paths intersected with the Galactic Empire’s. We talked to Diana Lee Inosanto and Meredith Salenger about the return of their characters and the decisions they make.

Tales of the Empire – Morgan Elsbeth’s Past

“My anger gives me strength.”

From her first appearance in The Mandalorian, it seemed like Morgan Elsbeth was carrying a chip the size of the galaxy on her shoulder. A Nightsister without a clan, we saw her help Grand Admiral Thrawn bring the Great Mothers from Peridea to the known galaxy in Ahsoka. But Tales of the Empire shows Morgan’s past and the massacre she witnessed on Dathomir, including her mother’s death.

Inosanto, who also plays Morgan in live-action, says, “When I first read it, I loved so much that they were going to go into her origins because it wasn’t really clear if she had really truly witnessed what happened on Dathomir, although I assumed that she was likely there. But when I found out they were going to do this, just starting out the gates, and then how she would meet Thrawn and how they would form their alliance… I love that we get to see a little bit more Dathomir and Nightsister culture.”

She explains she particularly enjoyed seeing a little of Morgan’s relationship with her mother. “It just tore at me because you think about this—what a moment of chaos and that would shape Morgan for years to come,” Inosanto explains. “And to me, it makes sense that she would hold the armor of anger, I call it, and carry that forward. And that’s what gave her the strength to one day visualize with the help of the Great Mothers that her vision was really to try to restore Dathomir and particularly the Nightsister culture.”

What Morgan might be carrying with her is something Inosanto has considered over her years playing the character. Tales of the Empire brought it more sharply into focus. She wrote a journal about Morgan and what she saw to get in touch with Morgan’s pain and fear, which becomes almost like a weight. “You have to make it come through the character,” Inosanto says. “Then, at the end of the day, once you’re done, you let it go. And I even have, part of my process is I also have a soundtrack for Morgan. Because of the emotional content, whether I was on the set or even before walking in the recording room, I will listen to particular music that sets a tone and it has a certain mood, and that way it helps me trigger whatever it is that music triggers in my brain to stay in contact with that emotional content for Morgan.”

We see much of Morgan’s combat prowess in live-action, leveraging Inosanto’s martial arts talents. She says, “My martial arts training is really my heritage, it’s my culture. And I never thought that what dad gave me—my father’s Dan Inosanto and he’s a pretty well-known martial artist out there in the world, and my godfather’s the late Bruce Lee. My father has, like Dave Filoni with George Lucas, he’s always tried to carry the torch of my godfather’s teachings. I’m so lucky that I had this and that I can’t believe that I am now within my favorite universe, and I had the ability to share my heritage with the world through a character like Morgan.”

That all translated to animation. “I was so touched by [director] Steward Lee —my understanding is he oversaw the fight sequences in Tales of the Empire, and he had martial arts training. The team studied my martial arts on YouTube, my battle sequences on Mandalorian and Ahsoka, and they beautifully brought it together. And I see the homage to my godfather and my dad, so it’s quite surreal. They did it so beautifully and without mo-cap.”

Tales of the Empire – Barriss Offee Becomes an Inquisitor

“It seems fear is not your ally, but your master.”

The last time we saw Barriss Offee in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the former Jedi was in jail for bombing the Jedi Temple. She tried to frame Ahsoka, but the Republic eventually figured out Barriss was the real culprit. Tales of the Empire sees her take the opportunity to leave prison by joining the Empire’s Inquisitorius—a group working for Darth Vader to hunt Jedi who survived Order 66. Salenger thinks Barriss saw the opportunity to get out of her prison cell and took it. She says, “I think her time stewing in jail after she was incarcerated—she had time to stew on her actions and formulate what she really believes.”

Salenger felt thrilled to come back to the role of Barriss. The Jedi Padawan’s last appearance on screen was in 2013. She was more of a rule-follower than Ahsoka, which made sense with Barriss’ Master, Luminara Unduli, being far more level-headed than Anakin Skywalker. But Barriss fought against the hypocrisy of the Jedi; she didn’t agree with the Jedi being soldiers. Yet, she used violence to show her discontent. “I think her inner turmoil and anger and upset and frustration led her to do something that she typically wouldn’t have chosen to do,” Salenger says of Barriss’ actions towards the Jedi. “And at the beginning of Tales of the Empire, she’s presented with a choice, which is come join the Inquisitors. You either stay in jail for the rest of your life or you get killed, or you do what you have to do to survive. And I don’t think it was a choice that she wanted to make.”

“Ultimately, I mean in anyone in Star Wars, your choices that you make define your destiny. And you always have a choice. She has a choice. She could’ve stayed in prison and died, but there’s also a thing where you think you can get out of something. You can do something bad and perhaps affect change later,” Salenger continues.

It doesn’t take long for Barriss to fully understand the path of an Inquisitor and that it comes with a cost. While Lyn, the Fourth Sister (seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi), seems to revel in the Inquisitor’s missions, Barriss can’t understand. Salenger says, “Barriss is presented with the same thing that Lyn was initially presented with. It’s so conflicting for her because she does have this moral center. She had it from the beginning. She was raised by the Jedi. She was given to them as a child to be trained and to have a thoughtfulness and a nobility to her, and a set of morals and an intense desire to do what’s right. That intense desire is… It’s just so conflicting for her to do things you don’t really want to do.”

Barriss comes to a fork in the road and decides to go on the run. She makes another choice, a choice to refocus towards the light. Salenger notes, “What I like most about Barris is that she actually feels. She’s so deep. She doesn’t want anyone to be hurting. She wants to change people’s perspective. She’s trying to change people’s perspective from the very beginning. When the Grand Inquisitor first makes her have to fight her fellow Jedi who’s been captured and she’s like, ‘We don’t have to do this.’ She’s always trying to get out of the thing that is not good. She’s always trying to do the right thing and then ultimately, it comes down to saving yourself.”

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is streaming now on Disney+.

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LEGO and Star Wars frequently team up on the screen, but a new LEGO special is really mixing things up. LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy shows a galaxy where space and time have fallen apart. The pieces crumble and put unlikely characters in equally unlikely situations. That means, among other things, we finally get to see Darth Jar Jar.

Hearing “Mesa going to hurts yousa” in Ahmed Best’s familiar Jar Jar voice was not on our Bingo card.

The synopsis for the special says:

In “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy,” the entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together.

The special has one heck of a voice cast. Gaten Matarazzo (Sig Greebling), Tony Revolori (Dev Greebling), Bobby Moynihan (Jedi Bob), Marsai Martin (Yesi Scala), Michael Cusack (Servo), Ahmed Best (Darth Jar Jar), and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) all appear.

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy has four parts. All of them debut on Disney+ on September 13.

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What do you think of when you imagine Jedi robes? The simple brown and ivory ensemble is immediately recognizable as being the outfit of a keeper of peace in the galaxy far, far away. It represents the Force and that the being wearing the robes is likely someone you can trust. The robes also just look super comfortable—like, probably the most cozy outfit in all of Star Wars. And that’s what Secretlab is capturing with their newly announced Secretlab SKINS Jedi Edition. This precision-fit chair sleeve fits right over the Secretlab TITAN Evo Series gaming chair, and the Jedi Edition brings a little light side to it.

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Secretlab added the Jedi SKINS in honor of May the Fourth. The celebration of Star Wars Day always brings a slew of new products, but this one is a highlight. The gaming chair company designed the sleeve to mimic the robe-like texture of a Jedi’s signature look. It’s a unique knit for maximum comfort. The front features the Jedi Order emblem, while the back of the sleeve says “May the Force be with you” in the Star Wars alphabet Aurebesh. Like other SKINS, the Jedi Edition can fit over TITAN Evo Series gaming chairs in under three minutes.

The Jedi design is just the latest addition to the Secretlab Star Wars SKINS collection. Other SKINS feature styles based on stormtroopers, Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and the Empire. Each has all the details you’d expect. It will shock no one who knows me to hear that the Ahsoka SKINS, with its stripes and markings to match the Togruta’s face, is my favorite. Though the calming vibe of the Jedi SKINS might change my mind.

Visit Secretlab’s website to shop for the Jedi and other Star Wars SKINS. They’re all compatible with your TITAN Evo Series chair.

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Lucasfilm surprised us on Thursday morning with an announcement for a new series of shorts. Following in the footsteps of Tales of the Jedi, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire will take a journey into the Galactic Empire with six episodes. The series of shorts will follow two characters: a young Morgan Elsbeth and former Jedi Barriss Offee. Like Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire puts the focus on choice and how characters’ choices affect their destinies. And yes, Tales of the Empire confirms that Barriss Offee did indeed pursue the path of becoming an Inquisitor!

One-time Jedi and friend of Ahsoka Tano, Barriss betrayed the Jedi in the finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Disillusioned with the Jedi Order and the Republic, the Padawan bombed the Jedi Temple and let Ahsoka take the fall. The act led to Ahsoka’s false imprisonment and eventual departure from the Jedi Order. We never learned what happened to Barriss, though many fans believed she turned to the Imperial Inquisitorius. The Star Wars: Tales of the Empire trailer confirms this. We don’t know why or if she goes on to officially become an Inquisitor, but we see her working towards it, and we can’t wait to see what happens. A new clip from the series even shows us Barriss taking her first steps toward darkness.

Then there’s a young Morgan Elsbeth turning to Grand Admiral Thrawn and asking to serve the Empire. That’s likely the beginning of their close relationship that we later see play out in Ahsoka. Morgan is carrying no small amount of anger over what happened to her Dathomirian sisters and she has a plan for revenge.

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The official synopsis for Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi states:

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a six-episode journey into the fearsome Galactic Empire through the eyes of two warriors on divergent paths, set during different eras. After losing everything, young Morgan Elsbeth navigates the expanding Imperial world toward a path of vengeance, while former Jedi Barriss Offee does what she must to survive a rapidly changing galaxy. The choices they make will define their destinies.

Dave Filoni created the series and is the supervising director. He is also an executive producer along with Athena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck. Josh Rimes serves as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood is the senior producer. The talented voice cast includes Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), Meredith Salenger (Barriss Offee), Rya Kihlstedt (Lyn aka Fourth Sister), Wing T. Chao (Wing), Lars Mikkelsen (Thrawn), Jason Isaacs (Grand Inquisitor), and Matthew Wood (General Grievous).

When Is Star Wars: Tales of the Empire‘s Release Date?

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire will premiere on Disney+ with all six episodes on May 4 to celebrate May the Fourth Be With You. And as for Tales of the Jedi, we learned at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2023 that a second season was in the works. Hopefully we’ll learn about that release date soon.

Originally published on April 4, 2024.

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Universal Orlando has big things ahead with the opening of Epic Universe in 2025. The new theme park will bring some beloved worlds to life, including the Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon, and Super Nintendo World. In its latest round of reveals, Universal has pulled back the curtain on Super Nintendo World to share details about the attractions and shopping. Both Universal Studios Japan and Hollywood have Super Nintendo Worlds, but Orlando’s Epic Universe will see the US debuts of a couple attractions.

It all begins with going through the green pipe portal to Super Nintendo World. Like in other parks, Super Nintendo World in Epic Universe will have an immersive design that brings in elements from the games. Peach’s Castle, Mr. Beanpole, Piranha Plants—they’re all here alongside Goombas and spinning coins.

Super Mario Land’s Rides and Food

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In the Super Mario Land portion of Super Nintendo World, here’s what visitors can enjoy:

• Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge: Guests are invited to join Team Mario and battle Team Bowser for the Golden Cup in this groundbreaking attraction that fuses augmented reality, projection mapping technology and elaborate environments to bring the fun of the Mario Kart video game series to life in a compelling ride-through experience.
  Guests up for the challenge will enter through Bowser’s Castle – where they’ll wind its corridors and get a glimpse of Bowser’s deceptive plans to stack the odds in his favor – before boarding their kart and heading to the starting line. Then, guests steer through a variety of Mario Kart courses – collecting coins, tossing shells at Team Bowser, dodging obstacles, and more – as they join their favorite characters and compete to help Team Mario win the race.
• Yoshi’s Adventure: The delightful Yoshi’s Adventure attraction will make its US. debut when Super Nintendo World opens at Universal Epic Universe. On this family-friendly ride, guests of all ages will enjoy breathtaking views of Super Mario Land as they join Yoshis and travel through Mushroom Kingdom landscapes in search of glowing eggs – encountering many familiar characters along the way.
• Toadstool Cafe: At Toadstool Cafe, guests can enjoy a variety of tasty dishes inspired by the world of Super Mario and its characters, including Mario and Luigi-themed burgers, Super Mushroom Soup, Piranha Plant Caprese, Fire Flower Spaghetti and Meatballs and so much more. Guests will also get glimpses of several Toads cooking up culinary creations through various virtual windows as they dine inside the restaurant.
• Yoshi’s Snack Island and Turbo Boost Treats: Guests can also pick up delicious treats, snacks and beverages at these walk-up dining locations.
• 1-UP Factory and Mario Motors: Guests can shop for souvenirs, apparel, toys and more inspired by their favorite Super Mario characters and adventures within these retail locations.
• Meet and Greets: Guests can meet, greet and interact with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad throughout various areas in Super Mario Land.

Donkey Kong Country

An entrance at the edge of Super Mario Land will lead guests to Donkey Kong Country. It’s a tropical landscape with waterfalls and lush trees with landmarks such as The Golden Temple. Here’s what Universal has announced for Donkey Kong Country so far:

• Mine-Cart Madness: Guests will hop into a mine cart and careen through the jungle to help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the coveted golden banana on this first-of-its-kind family coaster. Utilizing an unprecedented ride system, innovative technology and a unique coaster design, Mine-Cart Madness will send riders on a thrilling adventure where they will experience the jaw-dropping maneuvers that they’ve seen Donkey Kong and the mine carts perform in the video games – including getting blasted out of a barrel, seemingly jumping over gaps as they speed along a rickety track, and so much more.

Visitors can also expect a selection of tropical menu and merchandise offerings in the middle of the jungle – all inspired by the Donkey Kong Country video game franchise and its characters. More details will be shared in the coming months.

Epic Universe‘s 2025 opening can’t come soon enough.

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If you’ve played Stardew Valley, you know how big an element food plays in the game. You grow it on your farm, you forage for it, you fish for it. Then you craft meals and use them to win the hearts of your fellow Pelican Town villagers. Or maybe you keep those meals for yourselves to provide plenty of energy for long expeditions in the mines. Whatever your motivation for learning recipes in the game, you don’t need any reason to prepare them in real life besides the fact that you want to. The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook by game creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone and Ryan Novak gives you all the reasons you need to pretend to be The Queen of Sauce. You can get started now because we have your exclusive look at recipes for the Strange Bun and Void Mayonnaise.

The Stardew Valley cookbook follows the seasonal vibes of the popular video game. Recipes are divided by the time of year and taken from the in-game meals and food. This cookbook is more than only recipes, though. You get photographs, original illustrations, and lots of little character notes. For this Stardew Valley enthusiast who has put hundreds of hours into different farms, it’s delightful.

You can get a taste of the illustrations and photographs in The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook in these Strange Bun and Void Mayonnaise recipe pages. We know almost no characters like these items in the game, but out of the game? Both recipes sound delicious.

Click To View Gallery

And here are the recipes:

Strange Bun and Void Mayonnaise

LOBSTER IN A SOFT BUN WITH A GARLIC MAYONNAISE DIP

From the Kitchen of: Shane

Yield: Makes 6 Buns

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (120 ml) WHOLE MILK

1 2/3 cups (230 g) plus 3 tablespoons BREAD FLOUR

3 tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

3 tablespoons MALTED MILK POWDER

2 tablespoons packed DARK BROWN SUGAR

KOSHER SALT

1 (1/4-oz; 7 g) packet INSTANT YEAST

1/2 cup (120 ml) BUTTERMILK, at room temperature

2 LARGE EGGS, at room temperature

1 cup (140 g) ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

2 whole LOBSTERS (about 1 1/2 lb; 680 g each)

1/2 cup (l stick; 110 g) SALTED BUTTER

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

6 large SAGE LEAVES, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons finely grated LEMON ZEST

2 GARLIC CLOVES, finely grated

VOID MAYONNAISE, for serving (recipe follows)

Special Equipment:

6-cup JUMBO MUFFIN TIN and 6 (6-inch; 15 cm) WOODEN SKEWERS

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the whole milk and 3 tablespoons of the bread flour until smooth. Place the saucepan over low heat and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and like cake batter, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer the milk mixture to a small bowl and let cool until just barely warm to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly grease a large bowl with a little butter.

In another large bowl, whisk together the malted milk powder, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, the yeast, buttermilk, and 1 egg until well combined. Add the remaining 1 2/3 cups (230 g) bread flour, the all-purpose flour, and the milk mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until mostly combined and resembling a very shaggy dough. (There will still be a good amount of flour at the bottom of the bowl, and that is okay as long as the mixture is no longer wet.) Using your hands, continue to mix until you have a fairly smooth dough. Add the 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, using your hands to work the butter into the dough before adding more. Every time you add more butter, the dough will start to feel greasier, but that is okay. Use one hand to knead the dough while you use your other hand to hold down the bowl. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the sticky side of the bowl as needed. Continue kneading the dough in the bowl until it is no longer wet and sticky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Turn out the dough onto a clean flat surface and continue kneading (now with both hands) until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the greased bowl, and turn to coat with the grease. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature until puffed to almost double its size, about 2 hours.

Lightly grease the cups of a 6-cup large-cup muffin tin.

Deflate the dough and gently press it into a rectangle (the size really doesn’t matter). Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece into a 16-inch (40 cm) rope about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick.

Starting at one end, roll each rope into a semi-conical spiral shape with a larger base and 2 coils that get slightly smaller as you work upward. The second coil will be almost the same size as the base, but the third coil on the top will be much smaller than the first two. Tuck the second end of the dough into the top of the bun and place the buns into the muffin cups as you form them. Nudge a 6-inch (15 cm) wooden skewer pointed side up into the very center of each bun.

Let the buns rest, uncovered, at room temperature until puffy and squishy like jumbo marshmallows, about 1 hour. The fully puffed buns should fill most of the muffin cups. After they puff up, the buns might end up leaning over. Use the wooden skewers to gently lift the buns and coax them so they sit straight again. Don’t be concerned if they are not perfect; the imperfection will add to the “strangeness” of the buns.

About 40 minutes into the buns’ second proof, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and a splash of water. Brush the egg wash lightly onto the risen buns. Bake the buns until golden brown all over and the dough is cooked through, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once after 20 minutes. Transfer the buns from the muffin cups to a wire rack to cool completely.

Remove the wooden skewers and use a small paring knife to make a roughly 2-inch (5 cm) opening at the top of each bun, then use your fingers to carefully hollow out the buns, leaving a 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) wall on the sides and bottom. (Save the bun tops and any extra pieces to make fresh bread crumbs, if desired.) Loosely cover the buns.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Fill an extra-large bowl with ice water and season it generously with salt.

Add the lobsters to the pot, cover with a lid, and boil until the shells are bright red and the meat is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the lobsters directly to the ice bath to cool.

Pat the lobsters dry with a kitchen towel. Remove the meat from the claws, tails, and legs and roughly chop into bite-size chunks; you should have about 2 1/2 cups (340 g). Chill the lobster meat.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the salted butter. Add several large grinds of black pepper and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until light brown specks start to form and the butter smells nutty, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the sage, lemon zest, and grated garlic, and warm for 1 minute in the residual heat. (Be careful during this step because the mixture will get quite foamy and might sputter.) Add the lobster and stir to combine in the warm butter sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Divide the lobster mixture among the 6 hollowed-out buns. Drizzle any extra butter sauce over the lobster and serve immediately, accompanied by the mayonnaise.

VOID MAYONNAISE

Makes 1 scant cup (190 g)

5 black garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon food-grade finely ground activated charcoal powder

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

3/4 cup (175 ml) neutral oil, such as light olive oil

Use the back of a large kitchen knife to smash the garlic until it forms a paste (about 2 teaspoons). Transfer to a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the activated charcoal and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Whisk until the charcoal is dissolved. Add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, and a large pinch of salt, and whisk again until smooth.

Very slowly, begin to drizzle the oil into the bowl with the egg mixture, whisking constantly and vigorously. At the beginning, you want to add the oil nearly drop by drop to form an emulsion. Make sure any oil you add is incorporated into the egg mixture before adding more.

When you have added nearly half the oil, increase the speed at which you add the oil but still add it slowly and continue to whisk constantly and vigorously. At this point, your arm will be tired, but muster your strength and persevere (or ask a friend to help out).

When the mixture is thick and creamy, add the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, a small splash of water, and the black garlic paste. Whisk until smooth. If the mayonnaise is super thick, whisk in additional water, a small splash at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed.

Reprinted from The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook by ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak. © 2024 by ConcernedApe LLC. Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook arrives on May 14. You can place a pre-order now.

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It’s hard to believe, but The Phantom Menace arrived in theaters 25 years ago. It premiered on May 19, 1999. As the first news Star Wars movie in nearly 20 years, the film had a lot to live up to, especially since it explored the origins of Darth Vader. The movie marks the in-universe beginning of the Skywalker saga. The Phantom Menace will be returning to theaters soon to celebrate the milestone anniversary on May 3. That’s right before May the 4th, a.k.a. Star Wars Day. Hasbro has several new items for that special day, including an absolutely perfect retro collection multipack of action figures for The Phantom Menace.

This multipack comes with action figures for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks, and a battle droid. In other words, it’s the ideal The Phantom Menace action figure sampler pack. It’s made all the cooler by the retro sculpt style. The lightsabers look like they’re from the ’70s and just look at Qui-Gon’s fabric cape! Take a closer gander at the figures in the gallery below.

Click To View Gallery

Inspired by the design of 1970s Kenner Star Wars action figures, these 3.75 inch scale The Phantom Menace figures each have five points of articulation. Each figure is individually packaged on a cardboard back within the box. The packaging has classic Kenner branding and a weathered look. As usual with these figures, the cardboard backing also has a large “Retro collection” label that takes away some of the coolness. However, if you’re like me, you open your action figures so the packaging doesn’t matter anyway.

Other items in the Hasbro May the 4th release include an Epic Hero series stormtrooper, Epic Hero series Paz Vizsla, a Vintage Collection Jango Fett, a Black Series Droideka, a Black Series Darth Vader, and a Vintage Collection Mandalorian.

This multipack of The Phantom Menace action figures retails for $59.99 and is available in stores now.

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Keefe Sencen is a key character in Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Since the first book in the fantasy series released in 2012, his character has taken all kinds of delicious twists and turns. From devil-may-care troublemaker to serious spy, Keefe always surprises. We’ll learn a lot more about the Keefster in the next book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities, Unraveled. This is book 9.5, a full-length novel that bridges what happened in Stellarlune (book 9) and what will happen in book 10 of the series. It’s told from Keefe’s point of view, and appropriately, Keefe takes center stage on the cover. Take a look at the cover of Unraveled, Keeper of the Lost Cities book 9.5.

Jason Chan’s art sets the tone for the book, but don’t take it from me. Shannon Messenger tells Nerdist, “Since this is book 9.5 in the series, and written in a new character’s POV, we wanted a cover that matched the others—but also made it clear this book is a little bit different. So there’s no Sophie this time (gasp!) and we went with a human city for the setting, because Unraveled is all about Keefe’s adventures in the human world. I love how the final art captures both the scene and the mood of the story—and how could I not adore a cover that’s totally Keefe! Keefe! Keefe! Jason Chan never ceases to amaze me with how perfectly he draws my characters and his absolutely breathtaking imagery.”

I don’t know if we’re ready for all the antics Keefe will run into as he tries to navigate the world of humans. But if there’s one thing we can say about Keefe, it’s that he’s always trying his best. We can’t wait to spend time with his perspective. He’s been through a lot, but Keefe usually manages to be entertaining in spite of it.

The description for Unraveled states:

Please be careful. Please be happy. And PLEASE forget all about me. It’ll be better for everyone that way.

Those were the last words Keefe Sencen wrote to Sophie Foster before he ran away to the Forbidden Cities. He didn’t want to leave, but it was the only way to keep his friends safe while he figured out how to control his scary new powers and searched for answers about his past.

What he found was so much more than adventures in Humanland.

Where did he go? What did he do? And who did he meet while the rest of his friends worked to solve the mystery of Stellarlune? The answers go far beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined, and give Keefe the power to change his destiny.

Oh boy, Humanland. While I will miss the Lost Cities, I’m curious to spend more time in the world I know. Unraveled, Keeper of the Lost Cities book 9.5, will arrive on November 12, 2024. It can’t get here fast enough. You can place a pre-order now.

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Disney animated movies wouldn’t be the same without adorable animal companions helping out the protagonists. Actually, all the critters have to do is appear and look cute and/or menacing, and we’re sold. It’s been a delight to see our favorite Disney animals in Disney Lorcana, the trading card game from Ravensburger. The next set of Disney Lorcana, Ursula’s Return, will have animal companions too, obviously. Today we can reveal five of the animal companion cards from Ursula’s Return. All of these buddies are making their first appearance in Lorcana, too!

Click To View Gallery

We have an Emerald Cri-Kee (Mulan), an Emerald Jaq (Cinderella), a Ruby Khan (Mulan), a Steel Rajah (Aladdin), and an Amethyst Tick-Tock (Peter Pan). We know Tick-Tock isn’t an animal companion in the traditional sense, but we still wanted to show him off. After all, he’s only a crocodile doing what crocodiles do. Even if he does eat people, Tick-Tock has his charms.

Of these cards, Cri-Kee jumps out. With a value of three lore, Cri-Kee will be excellent at questing. Plus, when you play this little one, all of your other characters get an additional three strength—not just one, all of them. Played at the right time, Cri-Kee could help your characters throw down in some challenges. We also appreciate Jaq simply for this line on his card: “Teamwork makes the cheese work.”

These animals join a ton of new faces from movies like Encanto and Fantasia, along with new Floodborn heroes. Rise of the Floodborn saw Ursula freed from the Illuminary and now she’s ready to take over Lorcana. Ursula’s Return sounds a lot like it’s going to be Ursula’s revenge. We’re eager to know more about how gameplay will evolve with this fourth release of Lorcana. We won’t have to wait for too long. Ursula’s Return will release at local game stores, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and select Disney Store retail locations on May 17, 2024. It will then be available from mass market retailers on May 31, 2024.

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Jim Henson was a visionary artist, someone who brightened the world with his creations and stories. His creative mind breathed life into Sesame Street, The Muppets, Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal. Henson shaped many a childhood with his joyful spirit. A new Disney+ documentary from director Ron Howard will look back at Henson’s career and home life. The trailer for Jim Henson Idea Man promises an intimate glimpse into Henson’s history, and it’s making us feel all the feelings—especially with its blatant use of “Rainbow Connection” to compromise our hearts (in the best way).

Since the trailer puts us on the verge of tears, we know we’ll need tissues when we watch the documentary. The documentary trailer promises conversations with Henson’s family and long-time collaborators such as the inimitable Frank Oz and even Labyrinth‘s Jennifer Connelly. Howard made Jim Henson Idea Man with the full participation and cooperation of the Henson family. That means the footage will include never-before-seen personal archival home movies, photographs, sketches, and Henson’s personal diaries. Now if Disney can only release a book to go with the documentary!

It seems like this documentary is going to be an in-depth and inspiring look at an iconic person who was taken from the world too soon. Henson passed in 1990 at only 53 years old. We’re sure Jim Henson Idea Man will only encourage others to pursue their passions and add more positivity and joy to the world. Goodness knows the world could use it.

The original documentary from Disney Branded Television is produced by Imagine Documentaries. Howard also serves as a producer alongside Brian Grazer, Sara Bernstein, Margaret Bodde, Justin Wilkes, Mark Monroe, and Christopher St. John. Paul Crowder, Meredith Kaulfers, and Michael Rosenberg serve as executive producers.

Jim Henson Idea Man premieres on May 31 on Disney+.

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Who doesn’t want to live like a Hobbit? Moving into a Hobbit hole in the Shire’s rolling hills and tending a garden and brewing ale sounds like a dream. Like Bilbo Baggins says, “It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.” Maybe you aren’t able to run away to Hobbiton in real life, but a new video game will let you imagine a more straightforward existence as a Hobbit. Tales of the Shire from Private Division and Wētā Workshop is a Hobbit life sim that allows to you farm, fish, decorate your home, and explore the place you live. It looks enchanting.

This is exactly how I want to experience the world of Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings is full of danger and battles, but I want to sit by a warm hearth and read a book. Traveling to the Hobbiton set is a long-held dream of mine. Tales of the Shire will give me a taste of what that might be like. The game is the latest in a long line of life sims that offer escape—games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Disney Dreamlight Valley. Even Dungeons & Dragons is working on a game that’s part life sim.

Your goal as a Hobbit is to bring the community of Bywater together. Tales of the Shire‘s description states:

Create and personalise a Hobbit with an array of customisations to experience the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Middle-earth universe your own way. Settle in and decorate a cosy Hobbit home, choosing from an array of furniture and home décor to create your unique, humble abode. Then head outdoors to Bywater for plenty of cooking, fishing, foraging, gardening, and more relaxing activities in the Shire. Toss your lure to catch trout from the glistening waters of Bywater Pool, gather wild mushrooms, and then use the collected ingredients to bake a succulent pie to serve for luncheon. With a full belly, stroll back outside to explore the Shire and build relationships with the Bywater locals by helping them to build a garden, sharing one of the many daily Hobbit meals, and more.

Tales of the Shire will debut in 2024 on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

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Prime Video’s adaptation of Fallout only premiered one week ago. That’s hard for us to believe. Maybe that’s because time has no meaning when all you’ve been doing is thinking about Fallout. The TV series has added to the game’s canon by answering big questions, exploring the origins of Vault Boy, and so much more. And this journey through the Wasteland will only continue because Amazon has officially renewed Fallout for season two.

The news of Fallout season two comes after we learned in early April that the post-apocalyptic series would relocate filming to California for its second season due to a $25 million tax credit. But now, it’s official. That’s good because we have many questions after the ending of season one. Many.

Amazon reports the series lands among Prime Video’s top three most-watched titles ever and the most-watched season globally since The Rings of Power. Based on all the chatter we’ve seen about Fallout, we’re not surprised. Executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy said in a statement: “Praise be to our insanely brilliant showrunners, Geneva [Robertson-Dworet] and Graham [Wagner], to our kick-ass cast, to Todd and James and all the legends at Bethesda, and to Jen, Vernon and the amazing team at Amazon for their incredible support of this show. We can’t wait to blow up the world all over again.”

The story based on the video game from Bethesda took many paths through the Wasteland. It also showed the past and the choices that led to the bombs dropping. We can’t wait to see more of Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Walton Goggins’ the Ghoul, and Aaron Moten’s Maximus.

Here’s hoping Prime Video will air season two of Fallout weekly instead of dropping the whole season at once. We want to make the travels through the Wasteland as long as possible

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We’re only a month away from new Doctor Who. We got to know Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor in “The Church on Ruby Road.” That 2023 Christmas special also introduced Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, his companion. The duo is set for all kinds of adventures in season one of Doctor Who. Before we even got to those adventures though, we heard rumors in early 2024 stating Millie Gibson had already departed the role ahead of the second season and that the Doctor would get a new companion. And on Friday afternoon, we got confirmation from Bad Wolf and BBC that Andor‘s Varada Sethu would be joining the series as the Doctor’s new companion in season two.

The news states Sethu’s joining the show “alongside current companion Ruby Sunday.” So, Gibson is not leaving the show after all. A photo from a season two table read shows Sethu with Gatwa and Gibson. We love that the Doctor will have two companions by his side throughout season two, and we can’t wait to see them all in action.

In a statement, Sethu said, “I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family – because that is what they are – for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with. This is SO much fun!”

Showrunner Russell T Davies, who has worked with Sethu before, said, “Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we’ve got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side—we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!”

Doctor Who season one will hit Disney+ on May 10, 2024 with its first two episodes. The second season is currently set to come our way in 2025.

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Not long before Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stomped into theaters and brought the beloved Titans to the big screen, we saw them in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The Apple TV+ series from Legendary Entertainment explored a key mystery of the Monsterverse with its first season. That story will continue because Apple TV+ has renewed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for season two. Additionally, the streamer has struck a new multi-series deal with Legendary that includes multiple spinoff series based on the franchise. We’ll take all the Monsterverse they can give us.

While Monarch: Legacy of Monsters did feature Titans, it put the emphasis on the human story. Two siblings, Cate and Kentaro, searched for their missing father and as a result, stumbled upon some Titan-sized family secrets. Their journey led them to the organization known as Monarch, a complex group that keeps an eye on the monsters lurking on our planet. Season one of the show ended with a little bit of a time jump and more questions that need to be answered.

Morgan Wandell, head of international development for Apple TV+ said in a release:

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has left an indelible imprint on the hearts, minds and imaginations of audiences around the world, led by the brilliance of Chris, Matt, Kurt, Wyatt and the incredibly gifted talented cast and creative team. We couldn’t be more excited for viewers to not only have the chance to experience even more thrills in season two, but to embark on epic, new journeys in the franchise, as we expand Legendary’s Monsterverse.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season two is executive produced by Chris Black, Matt Fraction, Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell from Safehouse Pictures, Matt Shakman, Andrew Colville, and Jen Roskind. Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita executive produce on behalf of Toho Co., Ltd., the owner of the Godzilla character.

We don’t know a release date or details about the story yet, but we’re already looking forward to more Monarch.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Surprise! Moana’s story isn’t over. During a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Disney Animation is working on Moana 2. The sequel follows up the 2016 movie centering on a girl who longed for adventure, and in taking said adventure, helped her people and found herself. The Moana sequel is already well underway and will see the characters Moana (obviously) and Maui returning. Happily, the voice of the original Moana, Auli’i Cravalho, will also be back for the Moana sequel. Dwayne Johnson will also reportedly return as the demi-god Maui. Disney even already has a brief first look. Watch it here:

The footage accompanies an image that hints at a grand journey ahead for Moana and Maui. It’s making us hope that Moana 2 has even more of life under the sea. For now, we know this about Moana 2‘s story:

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

Given that Journey of Water recently opened at EPCOT, it feels right to get more Moana stories. We know there’s a live-action Moana in the works, but that’s not the same as continuing her tale. As much as I wish Disney would focus on original stories, I still feel excited about watching Moana return to the sea and learning what happened after she saved Motunui. This round, however, had better include more Pua. The first film didn’t feature enough of that cute little pig.

Dave Derrick Jr. will direct Moana 2. The film will feature music from Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.

What Is Moana 2‘s Release Date?

We won’t have to wait long for Moana 2. It’s sailing to theaters on November 27, 2024.

Originally published on February 7, 2024.

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Among Us released in 2018, but the online multiplayer social deduction game really took off in 2020. The game from Innersloth revolves around identifying Imposters and who is the most ‘sus’ of the group. We learned in June 2023 that an Among Us animated series was in the works from Innersloth and CBS Studios. And now, in news we first saw at Variety, the Among Us animated series has a star-studded voice cast. The show will feature stars from The Lord of the Rings, The Last of Us, Community, and WandaVision.

Click To View Gallery

The Among Us animated series voice cast will include the following—at least for Round 1:

Ashley Johnson as Purple, Chief of Security
Safety, suspicion, sarcasm
Task: wet blanket
Fun Fact: trust issues

Elijah Wood as Green, Unpaid Intern
Happy to be there
Task: whatever they’re told
Fun Fact: gets paid in pizza

Randall Park as Red, Captain of The Skeld
People-pleaser, blowhard
Task: leadership, confidence
Fun Fact: failed upwards

Yvette Nicole Brown as Orange, HR
Spineless corporate shill
Task: eliminate redundancy, redundantly
Fun Fact: fires you over email

Further casting news also reveals:

Dan Stevens as Blue, Doctor
Knowledgeable, charming, so hot
Task: physical and emotional care
Fun Fact: also has a doctorate in poetry

Liv Hewson as Black, Geologist
Stoic, coarse, rock-like
Task: supervising the ore shipments
Fun Fact: prefers rocks to people

Kimiko Glenn as Cyan, Gemologist
Healing through crystals
Task: supervising the vibes
Fun Fact: the vibes are bad

We can’t wait to see the kind of shenanigans this crew will get into.

The Among Us animated series’ story follows that of the game. The official logline says:

Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the Impostor or fall victim to its murderous designs.

No word on a release window yet, but stay tuned for more Among Us animated series details.

Originally published on March 15, 2024.

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The first trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte dropped on Tuesday and introduced us to a lot of Jedi and at least one foe. Set during the era of the High Republic, the dramatic series promises many, many Jedi. We love seeing more Jedi for a number of reasons. For one, they’re usually interesting—especially given that this time period that hasn’t been explored on the screen yet. What will the Jedi Order be like?! Also, Jedi make for excellent action figures. To that end, Nerdist has a closer look at five of Hasbro’s Black Series figures for The Acolyte. This unveiling is part of a fanstream for Lucasfilm’s Imperial March and comes just in time to celebrate The Acolyte’s trailer release.

The Acolyte Black Series figures include: Padawan Jecki Lon, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar, Jedi Master Indara, Jedi Master Sol, and the assassin Mae. See each individual figure more closely in the gallery below and then learn more about the figures.

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All figures are premium six-inch with multiple points of articulation and inspired by the characters as seen in The Acolyte.

• Padawan Jecki Lon – played by Dafne Keen in the series, the Jecki Lon figure comes with a lightsaber accessory with a removable blade.
• Jedi Knight Yord Fandar – played by Charlie Barnett in the series, the Yord Fandar figure comes with a lightsaber accessory with a removable blade.
• Jedi Master Indara – played by Carrie-Anne Moss in the series, the Indara figure comes with a lightsaber accessory with a removable blade.
• Jedi Master Sol – played by Lee Jung-jae in the series, the Sol figure comes with a lightsaber accessory with a removable blade.
• Mae – played by Amandla Stenberg in the series, the Mae figure comes with five entertainment-inspired accessories including four knife accessories and a removable face wrap.

The Acolyte Black Series figures will be available this summer from Hasbro; each costs $24.99. You can pre-order them on March 21 at 1:00pm ET from Amazon, Hasbro Pulse, and other major retailers. The series premieres on Disney+ on June 4.

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Dungeons & Dragons has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year in a number of ways. We’ve heard about a book about the history of D&D, a life sim-style video game, and more. Now, we can add a LEGO set to the list. LEGO has announced the LEGO Ideas Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set, designed by a fan and chosen from over 600 submissions. Twenty-three-year-old Lucas Bold, a.k.a. BoltBuilds, designed this set that brings a typical adventuring moment from the tabletop roleplaying game to life in glorious brick style.

The Design of the Dungeons & Dragons LEGO Set

Bold worked with the LEGO Design team to come up with the unique Forgotten Realm setting in the final set. The LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set is 3,745 pieces. It features a tavern (complete with removable roof), a dungeon, and a tower. You can populate the set with six LEGO minifigs, including an Orc Rogue, Gnome Fighter, Elf Wizard, and Dwarf Cleric. Brick-built monsters are along for the battle too, including a beholder, an owlbear, and a displacer beast. Cinderhowl, the red dragon, can wrap around the tower. Flip through the gallery below to check them all out!

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To add an immersive element, the Wizards of the Coast team developed a bespoke adventure for this Dungeons & Dragons LEGO set. It’s available for LEGO Insiders as a free digital download or as a paperback book for Insider points. It will be available through D&D Beyond as well. You can watch a group of bold players go through this adventure on April 6 at 9:00pm PT on the Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel.

What Is the Release Date for the Dungeons & Dragons LEGO Set?

The LEGO Ideas Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set will be available for LEGO Insiders to buy on April 1 from LEGO’s site and retail stores. Everyone will be able to buy it on April 4. The price is $359.99. In between April 1-7, all purchases of the set will come with a LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Mimic Dice Box as a free gift. Finally, the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons minifigs series will launch in September.

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Get ready for another Dungeons & Dragons video game. Gameloft, the creators of the delightful life sim Disney Dreamlight Valley, is partnering with Wizards of the Coast for a Dungeons & Dragons game for PC and consoles. If it’s anything at all like Dreamlight Valley, we’re all in and ready to spend dozens of hours playing. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms universe, which likely means all kinds of gorgeous locations. It’s a hybrid of survival, life simulation, and action RPG. We’d be happy with a straightforward D&D life sim, but we’ll take this combo.

Gameloft says players can expect an adventure where the rich lore of the D&D franchise meets real-time survival in a unique campaign of resilience, camaraderie, and danger at nearly every turn. Dungeons & Dragons often brings monsters to slay and problems to solve. Playing the roleplaying game isn’t as fun without all those stakes. So, it makes sense that a video game would bring some of that to its narrative. Gameloft also notes the D&D game will have “unique cooperative gameplay.”

Gameloft executive producer at Gameloft Montreal Lee Kaburis said in a statement, “We are honored to partner with Wizards of the Coast to deliver a completely new experience in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. We are all big fans of D&D and are already hard at work bringing our concept to life, including growing our team, and we look forward to sharing more details in the future.”

No word yet on a release window. Until we get more news, we’ll just stare longingly at the stunning key art and imagine the adventures ahead.

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Disney isn’t the only studio looking to their animation catalog for live-action inspiration. Universal is adapting DreamWorks Animation’s popular How to Train Your Dragon as a live-action movie (via Deadline). Director Dean DeBlois, who helmed the three How to Train Your Dragon animated films, will write, direct, and produce the live-action version. The adaptation already has a release date, too: March 14, 2025. That’s just about 15 years after the animated film premiered. According to The Hollywood Reporter, How to Train Your Dragon has found its human riders as well, with Mason Thames and Nico Parker starring as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively. Thames’ recent turn in The Black Phone and Parker’s short yet pivotal role as Joel’s daughter Sarah in The Last of Us make them familiar faces to audiences. Additional casting news for the How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie also reveals the return of a familiar face.

That’s right. The How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie will see Gerard Butler make the leap from voice to screen. In the animated versions of the movie, Butler gave life to Viking chief Stoick the Vast, who is also Hiccup’s father. And now he’ll do so literally. Deadline reveals that while “the studio went with new faces for Hiccup and Astrid since the actors that had previously voiced the characters are now adults, the idea of having Butler return as Stoick, the strong-willed Viking chief who is also a single father trying to raise his son, was too good to pass up.” It remains to be seen if How to Train Your Dragon‘s other stars, which include, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, and Kristen Wiig, will appear in the live-action.

In the meantime, Nick Frost has also joined the cast as the viking, Gobber the Belch. And additionally, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn have come aboard the film. According to Variety, “Dennison, Howell, James and Trevaldwyn have been respectively cast as Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut.” Finally, Ruth Codd as come aboard as Phlegma, a Viking villager whose character was originally voiced by Ashley Jensen.

How to Train Dragon released in the United States on March 26, 2010. The film, which DeBlois co-directed with Chris Sanders, tells the story of a young Viking named Hiccup. Based on the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, we watch as Hiccup meets Toothless the dragon and decides to help him instead of hunt him. Subsequent films in the trilogy further explore the relationship between the Vikings and the dragons, as well as Hiccup and Toothless’ bond.

The How to Train Your Dragon adaptation will mark DeBlois’ live-action directing debut. We don’t know yet if Universal has further plans to adapt the entire trilogy. Currently, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie is slated to release on June 13, 2025.

Originally published on May 30, 2023.

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Back when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge first opened, some theme park fans worried Disney would drop Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. The classic Disney Parks ride—Disney’s first Star Wars attraction—remains a wild and delightful. Happily, it’s a ride Disney continues to update as new Star Wars stories release. And it will be getting an infusion of fresh adventures soon. Star Tours is adding features and locations from the Disney+ series Ahsoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian.

Click To View Gallery

The Disney Parks Blog shared the news on Tuesday morning, saying these additions mean that Star Tours now has more than 250 storyline variations. If you haven’t been on the ride, it randomizes between different segments. You’ll have one kind of opening, travel to different locations, get a transmission from one of a variety of characters, and all of those parts are variable. The update will include Peridea from Ahsoka, so you could get to travel beyond the known galaxy. Please don’t get stranded out there. The below video teases the journey to Peridea.

The ride is getting transmissions from Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor, Din Djarin, and Grogu too. You’ll have to board the Starspeeder multiple times and see if you can catch everyone. It’s not an easy mission, but we believe in you.

Star Tours will start its new adventures at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris on April 5, 2024. This date coincides with the launch of Season of the Force at Disneyland.

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Each Disney Lorcana release brings a change that impacts the game and player strategy. Sure, the Ravensburger game is only on its third release, but this has been true so far. The latest chapter, Into the Inklands, brought location cards. To say they change everything sounds dramatic, but the cards do change a lot by adding another dynamic to the board. Along with the starter decks and other products, each Disney Lorcana release comes with an Illumineer’s Trove and a Gift Set. Ravensburger sent Nerdist one of each for review, and the Illumineer’s Trove in particular has some nice extras, but they come at the cost of our favorite part of past troves.

Into the Inklands Illumineer’s Trove

Here’s what comes with the Illumineer’s Trove:

• 8 booster packs
• 1 lore tracker
• 6 dice to track damage
• 6 card dividers
• 1 storage box

For a $49.99 MSRP, the Illumineer’s Trove remains, in my opinion, the best value in Disney Lorcana. The booster packs alone would cost $47 on their own, and the extras that come in the trove have improved in quality. Let’s look at those extras first.

The Into the Inklands Illumineer’s Trove box features card art from the adventurous set. Pirate Piglet is one of the best illustrations in Into the Inklands and you can’t convince me otherwise. The sides of the storage box showcase some of the locations from the set, and as someone who always wants to look at backgrounds in Disney animation art of books, these grabbed my attention.

The lore tracker is sturdier than previous iterations and carries the theme of Into the Inklands well enough. However, the dice and the card dividers are the winners here. I imagine dice will only become more of a thing for Lorcana as Ravensburger flexes on Lorcana merchandising and products (which seems like a matter of time), and these are a lovely start. They’re a inky, shimmery dark blue with gold numbers and pretty enough that I’d buy them on their own. Then the card dividers, one for each ink, are well-constructed and helpful for sorting out your collection. They’re much more functional than the so-so quality deck boxes from previous Illumineer’s Trove sets.

And speaking of the deck boxes, they’re gone in this release’s Trove. I don’t mind since they were flimsy. However, my favorite part of the previous Illumineer’s Trove releases is gone too: the booklet! The booklet had a list of the cards and called out some specific cards and ink combos to look out for in the set. More importantly, it featured part of the Lorcana lore and brought the game’s world to life more with text and illustrations. I’d rather have that than card dividers. Hopefully this means Ravensburger is working on standalone story booklets. We’ll see what the future brings.

Into the Inklands Gift Set

The Into the Inklands Gift Set comes with:

• 2 oversized foil cards
• 2 playable foil cards
• 34 damage counters
• 4 booster packs
• 2 lore tracker tokens

The Gift Set has a MSRP of $29.99. The booster packs alone get you to almost $24, so if you’re into collecting the oversized cards, this set is for you. While I like the idea of the oversized cards, they don’t do anything for me. I store them and then never look at them again. However, if you want to frame them or otherwise display them—maybe in your gaming space—then this is the set for you. While the damage counters and lore tracker tokens have improved in quality over time, I switched to tracking damage with dice ages ago. I do appreciate the attention to detail with the tokens changing to match the current chapter, in this case Into the Inklands. Gift sets can be fun to pair with a starter deck for a new player.

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands is already out in local game stores. Mass market retailers get the third set later this week on March 8, 2024.

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When Dungeons & Dragons got its start in the 1970s, no one involved probably imagined where it would end up. The wildly successful tabletop roleplaying game is unmatched in popularity. Countless players have sat around tables, rolled dice, and imagined over the decades. In honor of the game’s 50th anniversary, Wizards of the Coast is turning back the clock with the definitive record on how Dungeons & Dragons came to be. The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970 – 1977 explores the game’s history, including co-creator Gary Gygax’s first draft of D&D. This marks that draft’s first release to the public.

This collection pulls together early published writings, booklets, and supplements. Early articles and documents show the foundation for contemporary D&D. There’s even previously unpublished correspondence between Gygax and Dave Arneson, who co-created the roleplaying game. Other aspects of this tome of D&D history include:

• Peruse a remarkable collection of magazine and fanzine articles, many of which are no longer publicly available or remain undiscovered by D&D historians and fans of classic D&D.
• Flip through facsimiles of all the first printings of Original D&D, compiled in a single book for the first time in D&D’s publishing history.
• Explore the creation and development of the original 1974 game with insightful commentary by Jon Peterson, one of D&D’s foremost historians.

Wizards does note that some of the legacy content in The Making of Original D&D collection does not reflect the franchise’s value. They’re presenting everything as it was as history, but they recognize the depictions were wrong—then and now.

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970 – 1977 will arrive on shelves on June 18, 2024. The book is available for preorder now.

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Disney Lorcana isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The Disney animation-themed trading card game from Ravensburger just saw the release of its second set, Rise of the Floodborn. Even though we know the gaming company is releasing new cards quarterly, it’s still hard to believe it’s already time to learn about Disney Lorcana‘s third set. Yet here we are. The third installment is called Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands. The 200+ card set introduces a new type of card, new Disney characters, Lorcana lore, and more.

I love the adventurous look of the Into the Inklands logo. The name is a clue to the new type of cards, too: location cards. These will feature Disney story settings and offer players special abilities and interactions. Settings include Motonui from Moana and the Jolly Roger from Peter Pan. Some locations give bonuses when characters visit them, while other location cards provide benefits just by being in play.

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands Synopsis

Additionally, Lorcana‘s third set will debut new in-game mini-stories and expand featured characters. This comes through narrative on the cards as stories unfold through quotes and descriptive text. Ravensburger says this will allow players to discover even more links between cards.

As for those new characters, Into the Inklands will have several. The installment brings Pluto, Perdita from 101 Dalmatians, Scrooge McDuck from DuckTales, Kit Cloudkicker from TaleSpin, and Jim Hawkins and the RLS Legacy crew from Treasure Planet. The set will also introduce Atlantis: The Lost Empire. That’s a hefty dose of ’90s and early ’00s Disney nostalgia, and we’re here for it.

The Lorcana lore continues in Into the Inklands, too. A synopsis states:

The Disney Lorcana TCG set Into the Inklands continues the story of the Illumineers who were mysteriously transported to the realm of Lorcana (The First Chapter). After accidentally unleashing a flood of mixed ink (Rise of the Floodborn) that scattered precious lore throughout the realm, Illumineers are now tasked with finding the lore and returning it to the Hall of Lorcana. However, their quest may be more treacherous than they realize, as an ominous shadow storm has been spotted gathering at the edges of Lorcana, adding urgency and mystery to the path ahead.

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands‘ Trailer

A story trailer for Into the Inklands introduces Audrey Ramirez from Atlantis, as well as Dreamborn glimmers for Prince Eric and Tinker Bell. It teases a mysterious shadow taking King Triton’s trident.

The Into the Inklands release will include the following items:

• Amber and Emerald Starter Deck ($16.99)
• Sapphire and Ruby Starter Deck ($16.99)
• Booster packs ($5.99)
• Illumineers Trove ($49.99)
• Gift Set ($29.99)
• Play accessories: Card Sleeves, Deck Boxes, Card Portfolios, and Playmats

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands Release Date and Virtual Pre-Order Queue

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands will first release at local game stores on February 23, 2024. Mass market retailers will get the third set on March 8, 2024. To smooth inventory issues that have plagued Lorcana so far, Into the Inklands will introduce a new virtual pre-order queue.

A release shares the following pre-order information. It notes:

Fans can now sign up for a virtual queue on the official Amazon Ravensburger Disney Lorcana TCG set Into the Inklands product pages to be put into a lottery system. 

Once the queue is closed, people will be randomly selected to get an “invitation” via email where they will have 72 hours to confirm which products they want to purchase.

• Amazon will communicate when the product will be ready to ship.
• The queue system will be open for multiple days.
• The queue system will be U.S. only.
• If they do not purchase within the 72-hour timeframe, someone else will get an invitation to their spot.

Here are the direct links to each of the items:

• Into the Inklands Starter Set(Amber/Emerald): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFRCZKTW
• Into the Inklands Starter Set(Ruby/Sapphire): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFRCT33M
• Into the Inklands Booster Display: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CFRDMPWZ 
• Into the Inklands Illumineer’s Trove: https://amazon.com/dp/B0CFRCSWYZ
• Into the Inklands Gift Set: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFR98C1G

Originally published on December 6, 2023.

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Are you ready for the Jane Austen RPG you didn’t know you needed? Because 9th Level Games is delivering mashup magic with Sentai & Sensibility. Think of it like regency romance meets Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Or, as the game makers put it, Bridgerton meets Kaiju. It’s a beautiful combination on paper, isn’t it? The mashup, which we first saw at Dicebreaker, looks intriguing beyond paper too, as you can see in 9th Level Games’ successful Kickstarter campaign. Take a look at this art of Mx. Cedar Abode, the Golden Ranger.

That art is only a sampling of what Sentai & Sensibility has to offer. You will play a member of the Regency elite with the usual bustling social calendar that comes with the position. Everything is business as usual until a Kaiju appears and threatens everything. Then you and your Sentai of Rangers transform into a unit of suited heroes, a la Power Rangers. You will work to defend your precious society from a sneaky organization called the Syndicate.

Excuse me whilst I execute a dramatic Regency faint to express how much I adore this concept.

Each player creates a Sentai Warrior and a type of role: the Premier, the Ronin, the Hussar, or the Dragoon. The type of hero will dictate which die the player will roll, as well as other strengths. Get all the details you need from the Kickstarter page. You still have a handful of days to back the campaign and claim an early spot in the Sentai & Sensibility fandom. Levels include PDF version, physical books, and a deck of companion cards.

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Dungeons & Dragons keeps evolving across platforms. The beloved game keeps growing and changing. For its next leap, the tabletop game will head to the stage for the first-ever official Dungeons & Dragons theatrical production. The Twenty-Sided Tavern is an interactive theatrical adventure from Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, Curious Hedgehog, and Showpath Entertainment. This production began as a D&D-style roleplaying game on the stage and has transformed into experiential entertainment.

The Twenty-Sided Tavern has had limited showings in Chicago, Pittsburg, and The Edinburgh Fringe festival. Experiences sold out. But now the show will be settled in at Stage 42 in New York City. Previews begin on April 19, and the show officially opens on May 5. Here’s how Wizards describes the experience:

At Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern, the audience is not just a viewer but the “fourth player,” influencing key decisions via Gamiotics, a browser-based software that allows you to vote on where the story will go — what characters appear, what experiences they explore, and more. With a cast of five actors and over 30 playable characters, audiences will experience an expansive fantasy world set in the Forgotten Realms, and face riddles, puzzles, combat, and more, to help shape the story. Laughter will flow like ale and with the audience in full control and exciting reveals around every corner, no two shows are alike! For those seeking a more daring experience, there are opportunities to join the action onstage and test your strength (or dexterity, or wisdom, or charisma) through a variety of rollicking games, including trivia, charades, and the ever-popular Fantasy Beer Pong. Featuring behind-the-scenes talent from popular theatrical shows such as Dimension 20, Marvel’s Rogers: The Musical, Beavis and Butthead and more, Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern is the game you know and the experience you’ll love but bigger and better than ever.

You can get exclusive presale tickets for this Dungeons & Dragons theatrical production beginning on February 29. General public ticket sales begin on May 4. And if you can’t make it to New York, don’t worry. Plans are in the works for a national tour.

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Disney Lorcana‘s lore will expand with the upcoming release of Into the Inklands. The third chapter in Ravensburger‘s Disney animation-inspired trading card game comes with a different card type and some fresh faces. A fresh set of Disney Lorcana also means it’s time for new Enchanted cards! These cards are the rarest variety in the game and feature special artwork and foil. Today, Nerdist is happy to exclusively reveal one of Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands‘ Enchanted cards. It’s none other than Morph from Treasure Planet at his absolute shiniest.

This pink blob of space goo is one of my favorite parts of Treasure Planet, and given this card’s Mimicry ability, he’s about to be one of my favorite cards in Lorcana. This Emerald card allows any character with Shift to be played on it as if this character had any name. It’s very fitting for Morph, who can alter his shape into basically anything. And with the number of shift cards in Lorcana, this card gives you options in its regular or Enchanted forms. Though, we can’t imagine you’d be playing with an Enchanted card.

Enchanted cards are, to say the least, challenging to find. They’re so rare it’s not guaranteed you’ll pull one from a whole booster box of 288 cards. That rarity means Enchanted cards are the most valuable in the game. If I was lucky enough to pull an Enchanted Morph card from a pack, I wouldn’t sell him though. I’d double-sleeve this beauty and then kiss his little face.

Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands will first release at local game stores on February 23, 2024. Mass market retailers will get the third set on March 8, 2024.

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